#I ain't gonna do something they might be uncomfortable with of course...

[blueshykitsune-blog]

Oh wow I just realized that anyone who sees the previous post may now be wondering if they are the one I was talking about.

[aizawas-dryeye]

➭take it slower, make you lose control (satosugu)**

content: loss of virginity, anal sex, oral sex, teasing, premature ejaculation, top!gojo, bottom!geto, au of some kind idk maybe college, i imagine them being like 19-21

words: 4.2k

ko-fi

!!MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!!

jus two bros exploring sexuality

uhh also im trying to format my fics different so if this looks like dookie ass then keep it to urself MWAH

• • •

Geto wasn't entirely sure if Gojo was being serious when he proposed they sleep together, after an otherwise casual discussion of sexuality. Now, staring at the 'u comin over?' text, he remembers exactly who he's dealing with. Satoru Gojo isn't one to back down from anything he deems important enough for his time and attention. And it's clear he's invested in this. Perv...

Carding a hand through his hair, Geto sends a quick text back and makes his way to Gojo's dorm. The walk there is agonizing. It's just long enough that the anticipation-induced anxiety starts clawing at his chest, but short enough that he doesn't have time to fully prepare before he's knocking on the door. Gojo opens it with a wide, smug grin on his face that makes Geto wanna crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment.

The second Gojo opens his mouth to undoubtably say something asinine, Geto grumbles out a "Don't," and pushes into the bedroom. He earns a giggle in response before Gojo turns to splay himself over the bed, all long-limbed and far too cocky about all this.

"Sooooo..." he hums, pulling his sunshades down his nose so he can stare at the younger man with those frighteningly pretty eyes. Geto shudders to think what all he can see with those eyes, especially in this moment.

"Top or bottom?"

There's a beat of stunned silence that makes Gojo throw his head back in a fit of laughter. "Oh come on, Sugu. There's no point in gettin' shy now, right? I mean, we are about to have sex," he says, like it's the most casual thing in the world. The teasing lilt in his voice sets Geto's face ablaze, and his eyes widen so much he's surprised they don't pop right out of his skull.

"Hey now, I never actually agreed to this," Geto huffs out quickly, trying to compose himself, but the way he's awkwardly shifting his weight from foot to foot under Gojo's gaze is a dead giveaway. The latter takes a second to rake his eyes across his friend's tense body before sucking his teeth.

"You're here, aren't you?"

This is torturous. Leave it to Gojo to turn any situation into an uncomfortable nightmare for Geto. Like he lives to torment him. He doesn't even have time to think of a rebuttal before Gojo is sitting up on the edge of the bed, and beckoning him closer. Not unlike a deadly siren, he thinks, before his feet automatically obey the command.

He makes sure to keep a healthy amount of distance between them; an anxious little display that makes Gojo scoff and pull the man closer by the waistband of his uniform pants.

"Lighten up, Sugu," he purrs, now tilting his head back to look up at him. His expression shifts momentarily, a flash of sincerity across his face that calms Geto's anxiety, if only a little, before falling back into that familiar smugness. "I ain't gonna bite. Unless you want me to. Of course."

The line is so cheesy it actually makes Geto's lips quirk up in a little smile. He rolls his eyes and lets Gojo paw at him, knowing how touchy he is.

"Shut up," he mumbles before glancing around the room— the posters on the wall, the messy sheets— any and everything to avoid looking down.

His thoughts are racing. Is he even ready for this? Obviously he is, he's here and this has been plaguing his mind for months, but it's all so overwhelming and new. Geto's had sex before, sure, but not like this and certainly not with a close friend. Picking at his chipping nail polish, he musters up enough courage to look at Gojo finally. Might as well go all in.

"I think... bottom?"

Gojo grins like the Cheshire Cat and digs his fingers into Geto's hips, surprised at how giving and squishy the flesh is. In one quick motion he flips them so their positions are swapped, Gojo now bending to his knees in front of his cherry red friend.

"Say no more, Sugu!" he chirps. He absentmindedly runs his hands up and down Geto's thighs, unknowingly setting his blood on a fire trail straight to his crotch. If Gojo notices he doesn't say a thing, and Geto can't decide if that's better or worse. "You ever had anything up there? Any of your girlies try to sneak a finger or two?"

Oh god, that makes his cock twitch, just the thought of it. Geto shakes his head, eyebrows furrowing slightly. An annoying little gasp escapes him when Gojo's lithe fingers untie his harem pants.

"N-no," he breathes. "Nothing like that." The sound of Geto swallowing bounces around in Gojo's head like a sparkly little bouncy ball, gets him all excited with anticipation.

"How sweet! You wanted lil' ol' me to pop your cherry?" he giggles, makes Geto cover his face with his palms and groan. Gojo uses that opportunity to slip the waistband of his pants down. Then his boxers.

His eyes widen when Geto's cock springs up and slaps against his lower belly.

"Christ, I'm a little relieved I'm not bottoming now. Thing looks like it could level a city."

Geto's blush only spreads, even yelps when the cold dorm air hits his junk.

"Do you ever shut up?" he grumbles, peeking through his fingers down at the all-too-pleased albino.

"You already know the answer to that, Suguboo," Gojo hums, pouting his lips a little. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he leans down so his face is mere inches from Geto's dick; so close he can feel the heat of it on his lips. "But I can think of something to help keep me quiet for a bit."

Geto doesn't even have time to think before his cockhead is enveloped in the tight, wet heat of Gojo's mouth. It shocks him, makes him choke on a gasp before his thighs squeeze around Gojo's lean shoulders. It's not that different from when girls have sucked him off, but in the exact same vein, it's like a whole new world. It's got the same addictive warmth, but it's more practiced. Maybe because Gojo sucks a lot of dick, or maybe it's the simple fact that those with penises know how the organ works better than those who don't. The fact that Geto's balls tighten at the thought of his best friend choking down dick should probably concern him, but his brain is far too fuzzy to care right now.

"O-oh, fuck," is all he manages to get out before his eyes roll into his skull, and he falls back onto his elbows. He swears he feels Gojo chuckle around his dick, and however silly that is, it sends delicious vibrations down his shaft that have his hips bucking up for more.

Gojo complies easily, happily inviting the entire length into his warm, welcoming mouth. When he gags, Geto's hand flies to his white locks to pull the strands by the roots. His grip only tightens when Gojo very slowly begins to bob his head up and down— up and down and up and down— slowly building up speed when he feels the thighs around his head tremble.

"Toru... T-Toru, oh fuck."

The needy hitch in Geto's voice makes Gojo's cock fight against the fabric of his pants. He pulls off his dick with a pop and quickly replaces his mouth with his hand, the sound of lewd shlicking mixes with Geto's heavy breathing like a symphony.

Blinking up at him, Gojo catches the way sweat clings to his forehead and neck already, so gorgeously it makes him bite his lip.

"Think you're ready for my fingers?" he asks, all cheeky.

Geto swallows immediately and nods, letting out a whine that he tries to cover up by clearing his throat. It's utterly humiliating, how he's been reduced to this after some deepthroating. Not that he wants to stop, no, he wants to lean into it like a sunflower turns to the sun.

And Gojo can tell. Any Gojo Clan member worth his salt can easily decipher body language with his six eyes, and Satoru Gojo can see everything. Beneath that shaky, nervous exterior, Geto is about two seconds away from crawling the walls like a horny demon. Without any further urging on his part, Gojo reaches into his bedside table to retrieve a bottle of lube. As he warms the lube between his long fingers, he swallows Geto's cock down again, resuming the torturous pace he started with.

He starts by stroking Geto's balls with a freshly slick hand. And slowly, ghosting across his perineum to get him used to the feeling, he provides new sensations cautiously despite his own desperation. Geto stops breathing the second his index finger runs across his hole, slicking him up like a whore, if he's honest.

Then Gojo pulls away again to whisper, "Take a breath for me. Gotta loosen up," and Geto obeys like a trained dog. The stretch isn't unbearable at all, but it's new and it's a lot. It makes Geto's eyes pinch shut, tummy muscles tightening from the intrusion that seems to go on and on.

When his finger is entirely and snuggly fit in Geto's hole, Gojo gives him a grace period to adjust, kissing up and down his cock to distract him from any pain.

It seems like the millisecond Gojo feels Geto's muscles relax, he's pulling his finger back out only to drive it in deeper. He's just stroking his insides for now, making sure to push just right, before quickening the little thrusts.

"See?" Gojo says, excited grin plastered on his glossy lips. "Not so bad, huh?" He's far too adorable to be nuzzling Geto's cock, but here he is, nearly purring with every shaky breath the man above him takes.

"Haah, yeah... mm-hm," Geto whispers. He wants to say more. God, he wants to say a lot more, but he refuses to add to the already mountainous ego Gojo has, so he clamps his hands over his mouth to muffle any noises coming out.

Gojo's determined though, leaning down all inconspicuous like to suck one of his balls into his mouth, humming around it while he easily pushes in a second finger. Geto's elbows give out and he lets his back hit the mattress, sinking his teeth into his tongue to keep from crying out.

"Hmph." Gojo pulls away from his balls with a pout. He immediately reaches up and snatches Geto's hands away. "S'not fair if you hide from me. C'mon, stroke my ego a little. I don't care if you think it's embarrassing."

Geto means to roll his eyes in a bitchy way, but instead they roll back when something inside him is struck, forcing an almost pornographic moan out of him. Gojo's fingers hone in on his prostate and ram against it in quick succession, watching the cock in front of him pulse so hard it kicks up a little. Makes his mouth water so much he leans down and leaves wet, sucking kisses on the tip, like he's making out with it.

"F-fuck you..."

Gojo slows down, "Hnnn..." humming like he's really thinking about it, like he isn't dragging his tongue up and down a cock. "Think you're still too tight for that, Sugu. Wouldn't wanna hurt ya," he teases, in a playful, melodic way.

Even with his words, Gojo squeezes a third and final finger past his tight rim and continues fucking the hole. This time he doesn't give Geto a minute to get accustomed to the stretch, and it makes his whines grittier. He reaches forward and grabs a fistful of white hair again to anchor himself as Gojo brings him closer, and closer, and closer—

"N-no, no fuck. Why'd you stop?" Geto whines, chest heaving when Gojo pulls away completely, leaving him feeling uncomfortably empty. He hardly knows what's happening when he's being stripped down, the only thing keeping him sane is Gojo's low, purring voice, all deep like dark chocolate.

"Just wanna make your first time extra special 'n have you cum on this dick." He speaks right against Geto's ear, even gives the stretched lobe a little nibble. Then suddenly, Geto's being forced up and flipped around like a rag doll. "C'mere," Gojo drags him across his lap so he's straddling his naked thighs— when did he get undressed? "Heard riding is easier on virgins."

"I'm not a virgin," Geto snaps, because it's the first thing that pops into his head, and every teasing word out of Gojo's mouth feels accusatory.

Gojo quirks an eyebrow up. "Oh? You let someone else fuck you up the ass before? Careful Suguboo, I might get jealous."

"No, I— Shut up. Y'know what I meant," Geto says, trying to ignore the way his voice cracks. His cheeks are crimson now, completely at a loss for what to do next or where to put his hands. Or where to look. It certainly doesn't help that he can feel Gojo's own erection beneath him.

It's cute, how Geto's eyes dart off to the side, eyebrows all scrunched up with... embarrassment? Overwhelm? Whatever it is, it makes Gojo wanna tease him.

Geto makes a surprised sound when he grips his wrists and guides his hands to rest on his chest, before greedily kneading at his thighs. His hands absentmindedly massage the trembling muscles while snaking up to squeeze his ass just a little.

"You ready? Got you all nice 'n prepped for the real thing," he says lowly, wanting to give no indication of his impatience if he can help it. This isn't about him, after all. Geto sucks in a breath and quickly nods, and that's all Gojo needs.

He reaches a long arm down and snatches the forgotten bottle of lube from the floor and squirts a good amount on his dick, wasting absolutely no time to smush the head up against Geto's hole. It makes the raven-haired man yelp a little and lean his weight on his hands to jump away from the sensation, effectively crushing Gojo's chest.

"C-careful!"

"Hey, alright. Don't run from it, yeah? I'll be slower, m'sorry," Gojo wheezes, pouting his lips in a little apology. He grabs one of Geto's hips in one hand and gently guides him back down to get him used to the slick, blunt end of his cock. Just rubbing between his cheeks and hole, getting the lube fucking everywhere.

The sound of slick squelching is even louder now. The way the cockhead pushes against Geto's hole just enough to stretch it before pulling away is heavenly, and he finds himself grinding his hips back to feel even more. He doesn't even realize Gojo is panting along with him, eyes all glassy, until he squeezes him and curses.

"Fuck— can I? Real quick, it won't hurt. I promise," he begs, pretty lips falling into an O shape when his tip catches on Geto's hole again. It's as if the resistance in his body gives way when he dares to glance down at Gojo, greeted by glassy, crystalline eyes that beg for him. Amazingly, Geto doesn't bust right then and there, and he quickly nods his head only to choke when the first inch of dick is slipped inside.

To be fair, Gojo was right. It doesn't hurt too bad thanks to all the prepping, but it's mind numbing. So much so, Geto's thighs give out and he falls even farther onto the cock already spearing him. The two let out long, almost embarrassingly loud moans in tandem. Like their brains both shut down from the sudden intrusion.

Even though he's a bit more coherent, Gojo still can't stop the way his hips buck up on instinct, chasing more of Geto's addicting heat. It strikes something deep inside him, makes his vision white around the edges as he gasps for air.

"A-ahhh hah, god! W-wait wait wait!"

The coil in Geto's tummy snaps and his muscles contract as Gojo's cock unintentionally forces an orgasm out of him. It happens so suddenly, it's like his body goes into autopilot, unable to do anything but cry out and sink his nails into Gojo's chest to try and ground himself. The shockwaves roll through him like a tsunami, making him tremble and hiccup, unable to do anything but ride it out. He doesn't realize how much he actually came until he blinks his eyes open to find streaks of creamy white all over his friend's abdomen and chest, some even landing on his lips, mortifyingly enough.

Gojo looks positively wicked, staring up at Geto with blown, lusty eyes that almost overshadow the pride plastered all over his stupid face. "Already? Fuck— were you really that pent up?" His tone is teasing, maybe to distract from the dull pain of sensitivity that shoots through Geto. Maybe he's just a dick. Whatever the case may be, he gently helps him ride it out, offering slow, shallow thrusts and greedy hands exploring wherever they can reach.

"Oh, god. S-shut the fuck— nngh! Cocky fucking bastard..." Geto hisses, though his voice pitches up near the end. He feels his eyes roll back a little when Gojo pushes in a little deeper.

"M'allowed to be cocky, ain't I?" he asks, voice like a damn vixen as his tongue darts out to lick at the cum that lingered on his lip. "Just came all over me and you're still hard? You have no idea what you're doin' to me." As if the twitching cock in Geto's ass wasn't proof enough of how Gojo was feeling, he just likes to hear himself talk.

He grips at Geto harder and makes him grind down against his hips, laughing when he lets out a yelp from overstimulation before he relents. Even tucks his hands neatly behind his head and gives Geto a look, as if to say 'go on'.

Geto swallows, lets his heart slow to a gentle thumping in his chest and wills the heat in his cheeks to cool down. Looking down at Gojo for long is still impossible it seems, so he squeezes his eyes shut and hesitantly— very hesitantly— rocks his hips back. The pressure is immense, almost overwhelming. The feeling of Gojo's cock stretching his hole past anything he's ever felt makes him hiss.

The sensitivity of cumming still thrums through his skin but, little by little, it fades and morphs into something euphoric. The stinging stretch gives way to pleasure faster than he'd thought, and soon he's adding more force to his movements. And while it's clear the only thing Suguru Geto has ever ridden in his life is a bike, Gojo can't help but find his sloppy, uncoordinated thrusts charming. He probably should help him, at least guide him by the waist, but the way his berry-pink face is screwed in concentration is downright adorable. It doesn't even matter that his grinding does little for Gojo's own pleasure.

"That's it, that's it Sugu. Take your time."

Even though the words burn through Geto's ears, he doesn't miss the blatant crack in Gojo's voice. How his tone is breathier, even strained, as if he's fighting himself to maintain composure. Now Geto understands the pride Gojo was feeling. It swirls around in his chest, gives him a boost of confidence to move with more precision. Suguru Geto has cracked the almighty god that is The Strongest.

It takes time, but eventually Geto is able to set a steady pace, rocking himself back and forward until the pain of the stretch is gone completely and gives way to pleasure. It's still sloppy, but every other glorious thrust has Gojo's cock gliding near his prostate, not quite there.

"Hmm—! Mmm, fuck," he huffs. He looks like he's about to collapse already, all dazy-eyed and shiny with sweat. The previous orgasm took a surprising amount of energy out of him, but Geto is stubborn. It's like he's forcing his body to keep going, to keep humping his best friend like a dog because it's all he can muster. There's no way he'll be able to make himself cum like this, not after the magic Gojo pulled.

"Here, here," Gojo huffs, his hands scrambling to grab Geto's hips, his thighs. "Lemme help, baby." He tucks his hands under his bottom and lifts him, coaxes him to lay forward, and Geto goes easily. Makes himself right at home in the cozy space between Gojo's neck and shoulder.

This position punches a sob from Geto. It's so much deeper. Deep in his fucking guts, he's almost sure he feels it in the back of his throat.

"O-oh fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!" His voice is utterly wrecked now. While Geto is always soft spoken with Gojo, this is completely different. It's guttural, raw almost, his tone pitched in the prettiest whine. It makes Gojo clench his teeth, his cock throbbing with every punishing thrust he gives. There's no way he can last like this, not with the way Geto's hole pulses around his dick like it can't keep up. It's honestly a surprise he's lasted this long.

Gojo arches, head digging into his pillow and making a mess of snowy white hair, and lets out a low moan right in Geto's ear.

