#I have a very specific memory of a drunk campfire in the woods and I was teaching some friends a ceilidh dance to some folk punk tunes

[c-is-for-circinate]

I know Vex’s little ‘oh no, I’m too queasy for dinner’ at the end of SfB was just a fun little wink to the group and the fans and to everyone in reminder of the future they’d already written, but I’m me, and obsessed with timelines and implications, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

Nausea associated with pregnancy usually begins around six weeks in, sometimes as little as four.  The timeline around Search for Grog is a little different in Episode 115 and the one-shots: ep 115 suggests that Grog pulled a card the very night they defeated Vecna, they went directly to Pandemonium, and were there for two weeks, while the one-shots imply he waited a few days to pull the card, they spent a few days in Vasselheim preparing for the mission, and then were only in Pandemonium for about two days.  Doing some handwaving suggests that they returned to Whitestone in total a week or two after Vecna’s defeat, and that Vex had already been pregnant for a couple of weeks when they vanquished him.

Two weeks before Vecna was sealed, the Trickfoots were only just arriving in Whitestone.  Two weeks before that, give or take a day, Vox Machina was just stepping off a ship and heading back home after their Winter’s Crest vacation, after Percy and Vex threw a glorious ball, after a year of peace and hard work they had no reason to think was coming to an end any time soon.

If Vex is pregnant now, pregnant enough to feel it, it probably didn’t happen in Scanlan’s mansion last night in celebration of their ridiculous couples-y badassery after the pair of them did triple digit damage in a single round being cool.  It didn’t happen the night Vecna was sealed, in grief and comfort that night they slept out in the woods just the two of them without even a bear for warmth, with a little campfire and all their memories and body heat and sorrow.  It wasn’t that second night in the Feywild when everyone was terrified and exhausted from their climb up the titan, sleeping in Artagan’s hospitality, already mourning someone who was still with them; or that first night in the Feywild, for that matter, terrified and exhausted and shattered in grief, when nobody was having sex in the first place, because if we let timelines be timelines Vex was already pregnant by then even if nobody else knew it.

Was she already pregnant standing in front of Pelor, turning into a dragon to race desperately for a blessing she barely understood but still yearned for?  Was she already pregnant standing in front of Vecna the first time, when Power Word Kill plucked the life out of her in a single second and Revivify had her back up not even a minute later?  That wasn’t even three weeks ago.  It’s been such a hard month.

(Was it an accident?  Did they all get wild and joyous one last night at the beach together as family, and Vex and Percy tumble into bed too drunk to remember the usual cantrip, too in love and used to each other by now to hold back?  There’s surely been sex since then, and a great deal of alcohol, but maybe the cantrip specifically targets fertilization and is useless after that, and maybe the barrage of healing magic that Vox Machina throw around so constantly makes up for a lot.  Maybe they don’t even know.)

(Was it on purpose?  Did they come to each other in those couple of weeks after getting home from vacation and say, we’re here, we’re good, we’re married even if nobody knows it, and maybe we should just try?  Did they assume it hadn’t taken, did they regret even making the attempt that night as they talked that night in episode 97, about how Vox Machina still had work to do, how they were not yet done?  Did they argue or debate or share fears about the risks, in this world that didn’t seem quite finished with them yet?)

Because of how people work, and how D&D works specifically, where sometimes little throwaway notions mean everything and sometimes they mean nothing at all--it’s more possible than it would be in nearly any other sort of story that Vex is just nauseous for the thousand other reasons people sometimes are.  She might be pregnant and she might not.  Maybe it happened last night and it’s barely even taken yet, but she’s queasy for entirely unrelated reasons that everybody will remember in two months when she and Percy announce it after all.  Maybe a lot of things.

But hey, considering the full set of possible implications in throwaway statements is what I do, so enjoy your morning dose of heartache and hope, courtesy of the de Rolos yet again.

[justanotherboyinblue]

Unusual Asks

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? spotify!! 

is your room messy or clean? ...depends if i don’t have company, or i haven’t been made to clean it, it’s relatively messy. well. it’s not messy to me, because i know where everything is and why things are...not...put away, but messy to Literally Everyone Else

what color are your eyes? brown!

do you like your name? why? i Love my name mostly because i chose it and i like how it sounds I Just Think It’s Neat

what is your relationship status? taken! i have two beautiful partners that i love very very much

describe your personality in 3 words or less Chaotic Disaster Gay

what color hair do you have? also brown dkjbsgalk

what kind of car do you drive? color? i don’t drive! don’t have my license yet

where do you shop? anywhere and everywhere alksjdb meijer? ig?

