#Hes really trying NOT to eat straight garbage if he can

[lou-struck]

At the Top

Keigo Takami/ Hawks x reader

W.C~ 2k

~ Your date at the Fair turns from a questionable experience to a full-blown disaster when you and your online date get stranded at the top of the Ferris Wheel.

With the fair in town, you thought that spending the afternoon eating ridiculously sounding fair food, playing games, and riding the rides sounded like a picture-perfect first-date idea. But that's the problem with being a romantic.

You tend to get your hopes up…

"So… Are you having a good time so far?" the man sitting across from you asks for the 9th time this evening. The two of you had matched on a dating app a few weeks ago, and after many late nights of texting that filled your stomach with butterflies and heart with hope, you finally took the step and asked if he would like to actually go out.

But the evening has been less than ideal. Your date, although good-looking, clearly has some serious baggage from his last relationship that even your 'I can fix him' mindset wants to turn away from. 

He has refused to go on ride after ride after ride with you, claiming that he and his friends rode all of them last year and thought they were just a waste of time. And he turned his nose up at any of the mouthwateringly atrocious fair food you wanted to try out and dragged you to the only place on the fairgrounds that sold smoothie bowls, which may be delicious, but they are something you could eat any other day whilst cheddar cheese flavored ice cream is not.

You try to hide your frown as you spin the deep purple, soupy concoction with your spoon as you stare across at your dark haired date and tell him what you think is a convincing lie, "Yes, I'm having a great time. Thank you for the acai bowl."

"Don't mention it," he chuckles, wiping his berry-dusted chin with his sleeve. "I'm glad I was able to find us something in this place that was organic. All that deep-fried garbage they sell at the other stalls is repulsing."

"Maybe," you say, stirring your bowl even more, really not wanting to engage in any kind of debate with this guy. You take a bite of your bowl, and while it is good, you hate that it costs the same as half a tank of gas. 

Luckily, your date paid for that. 

Just getting up and leaving is always an option, but there is still hope that things can turn around, or at least you'll have a decent bad date story to tell your friends when the night is over.

"How about we go on the Ferris wheel?" he says at last, boredly scraping the button of his paper bowl with his spoon. 

"Really?" you say, thankful that you are finally able to go on one freaking ride on this date. Maybe you were being too critical of your date…

"Why not?" he says, "I didn't go on that one yet."

oh…

~

When you like someone, the idea of being wedged together on the Ferris wheel is something straight out of a romance movie, But when the already little spark of attraction you are feeling for your date has been drowned and smothered by the murky waters of his overflowing ego, the act is tortuous. 

Despite the little legroom in your pod, your date has decided to take up most of it with his wide stance; his obvious manspreading gets more and more stifling as you rise slowly into the air. The multicolored light bulbs of the wheel flicker, and you wonder briefly if that is normal.

It's getting a bit cold up here, isn't it?" he asks with a sly smile. It's honestly not cold at all; in fact, the warm air is kinda stuffy. Before you can say anything, his arm slings over your shoulder, and you dig your nails into your palm; it doesn't feel right; you know how you feel when you are attracted to someone, and this is not it.

The flash of a camera phone catches your attention and you blink away the spots in your vision. 

"Oh, that's perfect," he chuckles, looking at the selfie he just took of the both of you. "I'll send it to you and we can set it for our lock screens."

"Don't you think it's a little soon for that?" you ask, now wondering what kinda psycho you are trapped on this ride with.

"Hey, when you know you know Baby Cakes," he says with an almost hallmark channel level of confidence as he looks at the photo with a delusional smile. "Oh, we look great. I gotta send this photo to my Mom; she is gonna love you."

"Oh… how nice," you say dryly. You feel sick… in that moment, you decide that when you touch down on solid ground, you are going to get the hell out of dodge and take a cab home and leave this guy in the dust.  

The ride reaches its peak, and you sigh; at least you only have a few minutes left of this tortuous experience.  

"Hey, have you ever kissed someone at the top of a Ferris wheel before?" he asks, leaning in close. 

"Not really my thing," you say, scooting as far away from him as you can. But in the little car, you can't really go far. 

"Oh come on, don't be so shy, y/n, I don't ~" he starts to say when the ride suddenly jolts to a stop. Your little pod rocking back and forth."

"What was that?" he asks, getting a bit out of your bubble to look around. His lack of proximity makes you sigh in relief before realizing that you are stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel with this dude. 

Hopefully he doesn't try anything…

"Oh my god, oh my god, we're gonna die," he says, completely freaking out. "This is all your fault, y/n." He glares at you with tears streaming down your face as snot pours from his nose as he rocks the cart back and forth. 

You are speechless and have no idea what to do at this moment. All you can hope is that your date won't pee himself next to you in this little pod. 

You look down at the pavement; at least if you fall, you won't have to deal with this guy anymore…

Suddenly, a red feather whizzes by your face. You follow it with your eyes. Turning your head, you come face-to-face with the most beautiful man you've ever seen.

Bright golden eyes staring into yours warmly from behind a yellow visor. Crimson wings beat softly in the air. "Hey there, you look like you could use a hand."

"H-hawks." Your date says addressing the pro hero. "Thank God you're here. Please get me down."

"No problem, folks, I'll get you down; it looks like that machine down there is a little jammed, so you'll have to bear with me." His feathers harden as they whittle away at the steel safety harness that keeps you trapped in the air. 

"Now, don't move, all right? I had to cut the beam to get you guys out of here, so hang tight in those seat belts." He looks at you and holds out a hand. "how about I start with you? Wanna get back on solid ground?"

You smile. "So badly." His hand has a pleasant warmth through it, but right before a hero can gently take you out of your seat. The bench starts to swing rapidly.

"No!" your date screams, unbuckling his seatbelt. "don't take them, take me." he stands and lunges towards the Pro Hero, only to be halted in the air by a cluster of feathers latching to his clothing. 

His arm pushes you off balance, and you slip, letting out a yelp as you wonder if this is the end. Frightfully, you imagine yourself becoming one with the pavement below, the worst end to the worst date of your life. 

Strong arms are quick to grab you, and you are pulled into the safety of the winged hero's chest. "Don't worry, I gotcha," he says softly; the world beneath you makes your head spin. "Hey… Don't look down, you're safe. What's your name?" 

The unwavering care in his voice calms you, and you answer. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the feathers bringing your date down to the ground and setting him on the pavement with an unceremonious plop.

"Serves him right," you mutter, "This has been the worst first date of my life."

"Don't tell me there's gonna be a second." He jokes as his feathers start to free the other passengers, setting them on the ground; he brushes a strand of hair out of your face and winks, "Just between you and me, I think you can do way better than that guy."

Your cheeks heat under the hero's surprisingly flirty banter, and you realize that you are still nestled comfortably in his arms, high above the ground. But instead of feeling worried, you feel strangely comfortable. Your stomach seems to flutter as you are brought down to earth. 

"There you go," he says gently, placing you on solid ground. Although you are safe and sound, you can't help but feel a little disappointed that your short time with the Pro hero has to end so soon. 

"Thank you for helping me out up there," you say, remembering your manners. 

"It was my pleasure," he says; his golden gaze flickers from you to behind you and narrows. "Hey, I hope I'm not crossing a line or anything, but it looks like you may need a bit more saving." He gestures over to your still-sniveling date, who doesn't seem to notice you at all. 

"Ugh, where were you three hours ago?" you chuckle dryly. 

Your little comment sends him into a fit of laughter so hard he has to remove his visor to wipe tears from his eyes. "Sorry, I guess that saving your life was the best I could do."

"And you call yourself a hero," you shake your head and fight the smile on your lips. 

"Can I make it up to you?" he asks earnestly. "My patrol ends in a few, so I could take you home or somewhere else, maybe grab some food."

Your brain shorts out for a moment as you are shocked by this unexpected turn of events. 

Is he flirting with you?

This is Hawks, one of the most eligible bachelors in the country, and he is offering to take you to get food.

"It seems like you are going above and beyond the call of duty," you comment, watching as he tucks his wings to his back. 

"Well, it just seems right," he says honestly. "You look like you need a better day, and I'm starving. So what do you say? Wanna use me as a good old-fashioned rebound?"

The corners of your lips turn upward. "I would."

"Perfect, then let me work my magic, and we can get out of here." he smiles, the toothy grin looking much more natural than the ones you see plastered on the magazine covers. He turns and walks over to a sidekick in an elastic red suit. "Hey, this one is a bit shaken up, so I'm gonna help them home; you got everything handled over here, right?"

They nod, and he turns on a dime, walking over to you with a poorly concealed pep in his step. "Are you ready to go?" 

You nod eagerly. And motions for you to hang on tight to him. Although just a few minutes ago, you were disgusted at the idea of even brushing knuckles with your previous date, being in the arms of the hero is comfortable. 

He launches the two of you into the air, and the wind tickles your face. Leaving your sniveling date in the dust. 

"So where to first?" he yells above the breeze. 

"There's a really good fried chicken food truck near my place if you want to try it out?" you say after a bit of thought. 

His gaze fills with affection, and his laughter rises with his wings. "Oh, I think we are gonna get along just fine."

Tagging: @pixelcafe-network @sleepyyshroom @anjodedesgostoeerros @isaacdaknight @qardasngan @dog55teeth @atigerandabear

[buwheal]

Anon that was probably saying sorry, I said sorry because I find what clown roll was saying judgy, it's not easy being broke and not being able to afford food, the last thing a poor person needs is a lecture on how unhealthy their lifestyle is. Like of course it's not healthy, you think someone would CHOOSE to live like that? To eat nothing but trash? Pretty sure if spamton could be eating something not out of the trash he WOULD, he doesn't need someone rubbing how awful his life is in his face when he doesn't really have a way to make it better, like "oh yeah just get some food not in the trash" for free??? Or if you're expecting him to pay, with what money??? I swear financially well off people seem to just forget you need money to do almost anything because of how much they have. If clowny roll really cared so much they should give him some damn money to buy something, granted maybe they can't because of askbox rules, but still.

THAAANKK YOU DUDE arrghhhhh,, frustrates me a little because theres some people in this box talking to him like he has a choice!!! HE DOESNT!!! I already did a WHOLE nasty thing with a whole bunch of the asks rubbing that shit in his face as if it were an apology,, reminding CONSTANTLY with stuff like "I had trouble finding sucess once!" sorry but that doesnt help guys... This isnt some one time thing where hes down in the dumps cause he got fired or smth HES HOMELESS... thankfully ive stopped getting those, but now its THESE ones about how unhealthy his lifestyle is............... like yeah......... hes not fucking stupid he knows....... they talk to him like hes a child waaghhh /lh Like, heres some examples, sorry to these anons, but if i had chosen your ask you'd get yelled at by Spamton AND the audience anyways,, so heres some that i think maybe... they forgot he cant really do a whole lot....

...do you see the irony in this one......

guuuyyyysss do you see the freaking issue here???? "EAT HEALTHER!"

huh.

what.....

WITH WHAT FOOD????? WITH WHAT OPTIONS???? sorry lmfaoo... but like. "doesn't mean you shouldnt try to do better!" WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOUSAYING RIGHT NOW... HES NOT CHOOSING TO????? HES ALWAYS "TRYING TO DO BETTER"... DID YOU GUYS MISS THE POST POINTING OUT THAT HE EVEN HAS TROUBLE FINDING SOMETHING GOOD TO EAT /REGULARLY/??? pleeaaseeee dude save me pleese wauughh

But. Dont go after anyone,, esp Clowny Roll!!!!! I think a lot of them dont ....really think about it. I also have a tinge of a feeling that Clowny Roll has a bit of bait intention with theirs!! nothing wrong with that!

[prone-to-fleeting-obsessions]

Dating Veritas Ratio hc's

Out of all the hsr men, I'd imagine he'd be the most irritated figuring out he has a crush

A crush? A stupid little manifestation of his irrational emotions???

He'll stew over it a while, picking it apart like the most complex of equations, his stoic expression not wavering

So what if he's around you often? So what if he unconsciously seeks you out, it doesn't mean anything...

He'll hammer that narrative over and over until it becomes truth, or as close to truth as his mind will allow

You'll act like a married couple, though

He'll scold you without any real irritation, eyes narrowing as he pulls you closer to just fix the problem himself

A leaf in your hair? Your sleeve unrolled? Coffee stain on your shirt?

Honestly, how could you be such a careless mess...

Wait, no. No don't go, you're his careless mess—

It'll become a new normal to just have him occasionally once over your appearance, looking for things he can fix and doing so without a word

He also takes it upon himself to make you a healthier and more rounded person

No you're not eating garbage calories for the third meal in a row, yes you are drinking a full glass of water as he reads you excerpts from his book on how quantum chemistry applies to theoretical engineering under Nous's 63rd law of imaginary quantum information science, and there will be a quiz after so pay attention

If asked about why he's often seen by your side, he'll usually answer with a glare and an insult, commenting on the lack of even borderline decent conversationalists around

You're probably not really going to get an actual confession out of him, because that would force him to admit defeat to those annoyingly persistent feelings that just won't leave him be

If you take the initiative of backing him into a corner, you get to watch him flounder a bit, an expression of agitation and a growing warmth throughout his whole body as he skirts the topic with overly complex excuses

He's a big fan of doing different things in the same space, talking isn't necessary

Occasionally, when he remembers you're still there, he'll glance up from his book to see how you're faring, before getting back into it

He has a bit of a staring problem, in a way

It's just that he's so up in his head often, usually easily loosing sight of his surroundings, and you just happen to be the most pleasing thing to keep his eyes on

He'll look away when he notices you staring back, but it's not long before you feel his eyes trained on you again, as if studying every little movement as he works out equations in his head

Of course he does need alone time, usually spent reading in the bath

But that period seems to be getting shorter and shorter as his focus is constantly broken by unconditionally looking around to find you while deep in thought

He will absolutely use you as a blank canvas to throw ideas and thoughts on if he can't work through something in his head

By explaining it to you in mind numbing detail, he'll usually run headfirst into the solution, and it's a treat to watch his eyes widen ever so slightly as he pauses, immediately thanking you curtly before moving straight to writing

Your sense of curiosity is his favorite trait, the one he wants to nurture and encourage you to feed

He's not expecting you to be as smart as him, that would be an impossible expectation, but he will not allow you to give in to ignorance, to get in the habit of complacency, as it is the enemy of growth

He's an intimidating figure to most, both from his status and sharp tongue, so it's not uncommon for low-level scientists with something to prove to seek you out

Sometimes to get information on him, sometimes to test your intelligence, as if trying to prove themselves better than the company the great Dr. Ratio chooses to keep

He's quick to nip that in the bud, though

His crossed arm stoic faced glare would scare away anyone who isn't keen on being picked apart verbally

He'll claim it's all to avoid tainting you with their idiocracy, and that you really shouldn't keep such company

Tries to use selfish logical excuses constantly to get things he wants from you

"I've already chosen your hotel room for this trip, it'll be next to mine so I don't have to travel as far to compare notes in the morning."

"Honestly. You're coming with me to dinner so I won't waste my time working around your schedule later."

"No. You are absolutely not going to get a closer look at those monsters because I'm not cleaning up the mess you'll no doubt get yourself into by being so reckless."

"You're really going to waste your valuable time entertaining those IPC buffoons? They have more credits than brain cells. Stay here, lest their ignorance rub off on you."

He means well, under the insults and unapproachable demeanor

And, at a certain point, he really can't imagine the rest of his life without you close by

[baronessvonglitter]

The Haunting of David York

Dave York x ghost!reader

Word count: 2.6K

Summary: It's a typical Halloween night for Dave. The last thing he expects is for you to come back and get your revenge.

(Spoilers below the cut, so resume with caution)

WARNINGS: Rated M; Dead Dove Do Not Eat; mentions of wet work, murder, brief gore, threats of violence towards family, major character death (don't hit me)

Author's Note: this fic is for @mermaidgirl30 Jamie's Halloween Writing Challenge 👻 thank you for hosting this lovely fic challenge!