"Haah... B-better like this, huh? Yeah, I know it. Fuck! Fuckin' know it, baby," he pants, thrusts quickening until the bed frame slams against the wall; it's definitely annoying his neighbors. Fuck 'em anyway, they've never experienced this. Never fucked a hole this sweet and addicting. His teeth are clenched so hard his jaw aches, absolutely nothing on his mind except to keep rutting into the tight, squishy warmth wrapped around his dick.

"Fuck, fuck! Not gonna last."

Geto is too fucked out to even hear him, can only cling to Gojo and whine with drool dripping down his chin. His balls tighten, cum begging to release, and the contraction makes him tighten around Gojo's hardness. It presses the cockhead right against his sweet spot and he sinks his nails into his shoulders. A coil deep in his stomach gives and then snaps, forcing him to gasp, eyes wide and blank as he paints his and Gojo's chest with cum again.

The second orgasm is near torturous, it pushes its way through his nervous system like an electrical wire, making him twitch and moan.

"O-oh fuck, fuck! Cumming! Fuck, cum— mm!" The words are forced out of him before his jaw tightens and he can only whine and growl as he mindlessly humps Gojo's cock to ride it out.

It's all enough. It's all so good. The way Geto cries, the way his ass pulses around his cock like a cunt, just everything. Gojo swears it makes him go blind when he finally cums. His grip on Geto's ass tightens just as his balls draw up as he cums, filling the sweet hole like he's trying to claim it. A thrum of jujutsu fills the air before the lights in his dorm shatter, scattering glass across the floor and bed.

Neither man is conscious enough to care or even notice— though Gojo's infinity switches on out of reflex, shielding them both from the shards— as they work each other through their own orgasms. It's euphoric. Almost magically romantic, but neither would ever admit to that.

Slowly, their bodies relax into one another. Geto still trembles above Gojo, but that's to be expected. The latter on the other hand works on catching his breath, suddenly uncomfortably aware of the sweat dripping down his face, neck, balls. He reaches up and cards a hand through Geto's messy hair, pulling spit-covered strands from his red face. A pleasant chuckle leaves his lips when he glances down at his friend.

"You with me?" he asks, all but coos at Geto, like he was the most precious thing. He musters a nod and his eyelids blink heavily.

"Intense, huh? The first time always is," Gojo says, making sure to keep his voice soft. He shuffles a little and gently lifts Geto so his softening cock slips out. He makes a sound of discomfort that Gojo shushes before he's nuzzling back into his neck.

He pulls the plush blanket over the two of them and makes sure they're both tucked in tight. It's silent for a few minutes as he lets Geto come back to reality and really bask in his newfound experience. He's almost nervous Geto is overthinking or even regretting this before he mumbles something into his neck.

"Hm?"

Geto moves a little and clears his throat. "Said thank you," he says, voice all hoarse and dreamy. Gojo smiles and plants a kiss on his head. Granted all that took place, the kiss wasn't surprising, but it still makes Geto's stomach flutter.

"Of course Suguboo!" Gojo says, his cheery tone mixing with the exhaustion overtaking him. "And I so wouldn't mind doing this again, you know?"

Geto snorts and pokes him in the rib.

"Perv." His voice is sarcastic, but a small part of himself cringes because the thought of doing this again with Gojo fills him with heart pounding excitement. He shouldn't be this ready to possibly become fuck buddies with his best friend— maybe more— and that realization shocks him. Fuck, they really need to talk about this, but for now, Geto hums and snuggles closer to Gojo, basking in his body heat, and lets the soothing feeling of him playing with his hair lull him to sleep.

[your-divine-ribs]

The Christmas Wish Part 4

Words: 2.8k

I intended to also add Van’s POV to this but I wanted to get something posted this weekend so that’ll be next part. Sorry if it’s naff! Hopefully some cute moments coming up in the next part 🤍

The Christmas Wish Masterlist Main Masterlist

🤍 Sacha's POV 🤍

I'm still partially in shock as we all make our way down the corridor and push through the outer school door. I'd been dreading seeing Grace's dad, I was totally expecting the worst from him and I truly thought I'd be desperate to get away after an uncomfortable and awkward meeting. Instead here I am, watching his kids practically dragging him across the car park, excited chatter filling the chilly winter air of Christmas trees and tinsel and fairy lights.

"Are you really sure you don't mind me tagging along?" I say as Van comes to a stop in front of a flashy looking red sports car, fumbling in his jacket pocket for the keys. "I can always pick up the stuff I need for the Christmas wreaths on my way in tomorrow, it's not a problem."

I can't help but feel like I'm intruding on a precious family moment, but Van won't hear any of it. "Why put yourself out when we're heading there right now? We'd love you to come with us wouldn't we kids?"

Cries of "yeah course we do Miss!" and "you gotta help us choose a tree!" burst from the two children and I can't help but grin from ear to ear, buoyed by their obvious excitement.

He opens up the passenger door and shunts the seat forward, urging the kids to clamber into the back. "C'mon you pair, you're gonna have to both get in the back. We can't expect Miss Wilson to squeeze herself in there can we?"

"Err... it's Sacha," I remind him. "We're not in school now. And I don't mind sitting in the back. Not at all."

Even as I'm saying the words I'm filled with doubts as to how I'll be able to manoeuvre myself into the car gracefully without flashing too much leg. It's so low to the ground the suspension's practically scraping the tarmac, the back seat a cramped-looking space that I'd likely have to contort my body into. It's definitely not a practical family vehicle but I suppose what should I expect from a rock-star, even one with children?

"No way, you're up front with me," Van smiles and I feel a little twinge of excitement radiate through me which I try to ignore, turning my attention quickly back to the car.

"It's a really nice car, very fancy!" I enthuse, letting my eyes trail over the sleek contours, the garish fire engine red paintwork standing out starkly amongst the drab coloured family saloons parked on either side.

Van lets his hand trail proudly over the soft-top, almost petting it. "Just picked it up last week, bloody gorgeous ain't it? Bit of a tight squeeze for four though. Wasn't really thinking about the practicalities when I bought it."

"Can we have the top down Daddy?" I hear a little voice come from inside.

"Not in the middle of December, we'll freeze!" Van laughs, sliding the seat forward and ushering me into the passenger seat. I slide into the leather seat self-consciously, holding my skirt tight to my thighs. Van waits until I'm settled before he shuts the door.

I've never been in a car like this before in my life. It's a far cry from my trusty little Fiat 500 that I trundle to school and back in every day. I glance around at the impressive interior, wondering what something like this might cost.

"Can't wait for the summer," Van says as he takes his seat behind the wheel. "Cruising along with the top down, tunes blaring out, the wind in my hair..."

"You'll just be moaning about messing up your hair the whole time!" Grace giggles from the back and I laugh as I see Van sticking out his tongue at his daughter in the rearview mirror.

"Well? It's good hair!" He smirks, making a show of running his hand through it.

"Grandma keeps saying when ya gonna get it cut?" Leo pipes up and Van is quick to reply that Grandma knows nothing about style.

I can't stop grinning hearing Van's easy banter with the kids and I'm beginning to see where Grace gets her outgoing, cheeky nature from. I fasten my seatbelt just as I hear Van firing up the engine which roars into life with a throaty growl.

"Just listen to that," Van murmurs as he revs the accelerator a few times, the delight on his face evident. "Goes 0-60 in about 4 seconds!"

I raise my eyebrows and nod my head, trying to look impressed even though the thought of travelling so fast so quickly frankly terrifies me.

"Can we go fast today... please!" Grace cries. "You're always on about how quick it goes but then you never show us. You always drive so slow-ly."

She drags out the word for effect and Leo makes loud vrooming noises. Van starts to inch the car forward.

"I told you before, I'm not driving fast with you two in the car... precious cargo ain't ya?"

There's booing and grumbling from the back and I turn my head towards Van, surreptitiously sneaking a glance at his handsome profile as he's concentrating on navigating out of the tight parking space.

"I swear if I scratch this paintwork..."

"Mummy says Daddy bought this car 'cause he's having a mid-life crisis...whatever that is!" Grace suddenly announces and I have to bite down hard on my bottom lip to stifle the laugh that nearly bursts free.

Van doesn't look quite so amused, his face scrunching in embarrassment which morphs into an awkward grin as his eyes flick quickly across to me. "Yeah well... mummy says a lot of things," he murmurs, then he drops his voice even lower. "Is Gracie like this in class too?"

"Oh yes," I grin, also talking in hushed tones even though the children clearly aren't listening, chattering away to each other in the back. "If Grace has something to say then she'll just come right out with it, she doesn't hold back."

"Have no idea where she gets it from!" Van chuckles, then he's pulling out of the car park, the momentum of the acceleration of the car pushing me back in my seat even though we're not even travelling that quickly. I'm not into cars at all but even I can't deny there's something kind of hot about the thought of all that power thrumming underneath the bonnet.

Van asks for directions to Harvey's and I start to tell him before we're interrupted by the raised voices of the kids squabbling in the back. I twist around in my seat to see what the altercation is.

"I get to pick this time," Grace demands, pouting sulkily at her brother. "You had your go this morning."

"But it only takes five minutes to get to school. That's only enough time for one song!"

Grace is resolute. "I don't care, those are the rules! You'll only go and put something rubbish on anyway. We don't wanna listen to 'baby shark' again!"

"Ughh had that stuck in my head all morning," Van grumbles, then he reaches into his inside jacket pocket to produce a phone which he holds out to me. "Here ya are, pass that to Gracie will ya? We take it in turns to take control of the music on car trips... unless you want a turn Sacha? Seems only fair you being an honorary guest an' all?"

God, why does the sound of him simply saying my name make me feel all warm and gooey inside?

I take the phone from him, feeling far too shy to reveal my basic music tastes. "Oh no, I'll pass thanks. We don't want Grace to miss her turn do we?"

Grace smiles victoriously and thanks me as she leans forward to take her dad's phone, immediately jabbing at the screen.

"Should be already connected," Van calls to her. "And pick something decent to put on... especially seeing as we've got company."

"I'm on your Spotify account, so you're bound to like it," she replies, and I glance at Van just in time to see that awkward little smile surface again.

"I've got a really wide range of music tastes nowadays. Touring and meeting other musicians really opens up your ears to new stuff. There's all sorts on there. You never know what you might find."

"Any guilty pleasures?" I tease, intrigued as I hear Grace giggling from behind me.

"Me? Nah... I'm not remotely guilty about any of the stuff I listen to..."

And then, as if on some perfectly timed cue, the tinkling opening bars of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas begin to blare out from the car's speakers. Van's jaw practically unhinges and the giggles I've been suppressing since we first got into the car finally burst free.

"I never would've had you pegged as a Mariah fan!" I laugh as Van splutters, clearly embarrassed.

"I'm not, I swear! She must've clicked on some generic Christmas playlist."

"But Daddy... it's your Christmas playlist," Grace is quick to pipe up. "You picked all these songs yourself. Remember?"

"I swear, every shred of dignity goes out of the window when you have kids," Van mutters, but he's laughing, little creases forming around the corners of his eyes, an adorable tinge of pink lighting up his cheeks. "And you can't have Christmas without Mariah can you?"

"Definitely not!" I laugh along with him, before I'm trying to maintain a mock serious tone. "I mean, I'm not a fan at all but I'd be very disappointed if this particular song wasn't on your hand-picked Christmas playlist."

"Phew... am I off the hook then?" He flashes me a toothy grin, but before I get a chance to answer, two little voices sound out in perfect harmony.

"I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know... make my wish come truuu-uuueee..."

"It's your bit next Daddy!" Cries Leo.

Oh... this just gets better and better. I look across at Van again whose cheeks are getting pinker by the second as he shakes his head. "Err... not now Leo."

"So you can hit Mariah's high notes then can you?" I tease, throughly enjoying watching him squirm.

"You should hear him Miss, he screeches sooooo loud," Grace cuts in and I glance back to see her covering her hands with her ears whilst she winces dramatically.

"Hey... less of the screeching," Van interjects. "I've got the voice of an angel, I'll have you know!"

"Well if it's that good then I think I need to hear it," I say, as both children erupt into chants of "sing Daddy sing!"

"My throat's actually a little sore right now, think I might be coming down with a cold." Van finishes off his sentence with a weak cough and it's quite obvious that he's faking it, but it's also quite obvious that his children aren't backing down from their pleas.

"No you've not... liar!"

"Yeah that's rubbish! And we always sing this song together!"

"Sing Daddy... please!"

"God, they're more demanding than the fans," Van groans but I can see his resolve is being ground down. What I'm not banking on though is his next line as he comes to a stop at a traffic light and looks across at me with a mischievous smirk. "But if I am gonna sing I think it's only fair that Sacha sings too... we're all in this together."

Now it's my turn for my jaw to fall slack, my eyes widening as I protest.

"Oh no I can't... I can't sing at all... I'm tone deaf..."

"No you're not Miss!" Grace blurts out excitedly. "You always sing so prettily in class... and you lead the school choir don't you? You're a good singer!"

I'm visibly cringing much to Van's amusement, the biggest shit-eating grin stretching wide on his lips. "Ahh... it's all coming out now! Look... we're not gonna get them to shut up if we don't do this. We'll never hear the end of it."

"Oh my god I can't believe I'm actually doing this," I mumble, my whole face in flames as I raise up my hands to my cheeks.

Mariah's still warbling away shrilly on the car stereo, and I figure I might not even see Grace's dad again after this so I take a deep breath, looking straight ahead out the car windscreen so I don't have to look directly at him as I start to sing.

"Oh, I don't want a lot for Christmas, this is all I'm asking for..."

And to my horror the whole car falls silent to listen to me.

"But you didn't even join in!" I gasp in surprise, but my words are cut short as Van starts to sing.

"Oh, I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know. Make my wish come truuuu...uuuee..."

His voice is the perfect mixture of smooth with a throaty rasp that makes me suck in a breath, and he scrunches his eyes shut briefly as he rises up to hit the high note. I'm staring with my mouth agape, I can't help it, and then our eyes meet as he looks right at me to sing the next line.

"Oh, baby, all I want for Christmas is youuuuu."

"Youuuuu, ba-by..." Chime in the kids, loud giggles emanating from the back seat that thankfully snap me out of my trance.

Van's smiling widely at me, his face all lit up from within and his eyes sparkling with a youthful exuberance and an errant thought flashes through my head...

Shit... I'm in trouble... I like this guy... I REALLY like him...

But as soon as the thought pops up then it's gone. I'm swept up in the moment, singing along with everyone, hamming it up as we all mimic Mariah's signature high-pitched vocals as the song plays out. I'm having so much fun I completely forget where we are for a moment, and the actual purpose of me being here with Grace and her family. Too late, I see the turning for Harvey's shoot past in a blur out the passenger window.

"Ahhh... you just missed the turning... sorry I got completely distracted," I say, quickly giving Van directions as he indicates for the upcoming roundabout.

"No problem," he replies, navigating the roundabout to bring us quickly to our destination.

"Here we are kids!" He announces as he pulls into a free parking space. "All ready to get this tree then?"

"Can we get a real one rather than a fake one?" Grace calls hopefully. "That's what Alex bought mummy last week. It's huge!"

Van's cheerful demeanour disintegrates instantly at the mention of the name which is unfamiliar to me, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that Alex is likely his ex-wife's new boyfriend. He's obviously still wounded and far from over the breakdown of his marriage and I should be filled with sympathy but instead I feel an unexpected rush of completely misplaced jealousy that I really have no business feeling.

"There's loads of trees here to choose from," I say purposefully brightly, tearing my eyes away from Van to address the kids. "Ellie bought a six foot Norwegian pine here just last week. It looks gorgeous in her living room all decorated up."

"Six foot?" Echoes Leo. "Is that as tall as you Daddy?"

"Uh-huh," Van says as he powers off the ignition, turning around in his seat to face the children. "So how big's this tree of mummy's then kids? Is it as tall as me d'ya think?"

Leo shrugs whilst Grace looks thoughtful. "I dunno... Mummy couldn't reach up to put the star on the top though so Alex had to pick her up to do it... just like you used to do..."

The kids likely don't notice the shadow that flits across Van's features but I notice it, a ripple of emotion on the surface that he admirably recovers rather flawlessly from. He plasters on a smile full of enthusiasm as he leans on the headrest, telling his excited children that the tree they're going to get will be much bigger and better than their mum's, and how they'll take it home with them to decorate up that very evening.

"Umm... Van... errr... sorry to interrupt," I venture cautiously.

I don’t want to ruin the moment, I really don’t, but my practical primary school teacher's brain tends to assess scenarios very quickly, pinpointing and zooming in on probable complications. I wonder if Van's even considered how he's going to fit a majestic seven foot pine into his tiny little sports car to transport it home.

“Yeah?” He whips his head around to face me, eyes bright and eager.

“There might be… ummm …. a little problem... you know... with the logistics of getting a tree that size home in this car. Not sure if you've thought about that."

But it appears that Van already has, a huge grin stretching wide on his face as he reaches forward to pluck his phone from his daughter's hands. "'Course I've already thought of that... that's where Larry comes in!"

[dragonholler]

Field Notes II

I have been slogging through marshlands for the last three days, and I still have a week of travel before I reach Marquet. This is what I get for deciding to take the back road instead of taking the lane like a normal traveler. I was so excited about the nature and the mud and the funny trees that grow out in the wetlands, I completely forgot about the nhipids.

Generally speaking, I don't mind bugs. I'm out traveling a good chunk of the time, and you don't pick a career that requires sleeping rough if you have a severe aversion to things with more than two legs.

But the nhipids, Dys alive! I swear, if I find one more of these little bastards in my boot I am going to launch the damn thing into the nearest bog. Not even intentionally, it will just happen the second my heel connects with all those teeth. Frankly, it's a feat of restraint and patience on my part that I haven't squished one already.

But that's the thing with nhipids. They're colony creatures- you squish one, you make an enemy of them all. Which is incredibly inconvenient when they're the size of a button and composed mostly of teeth. I spent fully half a bell coaxing one out of the sleeve of my jacket yesterday morning. Miserable.