how would you describe your style? Grunge

favorite social media account discord! ‘s how i talk to my babies :3

what size bed do you have? a twin! v comfy, v bouncy

any siblings? unfortunately two brothers both are Assholes

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? switzerland honestly first of all, lgbtq+ has been legal there since 1942 like look at them Go oh my gosh also! i love german, it’s such a fascinating language but the biggest reason? that’s where moje rojena wants to live

favorite snapchat filter? i don’t have snapchat, and don’t really plan to kjasbdl

favorite makeup brand(s) don’t wear it! the only thing i use is chapstick lmao a wonderful vanilla chapstick by Eos

how many times a week do you shower? sometimes every night, but mostly every other night! so three or four

favorite tv show? oh gosh there are so many she-ra is probably at the top i love supernatural, and elementary, bbc sherlock, person of interest, steven universe there are a bunch of amazing shows i love!

shoe size? i think i wear like a ten and a half quadruple e do with that as you will

how tall are you? 5′4 i think probably

sandals or sneakers? flip flops!! or barefoot kadjbsgl

do you go to the gym? i don’t think i’ve ever even seen the inside of a gym

describe your dream date cuddle pile some show or movie on tv So Many Blankets but the most important thing the Most Important thing is that my babies are with me and that’s all i really need

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? i don’t have any cash, but i have like a little over $50 on my card

what color socks are you wearing? white with gray designs

how many pillows do you sleep with? normally three, but i’ll bring in another three if i want to build a Nest:tm:

do you have a job? what do you do? no job! i think my first job will be working at my local library

how many friends do you have? uhhhhhhh no idea a dozen? idk maybe half a dozen i really have no idea, and i have a horrible memory

what's the worst thing you have ever done? I Will Not Divulge Such Information

what's your favorite candle scent? there’s this one candle we have that’s tide+kelp scented but it just smells like a speedstick it’s awesome

3 favorite boy names Leo (obviously) Tobias Axel

3 favorite girl names L(again, obviously) Celeste i’ve always loved the name Andromeda as well! 

favorite actor? Ezra Miller!! they’re a nonbinary icon, first of all, and they’re an amazing actor in my opinion! they’re Credence in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Barry in Justice Leauge

favorite actress? hmmmmmmmmmm probably Margot Robbie tbh love her stuff also? have you seen the trailer for Birds of Prey? we Stan

who is your celebrity crush? don’t have one kjdsablg

favorite movie? oh gosh I Cannot Choose A Favorite Anything Okay i love Avatar(the one with the blue aliens not the Disgrace Of A Movie), and The Dark Knight, Captain Marvel, Abominable, and so many others

do you read a lot? what's your favorite book? i do! i used to read almost a full book every day Finding Me by Katheryn Cushman is really good, and so is Five Feet Apart, i love the Divergent series too!

money or brains? brains duh, if you’re smart you can make more money but if you’re an idiot with money what happens when you run out

do you have a nickname? what is it? not really kjabdsga my partners have their nicknames for me of course, but with my actual name you can’t have a lot of nicknames Leo calls me Q, i’ve been called Stefano and Viktor, one friend used Quimberly for a while akjfgbslkdfg

how many times have you been to the hospital? other than when i was born, i think only the once!

top 10 favorite songs Here We Go sweet tooth-Scott Helman adderall- Max Frost bambi- Hippo Campus roxxane- Arizona Zervas grixtronics- GRiZ iSpy- KYLE truth hurts- kidz bop (fuck off it slaps) walk man- TMG mr.clean- Yung Gravy peach scone- Hobo Johnson

do you take any medications daily? nope! 

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) definitely oily

what is your biggest fear? Ya Boi Out Here With Abandonment Issues

how many kids do you want? i’ll stick with my fur babies thank you very much

what's your go-to hairstyle? in my face covering my right eye so i can’t see with it because it annoys my mother and i think i look Hot

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) medium i would think? we don’t have a second floor or a finished basement, but i’ve never had to bunk with either of my brothers so

who is your role model? no one specific! just, kind people, yk? 

what was the last compliment you received? i think it was on...monday? when Leo kept telling me i was adorable XD

what was the last text you sent? to a gc with my partners saying i was going mia because I Have The Right To Not Interact With Anyone For Several Days And Watch Movies  no i will not be taking criticism

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? like somewhere from seven to nine i think i have no idea dude, i have the memory of a goldfish

what is your dream car? .... 1967 black chevy impala

opinion on smoking? bad for you, love the smell, not gonna tell you to stop, will just worry quietly in the corner because i won’t tell you what to do with your life

do you go to college? nope! still in high school, i probably won’t go to college tbh

what is your dream job? owning my own bookstore! with a cafe a cat cafe i have it planned out to a concerning degree

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? i’ve lived in one place my entire life and it’s on the side of the highway with no neighbors so Suburbs Be Like Scary

