#Hot Chocolate Vending Machine

[milomeepit]

why does the universe give the hardest trials to the silliest gays

[lwieserce]

I loveeeeeee food so much sosososoo muchhhhhhhhhh i've been thinking all day of eating pasta w/ storebought pesto microwaved in our faculty post my ethics exam. Wanted to eat it today but i had nothing else that would come out tasting good out of a microwave. I need it NOW!!!!!!!

[0rionz-belt]

I’m gonna chug this fucking drink and buy a cup Iof hot chocolate to hold. My fingers are freezing.

[whalesforhands]

swallow your doubt (gojo x reader x geto) pt.1

next masterlist

warnings: ao3 is down and i’m losing myself; i have a clear bias but i like them equally i swear; gojo

In more ways than one, Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru completed each other.

Darkness and light.

Black and white.

Yin and yang.

What they had for each other was more than a feeling, more than a simple friendship. It transcended the meaning of the much too simple word of ‘like”, or ‘love’.

It was always, always so much more. What one was, so was the other. What one could, so could they.

In other words, they were made just for each other.

But, why, oh, why? Why do you long for what couldn’t, shouldn’t be yours?

Your lingering gaze on Geto whenever he gently placed his hand on your waist to move you to the side whenever he needed to pass by you.

“Please excuse me…” He would whisper into your ear, the dull, calming scent of lavender filling your nostrils whenever he pressed himself close to you for that brief moment.

Your stunned stare at Gojo whenever he would unceremoniously shove one of his many treats into your mouth. Sometimes even purposely leaving his sugar-coated fingers in your mouth to perhaps spite you. His grin a little too wide when you obediently chewed, his pale fingers reaching to pull at one of your cheeks and cooing before leaving.

It was wrong. So wrong. Yet, your heart ached, yearned for them.

You craved them.

But how do you fit in what has already been completed?

How do you trace the calluses that mar Ge- Suguru’s hands as he watched you so?

How do you count the stars reflected within Satoru’s eyes as you both gazed up at the night sky above?

How could you continue to live with such guilt, such pining, such anguish?

Your hands shook as you watched the pair shove and tease each other, their forms slowly disappearing into the distance, with Shoko watching with a lazy grin on her face as she leaned against your dazed form.

A hot summer afternoon, a warm bench and a cute girl to relax with. Everything Shoko needed to kick back and chill, all she was missing was an ice cold drink from the vending machine. Should she get one with you?

She watched as your eyes glazed over, your breaths growing a little shorter, your hands moving to hug yourself a little tighter than usual.

“Hey.” She shook you gently.

No response.

You must be really deep in thought. It wasn’t rare to see you lose yourself to your creative little head. Wasn’t rare to see you dazed over in your imagination and giving Shoko free reign over you for a little while as she played with your fingers or twirled your hair.

She let out a hum, debating whether or not to interrupt your little internal debate, watching your pretty eyes shine before she caught a glimpse of the troublesome duo making their way over. With gifts in hand, no less.

“Yo! Feeling hot?” Gojo greeted as he tossed a can of cold soda over to Shoko, the girl catching it with ease and an easy grin as she felt the coolness of the can against her warm skin.

“And for the other lady… Tada! Your favourite chocolate milk! Fresh from the vending machine!” The grandiose speech went unheard even as the white-haired menace dangled the drink in front of you, waiting for your response in order to tease you.

No response.

Gojo leaned down to be eye level with you, sunglasses tilted down onto his nose bridge as glittering blue eyes stared into your empty ones. Ah, you were having another of your moments.

“Satoru! Don’t run off with the drinks I bought!” Another male voice made itself known before Gojo was roughly shoved to the side, a whine escaping the white-haired sorcerer’s lips as he absorbed the shove, nearly falling over as Geto moved to snatch your drink from him.

He gave one glance at you, and another to Shoko.

The brunette shrugged, “I bet she’s having fun in there.” Opening her can, she leaned back into the backrest and chugged. “You could try to get her out though. You succeed the most.”

“That’s not true! Suguru and I have a 50/50 split on that!”

“More like 70/30. She doesn’t even respond to you half the time.” A pause. “And why does my soda taste weird?”

Their continued banter went unheard by the raven haired sorcerer as he moved to sit beside you on the 2/3 filled bench.

No response.

He gently tucked a strand of stray hair away from your face.

No response.

He pressed the still cold carton of milk to your cheek. Watching with a fond smile as you slowly started to come back. A hand reached up to relish in the chill of the drink, to relish in the feel of his hand pressed close to you.

“Suguru.” You quietly greeted, lips slowly pulling into a cute smile as your eyes moved to meet his.

“Welcome back.” Your hand was now placed over his in another greeting, gently patting it before you moved to take the packet from him with gratitude.

(He wished you let yourself linger your touch on him longer.)

Suguru chuckled, watching as you pulled the plastic straw out and began to drink. “I should be telling you that.”

Suguru moved himself to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with you, relaxing in your presence as he searched his pocket for his now lukewarm soda. He’s still content anyway.

“And why is everyone on the bench but me?! No fair! Move over!”

His last statement was directed at Shoko. Instead of pressing Ieiri inward and sitting at the other end of the bench, the long legged menace chose to squeeze himself in-between Shoko and yourself, pushing you closer to Suguru as he fought off Shoko’s smacks and yells of discontent.

Finally settled uncomfortably with all of you on the bench, his long arms stretched out over the backrest, one arm even daringly resting over your shoulders as he crossed his legs and took in the afternoon sunshine.

“Lovely day we’re having!”

masterlist next

Notes:

Shoko still finds it hard to believe you aren’t taking any of the hints the two boys have been giving you. No matter, she’ll let you figure it out yourself as she continues to lowkey flirt with you.

You remain oblivious to the two’s very obvious flirting but, you’re not immune to Shoko’s charm at all.

Shoko, despite not showing it much here has made you flustered way more than Gojo or Geto ever have.

[ddongtsan]

Sweet as a Grape - Han Dongmin

Taesan x fem. reader

Note: The world needs more kind and handsome boys, so I started writing about BOYNEXTDOOR ❤️.

Warning: Relationship established, fluff.

It was almost 2 a.m., and the city lights outside blinked like tired eyes.

As usual, Dongmin was the last one to leave the practice room and you waited for him by the vending machine downstairs, sipping lukewarm coffee from a paper cup.

When he finally appeared, hair damp and hoodie pulled low, he gave you that small, crooked smile you’d come to treasure.

“Still here?” asked, voice husky with exhaustion.

“Couldn’t let you walk home alone” you replied, tossing your empty cup into the trash.

Han chuckled softly. “I told you, I’m fine. I’m practically nocturnal.”

��That’s the problem.” You teased, falling into step beside him as you both stepped out into the cool night.

The walk to his apartment was familiar, the route etched into your muscles like a well-loved melody. Taesan’s hands were shoved deep into his pockets, and you could see the faintest shiver in his frame.

“You didn’t bring a jacket, did you?” you asked, already slipping yours off to drape it over his shoulders.

He hesitated, then let out a soft sigh. “You’re too sweet for me, you know that?”

You rolled your eyes. “And you’re impossible, babe.”

.

Inside his small apartment, the warmth was a stark contrast to the chill outside. He tossed the jacket onto the couch and headed to the kitchen, emerging moments later with two mugs of black coffee.

You took yours reluctantly. “You know, normal people drink tea or hot chocolate this late. Not coffee.”

Taesan smirked, taking a long sip. “Normal people also go to bed before three a.m. Not my style.”

You shook your head, laughing softly. “You’re going to burn out one day.”

“And you’re going to lecture me about it every step of the way, aren’t you?” His tone was teasing, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his gaze.

“Someone has to” you replied, your voice softer now.

He set his mug down and leaned back against the counter, watching you with that unreadable expression he often wore. “Why do you care so much?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken for longer than you’d expected.