When I get back to civilization I am buying a puff net and billing it to Al, that'll do it. I don't care if I have to drape it over me like one of those shrouds those buckwild courtiers use to hide their faces while they eat endangered birds, if it will keep these things out of my hair while I sleep it will be worth it.

On the positive side, I lost whatever tail the shitwizard put on me about a half-league out of Hamitsdown. Wuss. I'm not surprised. Darnas doesn't seem the type to work long-distance, and honestly I don't think anyone working for him is paid highly enough to get knee deep in. . . whatever I've been kicking through these days.

As mucky and bug-filled as it may be, I'll still arrive at Marquet's farm in plenty of time to do some real kicking around for a few days. Get the lay of the land, maybe try some mushrooms. Provided they are a) safe for consumption and b) he doesn't see me eat anything that usually ain't. I've never had a blue tri-cap, I wonder what one of those would do to me. The red ones just make my eyesight go double for like an hour.

I haven't decided what I want to focus on for this interview. I'm interested in Marquet's whole mushroom raising thing, for sure, but where am I going with it, you know? Probably what he's growing and why it would be worth poking at, maybe something in there about his farm hands, how he got started, how his goals for long-term, etcetera. I will think on this as I hike- we're uphill and sticky today.

Dysthet, I hope Al never sees this. He hates my "unedited shitstack". Or, as I like to call it, my notebook.

Okay, so, as I sit here huddled in my insufficiently warm packnest (I had to add on padding to stop shivering- haven't pulled that trick in a bell or two) at ass-o'clock in the morning, once again attempting to will a hot beverage to appear in my hand (still can't light fires with mind, still trying), I have been struck with the uncomfortable knowledge that I. . . don't actually like how close to Desire's tower I am going to have to pass today.

It's not as bad as it could have been- she's closer to the main road than she is to this swamp by a couple of leagues, but I still hate it.

I did the calculations, and I should, theoretically, be out of her range by an acceptable margin. This is, or course, entirely dependent on her being in her tower while I pass (it's gonna take me at least the entire afternoon and a chunk of the evening), and banking on her not having extended her field too dramatically. Which, to be honest, would be a waste of energy, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't do it. She could easily give herself a boost by attaching some intention to one of her beasties, and if one of them gets close enough I'll. . . well, I might still be fine.

It's not like she'd recognize me, physically anyway. But I don't know how much of me Murdoch gave her, what she might of done with it, how attuned she is, or how interested their whole crew still is in me, or if they still have Sana on my ass about it- there are a lot of things I don't know, and I can feel myself spiraling about it. 

But this is why I travel light. I'll put on some muscle and start hauling ass, maybe I can get by before dusk falls.

One million cenz for me! We dropped down the last rise of the mountain and around Desire's wood in record time, and we’re nearly back into the marshes. I might even be abl-

.

.

.

Okay, I definitely jumped the lede on that one. I just spent a disgustingly sweat-inducing three bells stuck up this tree while one of Desire's hounds took a nap not eight yards below me. The poor thing was half-baked and already rotting, she must have been running it hard for ages already. It was breathing so heavily, it must have lost half its ability to scent- it didn't so much as glance up my tree, which was a relief, sure, but doesn't speak well of Desire's care and keeping habits. Not that they were ever that good. I could have gone the rest of my life without being reminded of that smell.

It should be far enough gone now. I'm going to put a few more leagues behind me before I stop for the night, I think.

While this little jaunt may have been a closer call than I am comfortable with, the important part is that we're through it. Which I will continue to tell myself until I stop sweating.

I'm right around the ridge from Marquet's border, and I've spent long enough slogging through swamps and keeping off any path, trail, or otherwise way-marking route that I'm confident I'd have lost anything that might have been following me, just in case. It's poor form to bring trouble to interview subjects, and I'm not planning on starting today.

Afterwards I won't need to be anywhere with any hurry, so I think I'll take the long way back to Hamitsdown. Any distance I can keep between me and one of Murdoch's, the better.

EC

[golbrocklovely]

Katrina still hanging out with Stas is kinda weird considering the shit she pulled out with Colby. I know that it doesn’t really involve e Kat that’s why she might take it as “if it didn’t involve me, it doesn’t need to concern me”. But at the same time it is weird that she still invite and hangs out with someone that did hurt someone who she loves (not romantically) and who is very Very close to her (not including her family ofc, but After Sam , Colby is probably the closest friend to her). Idk, I would feel uncomfortable to hang out with someone who tried to take advantage of my other very close friend and it doesn’t matter if Stas had or had not crush on Colby. If Colby was uncomfortable with all that stuff she was doing , liking posts and acting as she is trying “indirectly” imply smth about them dating, even if they didn’t and Colby was very uncomfortable with it.. she shouldn’t have done it. And to me … more than a “crush” it was taking advantage of Colby popularity and wanting to have his “fans” on her side so she’ll be more popular too.

But i feel like the reason why Kat doesn’t drop her off is because she kinda feels lonely. Other than sam and colby she doesn’t have anyone close to her. Her family is in the other country and Snc are often traveling, not always with her. She was let down by many people who claimed to be her friends in her life and i do think that she doesn’t want to feel alone when nobody is there Around.

just gonna give the general disclaimer that i always give with asks like this: we obviously don't know the full story, there's probably a lot we don't know happened so it's a bit hard to judge everything without knowing the full context.

but as for what you did say, knowing all i just said above, idk. might be a bit of an unpopular opinion (so let's hope i don't get hate for this) but i don't really see kat and colby being besties with one another. at times it feels as if she just… tolerates him bc that's sam's best friend and he ain't going anywhere any time soon. i think they both like each other, but i do see kat liking stas more to some extent just bc they are friends.

that being said, with all of the shit that happened between stas and colby, it kinda feels like old news at this point. colby doesn't seem to have an issue with her anymore, and while i'm not gonna start liking her bc of it, i'm kinda just over all of it at this point. sure, none of it was fun to go thru and all of that drama was exhausting. but at this point, 9 times out of 10 anything stas does (that could be related to her causing drama/starting rumors) just goes under the radar bc no one cares anymore. some do, of course, but a majority of even her fans don't seem to give a shit whether or not she had/has a crush on colby.

for her own sake, she should have moved on by this point. and i think for the most part she has.

and as for kat's involvement in all of this, i think she knew stas liked colby and tried to help her out. but it didn't work. plus i think at some point stas did something to piss kat off which is why they all avoided her for a time being. but they're all on good terms so… it is what it is.

and as for what you said in your last paragraph, yeah. she's not really able to keep friends around too often (for whatever reason i'm not sure) and bc of that i think she clings to the ones she has, which is understandable to a point. but again, if they're all okay with one another, cool.

[officeobject]

Poll drama: My response to the teenage boy poll about them scaring me

Okay, so like, besides the platonic horn horn answers, in which case, get your hormones checked, but also, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, and OH MY GOD, and NO WAY, YOU ACTUALLY FEL THAT TOO AND YOU FEEL IT TOWARDS ME - like besides that (in which case, I ain't stopping you from texting me if you want to, even if I could), I got some new results:

I wanna say to all those who still choose that they wouldn't talk to me: GOOD.

Those who do not wanna bring fear into my life - well, that's very nice of you ... UNFORTUNELTY MY FECKING GHOST COULDN'T BE THE SAME -

For those who would do something else to scare me: ... now I'm concerned -

For those who choose to only scare me on Halloween: Fair enough, see ya on Halloween!

And yeah I saved my reaction to the last one, which is: ... you could just text me - like, yeah, you may represent fear and pain and whatnot, but I'll still in the end judge you for the person you are, so like, don't worry, you could just talk to me - I WILL be scared, it'll be fine, I can get UNSCARED, etc.

And those are my reactions :) ! They're probably not gonna see it :( ...

Also I find it - like, not sure if I'm the only one - but I find it kinda weird how I, like, get questioned about if I'm not making someone uncomfortable who is 30, alright? And also I'm getting hoped to be a teenager due to how I talk about them, alright? But like, I'm not getting questioned when I'm being nice or making weird polls like https://www.tumblr.com/officeobject/766244580147478528/anniversary-of-character-my-squish-is-exactly-like?source=share (the one this is about), and also, the same person sees my relationship with Colby as perfectly fine - like, it's not fine for me to watch a 30 year old and vent about it, but I'm allowed to ask teenage boys if they'd do the platonic equivalent of flirting with me, and I'm allowed to just let my ghost cuddle me and watch me poop - like, don't get me wrong, I think I'm creepier than anyone else thinks me to be, justified or not, but like, am I wrong and tired, or should it not be considered more weird how I talk about Colby and the fact that I'm cuddling with him, a teenage ghost of a real teenager, IN MY BED - but like somehow, nah, it's weirder that me, who is a kid compared to a 30 year old, watches them like an admiring kid - like, I just don't know the standards, and I'd expect at least ONCE to defend my relationship with Colby, but like, I guess not - like, it's just somehow not weird to people that I can at least TRY to stop him, but I just ... don't - like do you get what I mean?

Like, okay, I'm not allowed to be childish and stuff about some 30 year old (who CAN see me and watches me back by the way), but I can be weird about teenage boys? To be honest, for all people know, I could literally be a teenager, and the number 1 age-guess for me, is "16", according to my age-guess poll, but like, still - but like, yeah, sure, I'd scare a teenager away for free if they want me to, with my overly personal questions, weird ways of phrasing things, and - well basically how I treat Colby, and I GUESS that was kind of the point of the poll - I don't know, I was just in the mood of watching platonic simping, unintentional or not, and of course, making fun of Colby and stuff.

Now I WILL respond to an ask I got, in FULL, but my unofficial lawyer for non-governmental purposes, has to come back with like a response template or something, because I'm so bad at socializing and defending myself, and man, I'd accuse myself of anything or doubt myself or whatever - but yeah, over all, I am NOT being a creep - well towards that 30 year old anyway, I don't trust myself with that ghost (then again, I might be paranoid), and like, my 30 year old stares back - we just stare at each other, might do the platonic equivalent of flirting, stuff like that.

Gotta go, but like, my point is: talk to me if you want to, and also I'm being haunted, and also, I'm weird.

[frick-it-sugar-spice]

irl (blogposter)/i have been playing around with trying makeup as a not quite but weekly to almost daily thing for maybe a little over a year and a half? with mixed results in terms of like how I feel about it and skill

pretty safe to say I am all on board with eye makeup. eyeliner has never been much of a bother, except when I stab my eye on accident, and it's been used through lots of phases of life. colorful additions like eyeshadow and glitter are newer. I like the glitter bit. Highligher kinda stuff. Still pretty subtle with it in comparison to what I wanna try. Lotta gold and copper put on real light, little bit of silver now n then. Sometimes a bit if blue or green or pink.

Lip stuff is a big no. Chapstick and chapstick only.

Nail stuff has been hit or miss for like over a decade. Black is usually fine. Really BRIGHT Colours if the mood is right but it can still set off some uncomfortable racing thoughts. And it can only be finger nails or I have near instant and crushing bad feels which is loke weird but makes sense with how self expression evolved from hiding painted nails under socks to accepting it blahblahblah

And a little bit of.... I guess polling or a census might be a term? Researching? Ctrl+F-ing the past? Of past feels and thoughts before trying something new to make sure I have a good idea of how it's gonna feel

Anyway long story short I'm learning how to do the lil wing swipe with eyeliner and did a good job today and did a bunch a lil hearts under my eyes because 'course I did I was feelin a certain kinda vibe

Lmao sib called me evil gay (affectionate, was supposed to be "emo gay" but fumbled. A good laugh was had) i mean it ain't a wrong assumption that was kinda the vibe. Not entirely but I didn't feel like finding the right colours and wanted to try a specific brand thing anyway

[guilty-pleasures-and-dead-doves]

Arknights [Free Wolf, She-Wolf]

Chapters post

Chapter 5: Sex and Legacy

[Chapter 6] To have and to hold

After everyone finished eating the breakfast Croissant provided, the Emperor stood up in his chair.

"Aight, time to talk strategy for bagging Bison the bachelor. Texas, didja have a plan of attack?"

Texas tried to not let her discomfort show. "Have you ever asked me to handle contract negotiations?"

"Not your best strength," he agreed kindly. "But hey; you got the right idea. Sora?"

The idol fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "I've always been happy when you, Yith, and Croissant helped with my contract negotiations."

"Welcome," he replied magnanimously. "So, you two want me to lead you to victory?"

Texas and Sora looked at each other to gauge the other's opinion. Neither felt entirely comfortable handing over their agency in this particular matter, but neither felt confident handling it themselves. If nothing else, listening to the Emperor's plan might give them some ideas.

They nodded to their benefactor.

"Aight then: To war." He held up his pocket-terminal and keyed in a call. "Yith, deliver the message."

The Emperor hung up faster than the girls could ask, "What message?"

Their boss projected calm surety. "I sent Bison an invitation for a casual meeting with us here, in our home turf, tomorrow. He's gonna think it's a new development in our cooperation to set up the new trade-route with Nuova Volsinii."

He managed to smirk without lips. "Of course, it's actually a trap."

"Wait!" Exusiai said in delight, rocking back and forth in her backwards chair. "We're actually just going to kidnap him after all?"

The Emperor squawked a laugh. "I wish! That would have been a lot of fun. But for this, we're not playing pranks. We're playing for keeps.

"Texas don't need anyone's help to grab Bison. She could punch his V-Card before he knows what hit him."

He paused to let the girls giggle. Texas hid her face behind her hands, but allowed herself a secret, microscopic, nervous smile.

"Nah, the trick is keeping Bison. Which Eurill and the Lungmen Guard Department would have some opinions about. Even the rat and Wei would step in for such a foul play.

"Texas and Sora need to grab Bison so's that he wants to stay kept. Even if it means standing against his old man. Convincing him to do that is gonna be easier if we can get him away from Eurill and their butler, first."

In the adjacent kitchen, Croissant looked up from the dirty dishes and asked, "Might'n't they suspect us?"

The Emperor snorted in annoyance. "I cain't tell you if Eurill suspects something like this or hopes for it. One way or the other, he didn't nix any of the previous meetings, and we didn't jump his kid before. Unless Texas told him about this idea before any of you, he's not gonna know anything's changed."

"An' iffin the butler follows him this time?" Croissant asked, having put the last of the dishes in the washing machine.

The Emperor waved dismissively. "If Yith cain't distract him, worst case is we wait to spring the trap another day."

Exusiai rocked her backwards-facing chair again. "Okay, so what kind of trap is it?"

The Emperor didn't answer right away, and the girls watched his nonchalance crack in the way he crossed his flippers over his chest and turned ever-so-slightly away.

"Aight. Down to brass tacks." He didn't relax, but he at least straightened up.

"But I cain't sugarcoat it. This ain't gonna be polite or pretty." He looked around the table at all of them. "Any of you can leave at any time, but if you" — he looked pointedly at Texas and Sora — "leave every time you get uncomfortable, you're getting nowhere. Ya dig me?"

They nodded again.

Croissant spoke up, "Iffin it comes to that, Exusiai an' I can step out instead, if it'll help."

Exusiai nodded.

"Sure," the Emperor said, "But if you're smart, you're gonna stay. I'm gonna be dropping pearls of wisdom, and best to snatch 'em up now."

No one left. Croissant took her seat at the table.

"Aight. Lemme start by ripping off the bandage that hurts the worst. Croissant, Exusiai, listen up.

"Texas, you're a Christmas Cake, and Sora ain't far behind. Your best time to marry was yesterday and your second best time is ASAP."

All of them flinched to some degree. Croissant opened her mouth, but he waved her to silence and continued.

"If Bison don't want to marry soon, he can wait at least another 10 years. By then you're in your thirties or worse, and he's looking for younger women. He's got all the leverage there, and you've got none. So this is only gonna work if you can make him hot to get married right now."

He waited a moment for that to sink in, and then somehow smiled grimly. "Good news: This is the easy part.

"You're in that sweet spot of still being young but also older than Bison. You've got that 'older sister-figure' or 'upperclassman' appeal. Different blokes have different strokes, but most boys Bison's age lose their minds when older girls like you show them any interest."

The Emperor watched Texas silently relax at this.

Sora saw an opportunity to offer potentially useful information: "I think he had a crush on Mostima."

Exusiai whipped around to stare at her, shocked.

The Emperor nodded his head and then shook his head. "A little 'yes', a lot 'no'. Big difference between wanting to bone someone and wanting to 'be' someone. Bison wanted to prove himself as a transporter who could go anywhere, and Mostima had already been everywhere. He did find her attractive, but trust me, he was thinking 'role-model' more than 'wife-material'."

Exusiai found herself nodding to that, and settled down.

The Emperor pressed on. "Y'all didn't make the same impression on him, but he still does think you're role-models, too.

"Pay attention, because this'll be on the test: The same man can look up to you and want to go down on you, but no man can do both at the same time. A man's got to cage the beast to remain professional.

"That's why sexual interest from an 'older sister' hits boys so hard. They get trapped between deference and desire. Got no idea how to handle it.

"You can totally abuse this. If you two want your boytoy to touch you as little as possible, while you just use him for his money, make sure to keep him stuck in 'deference' for the rest of your lives together. Keep him timid enough and he might never dare try a divorce."

Texas and Sora started protesting, but he raised his flippers and wagged the tips up and down in a calming gesture. He then hopped down from his chair to the floor, and waddled over to the windowed wall overlooking the city. There, he could fully disassociate and pretend he was talking to the air, or perhaps his own reflection.

"If you do want Bison to give you everything he's got, at some point you've got to hand him the reigns and let him take over. Invite the beast out of the cage."

He threw both flippers up in a gesture of surrender, wavering them towards his ears like he was prepared to block out their voices at any moment. "Now, however much either of you want to bang Bison is none of my business. I don't need to know, and I don't wanna know.

"But I'm telling you that if you want the best shot at winning, you had better promise him all of the sex. Keep the promise or not, right now he needs to think that you will give him as much as he wants, in whatever way he wants, whenever he wants it.

