#I hope people like it 🥺

[ninetyminutes]

Sure! I’d love to read a bit of the fic!

Okokok I’m lowkey nervous to share this because I don’t have much experience writing getting together fics but I actually kinda like this bit. This chunk takes place before they get together (obviously), but Lorne is already aware of his growing crush. Chevy is still a little oblivious to his crush on Lorne, so the flirting is mostly just Chevy being Chevy.

* * *

Lorne was jolted awake by the relentless pounding on his apartment door. Groaning, he rolled over to squint at the glowing red numbers on his alarm clock. 4:00 PM. He ran a hand through his hair, still groggy from an interrupted sleep that had been far too short.

He shuffled out of bed, pulling on a pair of wrinkled sweatpants that had been draped over a nearby chair. The floor felt cold beneath his bare feet as he made his way to the door, rubbing his eyes and mumbling something incoherent under his breath.

Unlocking the door, he barely had time to register who it was before Chevy breezed past him into the apartment.

“Morning, sunshine,” Chevy said, holding two steaming coffee cups in one hand.

“It’s four in the afternoon,” Lorne mumbled, still half-asleep.

Chevy smirked and set the cups down on Lorne’s cluttered kitchen counter before taking a seat at one of the mismatched chairs. Lorne blinked a few times before joining him, his curiosity piqued by the comforting aroma wafting from one of the cups.

He took a tentative sip of the coffee Chevy handed him, expecting the usual bitterness, but paused in surprise when he realized it was made exactly how he liked it: not too sweet, with just the right amount of cream.

“How’d you know this is how I take my coffee?” Lorne asked, raising an eyebrow.

Chevy scoffed, leaning back casually in the chair. “I pay attention.”

“Really?” Lorne tilted his head, the words catching in his throat and surprise flickering across his face as his groggy mind tried to process the unexpected thoughtfulness. His stomach gave a traitorous flutter at the idea that Chevy had cared.

“Not at all,” Chevy admitted unapologetically. “You’re a caffeine addict, and I asked the barista downstairs for whatever the short guy in jeans and a Hawaiian shirt usually orders.”

Lorne nearly choked on his coffee, startled by Chevy’s bluntness. He coughed, trying to suppress the laugh bubbling up in his chest. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, still shaking his head at Chevy’s audacity.

“It’s too early for your bullshit,” Lorne groaned, his voice rough with sleep as he shook his head. He drained the last of his coffee and set the cup down on the counter. He started a fresh pot on his coffee machine before heading toward the bathroom. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Don’t have too much fun in there!” Chevy commented dryly, not even looking up from the newspaper he had picked up at the café.

Lorne paused mid-step, glancing over his shoulder just in time to catch the sly smirk playing on Chevy’s lips. That familiar, maddening smirk. Lorne shot him a deadpan look, the kind of empty glare that unsettled most.

Chevy glanced up, grin widening at Lorne’s reaction, entirely deterred. “If you do, I want an invite!” he teased just before Lorne closed the bathroom door.

Lorne froze for half a second, his face heating to a shade that rivaled a ripe tomato. He gritted his teeth, willing himself not to engage, and twisted the shower knobs with more force than necessary.

The spray of water hit him almost immediately, freezing cold and shocking enough to pull a yelp from his throat. Still, he stayed put under the icy blast, as if the cold water might drown out both his irritation and the strange flutter of something he couldn’t—or wouldn’t—name.

He leaned his forehead against the cool tiles, letting the water cascade over him. It was starting to warm now, but he barely noticed, his thoughts still churning. Chevy’s voice, his teasing words, and that damn smirk played on a loop in his mind.

“Unbelievable,” Lorne muttered under his breath, reaching for the soap. He scrubbed his face harder than necessary, as though washing away the memory of Chevy’s stupid, flirtatious comment would help.

But it didn’t. And as much as he hated to admit it, a small, traitorous part of him didn’t entirely want it to.

[rubsjuice]

What if a guy who was evil definitely didn't deserve all that

[gloomtownfags]

I don't want to work I want to go home and finish my fic

[vaguely-concerned]

the more I play the more I think lucanis basically knows it's illario who betrayed him right from the beginning (he's had a year in the ossuary to think. not that many people knew where he was going. when you ask him 'did Illario know you'd be on that ship' his only answer is the hardest flattest 'yes' you ever heard). so it's not so much about figuring out who the traitor is (because that's ludicrous. we all know. immediately. they didn't really bother to hide it lmao) as about methodically closing off every single avenue of denial lucanis has clung to that whole time with as much or little gentleness as you might prefer until he has no choice but to admit it. because the moment he has to admit it, he'll have to do something -- feel something -- about it. and that's such a catastrophic event in lucanis' inner landscape (he has had TWO people in this whole entire world up until now and will do anything to hold on to them with a heartbreaking child-like desperation, even at and especially through the detriment of his own self) that he'd rather just. not. what if we quite simply. didn't. what if we just stayed here in the emptiness where we can both pretend you didn't hurt me in a way I should never forgive. I have so much practice in that with caterina already it's always worked out great for everyone so far. (press x to fucking doubt but that's trauma logic for you lol)