“Because I see you” you said finally. “The real you. And I can’t just stand by and let you keep running yourself into the ground.”

Your boyfriend looked away, his fingers tracing the edge of the counter. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It is simple” you insisted, stepping closer. “You deserve to take care of yourself. To be happy.”

He laughed, low and almost bitter. “I’m not sure I know how to do that.”

“Then let me show you” you said, your voice steady despite the way your heart raced.

His gaze snapped back to yours, searching for something. For a moment, the world felt as still as the quiet night outside.

Then he sighed, a small, resigned smile tugging at his lips. “You’re really too sweet for me.”

“And you’re really too stubborn for me” you countered, a smile of your own breaking through.

Dongmin reached out, his fingers brushing yours for just a moment before pulling away. “Alright. Teach me how to be happy.”

.

Over the next few weeks, you showed him the little joys of slowing down.

Early morning sunrises with warm tea, afternoons spent reading in the park, quiet evenings painting nonsense on the walls of his apartment.

But some things about Taesan never changed. He still drank his coffee black, stayed up too late, and worked himself harder than anyone else.

One night, as you both sat on the rooftop, the city sprawled out below you like a sea of lights, he handed you a steaming mug.

“Coffee?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hot chocolate” he corrected, a small, almost shy smile on his face.

You took a sip, the sweetness warming you from the inside out.

“See?” you said, nudging him playfully. “I’m rubbing off on you.”

“Maybe a little” he admitted, his gaze soft as it lingered on you.

And in that moment, with the stars above and his quiet warmth beside you, you realized that maybe you were rubbing off on him.

But Taesan, in all his late-night chaos and stubborn charm, was rubbing off on you too.

[eff4freddie]

Touch | Part Three

Of bar fights and ice blocks

Words: 4.3

Part Two | Series Masterlist | Part Four

Warnings: slow burn to the point we might just be embers, eventual smut but next chapter I promise, teeny bit of blood, quite a lot of masculine nonsense, Joel is hot but remains grumpy

When you were in eighth grade you fell madly in love with Johnny Hocart. He was a theatre kid, wildly charismatic for a 14 year old boy, and smart enough to recognise that you had a crush on him and use you for it. You’d signed up to help out with the school play that year, Johnny being the lead in Death of a Salesman the only motivation for your sudden interest in the arts, and he turned you into his roadie almost immediately. You used your own money to fetch him chocolate from the vending machine, you carried his water bottle around behind him on the off chance he might be thirsty. The afternoon you applied his eyeliner for him, on tippy toes and terrified to topple over and take his eye out in the process, fuelled your first fumbled attempt at an orgasm (you wouldn’t get it right until eleventh grade, but you had fun figuring it out). He made you feel something heavy and relentless and heated in your chest, something that unfurled its wings and beat against your rib cage when he walked into view. The little shit let you dote on him hand and foot right up until the wrap party when he stuck his hand up Donna D’Marco’s skirt and spent the rest of the year bragging about it. You were crushed by it, the weight of the humiliation heavy on your shoulders, slumping you forward and folding you into yourself. You vowed to never forget it. But you had, until you met Joel.

Sitting in the mess hall you wondered what happened to Johnny Hocart on outbreak day. You liked the idea that he hadn’t died immediately, that he’d lived in fear for a few months before getting shot by a raider, or maybe that he’d been traded to a slaver and collapsed one day from exhaustion, from malnutrition. You hated to think of him as a clicker, because even though he was a dick no one deserved that, but at the same time you liked the kind of dramatic irony of him as a bloater, overblown as his ego had been.

You chewed your sandwich, one eye on the door, waiting for Marla and definitely not waiting for Joel. You thought instead about the clients you had booked in for the afternoon, and how you were going to finally sort out Peter Fletcher’s tennis elbow so that he could comfortably hold his rifle, and why didn’t they call it rifle elbow since that sounded so much cooler, and you considered all of this while you kept your head down, and very purposefully didn’t think about the hazel flecks in Joel’s eyes as he gazed up at you, one hand cupping and lifting his muscle while you stood square between his knees.

He’d been grumpy and dismissive, you reminded yourself, and the minute he’d felt some relief he had just up and left. You conveniently forgot the part where you had essentially ushered him out the door, suddenly keen to exorcise your living space of him. You weren’t even sure exactly what that was about, except that you had felt the first flutterings of a wing against your ribs, had recognised the feeling as something dangerous and done your best to quash it.

You were contemplating this when a shadow appeared at your table, and you startled.

‘Shit, sorry, just me,’ Ray said, and you craned your neck up to regard him. ‘Can I?’ he asked, pulling at the chair opposite you, and you nodded while you tried to calm your heart. You could see something was up.

‘You ok?’ you asked, when he was finished apologising.

‘Me and my stupid glorious brain,’ he said, and you were tempted not to let him go on any further. ‘I intercepted a message that read like it was raiders, something about a big stash, an old pharmacy that hadn’t been hit yet. Coordinates, too.’

‘That’s great,’ you said, watching his face carefully, studying the lines across his forehead, his furrowed brow, decoding Jackson’s best decoder. ‘It’s not great,’ you concluded.

‘They called in a bunch of patrols to go check it out,’ he said, and suddenly you imagined Joel on the back of a horse, leaning to the left to try and protect his right side, gun strapped to his back and his neck muscles straining under the ache of it. You grimaced. ‘Marla’s was one of them,’ Ray finished, oblivious to your sudden turmoil.

It was a poorly kept secret that Ray was in love with Marla. Poorly kept in that the only person who didn’t seem to know was her. You suspected Ray would have happily stayed put in Chicago were it not for Marla going arse over tit for the idea of living on a ranch. She had barely had to convince him to come with you both, such that he had offered to trade and borrow to get the supplies you’d need, parting with his mother’s wedding ring that he wore on a chain around his neck in the process. You weren’t even sure if Marla noticed, as it had been lost in the service of gaining three passable sleeping bags, and Marla had wrapped her arms around Ray’s neck and kissed behind his ear when he presented them to you, and you had seen in that moment that for Ray it had been enough.

You could tell Jackson hadn’t been what he expected, not least of all now having to share Marla with an entire town.

‘Ray, you did a good thing,’ you said, reaching out and putting your hand on his bicep. He nodded his head, slowly.

‘You heading to the Bison tonight?’ he asked, and you scrambled quickly to come up with an excuse.

‘I was going to check on Maria,’ you replied, grateful for your guilt reminding you that you’d still not caught up with her. ‘It’s been a while since I saw her, and she’s due soon-ish I think. I was going to take her some dinner.’

He looked at you, his mouth downturned and his brows saddled over his eyes, and you felt yourself retracting from his sadness, from his regret. Johnny Hocart had painted your face in similar colours.

‘Yeah, ok,’ you said. You tried hard not to show on your face that the idea was making your skeleton want to crawl out of your mouth and try its luck on the road. But you could see Ray was struggling, that he was bouncing his leg up and down under the table. ‘Marla’s a fighter,’ you said. He looked at you for a long moment, then nodded his head.

‘Bison. Tonight,’ he said, with finality.

You didn’t ask if he knew who else was going on the expedition. You reminded yourself you didn’t care, taking a big swig of water to drown the butterflies.

—

Propped up at a table off to the side, you had a clear view of the bar on your right and the door on your left. You were sitting with Ray and his friend that you didn’t know, and you were trying to participate in conversation but your guts were churning. As much as you wanted to stay in the moment, you couldn’t stop yourself scanning the crowd for threats. Someone smashed a glass over by the jukebox and you felt yourself startle, nearly knocking your own drink off the table. Over by the bar Chloe Bennett, owner of lumbar back problems and occasional sciatica, demonstrated how much her yelping laugh sounded like a woman being stabbed to death with her own stiletto, and you wanted very much to push your chair back and leg it, but Ray kept glancing at you to check you were ok, and his friend Simon seemed quite nice generally speaking, and if nothing else you might be able to drum up some more business out of him.