"Remember, you need to convince him to rush into this. Overwhelming sex appeal is not only your surest method to do that, it's also exactly what you have to expect your competition to offer.

"And you two cain't think that offering a two-for-one deal will be enough." He waved a flipper at the city outside the windows. "For all we know, there's some gal out there willing to let Bison sleep with any number of other women, as long as she gets to be the first and only wife."

He waited a bit, but heard nothing but chairs creaking.

"Is that it?" Sora asked, unhappily.

====

Chapter 7: To love and to cherish

[azlrse]

Is This Jealousy? (Various FNAF:SB Animatronics x GN Animatronic!Reader hcs)

CW: jealousy themes, possessiveness (not in a yandere way) and so much fluff.

A/N: I've been posting so much CRK fics that I almost forgot that I also write for Security Breach. I hope this my compensation for my FNAF readers out there!

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Glamrock Freddy 🎤

Congrats! You finally established a relationship with the lovable bear and mascot of the Pizzaplex! Now, the relationship was really sweet and this animatronic bear fell for you even deeper when he becomes your boyfriend.

But here's the catch, Freddy wasn't the kind of guy to be overly possessive towards you but becomes sad and extra clingy when he felt this really weird feeling he felt whenever you payed attention more to the children or towards his friends.

Not gonna lie, he loves his friends! Hell, they're the reason why the both of you got together in the first place after months of waiting for the both of you to confess to each other.

For the sake of his friendship and of course for you, he "tries" to suppress this lingering feeling he felt.

Did I mention that he's really clingy whenever he felt jelly? Yupp, he would hug you out of nowhere and gives you so many kisses. He also gives out words that could make your hearts swoon over him. This makes you weird out at first but really loved to be spoiled by him.

But when his feelings of jealousy got the best of him, he tries to avoid you. The feelings of insecurities haunts him, making him think that you might leave him for a better lover.

"Starlight, do you think you could have a better lover than me?"

"Of course not, Freddy love. Is something the matter? You've been avoiding me for days and whenever I tried to talk to you, you just went somewhere else."

Your boyfriend explains that he felt feelings of anxiousness, sadness and a bit of anger when he saw you talking to anyone else other than him. Then, it hits you like a ton of bricks struck above your head.

"I sense that you're jealous, aren't ya sweetheart?"

"Uhhh what's jealous?"

You explained to him this new concept to your boyfriend, even this simple word, Freddy doesn't know what's the meaning of it. Even though he felt this feeling days ago.

After you gave him lots and lots of affection to make up for his soft jealousy, you reassured him that you won't leave nor abandon him. You're finally contented for the animatronic who took care and loved you to bits.

Montgomery Gator 🎸

Unlike Freddy whose already in a relationship with you when his jealousy first showed up, Monty's feelings of jealousy is kinda...... different.

In fact, this animatronic has a huge HUGE crush on you.

Even when he's head over heels for you, he flirts towards you heavily (but not to the point that's quite uncomfortable). He loves seeing your face going red whenever he tells you such endearments like sweetheart and babycakes.

If you flirt back, he would literally pass out in happiness. 😭💕💕

He's quite prideful that he ain't had a crush on anyone else but for you? Man, he can talk about you for hours. From your charisma, to your talents and to your adorable voice he loves to listen.

Jealousy is something he commonly felt towards his rival, Glamrock Freddy. But when it comes to you, ohh man, you better prepare for his presence cause this guy ain't leaving your side.

This alligator of an animatronic would do anything for you to be his. He would call you out by those endearments whenever he sees you around and puts his hand on your waist with a smug expression when the two of you would walk around.

Monty would lightly threaten the security guards or the adult visitors who would send suggestive marks that he would take them to bits if they don't stop those stupid antics.

He didn't know that you also had feelings for him but you were incredibly shy when it comes to confessing to him. Also, you were quite scared. Not knowing that if those actions he did towards you were actually real and he didn't fake it and plays with your feelings.

When his feelings of jealousy got the best of him, he would literally drag you off to somewhere secluded. You tried to talk to him on what's going on but cuts you off by kissing your lips.

"I ain't wasting my time for you to be mine, I can't wait anymore babycakes."

Monty would be so happy when he felt you kissing him back as you placed your hands on his shoulders.

As the both of you pulled away, he hugs you tightly and asks you for you to be his significant other.

"I would love that, Monty dear. And also, I can sense that you were quite jelly there before you confessed to me-"

"I am not!"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Do not republish, edit, or repost to other websites.

Reblogs and likes are appreciated! 💕

[isaacapatow]

A life full of bums who stole from them, who ran out on them, who disappointed whenever given a chance. Ike shifted uncomfortably under Ember's thanks for his giving an unvarnished answer about something that wasn't pretty to begin with; it wasn't anything commendable, much less deserving of thanks. But he wasn't gonna make a fuss out of it just for his fine feelings. They both knew this talk wouldn't be an easy one and Ike figured he deserved to have the lion's share of that uneasiness -- not the sleek cat next to him who'd clawed her own way to survival without any of his help.

"There were some gaps in us keeping in touch. Mostly when I was using and pretty sick and, uh..." Ike rubbed his hands against his knees, not liking this at all. He'd talked about his addiction before -- he had to, with counsellors and with other addicts, all that kind of shit that was part of recovery -- but this was profoundly different. "Look," he said, "I'm not scared of you judging me when I tell you this shit -- I think you should. I think you're entitled to it, and you need to know all these pieces to come to any sort of conclusions about me. But it ain't easy to just spill, y'know?"

Ike gripped the knobs of his knees and continued, grim-faced: "I was on the street for a while. A long while and then on-and-off and then back again, that's how these things work. So I'd call her but she'd have no way of getting in touch with me. It wasn't till the recovery stuck that we were able to keep in touch regularly, and I ... liked it. Knowing she'd be there to take my call and she'd wanna call me back. Even though I forfeited any right I had to be in her life anymore." He looked at Ember. "And sure as hell wasn't gonna intrude on yours."

He spread his hands out, then stood up, unable to stay sitting any longer. "Don't take that to mean that I thought about it," he said, roughly. "I didn't. I wasn't waiting for some sign or invitation. If I wanna do something I do it."

But of course Ember knew all that. And her laying it out between them, her realistic view of what they might, could, maybe have, was comforting, in its own way. No expectations. Ike didn't do well with those, if they came too close to the bone.

"Okay," he said, when Ember told him about her drinking problem. "Well. We haven't been too successful at our attempts to make hard liquor, thus far, so not much chance of being tempted in that direction. I'm sure you got your own ways of coping." What was he gonna do, offer to be her sponsor? Ask if she had her AA chips? Fuck. This was getting too much.

Ike scrubbed his hands through his hair. "The Council's gonna do this properly," he said, abruptly. "I just came in first to ... I came in first. To get a look and a moment alone with you. But it'll be done properly." He strayed nearer to the door, half-angling out already. "If you need anything, holler."

His answer was about what she expected. Ember gave a small nod, "Thank you for being honest about it and not trying to sugarcoat it. And we can agree about that," she added about the crap hand she was dealt with.

"Yeah, there's been a couple of bad ones. And then Willow's dad snuck out in the middle of the night around the time Willow was about a year old and stole all the money he could get his hands on from the cash register in the restaurant and never looked back, and since then it was just the three of us. Mom dated and stuff, but never brought anyone home unless she couldn't know for sure they were good, but she never trusted them to be good anymore." When she was older, Ember wondered if at that point her mom passed on actually good men because she was too paranoid to fall for somebody who would just hurt them and cause more trouble than they've been worth, but she's never actually asked her about it.

She looked over at him. "You two talked, though. Mom said not regularly, but from time to time. How did that come about?"

Ember watched him as he said she didn't need to like him, she didn't even need to give him a chance. She was quiet for a while afterward before she said. "I am not an idiot, I knew that you wouldn't be hugging me, crying to me how you've been trying to find me for so long and you wish you could have done things differently in your life. We lived our lives as strangers, not knowing each other. And I am not going to pretend that if what happened to mom wouldn't have happened, I'd be here. I probably wouldn't be.

"But shit happened and I am here and I want to get to know you. If you don't want anything to do with me, I'll survive and just make sure to stay out of your way. I want to give you a chance. But I wanna be clear, it's for me, not for you. I am not just here to give you a chance to atone or make things right or something. This is for me. I want to know who my father is and I want something more than some pictures. So you get a chance. And let me tell you, I'm amazing, so you'd be stupid enough to squander it, but it's still up to you what you do with it, I guess."

He's been sober for twenty years. Long before the outbreak would have forced him into it. Plenty of time when he could have at least tried coming back for Ember. She'd need to figure out how she actually felt about this, now she just suddenly felt overwhelmed by all of this new information, by actually having her father sitting next to her and answering questions she sometimes wondered if she'd ever get answered.

"Alcohol," she replied to him. Maybe in other situation she would have held back, but really, what would be the point? "Mom always was a stickler about drugs and that stuck, I never really tried it, but alcohol was less problematic and more easily accessable, so I had it from time to time. And then Willow died and the world was ending and alcohol was still relatively easy to get my hands on, and I went off the rails for a few months. Haven't had any since, but I think sometimes the only reason I don't drink is because I don't have a chance to get some. Otherwise I'd already be under the non-existing table." She sure would have gotten off the rails if she had the chance after her mom died.

[piko-power]

Not Again - Act 1 - Incident

OH BOY OH BOY

This is the newest addition to my series of Sonic Movie stories- (Which I'll explain in the future very soon) of events before the sequel and we are starting STRONG with this one.

This is going to be chock full of angst and fluff like you've never seen it before, and yes, this has some trigger warnings.

There is nothing extreme in this story, but there will be some things some readers might find uncomfortable. If it's not your cup of tea, you don't have to read it. But other than that, this is not a violent story, but it is pretty emotional. (I promise you it has a happy ending but we're obviously not there yet)

You would let me know if I'm doing the TWs right.

I'll be releasing new parts of the story once or possibly twice a week. I, of course, cannot promise that, but we'll wait and see. XD

Alright, I think that's all I have to say other than HAPPY READING!

-

THIS SONIC MOVIE FANFIC IS BASED ON AN HEADCANON OF MINE. I WOULD FLIP OUT IF THIS ACTUALLY BECOMES CANON. XD

TW: BLOOD, SLIGHT SWEARING (IN THIS CHAPTER)

"No hero is afraid to stop bad guys from robbing a bakery, not even Sonic. But all heroes must have weaknesses, and that weakness came out of the dark like a bullet. Literally."

The sirens wail from the distance. The sound blares louder as the car speeds to it's destination.

"Wait! Do you hear something?"

"Like what?!"

"...THAT!"

One of the crooks point to the window, showing the sheriff's car driving quickly to the Sweet Dream Bakery Shop. The other robber sighed. "You've got to be kidding me. Quick! Grab all of it a get out of here!"

"YOU! Get back, NOW!" The robber points their weapon at the clerk, who took their orders and slowly backed off. "D-Don't shoot!" She cried. "If you do as I say." The robber's tone was cold and quiet, yet demanding.

"Which one of you pests called the damn sheriff?!" The other robber from the far right called out to the three customers, laying on the floor, barely looking up at the criminal. "WHO DID IT?!"

Jasmine, the owner of the bakery, slowly raised her hand up enough for the shouting criminal to see. "HA! Reeeaal classic." They scoffed. "You REALLY think you can save the day by just simply calling the sheriff?"

"He's not the only one who's gonna stop you troublemakers." Jasmine growled. "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU MOTHER-"

Suddenly, the door slammed opened, revealing Wade Whipple. "FREEZE POLICE DON'T MOVE!" All in one sentence, aiming his taser at one of the crooks. One guy near the register rolled his eyes. "Seriously? This doofus? He ain't gonna make us do crap!" He barked. "First of all, that was uncalled for." Wade said, looking slightly offended.

"Alright guys, this is your one and only chance to stop what you're doing right now!" Tom called out through the speakers. "If anybody gets hurt, we're gonna do this the hard way! Got that?!" He demanded.

Wade looks outside to see his buddy, then back at the bandits. "You better do as he says. You'd hate it when he's angry." He whispered to them. "He's usually a pretty chill guy." The criminals looked at each other, thinking about their next move, smiling. "Let's see how angry he can get when he hears: OFFICER DOWN!"

Then they raised their gun at Wade. His eyes widen, but doesn't back off for one second. "Y-Yeah, no, that ain't gonna happen! Don't even THINK about making that happen!" He roared. "You guys have five seconds to leave the building!" The sheriff's voice roared from the megaphone outside.

"We have plenty of time to handle this situation." They chuckled, preparing to pull the trigger, when suddenly…

"SURPRISE!" A quick blue light flashed by the crooks, running all over the place. Everyone in the building try to keep up with the mysterious blur, but is blinded by confusion, including the criminals. "What's wrong, guys? Can't keep up with the Blue Devil??" He called out, running on the walls now.

The guys looked at each other, knowing exactly who is trying to distract them. "Uhhh, Tom?" Wade called out to the sheriff from the building, staring at the crowd of light blue streaks. "Should we do it the hard way now, or…?"

Tom, slowly putting down the megaphone on the hood of the car, watched in awe. "Oh, God…" He sighed.

Sonic, finally coming to a stop on top of a counter, glared at the criminals as lightning spat out of his quills. "YOU!" One of them hissed at the space hog. He crossed his arms. "Sorry for disturbing your mission but no one is gonna steal anything! Not even a single sprinkle! Seriously, who would steal pastry?" He shrugged. "This is the Sweet Dream BAKERY shop, guys! I mean, come on."

"We weren't gonna steal some cakes, gremlin." They snarled at the hedgehog. Sonic, giving them an "heartbroken" expression, placed his hand on his chest. "I feel so offended…" He then gave them a cheeky grin.

"It doesn't matter what you losers are stealing, what really matters is that I'm gonna KICK YOUR BUTTS!" He jumped up in the air, giving one crook a roundhouse kick to the face, knocking him to the ground and dropping their weapon. Jasmine jumped. "Jasmine! Get out of here! All of you, now! Go, go, go!"

Jasmine, including the costumers getting back on their feet, began to run out of the building. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DO-?" Sonic rolled up into a ball and zipped straight to their gut. They cried out and fell to the floor, clutching their stomach. "You were saying?" Sonic sarcastically asked.

Sonic then grabbed one of the bar stools and swung them straight to the baddie's face. Wade's jaw dropped, including his weapon. "Whoa…" "Pretty cool, huh?" He beamed, giving him a wink.

"SONIC!" A voice called out from outside, which startled Sonic at first. Tom ran into the building to see one of the crooks lying down on the ground, including a bar stool. His ocean eyes widened scanning the room, making sure there's nothing broken. Then, he glared at the little hedgehog.

"No need to thank me, Tom!" He boasted. "The bakery is now safe thanks to me!" "First of all… HOW…-" Tom raised his voice but took a deep breath before he could fully explode. "…Did you hear about this?" He asked, still giving him the look that should scare the ego out of Sonic.

"You told me to stay at the police department, but when I heard on the radio that there was a robbery-" "That brings me to another thing… Second…" Sonic knew that he's gonna raise his voice once more, big time. His shoulders rise up, and he cringes. "I TOLD YOU STAY THERE BUT YOU DIDN'T!" "I told you!" Wade said to one of the unconscious crooks.

"This is the SECOND time you did this this week, Sonic Wachowski!" Tom continued. "First, the "Dog-Catcher" incident, and now THIS!" Sonic has been going into some criminal scenes lately. Wanting to be the big hero, kicking butt and saving lives.

But he is only a kid. Sonic isn't supposed to be doing this kind of stuff, even if he has such incredible power.

Tom feared this would happen multiple times, he just pray that Sonic will listen to him just this once.

"Tom, relax. I already stopped the bad guys! I stopped the robbery! No one even got hurt!" Sonic said. Wade points at the crook laying on the floor. "What about that guy? They got hurt." "Uh… Because they were robbing the bakery, Wade??" The hedgehog corrected.

"Sonic, it doesn't matter. You shouldn't have gotten into the scene with no warning!" He lectured. "What if you get hurt? Huh?" "Well, I won't get hurt. Because I'm the fastest thing alive." He said.

"What if?"

"I won't."

Tom took a deep breath, calming himself down before he continued. "Sonic, I'm just saying. I worry about you when you do this kind of stuff." His tone was more quiet and soft, but still tense somehow.

Sonic sighed as well, just wanting to get the conversation out of the way and celebrate the victory. "Tom, if I can save the town from Robotnik, then I can save the town from anything." He walked away, out of the building. "You worry too much."

Tom's eyes widened again.

Worry too much? The heck does that mean??

Tom gently held Sonic's shoulder to stop him. "Sonic, it's my job to worry about you. I know you saved this town before but you're just a kid." Sonic quickly turned back to face Tom, looking surprised. "You're too young to be a hero!"

"How long will it take to convince you that I can take care of myself?" Sonic complained. "I just want you to understand that you're putting yourself into dangerous situations." Tom kneel down to Sonic's level. "You can't keep doing this! I have every right to worry about you if you keep this up!"

"You don't have to worry about me!" Sonic said. "Like I said, I'm fast! I can avoid any bullet from miles away."

From behind the counter from back inside, the robber cocked their weapon.

"Plus," He continued, now stern. "I already am a hero, Tom." He exhaled sadly, looking down at the ground. Tom took notice of this. "Let me look after this town. Let me look after you."

Not only does Sonic wanted to protect his home, but he wanted to protect the one person who changed his life forever. He knows he can protect the town and the town has been quite peaceful. Zero bad guys tried to kill him, at least ever since Robotnik was banished to the Mushroom Planet a few months back.

But people are actually trying to mess with this town? Not on Sonic's watch. Especially when it comes to messing with his friend.

His father.

And as much as he looks up at him as one, he can't let anything happen to him. Not even having the chance to actually call him his own father. He refuse to take that risk.

Not after what happened the last time he did something like that.