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? oh absolutely

do you have freckles? no and i’m salty about it

do you smile for pictures? of course! never with my teeth tho because my canines are halfway up my face :)

how many pictures do you have on your phone? don’t have a phone! i have a Whole Bunch on my computer though

have you ever peed in the woods? did not work out tried once Never Again

do you still watch cartoons? of course i do i’m gay it’s legally required

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonald's? i’ve never had McDonald's nuggets but Wendy’s has the best for sure

Favorite dipping sauce? ranch or campfire sauce

what do you wear to bed? pajamas???? in winter it’s long sleeve tees with fuzzy pants in summer it’s basketball shorts and whatever twenty-year-old shirt i can find in my closet

have you ever won a spelling bee? i’ve never entered one so no homeschool for the win

what are your hobbies? Anything On A Screen and books mostly books on a screen but i’ll occasionally pick up a paperback also food and swimming

can you draw? s o m e t i m e s

do you play an instrument? i played guitar for a while, but i broke one of the strings and don’t have the tools to replace it i really want a ukelele

what was the last concert you saw? i went to a college campus for four days with my youth group, and a band named Sing Love played every night

tea or coffee? Neither

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Also Neither i’ve been to starbucks one time and it was the most disappointing drink i’ve ever had i am a loyal biggby customer  even though i haven’t been there in over a year

do you want to get married? not in the traditional sense i couldn’t even if i wanted to because the us said No Polyam Rights

what is your crush’s first and last initial? L.R. + L.G.

are you going to change your last name when you get married? probably! or we’ll both take a new one together

what color looks best on you? warm colors!! i do look Fabulous in a nice cool forest green though

do you miss anyone right now? Of Course I Do I’m In A Long Distance Relationship With Two People

do you sleep with your door open or closed? closed if it was open my asshole cat would eat all my hair ties and my fairy lights

do you believe in ghosts? nope! 

what is your biggest pet peeve? uh people who assume? ig?

last person you called? Leo XD

favorite ice cream flavor? mint chocolate chip!!

regular oreos or golden oreos? The Golden Ones  they taste like lemon even if they’re not the lemon ones i love it

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? i don’t like sprinkles because i’m a Monster

what shirt are you wearing? i’m Not It’s Hoodie Season

what is your phone background? my tablet backgrounds are Leo and L because i’m a Sap

are you outgoing or shy? Both i’m getting a lot better in the confidence department, but i still get nervous and overwhelmed sometimes!

do you like it when people play with your hair? I Cry Every Time and so does Leo it’s adorable

do you like your neighbors? if i did i would hate them because i Can

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? not outside of the shower

have you ever been high? nope

have you ever been drunk? nope

last thing you ate? leftover itallian mac n cheese

favorite lyrics right now ..... ................. raindrops on rose and whiskers on kittens~ sTICKING-

summer or winter? winter!!

day or night? night, of course

dark, milk, or white chocolate? milk! or dark with sea salt

favorite month? hm maybe august because it’s just starting to get cold, but you can also still swim on the warm days

what is your zodiac sign pisces! as i’m sure is obvious

who was the last person you cried in front of? my mother Because Leaving Me Alone For Five Minutes Is Impossible

thank you Luxet for the questions!

[theheavycrown]

Leaf, Vines, Seaweed, Float, Breath, Volcano, Campfire, Summer?

Leaf: What’s your favourite season?

SUMMER! Summer is coming. The one true season. GIVE ME SUMMER OR GIVE ME DEATH.

Vines: What’s your aesthetic?

Is this an aesthetic? Because if so I think it’s mine. Not having any chill is an aesthetic right?

Seaweed: Favourite sea creature?

That is hard. I could probably watch Jelly fish blubble around for hours. Yes, blubble, that’s what they do. Past that, OTTERS. Do Otter’s count? Sea Otter’s.

Float: What’s the first thing you think when you wake up?

“Does my gut hurt? ....Yup.”

Breath: What type of music do you listen to?

LOTS. Alt rock, classic rock, EDM, rap, hip hop, pop - many subsets of those genres. I am almost always listening to music. I’m currently listening to Time Machine, by Ingrid Michaelson.

Volcano: What are you most afraid of?

Never getting better, never contributing anything to the world, being a weight on my loved ones, not having control of my own self.

Campfire: What’s your favourite childhood memory?

Hmmmmm, Christmas. Not a specific one exactly, all of them. I really loved Christmas because no matter how shit every thing else was, we always go along at Christmas. My parents were so excited every year, especially my dad. One year my Dad had me go to the garage with him and help him wrap my Mom’s present, an electronic dictionary. He had a big box with “a bunch of bricks and wood in the bottom” because he wanted to trick her (we used to trick gift wrap a lot). I helped him wrap up the big box. Christmas morning came and my mom opened it, it was a good time, he said we should keep digging. And I’m like LOLDADNOTHERE’SBRICKSINTHERE. There weren’t bricks in there. There was a computer for me, an E-Machine (if you remember those). It was giftception. Great memory.

