#I kid you not like I sobbed for real in the middle of the night because... this boy was so much like his father and we barely got to see

[burningblake]

Surprise, he imagined his father saying.

also known as the words that singlehandedly broke me

[sleep-0-deprived]

Nanami x ftm reader thoughts~! ૮꒰ྀི ෆ ˃̣̣̥ ⤙ ˂̣̣̥ ෆ ꒱ྀིა

Tags: pure NSFW, vaginal creampies, slight breeding, eating out, Afab on Amab sex, office sex, under the desk blow jobs, slight degrading <33

A/N: I’ve been doin a’ lotta Amab reader works s’ I figured I’d feed m’ trans sweethearts too !

Taglist: @asher-is-hotxp @yyuinaa @silvern1006 @kimisbunny @unstab1eperson2

Just thinkin bout sextin Nami while he’s at work, sending pics of you in his fav pair of lacy panties with the frills around your pretty thighs, him responding with a message tellin you to “knock it off, I can’t afford a hard on right now [name]” but you just won’t listen will you?…oh how you could practically hear his teeth gritting and that vein bulging on his forehead when he’s all irritated…oh god you’re wet at the thought- did you just send him a pic of that? oops.

Just thinking bout Nanami comin home from a long day of work, his cock is all hard and he’s pent up from those skimpy pictures of yourself but he doesn’t touch you, he walks in the room only to look at you N’ take his tie off along with his coat before walkin off to his study in the house, he leaves you so pent up and desperate that you have’Ta beg him to even let him permit you to give a blow job before he even considers fuckin your needy cunt. Nami just grumbled on about “you want your pussy fucked then earn it— apologize for teasing me at work” he’d leave you sobbing and whining out apologies around his dick.

Just thinkin bout Nami being totally cruel with your pussy, he fucks you bent over his desk raw, his hips slap your ass cheeks flushed Nd’ he just croons you on talkin bout “y’know it deserves it for bein so greedy— if it wasn’t so needy then maybe you’d listen more” he’d talk and have full on conversations with your cunt while his tip pulses against your womb leaving a throbbing feeling between your thighs, he’s the type of man to dirty talk your cunt like you aren’t even in the room, Nanami forces his loads inside you, he may seem so tame N’ cold but his seed is your punishment. Nami makes you feel his load inside your swollen insides all day leaving you feeling bloated N’ sick.

Just thinkin bout Nanami’s idea of affections, if he’s a little too rough with your pussy he’ll be all affectionate with it by peppering kisses on your clit while he jus massages your thighs and makes out with your lips whispering bout how he “didn’t mean to be so mean on his pretty baby” Nanami is either a sweet talker or he’s cruel. Nami is vanilla with sex he’s a man with old ideals and old fashioned morals so oral and penetration is all he does unless you wanted to try something new, Nanami may be rough and fuck you hard but he doesn’t have a lot of other kinks besides that and maybe if you ever get him to admit it he does wanna see you all knocked up by him.

Just thinking bout you and Nami being together for a real long time. You two have been together long enough that kids have been mentioned, you’re in the middle of getting your insides wrecked by his cock and you already have two loads pumped inside you and all nami can do is heave in your ear “wanna give you my kids— I wanna knock this pretty pussy up-“ his platinum hair is a mess and his hand is wrapped around under your thigh lazily rubbing your clit while he fucks your pussy loose and has your puffy petals all wrapped wide around his girth making your labia look extra swollen from his cock.

Just thinking bout Nami biting your breasts at night when your binder is off, he knows your tits are all sensitive and your nipples are puffy but his if he doesn’t love to drool and make out with them like he does your pussy, if he’s lucky and you feel like it he loves squishing your tits together with his cock between them makin you open your mouth and stick that pretty little tongue out…he loves watching your nose scrunch at the tender feeling of the boob job you were giving him, his tip pressing to your tongue with every thrust makin you taste his precum before he strokes his cock at the end and finishes with his cum getting all over your mouth and chin, shooting down on York breasts leaving you a sticky mess while he grunts out “there’s a pretty boy”

[hannyhann]

more daryl dixon headcanons (NSFW)

I did not expect for my first nsfw to get that much attention, yall are so sweet, I'm gonna sob

Anyways! To give yall a treat, I'll spoil yall with more nsfw headcanons. Enjoy!

!MINORS DNI!

merle would try to come onto you in the early days at the camp in atlanta, always saying he's gonna get some with you to you're face. But you would tell him "Daryl would have more of a chance to fuck me before you ever do." And daryl would just sit there and smile as he overhears

daryl almost dying several times to get protection because yall ran out

daryl would definetly ask glenn for some condoms, of course glenn would obliged, but he would still look at him like "what the fuck?"

daryl knowing where IT is and finding it immediately <33

he wouldn't say anything, but he'd always love when you'd crush his head with you're thighs, it was a secret thing he's never shared with you

again body worship, daryl would be rough almost every time, but there's definitely cases where he takes it slow because he doesn't believe you're real and you love him

you'd 100% have bruises on your hips, thighs, and ass from daryl digging into them

the aftercare cuddles yall (I'm so delusional)

hershel giving daryl THE TALK

when the group gets to alexandria, deanna sees you planting flowers one day and reminds you to keep you're window closed LMAOOO

daryl would use the scissoring motion when fingering you , yall know what I mean.

shower sex. shower sex.

you both have fucked in the forest more than a dozen times

you'd be insecure about your weight or not being good, but in return daryl would pay extra attention to you're body when fucking you, or reassure you that it doesn't matter to him

hed love whenever you'd sit on his face

daryl would leave you unable to walk on more than one occasion

HIS MOANS GUYS- HELP ME

his moans would either be really low and breathy, or very high

you and daryl making out and him getting annoyed if he was interupted. you'd be in the middle of making out and there would be a situation and he'd go "for christ sake." as he's wiping his mouth and you'd just laugh.

daryl going insane at how wet you are

daryl pressing kisses to your pussy and inner thigh after eating you out

eugene watching yall make out one day after you thought you found a secure spot. daryl would be in the middle of giving you a hickey and stops, it'd be awkward for a second before daryls yells "man get the hell out!" And eugene just nods and runs (IM CRYING AT THIS HEADCANON)

daryl asking if you're okay <33

if yall had kids, you're kid would ask rick and michonne where yall were, especially after needing a night alone, rick would just say "not sure, but you might have a sibling soon." And michonne would slap his chest

[talaok]

Just this once

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!babysitter!reader

Summary: Everyone hates you in town, everyone except for Mr. Miller, who was kind enough to hire you as his daughter's babysitter.

Warnings: mentally and verbally abusive father, angst, unreciprocated love, no happy ending. Smut| oral sex (m receiving), unprotected p in v sex, creampie

Everyone hated you in this town.

Kids at school, moms, dads, even grandparents sometimes.

People crossed the street when they saw you, they waited until you turned around to whisper and scorn to the person beside them.

Everywhere you went, followed dirty looks and rude remarks.

In the hallways at school, at the drug store, pharmacy, park, you name it.

Everywhere, everyone seemed to despise old Carl's daughter just for being born, or maybe, maybe also because of the rumors that spread about her.

Like the one where you dealt drugs, which was not not the truth... but you never dealt meth.

Or the one where you'd fucked half the guys in town,

And least but not last, the one where you were the reason you poor pops had turned to alcohol.

Except they didn't know anything. they didn't know that your "poor pops" had begun his diet of a bottle of whiskey a day long before you were born, that he drove your mom mad to the point where she had fled without so much as a goodbye, leaving behind a few clothes and a stupid scrap of paper where she had written a fucking lie.

I love you

If she had actually loved you, she wouldn't have left.

And they didn't know that all the anger your father had, had turned to you, they didn't know how scary it was, to be afraid of your own father, to be alone at the age of thirteen, to have to take care of yourself, to have to grow up faster than you should.

They all hated you, and you didn't care, you swore you didn't care, because they didn't know, they didn't know shit.

But Mr. Miller was different.

He was the only person, together with his daughter, who had ever shown you kindness, the real kind.

He had seen you sobbing as you ran from your house after your dad had another one of his "episodes".

And god, you were so confused when he stopped you, when he put a hand on your shoulder and asked if everything was alright.

And you didn't tell him then, you didn't tell him everything that was going on and that your dad was an asshole and that your life was hell, you couldn't, there was always this everlasting shame fizzing underneath your skin whenever you felt the need to share. But he hadn't cared, he hadn't cared that you had told him nothing, he hadn't cared that all you did was say sorry and I need to go, because with just a glance it felt like he had seen right through you.

So then he'd told you where he lived, and even if that time he couldn't convince you to come in, it was you who showed up at his doorsteps two nights after, asking for a place to sleep which he offered without so much as a question.

And it was only a week later when you told him everything.

He had sat and listened as you cried and cried, he had stroked your hair and given you tissues, until finally, he offered you a job.

Babysitting his kid.

And you were scared at first, you weren't really equipped for the job, but the moment you met Sarah you realized just how easy it was gonna be.

taking care of her was fun, and it gave you an excuse to be away from your own home, sometimes even at night when the mere thought of seeing your father made you want to puke.

And Mr. Miller was always nice, he made breakfast, overpaid you like crazy, and he listened, he was always there to listen.

"dad, what are you talking about?" 

Mr. Miller's backyard was always perfectly mowed, and the treehouse he'd built his daughter stood high on the oak in the middle of it.

"I said-" even if you couldn't see him, you swore he was taking another gulp straight from the bottle " Where the fuck are you?" 

"I'm working dad, I told you" you said, trying to remain as calm as possible.

"You working?" he laughed "That's funny" he said, as his laugh turned into a disgusting cough "Tell me where you really are." his voice was slurry, but the anger in it still made you shiver "You at one of your boyfriends' houses?"

"No Dad, I'm at Mr. Miller's house" you sighed, it was sad really, how used you were to this by now.

"Mr. Miller huh?" a hiccup sounded through the phone "You fucking him too? You started going for older guys? Is that it? I bet that's it you little slut" he hissed "Your mother would be so disappointed... to see her only daughter grow up to be such a fucking whore"

There's a difference, when it's strangers calling you names, and when it's your own father.

You'd always wished his words didn't affect you, but somehow, they always found a way to hurt.

No matter how tough you made yourself to be, when it was him, you felt like a kid all over again.

"fuck you" you muttered, as tears pricked your eyes 

"Is that how you talk to your father you little bitch? Just wait till you come home, I'll see what you'll have to say then-"

And there were so many things you wanted to tell him, to scream at him, to drill into his non-existing brain, but all you did was press the red button and hung up.

And it took about a second before the tears started flowing like rivers.

You ran back inside the house, forgetting all about closing the glass door as you curled into a ball on the couch, trying to cry as silently as you could, so that Sarah wouldn't wake up.

You hated him. You hated everything, you just wanted to run away and start a new life somewhere else, Canada, Austria, even the fucking north pole sounded better than this.

You were just so tired, so exhausted. Every time you talked to your father all the energy you had, or thought you had left, got drained from your body, and for hours, you remained lifeless,

The only exception was when-

The front door opened, and those purposely quiet footsteps that you would have recognized anywhere, followed soon after.

Him, the only exception was when he was there to comfort you.

You sat up, quickly wiping your tears to try and look somewhat presentable.

"hey," he whispered, entering the living room "Sarah's asleep?"

"mh-mh, yes" you nodded

"I'm sorry I came home this late, it's just that the guys wanted to go out after work and I always tell them no..." he trailed off, as he sat next to you and got rid of his overused boots.

"I-It's not a problem, Mr. Miller"

He shook his head, smiling in that charming way of his as he sat his shoes next to the coffee table and turned to look at you.

"How many times have I told you that you can just call me J-"

But his words died in his throat the moment he caught a glimpse of your red, puffy eyes, (that he'd come to know too well) and of that look on your face.

"What happened?"

They were such simple words, but they hit like tnt too close to a dam, breaking the barrier and causing all the water to run out.

His arms were around you the moment the first tear fell.

"shh" he cooed, stroking your back as you sobbed into his chest "It's alright, everythin's alright, sweetheart"

You wrapped your arms around his broad torso, feeling all his muscles underneath the fabric as you drowned in his scent. He always smelt so manly and so... good.

"I-I'm sorry it's just" A sob climbed up your throat "He-he called and I-I" You never finished the sentence as other tears started flowing from your eyes.

"I'm sorry honey" he cooed, placing his cheek on top of your head"it's ok" he murmured "It's all gonna be fine, I promise"

"w-when?" you cried, finally looking up at him "I'm so tired of this Mr. Miller..."

"soon" he promised "You're a smart girl, you'll get far in life sweetheart, I just know it"

you breathed heavily into his chest for a few minutes, listening to his heart beat as you calmed your own.

"t-thank you" you sniffled

"of course, darlin'"

And as you glanced at him, at his soft beard, at his kind eyes, your brain short-circuited and your mouth got a mind of its own, and before you realized it, your lips were on his.

And god he felt so good

"y/n-" he spoke as you tried to deepen the kiss "What are you doing?"