Tom shows a soft smile on his face. He couldn't stay mad at his little buddy. He knows he wanted to make a difference but he can't spend the rest of his childhood doing something like this. He would at least wait til that moment chose him eventually. "I understand, bud. You always look after me. A lot of people do. But… I want to look after you too. You know that I lov-"

"But I don't want you to look after me..."

Tom nearly pulled away from the hedgehog after hearing that. Sonic looked pained.

They were both hurt from what was spoken.

Sonic, as much as he loves the Donut Lord, can't let him change his role from a sheriff to a father. He wanted him to take care of the town, not just him. If only he found the exact words he was looking for to even explain the reason for it.

But even if he did-

BANG!!

"AAAGGH!!"

This will happen.

"TOM?!" Sonic cried out, witnessing the blood spewing out of Tom's right arm. He was shot near his shoulder.

Tom was shot.

Sonic's emerald eyes widened in horror as he watches Tom cry out in pain, holding onto his bleeding arm tightly. He tried to calm down, trying not to swear in front of the hedgehog. He fell to his knee, feeling lightheaded. "Thomas!" Wade yelled out.

"TOM, NO!!" Sonic, trembling, tried to approach the injured sheriff. "S-S-Sonic-" Tom try to speak, but another loud BANG could be heard from the bakery. Wade was nearly hit as the bullet zipped straight to the floor when he tried to reach for his weapon. The robber from the counter wasn't knocked out fully. They were about to shoot Tom again.

"DON'T DO IT!!!"

The hedgehog screamed as he zoomed to the crook, kicking them in the face, hard. They fell back to the ground but before they could get back up, Sonic pinned them to the wall of the counter. They tried to reach for their gun, but the now lightning powered hedgehog stepped on his hand hard, breaking it. He yelled out in pain. "YOU STUPID RODENT!"

"YOU SHOT TOM!!!" He screamed out once more as he began to punch the criminal in lightning speed non stop. His sharp blue eyes were beginning to form tears, his heart was pounding, his breathing was rapid, but he wouldn't stop going all out on the crook.

He doesn't care if he killed the crook, no one messes with the Donut Lord.

As more police ran in to take care of the robbers, Jasmine and a customer helped Tom up, but he kept tumbling over, going to pass out. "He's bleeding out so much!" A customer cried out. "Somebody call a doctor!!" "Don't worry! I know someone! Give me a sec. Keep an eye on him." Jasmine pulled out her phone as a costumer and a few bystanders helped the sheriff out. "Wh-Where's Sonic…?" He asked weakly.

Wade got back up and ran to the counter to see Sonic beating up the bad guy. "Sonic! Chill out, little guy!" Sonic didn't listen. He refuse to listen. He just kept punching, hoping that the crook will be out like a light.

"Come on! Get away!" Wade, despite the lightning spiraling all over him, grabbed Sonic and pulled him away from the criminal. "No, no, NO, NO, NO!! I WON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS!!" He yelled, punching the air trying to reach for the bad guy, who is backing away from the crazed hedgehog.

"Sonic, calm down!" Wade said with concern. "HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN THAT MONSTER HURT MY FRIEND?!?!" He continuously yelled at the top of his lungs, spilling out all the rage and heartbreak to the world. "Just calm down, alright? Tom's gonna be okay." Wade tried to be convincing, walking away with a struggling Blue Devil in his arms. The police ran in and grabbed the beaten up robber and pulled him back up on his feet, cuffing him.

Wade walked outside to try and find Tom. "Tom?! Where are you?!" "WHERE IS HE?!?!" Sonic cried out, trying to break free from Wade's grasp. Then he caught two people carrying Tom near a bench to check up on him. "They'll be here any minute. Just make sure he doesn't pass out." Jasmine said to the group, hanging up on her phone.

Sonic gasped as he saw Tom holding his arm slowly bleeding out. So much blood he thought. This is too much! TOO MUCH! I CAN'T LOSE HIM LIKE THIS! I CAN'T LOSE ANYBODY!

"NOOOOO!!" Sonic finally pushed Wade away and tried to reach out to his hero only for Jasmine and a policeman to hold him where he is. He can only reach out to him from so far. "TOM!! NO!!" Tears were streaming down his muzzle as he sobbed out his name over and over. "I'm sorry!" Jasmine cried. "He needs medication!"

"No, no! Stay awake, buddy!" Wade ran up to Tom in a hurry. There were worry in his eyes as he look at his arm. "W-Wade… Where's…"

"TOOOOOMM!! TOOOOM!!" Someone was calling out his name. He knew the voice. He knew those cries. He tried to stay awake. He really tried. "S-Sonic…" His vision was fading. He can barely make out the panicking hedgehog, who was guarded by two people. "Sonic, calm down!" A woman's voice called, it was Jasmine. "We're going to call Maddie Wachowski. She'll take you home." A policeman said. "NOO!! I'M NOT LEAVING HIM!!" Sonic screamed once more.

"S-Sonic…" Tom took a big deep breath, trying to call out to his hedgehog friend. The little blue spot in his sight was slowly fading away from him. "D-Don't… C-C-Cry…"

All of the colors were turning black. There was no more blue. His voice was disappearing. Everything is disappearing. "I CAN'T LOSE HIM!!" His cries have never felt so quiet, yet so haunting. He feared that this will be the last time he'll ever hear his voice.

"I CAN'T LOSE MY DAD!!!"

Then, everything stopped.

...

...

Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep...

The first sound Tom could hear.

The painful pounding in his head.

The first thing Tom could feel.

A soft, surface with cloth and paper.

The first thing Tom could touch.

"Uuuuuggh… Wh… What happened…?"

The first thing Tom could say.

His tired ocean eyes slowly open up, trying to get used to the blinding sunlight beaming through the curtains. He tried to move his right arm, but the stinging pain from it shot him fully awake. "SON OF A-!" He cut himself off before he can complete his sentence.

He sat up, slowly, looking over his bandaged arm. Then he scanned the room, still getting used to the light. He's in a patient's room.

How long has he been out? What even happened? His head continuously aches, refusing to give him a proper reason as to how he ended up here.

He gasped.

His voice.

TOOOOM!!

"Oh, God… No…" Now he remembered. He remembered clearly.

There was a robbery at Sweet Dream.

Sonic stopped the criminals.

They had a talk.

He was shot.

Sonic was crying.

Sonic was screaming. He never heard him like that before. He lay back down, trying to process the event from last night. He looked over at his arm again, he cringed at the sight of it.

He shuts his eyes tight, trying to forget the horrifying cries from the little hedgehog.

I CAN'T LOSE HIM!! I CAN'T LOSE MY DAD!!!

His dad.

No wonder he wanted to stop the robbery. It doesn't change the fact that a fourteen year old hedgehog beat up some robbers when they would've hurt him the same way they hurt Tom.

He would be mad, but he's not. Now he's worried. Worried sick.

He hope to God that Sonic is doing okay after last night.

Even if knowing what he had been through and how much he means to him, he somehow doubted that.

The door opened, which startled Tom. The nurse entered the room, relieved to see the sheriff alive and well. "Thomas. Hello." She waved. Tom waved back, sighing. "You scared me…" He chuckled weakly. "Terribly sorry." "No. Don't be. You're good." Tom reassured.

"How are you feeling, Thomas?" Nurse Hayley asked, sitting next to him. "Fine, I guess?" Tom lied. "My arm feels like crap, but I think I'm okay. Nothing's wrong, right?" "Well, you didn't receive any injuries that were too severe." The nurse replied. "But your arm does need some extra time to heel."

Ah… Of course… Tom looked away, sighing.

"You'll stay here for a few more hours in case something else happens." "Fine by me, I guess…" Tom said quietly, lost in his own thoughts. "Something troubling you?" The nurse asked. "I'm fine, Nurse Hayley." Once again, he lied. "it's just…"

He couldn't stop thinking about last night. He never heard Sonic so scared and heartbroken in his life. Considering the time of day, a lot of time must've passed when the event happened. "How long have I been in here?" "For about eight hours. It is now morning." She replied.

He was here for the whole night?! Ever since he was knocked out?!

Sonic...!

"Thomas?" Hayley placed her hand on Tom's, startling him again. "Deeply sorry, Tom." "You're fine…!" He took a deep breath. "I've just been thinking about Sonic. I'm worried about him. He hasn't seen me since last night. When I was out…"

"Oh…" Hayley can recall the phone call she had with his wife regarding the events and hoping that Tom will come out alright. That, and that Sonic wouldn't stop talking about what he had witnessed. She could've sworn she heard him say his name over and over again over Maddie trying her best to calm him down while crying.

"Don't worry, Thomas." She finally spoke. "I can assure you that Sonic AND Maddie are doing just fine." Her gentle smile made Tom feel a little better, but he was still a little worried. "I hope so…" He whispered to himself.

A knock could be heard, along with the door sliding open. "Nurse Hayley?" Doctor James walked in the room facing Hayley. "Yes, James?" She got back up on her feet. James looked over to see Tom is awake, then back at Hayley. "We have some visitors. They're here to see you, Tom."

Visitors?! Tom knew exactly who is visiting him.

"I'll leave you be. I can tell they wanted to speak with you." Hayley left the room along with James. The moment that happened, Tom inhaled deeply.

Here we go...

And exhaled. Then, Maddie entered the room. Her eyes lightened up seeing her husband awake. Alive. Tom smiled. "Hey, hon." He said "cheerfully."

"Tom…" Maddie walked over to him and hugged him tightly, beginning to cry. "Ohh, baby… I'm okay… It's okay…" Tom hugged her back, stroking her back. He kissed her on the cheek multiple times. "It's alright…" He whispered to her.

Eventually, they let each other go. Maddie sat down on the chair next to him, holding his hand. She wiped the tears off her eyes. "You feeling okay…?" She sniffled. "I'm fine, Maddie." He chuckled. "Just an bruised arm. No big deal. Though I have to stay here for a couple of hours just in case." Maddie understood. "Then… I'll be back home in no time." Tom smiled, gazing into Maddie's eyes.

"Good."

Tom and Maddie looked over to see a certain blue hedgehog standing in the doorway between the halls and the patient's room. His eyes were restless and bloodshot, and his fur was all ruffled up. His voice even sounded emotionless almost. Tom was surprised to see his little friend like this. Maddie sighed. "Sweetie. He's okay. You can come in."

Sonic took his time to walk towards Tom. When he gotten closer to see, he can see his arm bandaged up. He squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to forget that moment. "Hey. I'm okay. Don't worry about it." Tom knows fully well that what he said didn't make Sonic feel better. He knew that Sonic had a rough night, crying and worrying about him the whole time. He can tell in those tearful emerald green eyes.

The young hedgehog let out a long, exhausted sigh. He looked up at Tom's obviously fake smile. Look at him. Take a long look at him. His own thoughts barked at him. You got him hurt all because you wanna make a difference. You should've let him handle the situation all by himself, but no! You only came in and made everything worse! You could've killed your own father, you jackass!!

That last word made him shut his eyes tight again and he looked away from the sheriff. "Baby?" Maddie looked over to see him. "Buddy? You alright?" Tom asked, placing his hand around Sonic's arm. He gasped quietly, taking notice of the sheriff's gentle grasp.

Sonic looked up at Tom again. If you don't want to lose your hero, than make sure you won't let that happen again! You lost Longclaw, you're not gonna lose Tom! You got that, slowpoke??

"I'm so glad you're okay…" He finally spoke quietly, showing off a fake smile. "I thought I'll never see you again…" Sonic climbed on top of the bed and hugged him tightly, trying not to cry. "It's alright, buddy… I'm here now… I'm not going anywhere…" Sonic slowly closed his eyes, feeling relieved to finally be embraced by his father.

No. His friend. His best friend.

I'll make sure of it. He hugged him more tightly. He'll make sure that from now on his favorite person in the whole wide world is not going anywhere.

-

To be continued...

-

Thank you so much for reading! There will be more parts of this story to come. Sorry if this story broke your heart so far-

-

Next Chapter

[duskwood-by-daylight]

Long Day

Based the day after the rehearsal dinner, slightly paraphrased from canon conversation, Marco wants to talk.

Warnings: cursing, I despise this man

Word count:650ish

A/N: I didn't have as much anger in this one as I wanted. Maybe the next one. As always, 18+, minors DNI. Don't steal or copy or whatever. Feedback always appreciated.

"It's been a long day, always ain't that right," you sing along with Rob Thomas, feeling the lyrics in your soul. Work has been an absolute nightmare lately, but especially today. All you want is to get home, stuff your face, and finish reading your new book. Taylor offered to bring over some take out and you're still considering his offer, having told him you'll text when you're finally home. You drum your steering wheel in time with the music until suddenly it stops, interrupted by a call. 

Marco. 

If you rolled your eyes any harder, they'd fall out of your head and roll down the street. Well, this day can't get worse. "Hello?"

"Hey, did I catch you at a bad time?" Hearing his pathetic tone through your speakers makes you wanna bail out of the car, traffic be damned.

"I'm driving home."

"Oh," he simpers, "I can call you later."

"Well, I'm having dinner with Taylor later, so we might as well talk now."

"Oh." That sounded a little more unhappy. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay after the other night. You and Taylor left in a hurry."

"Well… yeah. You and Sally were fighting and you tried to push the blame on Taylor. I figured it was best to make ourselves scarce."

"I apologize for that. I was upset."

"Accepted."

The silence hangs in the air for a moment and it isn't entirely uncomfortable, at least not for you. Marco must feel differently because he blurts out, "So will you still be part of the wedding? Please?"

Sally despises me. I don't like you. Why on earth would I, other than to make sure you get married and out of my life? "On one condition. After this wedding, we're done."

"What?"

"I'm tired. I'm tired of all this back and forth and complete nonsense with you people. It's like a merry-go-round in Hell."

"I can't agree to that. I can't let you go."

You sigh, parking your car in your designated space. Maybe it won't be up to you, Marco. I was only doing this to help Taylor and now I'm just trying to get out. "Okay."

"You know I'll respect your decision, even if it kills me. I know I haven't been the best friend to you lately. Dragging you into all of my relationship problems, ignoring boundaries, being jealous of Taylor… I'm sorry. I don't think anyone in the world is good enough for you."

"Not even yourself?" His apology comes as a surprise. Marco is typically too self absorbed to see any further than his own wants and needs. This sudden change of heart has you more suspicious than anything. He has to want something.

"You deserve a lot better than someone who fantasizes about being with someone else the week of their wedding." He's quiet and something tells you this is Marco at his most honest. You lean back in your seat, waiting for him to continue. "I know it's wrong but if I don't say this now, I never will. I'm still in love with you." 

It's lucky that you've already parked because otherwise you would have run off the road. You knew, of course you knew, but you never thought he'd have the courage to just come out with it. It doesn't matter.  "Excuse me?"

He sighs heavily and seems to be waiting for you to say something else. You don't. "I know this is shitty timing and I should've said something before. Sally isn't in love with me, she's in love with the idea of a wedding, of having her picture perfect life. I can't be happy and be with her."

"... does this admission change anything?"

"It changes everything, doesn't it?"

"It doesn't for me. It isn't up to me whether you marry Sally or not. Nor is it up to Taylor. I'm gonna give you some advice. You're both grown adults and you need to act like it. Talk to each other and really listen. Be honest. Stop waiting for your friends to fix this for you. And if neither of you can stop being selfish, at least stop being stupid. This one sounds like a personal problem, Marco."

By the time you hang up and make it inside your apartment, your rage has given way to exhaustion. You do manage to text Taylor, telling him that Marco is still an ass and to come over please. Pretending to date Taylor is suspiciously like actually dating Taylor, but those emotions are for later. For now, you'll settle for having Greek takeout with a like-minded fake boyfriend who at least has a good sense of humor.

[valeskakingdom]

Request

Could I request a part 3? Jerome keeps the reader as his hostage for popularity and attention. Reader is really fond of the attention she gets as well and eventually sleeps with Jerome again? In the end she sees how Galavan kills him and is really sad?

Requested by @violentvaleska

So guys, here's part 5!!

Credit gif: @jokersbabe27

Jerome x female reader (part 5)

Warnings: mentions of violence and murder, depression

Word count: 3378

*Later that day at the charity*

"Already excited for my show, doll?" Jerome grinned through his magician costume. you hated that costume. It hid Jerome's beautiful face with a shitty beard, his hairs were under a stupid wig and a black cylinder. And that tuxedo...gosh, you hated it thought not as much as the wig or the fake beard. The worst on it was his name...'Rodolfo'. You were disgusted by that name.

No magician in that universe would ever call himself like that! It sounds so ridiculous!

"Of course! Though I already know you'll be amazing as always." You smirked pressing a kiss on his cheek "Give them the best show they've ever seen!"

"That ain't be a problem for me" Jerome grinned "Even Hundini wouldn't have seen such a great show." You giggled at his comment.

"Without further ado, please allow me to present you the Great Rodolfo!" Immediately, Jerome walked on stage, everyone was applauding - even you. You were excited for how he was acting as a magician. Of course, you knew he was doing it well anyway. Jerome was professional. He could play every role in this Earth perfectly!

"Ha! Greetings ladies and germs," Jerome walked on stage "I am indeed the Great Rodolfo! Please ogle my lovely assistant. Ohh, for my first act, I'll require a volunteer. Let me see. Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, goose!" Jerome pointed at Bruce Wayne, the richest orphan in Gotham that was hated by every villain - really, everyone wanted to kill him.

"Hello, young man. Does this handsome gentleman have a name?" You heard Jerome saying after she went out to the crowd to bring him back.

"Bruce." The boy responded.

"Bruce! Well, Bruce. This won't hurt a bit." He clapped two great blades together "Is there a doctor in the house?"

Jerome sticked one of the blades in the box along with the other one. The audience gasped, them applauded him.

While watching you were astonished about Jerome's well, acting. Nobody noticed it was him. Neither Bruce nor the other guests recognized anything. Almost unbelievable for you.

"Some people say Bruce has a split personality." Jerome laughed loud while Barbara brought the little kid back to his actual place "For my next illusion, I'd like to call to the stage esteemed Deputy Major Harrison Kane."