Summer: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Hm. I don’t do very crazy things. I broke into a public pool once, drunk, in the middle of the night with a group of friends to go swimming. I flew across the country to meet a guy I met on WoW and start dating, we were together for two years, we are still best friends. Those are different kinds of crazy.

Thank you for encouraging me to procrastinate, you are the devil AND the angel on my shoulder @stark , I’m sure of this. I LOVE YOUR FACE.

Help me procrastinate!

[xfirespritex]

Confessions in the Dark, Part 1

This is my entry for the 31 Little Wrestling Fics Challenge! This amazing challenge was run by @fan-fiction-galore and @thewriterformerlytaggedas

This has spurred on a writing spree for me so you’ll notice this says “Part 1″ of the story. I’m hoping to continue the story and might post the second (and probably final) part before the month is over. If you’re interested let me know!

My prompts are:

Quote: “ are you shivering cause you’re afraid or…”

Location: party in the woods

Situation:  stories around campfire

Supernatural element: werewolves

 I researched this a bit in trying to stay away from the cliches of our fandom. See the link below if you wonder where my creature concept came from!

http://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/201204/monsters.from.mesopotamia.htm

Tag List: (If you want to be tagged please send me a message so I can add you to the list! If I missed you I’m so sorry!)

@wwesmutdonedirtcheap

@thedeboniardevistation @xxnobodyshero13xx  @speedilyghostlycloud

@fan-fiction-galore  @amaranthine-reign @lordoftheringsmyass  

@justtheaverageblog1 @alpha-american @aineslight @reigns420 @deajm2116

@redroseblackwolfpack96 @blondekel77  @shieldgirl95 @gelinas22

@vebner37 @banrioncethlenn  @moxtiel  @caramara3

@fmlallthewayup @breezy14fan @secretagentfangirl @crowleysqueenofhell

@abominablestrowman279 @laochbaineann @wrestlingnoob @logandemico

@calwitch @sleeplessandcynical @sjwrites22 @georgiadean37

@houndofjustice-imagines @squirrel666 @dorkyvillain @heeltothequeen @heelturn-timesten @satansstrawberry @ohcristimhookedonhavocimsodunne @leteverythingexist

Part 1

“Damn, it’s cold,” Liv muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest as we walked out of Jose’s house and headed to the wooded area behind it, following the path of string lights and lanterns he’d arranged. The property, though technically owned by Jose, wasn’t developed. His property line was impressive and he always said he’d get around to doing something with the land eventually.

As it turned out the little clearing in the woods served as an excellent campfire and party location. Far back enough from neighboring houses and close enough to modern technology and resources (like a bathroom).

Jose invited all of us over for a get together a week before Halloween to get into the “spooky season.” He told us all to dress warmly as it was unseasonably cold for Florida in October and asked that we all bring some sort of food or drink to contribute. I held the buffalo chicken dip I’d heated in Jose’s oven carefully as we walked, feeling the cold air around me but choosing not to comment.

When we entered the clearing I went to the tables that Jose had set up and set the dip down near the chips, uncovering it carefully and tucking the foil into the garbage bag tied to a lower tree branch nearby.

“Hey, Y/N, all good?” Jose said.

I laughed. “Yes, Jose, I turned off your oven.” He smirked at me, glad that I understood the true meaning behind his question. Kissing my cheek he went off to monitor the other food being made, Roderick Strong at the grill we’d brought back into the clearing.

Walking over to the fire I spotted an empty seat next to Sami Zayn and felt my heart skip. Liv caught my eye and she winked, telling me she’d taken the seat she did on purpose, to force me next to Sami. My crush wasn’t necessarily a secret, everyone teased me, both in front of and behind Sami’s back that I was sweet on him. Every time it happened Sami would wrap an arm around me and kiss my head temple or cheek and tell me to ignore everyone. And every time he did that I could feel my heart race.

I walked over and sat on the blanket covered log next to Sami and he turned, smiling brightly at me.

“Hey,” he said, turning his torso towards me more.

“Hey Sami, glad to see you’re in town.”

“Aw, did you miss me?” Sami teased, a kind smile on his face.

“Always,” I said, smirking as I leaned into his solid form. “Missed the warmth.” I added as the heat of his body enveloped me and I immediately felt warmer.

“Using me for my body heat, I see how it is,” Sami said as he wrapped an arm around me.

“What else is there?” I teased back, smirking at him. Sami’s fingers tickled along my ribcage and I squirmed slightly, shrieking as he locked both arms around me so I couldn’t escape. He laughed as he tortured me and I gasped for breath.