"I just-" you stuttered, not able to tear your glaze off his soft lips "please" you murmured, not knowing what else to say as you leaned up to kiss him again,

"sweetheart this ain't right I-"

"please Mr. Miller" you begged, placing your hand on his shoulder and pecs, as you left a quick kiss on his lips again "please just this once"

"y/n..." he tried to speak but was interrupted by your mouth finding his neck.

"please" you repeated for the thousandth time, your breath fanning over his neck "just this one time" 

"darlin'... I don't know if this is a good idea"

"it is" you quickly corrected him, your kisses lowering down his body, until all you could do was shuffle off the couch to get between his parted legs "it's a really good idea"

You saw him swallow thickly at the sight before him

"no sweetheart, you don't gotta do that"

"I want to" you reassured him, hurriedly undoing his belt and zipper until his black boxers were all that obstructed your view.

You palmed his manhood through the fabric, feeling it harden underneath your palm, before you gently took it out, looking up at him for approval as you wrapped one hand around it and let your lips follow suit.

A loud shuddering breath fled his mouth as you fitted more and more of him into your mouth, and you took it as an incentive to get lower, fully choking on his cock.

"f-fuck" he groaned

You started bobbing your head up and down, your eyes never leaving the sight of him breathing heavily before you.

You were doing good, but you wanted to do amazing for Mr. Miller, so you gingerly took his cock out of your mouth to start a slow trail of kisses and kitty lips down the whole length of him, until you reached his balls, and without a second thought, reserved them of the same treatment, before starting to suck on those too.

"fuck. me." he breathed, throwing his head back as he shut his eyes.

You leaned away for a moment, still pumping him with your hand "Does it feel good?" you asked

"fuck-yeah sweetheart" he gulped, looking down at you "it feels real fucking good- you're-fuck-you're amazing"

The biggest smile ever spread on your face at that, and with a renewed vigor, you got back to sucking his balls even better.

series of profanities continued coming out of his mouth as you got back to his dick, letting your tongue run on his tip for a few moments before getting back to filling your mouth with it.

You watched his hands curl by his sides, and without thinking, you let one of your own travel to his, softly placing your palm over it in a makeshift hold, which wasn't really a hold because he didn't turn his hand to do it properly.

But it didn't matter now, he was enjoying this, something you were doing for him, something you had dreamed of doing to him times and times again, and that's all you cared about.

You bobbed your head for a few more moments before you leaned away and quickly got up to get rid of your pants.

He watched you, too fucked out and torn with guilt and confusion to understand anything anymore, step out of your panties, place your hands on his shoulders, and straddle him.

you reached down for his dick, and without too much of a premise, sank down on it.

"oh god" you moaned, stopping a moment to take a deep breath at the feeling, as a low groan rumbled in his chest.

"you feel so good" you murmured, kissing him passionately as you started riding him.

His hands gripped your waist as a way for him to try and ground himself back on this earth because fuck but, you felt fucking good too

"touch my tits please" you said, ghosting his mouth.

"Sweetheart..."

"Please, Mr. Miller" you pouted, rising and sinking from his cock even faster

"Joel- please call me Joel" 

"Please Joel, touch my tits"

And who was he to say no to you when you asked him like that?

One of his big strong hands seeped underneath your top and found your boobs, stroking and grabbing at them heavenly.

You couldn't help but gasp at the mix of pleasures, your head falling to the crook of his neck.

The sound bouncing off the walls of the living room was straight out dirty and the breeze coming from the open glass door on your left softly floated through the room, at times hitting your raw skin.

"oh my god" you whimpered, muffled by Joel's skin "o-oh my"

He was filling every inch of you, stretching you so fucking good it made you want to scream if it wasn't for Sarah sleeping just upstairs.

You lost yourself in him, in his soft grunts, in his most raw scent, in the way his beard rutted against your cheek, and slowly, slowly you felt a bubble form in your belly, getting more and more ready to explode.

"F-fuck" you whined, "I-I think I'm-I'm coming"

His only response was to tighten his hold on you, before you fastened your pace, desperately chasing your high.

your breathing got even heavier as you remerged from his neck to look at him in the eyes and meet his lips with yours once again.

Kissing his was like traveling to another universe, he was just so... perfect

 "Joel" you whispered, losing yourself in his hazel eyes, as the pleasure got stronger and stronger until you felt like you could barely breathe "Joel I love you"

You watched his eyes widen slightly but before he could speak your orgasm took over your body and you had to hide your head in the crook of his neck again to try not to moan too loud.

"it's ok" he murmured, placing a hand on the back of your head soothingly "It's all gonna be ok sweetheart"

You rode out your high, never stopping your movements, and by the time you had come down from it, Joel was on the verge of it.

"shit-I'm coming" he groaned "Where do you want it?"

 "inside" you whispered without missing a beat

"I c-can't honey-"

"please Joel" you whimpered, starting to get overstimulated "Please fill me up, Joel"

And with that simple sentence, he was done for.

"fuck-shit. shitshitshitshit" That's all he managed to spit out, as ropes of his come filled you up to the brim, just like you wanted.

You took a moment to compose yourself, inhaling his scent one more time, before you slowly got off of him.

And as you did, the moment it was all done, a strange sensation overtook you.

you'd thought that this was all you wanted, that this was gonna make you feel better, and yet... yet you couldn't help but feel like a piece of you was missing, you couldn't help but feel emptier than you were to begin with.

As you watched him hurry to put his boxers back on, you couldn't help but think that, once again, you had managed to fuck everything up.

[hwangism143]

𓆩♡𓆪 how skz would propose to you. 𓆩♡𓆪

BANG CHAN

he would invite you over (or sneak, i should say) to the studio for a date cuz you both do this all the time

sometimes, he plays you snippets of songs he's working on, other times, you're just talking the night away while getting some work done

anyways, today he's playing you one of his songs

you're just completely immersed in the music and when it ends the lingering feeling of wanting more is left behind

how could it not? the song was about spending an eternity with you

you're about to turn around and profess your love for chan for the millionth time when you see him

he's on one knee and lets out a choked, "i meant everything in that song. i didn't know what love was before i met you, but you have shown me love and so much more. marry me?"

ofc you say yes (i mean, i would) and just end up falling asleep on his couch

LEE MINHO

you guys go to your favorite cat cafe, and bring the kids (cats?) along with you too

suddenly, soonie comes along with a note stuck to her back - "will you be our parent? i mean, for real?"

you look at minho who's playing with the cats on the other side of the room, confused, but he doesn't see you

(actually, he's blushing like crazy and is too scared to make eye contact lmao)

that is until you walk over to him and give him a nudge

he's beaming at you (this boy istg) and gets down on one knee

"we can't let our kids be a part of a dysfunctional family. they another parent, and they love having you around. actually, no, they love you. and they wanna grow old with you. so. will you, uhm, marry me? their father?"

(pls im giggling at this myself)

SEO CHANGBIN

you guys are out on a date at a fancy restaurant and changbin's acting extra giggly

now mind you, this is seo changbin. extra giggly is far more than what you would imagine

you're finally done eating and slump against your chair when the server brings another plate of food

you look at changbin with a "bro. i'm full." but the bro in question is just looking at you.

you look down at the tray placed in front of you.

"will you marry me?" it says with a ring in the middle?

"be my permanent gym partner?" asks changbin hopefully

and you say yes (bcuz who in their right mind wouldn't ???)

HWANG HYUNJIN

we all know how extra this man is, so when he insists that you two go to the bookshop where you first met, you don't protest

you're scanning the bookshelf, reminiscing about how you both bonded over monet and jane austen at this very shop

then you here a little gasp in front of you

naturally, your first instinct is to turn around and check on hyunjin

and he is down on one knee, a sobbing mess (but still cute, y'know)

"you have, and always will be my muse," he says, "so will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the honor of being your husband?"

he slides the ring onto your finger and pulls you into a hug and you're both crying and laughing and

(i'm sorry this is so cute, goodbye)

HAN JISUNG

you had made up your mind - is jisung wasn't going to propose to you, you would propose to him

(get it, queen or king or gender non-identifying reader!)

and so you're on your rooftop building when he goes "i need to tell you something" and funnily enough, so do you

(i wonder what that's about... hehehe)

after a series of 'you first', 'no you'. jisung admits defeat and slides you over the ring box

wordlessly, you slide over your box

the two of you just start laughing because, idiots in love

and then you squish jisung and start peppering him with kisses

LEE FELIX

it's a beach date!

absolutely perfect, all complete with bokkie's brownies

but felix is acting kinda nervous.

(and by nervous i mean his face is beet red and he's stuttering like crazy)

(what can you say, my boy is in love)

you're eating the last brownie when he says "close you eyes"

you do and you hear some shuffling.

you open your eyes to a sniffling felix propped up on one knee. "can I be your personal brownie chef for the rest of forever?"

who can say no to an offer like that?

KIM SEUNGMIN

you both were coming home from one of your numerous dates

it was the perfect night to be walking outside, but seungmin seemed really shifty

he was NOT enjoying himself

"are you cheating on me?" you ask jokingly

"far from it actually," he retorts, suddenly letting go of your hand.

you turn to find him in the middle of the street with a ring in his hand

"marry me. will you? please? i've had this ring with me for months and i didn't know when to propose but now i know, well like i always knew-"

you promptly shut him up with a kiss and a breathless yes

YANG JEONGIN

nothing was going according to plan for innie. you spent too much time picking an ice cream flavor and he knew that he was spending too much time at this clothing store

but they just got a new collection

and so he waits until you both are done so that he can take you to that really drmamtic fountain in front of the mall and propose to you

but watching you pick out your clothes, he realizes he wants to do this for the rest of forever

so this man promptly plops down on one knee in the middle of a department store and screams, "WILL YOU MARRY ME AND BE MY SHOPPING BUDDY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE? WE CAN BE EACH OTHERS PROBLEMS"

you just look at him confused holding up a t-shirt, "UH OKAY I'LL MARRY YOU AND WE CAN BE EACH OTHERS PROBLEMS"

you both are so loud that you nearly get kicked

(later he makes you buy him ice cream because he's a baby who's done a good job and deserves a reward)

[listofwhyyouloveher]

tumblr hates women and wont let me post from my inbox pls enjoy this clunky screenshot i hate my life

Summary: The gang comforting youngersister!reader after she gets cheated on. Warnings: cheating, bad ex Author's note: forgive me ladies of seperate headcannons, i am doing it all in one fic im soooo slleeeepyy </3, also forgive me lady haters of y/n and all the weird bf/n thingys i literally do not know what to call this evil ex boyfriend im not ramona flowers i am so sorry.

Tears dropped past your eyes like pearls. You wiped them hastily as you walked along the street, hugging the curb and praying it was just a little warmer. Your shivering breath came out in cold fog and your lashes were cold with fresh tears. You're not usually in a state like this, shaken and crying, walking alone on the street near night, but your boyfriend of 1 year just cheated on you with his 'girl that got away', and as much as you wanted to be cozied up right now, the thought of being alone for another night struck you deep down. You dragged your feet walking to the Curtis's house, you would rather die than burden the sweetest family in town with your silly tears, but you craved their comfort. When you got there, the TV was still on, the familiar voice of Mickey Mouse putting a soft smile on your lips. Two-Bit must be there, he'd surely make you laugh. You knocked lightly, knuckles gently tapping on the worn wood of their door. "Hello?" You called, peeking your head in. To your shock, the whole gang was there, wrapped up in blankets and snacking on food like a girly sleepover. You giggled and Sodapop looked up. "Hey, Y/n!" He smiled warmly at you. The rest of the gang followed in a chorus of 'hello's and 'hi's. You waved, slightly turning to see the TV screen. The light of the television caught your tear stained cheeks. "Oh, Y/n, what's wrong?" Johnny asked, concern etched onto his face. "Hm?" You asked, looking up, momentarily forgetting about your past woes until you were met with worried eyes from everyone in the room, (except Dallas, who's gaze was still as hard as steel). Your hand moved to your cheek, lightly swiping over the tear-tracks, trying to remove the stain from your skin, erase the issues, sink into ignorance. Darry got up and handed you a tissues and then Pony followed, giving you a side hug. Your eyes welled with tears. "What's wrong, Y/n?" Steve repeated, getting up and patting your back lightly. You blinked, but the tears fell anyways. "My..boyfriend, he cheated on me," You said, inbetween sobs. Pony hugged you tighter, his actions compensation for his lack of words. "Oh, kid," Darry said affectionately, a sad smile on his lips as he pushed your hair from your face. Steve led you to the middle of the room, the center of the blankets, and the perfect spot in front of the TV. Two-Bit moved over to make room for you. As soon as you sat, the rest of the gang jumped to comfort you. Two-Bit covered your shoulders with blankets and Sodapop ran to get your favorite drinks. Johnny lightly wrapped his arm around your shoulder, rubbing soothing circles into your skin. Dallas, however, sat on the couch, flipping his favorite switchblade, face unmoving. "What was your boyfriend's name again?" Dallas asked, out of the blue. Two-Bit turned to him, eyebrow raised. "That's not ominous at all.." He retorted, making you laugh slightly. He grinned to himself at pulling a laugh from you. "Ex..and his name is Bf/n" You bit your lip at the thought of him. So much time, and effort, and love that just disappeared. You whispered a 'thank you' to Ponyboy who handed you a warm mug of Darry's famous hot cocoa. "Bf/n? Really? That guy..." Dallas said, eyes never moving from the gleam of his blade. "You're freaking me out, man" Sodapop laughed. "No, I just mean...well I've fought the guy before, he's nothing special." Dallas looked up and shrugged. "You gotta get better at choosin' your men, kid." "Yeah, that sounds real smart coming from you," You rolled your eyes, the weight on your shoulders finally easing a bit. "Yeah, Dal' you're not exactly Cupid," Steve joked. "Better than you and that one chick down at the town fair," Dally retorted and you giggled at the memories. As the guys chattered over eachother, Darry came back and sat down, placing more blankets over you. "Hey, do you need something else?" Johnny asked, quietly, his voice underneath all the chatter but still the most prominent to you. You shook your head with a smile gracing your lips. "This is good."