‘So you don’t charge anything?’ Simon was asking. Simon and Ray worked the radio together most days, Ray listening in to the white noise for any sign of covert communication, and Simon dutifully twisting the knobs beside him. Some part of you registered that he was conventionally attractive, and you wondered if the way he was leaning in to you as you chatted was what passed for flirting in an apocalypse, but also you were watching Ray scanning for Marla, trying to telepathically tell him it would be ok.

‘I mean, we don’t have money,’ you answered Simon.

‘You don’t barter then?’

‘I’m grateful to be here. My home is payment. My safety is payment.’

‘I don’t buy it,’ he said, and he was grinning and you knew that it was playful, but also you felt a wrinkle of frustration in the folds of your skin.

‘You don’t agree?’ Simon shrugged at you in response, and for a reason still not clear to you it made you want to slap him a little bit. You turned to Ray for help, but Ray was looking at the door, and when you looked too you saw Tommy and Joel had just walked in.

‘Fuck,’ Ray said, and you scanned his face for anxiety but found only awe. ‘They are so cool.’

Simon nodded in agreement, and you scoffed in surprise.

‘Are they?’ you asked, and your companions turned to you, confused, and Ray even slightly betrayed.

‘Tommy basically keeps this place going, him and Maria,’ Simon informed you as if this was news.

‘Peak Mama and Daddy Jackson,’ Ray chimed in.

‘Joel. He’s just…’ All three of you turned to watch him approach the bar, nodding to the bartender, who had started pouring him a whiskey the moment he walked in, and slid it over to him.

You weren’t sure how you wanted Simon to finish that sentence. Your eyes kept being drawn to Joel, the broadness of him, the salt and pepper in his hair in stark contrast to his strength, the power under his muscles and behind his eyes. You felt warm in your palms where you had held him, flexed your fingers to try and get the heat out.

You let the conversation move on without you, staring down at your drink, tracing the droplets of condensation first from the body of the glass and then down to the tabletop. If you hadn’t rushed him out would he have let you keep massaging him? Would you have peeled his shirt from his body and explored the planes of his skin? You wiped the water away before it could damage the wood.

‘They’re heading out tomorrow, first light,’ you heard Ray saying, and suddenly your attention snapped back to the present. ‘So I want to be on the radio early, before they go. See if we can find the signal again, make sure the raiders aren’t going in first.’

‘You said you thought they were further out,’ Simon pointed out. ‘That it was bouncing off the mountain.’

‘I know but we’re a day behind.’

‘That’s a lot of ground to cover.’

‘Not on horseback,’ Ray reasoned.

‘We don’t know if they have horses,’ Simon replied. He held his hands palm up on the table, in appeasement, you realised.

‘We don’t know that they don’t, either. We’re sending seven of our people out there…’ your stomach lurched at seven, and your eyes flicked again to Tommy and Joel, and you wondered if tonight was last drinks for them, not knowing if they would both make it back, a time for two brothers to come together before heading back into war. ‘…including Marla, and I just want to-‘

‘What does Marla have to do with it?’ Simon asked, and you decided then he was either an idiot or heartless, and neither option was preferable. You exhaled slowly through your teeth, and watched Ray for his reaction, and wondered if either of them would notice if you just slipped away into the crowd.

You watched Ray gather himself. ‘Marla is a good shot,’ he said, eventually.

You could feel Simon preparing to argue but suddenly there was yelling, actual yelling not imaginary traumatised-by-the-end-of-the-world yelling, and all three of you turned to the bar.

Jacob and another man you didn’t recognise were standing at the other end of the bar, pointing fingers at Joel and Tommy. Joel had already stepped around his little brother, squaring off with them, and you could see that his body was braced, a tightly wound spring in a flannel shirt and jeans. You picked your glass up off the table and cradled it to your chest, as if that would solve it.

You didn’t know Jacob. He was one of the men who had already decided he didn’t own muscles, or feel pain. You knew that he was younger than the men he was squaring off with, that he was full of bravado and empty of brains, the type to shoot first and think later, and it wasn’t lost on you that back in the day he would have made the type of cop that was the subject of several enquires and a few unflattering news items, who would have been shunted off to be the deputy of a shithole town that’s biggest crime wave was when a couple of cookbooks went missing from the local library, a town that he nevertheless tortured until he retired.

Jacob was currently yelling so hard spittle was flying across the bar, and you could make out the carotid artery along his red neck.

‘All well and good for you two,’ he was saying. ‘Sitting back while the real men go out and defend this town.’ Joel was moving forward towards him, despite Tommy pulling on his sleeve to bring him back, and everyone in the bar was now frozen, watching. Jacob continued, because he was as dumb as he was hateful. ‘Oh I’m on the fucking town council, that means I get to decide who lives and who dies without having to put my own arse on the line. Fuckin’ weak, pathetic-‘

‘Lower your voice,’ Joel said, completely calm and also utterly terrifying. Jacob laughed, actually laughed, in Joel’s face.

‘Fuck off old man,’ he spat, taking another step towards Joel, who wouldn’t back down. ‘You don’t get a say either, ridin your little brother’s dick all the way to retirement.’

‘It’s men and women,’ Joel continued, undeterred and still deathly calm. One afternoon on the road you’d come across a snake on the path, big and brown and poised with its head up, watching you. It had taken you ten minutes to back away from it, so sure it was about to lunge. Watching Joel now, inching forward towards Jacob, you had the same feeling. Jacob wasn’t following Joel, made too stupid by his misplaced entitlement, his anger and his impotent fury. ‘We are sending the real men and women to defend this town, and Tommy and I’ll be here to keep it safe while you’re gone.’

You exhaled for the first time all day, the tension you didn’t even know you were carrying with you suddenly releasing. But Jacob was more angry now, and Tommy was backing up Joel and squaring off too, and you felt the heat in the room ratchet up.

‘I’m having a baby, you fuck,’ Tommy said, and Joel raised his hand to calm him. Tommy immediately settled back behind his bigger brother.

‘Not to say we ain’t grateful,’ Joel continued, but Jacob had noticed that the whole bar was watching, that Joel was about to talk him out of an argument, that he was about to be alpha’d by a man twice his age. He took three steps forward toward Joel, who had already reached back to push Tommy out of the way, and Jacob’s arm was swinging just a fraction slower than Joel’s, who clocked the younger man hard in the jaw and sent him spinning, landing hard on the top of the bar and shattering glasses and bottles underneath him. He was only down for a second before he was back up and swinging, landing a blow on Joel’s eye socket before he and Tommy had him by the back of the collar. You realised you had stood up and had moved towards them only when you were close enough to hear Joel grunt ‘a fuckin bar fight, really? You that fuckin clichè?’

Jacob just grunted, his airway constricted by his shirt that Joel was now using as a vice, and even in the middle of the violence you could see he was careful not to compress harder than he needed to, holding him sturdy but without gripping so hard as to injure.

The four men headed for the door, Joel pushing Jacob through first and then following, using the momentum to swing the younger man out and down the stairs and into the dirt below. His friend rushed to him, pulling him up and away, and as you followed them out you heard Jacob spitting threats of his return. Joel was puffed, leant against the railing to catch his breath. He turned to his brother, checked on him, and then to you, where his eyebrows shot up and you realised he was seeing you only now. Your breath caught in your throat. You had no idea what you were doing there, either.

‘You’re hurt,’ you said after a moment, gesturing to his fist. You could see a scrape of blood pooling on the knuckle.

‘Ain’t broken,’ he said. Turning to Tommy he more or less ignored you. ‘You ok?’ he asked. Tommy nodded, before he also nodded to Joel’s fist.

‘Take him to ours,’ he said to you. ‘We got ice in the freezer. Time to work some more miracles.’

You were alarmed, pretty much constantly, but especially so when Tommy turned back to go inside.