“Sami! Stop! I’m sorry!”

“Say there is more to me than my body heat,” he goaded.

“There is more to you than your body heat!” I laughed out.

He stopped tickling me then and hugged me against him, his chin on top of my head. “That’s better.”

I sighed and relaxed into his arms. Our friendship had always been flirty but it felt, more often than not, that my feelings had grown while Sami had kept me in the position of friendship. Still, as he was a great friend, I wasn’t complaining.

As more people showed up and food and drinks were dished out we all talked and laughed, enjoying the time together. The cool air was a nice break from the usual heat although I was one of the few who didn’t seem to mind.

“You must be part Canadian,” Kevin teased me as I grabbed some chips.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You’re not cold. You, me, Sami and only a few other people from the northern parts of the US and Canada aren’t freezing. Everyone else is whining,” he said.

I smiled at him. “I don’t know if I’m Canadian but I know that I love the Canadians I do know. Maybe I’m an honorary Canadian.”

Kevin smirked. “You mean you love a specific Canadian.”

I frowned. “Shut up, Kevin.” I turned, sticking my tongue out at him as I went. Kevin laughed and called out an apology as I walked back to my seat beside Sami.

“What is Kevin apologizing for now?” he asked.

“The usual,” I said, shrugging. Sami understood that once again I’d been teased regarding him. He frowned across the fire to his friend who gave an apologetic look again. I stared into the fire as Jose stood up on another log and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Okay everyone, as it’s the week before Halloween I think we should all share a few campfire stories before we head out. Make sure none of us sleep tonight,” he said, winking playfully. Everyone laughed or clapped and I watched as he immediately launched into a story of an evil shaman, enjoying how even in his own backyard Jose was a showman.

After Jose we heard stories from Alexa and Murphy, one from Killian and then, Baron called for everyone’s attention. He sat across the fire from where Sami and I sat and I leaned into Sami as Baron started his tale. Of course, unsurprisingly, it was about werewolves.

I felt Sami stiffen beside me at the topic but didn’t think much of it.

“I’m not kidding you guys,” Baron said. “This really happened. Shut up and listen.”

Baron, known for being a believer in the supernatural and having reported a few run-ins himself was very rarely shaken by it. His tone surprised me and I watched him closely as he began to speak.

“A few years ago, back when I was still with NXT, a bunch of us went out for drinks at that little bar near Full Sail. What’s it called?” Baron asked.

“Miller’s?” Kevin offered.

“Yeah, Miller’s, that’s it.” Baron said, nodding. I sat up more, remembering this night. As a group we hadn’t gone back to Miller’s in a while, at least, not with Baron in attendance. He always said it was because he had bad vibes from the place but it seemed, now, we’d get the real story. Or what Baron considered to be real.

“We all had some drinks and I remember we were all figuring out different ways to get home since not all of us could drive,” Baron said, looking around the group. I nodded, remembering the night. I remembered the much taller Corbin leaning on me in his drunken state.

I remembered him flirting with me all night, recently broken up with one relationship but not too long before his current one that lead to a ring on the finger of Rochelle who I adored very much. I remembered laughing at Baron that night, telling him he was drunk and lonely. He agreed and allowed himself to be carried off by Kevin to an Uber.

“The whole ride home I felt uneasy. Like something was watching me. When I got home the Uber drove off and I walked up to my front door, getting ready go inside. Of course, I was drunk and dropped my damn keys. When I crouched down to get them I heard a rustling in the bushes right by me. When I looked up there were these glowing red eyes. I moved back and out of the bush came this humongous dog creature. Way too big to be just a stray on the street and when I say glowing eyes I mean glowing, like light was coming from behind them. It crouched low over me and bared its teeth, growling. I had never seen anything like it. Dark reddish-brown fur. Saliva dripping off of its teeth and jowls and it snarled. It came so close to me and I swear it stared me down, like it was challenging me.”

I stared through the flickering flames at Corbin, I could see he had paled slightly at the memory.

“If this thing was so big and brutal,” Roderick said, a few seats down from Corbin. “Why are you still here?” he asked.

Corbin sighed and looked across the fire and his eyes met mine. I felt Sami’s arm tighten around me, pulling me closer to his body.

“Y/N called me, my phone had fallen out of my pocket and the screen light up and my ringtone was blaring and…the thing seemed surprised by it. It looked at my phone and then at me for a long minute before it turned and took off.” Baron shook his head.

“I remember that,” I said. “I called to make sure you were home okay. You answered sounding like you’d run twenty miles.”

Baron nodded and ran a hand over the beanie he wore. “I was in shock. I’ve seen things, felt things before, ya know? But never been that close to something. Been so close to being hurt.”