Barbara pushed a rolling table, covered with a tarp, forward that it stood in front of Jerome. She pulled the tarp back and you could see any kind of knives laying down there. You were thinking about what was coming next. Is Jerome still playing with him or is he about to kill that guy?

Barbara bended down making the others noticed the next illusion was incoming. But a mistake happened, her mask fell down.

They're fucked!! You thought panicking. If anyone of the guests recognized them, they all would have a big problem. People would call the police, others die, the police finds you and eventually become informed about Theo, as well.

But Barbara kept being professional. Nobody made a move to start panicking or to call the police. Everything stayed normal.

"By the way, nobody is getting out here alive." At first the crowd laughed because they thought he was just joking - of course, he did not. Jerome killed the Deputy and the gunfire started. People were screaming and hiding in hope they weren't the next victim.

You flinched a little in surprise, although you might have expected it. Who would Jerome not kill expect you? He killed his mother, now the Deputy Major...it was just a matter of time to see who was his next victim.

For you, that all was pretty exciting, but also a big feeling of unpleasantness came over you. This situation reminded you of the day Jerome kidnapped you. You had flashbacks. You fear, you uncomfortableness, the nervousness, the wish to go home...everything came back - you knew best how the victims felt right now, and.

And as the last time, something told you that this situation wouldn't turn out well.

You wanted to be with Jerome right now. You just wanted to hug him, you wouldn't care whether he liked it or not, you just needed it.

But you couldn't go to him. You promised him to stay backstage to watch his marvellous show. And you knew, as everyone else knew what would happen if you broke the promise. His mood would change again and you needed to see whether it would turn out well for you or not.

You just stared at your lover. Finally he took the cylinder from his head as the wig, his black mask and the beard. Finally he presented himself again. You couldn't help but smile. You saw him being excited, being happy. He was the star in the show as he was the boss. You loved to see this: him standing there calm and managing everything while around him was pure chaos.

He was so professional you thought.

Out of nowhere, another woman was brought on stage, it was Lee Tompkins.

She was handhuffed, her gaze expressed fear and panicking.

They probably have taken her from behind as she was about to call the cops to tell what was going on.

You saw Jerome gazing at her with a smile - immediately, you hated her. You hated how you Jerome looked at her, how he smiled at her. It looked the same as every time he was smiling at you.

"Hey, darling" You felt shivers down your spine and jealousy came over you as he said that, you hated when Jerome was acting kinda flirty with other women. You always got the feeling they'd be much better than you but you also that your thoughts are wrong "I need to borrow your phone for a moment. We wanna tell Jimbo how the show's going on, don't we?"

And so he called him:

"Sorry Jimbo, it's just little old me!" He said nothing for a moment, then "Are you outside? You are, aren't you?" He cackled" Oh, goody!"

"Breathe, James. I haven't touched a hair on your girlfriend's pretty head." See for yourself. This is live television after all." You heard Jerome laughing after he responded to 'Jimbo'.

Then Jerome and Barbara tied Lee up on that big wheel pretending to shoot her head. It was all to entertain the crowd, to make them love. No one loved though - besides you. You loved their show. It entertained you and you loved to see your lover in action.

"True, but not the point. Hey, let's talk about what I want." Jerome walked down the stage closer to the camera "$47 million, a helicopter, obviously, the dry cleaning I left at Mr. Chang's be careful, the man is a crook, and mm, I don't know, a pony. Uh, you got ten minutes or I start killing people. Remember this is being broadcast to every home in Gotham, so, don't let people die. Bye!" Jerome laughed into the phone as he hung up "I think that went well." Jerome looked at you giving you a wink with a smile.

"Enough! You need to pack up your pathetic little sideshow and leave!" You suddenly heard Theo yelling from the other side of the stage. You were confused. What was he doing here? He told them to do this! Or did this still belong to the show?

"Is that right?" Jerome asked with a smirk.

"It may be presumptuous to speak for all citizens of Gotham. But we are sick of you! You're a small, vicious man with a pathetic need for attention. Enough man, for God's sake, enough!"

You were even more confused about Galavan's words. Something was in the bush. In his tower he spoke in high claims of Jerome that he was the star in the show, that he trusted Jerome most that he'll do it. What was wrong now?

"I'm curious what your leverage is here, Mr.?"

"Theo Galavan"

"Well, Mr. Theo Galavan, if you don't sit down, uh, I'm gonna shoot you. In your face."

"I know there is some human decency left in you. If you need a hostage, take me. But let these people go home! To their families, to their children." Before Theo could continue his speech, Barbara knocked him out with a some kind of pan. You giggled for yourself, almost laughed loud. It looked so stupid for you how he fell on the ground. It was like in a real blockbuster.

"Boring" Barbara stated.

"Right" Jerome cackled loudly, then he made his way to you with a big grin in his face. Automatically you grinned, too.

"How do you like the show doll?" Jerome grabbed your hands and pulled you close to him. You felt a slightly blush spreading over your cheeks as he pressed his lips against yours. His hands grabbed your cheeks softly to intense the kiss.

"I love it! It's very exciting" You grinned wrapping your arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around your waist "But I'm much happier about you not wearing this cruel costume anymore. It covered your face, I hated it."

Jerome just chuckled about your comment and kissed your forehead.

"I have an idea," You just raised your brows looking at him in interest "Wanna be the star in my show?"

"Of course I do!" You smiled wide before he pressed his lips against yours quickly, then you both walked out. Gasps filled the room, all eyes were on you. They all knew who you were. You were the missed girl everyone was looking for. They either thought you were dead or that you were left at a lost place. But now you stood there - healthy, happy, self-confident.

"I know what you all think: That's (Y/n)! What is she doing here?! Where has she been?! I tell you all a secret: She was with me all the time." Jerome grabbed your face soft making you giggle "She's gorgeous, isn't she? Always has a pretty smile in her face."

Barbara pulled a next man up on stage positioning right in front of you and handed you a gun. Then she placed an apple on the man's bald.

"You know how to hold a gun, doll?" Jerome grinned wrapping his arms around you from behind. You felt his lips and his warm breathe touched your cheek. It was giving you chills in arousal.

"I'm not that stupid, Jerome." You made sure the gun was loaded. You positioned yourself to keep stable and pointed the gun at the apple. That was what Barbara and Tabitha have taught you over the days you were at Galavan's.

The man in front of you was shivering with wide eyes, his sweat was dripping down his forehead. His eyes expressed fear and you could see he wished you didn't kill him.

"Hold very still." Jerome growled at the man, then he covered his eyes with one hand "I can't look! Someone tell me how it turns out."

You inhaled deeply and concentrated on the apple. But as you pulled the trigger, just water came out and splashed into the old man's face. At that moment, you thought that Jerome jerked you around with tell you time the star.

Jerome just sighed in annoyance grabbing your gun and gave you a new one assuring you that he didn't know the gun was fake.

"Damn! Turn around." The man looked at you in fear and turned around. With his eyes he literally begged you not to shoot or at least to hit the apple. He was about to stop moving as you shot the apple from his head. The crowd gasps in shock and relief that the guy wasn't dead yet.

"Whoo!" Barbara cheered happily. You knew she was proud of you that you didn't blame yourself and missed the apple. You were proud of yourself, too. You shot without hesitation, not even thinking of missing the apple and accidentally shoot the guy.

Every one else kept quiet tho.

"Well, clap!" Jerome shouted kinda aggressively to the crowd - then they did it. Nervously and fast. He laughed slightly pressing a kiss on your cheek "Well done, doll."

"Thank you, Jerome." You grinned. He took the gun out of your hands and placed it on the table with the knives. Then he kept staring at them for a while, you could see he was thinking about something.

"Do you know how to use a knife? Just wondering." Jerome smiled at you.

Before you could answer though, you saw Lee kicked Barbara in the stomach making her grunt.

As Barbara looked up at Lee, you could see fury was written in her face. She was angry, mad...these words just described a very small part of her feeling. It was incredible how much hate a person could express.

You looked at Lee. You could see she didn't give a fuck about her consequences.

"Haven't been ten minutes," Jerome hissed holding Barbara's arm tight that she was unable to stab Lee "We need to buy you a watch." Soon as Jerome turned around back to you Barbara punched Lee in her face. The crowd and you all gasped in surprise. Jerome instead, just looked at you shaking his head in disappointment what made you chuckle.

"Well, I think it's time for tonight's first official victim. You all know and love. Poor rich boy...Parents murdered in an alley, and my favorite volunteer: Where is Bruce Wayne?" Jerome claimed waiting for the little boy's appearance - he didn't come though. Everyone looked around for the boy hoping he would come. They, as you, knew what would happen if he did - someone will die.

"You know, I'm an orphan, too, Bruce? I killed my parents, though." Jerome spoke to the microphone, then stepped away from it "Where are you hiding?"

"Bruce!" Jerome screamed in anger making you flinch a little - you were always surprised about his temper. It came rapidly and was gone after a few seconds "Where are you buddy?!"

"That little kid's afraid of you, Jerome." You giggled wrapping your arms around his torso kinda in hope to calm him down a little. You had no idea his temper could ride that fast. "Give that boy some time to realize how much fun he's gonna have with you."

"We don't have time, right now. We have a plan to follow." Jerome grumbled looking around for Bruce and slightly pushing you away from him. In your eyes, Jerome was  a mix of an infant and a monster or the evil itself. His impatience reminded you of a child that didn't get his will. And his eye expression expressed fury, evil and the strong wish to kill the kid. It was fascinating, and almost frightening.

"Kill his butler!"" Barbara suggested.

"Alright, last chance Bruce but it's about to get very butler-brainy out here." Jeromekept looking around. While that, some of Jerome's colleagues grabbed the butler's arms right pushing him forward to Jerome. He was an older tall man in a black tuxedo looking very concerned for the little boy - understandable.

"Brucey!" Jerome yelled looking through the crowd but the boy still didn't appear "I'm bored. Shoot the butler." Jerome turned to you with a grin, not even really paying attention to what was happening around him. He just wanted you.

"Stop!" Bruce claimed panicking and ran fast in front of the stage to his poor butler.

"Let's get this started, huh?" Jerome gasped pulling Bruce back while pointing a gun at his head "You! Check behind the curtain! Make sure no one's playing silly buggers"

One of Jerome's colleagues nodded and walked to the curtain. He moved it aside the entrance,  he got shot.

"Drop the knife!" James Gordon shouted pointing a gun at Jerome, but he just laughed and pressed the young Bruce Wayne in front of his body, a sharp blade was pressed on his throat almost cutting his thin skin.

"I don't have a clean shot!" Gordon shouted.

"Stay calm, Bruce." The butler tried to encourage the little boy after he took a gun, as well, pointing it at Jerome. He totally ignored what Gordon said. His mind was all around Bruce.

"It seems like we've got ourselves a pickle." Jerome stopped laughing but pressing a knife against Bruce's throat. "What do you say Brucey boy? Wanna boost our ratings, huh?" Jerome cackled insanely again "Smile."

"I said enough!"  All of a sudden Theo appeared behind Jerome. He looked mad, very mad. Again you got that feeling of uncomfortableness. And again you got that feeling that something bad will happen now. You saw it on his gaze. This devilish grin. Something was in the bush.

And you weren't wrong. Shortly after Jerome turned to him slowly, Theo stabbed a knife into his neck.

Everyone gasped in shock, you were the loudest though. You heart dropped, you couldn't move for the moment, your legs became weak, cat got your tongue - you weren't able to breathe normal. You felt poor as you stared at Theo's hand that pressed the knife in Jerome's throat deeper and deeper - and that all right in front of you. Your whole body shivered, you were about to throw up every minute.

Tears built up in your eyes and some even streamed down your cheeks. This couldn't be real, this mustn't be real! You couldn't loose him, not now, not again, not forever.

Things have happened not quite perfect and you were mad at him, you didn't want to be with him, you even hated him for a moment, you were afraid of him... everything. You could say for one moment he was your biggest fear in your life because you were scared he'd kill you every minute, or every time you did something wrong. But that faded, it was forgiven, your love was refreshed. It was stronger than the night you two met for the first time. Your connection was stronger than ever before - you knew you belonged together. Why else did fate decide to let you two meet again? Why else would you fall for him again? Why else did he all you his doll, his girl, his queen? That weren't just words...it was more, a lot more.

You knew Jerome couldn't show love as usual people did, but you knew he loved you. His soft side towards you, him trying to make you smile, him protecting you when Greenwood teased you or harassed you..,that was all real. He didn't act at all!

All the memories came up. His smile, how you two hold a conversation for the first time at the circus, you felt the warmth on you hand again when you remembered how he held your hand. You could feel his arms wrapping around your body, and you could hear him calling you 'doll'.

And all this was gone forever now.

"I know, I know." He pressed Jerome down to the ground "Im so sorry, Jerome. You have real talent. But now you see, the plot thickens. Enter the hero." You saw Theo grinning slightly.

You could kill him for what he has done to him - and to you. He took all your joy away, he ripped your heart in two and three it away that it shattered in thousands of pieces. He had to die in your eyes. He just deserved it. You wanted revenge. You wanted to make him feel what he has done to you. You wanted to make him feel how you felt - sad, broken, shocked.

"I was gonna be.." With his last breath and his last courage, he looked up to you still having a grin in his face. His mouth opened shortly as if he was about to say something to you, but too late.

He was dead - dead as your happiness, your joy, you will to live. Your heart felt so heavy that every beating was exhausting you, as your breathing. The world was spinning around you. You body and your psyche couldn't handle what has happened just a few seconds in front of you.

He died, your love, your everything - your Jerome. And he will never come back.

And you died - inside.

[jestanotherclown]

"'Course he did! He's the King of Greed, a real goddamn penny pincher. If he doesn't think he has to spend money on it, he ain't gonna." The jester imp shrugged. "And, kinda? I mean, me and Ozzie kinda orchestrated it. He asked me if I wanted to stay after my third show with him and I said yes. Lust is sooooo much better than Greed. I have very little love for my home Ring." He took another hit when it was his turn.

"Asmodeus ain't gonna make ys do anything that makes you uncomfortable, he ain't about that. Just b'cuz we're in Lust doesn't mean consent goes out the window. Plus, he might be aggressively flirtatious but he'd never force anyone into anything. Boundaries are something he's usually good with."

"Nah. Not wit'out payin' anyway," Angel replied, moving on to the other hip. He paused, though, when Fizz asked about the bruises. It was only the briefest of pauses and he didn't look over, but he did hesitate. A little less nonchalantly, he answered, "Nah, these ain't from custamahs. This's all Val. He, uh, pissin' him off ain't a real good idea."

[outlawsworld]

Trusting Strangers - Chapter 14

Arthur Morgan x Female reader

Summary: Reader confronts John and Arthur brings up more of his past.

Warnings:None really, just fluff, bad language!

Notes: So this isn't as action packed as the rest of the chapters but I think it definitely leads to other things. Please stick with it and let me know what you think 🤠

Chapter 1

--

John turned to look over his shoulder as you approached him. He held a cigarette between his lips and shook his head when you came to perch on the rock beside him.

''I ain't in the mood just now (Y/N)'' he scowled. You didn't move from your spot next to him. Instead you watched him as he smoked the last of his cigarette and threw it away. ''You're gonna pester me all night ain't ya?'' he side eyed you as you sat in silence.

''If that's what it takes'' you say with a weak smile. He finally turns to look you in the eye before sighing.

''Fine'' his features softened slightly as he admitted defeat. John's eyes flicked between yours and the ground. His hands were fidgeting with the fabric on his coat and he seemed to struggle to find the words. If you didn't know any better you would have thought he was nervous.

''John?'' you placed your hand cautiously on his shoulder to try and reassure him. He flinched away from your touch, like you had burnt him. You quickly retracted your hand and placed it in your lap.

''I'm sorry'' he shook his head before meeting your gaze. ''I didn't mean to take anythin' out on you (Y/N). Just been a shit couple of days''.

''Tell me about it, maybe I can help'' you spoke softly. John took a deep breath in before relaxing his shoulders.

''It ain't nothin'. It's just Abigail. She's been gettin' at me more then usual the last couple of days'' he shifted uncomfortably. You wanted to believe that was all John was angry about but something didn't seem true about his words. He would normally just tell you or ask for advice when it came to Abigail. In the past when they have fought he would be so happy to leave camp but today he had been so cold.

''Why didn't you just tell me? We've always talked to each other'' John's brow furrowed at your comment.

''Yeah, is that so?'' he scoffed. John stood up from the rock and took a couple steps towards the water. He grabbed a stone from the waters edge and thew it as far as he could. It landed in the lake with a loud splash. You stood up from the rock, following John along the sand.

''Well I thought so'' you stood in front of him to stop him from walking away from you.

''You thought wrong'' he gently pushed past you and began to march down the water line. You felt hurt by his comment, you always thought that he could talk to you. For a split second you let him walk away. You began to feel irritated by John's mood. All day you had been thinking and you couldn't understand what you had done to deserve this. Your own anger got the better of you and you ran after him.

''What's that supposed to mean?'' you caught up to him. Your small strides, working quickly to keep up with him.

''Leave it (Y/N)'' John snapped at you.

''No'' you shouted at him. ''God damn it John. Just tell me'' you felt hot, every inch of your body was tense and you were starting to lose your patience.

''I told you everything'' he immediately stopped in his tracks his voice was raised and his anger was aimed directly at you. ''Whenever Abigail was gettin' to me or when I felt like I was doin' a shit job of bein' a father. I told you. You said we've always talked to each other but it was always one sided. You never told me anythin' about you. You definitely never said anything about you and Arthur'' he gestured towards camp. Your mouth dropped as you took a step back away from John.

''That's what this is about?'' the shock in your voice was apparent. ''It's about me and Arthur?'' the subject made your blood boil. How could he be mad about it, you thought he would be happy for you.

''We had spent so much time together and not once did it come up. I had to find out from god damn Micah'' John bellowed.