after everything illario did, so much of the storm of lucanis' emotions around it is 'what the FUCK did you get yourself tangled up in this time and how do I get you out of this mess safely'. what's worse: the fact that your brother murdered you, or that he put himself in horrible danger doing so and thus exposed you to the risk of losing him forever. lucanis' heart certainly has an opinion here and it's fucking unhinged (affectionate)

the themes of dissociation in lucanis' character in general makes me feel nuts. allllll these contradictory messy things he needs to cut off from each other because they can't coexist or be easily reconciled inside him. but all remain stubbornly true separately anyway and will have their due one day. love and resentment. tenderness and fear and rage. terror and longing. love and freedom don't coexist. the burned out golden child anthem is playing in the background. he was always caterina's favourite and he has to keep striving to deserve that dubious honour with every breath he takes and then, presumably, mercifully, some day he will die and be excused and can rest. and until now he's suppressed all the -- natural, healthy, protective! -- negative feelings that threaten the few attachment relationships he actually has, at the cost of ever actually having his needs for connection and safety met and leaving his core self imprisoned and compromised. and spite goes 'what. no. that's dumb fuck that' (*spite voice* I do not understand that and even if I did I would not respect it) and does not allow him to fall back into that, which I think is what saves his life, ultimately. it took being possessed by a demon for lucanis to even contemplate telling anyone he loves 'no' in any way, but hey. whatever gets you there right lol

lucanis is dealing with the freeze response allll the way down baby. and he was even before the ossuary, that just turbo powered it and brought it to a breaking point way before it could happen naturally. but something was going to break eventually no matter what, and I'm just glad that in the end, through the power of friendship and also pure spite, it doesn't have to be him

[isjasz]

Welcome to HERMITOPIA👋

Postcard art I drew for @fishbloc + the awesome design they made for the back :D!!!!!

You can get the postcard if you order the emperor grumbot bag at their shop. now GO AND CHECK OUT THE GACHA CHARMS TOOOO THEYRE SO FREAKING CUTE💥

[mouse-fantoms]

If ya’ll think I’m not crying like a baby about this then let me inform you 😭😅

[momomallowart]

Happy birthday Tomura ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔっ🎉🎂

He is loved more than he knows 💗

Alt version + close-ups 🫶💗

[willczek-art]

Two-sided Acrylic Charm I made for @p4zine! :DD

This is my absolute FAVOURITE thing ever, I always DREAMT of making charms and this one went into production!! I physically have them!! I'm lead to believe I'm not the only one!! :DD SO HAPPY- 👀✨!!

[zuiz41]

IwaOi/Oiiwa Manga Valentine Special!

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone!! 💖💝💞 🎉✨

[partylikemajima]

Mending Hearts. - Chapter 2

Chapter 3 might take longer to finish cause I'm ill af but I have a plan, but heres chapter 2! Pretty long too (i feel like that anyways). Starts off with Annie's POV of the first chapter and then continues on into the juke-joint night. Chapter 1 is here.

When Smoke's truck had pulled up to her workplace, Annie had initially grabbed her rifle. Thinking she was seeing things and that it wasn't possible that after all the years of praying for him, it worked. She's used to praying, but for this long? It had taken a toll on her. Her knees bruised from kneeling, her hands worn from giving it her all with her practise to make sure her protection reached them. When he came closer to her shack and she registered he was walking ok, she averted her eyes and her hands nearly snapped the root she was tying up. She didn't know what to do, how to think. Rage and longing consumed her that she didn't move from her position at the center table. He was well, no body parts missing, seemed as sharp as she remembered. So why did it take him so long to come back to her?!

He passed by with flowers in his hands and she knew it was for their daughter. Her heart ached, the grief of loss heavy on her - from having to grieve alone, losing him for this long and seeing that he was grieving too. She wanted to hug him and tear him apart.

On the second time he knocked, her rage for him was what answered, calling him a haint. But he knew too well, he remembered what she taught him. She had to excuse herself to the back room after hearing his deep, rich voice again with a hand over her chest trying to collect herself. She took the opportunity to spy on him when he retreated and saw him talking away to their daughter which took her by surprise - she remembered how hard it was for him to say anything whenever he stood by the grave in the past.

Her love for him was what opened the door.

He looked relieved as he walked towards her, but it changed to pain when she told him to stop in his tracks. Not going to be this easy Elijah. She reminded herself, though the more they talked, the more she lost control of herself. Slipping back into their rhythm that neither had forgotten. She fought her hardest to keep him on trial. Asking about why he didn't reply to her letters.

His weak voice pleading to her at his shock that she did write to him almost had her reaching for him by his collar to pull him inside. It slipped out her mouth before she caught herself and accused him of lying, rage bubbling again even though she knew better to question his honesty. His demeanor shifted, stepping up closer and she moved back. Hearing one of his vows to her made her want to take it all back. He was telling the truth, he always did.