‘You’re not coming?’ you asked, and you hated that your panic had carried through into your voice.

‘Gotta make it right here,’ he said, without turning around.

—

The walk to Maria’s was three minutes at most and still you would have flayed your own skin clean off not to have to do it. You could feel the wings now, beating hard against your rib cage, and you swallowed only to taste acid on the back of your tongue. Joel was silent, but it was the type of silence that belies being pissed off, a general curmudgeon-ing, that set you on edge.

You thought again back to your teacher. When the clients in pain, keep them talking.

‘How’s the shoulder?’ you asked, into the darkness in front of you instead of looking at Joel’s face.

‘Thought it wasn’t my shoulder,’ he said, and it took a second for you to realise he was teasing you, not goading. ‘S’ok, I hear it’s all connected,’ he pretend to console you, and you squawked out a surprised laugh, wondering if you’d ever, up until this moment, made a sound like that before.

At no point had you considered that Joel Miller could be funny. Now, though, you discovered you had even less of an idea of how to talk to him.

‘You’re not going out on the run?’ you asked, and you hoped not to sound too relieved, too hopeful.

‘Got things to look out for at home,’ he said, and you stayed quiet in the hope that he would keep talking. ‘Ellie and me, we had a rough time of it…she’s been quiet. Thought best to…’ he trailed off.

‘Maria said you went to Salt Lake?’ you asked, and because you were still unable to look at him you didn’t see him flinch. ‘Why did you have to go there?’ you continued on.

‘Didn’t realise Maria liked to gossip so much,’ he said, and you heard it then, the hardness of it.

You rushed to defend her. ‘I was just curious,’ you started, and Joel stopped you, stopped walking altogether. You turned back to him.

‘Dangerous thing,’ he said, and you wanted to tell him that you knew that, that you weren’t normally like that, that you were clever and you had survived this long because if it, but he was already turning up the path to Maria and Tommy’s place, and all you could do was trail behind him, like a fucking lap dog, worried he’d lock you out if you took too long to get inside.

From the couch Maria called for Tommy, and when Joel responded she pulled herself up to stand. You were surprised by how big she’d gotten, trying to remember the last time you’d seen a pregnant woman. Let alone a pregnant woman about to pop.

‘I know, I’m huge,’ she said, when she saw you staring and you snapped your eyes back to her face.

‘Radiant,’ you said, and she snorted.

‘Thank you for lying,’ she replied, and you felt the warmth of genuine affection between the two of you, thought for a moment of sunshine on your skin, of your sister.

‘Tommy said you had ice,’ Joel cut in, and Maria noticed Joel’s hand, her face hardening.

‘They started it,’ Joel said, and you nodded behind him to confirm that this was indeed true. You saw the suspicion in her eyes, the way she was careful with him, and you stepped forward, taking his elbow.

‘I’ll sort it,’ you said, smiling with what you hoped was confidence. Joel looked down at your hand on his arm, then up to your face, where you ignored his obvious indignation at being herded like a child. ‘On we go,’ you said, feeling like a deranged grade school teacher, trying to get her class of unruly six year olds through to 3 pm unscathed. You didn’t see the bemused look on Maria’s face as you pushed Joel down the hallway, but you wouldn’t have wanted to anyway.

Once again you found yourself crammed into a kitchen with Joel. Sitting him at the table you put some ice in a cloth then plopped down into the chair beside him and held out your hand. He stared at you, unmoving.

‘I can do this,’ he said, and you were tired then, having dealt with quite a lot of male bullshit in just the last two hours, and so you groaned and pulled his hand to you, holding him firm by the wrist lest he try and patriarchy his way out again.

‘I can do it better,’ you said simply, and he huffed out a laugh.

‘Now that I don’t deny,’ he said, and it was quiet, just barely muttered between the two of you, and when you looked up into his eyes you found that they were crinkled with something like amusement, something like affection.

You looked down, flexed his fingers for him, heard him hold his breath when you inspected the knuckle.

‘They teach you this in school, too?’ he asked, and you heard again that he was ribbing you. You decided it was a good sign.

‘No this is purely growing up with a daredevil older sister,’ you replied.

‘Family resemblance, then,’ he replied and you looked up at him sharply, angry for a second that he was calling you meek, that he was deriding you for a perfectly normal reaction to the collapse of society, but you saw nothing on his face that belied any aggression. If anything, you saw warmth.

‘This sore?’ you asked, just gently wresting a fingertip on the bone. His hands were big, with thick and powerful fingers, and you were doing your absolute best not to consider what they could do to you, if you let them.

‘S’alright,’ he murmured. For a moment you saw outside yourself, watched you hunched over inspecting the paw of a lion, a little mouse reaching in to extract a thorn.

‘Here?’ you said, hushed under the light of Maria’s kitchen. You pressed down slightly, on exactly the same spot, and heard his breath stutter. You realised the makeshift ice pack was too bulky to fit between his knuckles, so you opened it and took a block out, resolutely not looking up into his face.

‘Tell me if this is too cold,’ you said, holding the block between your fingers and running it gently over his skin.

‘Mmhmm,’ he hummed, gently. You kept the ice moving, your eyes watching his hand for any sign of a tremble, but he stayed resolute under your touch.

The heat of his skin started to melt it, cold water running down and snaking under his palm, between his fingers. It washed away the blood, so that you could see only scratches, surface abrasions, from where knuckle met jaw. You watched the pink of it, mixing with the water, little rivers of something precious, something Joel. You were aware only of your finger tips, the push of wings against your chest present but forgotten, as you witnessed him, his essence. As you gazed down on the thing that made him, that kept him, the life in his veins. As the block melted down to just a wafer, as it healed, sealed over the hurt, you lifted it to your mouth to taste it, wanting the iron and the tang of it, the sharpness of the cold mixed with the heat of him, of your open mouth.

You heard his breath hitch. Your eyes flew open, not having realised you’d closed them, and landed on his face, where you gasped when you saw the look of pure wanting, of pure desire, painted pink and red over his features. You dropped his hand in your panic, your face burning, your legs moving before your brain had even taken a moment to collect itself.

‘Thanks Maria I gotta go think Joel will be fine I hope you’re ok will drop some food around you’re the most beautiful pregnant lady I’ve ever seen take care bye’ you vomited, gathering your coat tight around your shoulders and wanting but not wanting, terrified but hoping, to hear footsteps down the hall behind you. You wrenched the door open, felt the welcome rush of cool on your face, already halfway down the porch before you heard it slam shut behind you.

You sprinted, shuffling over ice but not slowing, back to your home. As you went you followed the wall, wondering how it could have made you feel safe now that you were trapped behind it, wondering how you could possibly live with the snake poised to lunge at you, how you could outrun it when it had taken up home inside your belly, beside your breath.

Tag list (just learned what these are, lemme know if you want me to add you)

@orcasoul

[raccoons-garbage-can]

Day 8

Been back from uni pretty late today so today is a tired Luis day. He's holding a vending machine hot chocolate because that's what keeps me warm and sane... I love projecting

[sannasruins]

never enough

hitoshi shinso x reader

type: angst

warnings: abandonment/ghosting, disappointment, femmenine compliments but gn!reader

a/n: first post in 10 months, this is loosely based on a romance i had last year, it always sucks to be left behind, doesn't it?

word count: 2k

He left.

You weren’t enough for him, or maybe you were too much. You couldn’t help yourself though, it was adoration at first sight with his stark gaze and shockingly deep violet hair.

Maybe he never even liked you in the first place, because if he did, why would he do this?

It was a cold winter day when he approached you, frost creeped at the corner of windows, and small snowflakes drifted down from the dark grey sky. It was probably the coldest it had been that whole season.

Christmas was coming soon. In your college days that meant going out with friends and drinking parties, but now all your friends were dating or married, spending their day off with their loved one. Leaving you, a newly graduated office worker at a top 10 hero’s company, to come in on your day off so that you didn’t spend your night alone in a cold empty apartment.