[noemilivv]

After Reading the Proposal and Wedding One shot I think it's called?

Can I please request the same characters(Adam, Lucifer and Vox) react to there kid having there Powers and how GN Reader and Them deal with it in an everyday bases

oh my god my brain has so many ideas i’m doing this right the freak now

also i’m so sorry this isn’t necessarily gn!reader becuz this does talk about pregnancy 😭

Warnings: AFAB!reader, pregnancy talk, ooc Adam?(?), swear words, potential S1 spoilers, Vox being a bit of a shitty dad

Adam, Lucifer, Vox w/ kids who have their powers (+ extra)

Adam

You and Adam probably wait awhile after your wedding until having kids, he wants to have his party lifestyle a little longer, and cmon, who can blame him?

At first he isn’t so sure, I mean, a small ball of flesh that just cries wasn’t the most entertaining thing to him… But he’ll do it for you

But the moment you tell him your pregnant, something in him clicks.

He’s very invested in the kids before their even born, he’s reading all those cheesy and old baby books constantly, cause honestly, he’s not as prepared as he’d thought he’d be

Simply because I see Adam as both a boy dad and a girl dad let’s say you two have twins 😛

He’s a good dad not gonna lie, but let’s be real, he tried to make at least one of his kids say “feces” as their first word… yeah, you weren’t too happy. 😀

Growing up, he definitely spoiled his girl and roughhoused with his boy, maybe a bit too much…

He was definitely a baseball or softball dad

Considering Adam’s foul language, they definitely grew up at swearing at a young age, but it stayed in the house dw

As the kids grew into their early teens they discovered their shared their dads powers — and bitch was through the roof about it

Adam started training them on how to use their powers to their liking, but also taught them the safety of them. He was actually a pretty good teacher ngl.

Lucifer

Obviously, from his past marriage with Lilith, he already had his first kid, so he was ready — he was just waiting for you to be as well

So when you were, he was stoked !

He was very aware and attentive during your pregnancy, trying to not make the same mistakes he did the first time around

He’s also very understanding about mood swings and he WILL go out in the middle of the night to get you cravings, he doesn’t have to, but he will

But when you both bring another daughter Morningstar into the world, Charlie is thrilled to have a younger sister!

She definitely babysits a lot, and the child definitely spends a lot of time in the hotel

Luci dedicates certain times of the day when he can not and will not have meetings or projects to be working on so he can dedicate time to both of his daughters.

He loves asking your daughter how her day was, and how schools going, but he also asks how her friends are to stress that grades aren’t the only thing that matter

As your daughter grows, she starts to develop Lucifer’s powers, only a small fraction — considering how powerful he is, but he’s stoked that not one, but now both of his daughters have his powers!

He’s been through training them before with Charlie, so he’s pretty skilled on how to do it now, but he tends to stress to your daughter the usage of the powers and the rights and wrongs are far more important than the strength you have

Vox

Vox was in no rush to have kids due to the current workload for VoxTech, but if you wanted them, all you had to do was ask

Vox, like Adam, couldn’t really wrap his head (or screen ig??) around the concept of a child until they were in his arms.

Vox wasn’t really sure how to handle a newborn, older kids were different, but this..? Maybe this wasn’t right for him…

It broke his heart every time he heard his son sob as a new born, and to be honest, he wasn’t sure what to do.

It’d be late at night and Vox would get out of your shared bed to go make sure the baby would stop crying before you’d wake.

He’d try everything, singing, rocking, bottle, changing the diaper, toys, everything. And it wouldn’t stop.

It’s not until you stir in your sleep and hear everything, you go to your son’s crib and simply hold him and he stops crying immediately, you set your son down and go back to sleep. Vox is literally amazed.

As your son ages into the ages of 6 and up is when it starts to get easier for Vox, by the time Vox can even slightly have a conversation with the kid it gets easier, the communication is a lot more clear

He doesn’t have a lot of time to play with his son due to VoxTech, so usually Vox will keep his son in his lap as he works in his office, he’ll even ask his son business questions! Even when he only gets gibberish back, he’ll take it. Hey, don’t judge him, client feedback is important.

As his son ages into his teen years, Vox starts turning a bit strict, he needs his son to be the coolest fucking kid in school, so Velvette tailors him a shit ton of clothes and Vox makes sure his son always has the newest gadget. Vox also is strict about keeping grades up, he wouldn’t ever take anything away for a bad grade, but your son may get a bit of lecture..

All of this is building up to something though, Vox really wants your son to take over VoxTech in his adult years, so he wants to make sure his son is prepared and experienced in the new world he’d enter, if he doesn’t want, Vox gets it, he may be a bit pushy though, but Vox has been in that place so he won’t push too hard.

At around the age of 15, your son developed Vox’s hypnosis powers.

Vox teaches your son how to use this to his advantage, like for example, VoxTech, but he also stressed there’s a time and place, and to not use it on someone you truly care about. Strategy is everything.

Is Vox the perfect parent? No. But no one is. But he genuinely has so much love for his son, and tbh he wants more kids…

[tortillamastersblog]

Back To You - Part 14 | Sam Carpenter

Pairing: Sam Carpenter x reader

Warnings: mentions of violence, death, blood, injuries, and swearing

Summary: When Sam left after turning eighteen, you were devastated. You’d been in love with her since you were kids and her leaving meant you never got to tell her how you truly felt.

Fast forward a couple of years, Tara gets attacked and Sam returns. . .

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

_______________________________________________

For the first time in almost 48 hours it’s quiet and I’m warm and comfortable.

After having a late dinner, Gale and Brooks showed all of us to separate guest rooms. Tara and Chad are sharing a room, much to Sam’s dismay, but she didn’t object other than raising an eyebrow.

Danny has his own room and Sam and I are sharing a room. It’s honestly astonishing how many bedrooms this penthouse has, but then again this is Gale we’re talking about and if she doesn’t have the money to afford a place like this, no one does.

At first I was skeptical about sharing a bed with Sam, but as soon as we were alone we fell back into old habits. We slipped under the covers and before I could even start to overthink anything, Sam wordlessly grabbed my arm and slung it around her middle, pulling me close until my front was flush with her back.

I fell asleep pretty quickly after that, but now for some reason I’m awake again. I can’t check my phone for the time because it’s on the nightstand and I don’t want to wake Sam by moving, but it’s still dark outside, so I close my eyes and try to fall asleep again.

I’m beyond exhausted, but a moment later Sam jerks in her sleep and I open my eyes again.

That’s what woke me in the first place. She’s not sleeping properly.

I frown, but think nothing of it until she jerks yet again, more violently this time. She mumbles some unintelligible pleas, and I move closer, tightening my arms around her.

She’s having a nightmare.

Tara used to have them, too, but hers were more like night terrors.

“Hey. . .” I brush my nose against the back of her neck.

“No, Y/N.” She whimpers and twitches in her sleep and I sigh sadly.

I sit up and press a kiss to her temple. “Sam, wake up.”

“No,” she cries, louder this time, and I can’t stand seeing the way her face twists in agony.

I unwrap my arm from around her and shake her. “Sam!”

That does the trick. Sam’s eyes fly open and she sits up with a start, almost head butting me in the process.

“I can’t— I wasn’t—“

“Shhh. You’re okay. Tara’s okay. I’m okay.” I pull her into my arms, and rub my hands up and down her back when she sinks into me.

She shakes with muffled sobs and I whisper reassurances into her ear until she stammers, “I-It felt so real.”

I press another kiss to her temple and guide us back so we’re once again lying down. “I know, but it wasn’t.”

A strangled whimper claws its way past her lips and I raise one of my hands to run my fingers through her hair.

She constantly puts up a strong front, trying to protect everyone around her even though she’s really the one who needs to be protected and comforted.

I’m glad she’s not afraid to be vulnerable when it’s just the two of us.

After a couple more minutes of calming Sam down, she shifts so she’s lying with her head on my chest. “You know, there weren’t any knives in the knife block. . .”

My hand stills on her back and I frown. “What?”

Sam looks up and drapes an arm over my stomach. “When Ghostface attacked earlier, I went to the kitchen to grab a knife, but they were all gone.“

“What the fuck. . .” I clench my jaw, and replay the attack in my mind.

Ghostface knew the layout of the apartment, that much is clear. However that doesn’t explain the missing knives.

The only explanation I can come up with is that whoever is behind the mask removed them in forethought since the last time we thought Ghostface would attack, Sam immediately went and grabbed one from the kitchen.

The only way Ghostface could have known Sam would be going for a knife again though is if he or she was there the first time it happened, and the only one who was there that first time, but not tonight is. . .

“Oh my God, it’s Ethan,” I whisper, horrified by my realization. “He’s Ghostface. Or at least one of them.”

“What?” Sam frowns and rests her chin on my chest to look at me. “Why would you think it’s him? Chad said he was studying at the library all night. And what do you mean one of them? You think there’s more than one Ghostface?”

I quickly explain how I came to the conclusion and when I’m done Sam stares at me with her jaw dropped.

“Oh my God. . . You’re right,” she says quietly. “But we can’t be a hundred percent sure, so we have to keep our guard up. And we should keep it to ourselves for the time being, we don’t know who his accomplice is.”

I agree before a stunned silence settles over us.

Son of a bitch. . . How did I not realize it sooner. Ethan’s whole innocent-nerd act is the perfect cover. But why would he want to kill us? Does he want to make another Stab movie like Richie and Amber? And who could possibly be his accomplice?

I’m just glad I got to body slam that twig. Piece of shit.

Sam’s nightmare is all but forgotten now, but after what we just discovered we’re both far from falling back asleep.

“So, how do you feel about Tara and Chad being kind of a thing now?” I ask, changing the subject which makes Sam’s nose scrunch up.

“It’s a little weird and out of the blue, but I honestly can’t say I’m against it,” she admits with a huff. “Chad’s a good guy and if Tara likes him as much as he seems to like her, who am I to tell her they can’t go out. God knows she already hates me for looking out for her.”

I raise an eyebrow at that and touch her cheek to get her to look at me again when she averts her eyes. “She doesn’t hate you. She just feels like you don’t trust her enough to make her own decisions.”

Sam pouts. “But I do trust her.”

I sigh and brush my lips against her forehead in a fleeting kiss. “Then show her that. You can’t protect her from everything. I know it’s hard, especially right now because Ghostface is back, but you have to let her live sooner or later.“

She lets out a deep breath and lifts her head to kiss me softly. “I know.”

I hug her tighter and run my fingers through her hair again when she settles back on my chest. “Let’s try to get some more sleep while we can. We’ll deal with Ethan and everything else tomorrow.”

Sam hums in agreement, snuggling up to me and I close my eyes, burying my nose in her hair and taking a deep breath.

The smell of her coconut shampoo, mixed with the smell that is uniquely hers makes me relax and before I know it, I’m once again fast asleep.

I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.

We’re all currently standing in the middle of an old abandoned movie theater that is filled with glass cases displaying various pieces of evidence from past Ghostface murders. Knives, clothes, sketches of the victims and killers. . .

It makes my blood run cold, especially the mannequins on the theater’s stage, dressed in Ghstface cloaks, but my worry for Sam outweighs the sense of dread this place evokes in the pit of my stomach.

She’s been deathly still ever since Gale brought us here and her grip on my hand is almost painful.

“How the hell did you find this place?” Kirby asks as we make our way through the. . . exhibition?

Mindy, who met us outside the theater a couple of minutes earlier freezes in front of a mannequin wearing her and Chad’s late uncle’s shirt.

“I’m an investigative journalist,” Gale deadpans. “How didn’t you find it?” she asks Kirby.

It turns out this place belonged to the two guys in Tara’s film class who were killed by Ghostface. Apparently they were loaded and used fake names to rent this place, but were killed before they could finish their collection of fucked-up memorabilia.

A fact, that is disturbing enough in and of itself, but it puzzles me why we’re only finding out about it now. I mean, Gale is right, how could Kirby not find this place when going through their financial records?

Something about this feels fishy, but I can’t put my finger on it, so I keep my mouth shut, just like how I kept my mouth shut when Ethan showed up a couple of minutes after Mindy.