''It's not like we intended it to be announced like that'' you defended yourself. ''I didn't realise me not tellin' you would annoy you. Do you really care that much?''.

''I couldn't care less about you two'' John's words cut through you like a knife. Silence fell between you both as you stared at him in shock. Tears began to well up in your eyes at your best friend's words. You held them back as you took a steady breath. He doesn't care about you. It didn't make sense, why would he be so annoyed about you wanting to keep it private for a while. You thought out of everyone he would understand. Having his relationship with Abigail so out in the open, he hates everyone knowing thier business.

''Thanks for makin' that clear'' you spoke in a hushed voice trying to not let your emotions get the better of you. ''So if you don't care about me then why are you so pissed off?'' you met John's brown eyes. They began to soften as he came back to reality and realised what he had said.

''(Y/N), I didn't mean it like that. Of course I care about ya'' he paused to take a heavy breath and pinch the bridge of his nose. ''Look a lot of things have been on my mind recently. I guess finding out about you two was a shock and I didn't know how to respond. I had no idea about you two. Just thought you would 'av told me. Just wish I hadn't been so stupid..'' he trailed off looking back out over the water.

''Stupid?'' you questioned.

''Ahh nothin'. Ignore me, I'm just thinkin' out loud'' he turned back to face you before giving you a weak smile. ''I'm sorry 'bout shoutin' at ya. That weren't my intention'' he held his hands up in defence which made you smile.

''It's alright'' you sighed. "Guess you'll just have to be extra nice to me to make up for it" you teased him.

"Deal" he smirked. The two of you walked back to camp slowly while John told you about his and Abigail's latest argument. Your relationship with Arthur wasn't mentioned again and you didn't dare bring it up. Even though John was telling you about his problems, you couldn't help but think he was witholding something. You decided it was best not to pry in case it made him angry again. If he wanted you to know he would tell you in his own time. The sun was beginning to set by the time you got back into the camp. You and John grabbed a bowl of Pearson's stew before sitting around the fire with Tilly, Hosea and Keiran.

''How are you doing my girl?'' Hosea asked as you sat on the log next to him.

''I'm alright Hosea, and you?'' you asked between mouthfuls of stew.

''I'm getting old'' he chuckled. ''Arthur and yourself seem like you have worked everything out'' you look around the fire quickly, to see that everyone was engaged in their own conversations. Hosea laughed at your reaction at the mention of your relationship before patting your leg.

''Sorry, old habits'' you giggled. ''Yes, I have to thank you Hosea. If it weren't for you I think we would still be ignoring each other''.

''My dear, you don't have to thank me. It's been a long time since I've seen Arthur happy and that's all thanks to you'' your heart warms at Hosea's comment and your cheeks begin to blush.

''I'm guessing he didn't get recognised going back to the Braithwaites earlier?'' you questioned. Your mind had still not settled since Arthur left camp earlier and you needed to know he was safe.

''No, he was fine. But I heard the commotion you all made earlier with those horses'' he shook his head as he glanced over at Dutch who was standing outside his tent. ''We need to lay low with both families after tonight. Trelawny was right, people talk, even when there is a feud goin' on'' Hosea looked concerned but you agreed. You had always thought it was a stupid idea to rob both the families.

The name Trelawny had been passed around camp since you had joined but you had never had the pleasure of meeting the man yet. Clearly the man had sense in informing the gang to go careful but Dutch had other ideas.

The night drew in quickly as stories were passed back and forth across the campfire. Javier joined you and began to play his guitar. The other girls and Charles all joined as well and began singing along to a songs Javier was playing. It was beginning to get later and Arthur and Sean still hadn't returned. Hosea's words had definitely put your mind at ease though so you excused yourself and went to your tent.

It didn't take you long before you were laying in your cot with Javier's soft melody lulling you into slumber.

''(Y/N)'' you were woken by a deep voice. Your eyes fluttered open to see it was still dark outside. You must have only been asleep for a couple hours. ''(Y/N), you awake?'' the voice was just above a whisper outside your tent. You rubbed both of your eyes to check you weren't dreaming before sitting up in your cot.

''Come in'' you half whispered back. You were only in your nightwear but your blanket covered you from head to toe. The broad silhouette gently crept inside your tent and came to crouch beside you. ''What are you doin' cowboy?''.

''Sorry if I woke ya'' Arthur took your small hand in his. ''Didn't much feel like sleepin' without ya tonight'' he placed a kiss on the back of your hand. You couldn't help but smile. Not only because he was back in one piece but because your heart lit up whenever you saw him.

''Ya think we can both fit onto my cot?'' you moved over to make space for the big broad man that crouched before you. He stood up before taking his coat, boots and gun belts off and putting them on the ground.

''Might be a tight squeeze but I'm sure we can manage'' he smirked before climbing under your blanket and laying down beside you. The both of you shuffled around until you were laying wrapped in Arthur's arms with your head on his chest. Arthur was right, it was a tight squeeze but you didn't care. Having Arthur being there, feeling his arms holding you close, hearing his heart beating and smelling the cigarettes and whiskey with every breath you took made you unbelievably happy. You smiled into his shirt as he kissed the top of your head. ''G'night darlin'.'' he whispered in your ear. His soft, low voice sent shivers through you.

''Night Arthur'' you shuffled into him as close as you could possibly get before drifting back into a deep sleep.

As you woke up the next morning you were still wrapped in Arthur's embrace. Your legs were intertwined with one another's and Arthur's arms were the only think keeping you from falling out of the cot. You wiggled your arm free from underneath Arthur's torso and tried to regain some feeling back into it. Arthur woke up as you clenched your fist open and closed. Trying to ignore the painful sensation caused by the blood restriction.

''Mornin' (Y/N)'' Arthur mumbled as he pulled you closer to his body. His voice was much deeper when he had just woken up. It sent shivers down your spine. ''What ya doin'?''.

''Ya crushed my arm'' you chuckled. ''Trying to get feelin' back into it''. You turned to hover above him leaning on your elbow. He hummed in response with a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. His hair was messy and his eyes were barely open.  Seeing him this way, first thing in the morning did something different to you. You felt the heat between your legs rise as you looked over him. He reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, caressing your cheek as he did so. You leant down and kissed him deeply. Completely forgetting where you were as you opened your mouth to allow his tongue access to yours. Arthur went from a sleepy daze to wide awake in seconds. His hands began to wander down your body as you fought to undo the buttons on his shirt.

The sound of Pearson humming and walking past the entrance of your tent stopped you both suddenly in your tracks. You broke the kiss and bit your bottom lip as you pressed your forehead against Arthur's. The both of you had gotten so lost in the kiss that you forgot how little privacy you have in camp. You both laughed quietly as you layed back down beside him releasing the button you were about to undo on his shirt.

"I could kill that man" Arthur chuckled. You giggled and placed another much softer kiss on Arthur's lips. ''Want some coffee?'' Arthur sat up and pulled on his boots.

''Please'' you sat up beside him. ''I'll be out in a minute''. Arthur nodded as he pulled himself back together and walked out of your tent. You stretched out your limbs before getting dressed and following behind him. As you walked out of your tent the light stung your eyes and you winced before they adjusted.  The morning air was thick and warm, it was going to be another hot day. You threw your thin coat you were going to wear back into your tent before making your way over to the campfire where Arthur was waiting for you with your coffee.

''Thank ya'' you took the coffee from Arthur and sat down beside him. Pearson was at his cart beginning his day by clearing his table and the rest of camp was starting to stir. ''You on any jobs today?'' you ask Arthur. It seems to have been a long time since he had a day around the camp. He was always on a job or out doing something. You couldn't help but feel sorry for him as he was always Dutch's go to guy for everything, meaning he never got a day's rest.

''No, I'm stickin' around here today'' he smiled before taking a sip from his coffee. You were silently relieved letting out a relaxed hum.

''Miss (Y/L/N), Mr Morgan'' you heard a loud shout across camp. You both looked up to see Mrs Grimshaw marching over to you. She looked irritated and her face had gone red. You swallowed a large lump in your throat as you dreaded what had caused her to become so infuriated so early in the day. ''You both sticking around today?'' although it was a question it came out more like a demand.

''Yes, Mrs Grimshaw'' Arthur smirked which only made her more aggravated.

''Well good, we are falling behind on chores around here. Some people have begun to slack so we need all the hands we can get'' she snapped. ''(Y/N), I have a pile of things that need stitching back together, get to it'' she didn't let you speak before pointing her finger in the direction of the pile and sending you on your way.

She was not wrong, the pile of clothes and sheets that had been torn had grown large. You sighed loudly as you realised it would take you hours to stitch everything. As the hours went by the pile slowly got smaller. Your hands were cramping up and your stitches were beginning to become sloppy. Mary-Beth had come to help you take on some of the work and you appreciated the company. She was telling you about a book she was reading about a budding romance. You finished with one of Lenny's shirts and added it to the 'done' pile before glancing round camp.

The camp was busy with people doing different chores. You would occasionally hear Mrs Grimshaw shouting at someone to get on with something. As you took a moment to glance around camp you found Arthur chopping wood on the outskirts of camp. His strong arms made the job look effortless. You watched as he swung the axe down breaking the wood, clean in half. He wiped his sweat covered brow with the back of his hand and grabbed the next piece. Each time he raised the axe above his head his shirt would become tight around his strong muscles over his back and shoulders. He would grunt as he brought the axe down to strike the wood. The top buttons on his shirt were undone allowing for some of his chest to be exposed. You could see the begining of his chest hair glistening with sweat.

''You are gonna start drooling soon'' Mary-Beth giggled catching your attention. You quickly turn back to her realising you had been staring a bit too long. The colour of your cheeks turned a bright shade of red as embarrassment flooded through you. After that, you made sure to concentrated on your own work. Mary-Beth would tease you every so often making you blush each time. You couldn't help it, Arthur was the most attractive man you had laid eyes on. The opportunity to admire him was very few and far between with the amount of work outside of camp he does. By the time you had both finished with the stitching it was the afternoon.

You went for a walk along the water to stretch your legs after being sat for so long. It was always peaceful by the lake compared to the rush of being in camp. You noticed Dutch was standing on the end of the dock which reminded you of a job.

''Hey Dutch'' you walked up to him catching his attention.

''Miss (Y/N). What do I owe the pleasure?'' he asked as he turned to look at you.

''Ya know the two men I pick pocketed the other day in Rhodes?'' Dutch hummed at you with an inquisitive smile. ''Well, they are supposed to be outta town. Thought it might be a good steal if we check out the house while there gone. Said they had deeds of some kind'' you had never approached Dutch with a job before and for some reason it made you nervous even suggesting it.

''Hmm, sounds promising'' he thought about it for a moment. ''and you are sure they aren't in town?''.

''Positive''.

''Alright, take who you need and go tonight'' he patted you on the shoulder. You nodded your head before heading back into camp. In all honestly, you hadn't thought too much about it but the job was now in your hands. You wanted to impress Dutch so nothing could go wrong. It should be an easy take and only requires two people to do. For the rest of the afternoon you tended to the horses with Kieran, thinking about who you should take on the job. You wanted to take Arthur but it was the first day in a long time he didn't have a job to do and you didn't want to ruin that. Maybe you should take John or Charles instead.

As the sun set for the day you decided to pack your things for the job. You had come up with a plan much like your first house robbery with Arthur. Even though you were sure that the two men were out of town you grabbed some extra ammunition putting it away in your satchel.

''What are you doin'?'' Arthur walked up behind you as you packed your saddle bags.

''Gettin' ready for a job'' you attached your rifle to your saddle before turning to him.

''What job is that?'' he leant against the hitching post with his arms crossed over his chest.

''A house robbery'' you told Arthur. You went on the explain how you came about the job whilst in town with Dutch and what your plan was.

''Okay, when are we goin'?'' you looked up to meet his eyes.

''Arthur, you need to rest. I can ask someone else to go with me'' he looked almost offended by your comment.

''I'm fine. I've rested all day'' he brushed you off. ''We goin' now?'' he asked, not taking no for an answer and making his way over to Siego.

''You ain't been resting but I guess we are'' you smirked. You knew, no matter how much you would try to convince him to stay he would still come on the job anyway. As you both mounted up you looked back towards camp. You caught a glimpse of John watching you and Arthur leave together. He looked upset about something as he leant against a tree smoking on a cigarette. You gave him a smile and a small wave as you turned Dallas towards the road. He didn't wave back but you saw a sad smile across his face. You spurred Dallas on down the woodland trail and out of camp. Arthur followed closely behind.

''So you never told me about your job last night'' you shouted back to Arthur. Once you reached the road he came to ride beside you. He told you about how him and Sean both burnt down the Grey's tobacco fields. Luckily the both of them got away with only having to shoot a couple of the guards. ''Shit, all the fields?'' you asked stunned.

''Yeah, all of em. The barn too'' he shook his head. ''If they don't catch on that it's us, it'll be a miracle. So much for layin' low'' Arthur shrugged his shoulders.

You rode by the Grey's plantation on your way to the house and you saw the destroyed fields. The dry tobacco was now turned to ash and the smell of burning crops filled the air still. Arthur stayed quiet as you inspected the mess as you rode by.

The house wasn't much further, it was hidden within a group of trees which gave you plenty of cover. You dismounted the horses and grabbed your rifle before getting too close. The house was only small, with a barn to the side and a porch that ran around the whole building. From what you could see, it was empty. There were no lights from inside but you knew it was best to be prepared.

''I'll go round the back'' you informed Arthur as he made his way to the front door. He nodded in response as you went around the side of the house. You peered in through each window and didn't see any sign of people inside. The lock on the back door was easy to pick, you opened the door slowly and quietly making sure it was empty before stepping inside. You tiptoed to the front door opening it for Arthur to enter.

''Alright, let's do this quickly and quietly'' he stepped inside, looking around. ''You wanna take upstairs?''.

''Sure'' you made your way up the creaky stairs, leaving Arthur to explore the ground floor. There were two bedrooms and a study which you made your way through. You searched each draw carefully, collecting valuables as you went along. The study was full of paperwork scattered across a messy desk. You flicked your way through the papers and took the ones you deemed to look important. There were a couple of deeds stashed in a draw along with a lockbox which you grabbed. You made your way downstairs to meet Arthur who managed to fill his satchel full with provisions and jewels.

''Found anythin'?'' he asked while inspecting a bottle of whiskey he grabbed from a cabinet.

''I think so'' you held the lockbox up to show him. ''Let's get outta here'' you gestured towards the door. Arthur followed you out the house and back to the horses. ''Well... that went a lot smoother then last time'' you giggled as you mounted Dallas.

''I wouldn't speak too soon if I were you'' Arthur smirked back. You both rode back down the path at a steady trot to not draw any attention to yourselves. ''Wonder what we will find stashed in that lockbox o' yours''.

''Could be anythin' or nothin'. Hopin' it's somethin' good'' you tapped the box that was now strapped to your saddle.

''So, if you weren't thinkin' of askin' me to come with ya. Who were you gonna take?'' Arthur raised his left brow and looked at you curiously.

''Well, you were my first option but probably John'' Arthur scoffed at your suggestion and shook his head. ''What's wrong with John?''.

''Ahh nothin'.'' he brushed you off.

''It ain't nothin'. You seem to have some sortta issue with him'' you steadied Dallas to a walk to give Arthur time to explain himself before you got back to camp. ''Feel like explainin' what it is?'' Arthur pulled Siego to a walk and breathed a deep sigh.

''Fine. I've known John for fifteen years. He was like family, like a younger, annoying brother'' Arthur paused for a moment. ''Then when Jack was born he just took off. He left us for a whole year and then just walks back in like nothin' happened. I guess I just ain't forgiven him for it'' Arthur hid his face with his hat so you couldn't see his expression. You could tell by his voice he was still annoyed about John leaving.

''He told me what happened and he feels real bad about it'' you tried to reason with Arthur. ''John knows what he did was wrong and he's tryin' to make up for it. Don't you wanna give him another chance?'' you kept your voice low and steady. The last thing you wanted was to offend him.

''No one else would have gotten away with what he did (Y/N)" Arthur's brow was furrowed and he squeezed tightly onto his reins. "He abandoned his family. He abandoned Jack. Even now he won't spend any time with his own son. What I'd give to..." He trailed off. Arthur stared in the direction away from you. Something struck a nerve with him as he talked about Jack. You stayed silent allowing him time to think and calm down. The both of you stayed at a steady walk down the dirt track towards Rhodes.

"I'm sorry for pryin'." you finally broke the silence. He turned to face you but his eyes were still covered by his hat.

"It ain't you. He just doesn't realise how lucky he is" Arthur's voice was soft. Not in his usual, kind way but as though he was upset.

"How'd you mean?" Arthur raised his head until your eyes met. He cocked his head in a gesture for you to follow him off the path. You followed him through the trees to the small open field you had spent that night under the stars in. The both of you dismounted and you followed him into the open space. Arthur was stood in front of you with his back towards you.

"I need to tell you somethin'." he scratched the back of his neck nervously before turning to face you. Your heart began to race as many thoughts floated through your head. Was he going to end things? Did he decide that you weren't good enough for him? Or was it Mary?

"Alright" you asked trying to mask the crack in your voice.

"A long time ago when I was a young fool I met a waitress. Her name was Eliza, she was only 19 at the time and I was in my younger twenties" he cleared his throat and your heart began to sink. Of course there was another girl. You looked at him as he rested his hands on his gun belt, the brim of his hat still covering his eyes as he spoke. "We had a son together. His name was Isaac"

You tried to hold back the gasp from the shock of what he was telling you. Arthur had a child.

"I would visit them from time to time. Making sure they had money, food things like that. I didn't want them involved in the gang. It wasn't a life I wanted for 'em. One day I went to visit..." he paused to take a deep breath. "There were two crosses outside" he looked up to meet your eyes. You remained still, mouth open as your heart began to break for him.

"Some men robbed an' killed them for $10" he swollowed hard. For the first time you saw Arthur's full emotions surface. His eyes were red and watery and his smile had faded away. "I guess that's why I can't forgive John....he doesn't even realise what he has" there wasn't anger in his voice. Instead he sounded broken.