The idea for this started out as a random discussion about why we're afraid of ghosts if they can't really hurt anyone.. then I wanted to add our favorite suburban murder daddy to a ghost story and got some inspo from watching old school stuff like Creepshow and early seasons of AHS. (I haven't written horror in a very long time, so gimme a little break)

Shoutout to @yorksgirl for the Dave chit chats-- there will be a sweatpants scene in another fic, promise!

"Dave, not again!" Carol whines from the front steps.

"What?" he asks innocently, hefting the human-sized 'body bag' consisting of garbage bags stuffed with leaves and tied up with duct tape to fashion a corpse decoration in the yard for Halloween. Dave has been working on them all day. He's now up to seventeen.

"The HOA is going to complain," his wife shakes her head. "We got away with a warning last year. This time they'll definitely fine us."

"It's worth it to see the looks on everyone's faces," he insists. "Besides, I'll have them picked up and out of sight by the end of the night. I promise."

Dave doesn't love Halloween, but neither does he mind it. People dressing up to be anything other than themselves for one night only? Try doing that 24/7.

He doesn't get to parade around the Mr. Hyde aspect of his life. He doesn't get to knock on doors while in tactical gear, sniper rifle resting in one arm while he sticks an orange jack-o-lantern bucket out to get a handful of tooth-rotting sweets. He doesn't get to wake up on November first and pretend it was all for fun.

It's a silly holiday, but he likes scaring the shit out of the neighbors with the decorations. And his kids love planning their costumes months in advance. Alice is going as a zombie cheerleader (he never understands where these ideas come from) and Molly is some type of Pokemon Dave thinks is a squirrel but she insists is something called an Evoo or Evie or something completely asinine.

Carol usually insists on taking them out trick-or-treating, dressing up herself in a last-minute Minnie Mouse getup, a red sweater and black leggings, and a headband with sequined mouse ears to complete the look.

"You'll be okay here by yourself?" she asks, putting the finishing touches on her mouse whiskers and nose with liquid eye liner in the hall mirror as the girls wait impatiently to leave.

She asks that every year, as if something bad will happen on his watch, as if he can't hack it alone for a couple of hours.

"Unless Michael Myers or Pennywise show up, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine," he says, giving the girls a quick kiss before they go.

"What's Pennywise?" Alice asks as Carol herds them out the door, and she shoots her husband an annoyed glance.

There aren't as many trick-or-treaters this year, and Dave regrets that he'd bought so much candy. He dips his hand into the large tub of mini chocolate bars and fruit-flavored chews that stick to one's teeth and selects some Nerds, eating them straight from the tiny box. With barely concealed disgust he finds the candy corn, plucking the small packets of the hated sweets out from the bowl. He doesn't know how anyone can eat these. These can go to the next kids who ring the doorbell. When the next round of costumed kids come around he gives out huge handfuls. The less sweets they have in the house, the less sugar-fueled meltdowns he's likely to experience from his kiddos.

When there's more of a lull he relaxes on the sofa, mindlessly unwrapping a chocolate bar as the Halloween song hums from the TV, The Nightmare Before Christmas playing where the girls had left it on:

Boys and girls of every age wouldn't you like to see something strange? come with us and you will see this, our town of Halloween

He finds his glass of Macallan pairs nicely with a mini Hershey's Special Dark chocolate that he knows the little trick-or-treaters won't appreciate. The candy rests on his tongue as he savors the lingering taste of the scotch while the movie keeps playing. He absorbs a little of it, a now thirty-year-old film that came out when he was his kids' age. He watches idly, letting the scotch lull him into a nice semi-rest.

This is Halloween, this is Halloween pumpkins scream in the dead of night this is Halloween, everybody make a scene trick or treat, 'til the neighbors gonna die of fright

Enough of the singing. He changes the channel. There's postseason baseball on TV, but his favorite team isn't in the playoffs, and the announcers are annoying. Click. Of course there's a horror marathon on every channel. All the Scream movies, which he can appreciate for their ingenuity, Psycho, Shaun of the Dead, the entire Friday the 13th franchise even though it's Thursday, the 31st.

He flips channels, mindlessly, watching tidbits of each, digging into the leftover candy once again when he hears a thud.

With feline alertness he mutes the TV and sits up straight in one swift move. He zones in on where the sound came from, waiting, his racing heart the most audible sound in his ears.

Most people listen for a sound and relax when they don't hear it again, chalking it up to the house settling, or a rodent in the attic. But Dave knows better. He's been on the opposite side of this type of situation countless times. He doesn't relax and just chalk it up to mundane things like other people, because he knows there are guys like him out there-- becoming one with the shadows, as silent as possible--

It's coming from the back door.

In stealth mode, he grabs his gun from the safe in his study and quickly, skillfully, loads it. Adrenaline sings in his veins, carries him towards the danger. He flips on the light switch for the patio and the lights glare into the dark, lighting up nothing. His gun is still in his hand as he slowly opens the door, listening for footsteps.

Quiet.

A little disappointed that he's gotten riled up for no reason, he sighs as the rush of adrenaline dissipates and leaves him weak for a brief moment.

He keeps the gun in the holster at his side as he returns to the sofa, a little more on edge. It could be just teenage assholes playing pranks out of boredom, but he doesn't want to risk it.

He shuts the TV off and the silence becomes the largest thing in the room, even louder than his thoughts. He's taut as wire, not allowing himself to relax just yet. He's listening for more sounds. Most are explainable: a slow drip in the kitchen sink that Carol told him about just yesterday, the notification pings on his daughter's tablet that she left on the dining room table.

"Fuck!" he curses in surprise as the TV turns on, The Nightmare Before Christmas still playing where it left off:

I am the one hiding under your bed, teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red I am the one hiding under your stairs fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair

Dave quickly snaps the TV off, removing the batteries from the remote.

It's just some electrical glitch he tells himself. And then the power goes out completely.

"Shit," he mutters, using his phone to light the way to locate the real flashlight. It's not in the cabinet beneath the kitchen sink where it's supposed to be left. Carol must have moved it. He checks the garage. Through the windows he can see the neighbors still have power, so he grabs the trusty flashlight and checks the breaker box. After fiddling with it, it won't reset. The flips do absolutely nothing.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, he pinches the bridge of his nose, taking out his phone from his pocket. The battery shows 1% before fizzling out to a black screen with the gray spinning wheel before dying.

"You've got to be shitting me," he grumbles. With another curse, he shoves the useless thing back in his pocket, letting the flashlight guide him out of the garage. He may as well get the keys and go try to find Carol and the girls, who are probably several blocks over by now, maybe get them to stay at her mother's place while he gets things sorted out with the power issue.

And then..

he hears the sound of his name spoken, a sharp. accusatory whisper, as if it's right next to him. It's so real he can feel the cold breath against his ear. It makes him jump out of his skin.

Alert, his body tense and ready for action, his eyes dart around the room as he begins to get his bearings back and his heart goes back to its normal rhythm.

Stupid.. he curses himself, sitting upright again. Annoyance colors his face.

But the sound of it.. of your voice still rings in his ear. And he'd know your voice among a thousand others.

Now he knows he's imagining things, because it couldn't have been your voice at all.

You're dead.

He doesn't want to think about that day, a cold autumn day just like this. In fact it'll be one year exactly on November 14th. The last day you saw sunlight, the last day you ever breathed.

It's not that you were bad, you were just in the way. There was no room for you in Dave's perfect, clock-precision life. He tried to make your end painless, make sure you didn't see it coming.

Some secrets don't stay buried forever..

Nobody knows he assures himself. It's impossible.. He'd even kept it from his teammates, and they knew nearly every damn thing about him.

No, this particular job.. the handling of you, had to be done on his own.

Casting a glance at the backyard patio again, the light from his neighbor's back porch glows eerily, spotlighting the patch of earth Dave had avoided until finally he'd caved and erected a bird bath with a small garden, a surprise for Carol's birthday. His wife never suspected that you were buried there, beneath her gift.

Without thinking, he's already walking outside, gun in one hand, flashlight in the other, leading the way to your grave. He never comes out here anymore. The guilt has become too crushing and he's not a man who dwells on guilt. He does what he has to and revisits the issue if problems arise.

You won't arise, though. When he closes his eyes he can still see the bullet hole in your temple, the blank look as the light left your eyes.

Forgive me, he'd thought, unable to speak it aloud as he stuffed your body in a bag and placed you in the dirt on a moonless autumn night.

When he reaches the stone path that leads to your innocent-looking grave marker, he has to process what he sees:

there's a hole in the ground, where some of the rocks and flowers around the bird bath have been upheaved, and in the breeze his flashlight shines on a tattered, empty black body bag. The scent of death greets his nostrils as he pales, trying not to vomit.

He goes back to the house, immediately on the defensive, irrationally expecting to find you there, clothes dirty and hair caked with mud and blood, a specter of his own paranoia and guilt.

It's still shrouded in darkness, the home that is supposed to be his shelter from such dark things as yourself. It's his domain, his castle, and in this trouble, without his family, he feels like less of a king.

"There's no fucking way," he mutters, stomach roiling with fear and suspicion. He opens the patio door and steps inside.

The whole place smells of death, of the grave.

You're in every corner, quiet, waiting, watching. But not impassive.

He feels you everywhere, himself made small by your ubiquitous pall. The gun in his hand feels useless, and this makes him angry.

You feed off his anger. You love it. It's the only thing you can feel anymore. Pure, unadulterated hate.

You slither towards him, wicked grin growing bigger as you approach him. Dave gets the chills down his back, not knowing just how close you are to him.

"Boo" you whisper lightly, ghostly breath caressing the shell of his ear.

Your cackling thunders in his ears as he whips around, eyes wide with fright. You delight in the fear he's giving off. The scent of it it so intoxicating. It's the only good thing about being dead.

"I should make your death as nice and quick and clean as you made mine" your voice echoes all around the room. Dave looks equal parts pissed and afraid as he tries to track you.

"But I won't."

You've been waiting for this night, this one unholy night where you'd be allowed to come back, to gather the unearthly powers granted to you. Halloween: the one night of the year when the living come back to haunt the dead.

And the son of a bitch had the gall to kill you in November. You had to wait almost a whole year for your revenge.

Gonna make it sweet.

It takes a lot of energy to assume something of a human form, but as you grab onto the fear he's giving off, as you use the most ancient of forces to pull your corporeal parts together, it gets easier. You don't feel afraid. You haven't, not since he killed you.

"Consider yourself lucky it's only you I'm after. If I had my way your family's blood would be splattered on these walls along with yours."

Dave shivers violently. "Please, don't!" He's not used to begging or pleading. He's actually on his knees. He tries not to look at you; your visage is too grotesque. Your flesh is falling off your face and your eyes are sunken into your head, giving a ghoulish appearance.

You force his gaze upon you with the ice-cold touch of your hand. "Your family is safe. For now. Hell, there's always next Halloween."

With the cracking open of his ribcage and the spilling of his guts you reach into him, finding the fullness of the heart, the organ he uses the least.

All Dave can do is scream and scream and scream.

The next day Carol sits at the dining room table, two detectives with her. Her coffee has grown cold, barely touched. She still bears the remnants of the makeup she'd put on to complete her costume last night. The girls are upstairs. She couldn't bear sending them to school, having them apart from her. Not while Dave is missing.

"He was fine last night. Normal," she adds, shrugging as she dabs at her eyes with a Kleenex.

Because of his position as a government agent, his disappearance is being taken very seriously. Officers are en route, dispatched to start searching the area, especially the nearby woods, which Carol has always feared.

Dave's gun is there, his wallet, phone, and keys also left behind.

One of the field officers comes in (there have been many people coming in and out of the house today) and motions to the backyard. "Halloween decoration?"

"Yeah," Carol sniffles, smiling just a little. "Dave likes to shock the neighbors. He promised he'd put them away before the morning.. but he never puts them out back.."

Out of guilt, or maybe just to give herself something to do, she gets up and goes to put the decorations away. The detectives follow.

Funny. There's just one.. she thinks, looking at the lone body bag on the lawn, tossed haphazardly next to her bird bath.

It's heavier than she expects. She's too petite to pick it up. Sighing, she kneels, the crunch of the fallen leaves beneath her knees. She'll just take the leaves out and throw the bag away.

Ripping it open with her nails she's stunned a moment, not processing what she's seeing before she lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

Wrapped up in the duct taped body bag is what's left of Dave.

dividers by @saradika-graphics 👑

tagging @almostempty @itwasntimethatdidit40 @milla-frenchy @salingers @zascal

[zxvmp]

Strangers - Ethel Cain

“Can I be yours? Just tell me i’m yours. If i’m turning in your stomach and making you feel sick. Am I making you feel sick?”

summary: based off the lyrics, you and (mha boy) have been friends for a long time now and you’ve been crushing on them for the longest. So, when they started avoiding you, you started overthinking things.

tags: angst with happy ending, slight depression, body dysmorphia, kissing, dumb confessions, overthinking, implied fem! reader but it could lowk be gender neutral

a/n: idea popped in my brain and i had to write it sorry not sorry 😢 i would’ve done other characters but I didn’t realize how long I wrote for kaminari and i def don’t feel like writing that much for more than two characters rn soo…. if you want a pt.2 with other characters lmk 🤪

characters: Denki Kaminari, Shoto Todoroki

Denki Kaminari

You sat in the cafeteria staring at Kaminari from afar. He was sitting with Jirou laughing and eating. That used to be you sitting next to him, laughing over the dumbest things with food in your mouth. About two weeks ago, he began avoiding you and not replying to your texts. Whenever you’d go up to him in person about it, he’d wave you off or ignore your questions.

“Why didn’t you reply?”

“You texted me?”

You frowned and pulled out your phone, “Yeah, I was asking if you wanted to have a movie night like we always do.”

He rubbed the back of his head while averting his eyes away from yours. You could tell by his facial expression and body language he didn’t want to.

You let out a shaky sigh, “It’s fine. I understand if you’re busy.”

“N-No it’s not that- it’s just…” He exhaled a long breath, “yeah, i’m busy.”

You thought back to that encounter for 14 days straight, constantly on loop. It stabbed at your mind and heart repeatedly. Over and over. Sure, if it was a one time thing you would be over it. But it wasn’t a one time thing. He’d always bail on you and cover it up with some shitty lie.

One time he told you he was hanging out with bakugo and kirishima, a boys night. You completely understood and didn’t pry him any further. Later, you found out he had hung out with Jirou the entire night.

“(Y/N)? Aren’t you going to eat?”

You blinked a couple times before taking your eyes off of where Kaminari was sitting. You hadn’t even noticed he left. Your tray had an apple in the main compartment, untouched.

“I’m full,” you stood up from your chair, “see ya Yaomomo. I’m gonna go to my dorm.”

“Wait! But what about afternoon classes?”

You grabbed your tray and tossed your apple in the garbage while you placed your empty tray in the pile of others, “Tell Aizawa i’m sick.”

You’d been skipping afternoon classes for a couple days now. You didn’t feel like going. Not when you had so many thoughts on your mind.

When you got inside of your dorm, you stared at yourself in your mirror. You felt ugly and disgusted with yourself. Looking at yourself made you think of all the times Kaminari looked at you. Did he really see everything you were looking at?

You felt your throat close up and your eyes began to water.

Instead of looking at yourself more, you changed into more comfortable clothes and took a nap to try and escape your thoughts. Sleeping always made you feel somewhat better.

When you woke up, you checked your phone first. It had a couple of messages from your friends and notifications from other apps. Yaomomo sent you pictures of everything your class did in the afternoon. You shot her a thank you text and turned off your phone.

You ran a hand through your hair as you let out a sigh. Your stomach began to grumble, so you got up and slid on your slippers. Before leaving your dorm, you caught a glimpse of your body in your mirror again. Your hair was slightly disheveled, so you put it in a messy low bun.

You grabbed your P.E. jacket before leaving and put it on.

When the elevator doors opened to the main floor it was empty and dark. You didn’t expect anyone to be in there since it was late at night. Except, when you walked more towards the seating area, you saw Kaminari slouched on the couch with a cup of water clutched in his hand. You took in a sharp gasp and stopped in your tracks.

Kaminari turned his head, “…(Y/N)?”

Your heart stung and you could feel your breath become uneven.