“You really believe this shit don’t you?” Oney Lorcan said, speaking for the first time I’d heard all night.

“It’s not shit,” Baron snapped. Jose immediately stepped between his friends and made calming motions with his arms.

“I swear man, it had to have been a werewolf. I immediately started looking into the lore and everything but you know what was weird?” Baron said. Everyone waited for a moment. “It ran off towards Y/N’s apartment, in that direction anway, like it new who it was who was calling me, like it went to see her.”

I frowned. “Is that why you demanded I lock my doors and everything?” I asked.

Baron nodded.

“Okay, so aside from Baron sending a demon dog to Y/N’s door,” Kevin said, leaning towards the fire. “Did I ever tell you guys about that cursed doll my aunt had?”

Baron, clearly annoyed that no one took him seriously or found his story as frightening as he felt it should be, sighed and leaned back, kicking his long legs out in front of him. I stood and walked over, immediately feeling cold as I left Sami’s side. Leaning down I wrapped my short arms around Baron from behind as I stood behind his chair.

“I know you’d never send a demon dog to my door,” I said, kissing Baron’s cheek. He chuckled once and looked up at me and nodded.

I ruffled his beanie and walked back over to Sami, sitting beside him again and immediately leaning into his arms again which he wrapped around me without request or question. I sighed at the scent of his cologne but my mind remained on Baron’s story. Thinking back I felt a shiver down my spine. Had Baron been so drunk he imagined that moment in time? Had his obsession with the supernatural run away with his mind that night? Or, perhaps even more ridiculous than an over six foot, near three hundred pound man scaring himself in such a way, had there actually been an animal of some sort?

The more I thought of that night the more I remembered little pieces. I remembered Baron, in the bar, commenting that he felt like eyes were on him. I had joked back saying that he was hard to miss in a crowd. I remembered Sami checking on me as I came out of the bathroom, making sure that drunk Baron wasn’t pushing his luck.

I remembered kissing Sami’s cheek in thanks, I remembered the scent of Sami that night. The same as tonight. I remembered him squeezing my hand before I walked off, back to the dance floor. And then, I remembered Baron being in my view again, talking in my ear, the two of us dancing as if we didn’t have a care in the world.

I remembered Kevin taking Baron to the car to go home. I remembered looking for Sami to say goodnight and not finding him so I told Kevin to tell Sami I was headed home, so he wouldn’t worry. Kevin nodded once, a strange look on his face.

I remembered getting home and calling Baron. His breathless voice rushing into my mind as he begged me to lock my doors and ensure my windows were secure. The panic in his voice had made my heart race, despite myself.

I remembered assuring Baron I was safe and hanging up on him.

Then, I remembered the howl I’d heard outside my home.

Shivering again I jumped when Sami’s arms tightened around me.  “You okay?” Sami asked, frowning as he looked down at me. I nodded, laughing once at myself.

“Yeah, Sami. I’m okay. Just thinking.”

“About Baron’s story?” Sami asked. I nodded. “Do you believe him?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know Sami. I mean, we all know Baron was really drunk that night. And that we all can have somewhat…overactive imaginations at times. I just, I don’t know. I remember bits and pieces of that night now. I hadn’t thought about it for a long time.”

“So… are you shivering because you’re afraid or...?” Sami’s question faded into the night air.

I looked up at him and when our eyes met I felt warmth and safety. Comfort. I shrugged.

“I don’t think I’m afraid. Just…curious. I don’t know. Is it weird that I always liked that supernatural stuff?”

Sami smiled at me. “No, it’s not weird. I’m just glad you’re not afraid of it all.” A smirk tugged on his lips as he spoke and I felt a smirk of my own tug on my own lips.

“Oh really?” I asked, feeling the playfulness enter my voice. “And why is that?”

“So then you won’t be calling me when you can’t sleep because you heard something outside your house.”

I scoffed at him and leaned back a little, feigning shock. “Oh, not going to come to my rescue then, huh Sami?”

He laughed and, smirking leaned over and put his lips to my ear. “What if I’m the thing you need saving from?”

I bit my lip, the tone of Sami’s voice surprising me. Confident, dominant. His voice was an octave or two lower. There was a rasp to it. My eyes flicked up to his and I whimpered at the look in his eyes. Pupils slightly enlarged and a glint I’d never seen there before.

His smirk grew but he leaned back from me and turned back to the fire. His arms still around me I settled against him again, feeling my cheeks flush as his words bounced around my head.

My eyes caught Kevin’s who laughed and stood, shaking his head before turning to talk to Jose.

Now, my heart was racing for an entirely different reason, all concern over Baron’s story forgotten. Sami’s arms remained around me and I could feel the tension growing with each pass of Sami’s thumb over the knuckles on my hand as he cupped it in his larger one.