That was where you first saw him, Hitoshi Shinso, in person at least. Of course you had heard of him, the brainwashing hero, the hero with a villain’s quirk.

You had seen him on TV, on newspapers, in magazines and on social media. Despite having only graduated 4 years prior and only recently advancing from sidekick to hero, he was rising through the hero ranks while being employed at another, bigger and more popular, hero’s company.

He had also come into the office on Christmas, though it wasn’t as sad when he did it, you thought to yourself, crime doesn’t stop for holidays. Your paperwork could have though.

Hitoshi noticed you when he walked into the small office space you occupied that you were occupying, making eye contact with you, before walking into the breakroom that was connected to the office.  You felt heat rise from your shoulders, up your neck and into your cheeks, and you knew that your face must be brightly flushed.

But how could you have helped yourself, when those piercing purple eyes looked right into you, past what felt like every boarder you had up, past every lie you told yourself, and saw you. You felt exposed, and bare, in a way that not even nakedness could compare to.

You rationalized to yourself as you see his figure retreat into the breakroom, the door closing behind him, that it was just all in your mind, he had just glanced at you, that was all. You still couldn’t help but feel your heated face, sighing and putting your face in your hands for a moment before focusing back on your computer and work.

You heard the door to the breakroom open and close again, signaling that he had exited, but you decided to not look up, because your face had just started to cool down from the last time he looked at you with his pretty pretty face and his pretty pretty eyes.

So, you were surprised when something, a chip bag, was plopped down onto your desk Infront of you, with a small jump, you looked up at and saw that Hitoshi Shinsou had just placed a bag of chips from the vending machine in the breakroom on your desk.

“Its cold,” he murmured, and his voice was like velvet and melted chocolate to your ears, sweet and smooth and everything you ever needed. He leaned on the desk opposite you, “the heat isn’t on today, no one was supposed to come in.” he explained further.

You looked at him with a question on your face, it was cold in the office, that’s why you were wearing your coat and scarf still, but it didn’t explain why he had come over and why he had put a bag of chips on your desk.

“Eating helps keep you warm, replenishes your energy.” He answered your unasked question.

You nodded; your ears hot with a blush you thought he could for sure see all over your face.

“Thank you,” you grabbed the bag from in front of you and put it in one of your desk drawers, “I appreciate it Mister Hitoshi.”

He nodded at you, a small smile graced his lips, before he pushed himself off the desk, and left the room, leaving you in a face splitting smile the second you heard the door close behind him.

You squeezed your eyes shut and told yourself to breathe, to calm down, it couldn’t have meant that much, that it didn’t mean that much. And that just because he was so beautiful, heroic and it seemed kind to boot, that you couldn’t get a crush on him, he was just being a nice person, right?

It seemed like Hitoshi Shinsou wanted nothing more than to have you not be rational though.

After that Christmas day where he gifted you a bag of chips in a cold office, he began to be the places you were more often. Smiling at you as you passed each other in the hallway, asking you how your day was going.

It slowly became more, he soon started seeking you out at your desk, talking to you on his breaks when he wasn’t on patrol, it didn’t really matter if you were working, it wasn’t his company but he was still your superior, so he could do as he saw fit. That didn’t stop your coworkers from starting to whisper though.

Hitoshi Shinso would notice things on your desk, knick-nacks or books, and surprisingly to you, he was a fan of some of those things as well, and it felt almost like fate to you. Your similar hobbies, your taste in music, your taste in coffee, it was all so close to his, how could it not be meant to be?

It didn’t take long after his desk visits started for him to get your phone number, and the two of you would call, only on his schedule though, he was the busy hero who had to work odd hours, so it wasn’t surprising and quickly became normal for you to be awoken at 3 am from a call by him, asking to talk. It wasn’t his fault you were tired in the mornings and it started to affect your work, you didn’t mind if it meant you could spend time with him.

You finally one day, after getting home from the office, worked up the courage to ask him if he would like to hang out on his next night off, maybe to go out to the movies, to dinner, anything would be fine with you, as long as he was there. And to your pleasant surprise, he agreed, but then told you he had tonight off, and to give him your address, he would be there in 30 minutes.

You panicked, this amazingly beautiful man who you thought was so out of your league was coming over to your apartment? In 30 minutes? You weren’t ready, you looked frazzled and tried after a long day working, and your apartment was messy. How could you make both yourself and your apartment presentable in that little of time?

You texted him back, “okay, that sounds great! I live at XXX, apartment number XXX :).”

You rushed to pretty yourself up, putting on nicer clothes in comparison to the office clothes that he has only ever seen you in, and quickly tried to tidy your apartment.

You were shoving clothes and boxes into a closet when you heard the doorbell ring, and with one last push you got them in and quickly closed the door behind it before it could all come tumbling back out onto you. With a quick brush of your palms down your clothes to smooth out any wrinkles from your outfit, you went to the door excitedly.

There he was, the tall man with tired eyes, and he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. His socks didn’t match.  It didn’t look like he was planning on going out with you tonight, but that’s okay, it wasn’t a date, you had asked him to hang out, not to go on a date, so its fine.

You invited him in, he complimented you.

“You look pretty tonight.” His voice was like honey and salve, soothing away all your mental pains, “you look really nice outside of those florescent office lights.”

He smiled at you, a dimple in one of his cheeks, and his tired eyes crinkled at the edges. Your heart melted. How could a man this perfect ever exist?

The two of you played board games that night, him beating you badly at all of them, all the while, smiling at you and telling you that you were lucky you were so pretty. You didn’t mind him insulting your intelligence like you would have when most people do it, all it did was make you bush and look down, because you were happy, he called you pretty.

He left that night with a parting hug, you had told him to get home safe and he thanked you for having you, and then pulled you into a hug. You were so startled you almost didn’t hug him back, but you gave him a quick squeeze before seeing him out the door and closing it behind him.

You were obsessed, he was all you could think about, your friends got tired over how often you would text them about him but you didn’t care because you were so happy that his attention was yours, that he had set his sights on you.

He came over to your apartment a few more times, and the two of you even started watching a tv show together, he had recommended it and told you he wanted to watch it with you.

He sat on your couch, and when you sat further away than where he wanted, he pulled you to him, and put his arm around your shoulder.  

He smelt like cigarettes and it made your nose scrunch but you tried to not let it bother you too much, he was perfect in literally every way, and he liked you, he liked you enough to call you, to flirt with you, to cuddle with you on your couch and watch a tv show together. You could deal with a little cigarette smell.

And you started to get hopeful, hopeful for something more, that maybe you could join your college friends and by next Christmas, not be spending it alone but be spending it with a rising hero, someone so amazing had made time for you, had noticed you, thought you were pretty, beautiful, desirable.

He kissed you good bye when he left that night, just a quick peck, but it had you on cloud nine for the entire next day.

As quickly as his attention came, it left.

At first you tried to tell yourself that he is a pro hero, that he is busy, that he doesn’t always have time to text you, to call you. But the spaces in between texts grew longer and longer, hours turned to days, and days to weeks.

You were watching him slip between your fingers and no matter what you said, no matter what invitations you made, or witty jokes you told, he simply was non-responsive.

You didn’t see him at work anymore either, besides occasionally seeing a glance of him in the first-floor entrance, he never came to your branch of the building anymore. Those glances hurt so bad, but you couldn’t help but look, he was still so perfect, and you don’t know what you did wrong, no matter how hard you wracked your brain for an answer.

Your friends told you he used you, or at least tried to. And the whispers at work didn’t stop for quite a while, poor you, not too long ago you were going around telling everyone about how much you like him and how sweet he is. How could you never notice that he didn’t talk about you the same way.

You weren’t enough, and you were too much.

He didn’t like you.

And he left.