“What’re you doing up so late? And why haven’t you been coming to the afternoon classes?” Kaminari usual always had a laid back or goofy expression, so seeing him have such a concerning look on his face hit you deeply.

“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t know you’d be down here. I can go back to my dorm.” You stared down at your feet and picked at your finger nails to avoid looking at him.

“No! You’re fine. Is everything okay?”

Your eyes shot up towards his. You wanted to yell at him and tell him no, everything wasn’t okay. You wanted to scream at him and ask him why he had been treating you the way he was. But you didn’t. You didn’t because when your eyes met each other you could tell he was hurting too. He had slight eye bags under his eyes and he looked drained.

“Am I making you feel sick?” Your voice slightly cracked as you spoke. Tears began to form in the corners of your eyes.

Kaminaris eye brows rose, your words hurt him. “What? Of course not!” He stared at you and took you in. All of you. The way your body was skinnier than usual, how your eyes weren’t as bright as they normally were, everything. He could read you like a book.

Despite that, you still looked beautiful in his eyes. The way you shined in the moonlight had his heart racing.

“Then why…” You pause, trying your best to hold in your tears. “Why, Kaminari?”

He swallowed a lump in his throat.

No reply.

You could feel your heart shatter into pieces.

Before you could turn your back to walk away, he got up and walked towards you. He stood only a couple of centimeters away. You could feel your chest tightening as you stared up at him. He looked down at you with such a yearning expression.

Kaminari took a step closer and brought you into a tight hug, cradling his head into the gap between your neck and shoulder.

You stood still, trying to comprehend what was happening. What broke you out of your trance was when you could feel him begin to shake against you.

He began to cry.

The goofy, light hearted Kaminari you knew wasn’t the one hugging you right now.

“I’m so sorry. For everything, (Y/N). You have no idea how many times i’ve wanted to apologize to you and express how I truly felt.” He sniffled, as he backed away from you, keeping his hands on your shoulders. “And yes, I know. I should’ve just said this from the beginning instead of ignoring you and stupidly trying to replace you with Jirou, which, by the way, didn’t work clearly.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, “What’re you talking about Kaminari?”

He blinked a couple of times before replying, “Oh, right.” He let go of you and took in a deep breath. “(Y/N), I really like you. I can’t ever get you off my mind. I love your hair, the way you smile, and how you can always make me laugh. I love everything about you. I’m sorry I never told you. I was too scared you’d reject me and it’d fuck up our awesome friendship, so I kept it to myself and tried to focus on someone else.”

“Kaminari-”

“Wait, i’m not done.” He held up his pointer finger, “I know you probably hate me now, and I understand. I’d hate me too if I was treated the way I treated you. I wake up everyday regretting what i’ve done. And I know my words won’t heal what I did but-”

“Just shut up and kiss me dude.”

Your words shock you both, but you really did want him to kiss you. You heard enough of what he had to say.

“K-Kiss you?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“We’ll talk later. About everything. Right now, I just want you to kiss me.”

He didn’t hesitate to close the gap between you two, grabbing your hips to pull you in closer. You smiled into the kiss as you adjusted your head for a better angle.

The kiss was filled with passion, hunger, and a slight hint anger. When the two of you pulled away, breathless, he smiled. His eyes were beaming and filled with happiness, and so were yours.

For the first time in two weeks, you felt a weight lifted off your shoulders.

Shoto Todoroki

Becoming friends with Todoroki was an interesting experience. Not only was it difficult, but it was fun. You found an interest in him. For one, he was unbelievably attractive and strong, but was kind. He didn’t show it in school the first couple of weeks, but once he warmed up, he was a total sweetheart.

One day, Kirishima took everyone out to ice cream when your class first move into the dorms. You were the last in line to choose what you wanted, Todoroki was in front of you. After you got what you wanted, you sneezed and accidentally dropped your cone in the process. You were sad about it, but you didn’t say anything and decided to not tell Kirishima about it to save him money.

When you were walking with your friends back to the dorms, Todoroki handed you a replacement for your dropped cone.

“I got you another ice cream.” He handed you an ice cream cone with two scoops of your favorite flavor, “I saw you dropped it before you had the chance to eat it.”

You gasped as you took the cone from him, “Thank you so much Todoroki! You totally didn’t have to. How much was it? I can pay you back.”

He held his hand up and shook his head with a smile, “It’s fine.”

After that day, you hand a huge crush on him. Not only did he buy you an ice cream, but he continued the small kind gestures. He’d gift you your favorite candy from time to time, always telling you it was ‘just a small gift’. Of course, you’d return the action with something he really liked.

Going out to eat soba.

You started to realize how bad of a crush you had on him when you couldn’t even function properly near him. He was in line next to you for lunch? You went to the back of the line. An invite to train before going to bed? You’d pass. Studying together for a test? Yaoyorozu seemed like the better option.

If he had asked any of those questions in the beginning of your friendship, you wouldn’t hesitate to agree! But now, it was a different story.

Hello, up for some training today? 🙂 (6:00a.m.)

No thanks i’m soo tired

You stared at your screen for a while as you sighed. You hated lying to him. You’d been bailing on him for the past two weeks now. When you’d see him in class you’d try your best to make it seem like you were busy, but he’d always greet you. It didn’t help he said right next to you.

“Good morning (Y/N).” He gave you a quick smile as he sat down.

You sucked in a quick sharp breath, “Morning.”

“Is something wrong? Your face is flushed.”

‘Oh god.’ You waved him off, “I’m fine, i’m just trying to revise my notes, okay?” Your tone was slightly harsh, more harsh than you intended.

Todoroki blinked a couple times before nodding, “Sorry…”

When you saw him turn to his notes in your peripheral vision, you turned to look at him. He seemed sad. Were you being to mean?

Aizawa came into class and started to take attendance. Your mind was racing with thoughts throughout the entire class time. Should you just tell him how you feel and get it off your chest? Or take the easy way out and continue to ignore him.

The easy way seemed like the better option.

You couldn’t believe you were doing this to him.

Even with you being dry with him and avoiding him as much as possible, he continued to give you your weekly bag of candy.

“Thanks, Sho…” You took the bag and held it at your side as you stared at the ground. “Hey, how about we get some soba? My treat.”

Todorokis eyes lit up, “That sounds good.”

While you ate your soba, you felt your heart thumping out of your chest. You hated how nervous you were around him. You wished it could be how it was when you first met him. You were more comfortable and free.

There was nothing wrong with having a crush on him, you just wished you didnt. In your eyes, Todoroki was a very neat and well preserved person who kept to himself. You didn’t believe he’d even think about dating a person.

“(Y/N), can I ask you something?”

You clutched your chopsticks, “Y-Yeah?” ‘Fuck.’

“How come you’ve been acting so distant? Have I don’t anything to upset you?”

Todoroki had a sad expression. He barely touched his soba.

“Distant?” You nervously laugh, “I haven’t been distant, and you haven’t don’t anything wrong, don’t worry.”

He clutched his chopsticks for a moment before releasing his grip. His eyes lowered and you could see a frown form on his lips.

You couldn’t take the tension anymore.

“I’m gonna head back to the dorms, goodnight sho.” You quickly got up and left money on the table to pay for both your meals.

“Wait! (Y/N)-”

You didn’t wait for him. You couldn’t.

It wasn’t until you were a couple of steps away from the store that you felt someone grab your arm, gently. You whipped your head around and relaxed slightly once you saw who it was.

Todoroki gripped your arm gently before releasing it. His eyes widened in shock as he realized what he’d done. He didn’t mean to grab you like that.

You could tell from the look on his face that he was beginning to panic. Todoroki told you about his father and what he did to him when he was younger. He always told you how much he hated his father and how he never wanted to be like him.

“I-I’m so sorry, (Y/N). I didn’t mean to grab you like that.” He stared down at the ground as he clenched his fists on his sides.

You furrowed your eyebrows and took a step closer to him, reaching your hand out to rest it on his shoulder, “You’re fine Sho, relax.”

He relaxed his body and took in a deep breath, “Please be truthful when I say this,”

‘Oh no..’

“Am I the problem?”

“Todoroki…”

“H-Have I upset you in any way? I’m sorry if I have. I didn’t mean it. I promise.”

You’d never seen him like this. Todoroki never stumbled over his words or broke down like this. It was both scary and sad at the same time.

“Am I making you feel sick?”

Now, his eyes were looking down into yours. He was crying. Your hand dropped from his shoulder as you looked up at him in shock.

“No,” you brought him into a hug, wrapping your arms tightly around his torso, “you could never make me feel sick sho. Don’t ever say that again.”

He hesitated before hugging you back, sniffling as he rested his head atop of yours.

“I like you Todoroki, more than you can imagine. I’m sorry for avoiding you and acting the way I did. I should’ve told you from the very beginning.” Your heart was beating out of your chest and your words were spilling out of your mouth like an overflowing sink. “Please don’t be sad.”

“Thank you for telling me (Y/N), I understand now.” He pulled back to look at your face.

You stared up at him, trying to read his expression.

“I like you too.”

All the stress and anxiety left your body when you heard him say that. You never would’ve guessed he’d return the same feelings.

“Y-You do?”

“Yes, I’m sorry I never told you.”

You shook your head and rested your head on his chest, hugging him again, “Don’t apologize. I’m the only one that needs to do that.”

It was a cold night. A cold night you never would’ve guessed would turn into you hugging Todoroki in front of his favorite soba place.

You felt his hand come up to cup your jaw, gently tilting your head up towards him. There was silence between the two of you, but you could tell what he wanted, and you wanted it too.

His lips were warm against yours, perfectly molded. Your hands clenched into his uniform jacket as he deepened the kiss. He so desperately wanted to do this. He wanted you to be his.

He pulled away, and you took this as your change to catch your breath. He smiled and gave you a quick peck before resting his forehead on yours, “Will you be my girlfriend?”

•••

a/n; if there’s any errors, pretend they aren’t there okay?

[its-time-to-write]

I absolutely love your writing!! This is very self-indulgent, but could you write about the reader just starting at the gym,trying to be more healthy, and Jamie helping guide her with workouts and anxiety of going to the gym. If this doesn't speak to you, then no worries!

you asked, I obliged. thanks for requesting!

feel it burn

Hardly any of the other WAGs are fitness gurus. They watch what they eat sometimes, sure, but you’d flat-out heard Isaac’s girlfriend curse out going to the gym. 

And that’s great for her, really, it is, you hate the gym too; but she has a personal trainer and you, well- don’t. 

It’s not a problem. You just decide to make a few changes. 

For example, YouTube Pilates when Jamie’s out of the house. 

Clearing out your secret stash of snacks. 

Putting the ice cream in the freezer into the garbage so deep that Jamie wouldn’t see it. 

It’s not like you wouldn’t go to the gym, you just don’t even know where to begin there. You’d like to, but the idea of asking for help?

Mortifying. 

And Jamie (god bless him) doesn’t notice a thing, just grins and treats you like you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and every day you bite back the urge to tell him that he’s got it wrong, that it’s the other way around.

But he won’t notice that you’re acting different and if he does, well, you’ll be in better shape. You’ll have a handle on this whole health and wellness thing, because that’s really what it’s about. Less losing weight and more of a lifestyle choice. 

You’ve gone a solid two and a half weeks without Jamie noticing a single thing, until-

“Where’re all the good snacks?” Jamie shouts from the cupboard. He’s practically all the way inside, rummaging around to where you typically hide your stash so Roy doesn’t fucking find it. 

“I dunno,” you call as you make your way to the kitchen. “Must’ve forgotten to restock.” 

It’s a lie, but it’s a lie you’re pretty sure you can get away with. 

Jamie turns around with an eyebrow raised. “Didn’t even notice the flakes were almost gone? That ain’t like you, babe.”

You lift a shoulder as you say, “Been busy, I guess.”

Jamie almost believes you, almost, but then your eye. Fucking. Twitches. 

“You’re lying,” he says, coming closer as if that’ll do anything. “You know where they are.”

“No I don’t,” you say as calmly as possible. 

Jamie places both hands on the side of your head so you can’t look away. “Say that again in a full sentence, looking straight in my fucking gorgeous baby blue eyes,” he says, and you realize that to him, this is just another funny anecdote in your life. A blip on the proverbial map, if you will. It’s not a big deal to him. 

But to you?

You’ll be goddamned before you’re embarrassed about your lack of athletic ability in front of Jamie fucking Tartt, young god on the pitch.

So in the end, you just look at him. There’s nothing to say that won’t end poorly, so you look into his fucking gorgeous baby blue eyes as they sweep across your face.

His grin slides away as he realizes that there’s something else going on here, something beyond the good packet of crisps being absent from their usual place.

“What?” he asks, still holding your face, and you shrug.

He shakes your head back and forth and says, “Nuh uh, what is it, love?”

You mumble something unintelligible, and Jamie squishes your cheeks together. 

“Try again,” he says. You sigh. Jamie’s giving you the puppy-dog look, and you cave. 

“I’m trying to be healthier,” you tell him. 

Jamie furrows his eyebrows. “So you threw out all our good snacks?”

“My good snacks that I sometimes let you borrow,” you correct. “And yes. I did. And I want to start going to the gym but I don’t even know what to do at the gym, and you’re there like all the time so there’s no fucking way I was ever going to ask you and-”

“I’m the best fucking person to ask,” Jamie interrupts. “I make it fun and sexy, like. We’d have a great time.”

“But I don’t know what I’m fucking doing,” you argue. “I’d look silly.”

Jamie makes a duh face. “That’s why you bring me. I do know what I’m fucking doing. We can go this weekend, yeah? But right now we’re going to Asda to get some more fucking crisps in this house. We’ll talk about fucking balanced eating tomorrow.”

Jamie says “balanced eating,” as if it disgusts him, but it’s mostly to make you laugh.

You do, and he kisses you once, short and sweet, before letting go of your face.

“You still won’t beat me at footie,” he says, “so if this is some sort of fucking… strategy it ain’t gonna work.”

“I’d never dream of it babe,” you reply as he grabs your hand and propels you to the car.

[twoelectrichearts]

My mom and I are currently watching a show together called Miracle Workers. We checked it out because Daniel Radcliffe is a part of the cast. It’s a pretty unique show, each season is set in an entirely different environment and the actors are the same, but they play different characters. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a show like it. Anyways, we’re on season 3 and boy oh boy, I wanna scream because I just got done watching episode 3. So there’s this character named Ezekiel who’s in love with his best friend Prudence. Prudence is married to this guy named Todd. Their relationship is absolutely horrendous. I literally don’t understand how they even became a couple in the first place. Maybe they’ll explain how later, but wow it’s toxic with a capital T. Todd even asks Ezekiel if he should stop fighting for something that will never work and if he should let her go. You know what Ezekiel says? That he shouldn’t give up. That he should try and make it work. That he should tell her how he feels. And you know what Todd says? That he’s not good with words like Ezekiel is. So you know what Ezekiel does? He says he can write something for him to read to her.

Ugghh… sweet, selfless, dumb dumb Ezekiel writes exactly how he feels about Prudence, how she’s his best friend, how she’s the most amazing woman he’s ever met, how he promises to always be by her side, and that he loves her. He assumes that Todd must feel that way as well. I mean, they’re in a relationship. They’re freaking married so he must feel that way, right? Yeah, no, he doesn’t. It literally doesn’t matter that they’re together and married. Their relationship is garbage. They’d be broken up if Ezekiel wasn’t selfless to a fault. He saved their relationship with that letter. He saved their relationship with his feelings that he disguised as Todd’s. Sound familiar? But did he really save their relationship? I can guarantee you that their relationship isn’t going to last. There’s no way in hell that we’re supposed to be rooting for Todd and Prudence. That was clear from the beginning of the season, but even more so now that Ezekiel’s love was added to the equation. Why make Todd and Prudence an unbearable couple and have Ezekiel in love with Prudence then? Oh yeah, because we’re supposed to be rooting for Ezekiel and Prudence to end up together. Anyone who watches this show would be able to see that. I swear, the only reason why some people don’t see that with Byler is because they’re both boys. If Byler was a straight relationship everyone would be eating it up. I can just look up to see if Ezekiel and Prudence end up together, but since I’ve agreed to watch it with my mom, I won’t spoil myself. I know that they’re getting a good ending anyways. Daniel Radcliffe’s characters are always in love with Geraldine Viswanathan’s characters. It’s always a good ending for them. There’s no reason why this season would end differently. But yeah anyways if Byler doesn’t end up together, it’d make ZERO sense. I cannot make sense of them not ending up together. I’ve tried and I can’t. It’d be beyond horrible writing. They made Mike and El’s relationship so bad, they made Will in love with Mike, and they made Will “fix” their relationship with the painting and monologue where he disguised his feelings as El’s. Again, if Byler was a straight ship, everyone would be rooting for them to end up together.