“Did you drive here with the girls?” Sami asked, his voice quiet but making me jump as his breath ghosted over my skin.

I nodded.

“Who drove?”

“Liv.”

Sami’s eyes tracked Liv around the fire and I watched as she settled into another conversation.

“She doesn’t look like she’s ready to leave anytime soon,” Sami said, his voice even.

I nodded once, keeping my eyes on my friend. The shift in Sami’s demeanor taking me by surprise. He must have noticed how stiffly I was sitting now as he released my hand and wrapped his arm around my body, hand flat against my stomach as he pulled me back against me, effectively pulling me onto his lap fully.

I let out a gasp of surprise and turned to look at him.

“Sami Zayn, are you drunk?”

He smirked up at me. “No. Haven’t had a drink all night, you’ve been with me the whole time, you know I haven’t had anything.”

“Then what has gotten into you?” I asked.

Sami’s smirk grew more and he looked up through the trees to the moon. It wasn’t full anymore but his eyes reflected the sky easily and I found myself watching the reflection in his brown orbs more than the sky above. “Maybe it’s the moonlight. The stars. The cool air.”

“Oh so all I had to do to get your attention was to take you out in the woods?” I said, without thinking. I snapped my jaw shut and felt my cheeks immediately flush bright red. I went to move out of Sami’s lap, to move away from him and pray he would forget the whole thing but Sami’s hand shot out and kept tight to my hip, keeping me on his lap.

“You think you’re just now getting my attention?” Sami said.

I stared at him, feeling excitement and confusion race through me.

“That doesn’t explain…this,” I said, motioning to Sami and then to myself.

“Oh, you mean that I’m not being my bashful, awkward self?” Sami said, laughing, a true smile on his face.

“Yeah, that.”

He smiled at me and brushed a stray hair from my face. I watched him closely as his eyes followed his hand’s path and I bit my lower lip as his hand cupped my jaw.

“Want to go for a walk?” Sami asked.

“Where? In the woods?”

Sami shrugged and smiled at me. “Unless you’re scared.”

I rolled my eyes at Sami and stood, my legs feeling a little uncertain as my emotions battled my composure.

He stood too and slid an arm around me, his hand across my lower back and hand resting on my hip. We walked away from the warmth of the fire and instinctively I leaned into Sami, his body still radiating heat as we walked.

Sami was quiet and as we walked I could feel the tension growing again. No one from the party stopped us as we continued to walk along Jose’s property, the lights from the party just far enough to give us a sense of direction but soon our path was lit by the moonlight only.

“So, care to tell me why we’re walking in the woods?” I said, turning to Sami.

He walked over and sat on a log, his legs spread over the large fallen tree and he motioned for me to sit. I mirrored him, laughing at how much shorter my legs were as they hung above the ground while Sami’s reached it.

He smiled and looked at me, the joy on his face fading slightly as he studied me.

“Sami, what’s wrong?”

He was quiet for a few moments. Then he reached out and took my hand in his. “I wanted to tell you a story.”

I smiled. “You could have shared with everyone around the fire, you know, where it’s warm.”

Sami smiled and took my other hand in his other one, the warmth seeping into my chilled fingers. “It’s a story I only tell some people. It’s a family story. But, it fits the theme of the night and I think that you should hear it.”

I nodded, feeling my cheeks flush a little. I didn’t understand why Sami wanted me, only me, to hear the story tonight but I felt honored.

“Okay, tell me a story Sami Zayn.”

Sami smiled and then looked at our clasped hands. His lips straightened into a serious line and I waited, confusion filling my mind as I watched the quickly shifting moods of the man before me.

“Did you know that Arabs have werewolf legends too? We have a different word for it and, depending who you ask, and their family’s traditions, you’ll get different answers. When I was a kid my grandmother told me the story of a qutrub. Some people call them ghouls, general monsters. Others, like my family, my grandmother, said it was a human who could change into a wolf-like beast. The old stories say that they’d eat corpses; that we had to protect the dead from these creatures by performing certain rituals when burying our loved ones. But my grandmother, knew the truth. Qutrub’s don’t just eat corpses, they eat anything they like.”

I shivered at Sami’s tone again and watched as his fingers interlocked and played with my own, I noted it was Sami’s nervous habit but that he was manipulating my body instead of his own. I focused on his words, imaging a woman I could call Sami’s grandmother sitting a little Sami down and telling him this story.

“Qutrubs were meant to be bigger than wolves but not so huge to be confused with bears. Big enough to take on a wolf but small enough to slip through the villages and towns unnoticed. Stealthy, conniving creatures they wouldn’t always kill people. They’d hunt animals most of the time. Only when someone crossed the qutrub while in human form did they become a target.”