"Arthur, I'm so sorry" your voice cracked. You couldn't find the words to help fix what had been done. The pain he must have gone through with loosing a child. He had been through so much hearbrake in his life already. With Mary then Eliza and Issac. No wonder he was scared to start another relationship with you. He was so much more then the tough exterior that you first saw. You reached forward and pulled him into your embrace. He wrapped his arms around your waist and held you tightly. You stayed in each others arms as you processed the information Arthur had just given to you. It must be so hard for him to talk about. You wanted to say something that will take some of his pain away but you knew there was nothing you could do but to hold him.

"(Y/N)?" you heard Arthur whisper your name into your neck. You loosened your grip on him until you could see his face.

"Arthur" you found his eyes.

"Thank ya" he smiled lightly at you.

"Why you thankin' me?" you couldn't understand what you had done to deserve his thanks.

"For everythin'. For listening. I ain't the best a talkin' about this sorta thing" he admitted shyly.

"I'm always gonna be here for ya Arthur" you caressed his cheek to make sure he looked directly in your eyes. "I promise you, I ain't goin' anywhere".

--

@kashasenpai

Chapter 15

[eryiss]

Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, and thanks for sticking with this. It’s quite fun to write for this ship, and I hope you’re all ready for homoerotic exercise and another argument between men who don’t know how to communicate :)

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter Three - Proving a Point

Day Two: Tuesday

Gajeel woke in a pissy mood. This wasn't going like it was supposed to.

Freed was meant to be a smug, self important man with no practical skills, no world-hardened experiences, and no way of keeping up with what Gajeel was demanding of him. His three day plan had focused around humbling Freed, telling him that he wasn't hot-shit like he clearly thought, and making him realise that his cushioned life didn't mean he was Gajeel's equal.

What was not meant to happen was for Freed to be competent! He wasn't meant to make a shelter, he wasn't meant to be able to make a fire without a match, and he wasn't meant to be able to cook the damn fish and make them taste good! Even Gajeel couldn't do that.

Worse, the fucker knew. Oh he knew what Gajeel wanted but wasn't getting.

He hadn't been so smug when he'd lost though, had he? He hasn't been running his mouth when he'd been in the stream, gurgling his pathetic little surrender. Nah, he'd looked exactly how Gajeel wanted him; weak, embarrassed and unable to deal with the fact he was out of his league.

Sure, it hadn't taken long for Freed to recover and spout some bullshit about Gajeel being intimidated by his magic, or whatever the hell it was he said. He was trying to save face and Gajeel wouldn't let him; he had lost their fight because he couldn't live without his spells. That was impractical, short sighted and the way a spoiled brat of a man worked. No doubt if he had to rely on his fists more, he would have seen the stream as something to take advantage of and used it, rather than falling into Gajeel's trap.

Hah. At least one thing had gone Gajeel's way.

Mostly.

Kind of.

Look, Gajeel might hate the man and the things he seemed to stand for, but Freed wasn't bad looking. And Gajeel was just a man, who had been stripped to the waist with Freed in the same state of undress, wrestling one another. He was bound to get distracted for a moment. Thankfully, Freed's nasty kick to the balls and the ensuing tantrum after had quickly quelled any growing interest.

Gajeel knew what he had to do today, though. Because if he was going to fight with Freed at the end of the week, he needed to respect the man. He wasn't going to respect Freed if he couldn't take a defeat, and if he couldn't handle himself without his magic. So today, Freed was going to prove he had the ability to back up his words.

Okay, it was a tenuous reason for what he had planned, but fuck it. Fuck Freed too.

It was tempting to wake the prick up by dumping some of the water Gajeel had gathered over his sleeping face - a nice little reminder of how the fight had ended - but he decided against it. He needed to have everything prepared before he woke up, so it would be better to check that everything was in place. That, and Freed apparently snored a little when he was sleeping, and Gajeel certainly didn't want to interrupt the possible blackmail that could come from it.

And perhaps it was nice to have something cut through the silence of the forest.

Gajeel had trained in this forest many times, and as such had come to know how to utilise it's assets. He wandered slowly, blinking away the sleep in his eyes, and eventually found what he was looking for. A large tree that had fallen down years ago, and stumbled down a hill. What remained was a leafless trunk at the bottom of a steep incline, perfect for strength training.

Next, he walked to the largest upstanding tree within reasonable walking distance. Gajeel had often climbed this tree to push his agility and upper body strength, and it was the perfect way to test Freed's practical skills. The tree was still standing tall, the branches Gajeel used to climb still attached. Perfect, no excuses for when Freed fucked up.

When he got to the lake, Gajeel grinned a little. The morning was cold and the water would be freezing, the worst temperature to take a swim in. Normally Gajeel would have hated to swim in weather like this, but it would certainly be a nice wake-up call for the spoiled little Prince.

Yeah, this was gonna be fun. For Gajeel anyway.

——

"I think yesterday proved pretty damp conclusively that you're out of luck if you don't have your magic," Gajeel said with crossed arms, looking down at Freed. "So, today I'm gonna teach you a couple techniques that'll come in handy when you're in a situation where you can't spell yourself out of trouble."

Freed clearly wanted to make a comment, but held his tongue. He was learning, huh.

When Gajeel had returned from his check of the forest, Freed had woken up, set up a new fire and was using the rest of the fish (and a few berries that he had picked) to make them both a breakfast. Gajeel had wanted to reject it out of hand, but it had smelt great and if it was anywhere near as good as his meal the day before, refusing it would be a mistake. It had tasted amazing, so Gajeel had huffed out a thanks and gave a short nod of thanks.

Soon after that, Gajeel had motioned for Freed to follow him. Freed had done so without complaint - Gajeel couldn't prove it, but liked to think it was because the asshole was too embarrassed after his loss - and allowed himself to be led down the stream, towards the lake.

"You've got wings right, when you use yer magic?" Gajeel asked. "So yer probably gonna use 'em to get over every little thing, right?"

"Like you do with your little cat friend, I expect," Freed commented, and Gajeel stiffened slightly. Freed noticed and smirked a little. "My apologies, I interrupted you. Please, go on."

"Don't need yer permission," Gajeel grunted, more to himself than to the man standing before him. "But if yer using yer wings as much as I think you are, you ain't ready to deal with terrain that ain't easy to walk through. So, if this week's about improving then this is gonna help you get over that flaw. We run from here towards the lake, taking us through forested ground which ain't even and ain't safe, and then we swim from one side of the lake to the other."

"So it's a race then?" Freed asked, annoyingly not intimidated by the proposition.

"If you want," Gajeel shrugged. "But I ain't got a prize or anythin'. Definitely not one for participation, like yer probably used to."

Freed rolled his eyes at that, but didn't ride to the bait. Instead, he said, "Perhaps when I win, you'll cook for once."

"You ain't gonna win," Gajeel claimed.

"We'll see," Freed hummed a little, far too smug for his own good.

"Stretch up," Gajeel muttered, even though he wanted to push the man further, maybe even see if he could add an actual forfeit for losing, something to really make the fucker squirm. But, well, Gajeel didn't know for sure he would win, so couldn't risk things just in case.

Just as Gajeel went to start stretching his calves, he heard the sound of ruffling fabric and frowned. He ignored it for a moment as he felt the gentle burn of his muscles working, but caught sight of Freed's white - now dirt stained and crumpled - shirt now hanging over the branch of a nearby tree. With slightly furrowed brows, he turned towards Freed to demand an explanation, only to see him kicking off his pants and placing them right next to his shirt, leaving him only in his boxer-briefs. His tight and eye-catching boxer-briefs.

Before the thoughts could even form about how Freed was wearing his underwear to perfection, Gajeel forced his memory back to the night before. About how he'd acted and how he had tried to make Gajeel feel like crap just to feed his own ego.

Freed had lost a wrestling match, and had thrown a fit about it. Gajeel couldn't respect a man like that, and he couldn't find a guy hot if he didn't respect him.

"The hell are you doing?" Gajeel demanded.

"If we're going to swim, then I'd rather not get my only set of clothes wet when it could be avoided," Freed explained, and Gajeel was momentarily thankful that he didn't look ready to remove his boxers. He couldn't think like that, so spoke again.

"Cause you can't stand a bit of discomfort, right?" Gajeel grumbled.

"No, I just don't see the point of making things worse for myself to prove a point," Freed looked pointedly towards Gajeel when he said that. "The water is clearly going to be cold and the weather doesn't look like it'll improve, meaning it'll be a struggle to dry ourselves already. The fire can only do so much, and we'll either have to lounge around in wet clothes out of stubbornness, or remove them and wait for them to dry while we ourselves get dry. That extends the time we'll be cold, making us both uncomfortable and wasting time before whatever inane task you've got next. That, coupled with the fact that this is flu season, seems like good enough justification for avoiding a stupid problem."

Gajeel could hardly argue the point, so instead he mumbled, "We ain't gonna be lounging around."

"What an astute and well thought out argument," Freed deadpanned, and Gajeel wanted to punch him again. He didn't, instead averting his eyes as Freed started to stretch his arms. "Nobody is forcing you to do the same if you're shy, Mister Redbox. To me it just feels like the reasonable course of actions."

Rather than speaking, Gajeel turned his back. He also removed his shirt and boots; but he wasn't getting half naked like the pervert next to him.

Calling him a pervert was maybe a stretch.

He pushed back that thought, as well as the thoughts of how damn good Freed's ass looked in those boxers - Gajeel was only a man, and he couldn't deny what he saw - and instead got himself into line with Freed. The race is what he should have been focusing on, not the fact that Freed didn't look half bad when he was taken away from his pampered and luxurious sheen. Tangled hair and the odd spec of dirt really did wonders for the pretty-boy.

The race. Focus on the race. And the fact the guy couldn't deal with a loss.

"Ready?" Gajeel asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Go."

He lurched forward before he could think, sprinting through the undergrowth of the the forest as he ran towards the lake. Years of guild work in places like this had allowed for the perfection of running through the forest; you kept alternating your gaze between the ground and on the trees.

Usually he would have turned his skin to iron so he wouldn't have to focus on the branches in his way, but he was trying to prove a point. He winced a little as a sharp end to a twig scraped against his cheek, far too close to his eye, but didn't let it stop his pace. He could hear Freed's breathing very close behind him, so evidently Freed knew how to run through a forest as well as Gajeel did, so he couldn't let up for a moment.

When they were out of the forest, there was a short run towards the lake with more space than there had been in the forest. Gajeel forced himself to run as fast as he could, not wanting to let Freed overtake him now he had the width to do so. And not having a view of the man's body might-

The race. The way he'd acted the night before. Focus dammit!

If telling himself wasn't enough to cut off his libido, the face first plunge into freezing, dirty water certainly did. He let out a shuddering gasp when his head broke the surface, but couldn't allow the ice-cold water to stop him. He quickly started to swim, smirking a little when he realised he still had the lead.

The smirk died when Freed overtook him pretty damn quickly.

Gajeel saw nothing but ripples of water ahead of him, and gritted his teeth as he tried to speed up. He was a man built to brute force his way through a problem, while Freed was apparently more agile. He should have expected that, but he had wanted to leave Freed in the dust during the run so it wouldn't be an issue.

All he could do now was swim to the other shore of the lake, pissed off.

When he reached the end of the lake, he saw Freed resting on one of the large boulders that made up the shoreline. He was panting, soaking wet and still wearing those fuckimg boxers. When he saw Gajeel haul himself up from the water, he looked towards him and smirked.

"That didn't end up how you wanted, did it?"

"Shut up," Gajeel snarled. "Get yer clothes, we've got a busy day."

When Freed laughed, Gajeel nearly pushed him into the lake again.

——

"So, you think ya can beat that?"

Gajeel had more than got his confidence back now, and he was smirking at Freed with his arms flexed intentionally.

Both he and Freed were stood at the bottom of a steep hill, where the dead tree-truck sat. Gajeel had explained this challenge; they would both have to push the tree-truck up the hill as far as they could. The justification for this exercise was that Freed might one day find himself in a situation where he was trapped without his magic and needed to force his way out with his strength alone, and the exercise was meant to simulate that. Freed clearly saw that Gajeel just wanted to push his limits, but he didn't say anything.

This was the last task of the day. They'd already attempted the tree climbing that Gajeel had planned, and Freed had been obnoxiously good at it. Gajeel had been faster, but they both knew that he had a natural advantage because he'd had practice. Gajeel could hardly boast about being slightly better then Freed at something he had done many times and Freed was new to.

Gajeel had just finished his attempt at pushing the trunk, and was fucking delighted when he saw he'd beaten his own personal record. This was how he would regain his control over things.

Freed didn't stand a chance.

"I'm sure I'll be a worthy contender," Freed stated, walking towards the tree-trunk. "Which is a feat, I expect, given that you've clearly been setting me up for failure from the beginning."

"Maybe if you weren't so predictable then I wouldn't have been able to plan things out so well," Gajeel grunted.

"So you predicted that, in everything other than tasks that relied solely on physical strength, I have exceeded your expectations and beaten you in completion, I suppose?" Freed taunted quietly as he positioned himself against the tree-trunk. "I expect you did all of this simply to prove your inferiority."

"Inferiority?" Gajeel scoffed. "You ain't done anything but bitch about this because it's not going yer way."

"Not going my way?" Freed laughed, turning from the log and looking at Gajeel again. "You are joking, aren't you?"

"All you've done is make yer little comments about how you don't think it's fair," Gajeel challenged, taking a step forward and glaring the other man down. "And when ya lose, you throw a tantrum."

"I throw tantrums," Freed demanded, sounding equal parts exasperated and annoyed. "As opposed to you, who has been acting perfectly rational throughout this? It hasn't escaped my attention that you clearly see Makarov's initiative as some sort of personal affront to you, and you have apparently seen it fair to force all of these grievances onto me. So for you, a man who has been as close to stomping his feet and wailing as his pride allows, to complain about me throwing a tantrum is practically laughable."

"You think that's what I'm doing?" Gajeel took another step forward. "I'm doing this because yer clearly a spoiled little city-boy and I ain't associating myself with something who can't-"

"Can't what?" Freed snapped. "Can't make a shelter? Can't start a fire? Can't swim across a lake faster than you? Because I've done all of this despite your clear hopes otherwise. Or would you rather judge my worth as a mage by seeing me push a dead tree up a hillside, or to wrestle you without the weapon I use nor the magic I wield? Because, Mr Redfox, if you need to force such strict parameters to best me and you consistently lose, then perhaps your plan isn't a good one."

Fuck, he wanted to punch the guy. Fully encase his fists in iron and beat the shit out of the guy. It would be damn satisfying to see the guy knocked out, while the smugness straight out of him.

"Nothing to say?" Freed continued, a patronising look on his face.

"Fuck off," Gajeel growler, turning around and going to walk away. Before he could take a step, a wall of glowing runes shot up in front of him, blocking his exit. He turned to Freed with an expression of fury. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You," Freed snapped, and magic seemed to emanate from him.

He looked feral in that moment, with all the shields of fancy clothes and smart ass words replaced by anger and magic. His shirt was billowing in the magic induced winds, and the glare on his face was accentuated by the purple swirling in his eye. Fuck, he looked like a man on the edge and it shot straight to Gajeel's dick. Freed was a gentleman gone wild, and if that wasn't one of Gajeel's most well-buried fantasies then he didn't know what was.

The expression was gone as quickly as it came, and the magic swarming Freed's eye fell away. For a moment, Freed looked worried, but he was talking again before Gajeel could understand why he looked like that.

"Neither of us are happy about this, but at the end of the week we have to fight side by side, and the biggest issue we have right now is that we can't stand one another," Freed seemed more calm now, as if the bubble of anger had burst. What the hell had caused that? "So, either you plan something that might make us work together, or at least respect one another, or we both stop trying and say to hell with the consequences."

Gajeel didn't say anything. It felt like the rug had been pulled from under him.

Suddenly, a wave of shitty realisation hit him. Freed had a point when he said he was taking his anger out on him, when he really just didn't want to do the damn training thing at all. He wasn't being fair.

"I think that's enough," Freed sighed. "I'll gather my things and go home. You needn't contact me again."

Freed was walking away before Gajeel could react, and the walls of runes fell around them both. A horrid feeling of regret filled Gajeel, and he quickly jogged to catch up with Freed, who was clearly ignoring him. He kinda deserved it.

"Shit, Freed, wait," He placed a hand on the man's chest, and Freed glared at him. "Yer right, I ain't been fair," It wasn't a fun thing to admit. "I had some ideas about who you were, and didn't wanna let ya prove me wrong, even when you were kicking my ass," He sighed. "And yer right about me wanting to fuck you over, that's why I did this shit, and it wasn't right. That was shitty of me."

"Well, I can hardly blame you for judging me. We were both guilty of that," Freed admitted. "And thank you for admitting that. But I don't see how we could suddenly become a cohesive, effective team, we're hardly compatible."

Gajeel sighed, Freed had a point.

But if a Fairy Tail mage was good at anything, they were good at being stubborn.

"What if we have a fight?" Gajeel proposed, and Freed frowned at him. "Talking like this ain't gonna get rid of the attitude we have for each other, right? You're still pissed at me, and you said some things that made me wanna sock a punch in yer jaw. Maybe having the chance to beat the shit outta each other might break through the attitude problems we have."

"That's not too bad an idea," Freed admitted, glancing at the evening sky for a moment. "It would be cathartic to make you scream."

"Buy me dinner first, city-boy," Gajeel teased before he could think. Freed all but gaped at him, and Gajeel was speaking to fill the silence before he could stop himself. "Y'know, I ain't ever seen you fight before. Don't know how you work."

"Then I have the advantage," Freed grinned slightly. "And you're voluntarily giving it to me. Perhaps you really are repentant."

"Nah, just wanna kick yer ass without you having an excuse."

"We'll see," Freed smirked, and Gajeel found himself grinning back.