[remembrancer-of-heresy]

Honeymoon

AU Reverse Therapy

Summary: Luka gets the chance to spend a whole month with his beloved Malina. A long time ago, he lived for a whole month with a girl he couldn't love. But he could hate.

Pairing: Chaos!Lamenter/fem!OC/Chaos!Flesh Tearer

Characters: Malina (fem!OC), Luka The Angel (OC Chaos Lamenter), Virgil (OC Chaos Flesh Tearer)

Warnings: yandere, stolkhom syndrome, dubcon, noncon, torture, cannibalism

Word count: 8048

Author's note: I thought I'd remind myself and you that as a Chaos Space Marine, Luka can be quite cruel and terrifying. All scenes with an Imperial soldier will be quite unpleasant. Please be careful.

Song: Garbage - #1 Crush (Nellee Hooper Mix; 2015 Remaster)

Tag List: @druidwolf21, @pluvio-tea, @kit-williams

Luka wanted love. He had been dreaming about this wonderful feeling since he had undergone the reverse therapy. Feeling desire again was akin to bliss and torture at the same time. Of course, the Lamenter understood that as a Space Marine he experienced a much wider range of emotions than mere mortals. He could be a little… uncontrollable.

But he would learn. Luka bitterly regretted what the poor cultist and his two captives had gone through. But now he knew that human women were too fragile and he should not have sex with them for several rounds. And although he did not particularly like it, he also should not drink their blood, no matter how delicious it was. There were plenty of no-man's slaves on board that he could eat. The most important thing was not to harm his beloved.

Beloved. How many feelings and emotions were hidden behind this word. Oh, Luka so hoped that the third girl he found would be the last. His true love, whom he would protect from all the dangers of the world. Mortal men are much weaker than Space Marines. With Luka, the beautiful maiden will feel like she's behind a mountain. All of humanity can roll into the warp with a Corpse on the Throne. But for his beloved, Luka will be a true hero. He will try.

And the Lamenter had better find his maiden as soon as possible. He can't stop thinking about love even during combat. Although shooting Imperial soldiers is quite fun, the siege of heretics was too easy. The Astartes was already starting to get bored while mortals were turning into bloody scraps. And quite tasty. When was the last time he ate a human? It seems like a week ago. Quite a while ago.

"The God-Emperor will guide us, burn heretics!"

Stupid mortals again shout equally stupid words just to keep up morale. In the last couple of minutes, they have not shut up at all. Apparently they are desperate. Luka would like to roll his eyes, but he can't. His hearing caught on the one who was shouting these slogans. The soldier was clearly shouting too much, but his voice was still beautiful.

And the woman was pretty in appearance too. Golden hair, gathered in a high ponytail (had she lost her helmet?), green eyes and a straight nose. A beauty in a word. Luka couldn't help but stare at the girl, and she immediately noticed someone else's gaze and shot at the Lamenter.

"Dirty traitor!"

Luka laughed happily. Usually such a nickname irritated him and mortals always regretted the words they had said earlier. But when this girl said "traitor", it even sounded sweet. Just think, the Astartes didn't know that such pretty girls were being recruited into the Imperial Guard. And was she really supposed to be sent to the army as a tithe?

Well, if the Space Marine tries to be careful and gets to the beauty before the brothers, then she can forget about her terrible past as a soldier. After all, she will have Luka, who will gladly take care of such a cute thorn. Soon she will love him.

A month. He will need only a month.

***

Luka went to his quarters in high spirits after the meeting. Mortals and Space Marines who met him on the way immediately retreated, just to avoid running into him. Sometimes the Lamenter was sad that he was so much feared. Of course, in the past he had done a lot of nasty things, but the same Eurydice was not afraid of him at all. But she, like Virgil, played the mean one and refused the title of "friend".

So be it. And screw what others thought of him. Now the Astartes could not think about anything except the results of the meeting. Bakh joined other Red Corsairs as support for the siege of the forge world Dominica VII. While other Huron forces fought in Malestorm, a small part was ordered to ravage Segmentum Obscurus. Not the most prestigious occupation, but additional resource extraction for the forces of Chaos is also important. Well, demoralizing the forces of the Imperium on the other side of the Rift could be fun.

Besides, it was in this segmentum that Malina lived. Luka now did not regret at all that he was not fighting the main fleet of Huron Blackheart. Although he should not have been fighting now. Half of the Space Marines were just right for a siege that should have lasted at least a month. A quick victory. And if Luka did not have a chance to be on the battlefield, then Virgil was preparing to set foot on the ground right now. And that meant only one thing.

He would finally be alone with Malina. Of course, the Lamenter had plenty of time to spend with the girl alone. And the Flesh Tearer, if he wanted to feel a woman's affection, did it at night and when Luka was absent. Whatever you say, but they were a great team. And yet the Astartes could not calm his jealousy and dreamed of being alone with his beloved for at least three days. And here is a whole wagon of time. If earlier Luka was sulking that he would not be able to torment the Imperials, now he was beaming with delight.

The young man, despite his excitement, slowly opens the door, trying not to scare Malina. She was already awake, finishing washing the floors around the room. Luka could not help but smile at such a picture. The girl was such a hard worker, although she might not clean so often due to her situation. But Malina liked to live in cleanliness. Probably because she herself is pure.

“Oh, you're back already.” - the girl leaned the mop against the wall, smiling embarrassedly. - “How good that I just managed to wash everything. Hope you are doing well?”

She always asked if the space marine was fine, how his day went. None of the mortals in the service of the Emperor allowed themselves such antics. None of the heretics were suicidal to ask about such things. Luka didn't think that this was what he would miss in life. Malina treated him like a man. No, not like that, he was above mortal men (women are beautiful as they are). She treated Luka as if he were her husband.

"Everything is wonderful. Right now, half of our people will land on Dominica VII to help our brothers. The operation will last for a whole month." - Luka said evasively before breaking into a smile. - "And even though Virgil was sent to fight, I will remain on the ship. So you will not have to be bored."

"Oh, that's good. Otherwise, I would go crazy from loneliness." - the girl shyly plays with a lock of hair and the Lamenter can't help but look at such a beautiful vision.

It will be a wonderful month.

***

Lucky Luka. He quickly managed to reach the girl and stun her with his own stock. He even managed to take her unconscious body to the ship without incident. And of course, tie her leg to the bed with a chain so that she could not run away. And so that every Space Marine in the room knew who she belonged to. Alas, the Lamenter did not take into account that this beauty would hiss and fight like a wild cat.

“Y-you vile traitors, I will not betray the Emperor! I-I will not become a heretic, I will not become your slave!” - the girl with golden hair spits so hard that drops of saliva get on Luka’s face. He does not like this behavior, but he forgives her. She is scared, she is used to aggression because of her military service. But everything will be fine.

“Do not be afraid, no one will hurt you. I am Luka, I will protect you.” - the young man stretches out his hands, trying to calm the girl like a wild animal. - “I’ll take care of you.”

“That means he’ll fuck you good.” - Folki, sprawled on the bed, cackles vilely and Luka wants to smash his face until it bleeds. - “He’ll spread you out like a whore and scream how much he loves you. That’s the kind of romantic he is.”

“Shut your mouth, you’re in my way.” - Luka grits his teeth, trying not to show the anger on his face. He shouldn’t scare his captive. But, oh, how nice it would be to smash Folki’s face on the floor. To see how his skin cracks like fabric, how his blood spills onto the floor, and his skin turns into a bloody mess. As delicious as a hot stew.

“Really? And I think I’m helping. Look how she’s shaking, it seems like she’s starting to get it.” - the impudent man gets up from the bed, turning to the soldier with a lewd smile. - “Yes, little thing. Chaos Space Marines are such nasty guys that they know what sex is. And if you weren't Luka's pet, I'd fuck you good."

"SHUT UP!" Luka screams with such fury that even the defiant Folki shuts up. The Lamenter can even discern a drop of fear in his eyes. Yes, he likes that. He wish he could squeeze his head so hard that Folki's brains would leak out of every crevice and the fear in his eyes would grow even more. He likes that.

"Shut up, both of you. You're annoying." - the gruff and silent Nerva calls out from his bed, still clutching his personal slave.

The Lamenter only wrinkled his nose. He hated Folki, but his fury was nothing compared to the envy he felt for Nerva. Folki is a rapist, a lover of a good fight and robbery, a vile and disgusting space wolf. He only knows how to test the patience of his brothers.

Nerva was a secretive Raven Guard, a bastard who hid his secret desires. His only weakness was a legless slave he picked up in the lower levels. She was a fragile creature, desperately clinging to her savior. Luka wanted the same. He wanted to be loved.

Bacchus believed that former loyalists should support each other in order to later become full members of the Red Corsairs. Some formed real brotherly bonds, and some a semblance of family with their slaves. Alas, Luka was unlucky with his neighbors. He hated them. The only consolation he wanted was in love, thanks to his newfound feelings.

Unfortunately, his captive did not want to make contact.

“I don’t give a damn, bastards, do you hear me? The Emperor is with me. I will not surrender to you.” - the girl tried to be brave, but tears were desperately flowing down her cheeks. Luka reached out his hand, intending to wipe them away, but the beauty only pushed him away. - “Don’t touch me.”

“How mean you are. I told you that everything will be fine with you. You are just like a thorn.” - The young man grumbled tiredly, leaning towards the captive. - “Hmm, suits you. Now you will be a Thorn.”

“I am not your pet, traitor! My name is Zegentia Gloz, I am a soldier of the 115th regiment of the Imperial Guard. I will not be a slave to heretics.” - pride in her origin smoldered behind the woman’s tongue and she continued to spit at Luka, infuriating him.

She had an ugly name. Mean and rude, unsuitable for a girl. Eurydice Sever was the captain of the ship, a voidborn, ugly woman with dictatorial manners and sadistic tendencies. But she had a beautiful name and that's why Luka liked her, although they had never communicated. And here... no, he would not allow his green-eyed girl to wear such a disgusting name.

"Fine, if not Thorn, then Pet. That's what I'll call you now." - The Astartes does not give the soldier a chance to spew new insults, tying a muzzle on her face. - "It's a very cute name, just right for you. So be a good girl and stop acting so viciously."

Unable to speak or move her limbs, the woman only continued to look angrily at Luka. He only sighed tiredly, remembering "Flower" and "Rain" with pain in his heart. The Lamenter thought that now with experience he would be a better man for beautiful ladies. It turned out that he would have to face other difficulties.

***

“Oh, Luka. I’m so worried about Commissar Cain.” - the girl hugged the book to her chest, looking at Luka with horror. - “He was just surrounded by enemies. I understand that this is only the middle of the book. But some books ended in the middle, and the next 200 pages were devoted to pleading with the Emperor and the hero the book was written about. What if it’s the same here?”

The mourner only pursed his lips, listening to Malina. He was glad that she liked all the books he brought her. Besides, the book about Commissar Cain turned out to be much better than the one about Saint Celestine (he hated it, damn Ignatius). Luka even listened to Malina’s opinion with pleasure.

Although he was not supposed to worry about the hero of the novel, much less a real person. After all, they were fighting on different sides. But seeing the girl’s worries, Luka couldn’t help but worry himself. This commissioner should live a little longer so that Malina doesn't worry in vain!

"Don't worry! You know Commissar Cain and his courage. He got out of so many troubles thanks to his faith in the God-Emperor." - The Lamenter smiled happily at the girl, noting with pleasure how faith in his words appeared on her face. - "He'll get out of this trouble too!"

What is he talking about... if Virgil were here, he would have fallen out of bed laughing. But fortunately, he wasn't here and he has to freeze his ass on the planet while Luka is having fun with Malina. Although reading about Commissar Cain wasn't the best entertainment, the Lamenter still had to admit. He was interested himself.

"You're right, Luka. Of course you're right." - Malina smiled happily and Luka blushed from such praise. - "How could I doubt him. In the end, he dodged a bullet thanks to faith… though.”

The girl moved her fingers and Luka obediently moved closer. To then blush even more from how Malina came closer to his ear. Her whisper and soft voice wrapped around his entire insides. It was so pleasant that the Lamenter almost missed her words.

“Although I’m sure he was just staring at the girl’s ass.”

Luka laughed, amazed by the girl’s words. Malina, embarrassed by her assumption, hid her face in the book, continuing to read. Luckily, a couple of pages later it turned out that Commissar Cain managed to survive. Luka was even happy for this lucky bastard.

***

“Come on, this is very tasty porridge. I bet it’s even tastier than your rations at work.” - Luka holds out a spoon with food to the green-eyed girl’s mouth, waiting for her to finally eat. - “Open your mouth, Pet. You’ll like it.”

But she only turns her head away, hoping that the Lamenter won’t see her tears. But he does. The woman clearly wanted to eat, but for the most part she refused to eat. Only sometimes did she obediently allow herself to be fed, when she couldn’t overcome her hunger. Luka saw in her eyes that at such moments she blamed herself. She was ashamed to eat from the hand of a traitor.

On this day, she apparently wasn’t so hungry.

“Well, please, Pet. You’ll agree anyway later. Why not stop acting like that then. Eat.” - Luka pokes the spoon into the woman's lips and she can't take it anymore, throws the spoon away and spits in his face. Again.

"Traitor!" - the woman hisses, but immediately stops short when she sees Luka's angry face. She, like all domestic animals, hides in a corner and whines quietly, afraid to move.

"Yes. Traitor. And I don't regret it at all. I don't regret betraying my order. I don't regret eating my brothers." - The mourner sits down next to the blonde, gently stroking her back while she whines. - "I don't regret eating your comrades. You know, I could have fed you their meat, I have supplies. But I'm giving you porridge."

The man squeezes the woman's shoulder tightly and she gasps in pain. Saliva and snot freely flowed down her chin. She looked simply disgusting. But Luka even liked it. He liked taking care of her. If only she would let him do it.

“Stop being so bad. Stop it or I’ll eat you alive.” - He doesn’t want to scare her, but the Pet has gotten on his nerves. He has to calm her down. - “And stop praying to the Corpse on the Throne, he won’t help you.”

Luka gets to his feet, kicking the bowl of porridge at the woman whining in the corner and sits down on the bed. How hard it was for him with her. Blue eyes catch on Nerva and Yuna hugging. Seeing the Lamenter’s interest, the slave girl clung tighter to the Space Marine, hiding her face. Luka swallowed, seeing such a picture. It was so cute.

“Nerva, mortal women like to be friends and all that, right?” Luka is awkward talking to the silent Raven Guard, but he, as a good soldier, is used to dealing with difficulties. - “Maybe Yuna should become friends with Pet? They’ll have more fun together. Maybe she’ll even behave better.”

“I won’t let Yuna get one step near your whore.” - the black-clad space marine hugs the legless slave tighter, inhaling the scent of her hair. - “This bitch is mad. You shouldn't have picked her up.”

Luka wanted to say something in response. To protect his beloved, but he couldn’t find the words. In truth, he didn’t like calling Pet “beloved.” The nickname didn’t suit her at all. He was already regretting picking her up. But the Lamenter couldn’t just get rid of this woman, could he? She was his responsibility now. Yes, it was hard now. But everything would get better later. It would.

***

“Oh, Luka, you spoil me. The porridge is delicious as it is, you didn’t have to bring chocolate.” - the girl looks at the Lamenter with embarrassment and gratitude. Luka only smiles in response, unable to take his eyes off those wonderful brown eyes. No one has ever looked at him like that in his life and never will.

“Mortals need variety. And you cleaned the room so well last time. And I thought you needed encouragement.”