The kids gave her a good distraction despite feeling his eyes on her, until she heard he was already shooting people as soon as he came back. He doesn't shoot for no reason, she knew that. But his attempt to laugh made her glare. She did see the look he gave the children though, softening for them. Maybe the time away gave him time to work through things in his life - while dodging whatever trouble in Chicago he was roped into.

He had moved higher up to her door while she had her back turned, walking over to the door again seeing that he didn't cross the threshold. His cologne floated around the space between them as they stood closer and it took all her strength to keep her senses alert. To not act like he came back for her, to pretend she didn't remember his touch on her and the words from his heart that were etched into her body. She couldn't decide which was easier to do, to cry right then and there and take him back or to protect how much time she had taken to carry on from his absence. She opted for the latter, asking what the hell he wanted with her.

Yet she knew he wasn't saying the whole truth. Didn't lie. Just attempted to hide part of the truth. He was suffering too. The ache in his voice, the warmth of his eyes for her. His hands soothing himself. So she asked again with just his name, and his confession rocked her that she couldn't keep up the façade.

Of course she'd help him. She wasn't going to let go of him now that he's back. Its what she prayed for right? But he had to work for it.

Shutting the screen door in his face after confirming she'll be there, but only for his brother gave her satisfaction and regret. He looked so sad. Denying his offer for a lift too was the nail in the coffin and she moved before her resolve would crumble. Hearing him cuss but thanking her for helping, even if he thought it wasn't for him. She didn't lie either, it was for Stack, but she hid part of the truth from him, that it was for him too.

Two can play at that game.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

As soon as Annie arrived at the juke-joint, she spotted Stack jogging out the door towards her. He was waving his hand and took off his hat, coming around Bo's car to open the door to the side she was sitting on. "Annie! I heard you got a gun?!" He chuckled, holding out his hand that she took and stepped down, immediately rolling her eyes but brought him in for a hug.

"Don't think I won't shoot you Elias, staying gone for so long" She leaned back and gripped his shoulder which caused him to bend and move out of pain, still laughing. Same old Elias.

"It was my fault, I admit it" He hugged her again and guided her towards the entrace. It was strange and welcoming to have him back too. She prayed for both of their safety. He was looking as lively as ever.

"But we here now, and its going to be one hell of a night" He clapped his hands looking around the barn. He tipped his hat to her and slipped passed a group of people when his name was called from further inside. She watched him leave until she couldn't see him clearly within the crowd. Elias had always been her good friend, no matter how crazy he is. Both of the twins were crazy, just in different ways.

Give her enough to deal with too, she was crazy as well.

Annie saw many of the folk gathered inside working away at setting up the place. She started to piece together the vision the twins had and felt hope for a place her community could wind down and enjoy themselves without a worry. Many of them she could place pain and worry to, from aiding them in healing and through their grief over the years, so it warmed her heart that they were all together to make this work.

Grace stood beside her, holding Annie's hand. "Been a long time since you saw them right?" She had a smirk playing on her face.

"Right" Annie nodded, eyeing her.

"You didn't say much on the way here about Smoke's visit earlier" She raised a brow.

"Nothing to say" She sighed and patted Grace's hand.

Grace turned to her and held both of Annie's hands. "You're just like Smoke sometimes, giving nothing away" She smiled and Annie broke out in a smile too. "You spot him yet?"

She looked around the people. "I'm not looking for him"

"Are you being for real?!" She almost yelled if it wasn't for Annie shushing her.

"Go make the damn sign" She tried containing the laugh escaping her, pushing Grace towards the stage that had red paint stacked up on top.

Annie busied herself in the kitchen area with a few other women she knew, making up a plan for the menu tonight. They set up a rough draft and got to prepping the ingredients, discussing the idea of 'Club Juke' becoming a permanent place. She saw someone appear in front of her and looked up to meet Delta Slim, nodding his head in appreciation at her prepping.

"Now that's gonna hit the right place I tell you" Slim leaned on the counter top picking a piece of food from her board and missed her hand trying to reprimand him with a laugh. "Annie dear my stomach has been actin' up and I don't know what it is, and I need to be in good shape to play tonight" He groaned, hitting his chest when he briefly choked and cleared his throat.

"I can work something up for you, I brought a a couple of things along from the shop that'll settle your stomach" She smiled to him when his eyes lit up. He nodded and thanked her, shuffling away with his shoulders bobbing to where little Sammie was tuning his guitar. He seemed so excited getting to talk about blues music with the younger generation.