Chad texted him about this place to keep him in the loop, which prompted him to come here too.

I know Sam said we can’t be a hundred percent certain he’s one of the Ghostfaces, but I’ve caught him staring at me more than once since getting here now, and every time I get too close to him, he moves back and puts distance between us. It’s almost like he’s afraid of me.

Good. He should be afraid. The next time I come across him in that Ghostface mask of his, I won’t hesitate to kill him.

You fuck with the people I love, you pay the price.

Sam letting go of my hand snaps me out of my thoughts. She walks through the rows of display cases with furrowed eyebrows while I stay back, watching her process everything.

That is until Tara tugs on my sleeve.

“Okay, spill,” she says quietly, making sure no one is watching us as they explore the theater.

“Huh?”

“You and Sam!” she hisses. “How? When? I mean— You guys are alone for like two seconds and now you’re—what? Together? Or—?”

I laugh softly. This is so not the time to talk about this, but Tara just can’t keep her curiosity in check. “We’re not officially, or anything, but we talked and we kissed, and—“

“You kissed?!” she shrieks in excitement before quickly slapping her hand over her mouth.

Luckily no one seems to have heard her and I can’t help but smile bashfully and nod. “Yeah, we kissed and she told me she loved me.”

Tara beams and bounces on her toes. “Oh my God, yes! Finally! I told you she felt the same way!”

I wave her off, scratching my neck nervously. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t remind me. . . So, you and Chad, huh?”

This time, it’s Tara’s turn to blush and I can’t help but revel in it when she nods shyly.

“I’m happy for you, Sprout.” I pull her into a quick hug and ruffle her hair. “You two make a hot couple.”

She snorts and shoves me playfully. “Oh, shut up. You’re one to talk.”

We share another smile before Chad calls Tara over to show her something.

I watch her go, feeling myself smiling like an idiot until my eyes land on Sam.

She’s up on the stage and staring at a Ghostface cloak in a display case with a far off look in her eyes. I’ve never seen her look like this before, and it makes me worry because she’s tense and seemingly upset, so I climb onto the stage and approach her slowly, making sure I don’t scare her when I place a hand on her waist.

“Hey, you okay?” I ask quietly, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

She inhales sharply and leans back against me with closed eyes. “No.”

“What is it?” I wrap my arms around her and squeeze her hands when she intertwines our fingers.

“It’s Billy,” she admits quietly, brokenly, as realization dawns on me.

She’s seeing him in the reflection of the glass case. . . That’s what that look on her face was.

“What’s he saying?” I ask without judgement, holding her closer.

“The same shit as always,” she whispers. “You’re a born killer, Sam. Let’s slice up some motherfuckers, Sam. What are you waiting for, Sam?”

I hum in acknowledgement and press another kiss to her shoulder, mumbling, “I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head and squeezes my hands. “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. I actually see him less when you’re around.”

Well, I wasn’t expecting that, and I can’t stop myself from blurting out a surprised, “Really?”

Sam chuckles sadly and tilts her head up to brush her lips against the underside of my jaw. “Yeah. I don’t know why, but you ground me like no one else and when I’m with you I feel safe. I feel loved.”

My heart swoops and I drop my chin to peck her lips. That’s all I ever wanted—to make her feel safe and loved. She deserves the world and so much more, and I’m just glad she’s letting me be there for her.

“I love you,” I whisper against her lips. “We’re going to get through this, and I promise you, once all this is over, I’m taking you on a date. A real date with flowers, dinner, wine, and a bunch of kisses.“

“That sounds amazing. I look forward to it, and I love you, too,” she mumbles before turning more serious and adding, “But first, we’re going to end this. Once and for all.”

She turns in my arms and I raise my eyebrows. “And how do you plan on doing that?”

She raises her hands and places them on my chest, a determined glint in her eyes. “I’ve got a couple ideas, but we need to talk to Kirby and Bailey first.”

“Will you please stop? You’re shaking the entire car,” Kirby says with a pointed look.

I’m bouncing my leg because I’m nervous about what’s about to go down, but stop when I realize she’s right.

We’re in the back of a surveillance van with Mindy, Chad, and Ethan while Sam and Tara are walking around in the park outside.

Bailey is also outside, keeping an eye on them, but his presence does nothing to stop me from worrying about the two of them.

They’re trying to goad Ghostface into calling them so Kirby can trace the car and find out where he is, but so far, he hasn’t called.

To be fair, it’s only been ten minutes since we got here, but still. I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all.

What if he sneaks up on them in broad daylight and slits their throats? What if he lures them somewhere else?

There are too many things that could go wrong for me to be comfortable with this plan, but Kirby and Bailey are sure this is going to work, so I’m not going to interfere.

Mindy seems skeptical too, and she doesn’t hesitate to voice her concerns while Ethan, seemingly unbothered by this whole situation, eats Cheetos, occasionally offering some to Chad.

He doesn’t offer me any, but there’s no surprise there because every time he looks my way I glare at him, daring him to do anything.

Sam and I talked some more earlier and we both decided that it would be best to tell Kirby about our suspicions, but there hasn’t been a chance to do it yet without Ethan potentially overhearing us.

“Hey, Sam? Stay frosty out there, okay?” Kirby says into the comms device.

“We’re good.” Sam replies, her voice sounding strained and clipped over the speaker that lets the rest of us in the van hear what she’s saying.

I want to be out there with her and Tara, but Kirby argued that I could scare Ghostface off by being with them since I’ve kicked his ass twice now.

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I reluctantly pull it out, focusing on whoever’s calling me instead of Sam and Tara.

I frown when I see it’s Paige, and send the call to voicemail before stuffing my phone back into my pocket.

I don’t have time to chat now and I definitely don’t want to be lectured about how I haven’t replied to her latest message yet.

She asked me how things were going with Liam last night and even sent me a picture of her girlfriend’s new dog, but I promised myself I wouldn’t contact her until this whole Ghostface situation is behind us.

That way she doesn’t get involved and I have one less person to worry about.

Yes, she might be pissed now that I’m ignoring her, but she’ll thank me later when she’s still alive because of it.

Sam’s phone rings over the speaker and my heart skips a beat when she answers it.

This is it.

“You’re gonna die you know,” she says, venom lacing her voice.

That’s my girl. Oh my god. . . that’s my girl!

Focus, Y/N!

“No, you’re gonna die, Samantha, chocking on your own blood while I hack up your sister and Y/N. Although it’s a shame because your precious Y/N really is a snack. . .”

Ew, what the fuck?

Mindy and I share a disturbed look and Kirby tries her best to trace the call while Sam keeps talking to Ghostface.

“You know, for a mastermind you’re not very bright,” Ghostface mocks. “Waiting for me to call, desperately hoping I’m nearby so the police can grab me?”

Shit. He knows we’re onto him, which also means, he’s not dumb enough to be anywhere nearby. But where else could he be?

Ghostface hangs up a moment later just as my phone buzzes again.

It’s Paige. Again.

I frown, irritated, and decline her call before shooting her a quick text.

You (5:47 PM)

Can I call you back?

I don’t wait for a reply and tuck my phone back into my pocket, holding my breath when Sam asks Kirby if she managed to trace the call.

“I got it! The geolocation is coming through right now,” Kirby says and Mindy, Chad, Ethan and I all lean in closer to look at the blinking dot on the map of Kirby’s computer.

“He’s on the upper west side,” Kirby says with a puzzled look. “He’s in an apartment building halfway across the city.”

“On West 96th?” Tara asks which makes my eyes widen.

“How did you know that?” Kirby asks, and before Tara can answer I’m out of my seat and reaching for the van’s door handle.

“Gale.” I breathe, jumping out of the van.

She’s in trouble. Why did we leave her behind?! No press allowed, my ass. She’s going to die now because Kirby and Bailey said she wasn’t allowed to be part of the operation.

Tara and Sam come running my way, obviously having realized the same thing as me. Bailey is right behind him and when they get closer I can hear them arguing about what’s going to happen next.

“It’s 50 blocks away,” Bailey says. “And we don’t even know it’s true. Sam, wait! Take a minute.”

“We don’t have a minute!” Sam snaps back and before I can hear the rest of Bailey’s argument, Tara rushes to me and grabs my arm, pulling me to Bailey’s squad car which is parked on the curb.

“Sprout, what are you doing?!” I ask, bewildered when Tara gets into the driver’s seat after urging me to get into the backseat.

“We’re going to save Gale,” is all she says before turning the key in the ignition (how she got it, I have no idea), and rolling down the window, shouting, “Sam! Get in.”

Sam’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but she’s quick to jump into action and get into the passenger seat before locking the doors from the inside.

“Hey! What are you doing? Get out of my car! That’s an official vehicle!” Bailey shouts, but Sam just rolls up the window and turns to look at Tara.

“Should we use the sirens?” she asks.

Tara, despite the seriousness of the situation, smiles mischievously and says, “Did you really think we were gonna steal a police car and not use the sirens?”

“Fuck yeah!” Sam puts on her seatbelt and Tara turns on the sirens and drives off right as Bailey reaches the car, banging on the window.

“Oh my God, he’s going to kill us,” I say, seeing him glare at us through the back window.

Tara and Sam just laugh, and I smile, too, but then my phone dings and I pull it out, feeling my heart freeze when I see the message Paige sent me.

PB&J (5:50 PM)

It’s Liam, Y/N. He’s been attacked by Ghostface.

_______________________________________________

And I oop. . . 2 or 3 more parts to go!!!

Tag list: @bella423 @artrizzler19 @btay3115 @canyonyodeler @quadofthec @pussyydestroyer @rqizzu @pithod @morganismspam23 @idontliketoread2137

[zablife]

Ask Me Why I'm Like This

Johnny Davis x female reader

Johnny Davis Masterlist

Summary: After Benny leaves you questioning your life choices, Johnny is there to pick up the pieces.

A/N: This is in response to @semperamans's amazing fic about toxic!Benny. The thought of providing the reader with some loving aftercare from Johnny wouldn't leave my mind so I hope you don't mind that I ran with the idea, darling!

The phone only rings this late at night with bad news, someone's in hospital or jail, but regardless Johnny answers because as club president it's an indication he's needed somewhere. When the caller doesn't immediately identify themselves he takes a deep breath, the whimpers and shaky breathing on the other end of the static filled line telling him everything he needs to know.

"What's wrong, baby doll, hmm? Tell Johnny," he hums to you gently, finger stroking the receiver as he might your delicate cheek if only you were standing in front of him now. He's well aware if he doesn't take care in this moment, you'll give up and slam the phone down and that's the last thing he wants.

"I saw B-b-benny..." you stutter before breaking down again.

His hand slides down his face as he remembers he was the one to tell you Benny had returned, practically encouraging your return to the kid’s doorstep.

"Where are ya?" he asks over the sounds of your muffled cries. "You know I'll come," his deep voice promises in a slow, steady rhythm.

His fist clenches tightly at his side as he waits for your reply because it's times like these he could throttle Benny for his carelessness. Johnny tries to steel his mind and yet he still imagines you running from the safety of the telephone booth. He pictures you stumbling into the darkened street in a thin nightgown, weak and vulnerable. It isn't hard because this isn't the first time he's had to find you in the middle of the night after Benny's wetted his dick.

"M-montrose," you sniffle.

"Okay, stay there," he instructs. "You don't move, alright?" he adds for good measure.

"I w-won't move," you repeat back to him through hiccuped sobs.

Twenty minutes later, Johnny's bike is roaring toward you, his eyes wild with fear. You amble toward him as if in a dream, waiting for your knight in shining armor.

He brushes the fringe from your forehead, as he asks, "You okay?"

You nod as he helps you climb onto the bike, arms finding a comfortable spot low on his abdomen instinctively. "There's my girl," he coos before driving off into the twilight.

The cold clutch of your fingers against his stomach bothers him despite the lingering heat of the day. Johnny wonders if it hadn't been a bad idea to introduce you to Benny after all if this was going to be the aftermath.

When he parks the bike in front of the house, he has to help you from the seat, your exhausted body still trembling. "You don't look so good," he blurts before he catches himself.

"M fine," you mutter, heading toward the house and he rushes to catch up, gathering your bowing body under his strong arm. Scooping you up, he carries you up the flight of steps, suggesting a bath to calm your nerves.

That's not the real reason, of course. With your body pressed so tightly against him, he can smell Benny on you and feel the sticky remnants when his hand brushes the backs of your thighs. He grits his teeth when he thinks of Benny's selfishness, especially after the constant reminders that bordered on threats. "Wear a rubber, kid. Don't want you ruinin' her life, you understand?"

As your head rolls into Johnny's shoulder with a drowsy little yawn, he knits his brow, wondering if this scene will replay itself in the fall over a child Benny will want nothing to do with. But Johnny's eyes soften at the corners, the beginnings of a smile lighting his face as he thinks of his hand being the one to rest protectively over your stomach.

The daydream is fleeting, no use borrowing trouble when all you need is the steaming hot water filling the large tub in his bathroom. He busies himself with finding items for you, a soft towel and one of his worn t-shirts.