Of course, it was just an excuse. He really liked spoiling Malina. Doing nice things for her, taking care of her. Yesterday, she dared to sing him a folk song of Astarte despite her embarrassment. It was so wonderfully homely that Luka simply couldn’t help but do something in response.

He couldn’t sing as beautifully as an Astartes. But he could bring chocolate taken from the governor’s palace. Most of these products were stored in the warehouse, waiting for the next Feast. But being one of Bakh's closest Space Marines, Luka could afford himself small liberties. He had been denied such privileges before.

"Well, if you say so." Malina carefully took a bite of the chocolate, savoring the taste. Before giving Luka a sly look. He felt his ears turn red. "But then you should try it too."

Malina held out the chocolate to him, waiting for Luka to take it. He took it. Only instead of fingers, he used his own teeth. The Lamenter felt his cheeks flush even more at the sight of the girl's embarrassment. They looked more like village lovers than a Chaos Space Marine and a prisoner.

"It is indeed delicious." The man leaned towards the girl to leave one small kiss on the cheek, which, however, turns into a scattering. "But you are tastier."

Malina bursts into laughter and Luka only continues to kiss her face harder, like a bird pecking at food. The mourner squeezes the girl in his arms, pressing himself against the girl's chest. The calm heartbeat and ringing laughter indicated that Malina was not afraid of him. No, today she was not afraid. And Luka was ready to drown the entire Imperium in blood so that this miracle would last forever.

***

The ungrateful bitch decided to kill him. She somehow managed to steal his knife. She waited until he and everyone else in the room fell asleep and then attacked him with her weapon. The idiot forgot that she was a captive of a space marine and one blow would not be enough. But the Pet did not even have time to strike when Luka hit her in the face, knocking out several teeth.

“You bitch have completely lost your mind, if you thought about killing me, huh? Huh?” - the man continued to pound into the yielding hips, ignoring the woman’s tears. He himself was crying while using her dry pussy for his pleasure. - “Why? Why? Why did you do this? I cared about you, everything should have been fine. You ruined everything!”

“Are you seriously crying while raping her?” - Folki, like a pervert, watched the entire process, shamelessly jerking off. - “You’re being so pathetic.”

“Shut up! I’m mourning my relationship. A freak like you wouldn’t understand.” - The Lamenter makes a final move, finally spilling his seed inside the screaming woman. Tears roll freely down his face as he looks at the equally tear-stained face. - “You betrayed me. You betrayed our love.”

“I-I only love the God-Emperor. H-he is my strength and f-faith.” - the woman swallows, unable to move. But she still has the strength and audacity to look at Luka. The Lamenter wants to suck out those green eyes. - “I will never love a m-monster like you!”

Luka howls like a wounded animal so loudly that Folki stops satisfying himself, and Nerva covers Yuna’s ears. The young man stops crying. Even though it hurts, it hurts so much. No weapon or poison could hurt him as much as the Pet did. His real heart beats like crazy in agony.

Something breaks in Luka. He can't stand that condemning look anymore. As if in a fog, the Lamenter immediately pounces on the woman and starts sucking on her right eye. The woman, who was trying to act decently just a few seconds ago, is now screaming in pain, begging him to stop.

"Oh, you're such a sick bastard." - Folki tries to act cheeky, but Luka can catch a glimpse of his disgust. If a bastard like him is terrified, then something is really wrong with Luka. Yuna is quietly crying in Nerva's arms and the boy wants to apologize to her for scaring her. But he can't. All his thoughts and thoughts are focused only on the one who betrayed him.

"If you don't want my care, you won't get it. You will not have my love. Do you hear?" - Luka feels the wonderful taste of mucus and blood on his lips and he involuntarily licks his lips. - "If you are not fit to be my beloved, you will be an appetizer."

The woman cries, begging for mercy. But Luka is no longer listening. He does not care.

***

The siege was going well. The Chaos Space Marines continued to capture more and more outposts and send captured resources to the ships. Including slaves, both for hard work and for pleasure. Luka and Virgil's room was one of the best, and the compartment looked tolerable.

And yet the Lamenter could not understand where his neighbors had so much time and, most importantly, energy for torture. The same Virgil also participated in the torture of imperial soldiers and aristocrats in order to suppress waves of anger. But Luka was alien to this. If you torture and kill, then only on the battlefield. It is much more fun than taking slaves to rooms.

But if before Luka only rolled his eyes, now he was grateful to all the sadists around. He was ready to sing their praises. After all, all these cries and pleas scared his sweet Malina so much that she, having only heard them, immediately rushed to Luka. She lay next to him on the bed, seeking protection.

“I know that they are heretics.” - Navina Malina whispers to the slyly grinning Luka in the shoulder, while he stroked her hair. - “But I still feel sorry for them. It hurts.”

She is very kind and merciful. Kinder than Luka. In the old days, he would have pitied the slaves, but now he does not care. Sometimes the Lamenter wondered if maybe he had not gone crazy on that desert planet where he ate his brothers? Maybe he had always been a bad person? But on the other hand, even before the girl called him Angel, he was already going to save her. As well as the children. Maybe he's not so bad after all...

As soon as a woman's scream and the men's laughter resounded in the corridor, Malina pressed herself closer to Luka. The mourner only sighed at the behavior of mortal men. Why do they like to rape different women so much? Why don't they want to find the one and only one they will love.

"Angel, I'm scared." - Malina squeaked like a mouse, placing her palms on the man's chest. Luka swallowed, trying to suppress his growing erection. Of course, he could put his beloved to bed, but that would be disrespectful to her. She was scared as it was. So let her sleep.

Alas, but Luka did not close an eye, watching Malina's peaceful face.

***

“When we’re no longer recruits, I’m going to gorge myself on those governors’ food like crazy.” - Folki picked at his porridge with his fork like a child. He was going to steal the mutton and the wine supplies, but the red corsairs had taken everything. Full members of the squad. The three had served for only a short time and had not yet had time to prove themselves on the battlefield.

“Are you going to become the next Bacchus?” - Luka kicks his helmet into the far corner of the room out of boredom. He snaps his fingers, but the helmet is still in the corner of the quarters. The Space Marine rolled his eyes. He was in no mood to torment the stupid creature. - “Pet, have you lost your fear? Go ahead and bring it.”

“And why not, hm? And anyway, you must have noticed that he gives preference to all former loyalists.” - Folki smirked nasally, watching the Lamenter’s captive. - “Especially the likes of me. He was a Space Wolves himself, haven't you heard?"

"Then why is he called Bacchus?" - Nerva notes, carefully combing Yuna's hair. He had already managed to change her into cleaner, neater clothes, which he had managed to steal. - "It doesn't look like a Fenrisian name."

"No idea. Maybe he got himself a new one. How would I even know?" - Folki bristles like an angry dog, but sighs, settling down on the bed. - "They're moving a new guy in with us."

"What? There's not enough room here as it is, and now we have to put up with another mug?!" - Luka throws the helmet into the corner again like a child, watching as the woman hurried to pick it up. A loud cough and the Pet, understanding the hint, immediately dropped to her knees and crawled on her haunches."

"And the main thing is who exactly." - Folki kicks the Pet that came close, forcing it to crawl a different way. - "My old friend Loki. May the warp eat him, he's mad. And an idiot too."

"Stupider and wilder than you?" - Nerva looked at the space wolf with distrust. Having finished combing Yuna's hair, he kissed the girl on the top of her head. She only closed her eyes. She had been very weak lately. - "It would be easier to kill him."

"It would be better if you all died." - a quiet sound was heard and everyone in the room immediately turned to look at the one-eyed woman leaning over her helmet. She looked at everyone with an angry look. - "Traitors."

Luka clenched his teeth in anger. He immediately jumped out of bed and headed towards the woman, noting with pleasure how she cowered in fear. Now not as bold and tongue-tied as before? The young man grabbed the woman by the leg. Hearing the crunch, he only grinned and threw her to the other end of the quarters like a carcass.

“I don’t understand what else she’s hoping for.” - Luka crunched his head in displeasure before wrinkling his nose. The Pet was so scared that she emptied her stomach. The smell of urine rose in the room. - “How disgusting. Now clean up after yourself.”

The woman was about to take it with a rag, but the Lamenter’s clicking stopped him immediately. The Pet looked at him in fear until Luka nodded towards the mess. “Clean up with your mouth, properly.”

The Imperial soldier began to cry in a hunted manner. Her entire body hunched over, making her resemble the slaves from the lowest levels. But she had not yet become as pathetic as them. At least not yet. Overcoming the nausea, Pet nevertheless dropped to her knees and began to lick her own urine.

“And yet you seemed the most normal of us.” - Nerva looked at the woman’s efforts in surprise, hiding Yuna in his arms as she fell asleep. Luka involuntarily shrugged, ashamed of his behavior in front of the legless girl.

“I hardly torture, unlike many. And anyway, she wanted to kill me. And I gave her a chance.”

“Yes, yes, keep making excuses, little sadist.” - Folki turned away from the disgusting picture to the wall in amazement. Luka himself found what was happening disgusting. But he continued to watch. Since he had ordered Pet to do this, he would continue to watch this mess.

***

Luka loved to watch Malina. How she reads, prays, eats, sleeps. And especially the pleasure she experiences when they have sex. But most of all, the Lamenter loved to watch her take a bath. He never thought that this would capture his brain. But even the first time, when Luka first saw Malina in the water, he could not get rid of this image in his head.

Of course, like any other girl, Malina wanted to be alone with herself. Luka did not mind this. Therefore, most often he just opened the door. And watched the girl bask in the water. How her olive skin blushes from the temperature. How she breathes. How gently she spreads soap and other creams on her skin.

Malina is always beautiful, but especially at such moments.

The Lamenter would like to remain unnoticed so that the girl could rest. But he still could not resist and entered the bathroom, wanting to talk to Malina. Tell a little about the siege of the planet, about the successes in commanding the squad. And of course, the most important thing. To complain.

“Eurydice says that I have to justify the title of captain, can you imagine? I already go to their training and plan boarding tactics when I'm not too lazy. What else does she need?!”

“Maybe you should be a little more serious when you're with your squad.” - the girl suggested, hugging her knees to her chest. - “Well, the last time you were just hanging out on the ship instead of training.”

“Yes, it was so much fun.” - the Lamenter sighed dreamily before looking dejectedly at Malina. - “But I don't want to be serious. The squad will stop loving me.”

“Then don't be.” - the girl shrugged.

“But Eurydice will scold me and the squad won't respect me.” - the man leaned his cheek on the railing like a beaten puppy.

“Then be.”

“How complicated it all is.” - Luka stroked the girl’s fluffy hair, glad that he had not spent an entire hour cleaning the aristocrat’s bathroom in vain. Now Malina, in addition to soap, had a whole set of personal care products. - “And what would you do in my place?”

“Have no idea,” - the girl smiled shyly, causing a response from the Lamenter. - “Unfortunately, they didn’t teach us how to manage an entire squad of space marines on the agro-world. So I’m pretty incompetent in such matters. But perhaps you should listen to Eurydice. Try to find a balance. But still, your subordinates should respect you since you are a captain. And only then love you.”

“You are so smart. I am so lucky to have you.” - Luka admired the girl before his gaze caught on the sponge. - “Let me rub your back.”

“If you wish so.” - the girl awkwardly turned her back to the man and he immediately got down to business. Carefully, just so as not to tear off such lovely skin from the body.

There was something especially intimate in this action. Not just trust. But care. Luka tried to use only a soapy sponge, but the temptation was too strong. The mourner soaped the girl's back with his hand, amazed at how pleasant her skin felt to the touch. How soft it was. Luka snuggled up to Malina, tenderly kissing her shoulder blades.

Maybe they should arrange joint water procedures more often? Next time, Malina could soap Luka's back.

***

“Yeah, that’s it. Good. What an obedient Pet, ha.” - Luka laughs lightly, stroking his mate’s hair. No one in their right mind would think that he’s a vile and mean pervert if they heard his laugh. But here he is. Using his slave’s mouth for sexual pleasure.

He’s already had his fill of her female parts. And besides, he’s torn everything there, causing the Pet to bleed constantly. Both from the inside and the outside. Last time, he bit into her tender flesh so hard that he ended up tearing out a couple of pieces of meat, including a cute button. But he didn’t feel sorry. She didn’t deserve to have this pleasure.

“Take it deeper, stupid. Come on.” - Luka pushes his cock further into her mouth, squeezing her short-cropped hair. In some places, it was torn out to the point of baldness. The pet didn't look its best. There were bruises and black eyes everywhere. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her nose was broken in several places. There were open wounds on her arms and legs. Some of them were already starting to fester.

She looked disgusting, but not yet disgusting enough to start smelling like the Death Guard's abode. In addition, her slippery wet mouth pleasantly wrapped around his huge member. And the one-eyed woman crushing him with her size and saliva was so pathetic that the Lamenter only laughed even more at the sight of her. His balls hit her chin pleasantly.

“And yet once upon a time you prayed to your Corpse on the Throne with this very mouth.” - The Astartes stroked the girl's hair almost tenderly.

Perhaps she has not yet broken completely. Perhaps this slave still has faith in the God-Emperor. To her credit, she had tried to maintain her sanity and loyalty to the Imperium to the end. Even in this hell. And yet, Luka was not about to praise her for it, especially when she sank her teeth into his cock.

“You filthy bitch!” Luka grabbed the woman’s hair so hard he heard it crack. It seemed like another bald spot would appear on her head. Great. Even better, the one-eyed animal screamed in pain, opening her mouth wide just like he wanted. “Don’t think you’ll get away from me. I’ll use every hole of yours if I want.”

And right now, he wanted her mouth, and the Lamenter was not about to deny himself that pleasure. Grabbing the woman’s front tooth, he waited a moment until he saw the realization in her eyes, and pulled it out. As easily as if it were a fake. Pet whined, choking on her own blood.

“p-please, noo.” The woman wheezed in pain, but Luka continued to pull out her teeth with a cold gaze. His cock ached with arousal and he wanted to let his pleasure out. He wanted an obedient mouth and he would get it.

“That’s much better.” Luka smirked at the bloody and toothless woman. Now she wouldn’t be able to bite him anymore. Now she wouldn’t be able to insult him like before. “Now open your vile mouth, stupid slave of the Corpse on the Throne before I pull out something else.”

This time, the Pet obediently opened her mouth as wide as she could despite the heartbreaking pain. It became even more intense as Luka shoved his cock inside. The Lamenter moaned loudly from the intoxicating feeling. No more teeth, only metallic, delicious blood covering his cock.

It felt so good that it took him a little while to cum. The woman, like an obedient slave, swallows his sperm along with his blood. And yet, a few drops still fall on the floor. Without looking at Luka, she immediately begins to lick the floor, causing her tormentor to laugh.

“Wow, you’ve become so smart. Did I really have to treat you like an animal from the very beginning?” - Luka watches with unprecedented sadism as the imperial soldier sheds tears on the cold floor. - “You never deserved the honor of becoming my beloved.”

Unhappy creature. That’s what Luka would have thought earlier, seeing this body writhing in agony. But the young man had already managed to get to know this woman well and knew how rotten she was. He hated her.

***

Luka was in paradise. He couldn't call it anything else. But isn't it paradise? Sitting on the bed while a beautiful girl tries to tame your cock. Malina was too soft and weak, so mostly the Lamenter directed her hips up and down. Up and down.

Her natural lubrication helped the penetration wonderfully. The pleasure that engulfed the girl from head to toe squeezed the walls around the cock as hard as possible. The slurping shameless sounds of flesh on flesh, as well as sighs of pleasure filled the dark room. Pure bliss.

Malina settled her head on Luka's shoulder, unable to cope with the whirlwind of emotions. The Lamenter didn't mind. He wanted to see her soft lips and trembling eyelashes. But if the girl was tired, then it was okay. He would enjoy her sight to his heart's content when they fell asleep together.

The girl seemed to hear his thoughts and slowly raised her head, looking straight into Luka's blue eyes. The man's breath caught at the sight of her.

"You saved me." - Malina carefully grasps the man's chin with her small fingers. And Luka moans from her touch and words. - "You saved me. If it weren't for you, I would have died. I am so grateful. I am so grateful, Angel."