She turned with her chopping board to walk to the other side and slid the vegetables in a bowl, and saw two of the women had disappeared out back to bring more ingredients in and another was arguing with one of the men off to the side. The argument was over her suspecting he was looking at another woman and him testifying he wasn't. Annie shook her head and looked back over her shoulder, searching for the man she shut out of her shack earlier today, the one she was holding on trail herself. Deep down she was wondering where he was hanging around in the barn. Wondered how he was, how he's been. But her mind was trying to guard her. It was too long, seven years. He won't be able to get back with her that easy. No matter how handsome he looked. How much she yearned for him to come back to her.

She gave up looking and returned to her prepping, pushing the vegetables into the pot of water to boil and placed the knife and board down.

It was when she reached for the pot handles to lift it that Smoke's hands rested over her own and lifted it with her until it sat upon the fire to cook. Her heart nearly leaped out her body at the touch and she cursed herself mentally for being so reactive to it. The first physical contact they had in a long time. He let go of her hands, she dropped her own to her sides and turned around to face him.

His gaze was soft but she felt it bore into her soul. He'd taken off his suit jacket and hat, probably to move around and set up the club with ease but she got a view of how much bigger he's gotten, compared to how solid he was years ago. Like a tank. Muscles twitching under his shirt sleeves and she glanced down to see he was flexing his hands. Habit he had from the war. Looking back up, he glanced to two women walking back into the kitchen area and then to her. His hands raised to her and she widened her eyes and raised her brows as a warning. He hesitated, and when she didn't move, wanting to see what he intended to do, he fixed the straps on her dress, nodded and left her. He headed towards the stairs and up he went, out of sight again.

Annie exhaled deeply, holding a hand on her chest from how tense she was and saw Grace wiggling her brows at her, to which Annie waved a hand at her to ignore what just happened. The excitement in her diffused into anger eventually, the more she thought. She loved him so much but time had caused wounds. It was always the plan for him to leave and they had parted with good intentions, but as time dragged on, she became bitter.

Him being around her like this wasn't helping. Felt like the tension between them could be cut with her blade.

...

She could cut him.

Annie shook her head at the thought, hiding a laugh.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

"I need a goddamn cigarette" The tension in Smoke's body built so high Annie thought he was going to start yelling at Stack.

"Coming right up" Stack smiled to his brother and manouvered around Annie to set up on the table and roll one.

Smoke looked to her, chest rising and falling fast. He had his hat and jacket back on, much to her disappointment. She bit her bottom lip and thought to herself, looking down at the floor. She saw Smoke take slow steps to her and then turned to watch Stack make the cigarette.

"You could operate as an actual saw mill during the day, and a juke at night" Annie suggested, watching Smoke look to her again.

Stack hummed in agreement. "Choppin' wood, I know Cornbread has that strength" He finished the cigarette and handed it to his brother "Fresh off the press"

Smoke took the cigarette in his hand without breaking eye contact with her.

"Can sell to those big companies if we cut all the logs before the rest get to 'em" Stack stood up, dusting his pants and headed out the door, closing it behind him.

Smoke continued staring as one of his hands reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a lighter, flicking it open and lit the cigarette in his mouth. Man knew she had liked seeing him do that in the past.

"It's something to think about" She reasoned, hands figeting together.

"Mhmm"

Smoke held the cigarette between two fingers and blew the smoke away from her, maintaining the eye contact.

"Are you just going to stare?" She folded her arms under her chest. She caught his eyes flicker down to it and back up to her eyes.

"Mhmm"

She huffed and dropped her arms. The longer she stayed in this room with him like this, the more her resolve to keep her distance from him had started to diminish. He finally broke their locked gaze when a knock was heard at the door and Smoke told whoever it was to come in. A man Annie had recognised from treating his mother had slowly opened the door, as if he was worried of what he might see. "There's a white woman out there talking to Sammie".

Smoke cussed and looked to her again, forehead creased and then turned away to head to the door.

"Smoke don't shove her out she's family!" She called after him.

"I won't" He was gone with the man as soon as he said it.

Annie smoothed her hands down her dress and saw her breasts were close to spilling out. She thought back to Smoke staring at her and chewed on her bottom lip again. Dammit Smoke. She was feeling all sorts of things, including wanting to just grab hold of him and never let go. She adjusted her neckline.

She headed back out onto the floor to cut across to the kitchen and when she caught the back of Smoke, her hand ran down his back on instinct, something awakening in her as the hours went on and yanked it back in time when he checked on who touched him. Reaching the kitchen, she was at a safe distance to observe him with occassional glances.

She finished off most of the frying for the night, Grace coming in to help set the orders for the people.

Sammie appeared in front of her with a face of worry.

"You good?" She asked him while handing a beer to a customer.

"I have a question for you, if you don't mind." He held his hat in both hands with a thumb scraping along the top of the rim. He seemed nervous.

"Follow me while I sort these drinks and ask" Annie waved him into the space while she sorted the orders.

He leaned closer to her as she moved, stepping side to side to avoid colliding with her. "So Stack gave me some advice" He paused when her surprised expression watched him. She nodded for him to go on.

"I'm just wondering, if its too much, or if she'll be ok with it if I ask to do it" He scratched his head, skirting around the specific topic.