“You mean, if someone upset the human the qutrub would hunt them?” I asked.

Sami’s eyes met mine and he nodded. “She said that my great, great grandfather had done just that. That he’d angered a qutrub, disrespected him somehow. But my ancestor was a fighter, a bigger man in the community and it’s said that when the qutrub attacked my ancestor was able to beat the beast back. But, he wasn’t unscathed. He was bitten several times.”

I waited for the story to continue, the cool air around me feeling even colder the longer I was away from the fire and out of Sami’s arms. I shivered more out of his words than the air though, the seriousness in his tone surprising me. Sami sounded like he believed.

“I figured it was just a story, you know? A family legend like most people have. Then, when I started wrestling my grandmother was upset. She said it was dangerous. Not for me but for my opponents. My first match she ever watched she shouted and screamed from the front row, begging me to stop.”

“Why?” I asked, leaning closer to Sami.

He laughed. “She said that if I became too angry I’d become the qutrub. That I’d kill the man across the ring for me. My father had to take her out of the ring area and calm her down. I won that match and I went to go check on her and she was sobbing. She said she was sorry she never told me the whole story.”

Sami sighed and looked at me, his eyes clouded with emotions. He stood then and walked a few paces away from me, keeping his back to me.

“She said that the qutrub blood, the disease ran through my veins too. That she thought it had finally made its way out of our bloodline after so many generations. But then she saw me fighting, her normally sweet grandson, she saw me change. It upset her so much.”

I spun on the log to face him, my legs planted firmly on the ground. My mind was trying to wrap around Sami’s story.

“It’s just a family story, like you said Sami.”

“That’s the thing…it’s not.”

I laughed, once but then lost all sense of humor and felt a sliver of fear enter my mind.

“What? Sami, are you trying to tell me your family is made up of werewolves?”

“No, not my whole family.”

“Then what are you saying, Sami?”

“I didn’t believe her, my grandmother, you know?” Sami said as he turned and took a careful step back to me. “I mean, she was just scared to see me wrestle you know? And nothing ever felt different. It was a story.”

I nodded but kept my eyes on Sami as the uneasiness settled around me. It’s Sami. My mind chided me. You’re safe.

“You know you are safe, right? That I’d never hurt you.” I jumped and stared at Sami, wondering how he’d followed my thoughts. Had I spoken out loud? He smiled wryly at me.

“The night Baron was talking about, at that bar, it’s when I started to believe my grandmother.” I stayed quiet.

“Y/N…you know me. You know I’d never hurt anyone intentionally. That the only reason for that is if someone were to hurt someone I love. Right?”

I nodded.

“Say it.”

I jumped at the sharp command in Sami’s voice. “You’d never hurt someone without reason, Sami.”

He nodded and took a deep breath. “Do you think I’m completely insane?” He asked, closing his eyes as the words left his mouth. Just like that the old Sami was back. Uncertain. Kind. Sweet. Gentle.

I stood and walked over to him. When my boots crunched over the fallen leaves and twigs his eyes snapped open. I stood in front of Sami and placed my hands on his shoulders, gently shaking him once. “You are Sami Zayn. The most genuine person I know. And if something happened that night to make you believe a story you’d heard probably at least once a year since you were a kid…then I believe you Sami. Did something happen that night?”

Sami sighed, releasing a breath I hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His eyes closed again and he reached up, cupping my face between his hands. He nodded once and his eyes opened briefly.

“Yeah, something happened that night.”

“What?” I asked, wrapping my arms around Sami’s shoulders, pulling us extremely close. His eyes closed again. Sami’s hands never left my face though, gently and careful as his thumbs slid over my cheeks and jaw.

Moments passed. The silence surrounded us.

His grip tightened slightly and he sighed. I could feel his breath moving over my skin as he mouthed words without sound.

“Sami?” I asked, letting my hands drift over the back of his neck, my fingertips trailing along the hair at the back of his head.

“He was near you the whole night. Touching you. Flirting with you. Trying his best to get you in his bed. I knew, deep down you wouldn’t do it but it made me angry. Thinking about it made me angry. That’s when I knew the stories were true.”

“Sami, I don’t understand, what are you saying?” I asked. I ran my hand over his jaw line, silently urging him to open his eyes and look at me. He did then, his dark eyes locking on mine and sending a shiver of energy and pure adrenaline through me.  I could see how affected Sami was, how this was stressing him out. I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead into Sami’s, trying to soothe him. He sighed and kept me close to him, a few moments passing in silence again.

“Remember how I said in the story, if anyone crosses a qutrub when they’re human they become a target for the beast?”

I nodded, still not following Sami’s disjointed thoughts. I waited.

“It was me. I was the beast that went after Baron.”