Your toes sink into the plush bathmat, giggling at the baby pink Betty must have chosen long ago. Johnny doesn't notice, or maybe he thinks it's his knuckles brushing softly against your ribcage as he slips your nightie over your head. Whatever it might be, neither of you consider your nakedness as you slip into the water with a hiss. What you have with Johnny is far too comfortable for anything resembling modesty.

That's why it surprises you when Johnny turns his head, muttering something about making a pot of coffee. "It'll sober ya up," he decides with a nod, turning to leave you in the froth of too many bubbles.

“M not drunk,” you protest, small hand darting out to paw at the leg of his trousers. “Just need somebody to hold onto," you confess, reddened eyes and puffy lips staring up at him like he's your whole world.

And he can’t ignore that, your plea for comfort within the safety of his arms. Without another thought, he’s undressing and sloshing water onto the floor as he seats his hulking body behind you. "I'm here. You're not alone," he tells you, caging your body between his muscular thighs.

You rest your head against his chest with a sigh, fingers searching his beneath the soapy water. When you’ve locked hands you whisper, “I never meant it to happen like this, I swear. But you always take such good care of me. Don't know why I didn't come here in the first place...”

Johnny can hear the catch in your throat before he hushes you, placing a kiss to your temple as he feels his cock stirring. Why do you have to be so goddamn sweet at a time like this, he wonders? It makes him want to ravish you, but that’s the last thing he should be thinking about after Benny’s had his.

He tries to displace the thoughts, but they return with a vengeance as soon as he takes up a sponge and lathers it. Stroking along your exposed arms, then down the valley of your breasts. He can’t help but notice how you drop your knees open for him as he draws closer to your core, heart thundering against your back as he wonders if he should be the one to clean the mess Benny's left.

You reach a hand behind you deftly, landing at the base of his neck with little effort and you begin stroking your nails along the shorn hairs, feeling them prick against you with every passing sweep.

As he draws figure eights against your delicate folds you moan softly into his chest hair, the exquisite feeling pulling high pitched whimpers from you. "D-don't stop," you beg as his calloused fingers finish what he's begun, knowing the friction against your inner wall will be too delicious to stop now.

You come with his name on your lips, melting into him as your orgasm washes over you like the waves of lukewarm water lapping against the side of the bath. It isn't nearly what Johnny craves, but he accepts tonight is about you and your needs, especially as he notices how droopy your eyelids have become.

He shifts beneath you, resting your chin on the ledge as he drains the tub. Lifting you out in one swift motion, he drapes you in downy softness, the scent of him encircling you like a bulwark.

"M tired, Johnny," you mumble against his neck and he wastes no time laying you across his bed, dressing your limp body like a rag doll before tucking you beneath the covers. He places a kiss to your cheek as he turns out the light, sliding in beside you to cradle you against his warmth.

Just as he thinks you've drifted off, your small voice cuts through the silence. "Why am I like this?" you whisper, lips grazing his collarbone.

"Like what?" he asks, trying not to bob his chin which rests lightly atop your head.

"Fucked up....lost..." you mutter in confusion, bottom lip teetering between your teeth precariously.

Johnny finds your cheeks, pinches them between his thumb and forefinger as he brings your face up to meet his eyes which have only just adjusted to the dark. "You're not lost when you're here with me," he reminds you and that thought calms you instantly.

Wrapping an arm around his waist you drift off into the most peaceful sleep you've had in weeks.

-------------------

Read the epilogue here

[s1utlvr]

Chemtrails Over the Country Club ﹏

Luke Castellan X fem!aphrodite reader

In which Luke comes to recruit you.

a/n: Honestly this fic is so unserious and unhinged 😭😭 also listen. Idk how this got so long but it did. Also don’t know how this got so angsty but it did. Anyways takes place during sea of monsters just some heated making out and arguing mentions of bullying kinda Luke being well Luke. This was supposed to be inspired by I can see you by Taylor swift but then it got really long and angsty so here’s a little playlist of all the songs that inspired this. (Listen in order or don’t idc) Not proofread yeah that’s it lmk if I missed something.