She finished handing over the drinks and turned to him, one hand on the counter and gave a smile. "Listen, anything you do, you just make sure she's ok with it. That she gives the ok to go ahead. Wait for that, and then you're good. And if she change her mind? You stop it no matter what you are doing" She rubbed his upper arm. "Pearline wise enough to explain what she wants, and the same advice goes to you too, don't do anything you feel uncomfortable doing"

"Thank you" He gave a sigh of relief, resting his hat on the counter. "Smoke was right to come to you for help"

Annie raised a brow at that.

Slim's voice cut in the silenced crowd and called for Sammie and Annie shook his shoulder for encouragement.

Sammie made his way over and after introducing himself from Slim's cue, started strumming his guitar and the whole club felt the music through their bodies. His soulful voice pulled the community together and Annie felt different forces mingle in between, taking her by surprise. Other planes of existence merging together. Couples dancing on the floor, she saw Grace walk around in front, head into the gambling room and seduce her husband to dance with her. Stack somehow pulled Mary with him, ignoring the looks a few others gave them. Even Pearline was eyeing up Sammie and turning her body to his voice.

Annie rested her elbow on the counter and propped up her chin on her palm, eyes scanning for him. She could cut herself some slack for wanting to look for her husband. Even if she was mad at him. She found him against the wall on the opposite end where she stood, taking his jacket and hat off and immediately a woman slinked up to him and caressed his upper arm. Annie narrowed her eyes at the interaction waiting for what he would do but covered her mouth to stop the laugh when Smoke jerked his arm away from the woman with a scowl.

Still loyal.

She recovered and lost sight of him again, searching the crowd until a man came up to the counter requesting another beer. She bent down to the ice bucket and pulled out one, standing back up to hand it to him but she recognised the arm of Smoke coming from behind her, grabbing the bottle gently out of her hand and placed it down on the counter with more force than he should of, could of broken the bottle, his chest lightly pressing into her upper back. "Service is on a break, come back in fifteen minutes" He informed and must of stared the man down with the way he shriveled back into the gambling room. Smoke remained behind her, she felt his body heat as he leaned in to her asking how she's doing.

"Good. Lots of orders." She gave short responses. His right hand rested on the counter edge in front of her, caging her in but she could escape to the left if she wanted. She was losing this game by how electric her nerves fired off cause of him. Strong hand in view, barely touching her but her body was on fire.

He hummed at her answer. "Good huh?" She felt his breathing against her ear. He was trying to win this by seducing her. "How's the money?"

"Half real, half the shit you don't like" She muttered it under her breath and gathered plates together that were left by previous customers, ignoring the shiver running down her. He remained in the same position while checking the crowd. She wanted to run as far away as she could, as well as lean back to feel all of him against her. She put the plates down and turned around to face him and his face was so close to hers, eyes on her in a second.

"What do you want?" Her voice softer than she planned.

She waited for him to answer and wondered how long he would be able to just stare at her - but this was her husband she was questioning. The same man could stare without speaking until he burned a hole into something. She blinked a few times and looked down to his shirt and noticed familiar black strings running down from his neck to behind the fastening of his waistcoat. Instinctively, her right hand rested just below his chest in the middle and the bump under her palm confirmed it. His right hand caressed her own and she took a while to speak.

"You still got that mojo bag" She looked up to his eyes again. "I have to revitalise it" She mumbled looking at it again, a finger tracing the bag, nail scratching his shirt with the barest of a touch. If she didn't reel herself in now, she'd jump him there and then.

"Say the word and I'll come over" He said lowly and she caught herself then on her own invisible fishing line, reeling herself in with a quick inhale of a breath through her nose, his cologne mixed in, and pulled her hand out of his grasp. The panic in his eyes barely visible, eyes flickering between her own and where her hand went.

"Don't you have a club to run?" She tilted her head down slightly and watched him through her lashes. He looked all over her with half lidded eyes, a soft smile on his gorgeous lips and glanced somewhere past her when the music faded out and cheering filled the juke. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled, opening them with one more look at her and then shouted for Grace to get Stack, stepping away from Annie to walk towards the stairs.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Pearline set the stage on fire. Annie had saw Sammie and Pearline sneak off into the room at the far end of the club before her performance. Sammie must of struck gold. Her singing enticed the crowd in a similar manner that Sammie and Slim did, providing a more upbeat tune for people to stamp their feet to. Grace had returned and relaxed against Annie's arm, her hand rubbing up and down her opposite arm. "This night is amazing" She sighed in content.

"Uhuh" Annie rubbed her upper back.

"Look at those two" Grace pointed to Stack and Mary who cozied up to each other. Mary was probably slick talking Stack for once, he looked entranced. "Seems like they can't stay away from each other no matter what society says"

Annie hummed in response, sipping water. "Those two are fated to be together" She remarked, remembering how the two crazy lovebirds were in the past. Mary took it hard when Stack up and left her without a word. Now she had him by the reigns and walked with purpose down to the room Sammie and Pearline were in a while ago.