[jacky93sims]

Food Stands Fixed

Sooo I spent all the afternoon fixing the Food Stands I made. Now when visitors buy the item, your sims won't be charged anymore. This is the list of the items I fixed, let me know if I forgot something (I don't remember all my cc ahahah :D)

ATS4 - Ice Cream Stand

Oak Barrel on a Stand with Beer

Cakes Food Stand

Sandwiches Food Stand

Burger and Fries Food Stand

Korean Street Food Stand

Trdelnik Stand

Cream Crepes Stand

Hot Dog Roller Functional

Food Truck Functional

TS3 Ice Cream Truck Functional

Milk Frother Chocolate Maker

Bubble Tea Machine

Chestnut Vending Machine

Juice Dispenser

You can download them from the original posts.

[atlantisplus]

https://flokii.com/blogs/view/98098/boost-your-office-experience-with-top-quality-atlantis-vending-machine

[andrewminyardapologist]

TW: Food Trauma

Thinking about how it's probably really healing for the Foxes to have "family dinners" at Abby's because so of them most likely have some sort of trauma surrounding food.

Dan: Had to support her family, struggling to put food on the table, having to work to keep herself and her family fed. So much food insecurity that she doesn't have to worry about anymore. (I'm sure she still does, it doesn't just go away, but she now doesn't have to worry about making enough to afford her next meal.)

Allison: In recovery from an eating disorder, learning to have genuinely happy experiences revolving around meals, praised for her strength on the court and not just her beauty, learning that food is nourishment.

Neil: I mean... This one is obvious. He's been on the run close to a decade, and now has sit down meals regularly with people he cares about. Food doesn't just mean stuff you can steal from a grocery store or scrounge up at a gas station vending machine. It's part of home. It's Abby's kitchen, warm and bright, surrounded by his chosen family all helping to cook and set the table. It's smiling and laughing over a big plate of lasagna.

Kevin: He's obsessed with health to the point it's disordered. In the Nest, food was not about enjoyment. It was about being perfect. Everything he ate was chosen for him. At Abby's, he gets to pick his portion size, which foods he wants to eat, probably learns what he likes and dislikes genuinely because of taste and not nutritional content. I would bet eventually Abby catches on and makes his favorites pretty often, helps him try new foods and actually enjoy them, regardless of nutritional content.

Andrew: Andrew grew up in foster care, and he says none of his placements were good. He seems to have a lot of sensory issues surrounding food (rips it into tiny pieces, likes really intense flavors like spicy or sweet, etc.) I'm willing to bet he was often underfed and did not often get much say in what he ate. If he wanted to eat, it would have to be whatever he could. I think that while he might never admit it, having Abby's dinners (eventually) start to feel safe for him, the routine of it, the fact that no one would judge his eating there or force him to eat things he didn't like, would be something that helps him feel more comfortable around food. I think being allowed seconds, or thirds, would help him feel some security surrounding food. Similar to Kevin, I think Abby would pick up on the things he likes and make those meals more often. I think Bee helps with this too, what with the hot chocolate and everything.

Aaron: Tilda was abusive and neglectful. I think it is safe to assume Aaron had to worry about keeping himself fed for most of his life, and had to learn to cook for himself. Probably he had to figure out his own way to make sure he stayed fed without much help from Tilda. It's probable she punished him by withholding meals as well. I think similar to Andrew, having some consistency in the routine of dinner at Abby's helps him feel more secure. Additionally, I think he probably likes not having to bear the full weight of cooking for himself, and learns to enjoy it as something he does with his family instead of something done out of necessity. I imagine Abby teaches him some recipes that are fun and not just basic stuff thrown together in an attempt to make something edible.

Nicky: Nicky was 18 when he took in the twins. He had to work HARD to keep the three of them fed. It was probably difficult as well considering Andrew and Aaron already had issues surrounding food. I think he would find comfort in seeing that the twins were not only getting fed, but we're starting to let go of some of that insecurity about food. I think he would also find relief in not having to worry about feeding two kids when he was basically still a kid himself.

[beneaththehalo]

beneath the mistletoe [zayne x gn! reader]

summary: it’s your first time attending the annual akso hospital christmas party. you notice that your work crush, the young cardiothoracic surgeon dr. zayne, hasn’t brought a date, perhaps you can meet him under the mistletoe?

tags: fluff, mutual pining, holiday themes, hand holding, one kiss. author’s note located @ the end of the fic.

it’s the annual department christmas party and everyone seems to be in jovial spirits. people brought their long term partners, delicious holiday desserts, and secret santa gifts to exchange. the community atmosphere of akso hospital, particularly the cardiology floors, was what drew you to working there in the first place. you started working there as nurse in the summer after graduating from your program.

thankfully, a more senior nurse named yvonne took you under her wing so you could truly get a lay of the floor. she helped instill confidence in you from the very beginning, leading you through your orientation and answering all your questions without complaint. the mentorship was something you were really grateful for, and something you hoped to pay forward to ‘new grad’ nurses in the future. eventually, you grew accustomed to the other fellow nurses and healthcare workers on the floor. however, you hardly ever saw the doctors.

you had heard great things, of course. dr. greyson always delivered the best cookies for nurses appreciation week. dr. zayne made frequent trips to the pediatric ward with sweets to cheer up the children when he wasn’t saving lives on the operating table. however, you only ever saw them in passing. they were far too busy for socialization, except of course, when it was forced upon them.

you aren’t exactly sure how you could have developed such an innocent crush on doctor zayne in such a short amount of time, but yvonne assured you that it happened to almost everyone. a handsome, young, kind and talented doctor was a hot commodity. she was also brutally honest when she told you that zayne had never shown interest in anybody romantically before. he was very invested in his work and despite many, *many* attempts by yvonne to set him up on a date, he always refused. he always had some sort of excuse — too busy with work, took an extra volunteer slot in the arctic, researching the latest medical technology. you shrugged. your crush was harmless. you occasionally left the room when he was using the vending machine for a chocolate bar because you were blushing so bad and that was the extent of it.

but now, you stood at the snack table of the annual department holiday party searching for something to satisfy your sweet tooth when you feel the cold brush of doctor zayne’s hand meet your own. “sorry,” you immediately flinch, drawing your hand back as your eyes flick up to meet his. they were a pretty green, like a spruce tree; you had never seen them up close. “it’s quite alright,” he says softly, placing the macaron in your hand. “I should not eat all of these myself regardless,” he admits, a hint of smile pulling at the corner of his lips. you offer him a polite thanks as you take the cookie from him.

your eyes trail down to the ugly sweater he had chosen to wear. it had everything. unnecessary sequins, a snowman with black puffball buttons, excessive textures — it was endearing to see such a stoic man pull off a look. “i like your sweater doctor zayne,” you compliment, offering him a genuine smile as you take in the details of the look. the tips of his ears turn red in embarrassment. “ah yes well, yvonne said i could not attend if i did not partake,” he confesses as the tips of his ears turn red with embarrassment. that was yvonne for you, the only nurse who could boss the doctors around. you nod appreciatively as you bite into the macaron. “good call on this, the peppermint is so yummy,” you say with a soft smile.

“doctors always know best,” he says in his monotone voice, and you pray he has a sense of humor as you bust out into laughter. thankfully, it causes him to offer a taut smile, bemused by your reaction to his dry remark. “sir, no offense, but i’ve worked here for about a month or so and even i know that isn’t true. no matter how delicious dr. greyson’s cookies are” you tease in response, which earns another smile from him. you aren’t sure why you were so intimidated in the first place; he was easier to talk to than you expected.