Reflections- The Neighborhood

Chemtails Over the Country Club -Lana Del Rey

Money power Glory- Lana Del Rey

I Can See You - Taylor swift

Listening time- 17 mins

Word Count- 4.9k

~~~~𖠳~~~~~~~~𖠳~~~~~~~~𖠳~~~~~𖠳~~~~~~~~𖠳~~~~~~~

There was no one at camp who hadn’t heard the story of the night Percy Jackson returned.

It was a night of triumph as the son of Poseidon had saved Olympus and prevented war, until Luke castellan outed himself as the lighting thief and disappear.

And just like triumph came it diminished and once more there was talk of war.

But between all of this there was just something you couldn’t wrap your head around.

After the summer solstice most people left feeling frazzled, those like you who stayed for the remainder of the term continued picking sides preparing for the war that was said to come just like before Percy had returned.

Just like all the other cabins yours had come to a consensus as well, despite the fact your mother was a war goddess most were against a war out of hatred and spite for the gods and while you agreed part of you couldn’t help but feel…different.

Sure you were against a war breaking out any sane person would be, but part of you couldn’t help but sympathize with Luke.

See for a while you were your mother’s pride and joy, the epitome of what it meant to be Aphrodites daughter. You were charming, sweet, and had a beauty that could only come from the goddess of love and beauty herself and you lived for for the love and attention of your peers and your mother til you realized that was all you had to offer, and once someone sweeter, kinder, prettier came along you were left with nothing.

Your mother gave you everything, and then she took it all away.

It was humiliating being the “dumb Aphrodite kid” constantly being ridiculed for being shallow and vain but how could you not when all you were left with was your beauty?

You couldn’t even recount the amount of times you had sobbed and sobbed and sobbed about it the amount of times that you had prayed to something that you hoped could be bigger than the gods to give you a different parent someone who could gift you with knowledge or wisdom or skill or creativity just something that could make you feel like you were more like you were worthy, for a while you even considered joining the hunt. It wasn’t like your mother would ever let anyone endure the misery that would be loving you.

However despite all of this Luke still saw you.

You weren’t exactly friends throughout your time at camp half-blood but he treated you a hell of a lot better than most of his siblings whom would just look at you and whistle.

Whenever you two would spar he’d always give you a real challenge not letting you stop until you finally beat him and it was during the brief conversations after these moments where you found yourself seeing bits of you in him.

You were both runaways desperate to cling to something,desperate for glory, nobodies son and nobodies daughter; the wasted potential of your parents.

It was for this reason that you found yourself laying awake in the middle of the night pondering about Luke. War was bad for everyone there was no question about it and no sane person would just start of war out of spite. You knew it wasn’t right but part of you felt like he had to have had a reason for his doings something that had to have pushed him over the edge.

You hated to admit it but for the months he’s was gone you were miserable. You were loosing yourself without your conversations with Luke and worst of all you were loosing your beauty.

Sure it sounded vain but it was an odd phenomenon that occurred one in a million. See Aphrodites kids lived off of love, self and that of others it was one of the things that helped them thrive, and seeing as you were lacking both your hair began to thin and your face had begun hollowing out,suddenly you really started to feel for Luke.

It was your last straw, and what you would go on to say was your reason for the decision you made the night you saw him.

It was Labor Day weekend which also happened to be the last weekend before most began returning to camp and it was tradition for the year round campers to throw a final intimate campfire.

You had tried to ride out the night with some of your siblings but you had found it to be just as insufferable so you made your way back to your cabin.

It was quiet for a change, and for a minute it felt quite peaceful as you felt yourself closing your eyes until you heard the cabin door open once more.

You had expected to look up and see one of your siblings but instead, it was him.

You wore a shocked expression on your face your eyes looking his body up and down.

it was really him.

You didn’t know how to react he looked the same wearing sweatpants and a gray hoodie that hugged his arms a bit tighter, he had been training.

Despite the fact that he looked the same you knew he wasn’t, all you knew was that he was out for blood and he was standing infront of you.

Breathing was getting harder, as you moved back onto your bed your eyes stuck on the man infront of you.

“What…what do you want with me?” You asked still completely dumbfounded.

“Relax…..i have no intentions of hurting you.”

His expression remained the same, he was calm and collected. You felt absolutely insane.

“Why are you here Luke” you asked trying to match his tone and failing as the shakiness of your voice came through.

“I’m here to recruit you.”

You swallowed a lump in your throat. “Why me?”

“Because I think you can help me. You see when people see you all they see is a pretty face……they underestimate you, but i can see you y/n. And as far as I’m concerned you’re the smartest demigod i know” He sounded so sure of himself for a second you almost believed him.

“You’re lying” You scoffed as you watched his expression change he wasn’t as calm as he was before, he persistent on recruiting you

“Would you look around y/n? You’re the only one who even knows I’m here. Everyone else is oblivious not just to this but everything. You see the world differently, you understand me y/n i need you.”

“But why would should I?” It was vain. You needed no more convincing.

“If you join me no one is ever gonna dare look at you the wrong way, ever. I won’t let them underestimate you y/n.”

It wasn’t right. You knew it in your gut it wasn’t.

But for once in your life you felt seen,wanted, you had the chance to do something that was bigger than yourself.

“When do we leave?”

“It’s not quite like that, I need eyes on the inside….just for now until Percy arrives…not that he’ll be staying long.” Your expression dimmed as he spoke.

“You have to trust me on this”

“How do you know you can trust me?”

“I don’t, but I do know something.”

“You’re your mother’s daughter. As much as we all despise them it doesn’t change the facts. And the fact is you Aphrodite kids are too loyal for your own good.

He could read you like a book, yet there was something freeing about the vulnerability you felt, like he was setting you free.

“I’m in”

He walked closer to you placing a few golden drachmas into your hand before closing your palm.

“I expect to hear from you soon.”

You had no idea what you had gotten yourself into.

The next couple of weeks were quiet, until they weren’t.Thalias tree had been poisoned and monsters were getting closer and closer each day,something told you it was Luke behind it. If you were right it was redundant to call him but something inside of you was telling you to call him anyways, so you grabbed a golden drachma from the pile that had been hiding away in your vanity followed by a prism of clear quartz and hoped for the best.

“Oh iris goddess of the rainbow please accept my offering” A rainbow reflected upon the window next to your bunk.

“Give me Luke Castellan, Princess andromeda, New York Harbor”

When you got to Luke he was in a meeting and didn’t notice your message at first but he looked different. His curls were shorter,shiner, like he had started taking care of them. He was wearing an emerald button up, trousers, and loafers that you could’ve sworn were gucci. To say he looked attractive was an understatement.

“It’s about time” He said startling you a bit as you had begun to zone out.

“I think you know why im calling, Thalias tree is dying”

“Perfect” a smirk landed on his face.

“That’s not it though. The barrier’s diminishing there’s talk about having twenty-four seven security on half blood hill and Clarisse is already there like every hour of the day”

His expression changed.

“How fast can you get to New York harbor?”

“I’m not finished. Chiron doesn’t want Percy going to camp this year, says it too dangerous.”

That was it, his eyes darkened as his mind wandered aimlessly in panic. He looked no where near as confident as he did just minutes ago.

“Pack up im calling a car, we’ll figure out what to do about Percy once you’re here”

You watched as his face quickly faded from the kaleidoscope of colors. Something was wrong very wrong but whatever it was he trusted you with it, and you trusted him.

Packing was always your specialty, you’d had the ability to pack your entire life into a duffel bag since you had started coming to camp; shoes,toiletries makeup, on bottom, in the upper part underwear, pants,dresses, shirts, in that order, and right on-top the thing that was missing this go around. The bright orange colored “Camp Half-Blood” shirts.

There was something almost liberating about being able to abandon them on your bed. Maybe that’s why the gods always abandoned their children.

It wasn’t hard slipping out from camp, not than anyone really noticed you nowadays but it was dinner hour, and by the time it was over you were already boarding the Princess Andromeda where you were greeted by a cabin stewardess.

“Good evening Ms. Y/n. We’ve been expecting you” She was tall blonde and had dry almost scale-y hands, something told you she wasn’t exactly human but you didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

She took your bags and led you to your room, the decor ironically reminiscent of the Poseidon cabin.

“Mr Castellan needs you in the orlop at ten but until then feel free to enjoy any and all amenities, enjoy your stay.”

You nodded as you watched her leave the room closing the door behind you.

You began to unpack while simultaneously trying to figure out what to wear. You weren’t exactly sure what the dress code was for a meeting to plan the downfall of Percy Jackson but based off of what you’d seen Luke wearing in your iris message you assumed business formal.

You didn’t know what you were thinking when you’d pack the dress, it was a gift from your mother from when she’d actually bothered to try and have a relationship with you. It was a long black dress with chains around the waist. You hadn’t worn it in months. The words that came out of her mouth as she handed it to you played in your head on repeat.

“Your beauty is all powerful. What you do with that is of your choosing but choose wisely.”

You weren’t sure if you believed that anymore, if you believed her at all. But the dress felt appropriate.

You let your hair down and got ready applying some light makeup, something you hadn’t done since last summer. Meanwhile you’d thought about what people had said about Luke last summer, wondering if they’d say the same things about you once they found out, if they’d call you a “traitor” and a “monster” But If what you were doing was so wrong then how come you finally felt like yourself again?

A bit later the stewardess who had greeted you earlier escorted you down some corridors to the bottom deck to an old maintenance room that was now being used as a lair of sorts.

Inside Luke was sitting crouched over in a chair with his head down,next to him was Chris Rodriguez one if his siblings you’d seen around camp and two other men who appeared to be older than you three.

Tensions were high, you felt it as soon as you walked in.

As he heard you walk in Luke looked up adjusting himself as he looked your body up and down.

“Good you’re here. Take a seat we don’t have much time.” He said as he motioned to the seat next to him.

You sat down, the other two men watching you closely.

“How much do you know?” One of the anonymous men asked.

“Percy was supposed to go back to camp at the end of this week, Thursday. Chiron has been trying to convince Sally Jackson otherwise but Percy Himself isn’t aware of the state of camp.” You said

“He doesn’t get to camp he can’t take the bait and all of this is fucked we need a plan and we need it now.” Luke was getting agitated.

“We need to make him not going not an option.” Chris added.

“Exactly” luke replied

It was silent for a moment, the sound of Luke tapping his foot filled the room until one of the men spoke.

“I know some people we can call up, get him in some trouble at school. If he’s still under the impression camp is safe he’ll go running to Chiron.”

You watched as a wave of relief washed over Luke’s face.

“Get to it we don’t have time to waste.”

The man nodded before walking out of the room followed by the other man.

“Hey man I’m gonna go grab a drink you want?”

“Yeah I’ll meet you there” Luke said to him as Chris nodded before walking out.

You watched as he left your eyes locking on Luke once you heard the door shut. He looked even better than he did in the iris message now that you were seeing him in person. You couldn’t help but imagine things that would make even your mom blush.

“You came” He said as he turned to face you.

You sound suprised”

“Not surprised, relieved. Without your intel Percy wouldve had us chasing our own tail. I’m glad you made it.” He sounded sweet, genuine. It was hard to believe he was the same person people had talking about at camp.

“Glad I’m here.” You said shooting him a soft smile as he stood up offering out his hand, you took it as you stood up.

“You wanna come with?” He asked motioning to the door.

“I’m ok, I’ll see you later”

“I tried” He said with a fake dramatic sigh as he held his hand to his heart you rolled your eyes at his antics.

“You look good y/n” He said before exiting the room.

His words shouldn’t have made your heart flutter like they did, you were nothing more to him than a pawn, but if he could get something out of this why couldn’t you?

You decided to grab a jacket from your room and make your way up to the deck, it was late and empty for the most part as you settled on the ledge of the boat looking out at the New York skyline in the distance, the Brooklyn bridge illuminating the night sky. As much as you may have hated the gods you had to give them some credit. They picked a beautiful city to move Olympus too.

“What are you doing?” You heard from behind you as you turned to face Luke.

“Admiring the view” you responded letting out a sigh at the look of his face of disdain.

“It’s not safe out here, they’ll smell you.” He said as he walked towards you his expression ever so slowly relaxing.

“nothing you can’t handle.” You replied with a smirk. It was true, Luke was the best swordsmen you knew there wasn’t a monster he couldn’t handle.

“Doesn’t mean you can just go around getting into trouble, what am I your saving grace?”

Hearing those words come out of his mouth made you blush, he really did save you.

Cmon, you ought to get back to your room” he said as hey began walking back inside.

“It’s ok I’ll find my way around” you said as you scurried infront of him.

“Nonsense youre staying next to me I’ll walk you” Luke replied continuing to walk as you stopped in your tracks.

“You know I can look out for myself”

“Believe me I know, you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t…..it just helps me sleep at night.” There was something comforting about his words that made you smile as you caught up to him.

“Kinda sounds like you do wanna save” you teased as you walked alongside him.

“Did I not?” He replied making a fake face of confusion causing you to roll your eyes.

“Yeah you totally did” you said as you entered the hallway your rooms were on.

“Get some rest, things should be pretty calm til we get to Miami.” Luke said resting his arm on your shoulder.

“What’re we doing in Miami?” You asked.

“Just….rest up”

“I’ll see you in the morning then” You said as you walked down to your room glancing at him down the hallway one last time before entering.

You couldn’t think straight, you couldn’t think about anything at all really. Only his words that replayed in your head over and over and over and the way his lips seemed to glisten and the way his shirt hugged his arms and most of all fthe fact that there was nearly a thin wall separating you and Luke, and the things you’d be able to hear through it.

For the first time in months you slept like a rock knowing you weren’t alone knowing there was someone looking out for you. Sure you weren’t helpless but you weren’t against the idea of Luke wanting to look out for you.

The rest of the day was nice, peaceful, for the most part that was until evening.

Word got around Annabeth had single handled gotten Percy back to camp and they were figuring out things too quickly which called for an emergency meeting meaning Luke practically dragged you out of your room while you were half dressed leaving you in a tank top and some sweatpants.

“Wait so what’s happening?” You asked as you scurried to the lower deck

“Clarisse was sent on a quest to go obtain the Golden Fleece for Thalias tree”

“Which is good for us right?”

“Wrong, cause we had assumed Percy would go”

“So what now?”

“‘thing is because of that we had started to reroute only to find out the impertinent shit and his entourage are planning on joining her” He said slamming open the door to the old maintence room and slamming it just as quickly as she opened it.

“Listen Luke our options are limited-“ Chris stated as you entered the room.

“You think I don’t know that?” Luke hissed.

“I’m just saying our best bet is to lure him on board when he gets to the harbor.”

You scowled at his words. “We can’t do that”

“Says who?” Chris scoffed

“It’s not logical. We’d be risking everything we know little nothing we don’t know who or what he could have with him all we know is who he is and he is not to be underestimated for this to work we need more. We might aswell be serving ourselves up on a silver platter”

“She has a point” One of the guys from yesterday responded as you felt Chris’ piercing eyes on you.

“Why should we listen to her? She’s always just been a dumb Aphrodite girl what like that changed overnight”

Your heart sank. Just like that you were back at camp.

“Excuse me?”

“Y/n-“ Luke said reaching out for your arm only to be pushed away.

“No what the fuck did you just say? Aphrodite may be my mother but atleast I know who my godly parent it. You’re just an unclaimed kid who Hermes took pity on so if I were you I wouldn’t be talking.”

“What did you just say to me?”

“This is a fucking joke you’re a fucking joke-“ You cursed as you stormed out Luke following quickly behind you.

“What the fuck was that?” He shouted as you walked into your room

“I don’t know you tell me”

“You can’t do that”

“I thought we had an agreed no more of that bullshit but i guess since it’s your best fucking friend that doesn’t apply to him huh?”

“What’s it gonna take for you to keep your fucking mouth shut huh?” He shouted cornering you into a wall.