"Like you and Smoke?" Grace's sly smile goaded Annie, slinging her arm around Annie's shoulders. "He's been looking like he's ready to pounce when he's talking to you"

"He's a grown man, surely he can keep it together" Annie scoffed, hiding her own desire.

"Seven years Annie, you're his wife" She whispered to her. "I see the same in you too, ready to jump him"

Annie widened her eyes at her, mouth agape, married woman to another married woman, no wonder she could sus her out, but commotion sounding in the gambling room caught both of their attention. Bo raced out the room and whistled to someone above, indicating his head towards the room. Said someone, Smoke, descended the stairs and headed towards him, giving a glance to her before throwing the curtains of the gambling room open. A short while later, both women heard a fight and Smoke giving out orders. Bo shut the wooden shutter across the square opening when they spotted someone getting kicked in on the floor.

"Sounds like someone cheated" Grace clicked her tongue, shrugging her shoulders.

"Not my problem" Annie turned towards the dancing crowd along with Grace but Sammie stepped out the room searching for someone, heading down to the room currently occupied by Stack and Mary. Bo appeared after and came around behind both of them.

"Smoke calling for you in the room, someone got cut up real bad on the face" He looked to Annie.

She grabbed a clean cloth, a fresh glass of water and moved around into the room, spotting a group of men hauling the probably cheating man out the door. To her left was Earl clutching his face, hand bloody.

"Here let me" She dabbed his face with the cloth, listening to him complain and hiss.

"It'll heal up fine" Smoke commented.

"Man I don't have a face like yours, this is gonna make me look like a thug" He hissed again when Annie poured clean water over the wound.

"This'll calm you" Smoke placed a beer in the Earl's hand, who drank it as he was told and remained silent after, only a few complaints coming out.

"Annie this is worse than when you patched up my shoulder" She could see tears in his eyes, most likely an involuntary reaction to the sting of the wound. She nodded saying she understood but Smoke cut in.

"Your what now?" His voice sharp.

She could tell Earl regretted his last words, eyes wide and biting down on his lips. "Nothing"

"Nah I want to hear this, she patched you up? When?" Smoke stepped closer to him. "Why?"

Annie shot him a look. He glanced between the both of them and opened his mouth to speak, corner of it pulled up as if his next words would snap at the man but Sammie touched Smoke's shoulder which diverted his attention to him.

"I don't care what he's doing I told you to get him" He pointed to his little cousin who had fear instilled in him.

"Not by myself"

"Shit" Smoke looked Earl up and down and warned him they weren't done and headed out the room.

"Is he going to shoot me?" Earl asked, eyes shaking.

"Stay out of his way and he shouldn't" Annie nodded slowly to him and he copied, not reassured in the slightest.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

The night came to an end as people said their goodbyes, standing forever at the doorways of the barn chatting to each other not wanting to depart. Whether it was a success financialy wise, planning and time will tell but what Annie could tell was the night set in motion a need for the community to protect these types of spaces.

Bo jogged up towards her from the barn entrance. "Ladies you ready to head home? Annie I can give you a lift again" He leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Thank you I'll take it" Annie smiled. "We have a few things to load from the truck into the club and then we should be ready" She packed away the cleaned cooking utensils.

"We'll probably be twenty or so darling" Grace added.

Bo nodded and walked back out towards the entrace, catching up to Stack who was chatting to a group of men. One of them was Cornbread who caught Annie's eye and waved a hand up, telling her to wait. She told Grace to store the pots away and that she'll ask him to help with the crates outside. He did a half jog/half walk up to her with a kind smile. "Annie hey I forgot to ask, did I leave my hammer at your place?" He questioned.

She held her hands together thinking back to when he had come over with Theresa to set up new shelves. "I don't think so, haven't seen it around the shop sorry, I'll look out for it though!" She pursed her lips together in an apology but he waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it, if you find it let me know, it could be I left it in your back room?" He added but his expression dropped when Smoke appeared beside him. "Hey Smoke!" He wrapped an arm around him and squeezed a bit but Smoke stared up at him, and then to Annie.

"Cornbread can you help me carry the crates in from the truck?" Annie asked.

"Sur-"

"I'll help" Smoke cut in. "Think the men at the back need help with loading the sacks of flour" He tilted his head in the direction of the back and Cornbread nodded, patting Smoke's back and left.

Sly.

She sucked her teeth, turning away from him and walked out the door into the cool night. Reaching the back of the truck she grabbed one end of a single beer crate and Smoke grabbed the other end to lift but she dropped it back down as soon as he did. She placed a hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side with a brow raised.

Neither let go of the crate.

She met his gaze and her heart skipped a beat. She loved him, she loved him, she loved him. She looked him up and down. He took too long. Didn't update her. Maybe most of it wasn't his fault but it wasn't easy for her.

"Why you keep following me?"