“did you bring a date?” he asks casually, noting how many people brought their significant others along to meet their work colleagues. you’re not sure why you feel embarrassed by the question, but your cheeks feel hot. “oh uh, no. i recently moved here, so no chance for me to get to know anybody in that capacity yet…” you respond sheepishly, gaze falling to your twiddling thumbs. “and you?” you ask. he shakes his head ‘no’. “i’m single,” he admits. “not many people want to date someone with my schedule, and i’m not exactly interested in something casual.” you nod in understanding, even though his confession weirdly tugs at your heartstrings.

yvonne begins rounding everyone up for the white elephant gift exchange, causing you and doctor zayne to reluctantly leave the snack table. you’re a bit lost, trying to navigate exactly where the white elephant exchange was happening. you feel the cool brush of a hand touch yours again. “wrong way,” he chuckles softly, guiding you in the opposite direction. “right, thanks,” you smile, heart fluttering at his kind touch. normally, you would reject such affections, but you felt so safe with him, that you didn’t mind. aside from yvonne, you felt like you had finally made another connection in linkon city.

“pause!” yvonne says, stopping both you and the broad shouldered doctor zayne in the doorway. with a knowing smirk, she points upward at the top of the doorframe. both you and zayne’s eyes trail upward. mistletoe. your eyes meet again. “we don’t have to,” he whispers softly, his cheeks already turning red. “i want to—“ you interrupt him, allowing yourself to step closer to him in the narrow doorframe. now chest-to-chest, you gaze at him expectantly. “is everyone going to stare at us?” he whispers as he cups your face gently in his hands. “let them,” you whisper softly, breath fanning on his lips as you stand on your tiptoes.

your eyes flutter shut as you feel zayne’s lips meet yours. the kiss is hesitant, but sweet as you return it — hands delicately resting upon his chest and feeling his racing heart. it’s too short, and you already feel yourself missing the faint hint of mint and chocolate of his kiss as he pulls back. he doesn’t let go of your hand as you both sit beside one another for the gift exchange. you notice yvonne elbow zayne in the side with a comment like, “i told you that you’d like them” beneath her breath and zayne turning away with a shy blush. by the end of the party, you already had a date scheduled for next week.

a/n: i got deep into my zayne feelings recently and wanted to write something cute for the holiday season! thank you to @kinny-away for encouraging me to write again. officially opening my ask box up for holiday themed drabble requests for resident evil and love & deepspace, so send em in while you can! p.s. while you’re here, sign my virtual christmas tree?

[beecauseevan]

[Previous Chapter] | [All Chapters] | [Next Chapter]

December 2023

"We should do Secret Santa," Buck says at breakfast the next day. They're at their favorite café, winding down after last night's shift, and Eddie tears his eyes away from the large steaming cup Buck is cradling and looks at Buck's face instead. The morning sun is caressing his cheeks, turning his birthmark a rosy shade of red. 

"Secret Santa?" Eddie echoes.

"That's what I said."

"Are you sure?" Eddie asks. "Also, it's 66 degrees out here. Why are you drinking hot chocolate?"

"Don't be a Grinch, Eddie," Buck reprimands him, his smile disarmingly proud. That's the movie they ended up watching after they came back from that snow-slime infestation, which means Buck's list of must-see Christmas movies that he has watched grew by 100% last night.

"Secret Santa gets complicated if there's too many people," Eddie points out. "We would need a guest list. People would have to RSVP."

"Okay," Buck says. "Then let's do a guest list."

"It was supposed to be a casual Christmas party."

"Who said that?"

"Bobby," Eddie replies, "when he suggested it."

Buck shrugs. "Bobby roasts his own cereal. He doesn't know casual."

"Well." Eddie doesn't have a rebuttal for that. 

Buck smiles, satisfied, and stirs his hot chocolate. "Hey. Did you know that you need 400 cocoa beans to produce one pound of chocolate?“

"Where did you learn that? Never mind," Eddie says, before Buck can answer. "You're from Hershey."

"Actually, I learned that when I was in Peru."

"Was that when you had the frosted tips?"

"Shut up," Buck snaps, not unkindly. His cheeks are red, and Eddie is suddenly very pleased with himself. "I still can't believe Maddie showed you that picture. I should uninvite her. She's uninvited from our second official 118 Christmas party."

"Chim might have something to say about that," Eddie replies.

"I'll just ignore him. I'm good at that."

December 2024

"Here." Chim hands Eddie a cup of hot chocolate. It's bad, too sweet, the taste artificial in a way that suggests it's never seen actual chocolate, but Eddie didn't expect any culinary delights from a hospital vending machine anyway.

"Thanks."

They're sitting outside Buck's room. Maddie is in there right now, with Jee. Eddie stares into his cup for a bit, then at that door, and then back down at the cup. He swirls it around, watches the grainy brown residue slide slowly down the plastic. 

"Did you know." He clears his throat, starts again. "Did you know it takes 400 cocoa beans to get one pound of actual chocolate? That's kind of crazy, right?"

Chim sits down and leans back, trying to get comfortable. It's impossible, Eddie knows that from experience. Hospital chairs are never comfortable. Still, Chim tries. He stretches out his legs next to Eddie's, and then he puts a hand on Eddie's arm.

"He'll be okay. He always is."

"Yeah," Eddie says. They don't know that yet, but Chim is right. Buck has to be okay. "He will be."

He bans all other possibilities from his mind, kicks them out and shuts the door behind them. It's not that hard, because they don't leave behind a vacuum. He has plenty of shit he can occupy himself with, and there's one what if scenario that screams particularly loudly, that won't stay in the little corner of his mind where he keeps trying to banish it to. 

What if he hadn't been there? He hasn't found a place in El Paso yet. He's been looking—Buck's been helping—but buying a house is a pretty big commitment and he doesn't want to make the wrong choice. It has to be perfect. It has to be a place Chris will want to call home. He hasn't found that yet. 

What if he had? 

What if Buck had been alone out there? 

What if, instead of fighting tooth and nail to save his life, Eddie had been on the receiving end of a terrible phone call instead? He could be standing at a grave instead of sitting by Buck’s hospital bed. 

How is he supposed to live with that possibility?

Written for the @911countdowntochristmas - this was supposed to be 24 drabbles but the Buddie NDE speculation going around pre 8x08 inspired me and now it’s a 24-mini-chaptered fic instead. And definitely more hurt/comfort than fluff. Oops.

[Previous Chapter] | [All Chapters] | [Next Chapter]

[jstarr86]

Part 1 of 2 maybe a three idk yet

He was so hot but so off limits. I knew my friends would probably literally kill me for crossing that line especially given the current situation. I’d been watching their segment, as they annihilated anyone in their way. The way his body looked every time he’d jerk the shirt off, it should be illegal to look like that. I was walking down the hall honestly not paying attention to where I was going just I needed to not be so glued to the tv especially when I needed to focus on my match

“Umph.” I grunted hitting something and struggling to stay on two feet when a pair of warm hands firmly gripped my waist keeping me standing. I heard a growl and my eyes shot up my eyes meeting angry brown before quickly trailing over the three other men finally landing on Solo. My eyes darting back to the one in front of me, him; Tama. “Shit I’m sorry.” I said looking at him glancing back at Solo who was silently watching us. Loa just quiet and Jacob looked ready to murder me at a words notice. “Sorry Solo.”

“Athena, Athena.” He lowly chuckled. “Funny running into you.”

“Not sure how almost busting my ass is funny but thanks.” Tama growled and Jacob moved but Solo stopped him with holding his hand up

“You should be thanking me for catching you.” My eyes went back to his brown ones. Pools of deep chocolate with gold flakes his voice low and it sent a shiver down my spine and pooled between my legs that I tried not to show.

“Thanks for catching me Prince Charming.” I replied making him smirk and chuckle.

“You talk to them.” Solo interrupted. I knew he was talking about his brothers. They were some of my closest friends, Naomi being one of my best friends. I worked with the bloodline early on before an injury pulled me away from the story.

“I talk to plenty of people.”

“You know who I mean.” I didn’t respond “Athena.”

“Boy don’t raise you’re voice at me like I’m some dog I’m not the one.”