It was too much. Too much even for him. Luka could no longer think normally, speeding up the process. The girl moaned again, but this time fear settled in her eyes. She immediately hid her face on his chest. The mourner only laughed loudly at this. Luka felt drool running down his chin. He probably looked like a madman, but he didn't care.

Yes, he is her Angel, her savior, her lover. No one will take Malina away from him. She will be with him forever. He will take care of it. And all those who want to taste her flesh or offend her can roll into the warp. Luka will gnaw off their legs and arms and make them watch their loved ones die. He will turn them into mincemeat and sew a new cloak for Virgil. Because Malina is only his. Only his.

Luka did not notice how he came. He breathed for a long time, trying to cope with the excitement and evil thoughts. For some time he sat like that, still enjoying Malina's inner flesh. But the Astartes returned to reality again, finally hearing the crying.

“Malina? Hey, hey, what's wrong? What happened?” - Luka knew she was crying. He liked the look of her, but still, he had to calm her down.

“S-sorry, I was just so scared.” - the girl looked at Luka and he saw a waterfall of tears rolling down her cheeks. - “You had such a look.”

“Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just love you so much that I can't hold back. Your words got me going.”

“Alright. Next time I’ll keep quiet.”

“No, no. Don’t. I want you to say all those sweet things to me. They make me happier.” - Luka gently wipes Malina’s face before letting her lie down on his chest. - “You’re going to say them, right?”

The girl whines on his chest, but nods anyway. Luka smiles and gently kisses Malina’s forehead before running his hand through her dark hair. Poor thing. She’s so easily scared. It’s a good thing the Lamenter saved her and now she’s under his protection.

***

Yuna died. Quietly in her sleep. She did not suffer at all. But the inconsolable Nerva suffered. Luka already regretted his envy of the man, looking at how the Raven Guard sniffed the cut lock of the girl's hair. He felt sorry for his brother. Nerva became even more withdrawn and rude. But most importantly, lonely.

He was similar to Luka in some ways. Unlike Folka, the reverse therapy had a very strong effect on them. They craved love. But the conditions in which they lived did not allow them to have mortal girls. They were too fragile, and the space marines had not yet had time to become a real part of the team.

And still, they could not resist their desire every time. Their call of the heart. Nerva, at least, made sure that Yuna was burned, and not eaten or thrown into a corpse pit. Fortunately, the wild Loki did nothing but sleep. So he didn't try to piss Nerva off. Folki sat silently in the room, trying not to stand out. Even he had gotten used to the legless girl. Without her, the room became completely gloomy. Suffocating.

Luka involuntarily glanced at the one-eyed and toothless woman. She looked back at him like an obedient Pet, smiling like an idiot. Waiting for his orders like a dumb animal. The proud soldier, ready to fight for the Imperium and her loved ones, was gone. The woman Luka had liked in that battle was gone. He didn't miss her. But there was no point in torturing the slave either. She had no place in this quarter.

Having put a chain on the Pet's collar, Luka led her out of the room. She was about to go on all fours, but he forbade her with a gesture. The Lamenter hoped to get to the lower levels as quickly as possible. He couldn't stand her smell any longer. Her gaze. Her presence. Her entire existence was poisoned by him. Luka was not going to pity her. He had been waiting too long for the nightmares about his eaten brothers to stop. He did not need another burden of guilt.

“This is your new home now, Pet.” - Luka unhooks the chain from the collar, but the stupid bitch does not go inside the hall where the unfortunate slaves clung to life. The mourner angrily kicks the woman and she falls forward by inertia. - “Don’t be stubborn, you will like it here. There are the same pathetic slaves here as you.”

But Pet tries to grab the man’s leg, begging with her one eye not to let her go. She tries to say something, but without teeth and with a bitten tongue, she is doing poorly. A month ago, Luka would have been happy with such treatment. But this was not love. Not the one he was looking for. This was animal instinct.

“Let go, worthless.” - Luka hits the woman in the jaw again, causing it to break. The woman screams in pain, rolling on her back. But the Lamenter only turns away from the former Imperial soldier and leaves the lower level. His soul has not become any easier.

He has only gotten rid of the trash.

***

“Luka, do you remember anything from your childhood?” - the girl blinked innocently, clinging to the space marine. Screams were heard again and the frightened Malina, of course, hurried to her savior. And although the screams of the captives quickly died down, the girl was in no hurry to return to bed. Although Luka would not have let her go even if she tried. Perhaps she knew it.

“Not really.” - the man hummed thoughtfully. - “I remember that I had parents. They loved me. I think. I remember our homemade stew. It seemed to me the most delicious in the world.”

“If you bring groceries and a small stove with a saucepan, I can try to cook it.”

“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” - Luka gently tucked a lock of hair behind the girl’s ear. How lucky he was to have her. - “But most of the memories are lost. Basically, I only remember my training when I was accepted into the ranks of the Lamenters. I was very proud then. I thought I would become a hero.”

He should have continued to play the part, but then again, Malina was naive enough. Luka wasn’t trying too hard, letting the girl believe in the illusion of the loyalist Space Marines. And yet, he felt like he was walking on a dangerous line. He wanted so much to cry on her shoulder.

He could still hear the cries of his brothers at night. He didn’t miss them. He thought they were pathetic. But the Lamenters still wouldn’t let Luka out of their embrace. Maybe that’s why he couldn’t change his armor to the Red Corsairs’?

“But you’re my hero.” - the girl gently strokes Luka’s hair before running her hand down his cheek. Only then did the Space Marine realize he was crying. - “Do you remember the stories your parents told you before bed?”

“No.” - the man looks at the girl, fascinated. Just a couple of seconds ago, he was lamenting the past. Although here it is, the present right before his eyes. Malina is much better than the empty promises and debt that Astartes promised him. That the Imperium promises. Maybe Luka, deep down, regretted that he sided with the traitors. But now, looking at Malina, he understood that he did not.

It was the right decision.

“I can tell you a fairy tale that helped me fall asleep as a child. It is about a little boy who managed to survive in the desert. And all in order to return home. Because a rose was waiting for him there.” - the girl looks closely at Luka and seeing the right answer in his eyes, she finally smiled. - “Well then, listen.”

Malina made a good storyteller. It was as if Luka himself found himself in the desert, overcoming all its difficulties. It was as if he himself was walking on the hot sand, suffering from hunger and heat. And the terrible cold that comes at night. Cruel winds blew on him, and everywhere he could see the corpses of the same weak children like him. Who could not survive the hardships of the radiation desert. Who could not pass the test.

But the boy was able to survive. And despite the curse that came with him. Despite the thirst for blood, he was able to rise to the heights. Only in order to leave this terrible world. To leave behind other children. And return to the rose that had been waiting for him since its birth. Not knowing that such a fragile flower like her needs protection. Needs an Angel.

For the first time in many years, Luka allows himself to fall asleep first. Allows the fairy tale and the wonderful girl's voice to envelop him like a warm blanket. Allows himself to close his eyes and fall asleep. But even in his dreams, Malina is near.

They will always be together.

[archangeldyke-all]

you can go ahead and laugh at this all you want, but I could totally see Sevika with a chihuahua.

this is stupid but i can't stop thinking about it

enjoy! love,

angel

men and minors dni

she's one of those people who claims to hate animals. she says pets are a pain in the ass, just another mouth to feed. she shoos away strays on the street and stares down gaurd dogs until they run away with their tails between their legs. she doesn't mind cats as much, but she gets a scratchy throat and itchy eyes if she spends too much time near them, so she avoids them.

but one night walking home from work, she trips over this itty bitty puppy. it squeaks in fear and curls into a little shaking ball to hide and Sevika grumbles about it until she gets a good look at the tiny dog. It's not even old enough to walk straight, vision probably still developing, and Sevika tries not to melt. she really does.

but the little puppy is so pathetic, and as she gently kicks away the garbage bags it was living in, she can't find it's mom. she rolls her eyes and looks down at the little black and white furball, cursing it's watery brown eyes, and scoops it up in her arms. "c'mon jackass. i've got some salami at home you can eat."

she tries not to fall in love when the puppy falls asleep curled in her arms. she tries not to fall in love when the puppy scratches at her door that night until she lets it in to cuddle with her on her bed. she tries not to fall in love as she tucks the puppy into her side satchel on her way to work. she ignores the breaking in her heart as she shoves the little gremlin in Silco's arms.

"what's this?" he asks. she shrugs.

"something for Jinx."

Silco raises an eyebrow. "Jinx is allergic to dogs." he says. Sevika huffs as he hands the puppy back to her.

"well what the fuck am I supposed to do with this thing then?" she asks like she's not relieved to have her little buddy back in her arms. "i don't have time for a dog." Silco sees right through her, raising an eyebrow and trying to bite back his smirk at the sight of his best brute gently scratching underneath a 2 pound puppy's chin.

after a week of halfheartedly trying to pawn the puppy off on her coworkers, she finally gives in and accepts that it's hers now. she takes it to the vet, gets it spayed and vaccinated. when they ask for a name at the front desk, she panics and picks the first thing she can think of. "uhh... Slayer..." she says. she ignores the judgmental look the receptionist gives her.

she'll deny it to her grave, but she spoils the little fucker to no end. it's a tiny little chihuahua, always shivering and whining, and she can't fucking help herself from buying Slayer festive sweaters and onsies. she keeps the puppy dressed to the nines, changing out collar colors to match the sweaters. the dog has a bigger wardrobe she does.

Sevika's apartment, once barren and simple, is now littered in dog toys and plush beds. and she is a sucker for puppy eyes. she doesn't even try to discipline little Slayer, always giving her baby a bite of her food when she begs and letting her up on all the furniture.

Slayer tries to be as tough as her momma, seemingly unaware of the fact that she's not, in fact, a wolf. completely in tune with Sevika's emotions, Slayer growls at everyone and everything Sevika doesn't like. she loves to bark at big dogs on her walks, always looking for a fight. it always makes Sevika chuckle to see her little fur baby pick fights with dogs that could kill her in an instant. she scoops her up in her arms and kisses her on the head, admonishing her and trying to explain the food chain to a chihuahua. Slayer, for her part, always watches Sevika intently while she's getting lectured like she actually understands what she's saying.

never in a million years did Sevika think she'd have a pet. But as little Slayer buries herself under the covers beside her human companion every night, Sevika can't find it in her to be too upset about the little addition to her life.

[thezombieprostitute]

Dream Come True - Part 9

Summary: The “Garbage Men” are the guys in the mob who get the dirt on others and clean up after the higher ups. They have many different ways of gathering intel by running legitimate businesses. One such business is Jefferson/Jensen’s cyber cafe where you regularly go to work. You’ve actually become good friends with Jefferson’s daughter and Jensen’s niece. You even volunteered as their after-school tutor. One day, there’s a robbery attempt where you get hurt protecting the girls. This is how you are introduced to Curtis Everett, the guy in charge of the “Garbage Men”.

A/N: Reader is plus sized, femme. No other descriptors used.

Word Count: ~1800

Warnings: Bullying, Fat shaming, Insecure reader, VIOLENCE. Please let me know if I missed any!

Part 8 -- Part 10

Series Masterlist

Curtis hears you whimpering in your sleep as you grip his arm tighter. Figuring you’re having a nightmare he gently wakes you up. You look around confused for a little bit before dropping his arm and apologizing. He reassures you with a smile as he massages his arm. You give him a confused look and he says, “you’ve been asleep for a few hours; my arm for a little less than that.”

“I’m sor-” you stop yourself when he raises an eyebrow. “Thank you,” you ventured. “Thank you for letting me sleep and letting me use your arm for a pillow.”

His smile grows, “it wasn’t a problem at all.”

“Have there been any updates?”

“Yes, not all of them good,” Curtis nods. “Ransom is in the hospital but he should make it. Lloyd’s co-conspirators are dead but he’s escaped. We’re working on trying to track him but he’s gone off our radar. We’re working with other families to signal us if they see him. In the meantime, no one goes out alone. Everyone travels in groups of at least two.”

He sees you tense at the information and unconsciously rub at your arm around where the bruise is. His eyes soften, “do you need an ice pack for that? Maybe some painkillers?”

“I think it might be a little late for an ice pack,” you whisper. “But, yeah, some tylenol or something wouldn’t go amiss.”

“Okay,” he says as he gets up. “Let’s go get you some.”

“Have you eaten,” your own stomach is aching and you don’t remember seeing Curtis eat anything before your nap.

“Not really,” he admits. “There’s probably some leftover pizza in the fridge. We can talk while we eat, okay?”

You follow him to the kitchenette area and, as you eat, you relate to him everything that happened to you after you left Ransom’s. It’s hard to believe all that you’ve been through in just 24 hours. Curtis never interrupts you but offers his hand when you have problems talking about your interactions with Lloyd. 

When you’re done he says, “that explains a few things we picked up from Ransom.” You give him a confused look and he continues, “Ransom told us that Lloyd was insistent on getting details about you. His co-conspirators were there with him because he had a potential security breach with you and they needed to see him clean it up.”

“Oh god, I got him hurt,” you whisper. “Fuck. I should’ve stayed at the hotel. Mr. Drysdale’s an ass but Lloyd is a monster. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“If you’d stayed at the hotel I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself,” Curtis admitted. “I wasn’t able to think straight until I got you back here. I really shouldn’t have left the team in the lurch like that. And I know I wouldn’t have listened to you if you tried to tell me to leave you there.”

“That couldn’t have been fair to the guys,” you complain. “I don’t think baking them some cookies will be enough to make up for it. They needed you and I got in the way.”

“Don’t,” Curtis chided. “Don’t speak about yourself like that. You’re a lot more important than you think.”

“I’m not much of anything,” you muttered. “I just fall into these situations. The nieces? Ransom’s signals? Lloyd? Things just happen and I react. Just like anyone else. You and your team are planners, able to think several steps ahead, able to keep safe in dangerous situations. Things don’t “just happen” to you. You’re able to prepare, think through possibilities. I just have blind reactions to everything in life.”

“You really don’t see your adaptability as a strength? Yeah, shit happens and blindsides you, but you’re able to keep your head above water. I have to do all of that planning because, as you’ve seen, being hit by an unknown throws me for a loop that makes me default to anger. And that quick switch you did to throw Lloyd off? That was incredibly quick thinking!”

“No,” you shake your head, “that was actually a bit of experience.” Curtis sits forward, concerned about the implications of your statement. “I wasn’t kidnapped before, nothing like that. I just…” you take a deep breath, “I’d go out with people I thought were friends. They’d get hit on all the time but I was definitely the ugly, fat friend. The guys who got turned down by my friends would occasionally get so drunk that they’d aggressively flirt with me. Not because they were actually interested, of course. They’d insist that they were being nice and doing me a favor. They’d frequently not take “no” for an answer because they couldn’t handle the thought of the ugly one not wanting them. The only difference between them and Lloyd is that Lloyd wasn’t drunk.”

“If you give me their names I’ll make sure they regret treating you like that.”

You give him a sad smile, “I already feel bad for getting Mr. Drysdale hurt. Even when people are assholes I don’t like to see them hurt. I’m weird like that.”

“You’re an angel like that.”

“I think it’s more, I wasted so much time with them that I’d rather not give them any more. Time is precious and I don’t want to waste it on people who don’t deserve it.”

Curtis hesitates, thinking on past interactions with you. “So, that day I called your prettiness a bonus?”

You duck your head close to your chest, “I overreacted. And for that I do apologize. You were just trying to be nice but I was hurting and I lashed out at you. I’m sorry.”

“If that’s you lashing out, I’m good,” Curtis chuckles. “All you did was accuse me of pitying you.”

“Still, you didn’t deserve my anger.”

“I think I got more anger from you when you were arguing about being overpaid. Or about the guys being overworked.”

“That wasn’t anger, Sir. That was debate and, well, stubbornness.”

“A stubbornness that seems to help people.” 

Curtis’s smile is broken by a yawn and you ask, “when was the last time you slept?”

“It’s been a while, I’ll admit.”

“You should really get some sleep, Sir.”