His brows twitched in amusement. "I'm helping"

"I don't need your help" She jutted her chin out.

"You never did" He said just barely above a whisper.

She looked down to the ground momentarily and back to him. "I needed it when you took too long to come back". She wanted to cry. Wanted to drown in his brown eyes.

His brows knitted together as he thought. "I thought about you every day. Every night..." He began but Annie looked away. She spent so long making him into a villian one year that hearing how much he was in pain made her feel guilty for what she was doing. He had to understand that she didn't know anything at all about his wellbeing in Chicago. What he was doing. If he met anyone.

Still looking away, she scoffed. "You didn't get any up in Chicago?"

"No" He leaned on the crate with his hand and bent down to catch her gaze but she didn't yield. "Didn't want anyone else"

She could feel herself snapping, ugly scenarios surfacing. "Well what if I got some?" She challenged him, eyes meeting his. His mouth parted but nothing came out so she pressed on. "Would you still want me?"

He didn't miss a beat, stepping closer to her. "Yeah I-" His hand left the crate to rub his forehead as he processed what she actually said to him. "I wasn't here-" His eyes looked frantic as the wheels turned in his head at the scenario. God she was torturing him.

The fact he was even trying to reason about it made her mad.

"I took too lon-"

She silenced him by reaching forward and grabbing his collar with both hands. "You fool, do you really think that of me?!" The sudden lurch caused him to grip the crate, the bottles clanging together in it.

His eyes widened slightly as his brows raised in the middle. "Of course not, but I take everything you say seriously Annie, I always did"

The anger in her dialed down, feeling it run from her chest all the way down to her feet as she relaxed her grip on him, fixing his collar back in place without looking into his eyes. She stepped back and turned to the crate, hands busy fidgeting with the bottles, turning each to face the label towards her. His hand still gripped the crate, one of the bottles trapped in his tight grip.

Lord.

Looking to his eyes again, he had such an intense stare on him, not saying anything for what felt like ages.

"I didn't....." She admitted.

The bottle within his grip shattered, causing her to jump a little and he swore, grabbing his hand with his other.

She quickly held his wounded hand, inspecting it for damage and saw it was a minor scrape and she tutted, dropping it.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" She watched him.

"Anything you want" His eyes searched hers.

She nearly choked at his words, the thoughts in her head piling up so high, many full of things that turned her on and made her want to scream. She missed how direct he is.

She cleared her throat. "Even if its just a long list of work I need done?"

He nodded.

"It doesn't mean I'm taking you back" She felt her heart quicken, unsure how long she can keep this up.

He nodded again.

"Tomorrow morning, meet me at my workplace"

"Yes Ma'am"

A horn sounded at the front of the club, Grace shouting for her to hurry up. She looked to the crate.

"Me and the boys will get it" He put his hand over it. "Let me walk you over to their car" He offered and she moved around him, hearing him following just behind. Her heart was thumping so hard. She needed him. Need to talk more. But she needed him.

Reaching the side of Bo's car, Smoke opened the door and held out his hand, which Annie took and stepped into the car. He gently shut the door and lingered in looking at her until Bo reached his hand out the driver window.

"Let me know the plan Smoke, this was fantastic" They shook hands.

"Will do" He nodded and hit the top of the car as a signal for them to go.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

Stack was out the back of the barn with Cornbread and a few other men, laughing about their gambling highlights when Smoke walked slowly up to him, scratching the back of his neck.

"You got lucky with Annie?" Stack wrapped an arm around his shoulders and his free hand patted Smoke's chest.

"I'm just happy being around her" Smoke sighed. "Doing work for her tomorrow morning"

Stack chuckled hearing that, plucking something out of Smoke's hair. "Brother you're whipped."

"There something wrong with that?!" Smoke raised a brow, mouth pulled up in a half snarl with his gold capped tooth showing. Damn he's so tense he needs to get laid.

Stack laughed it off telling him that there isn't but one of the men joined the conversation. "Annie'll be happy having you back instead of us" He gave a chuckle but Stack felt his brother's body tense, his brother locked onto the man.

"Smoke wait-" Stack raised a hand but was too late when Smoke pulled out one of his guns with his right hand and pointed it at the man.

"What'd you say?!" Smoke questioned him.

The man shakily raised his arms up in surrender. The other men around them turned to watch what was going on, eyes wide and a few backed away.

"A-are you gonna shoot me if I say it again?!" He stuttered under the aim of his gun.

Smoke cocked his gun. "I'm gonna shoot you if you don't say it exactly how you said it"

Stack started to laugh at the sight. His brother was so wound up tight and he clutched his stomach, the laughs wouldn't stop happening. Must of been the liquor and getting laid by the love of his life but he was all loose, nearly hitting the floor.

Cornbread spoke up to defend the other man and Stack's eyes nearly popped out of his head wondering what he was going to say. "Smoke he just meant some of us have been going over to Annie's plac-" Cornbread held his hands up when Smoke pulled out his other gun with his left hand and pointed it at him, both men under his lines of fire.