“Excuse you.” Tama growled out

“You heard me pretty boy.” I looked to Solo. “Who I speak with is irrelevant. Side note though good to see you coming into your own and doing more than brooding and beating people up least you’re calling the shots this time, well I guess.”

“What’s that mean.”

“You really the one in charge or is someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, maybe DJ.”

“I’m the tribal chief.”

“Ok.”

“Athena watch it you’re pushing it.”

“Wasn’t she with yall, what you on they side.”

“I’m on no one side but my own so you can stop growling at me like a dog thinking it’s going to intimidate me, does he need a treat.” I said looking back to Solo as Loa chuckled at his brother.

“You’re pushing my limits.”

“Yeah I’m good at that. I have been pushing buttons how long I mean cmon let’s not act like you’re cousin wasn’t slightly excited I got injured. I’m pretty sure I annoyed Roman to no end.” I walked off pausing by Jacob “killer moonsault by the way.” Walking off I rounded the corner exhaling “shit.” I muttered softly. I wasn’t expecting that and I think if I’d been anyone else I’d be a heap in the floor right now. We had house shows and I made my way to my car but felt eyes on me. The new bloodline staring I finger waved and got in my car. The hotel I checked in showered and changed. I went to the vending machine grabbing a drink and some ice I heard something and looked over my shoulder stopping as I saw him. He was slightly intimidating the way his eyes trailed over me. Like a lion stalking a gazelle. I went to leave the small area when his hand shot out touching my hip stopping me and almost making me drop everything as his warm hand met skin. My eyes shooting to his dark ones my eyes glanced down to his lips and back. Before I could comprehend his lips were on mine causing me to gasp and drop the bucket of ice but he pulled back catching it. He took my hand pulling me “where are.”

“Shhh.” He said holding his finger to his lips. “What room are you?”

“632.”

“Give me your card.” I raised my eyebrow but handed him the card as he unlocked the door. Walking in he put the bucket on the table before grabbing me again and kissing me my hand flying to his face. He could kiss I’d give his ass that. I slid his hands down my body gripping my ass firmly as he lifted me in his arms my back hit the wall as I pulled my lips back but he just started kissing my neck making me moan out as he hit my spot, I felt his lips curl into a smirk against my skin

“You really shouldn’t walk around looking like this late at night, you never know what kinda creep is lurking.” He softly spoke his whispered words sending a shiver through my body. The tiny shorts and sports bra not doing much but I never expected anyone let alone him. I didn’t respond the smart ass retort dying on my lips as he tugged the top down mouth on my breast in an instant as I gasped. I could feel how hard he was and swallowed thickly his lips met mine again igniting an inferno. I pulled his shirt off and he let me down looking me over before tugging my top off. He picked me back up laying me on the bed as his kisses trailed my lips and down my body like lava. I bit my lip trying to hide the effect he was having on me but he paused at my stomach looking up at me.

“Don’t hide those pretty little moans. Let me hear you.” He tugged my shorts off smirking his eyes meeting mine. “Naughty, no underwear.”

“Oh shut-fuck.” My retort cutting off into a moan as his mouth met my body. Tongue sneaking out as he groaned.

“Fuck your taste better than I thought you would.”

“Tama.”

“Yeah that’s my name baby, you gonna get real used to it leaving that pretty little mouth of yours.” His hands gripped my hips holding me as he totally devoured me. My body arching off the bed my hands on his head. He held me down not letting me move as he took his time driving me insane. When his fingers joined the party expertly curling into my gspot I came moaning his name. He stood back tugging his shorts and boxers off my eyes trailing his body, a small smirk crossing my face as my eyes went back to his him wearing a smirk. He was definitely packing. I sat up on my knees leaning towards the edge of the bed cautiously meeting his eyes. I slid my hand over his impressive length before my mouth followed, his hand immediately meeting the back of my head as a low moan left his lips. I could feel him twitch when his fingers curled into my hair a bit tighter and he pulled me back. He kissed me slightly passionately a bit more than I expected he harshly squeezed my ass making me gasp as he slid his tounge in my mouth asserting dominance a bit faster than I’d had liked but damn he was making me feel some type of way he gently pushed my shoulder and I laid down as he pulled my legs sliding me down the bed “I’m gonna ruin you.”

“You can try, I don’t break very easy.” He smirked darkly before easing into me my eyes slightly widening at the stretch

“Hmm wonder who made you this wet, tight as fuck.” He pushed the back of my thighs opening me wider as his thrust roughened my nails scrapping down his back. His thrust powerful like he was trying to brand me with his dick so I’d feel it long after we were done “You look so good taking my dick.”

“Mmm god.” I moaned my head back his lips hopefully not leaving marks.

“Not god baby. Just me.”

“Tama.”

“You gonna cum princess. Mmm common my dick.” His hand trailed down my body pinching my nipple before going south rubbing rough circles in my clit as I gasped a moan cumming. He pulled out as I whined as he smirked smacking thigh “brat, don’t worry pretty I’m no where near done with your gorgeous little ass roll over.” My face buried in the bed as he entered me again. My fingers curling around the sheets. This angle he was hitting my gspot with each thirsts making me thankful my face was in the comforter as moans poured from my lips he smacked my ass his other hand sliding up my back and into my hair pulling my head up. “Nah let me hear you. Shit.” He grunted

“Mm Tama.” He smacked my ass again as I moaned

“Mmm my lil freak.”

“You feel so good.”

“So do you, this my pussy now.”

“Fuck.”

“Aint it.”

“Yesss.” I moaned. “I’m fuck I’m gonna cum.”

“I got you cum for me beautiful, give me that pussy.”

“Tama!” I barely registered him growling out my name as he ground into me. “Holy shit.” He chuckled against my shoulder pressing a kiss into the back of it. He slowly pulled out as he let me all but collapse on my bed. He walked into my bathroom and came back a few minutes later chuckling. He laid next to me pulling me into his arms the last thing I felt was a kiss to my head. I woke up the next morning alone and if it wasn’t for the ache between my legs I’d had thought it was all a fucked up dream. I grabbed clothes and took a shower washing off my body. I smelled like him, I don’t know what happened but holy fuck. I walked out shrieking as I saw him sitting at the table. Dressed in all black

“What the fuck.”

“Brought your ass breakfast. Shit got half a mind to be late and rip all that off, you look good.”

“Thanks.” I muttered “you too.”

“My number is in your phone. I'll hit you up later.”

“How’d you get my phone unlocked.”

“Don’t worry about it beautiful, I got my ways.”

“Thanks for breakfast.”

“Welcome. I’ll hit you up later aight.”

“What exactly is your plan. If Solo thinks he can-“

“Woah woah it ain’t like that, shit they ain’t even know I came here.”

“If you got some-“

“I don’t chill your ass out.”

“Excuse-“ I was cut off as he pressed his lips to mine. “Mmm” I let out as he pulled back chuckling

“I think you like me shutting you up princess.”

“If is like that I might not complain too much.” I sighed “you know I’m friends with-“

“Yeah the sorry excuse of a Bloodline I know.”

“Hey.”

“Shit you should join the good side the winning side the real side-“

“The dark side.”

“Mhmmm.”

“I’m not in this. Shit they would freak if they knew we are crossing a line.”

“Fuck that line.”

“We shouldn’t be crossing that they are my friends, I shouldn’t be crossing that line.”

“Well we already crossed it princess, all night long.”

“Now what?”

“For your sake we don’t let anyone know we crossed it, for now.”

“Solo is gonna kill you.”

“What he don’t know won’t hurt him. I’ll see you later.” He kissed my head walking out. I watched the door shut sighing I turned hearing my phone my breath hitching as I saw the name Jey I opened the text

“We chillin after the show”

“Whose we”

Me you and Jimmy and Naomi, by the way Roman said dinner after the show Friday he misses you

He never calls

Man he only hits up when he needs something or it’s important or a holiday

lol fine

And aye be safe

What you mean

I heard lil bro an em was messing with you the other day

Nah and I always do later