“I can’t,” he shakes his head. “Until we get some kind of update on Lloyd’s whereabouts, any sleep I get is going to leave me even more tired than if I never slept at all.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” you concede. “So, what do you generally do when you can’t sleep but can’t leave standby mode?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” he admits. “Usually there’s work to be done. Intel to verify, cleaning to do, garbage to dispose of. But right now all I’ve got is waiting and making sure you’re okay.” 

“Thanks for not leaving me alone,” you hum. “Thanks for bringing me with you. I know I was never supposed to know all of this. That I was supposed to stay on the legitimate side of things. But, even though I’m in the middle of the storm, I feel really safe with you.”

“That’s the greatest compliment I could ever receive,” he beams. “And I mean it.”

You’re walking back to the kitchenette from the bathroom when you’re slammed hard against the wall. You barely let out a squeak before feeling your windpipe cut off. You open your eyes and see Lloyd, smiling wickedly and holding a butterfly knife.

“Oh Pumpkin,” he sneers, “I told you not to run. Imagine my surprise when Pretty Boy finally confessed you were one of Everett’s agents? Fucker took my job, seems only fair I take his whore–”

His head is slammed into the wall you’re pinned against, barely missing you. The force is hard enough that Lloyd lets go of your neck and you drop, struggling to catch your breath. You’re able to register Curtis repeatedly smashing Lloyd’s head into the wall before Lloyd is able to push Curtis back. He spins to face Curtis, flashing the butterfly knife but Curtis doesn’t hesitate to charge as soon as he’s got his footing. 

You struggle to get away from the wall, not wanting to get Curtis hurt because of your interference. You find your phone in your pocket and send an SOS to Jake. You look up just in time to see Lloyd landing a kick to Curtis’s leg but he doesn’t even seem to flinch. He’s twisted Lloyd’s arm, making him drop the knife, before throwing him to the far side of the room. Curtis storms after him, not giving Lloyd time to get his footing, keeping him on the defensive, only able to focus on blocking or deflecting hits.

Curtis’s face is pure blood-lust and rage. You know you’re looking at Berserker. A small part of you knows you should be scared, but you’re not. He’s protecting you. Thinking you should return the favor and keep him safe, you look around for the butterfly knife. You’ve seen enough movies to know that it could come back into play against Curtis. You carefully remove it from the improvised arena and stay back.

Lloyd manages to get in a few punches but Curtis is relentless. When Lloyd starts flailing, clearly losing consciousness, Curtis pushes him to the floor before continuing to smash his face in.

“Curtis!” You cry out painfully in an attempt to get his attention. You’re quite sure Lloyd is at least incapacitated if not dead. He doesn’t seem to hear you so try again, “Curtis, please!” 

He pauses. You see him blink several times, seeming to come back to himself. He turns to you, “I’m so sorry. You weren’t supposed to see that.” He backs away from Lloyd’s body, running to the sink to wash his hands. He keeps repeating, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Curtis, look at me,” you gently plead. His eyes shoot up and you see he’s scared, terrified even. “Thank you, Curtis,” you whisper, voice hoarse from Lloyd’s attack. “Thank you for rescuing me.” His hands stop shaking as he searches your eyes for any sign you’re scared. But you’re not. You hold firm in that and it helps to ground him. You step closer to him and he melts into your touch as you hold him.

Soon after the others come by and clean up Lloyd’s body. The higher ups are informed and let out a breath of relief. 

When the business side of things is concluded you ask Curtis if he’d be willing to stay with you at your apartment for a couple of days. You’re certain you’ll have nightmares and having him there, even if it’s just on the couch, will be a great comfort for you. He wholeheartedly agrees that he’ll sleep better as well if he can keep an eye on you.

Part 8 -- Part 10

Tagging @alicedopey because I promised I would. 

@alexakeyloveloki

@bigtreefest

@dontbescaredtosingalong

@hisredheadedgoddess28

@icefrozendeadlyqueen

@lokislady82

@texmexdarling 

@veltana

@winter-soldier-101

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.

[llamagoddessofficial]

For the baker boys, what if reader tried out a new recipe one day and just absolutely butchered it. Destroyed. Came out awful. And this isn’t the first time. She’s tried to get this right so many times and simply can’t seem to get the hang of it. I can see sans “teaching” her how but really just flexing, red teasing, and skull eating it and straight up lying to her face that it’s good.

Funnily enough, it's not unusual for Mc to try a recipe and completely fuck it up. She just isn't blessed with the gift of baking.

Sans: He's generally more accepting of the fact that baking just isn't her strong suit. She appreciates his honest approach, he doesn't try to turn her into something she's not. He can always tell how she's feeling about her attempt at cooking ending so terribly, and he responds appropriately- when she's not bothered about it and clearly finds it all funny, he cracks jokes and pretends to die from eating it, making her laugh until she's crying. But when she's genuinely upset that yet another cake came out underbaked, cracked or burnt, flat or misshapen, generally inedible... he's calm. He doesn't quip or push.

... Usually, he asks her to make him a complicated coffee. Pulling it off flawlessly makes her feel a lot better.

Red: He's one of those bakers who can look at her failed creation and instantly know what she did wrong. She has no idea how he tells so quickly. A single glance, and he's got her all figured out. "you opened the oven while it was cooking, didn't you?" "... Y-yeah. Just once..." "doll. that takes all the air outta it." Unlike Sans' more 'live and let live' approach, Red does his best to teach her some tips and tricks if he can tell she's open to it at that moment. Don't open the oven while it's baking, wait until your ingredients are room temperature, put a lil' drop of lemon in your eggs to make the meringue whip faster... Red's got the magic touch of someone who knows exactly what he's doing. When they cook together, she's much less flustered and confused, and everything winds up great. Plus, baking is a perfect time to flirt.... though if he says 'nice buns' again he might get a spatula to the jaw.

Skull: It's a real effort to get Skull to not eat what she bakes. When she makes something crap, she has to either hide it or literally run for it, because Skull will have some. She doesn't understand why he'll turn down nice store sandwiches to eat whatever hot garbage she pulled out of the oven.

... There's a few reasons. A big one is not wanting to waste food. But honestly, it's mostly because he really does like what she makes. Her cakes, though not exactly a visual treat, are full of her emotions and labour. He loves her so much, and her food is like an extension of her. It doesn't matter how bad it tastes because as soon as he chews it he feels warm knowing it's hers.

... He also wants to show her that no matter how bad she thinks it is, just because it's imperfect doesn't mean it's impalatable.

Someone will always like it.

[gaybananabread]

hii! for the tickletober prompts, how about lee dipper with day 12? like the ler (they can be whoever you see fit!) knows/discovers he is really weak to them so they get him. hope you're doing well!

TickleTober Day 12 - Nibbles/Bites

Thank you! I had a helluva time picking a ler for this, but I think Stan fits best. I need to write for him more anyways. This idea ironically happened less than 10 minutes after I finally chose Stan. My brain is weird like that (TvT). I hope you have a fun spooky season, Enjoy!

Lee: Dipper

Ler: Stan

Summary: Dipper is stressing out over the summer spooky season. Stan decides he needs a visit from a special kind of monster.

Warnings: none! This is a tickle fic, so if you don't like that, scroll away!!

Once again, the Gravity Falls Summerween store opened its doors. The odd tradition began again for the year, residents joyful as they picked out candies and decided on costumes. Well, every resident but one.

A certain brown-haired, blue-hatted tween was sitting in the Mystery Shack gift shop, biting at his fingers. Ever since the whole "Summerween Trickster" fiasco, Dipper had been wary of the town's strange holiday. He would never forget the scene of Soos eating that thing…ugh.

Stan was taking inventory, making sure nobody had nicked any of his moderately overpriced merchandise. His eyes eventually drifted over to his worrisome great-nephew. That kid would worry himself into the ground if Stan let him…

"Hey picks-a-lot, those cuticles taste good?" He walked over to the teen, flicking the bill of his hat. The older man didn't mean anything malicious by it. He's just unapologetically mean sometimes. Dipper was used to his Grunkle's antics, brushing the comment off.

Dipper tucked his hands in his jacket, looking down at the register. "Sorry Stan. Just thinking about…stuff." He hadn't realized he'd been biting his fingers again. It was an old habit, one he wasn't keen on picking back up. Yet there it was.

The uneasy expression on his face was barely hidden. Stan didn't really know what to do about the kid's nerves. Normally, he'd sick Mabel on him. The tween was out with Candy and Grenda, so that wasn't an option. What to do, what to do…

"Uh…look kid. You want the rest of your shift off? I've got the shop covered, and you look pretty dead." He gave it to the kid straight. Dipper looked like he was one loud noise away from snapping, his fraying nerves and general high-strung mindset on overdrive. Stan could handle the almost empty gift shop, Tuesdays were always slow.

Dipper nodded, hopping off the creaky cashier stool stool. "Yeah, please. Thanks, Grunkle Stan." He lumbered up the steps to the attic, gently closing the door to his shared room behind him.

What was Stan gonna do with that kid?

-

The next few days weren't any better. With the rapidly approaching local holiday, Dipper's nerves only grew. Mabel didn't really notice, too enamored by costume ideas and trying to figure out Waddles's measurements.

He didn't really know the absolute cause of his worry. Was it the chance of Mabel getting hurt? The possibility of another garbage candy monster? The fact that he still can't unsee Soos eating his way out of the monster? All are good guesses. He just wished he could pinpoint which one it was.

His antsy demeanor hadn't gone unnoticed by the other Mystery Shack residents. Soos had tried to get him to play some arcade games at the mall, but he just wasn't up for it. Wendy had little to no luck, her attempts to get him to loosen up going nowhere. It was up to Stan…and he had no idea what to do.

He had tried things that worked before, offering him an extra break and listening to his rants about the Journals. Dipper just wasn't up for infodumping at the moment, and he just got lost in thought on his breaks. On the morning of SummerWeen, Stan finally threw in the towel. He did the only thing he had left; asking Mabel what to do.

-

When he opened the door, Stan was met with Mabel trying to put a superhero suit on Waddles. She was dressed in similar attire, her cape dragging behind her. "Oh, hey Grunkle Stan! You come to see the best heros this side of the Falls kick some butt?"

Stan chuckled, shaking his head. He felt a bit bad for the pig, he doubted those tights were comfortable. Better Waddles than him, though. "Nah, I'll be quick. What should I do to get your brother to loosen up? Kid's been freakin' all week."

Mabel's eyes widened as he said this, her brain quickly piecing together the signs she hadn't noticed. "Crud…he has been anxious." She fidgeted with her hair, giving the pig a moment to nibble on his cape. "I normally talk him down, but if that hasn't worked…maybe make him laugh?"

Stan sighed as she said this. He considered himself a pretty funny guy, but his humor normally made Dipper groan or question his existence. Not the best for making Dipper laugh, though it always gets a chuckle out of himself

His thoughts wandered to the times he had made the kid snicker, landing on a few well-timed zings and one-liners. The last was when he had been messing around with Dipper in the gift shop. He poked his great-nephew's side, and he squealed. He hadn't done anything then, but now? Oh, it's perfect.

"Hey Mabel…your dorky brother is stupid ticklish, right?" She nodded, a smile slowly forming on her face as she figured out her Grunkle's intentions. Waddles nudged her arm, showing off the lovely slobber stain in his cape fabric. "Silly guy, now I gotta redo your cape! Grunkle Stan, do you think you can get Dipper to be less Dipper-ish by 6:30? Our costumes this year are super, heheh"

Stan rolled his eyes, his mischievous mind racing with ideas of how to get Dipper back to normal. Well, as normal as the tween gets. "Yeah, alright. If you hear girlish screaming, cheer me on." He shut the door behind him, leaving his grand-niece to her silliness. That kid never fails to make him smile.

-

Dipper was in the living room, a costume hung on the chair in front of him. Mabel's costume idea that summer was super heros, with him being the villain. It was actually kinda cool, with the utility belt of fake gadgets he and Mabel had put together. The only problem was him.

He was worried about putting the costume on. First off, it would mean going out and trick-or-treating with Mabel. Nothing's wrong with it, his brain was just telling him it's childish. There's also the fact that he's worried the Trickster might come back. Black licorice was bad enough before, but now he can't look at a stick without getting shivers. They very easily could've died.

Stan was creeping in the doorway, watching the tween's inner dilemma. If he wanted to be mean, he could've scared the crap out of him. But, showing a shocking amount of restraint, he knocked on the doorway. Stan walked over to him, ruffling the boy's hair. "Anybody home up there?"

Dipper, successfully snapped out of his daze, swatted at his Grunkle's hand. "Stan! Knock it off!" The older man chuckled, pulling his hand away and smirking down at the tween. That look…he knew that look. The look that meant Grunkle Stan was up to absolutely no good. "Stan…?"

He barely gave Dipper time to think before he snatched his great-nephew in his arms. It killed Stan's back, but it was worth it to hear the shocked yelp and protests from the kid. "Put me down! Stan- get off! Mabel!"

Stan flopped down in his recliner, holding Dipper in his lap. No help was coming for the boy. Mabel was in on it, as he quickly learned, and nobody else was at the Shack. It was just him, Stan, and the evil look on the older man's face as he wiggled his fingers. Crud.

"You worry too much, kid. You're gonna have more grays than me, and I put up with all'a you!" Those wiggling fingers were getting a bit too close to his stomach for comfort. Dipper squirmed, but with the way Stan held him, he was trapped. "Always thinkin' about these monsters and crazy creature things. You're so stuck in yer head, you didn't even notice the monster right in front of ya…"

He tazed Dipper's side, making him squeak at the unexpected touch. "Stahan, wait, plehehease-" He was so unbelievably screwed. "The TICKLE MONSTER!" Stan finally put his wiggling fingers on the boy's stomach, clawing and digging into the ticklish area.

Dipper squealed, shoving at his Grunkle's hands and writhing in his lap. His negative and anxious thoughts quickly faded to fuzzy, ticklish surprise. He hadn't expected this from Stan of all people. Mabel, absolutely, but Stan? He didn't really know how to react. "STAHAHAN! WHAHAHAT ARE YOUHU DOHOIHING?!"

"What's it feel like I'm doing, ya goofus? I'm tickling the snot outta ya. Now hold still." He spidered his fingers across his belly, making sure to get a few scratches in his belly button. "GEHEHET OFF! GRUHUNKLE STAHAHAN!"

Dipper kicked his legs, wishing the recliner was bigger. He barely had any room on Stan's lap, his legs nearly hanging off the armrest. Stan had him positioned so that his midsection was almost unprotectable, his arms practically pinned to his sides.

The tickling, as unexpected as it was, wasn't awful. He'd never tell the old man, but he was having a bit of fun. It was nice to let loose, to let his worrisome thoughts melt into giggles and squeaks.

The boy's laughter was, in Stan's eyes, adorable. It was nice to see the nervous kid laugh like that. Thinking of the night to come, he imagined the kids' costumes and candy-grab ideas. Candy...an evil idea bloomed in his mind. An evil, ticklish, awful idea. "I'm getting pretty hungry, Dipper. Might just have a quick snack…" He pulled up Dipper's shirt, waiting for the teen to catch on.

And catch on he did.

"Stahahan- Stan don't! Nonononoho!" Dipper's eyes went wide when he figured out Stan's plan. There's no way he could handle those. The tween desperately tried to get away, kicking out and trying to grab his Grunkle's hands.

His Grunkle easily pinned Dipper's hands, smirking down at him. It was almost too easy. Stan lowered his head, nibbling on his great-nephew's poor belly.

Dipper shrieked.

"NAHAHAHA! GRUHUNKLE STAHAHA- STAHAHAP!" He tossed his head back, kicking and thrashing under the ticklish nibbles. Stan's old man stubble wasn't helping. The scratchy texture made it so much worse.

Stan was enjoying himself. Hearing the kid's laughter reminded him of the stupid things he and his brother would do as kids, the fun they'd have. Before it all went south, they'd do this all the time. The best part was that he knew Dipper didn't mind it.

Just to be a jerk, he started making little "nom" noises as he nibbled the boy's stomach. Dipper twisted and shoved at his head, but Stan wouldn't budge. The tween resisted the urge to hit at Stan's head, instead gripping his silver hair. He didn't tug, but just grabbed on, needing something to do with his hands.