You were tongue tied. For the first time you’d seen the monster people had described at camp for months. But under the anger in his eyes you saw something else, a deep hunger and desire.

“I’m sorry-“

“Luke” you cried out as you swallowed a lump in your throat causing it to come out as more of a breathy moan.

You watched his eyes lighten as the anger turned into pure lust in his eyes your shaky hand making its way up to his neck only to be met by his wrist.

“If his happens you will be putting yourself into immediate danger, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe but not a single person can know. You are my weakness and if someone figured that out I cannot assure you that you won’t end up dead and I can��t loose anyone else y/n especially not you, but you have to understand I will not have you mess this operation up do you understand?”

You couldn’t speak.

“I said do you understand?” His voice was louder harsher.

“Yes”

The moment the word slipped off your tongue his lips were pressed against yours with full force. There was absolutely nothing romantic about the way his hands gripped at your sides and the way his lips gnawed at your skin. It was pure lust and desire.

And it was everything you had ever wished for.

you despised your mother, but for once in your life you couldn’t thank her enough.

It was rushed and sloppy but Luke had never needed anything in his life so badly like he needed you.

He could’ve kissed you forever and it still wouldn’t have been enough, his tongue longing for the taste of you the moment you pulled away from him.

“Not a word about this.”

“Maybe you’ll just have to keep me quiet.”

[lightlycareless]

How would Naoya and Y/N parent a child that would struggle in such a harsh clan like the Zen’in? Maybe a kid that’s really soft and sensitive, maybe crybaby or just a real anxious kiddo ^-^

Hello!

Aww... this was the perfect opportunity to explore more of Y/N's and Naoya's second kid, Naori. While Naomi is all emotive and exciting, Naori is a bit more demure, even shy. But I won't say much, I'll let you read it instead.

Warnings: none. fluff. you and naoya are married and have 2 kids. slight references to this oneshot over here.

Happy reading!

To have another child after so many years should've been a blessing. A moment to cherish with all your heart: because once surpassing your fears that plagued your first pregnancy, your family grows once more, a step closer to what you always dreamed of, with the addition of this beautiful baby boy named Naori.

Naoya, simply ecstatic to have more kids with you, was overjoyed at his arrival; though a part of him was also happy to finally have a boy in the family, nonetheless, he swore to love him unconditionally and equally as his sister.

And Naomi, on the other hand, was enamored by him the moment you broke the news, quickly envisioning all kinds of things the two would do once in her arms; even if she had to wait a bit longer before she could be able to do much, she was still happy to have become an older sister all around.

But, the day Naori was born, even when perfect, you and Naoya knew things weren't to be easy for him. Such things were never promised when part of the sorcery community, less with a family as difficult as the Zen'in...

Yet, even if Naomi had gone through quite a few struggles herself, this fact was far more prominent on him. Perhaps it was Naori's shy demeanor that made you believe so, a calmness to contrast his sister’s fiery determination, alongside a weaker constitution once again compared to his predecessor…

And while this obviously meant nothing to you and Naoya, finding absolute perfection all around him, on the little boy that looked just like your husband but with some features here and there that hinted at your likeness...

The Zen'in just saw a disappointment.

"He isn't strong."

"He lacks determination."

"A son, but a coward."

"We will never have a decent heir at this rate."

You and your staff had done an adequate job of keeping Naori away from these awful comments as soon as they were spat out, create an environment where he could feel safe and loved, reassured that in his beloved one’s eyes, he was nothing but wonderful…

Some still managed to get to him, especially those that tended to compare him to his sister; clearly done with the intention of creating discord between the two, just as had occurred between his father and siblings.

The Zen’in were sneaky, attacking your poor son when neither were available and weaponizing the only other person that did her best to keep him safe as well: Naomi.

It was clear they intended to corner him out of a twisted, sick reason—and the worst part of it, is that it was starting to affect him.

You’ve lost count of how many nights you’d check on Naori just to find him silently sobbing.

But one thing you were adamant about: you had enough.

“Naoya, we need to do something now.” You firmly declare; you couldn’t wait for his return, quickly grabbing your phone and calling him for a much-needed discussion. Careless if he was in the middle of a mission: your family came first, always. “I don’t think I can see our son crying again!”

Naoya already felt unbearably inadequate to be a father thanks to his own insecurities, so to realize he hadn’t been as proactive when it came to taking care of you and his babies… well, let’s say he wasn’t particularly proud of it either.

After his absence at Naori’s birth, he promised to be far more present in their life, make up for all his mistakes with Naomi and do better this time around.

But he fails, because his job has become far more aggravating, constantly demanding more and more out of him now so that his father is getting older and he’s not able to keep up with all the things he used to back in the day.

It hurts him like you have no idea, to hear your anger, your son’s sadness, and not be able to do anything about it—miles away, busy in some stupid mission, when he could easily be by you7r side and support his family.

Yet, if he keeps allow this… then his vows to you would’ve meant nothing? His commitment to his family, his daughter and son, void?

Is this the father they deserved? The example he’s going to set as leader of the clan once it’s his time?

…

No. That, he will not. If he wants to make a change, he’ll do good in taking your advice and act now.

The topic of moving out of the estate has been frequently touched upon in the past, but ultimately put aside in favor of the comforts living with his family would oblige: with a staff at your beck and call, all you needed to worry about was taking care of the kids. Not even money or food was to enter your worries—as long as you remain there, your life was essentially set.

Which is what you could also get back in your home too, some would argue. However, you knew what a relationship with the heir of the Zen’in entitled, and after much discussion, you agreed to take this much frightening step of being future Lady of the Zen’in—because that’s what partners do.

Naoya ought to live up to that.

“What do you mean you’re leaving, again?” Naobito scowls; whenever his son is out of the estate he’s quickly pestered by the elders, fretting about how his actions reflect a poor, undesirable heir and that he should be stricter with him to avoid the demise of the clan. But truth to be told, Naobito had long stopped caring about the future, all that he worried about was the present and making the most out of it, which is all he was able to do anyways at his age…

“My family isn’t happy here, not that I expect you to understand what either are.” Naoya frowns. He was just being courteous for your sake, but if it were up to him, he would’ve left without a word.

“You’ll come crawling back to this place anyways.” Naobito bets. “You always do.”

“Perhaps when you’re dead.” Naoya promises, and with that, the transition to the previous apartment the two lived in was effectuated immediately.

You never thought you’d come back to this place, at least not through the unfortunate matters that led you here to begin with, but you were ultimately fine with it. In fact, what worried you the most was the probable discomfort your babies would have to such drastic change.

But thankfully, though a bit saddened by her departure and leaving behind your staff and aunties she was greatly fond of, Naomi took this situation with great optimism, excited to see her new room and decorate it however she desired—Hello Kitty is always the theme to go—and show it off too.

Yet Naori on the other hand, didn’t find the same things thrilling. Because no matter the number of toys you’d give him in hopes of distracting him, or other countless activities to complete, Naori still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was the culprit behind it all—growing more and more guilty and responsible for his family’s alleged demise as days went on.

“Is it because of me?” Naori quietly asked his father, Naoya staying behind to help unpack the last of his items while you and Naomi went out to get food. “Did we move because… of me?”

“Hmmm, well, if you put it that way… I guess so.” Naoya teases, Naori frowns, feeling even worse. “I was just joking, Naori. If I’m being honest, it was getting kinda boring back there, wouldn’t you agree?”

“No… not really. Mama and Naomi-nee always made sure I was never bored.”

“Yeah, that sounds like them, alright.” Naoya chuckles. “And that’s how it’ll continue to be here too, because we want nothing but your happiness.”

Words of encouragement that were intended to make him feel better, reassure him that as much as things seem to change, he’d always be their priority.

But for a dismayed child… there was still a long road ahead before he could completely accept this truth. In the meantime…

“I’m sorry papa…” Naori murmurs, tears beginning to pool in his eyes and making Naoya’s heart tighten.

“Ah, Naori—why are you apologizing? You hadn’t done anything wrong.”

“You’re not upset with me?” Naori asks, and Naoya smiles. Because how could he ever? For whenever he sees Naori, it’s like looking into a mirror, a reflection of how he used to be when he was younger—only that he never had the courage to express his feelings. Nor anyone to protect him.

He knows better than anyone else what it is to grow under the scrutiny of the Zen’in, which set him on a path of arrogance and hatred that would’ve defined his existence if he hadn’t met you.

But just because he went through those awful things doesn’t mean his family had to experience them too. Naoya promised to make the difference, even when you didn’t necessarily agree with his methods from time to time.

Be the father he never had.

“Don’t tell mama I said this, but my family can be real idiots.” Naoya begins, Naori gasps at the bad word.

“Papa, you can’t say that!”

“I know, I know—but that’s what they are, really.” Naoya shrugs. “They don’t know how to be nice, and I’m sure they’ll probably die if they somehow do manage to be. It’s always been like that, too, ever since I was a kid.”

“What do you mean, papa?” Naori asks.

“Let’s say I’ve been in your shoes.” He reveals. “I know what it is to be undermined by your own family.”

“But you— you’re strong and amazing!” His child exclaimed, surely his papa must’ve been held in a much higher esteem, right?

“I am, but I’ve long stopped caring about what they think and focused instead on what mama, Naomi, and you say.” Naoya grins, ruffling the top of his head. “As long as you keep thinking of me as your amazing dad, I can manage.”

“I wanna be strong as you too.” Naori longs.

“You don’t have to be like me, you’re already perfect.” Naoya then proceeds to press his fingers on his sides, incessantly tickling him until Naori is nothing but a laughing mess, leaving behind all his sorrows and smiling for what seemed the first time in days.

“Stop, papa!” he giggles, trying his best to release his father’s hold from him, to no avail. “I don’t wanna anymore!”

“Only if you promise me to ignore their words.” He responds. “And always remember that your mama and I love you very much.”

Naoya will always deny having any kind of favoritism, and objectively he doesn’t, he genuinely loves all his children equally and greatly; but after today, upon learning that the two had far more things in common than expected, little Naori earned a special place in his heart.

I've come to the same conclusion a thousand times: the Zen'in estate is not the best place to have a family. Like, the only way I see our favorite family back there is when Naoya is finally leader of the clan and makes a lot of changes. But even then... ugh.

Anyways, I think I've found Naoya's favorite kid lol even though he says that he isn't. I don't mean it for them to have any, but I guess they connect better with each kid differently—Naori is the one that reminds Naoya the most of himself when he was younger, that's all.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this small piece 🥺 thank you so much for waiting and sending in this ask!! I've been wanting to write more about little Naori and this gave me the right excuse hehe.

Take care and hope to see you soon!!

[starsainzjr]

Pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Southeast Asian!reader Faceclaim: Kelly Marie Tran Requested: Yes No

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yourusername Colorado

Liked by lewishamilton, georgerussell63, carmenmundt and 40,862 others

yourusername Unbelievable time in Colorado with the love of my life. Oh, and Lewis was there too

View all 10,972 comments

roscoelovescoco Yous the loves of my lifes toos!

lewishamilton I see how it is, you're just here for the Roscoe access

georgerussell63 I mean, can you really blame her? yourusername You're the real love of my life, Lew. Just don't tell Roscoe lewishamilton We can bribe him with treats

carmenmundt That looks like it was the best camping trip ever

yourusername Can confirm

lewismylove Wake up babes, Lewis and Roscoe content just dropped

l.h.eight Dude what the hell I just woke up. Let a girl be conscious before you attack her with Lewis and Roscoe content

lewishamilton

Liked by yourusername, carmenmundt, georgerussell63 and 704,936 others

lewishamilton Favorite place with my favorite girl. We'll be back and ready to race next weekend

View all 30,984 comments

yourusername Favorite place with my favorite boy 🥰

lewishamilton Best way to spend the last few weeks of peace

georgerussell63 @/yourusername Where did you find the horse????

yourusername I'll never reveal my tricks georgerussell63 Alright then keep your secrets yourusername 🧙🏻‍♂️

l.h.eight Seriously the most perfect couple on the grid

lewismylove I love it when he goes full fanboy with her

hamil10 He really is her biggest fan and it's absolutely adorable

yourusername Brackley, England

Liked by lewishamilton, carmenmundt, mercedesamgf1 and 40,822 others

yourusername Team dinner!

View all 10,525 comments

lewishamilton Had a perfect date for a perfect evening

yourusername Three years in and you still manage to make me blush lewishamilton That's the goal, love yourusername ☺️

carmenmundt Such a memorable night! We'll miss you both next year!

yourusername Love you to bits Carmen!

l.h.eight I cannot believe this is the last time we'll get team dinner content from YN 😭

hamil10 I KNOW it really is the end times

lewismylove They are literally my comfort couple. The middle picture? They're so damn cute

yourusername Bahrain

Liked by lewishamilton, carmenmundt, mercedesamgf1 and 41,039 others

yourusername Almost time for lights out! Let's go @/lewishamilton!

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lewishamilton My biggest cheerleader. I love you my darling

yourusername I love you too, handsome. Go knock 'em dead

roscoelovescoco Mys pawrents ares the bests

yourusername Love you too, Roscoe

mercedesamgf1 Lucky charm is here! Let's get it done this weekend!

lewismylove Stop he is actually so adorable. Like are you kidding? If that's what I saw picking me up from the airport I would never ask for anything again

hamil10 Real. So so real bestie

l.h.eight I'm sobbing I love them so much

lewismylove Seeing them in red next year is going to be so weird

lewishamilton

Liked by yourusername, roscoelovescoco, carmenmundt and 399,171 others

lewishamilton Amazing past few days with my two favorite people on the planet. Nice to rest, but it's back to work this week

View all 40,014 comments

yourusername I'm so honored to be listed with Roscoe

lewishamilton You have top spot, don't tell him I said that

yourusername 🤐

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All photos from Pinterest, Instagram, or Google Images

[fryingpan1234567]

Can u write some malconnor hcs plz??? ❤️🤭 I'm starved fr :)

Ty love u

ah yes my babies I love them sm

it took me a while to get to this but anon I gotchu babe I love me some malconnor at ALL times

they’re givingggg youngest sibling x youngest sibling

I think Connor has always liked the idea of having a motorcycle, but he didn’t take it seriously until Malcolm mentioned someone at his school got one (and was kinda cute)

Connor was NOT HAVING THAT

(he called Travis like “BUCKLE UP WE’RE COMMITTING GRAND THEFT AUTO TONIGHT”)

can’t remember if I said this already but these two could ABSOLUTELY play Ghostface and get away with it

Malcolm would be their supplier and Connor would know all their escape routes and plans B through Z

maybe I’ve already written an au but that’s a WHOLE other thing

anyways I feel it in my Soul that Malcolm is from SoCal, so you can imagine he’s no stranger to parties, even as an introvert (I like to think he doesn’t like people but he’s really good at them— he’s a social butterfly)

the first time Connor saw Malcolm do a blowjob shot (that is a REAL THING LOOK IT UP BEFORE YOU COME FOR ME IT JUST MEANS SHOOTING WITH NO HANDS) he actually almost passed the fuck out

(I don’t condone underage drinking, kids, make sure you’re of legal age before trying any form of alcoholic beverage)

they’re both energy drink addicts and they’ll get each other’s favorites

Connor’s a Red Bull girlie and Malcolm says Monster is his life support

baking together but it devolves into them throwing handfuls of flour at each other and slipping on the eggs they dropped on the ground

(miraculously, the brownies still got made)

Connor pushing Malcolm’s glasses up onto his forehead so he can kiss him better

aside from the point I feel like……. Connor would play lacrosse

if I were to make THAT an au there’s jersey headcanons and going to games and whatever else that comes with it but that’s a WHOLE other circus

anyways they play Minecraft together

lightsaber fights because they’re both nerds

EVERYTHING is a competition with them

“first one to the lake gets to pick the movie tonight”

“you’re on, Stoll”

“good luck, Pace. you’re gonna need it”

“I hope you’re ready to LOSE”

Connor FaceTiming Malcolm during finals season, melting into a burnt out depressed blob at his desk, only to see Malcolm serenely normal annotating a book in his beanbag chair because he’d already finished studying for the night

“Mal,” Connor begged, “help me. Why am I forgetting quadratics. That was a freshman term.”

Malcolm: “Isn’t that a function?”

Connor: “A WHAT (I can’t do this)”

Malcolm, already putting his book away: “Okay… animal crossing then?”

Connor: *inconsolable sobbing* “I love you”