"You was the one who built the new shelves?!" Smoke shouted as Stack braced himself on the floor with both hands nearly in tears.

"I did but I was only helping her out!"

"What you mean by that?!" Stack saw Smoke cock the gun in his left hand by catching the top of it against the metal fastening of his holster on his shoulder and point it back to Cornbread.

Ok maybe he will shoot. Stack wiped his tears with the back of his hand and grunted standing up to his feet again.

"Nothing! That's all I meant!" Cornbread reasoned.

"Smoke" Stack called to him, resting a hand on his forearm. His brother looked to him, eyes intense but glanced around the men again, taking deeper breaths. "A lot of them looked out for her since we've been gone" He explained, lowering the line of fire for his guns until Smoke pointed them to the ground. He carefully took out the gun in his right hand. "Ever since they heard she's been carrying a rifle, not even a smaller gun like this" Stack tapped the gun's side at his statement after he released the charge, placing it back in the left side of Smoke's holster.

His brother glanced around them, the two men still holding their hands in the air. He released the charge of the gun in his left hand and placed it in the right side of his holster and waved a hand to them with his eyes closed. Stack waved his hand too and the men relaxed a little, mumbling to each other and resumed unloading the last batch of things into the barn.

Smoke ran a hand over his face and dragged it down. "I've been hearing all sorts of half conversations I didn't get the full picture."

"I know man, its ok, if anything we owe them our thanks" Stack chuckled again, patting his brother's back. "Think happy thoughts, you gonna see Annie again tomorrow!"

~~~~~~

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT AND HAVE A GOOD DAY. I kept laughing a lot, thanke you to @brownskincheyenne and @lizbehave for the hilarious commentary on chapter 1 😂😂 inspired the last part especially!! And @margepimpson for kicking this all off

Tagging (by request): @bigjh @hdfen2474

[leojfitz]

merry christmas @useryoumna 💜

[dootznbootz]

I currently have writer's block and fucked around and made Iliad and Odyssey memes :'D Some look like "repeats" but aren't. Just different scenarios/people. Enjoy!

There's... A LOT. I don't care if you pick out your favorites! I put this all in one post as I don't want to spam the tags! :D

[coulrobotomy]

i feel like a dumbass for making this plate of corn tweet ass post but did he pluck his own feather and use it as a quill?

[napping-sapphic]

Sick of yearning in a soft way time for yearning pvp edition where i attack the other yearners now QUICK think about your partner wearing your bracelets, couples each wearing one earring from a set, a butch with a beautiful delicate necklace that doesn’t match their outfit and a femme with the hardest chain you have ever seen, a ring that clearly isn’t someone’s size strung on a chain around their neck i’m stuck in this hell and i’m dragging you all down with me

[moonchild-in-blue]

You know, I'm really really curious to see how post-enlistment BTS is going to sound thematically-wise.

In these past 2/3 years, they all had the chance to get uncomfortably honest and, for lack of a better term, liberal, in the way they explore their own sound, in a way we got to see very little of previously. We got the rapline fleshing out their work, and the vocal line braving into full-fledged solo stuff for the first time.

Hoseok, who keeps refining and pushing the boundaries of his sound. Who found his footing and is making it his own. The boy who was born for the stage finally gets to be on the spotlight as himself, standing on the shoulders of BTS's j-hope but going back to his roots as Hoseok.

Yoongi and Joon, who already have an incredibly rich discography, and are digging deeper into themselves - there's healing, there's catharsis, there's grief for a past self and hope for a new one. Between Yoongi's Suchwita and Joon's work on RPWP, there's a lot of conversations about life as an artist and as an ordinary person, about mental health and identity, the creative process, about leaving your youth behind and coming to terms with adulthood and the loneliness it brings.

Jin, Jimin and Jungkook who have finally ventured into longer bodies of work, who have finally got to explore who they are (as musical artists) outside and beyond the Bangtan umbrella. Jin especially with this upcoming tour and all the entertainment content he's been a part of, and gets to do things his own way.

Tae, who went the other way and invested in his relationships, who showed us more of himself not through music, but through the way he conducts himself with his friends, outside of the stage.

As Bangtan, they have always been very vocal about all of these, but it's the first time they all got to live life aa creatives on their own. There is a newer, better collective understanding of themselves and each other, and a new layer of maturity and transparency, which has been beautiful to witness it unfold.

I'm so very looking forward to see all of this new knowledge and experience being brought into BTS, and how the new chapter will reflect that once they get together again. Personally I feel like the MOTS series was the perfect mesh of their individual identities and sounds (which makes sense since it was the last Big Thing they did pre-covid that wasn't just a compilation of things like Proof. BE was great but had a very distinct sound and purpose under the Covid context), and if their recent solo work is anything to go by, we are going to see a completely new version of BTS that is bound to surpass all we know from them so far.

[myokk]

bored