The nibbles traveled across his midsection, going from his stomach to his ribs, then back down to his belly button. Dipper was in stitches, the simple action reducing him to a cackling mess. He could barely think, his mind reeling at the assault on his nervous system. It wasn't bad, but it was mean.

Dipper managed to last for another two minutes before reaching his limit. The boy's laughter had taken on a breathy edge, his thrashing slowed with exhaustion. He patted the top of his Grunkle's head, tapping out.

Just like that, the torturous sensations stopped. Stan chuckled, raising his head and rubbing his great-nephew's midsection to try and ease the phantom tickles. Dipper curled into himself as he giggled out the leftover buzz. "Youhuhu…you suhuck…"

That got him a poke to the side. "Watch it, giggles." And Dipper, not having much of a choice, giggled. Stan let him go with a knowing smirk. The tween quickly slid off his lap, rubbing his sides. The clock read 5:30, just in time for him to get ready. "Your sister wants you dressed in an hour. Don't be late."

He left the room, leaving Dipper alone with his costume. Stan knew it wasn't a permanent fix. The boy was always stressing about something. He just hoped that the playful moment eased his worries for the night. Those kids deserve a good night.

The tween looked over at the suit, a small smile still on his face. The negative thoughts from before were gone, replaced with a light and happy feeling. He picked up the dark fabric, sliding the mask on over his red face. Maybe the night wouldn't be so bad after all…

[crushedsweets]

OMG U DREW LAZARI AND JUDGE ANGELS!! i gotta ask how would they interact with the others?

OOOK OK OK so , when trapped in the forest, dina is constantly stalking lazari and other zalgoids (ann and lulu). she thinks she's god and wants to hurt them. but she's the weakest zalgoid, so...

meanwhile, lazari is hiding from everyone because she has no control over herself and is gutted with shame.

so, in terms of the others...

kate and toby just handle them the way they usually do - toby talks, kate attacks (crazy how toby's the 'mature' one by this point). dina would get really scared of kate, but completely disregard toby and think he's a pathetic joke.

lazari would also be uncomfortable with kate, just because the straight black hair reminds her of her mother - but she'd be fond of toby, especially if he's cool with jack

brian and tim are actually RARELY around by time Dina and Lazari come in. they're able to go months without having slender sick episodes, and mostly just come to check on toby and kate. so they're just kinda startled when they see two new demonic things wandering around, and dont talk to them.

natalie would get closer to lazari because lazari hangs around jack's cabin (to dig into his garbage and eat his leftovers). and natalie has a huge soft spot for kids, and she's very quick to sympathize and understand lazari has no control over her cravings. but she'd also not like dina, since dina is really bitchy and judgmental. dina would just stare and stare and stare at clockwork - this 6'3 strong woman who can't hold her tongue and will glare right the fuck back. dina cannot stand it

nina would also think lazari is cute, but dina resembles a lot of her bullies in highschool, so... she'd just avoid her. regrettably, dina floats around the outskirts of the forest until kate chases her back towards the mines... so nina has to see her a lot.

jeff, liu, and ben won't really meet them. if jeff does, he might do what he did to jane in IEPFB and be like 'hey... you should go kick toby's ass...' but dina and lazari would be freaked out by him and not listen LOL

sally would cling to lazari. sally's a bit of a mean kid, but she has nobody even CLOSE to her age besides BEN (whos a 14 yr old boy). she'd run off to the forest more often to meet her, which already stresses out the proxies and jane a lot. she would ignore dina

jane would be fond of lazari since sally finally gets a friend, but constantly fret. jane doesnt understand all of these ghost and demon and whatever shit, so she wonders if a demonic thing could hurt sally. the ghost girl has been relatively safe for so long, but...

anyway. jack gets especially close to lazari, sees his little sisters and himself in her - she's a part-human cannibal who cant control her hunger. literally jacks situation. he'd tell the proxies to back off and say he can handle it, which they're very grateful for - and he starts to house her, feed her, raise her. this isn't daily, as she often spends her time scampering around the forest and trying to escape, or harassing dina, or just bother everyone - she wants to be friends with EVERYONE. her mother always isolated her, so the freedom feels insane.

and similarly, he'd feel very sympathetic to dina. she's also in a similar situation, human turned demonic and trapped in a world she can't escape from. he wouldn't really know that dina tried to kill lazari, cuz lazari wouldn't tell anyone. but dina wouldnt want anything from him. she sees him as demonic, so........

overall, lazari is so friendly and warm, but so dangerous.

dina is so judgmental and closed off, but so vulnerable

[i-prefer-west-side]

Source

SLOW DANCING IN THE LIVING ROOM Season 7

"It isn't funny, Castle," Kate snaps, kicking her shoes off and throwing her coat over the back of the couch. She continues to strip on her way to the bedroom, and Rick bites back a suggestive comment as he follows.

Having a bucket of well-done compost thrown on her as she tried to serve an arrest warrant had capped off an already bad day, and the last thing she needs is for him to poke at her more, especially after he accidentally snickered when she tripped getting out of the elevator.

She goes straight into the bathroom, dropping her soiled clothes in the tub and stepping into the shower.

He can't make out what she's muttering as she stands under the spray, so he gathers her clothes to put in a garbage bag. He'll work on them later, try to get out at least the worst smell and stains so he doesn't accidentally kill the dry cleaner. He calls in a delivery from Kate's favorite restaurant, and by the time she emerges wearing leggings and an old t-shirt of his, her damp hair curling around her shoulders, he's dishing it up with a very strong drink.

They eat on the couch, her feet tucked under his thigh, and when they're both done, he takes their empty plates and deposits them in the sink before returning to the living room.

"Mrs. Castle," he says, holding out his hand, "may I have this dance?"

Kate narrows her eyes, but he notices a smirk tugging at her lips. Between the food and the scotch, she's in a remarkably better mood. "Really? Dance?" she teases.

He just looks pointedly at his hand, and her smirk turns into a full-fledged grin when she takes it and lets him tug her into his arms. He grabs his phone from the side table and turns on music, switches it to come from the surround sound as she loops her free arm around his back.

He squeezes her hand, brushes a kiss to her temple as he starts to sway them to the gentle sound of their wedding song. "Better?" he murmurs in her ear.

She leans back just far enough so she can look in his eyes. "Perfect," she whispers, lifting her mouth to his.

[gloriousburden]

I agree with your take on Mobius so much! People treat him like a cinnamon roll. Which he isn't. He is a horrible person but no one wants to acknowledge that. Sylvie is terrible too, but at least people acknowledge her flaws which is something I guess. Oh, and I had watched season 2 of Loki series, and Mobius was so ooc in the first episode. Like, he randomly went from torturing and manipulating and gaslighting Loki to suddenly risking his life for Loki. It made me wanna throw up. I have never seen such a random 180° turn. Extremely ooc. And Lokius shippers eat that shit up. Like, I don't know whether you have watched Season 2 or not, but there's a scene where Mobius volunteers to do something extremely risky to save Loki. And yeah, I don't believe that crap at all. Tomorrow they might suddenly show Thanos risking his life for Loki too. I think season 2 episode 1 should have came with an OOC warning attached lol.

Have a great day! ❤️

Unfortunately, I have watched all of the series. I may talk about Lokius shippers a lot, but Sylki shippers (though there’s only like… two of them nowadays) have the same issue that Lokius shippers have. They only acknowledge the flaws of the character from the opposite ship, and not the flaws of the character they ship with Loki. Sylvie fans hate Mobius, Mobius fans hate Sylvie. There’s issues with both characters! Are you kidding me?

YES EXACTLY. He was very OOC… I guess he got some kind of “redemption”/��change of heart” or some shit behind the scenes. Why do you suddenly love Loki so much? Of course the shippers eat it up. They’d eat literal garbage if it was orange color coded with grey hair, and green color coded with black hair or played by Tom/Owen.

Nothing towards either actors BTW hope it doesn’t come off as that. I mean this towards the fans, not the actors!

It’s just… these aren’t even the same characters anymore. That’s not even Loki! And Mobius, though I have no love for him, isn’t even himself anymore. The writing is so fucking inconsistent not only with Loki, but with EVERYONE.

Yep. I do know what you’re talking about. Why so lovey dovey and knight in shining armor all of a sudden? Why would he suddenly risk his life for someone he threw into a time loop to get physically assaulted without a second thought? Oh why cause they hugged so it’s okay now? 🤦🏻‍♀️

Look, if Mobius had apologized or even acknowledged his previous behaviors, then I wouldn’t be so freaked out by the way the fandom treats him or the OOC-ness (because obviously they’re gonna let shit slide for a mediocre ship) But… NONE OF THAT HAPPENED! Think I spoke about this in one of my last posts but so many Loki “fans” TRULY believe Loki needs to be humbled. That’s why they don’t bat an eye at the abuse coming from Mobius. As well as them being eager to excuse absolutely anything in order to not ship the “straight” ship.

It’s getting really weird. Some of them want Lokius to be canon just because “Ooh gay ship” and not because they really believe Loki and Mobius go along well together and they’re opposites attract and one’s a god one’s a human and so on. Whatever tropes you can throw in there.

And Lokius fans pretending to be so much more morally superior/holier than thou for being against Sylki because of the selfcest shit… YOU EXCUSE MOBIUS VERBALLY DEMEANING LOKI AND HAVING HIM BE PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED… HOW IS THAT BETTER?! This is like the pot calling the kettle black. Like I’ve said before, If Mobius was female.. People would hate his guts! And the amount of people shipping Lokius would be so, so much lower. And they’d actually see the flaws of the show.

Hope this does not sound like me trying to defend Sylki/Sylvie in anyway, Both are HORRIBLE, bottom of the barrel, and garbage ships. Sylvie’s writing/actions are not excused just because she’s female. It’s just Lokius shippers are more prevalent, therefore more annoying to me. And for some reason, Lokius shippers tend to be a lot more immature. I think because they’re usually younger than Sylki shippers.

I understand people want representation, but there are so many ships that have been done better. You don’t need to grasp for straws just because you only now learned that Loki is bisexual!

THE THANOS POINT LOLLLLLLL EXACTLY. That cracked me up, I won’t lie. I wouldn’t be surprised if that became a thing. They’re just so desperate to ship anyone and everyone! Can we think critically about these characters/movies/series for one moment?

Thank you! You too ❤️

[maximwtf]

“When the sun sets.”

                                            Pearl x reader

words: 1300

google docs pages: 2

Warnings: sleeping problems, think that's it

opening: You’ve had trouble falling asleep recently, but no worries. Pearl is there to spend time with you in the dark hours of the night, and wait for you to fall asleep. 

AN// Reader can be any gender. This is a really short one, but I still wanted to write it you !

                             “When the sun sets.”

While tossing and turning on your bed again, the thought of how amazing it would be to be able to sleep comes to mind. A while ago the blame of keeping you up had been placed on the ‘bed’ you’d been given, but it wasn’t that. The couch was actually very comfortable to be on, but you just couldn’t catch sleep. 

As you turned to your back, the rays of sunshine from the rising sun seemed to have come back. Another night spent without an ounce of sleep. A long but a rather quiet groan escaped your mouth. You pushed the soft pillow from the couch onto your face, hiding from the light of the day. What you couldn’t see, wasn’t there. 

It didn’t take long for Steven to start waking up. You heard his sheets move, and soon he was making his way to the kitchen area to make breakfast. Peeking from under the pillow, you could see him start to prepare something. “Morning…” You mumbled, letting the pillow fall onto the floor. The dark haired boy looked a little startled at first but soon calmed down, seeing that it was only you talking. “Morning!” He chirped, before seeing the condition you were in. Tired and worn out, barely any sleep for a while. “Are you…okay?” He asked carefully, tilting his head a little. You sat up, stretching straight after. “Okay, yes. Tired, also ‘surprisingly’ yes.” Steven hummed, as if to say that he understood but also as a sign that he felt bad. “I’ve tried everything, and nothing seems to help. How do you sleep so well?” You asked the boy, turning to look at him again. Steven kept preparing his food as he replied. “I guess it comes naturally to me.” He said, then quickly turning to look at you. “I’m sorry for not being able to help, really.” Poor boy, he was still quite young and somehow felt bad because you couldn’t sleep. “It’s okay.” You took a hold of the edge of the pillow, and pulled it back onto the couch. Pearl hated when you left them on the ground.

The door behind the warp pad opened, and Amethyst walked out of her room. “Morning.” She said, making her way to the kitchen, seemingly looking for something to eat. The gems didn’t have to do that to survive, but somehow Amethyst was the only one who chose…who wanted to take part in it. Though she went above and beyond with it. She would often be seen making an egg salad in the garbage disposal, which you’d never in a million years do, nevertheless eat it afterwards. 

You were brought back from your thoughts by Amethyst waving her hand in front of your face. “You there, buddy?” She said, and when your eyes moved to hers, she sat down next to you. “Sorry, I haven’t really slept.” You apologised, trying to erase the slight blush that had creeped onto your face. 

The next one to appear from their room is Pearl. She sits down on one of the kitchen bar chairs and soon her gaze lands on you. “Stars, you look terrible.” She blurts out, soon fixing her wording. “Not that- I didn’t mean it in-” You giggled, making the pearl stop explaining herself. “It’s okay. I do look like I’ve been through a car crash.” Pearl tries to laugh too, but fails to do so, as she clearly feels bad for you. She despised most human traditions, but she was still understanding. Humans needed sleep. 

The rest of the day went on with you staying inside most of the day, not having the energy to go out or do much for that matter. The sun was setting yet again, which to you indicated many restless hours that were ahead yet again. 

Steven was putting himself to bed and the gems had gone to rest. You began to unfold your blanket, when Pearl turned to look at you. Not feeling her gaze, you tried to lay down, eyes open like they were taped up. A soft sigh came from the other side of the room, as quiet steps came closer and closer. “You don’t look like you’re ready to sleep, no?” Pearl’s voice said as she sat down next to you. “I won’t be any time soon.” Pearl furrowed her brows as she watched you move back to a sitting position. She didn’t say a word for a moment, an oddly comfortable silence falling between the two of you. Only the usual nightly sounds surrounded you for that moment. The sound of Steven breathing in his sleep, a clock ticking and the wooden house creaking when gushes of wind blew past outside. A quiet ‘erm..’ came from Pearl’s side before she spoke up more properly. “Would you like me to spend time with you? If that could help?” She ended up saying, a little awkwardly. You turned to look at her for a short moment, surprised by the offer. “Sure, go ahead.” And with a soft hum you leaned back against the back of the couch. 

Pearl’s gem started to glow and soon a book appeared in her hands. After that the glow died down and the room was dark once again. The spine of the book made a little crackling noise as the pale gem opened it up. Without saying anything, she started to read it quietly. Not loud enough to wake up Steven, but just so you could hear it too. Slowly, as the story went on page by page, you started to lean more towards the gem. At some point she had lit up her gem to function as a reading light. Her gem was placed perfectly, for her having to only look down and the light pointed nicely on the pages. 

Some time later your head had slumped down against her shoulder. It felt like the pale gem had tensed up for a moment but soon relaxed, not mentioning anything about it. She kept reading, and at some point into the book she had pulled the blanket back on top of you. It felt comfortable. Comfortable to be warm and have her around. 

Pearl started to be near the end of the book, and it might as well have been hours or a shorter amount of time, you couldn’t tell anymore. She had placed her free hand around you, to make sitting more comfortable. Your eyes had grown heavy, and with the sound of the pages turning sleep finally overtook your mind and body. Pearl only noticed this after she had closed the book and put it down. It almost felt like a crime to move now that you were finally asleep, but maybe…maybe if she moved just carefully enough you wouldn’t wake up. 

With slow and to her style usual, elegant movements, she was able to get up and let her human companion sleep in peace. She observed your sleeping form quietly and moved a stray hair out of your face. The glow from her gem had disappeared a while ago, leaving the house dark once again. A faint smile appeared on her face as she took long and quiet steps towards the door at the back of the house. Before entering her room she made sure to check that you were still asleep, and then disappeared from the house.