before the first fight of the Battle of Manhattan, after Percy’s big speech and they realize just how bleak their odds are, I like to think these two found each other in the crowd before it dispersed and just. grabbing each other. and not letting go until they have to.

and we don’t talk about the unspoken relief when they first see each other AFTER that first battle because I don’t think I can emotionally handle that one right now

also you know how often they sleep between fights? I know for a fact Malcolm passed out on Connor’s shoulder after at least one of them

fighting back to back tropes but it’s these two annihilating every battlefield you stick them on together

Connor’s immune system is stacked because traveling = tons of sicknesses so Hermes’ kids are super resistant to that, but poor Malcolm’s immunocompromised ass is always getting sick somehow

and like— whatever can affect Connor at all will do much worse to Malcolm, and they find that out the hard way (having to wake up the Apollo cabin in the middle of the night for emergency help because Connor’s mild cold developed into pneumonia in his poor boyfriend)

on a related note, Malcolm is a major germaphobe but not in the obnoxious way my brother is

eughhh in the first ToP book when Apollo accidentally gives the entire camp hay fever, that was not a good follow up week for Malcolm

Connor, who was mildly congested and that was the worst of his symptoms, took care of him the whole time dw

(I reread the Last Olympian today!!)

[tinytennisskirt]

i really really really need more mark rebellato patrick and art head canons like i haven’t been able to stop thinking about the ears scenario pls!!! something about their rooms, how they became friends, the whole shebang please and thank you

(sorry it just makes me SOB)

Mark Rebellato Era Headcanons: Misc and Out of Order

First off, the hc that started this-

little Art worried about the boys at school making fun of his ears, his mom walking him into his room at Mark Rebellato tennis academy, her hand on his back, pointing at Patrick saying, “look at that boy’s ears. just like yours. you have nothing to worry about.”

Art's mom packs him a ton of candy every year and Art swears to her he eats it over the course of a month or two, but the truth is he and Patrick usually sit down and eat it all in one go, the first night back to school. It's ritual.

Patrick has gotten into a fight three times over Art-related incidents. Someone makes fun of his swing more than once? Someone says some shit about the shape of his head or his ears? Anyone decides to say anything negative about his best friend?He's not just going to let them talk like that about him in any shape or form. He's used his racket, his fist, his elbows, he has gotten detention over it, but it's always been worth it.

They are partners for every project. Every single project. And if they aren't? Best believe they go behind the teacher's back and switch out partners to be each other's. they're called on to present and they get up together every time without fail, to every teacher's dismay.

They also are every teacher's dismay. When the boys aren't in a class together or in the same tennis group, they do all they can in their power to fix that. Forget their dorm room, they had their parents pay to secure the fact they'd stay bunkmates. The poor teacher in the staffroom conversing with the other teachers being consoled by other teachers of the boy's past, saying, "Hopefully they've matured over the summer." But they're always a little rowdy. A little too talkative.

Art is fairly studious. He gets things done in time, he gets good grades. Patrick too, but Patrick swore off studying when he first got there. He'll review his notes, but he relies a lot on his memories and note-taking, which is why his grades are mediocre. But not bad.

The day after the Kat Zimmerman thing, Patrick holds it over him to get Art to do stupid things like call him 'sir'. It lasts only a day because Art reminds Patrick that he caught HIM doing the same thing first and soon Patrick is calling Art 'sir'.

When Patrick gets a little homesick, he never outwardly displays it. It happens, it's normal. Art can tell, but never says anything about it. When he knows Patrick is getting that way- he puts on some 80s rock CD that Patrick really likes- it reminds him of the stuff he heard growing up.

They are each other's ultimate wingman. School dance? Needing to ask someone to it? The other is setting things up like a mastermind. They pull strings, they do what they need to do behind the scenes and almost always, they end up with the date to the dance they wanted.

They fight over who can have what celebrity crush. They're watching a movie and an insanely hot woman pops up on screen, they both shout 'mine' over the other. It's happened a few times in movie theatres, nearly getting kicked out for both the yelling and the slight shoving that goes on afterward.

Little itty bitty Patrick Zweig who has a poster he wants to put up. He's not a super shy kid but he doesn't know Art yet. Itty bitty Art Donaldson with the very same poster, putting it up on the wall and it's their first real conversation. It's when they know they're going to be best friends. The poster gets moved from Art's side of the room to the middle after that. And the poster gets put in the same spot in the room every year until they graduate. The colour is faded, but it's still there. Technically it's Art's, but when they graduate Patrick is the one to take it. After everything that went down later in their life, Patrick still has it. It's in the glovebox of his car.

The boys put on trashy white girl music when they're hanging out alone in their room. Late 90s, early 2000s pop. Patrick will be playing some stupid video game and Art in his bed reading over some tennis book. They know all the words and it's completely of their own volition. They won't tell anyone about it and they keep it low enough that other rooms can't hear. It surprises Tashi later in life when Art is humming along to the songs she listened to when she was younger.

Their moms make them take back-to-school pictures every year. The first photo was taken at Christmas break when the boy's parents came to pick them up to find they'd become best friends and the tradition picks up from there. Their parents each have their own copies of the boys every year standing in the same position. Patrick with double thumbs up and a big grin and Art with one hand up like he's waving, a small smile on his face. The copies that the boys possess are drawn all over with devil horns and mustaches.

And speaking of that, Patrick for sure is the guy who doodles over almost everyone in the yearbook he dislikes. Pictures of jerks, he's got their faces all ugly and marked up and hot girls get a few hearts and some words written on it. When he wants to remember how a person actually looked, he just looks at Art's yearbook.

Art knowing Patrick likes boys too, but they never talk about it. Patrick is never into Art and Art never has it in his head that Patrick likes him- you know that awful thing that happens when you find out someone is a little gay and you start worrying they like you? They never have that. It's written off so easily, they both hardly ever think about it, but it's known.

They are so serious about board games never play monopoly with them in the time between class and lunch because they will get really loud about it.

Thinking maybe Patrick's parents divorce sometime around grade ten and yeah, he's a teenager and he's not really wanting to show emotion, but it's really hard. And Art, without centering Patrick out too much about it, really helps him through it. Listens to him without any judgment and they know that they are the only people in the world who can be vulnerable with each other and be completely understood. Without having to worry about their masculinities. They can tease each other all they want over petty little things of the sort, but in times like this they just listen and talk.

April Fool's day is a biggg day for them. Everyone at school is worried about what they might have in store when Patrick and Art are around. They first go all-out on each other. Shaving cream while the other is sleeping, air horn wake-ups. Rigged sinks that spray water. And on the outside, plastic wrap on the doors, party snaps under toilet seats, fake mice, fake snakes, fake money planted. It's a little bit of chaos, but it all gets done early enough to all be done by noon.

The boys talk like girls about their crushes. When Art has his first kiss, Patrick demands details. The taste of the girl's lip gloss, when, where, did they make out? Did he get to touch her boobs? Immature little questions.

[princessbrunette]

jj with baby mama that he has a past with. like, they aren’t currently talking, a fight or something, and it’s real awkward. he’ll still show up to appointments but even the doctors like 🧍‍♀️

so they aren’t really talking, it’s awkward, ect. and then she’s calling him real late at night, and he’s picking up. they still love eachother, obvi, but just haven’t been showing it. and she’s just in tears, sobbing her eyes out in worry and panic about how she doesn’t want to give their kid a broken home, no family, ect. does he go to her 🥹

stopp omg i’ll cry rn :((

jj just sitting up in the middle of the night hearing his phone ringing and when he sees your name he panics a little because something must be wrong right? you’d never just call him randomly?

and he panics even more when he groggily picks up and hears your little cries on the other side of the phone, making him sit up a little more, waking up fully :(

“hey? woah talk to me, talk to me what’s happened?”

“nothings happened jj just— god, this was stupid i shouldn’t have called—”

“its okay, hey— what’s with the tears?”

“its just… god, okay. i’m here right now, all alone with this baby in my tummy and i just— i feel so alone. i’m doing this all by myself, and it’s scary, and— and i’m just screwing this kid over already because she’s gonna grow up in a broken home because you don’t even like me and i understand— im ruining your life right now i get it but —”

“woah, okay— pump the brakes. who said i didn’t like you?”

“well, i’m having your baby?”

his heart just breaks. your voice is just so small and scared and you’re blaming yourself when he’s the one who knocked you up and he just wants to slap himself. this was on him.

“babe.” he sighs, and it’s the first time he’s called you that since he put the baby in you. “this is all on me, alright? all of it. i was irresponsible, and i got a shitty pullout game, yeah? so let’s get that straight, none of this is on you.” he clarifies, and you hear him rub a hand over his face. “secondly i— of course i like you. shit, i more than like you. you’re carrying my baby. i love that little girl more than anything in this world already, and…. i’m sorry i’ve been super fuckin’ shitty. i think i was scared but like, that’s dumb because i’m not the one carrying it obviously so — long story short i should have been there for you. i… wanna be there for ya, kid.” he takes a breath.

there’s silence on the other end of the line for a bit, but he knows you’re still there because of the sniffles. “jj…”

“yeah?”

“can you come over?”

“i’m already half way out the door.”

[swiss-mrs]

EVERMORE: Chapter One

Eddie Munson Fic - Evermore Directory - Word Count: 7.7K

prev - next

Music blared through Eddie’s ears as he stared out the dingy bus window. “It's for the best, kid.” Wayne's voice echoed through his mind. “You know I care for you, son, but I got no clue how to handle this.” His uncle's sorrowful and concerned expression was drilled into Eddie’s mind.

It's been three months since his return, six since his ‘death’. The world has fallen into autumn, red and brown leaves adorning the trees that pass in a blur. “You'll master your powers and meet others like you. I'll miss you all over again, man.” He could still feel Dustin's tears soaking through his shirt.

Eddie wasn't completely alone on the bus. Aside from the driver, there was a girl, probably around 15, softly sobbing in the back of the bus, and a boy who looked no older than 12 or 13 towards the front of the bus, right behind the bus driver. He stared out the window in a similar fashion to Eddie. His eyes were dry, but he didn't really look happy to be on this bus ride either. 

Eddie was sat in the middle, a good amount of space between both the others. According to his new rubber watch, they were about 11 hours into their 13 hour drive. He glances over his shoulder to find the girl passed out against the window with dried tears on her face. He turns to look in front of him to find the boy still staring out the window blankly. He wondered if either of these children went through the same thing he did. Did they also suddenly gain mysterious, super natural powers they can't seem to control? Did they too do something unforgivable to put them here? He sighs and averts his eyes back to the window. The morning sun was peeking over the skyline. Did they always do night pickups? Was it to hide their shipments?

Eddie's leg began to bounce as they neared closer and closer. ‘Welcome to Vermont’ the sign read as they passed. He knew this was the best choice but that couldn't stop his heart from feeling betrayed and bitter.

Over the last three months, he was plagued with night terrors and migraines. It made him detached and irritable beyond belief. He lost count how many times Wayne was unfortunately on the wrong end of those lash outs. Every time, Eddie felt a pang of regret immediately after, but that didn't keep it from happening again and again.

Eddie was never this bad. He'd always been a good kid despite what everyone thought, despite his transcript. Wayne had no clue what to do when Eddie came back a full 180. The last thing he was expecting that day was to find his dead nephew alive and passed out on their front porch.

Wayne genuinely thought he might’ve been hallucinating. All the exhaustion had fleeted, and he rushed Eddie inside to keep him from prying eyes. It was a miracle no one saw him. When he woke, Eddie was too weak to actually explain himself, not that he even had answers to give. Eventually, Wayne just said to hell with it, and simply catered to his kid. Never in all of Eddie's years had he ever known Wayne to take a day off, but for Eddie, he took several. Three days and nights were spent aiding Eddie back to health. He fed him when he was too weak to lift a spoon and held him when he cried from head splitting nightmares. By the morning of day four, Eddie was at least able to make it to the bathroom and back on his own. Wayne made sure to have some food prepared for Eddie in case he got hungry during his night shift and told him to call if anything went wrong. He'd be back in a heartbeat.

As the weeks went by, Eddie became stronger and stronger, more than before. His night terrors didn't stop, but he was at least able to stop screaming and crying himself awake.

It was just two weeks ago that Eddie had done something he couldn't forgive himself for. He hurt Wayne.

He remembers the dream like a real memory. He was taller, bigger, but, somehow, he also felt lighter. He remembers looking down at his hands and seeing his pale fingers were replaced with slender, dark gray appendages. His blunt fingernails were now black sharp claws. His back felt heavy, like someone had strapped 300 pound weights to his shoulder blades. He remembers looking down at his body and being horrified. He's a monster, a real monster. His breathing started to pick up, and he began to feel lightheaded, a dull thumping in his mind. Though he was panicked at the sight of himself, there was this itching in the back of his brain. Something was there. He had felt an urge he'd never felt before. It was dark and malevolent. It scared him. What's happening to me?! He began thrashing about at the stale air around him, an unfamiliar roar coming from within him, rumbling through his chest. It was so boisterous that it rattled his own eardrums.

He was shaken out of his dream by the sound of his uncle's voice, “Christ!” Eddie's eyes rip open, and he immediately realizes his back on the ceiling. As soon as the realization hits, he falls to his bed, bouncing off and onto the floor with a heavy thud. Still in his panicked state, he yells, scrambling to back away from an invisible horror in front of him. Wayne made the mistake of rushing to his aid.

Feeling a grip on his shoulder in the midst of his screaming panic, Eddie swings an arm around, clawing at the perpetrator. “Ah!” His uncle's voice rings out in pain. Eddie's eyes snap up to the source, finding Wayne falling back, clutching his chest. Blood escapes his skin, staining the torn front of his shirt. Eddie stares up at his shocked uncle in terror.

“Wayne!” He yells, full of concern. He reaches out to him but is immediately taken aback when he sees the black, blood soaked claws on his hand. The tips of his fingers were shade gray as if halfway turned into the monster he was in his dream. He screams in horror at the sight of his own hand.

“Son!” Wayne's voice yells. Despite the blood rising down his front, Wayne closes in on Eddie, gripping his shoulders to grab his attention. Eddie's eyes find Wayne's, and he stops screaming. Tears immediately fill his eyes, and his uncle painfully brings him into his chest, holding him tightly. As Wayne rocked side to side, Eddie could feel the warmth of his uncle’s blood smear on his face and neck. Eddie sobbed uncontrollably, struggling to breathe as his heart pounded irregularly in his chest.

Eddie closes his eyes and leans his head against the bus window with a dull thud. He could feel his eyelashes dampen at the memory of that night, an all too familiar anxious drumming behind his ribs. This is for the best. He repeats in his head. He can't allow something like that to happen again, ever. 

Before he knows it, the bus is passing a ‘Welcome to Jericho’ sign. Then not 30 minutes after, it drives through a black metal gate that reads ‘Nevermore Academy’ at the top in a gothic font slowing to a stop into the main driveway.

Wordlessly, the driver exits the bus after opening the doors for the few passengers. Eddie takes in the new location through the window. There's an older, dark skinned man with dreadlocks conversing with the bus driver, giving him a friendly greeting with a smile. Are those horns? The man helps load the few bags that were in the bus's storage compartment into a trailer on the back of a small cart-like vehicle. They give eachother their farewells and the bus driver goes to tend to the bus while the man hops in the cart to drive away.

“Hey, mister?” Eddie's gaze switches to the little boy who was now standing in the aisle looking at Eddie. Eddie takes one of his wired earbuds out.  “It's time to get off.” The boy says timidly. Eddie nods and stands up in his seat, towering over the kid. The little boy turns to rush off the bus as Eddie puts his backpack on. He glances around the bus to realize it's empty. The girl must've already got off too.

Eddie trudged down the aisle, ducking a little to avoid bumping his head against the roof of the bus. He walks down the stairs, slowly stepping off the final one as he takes in a deep breath. The air here was a bit chilly, crisp, but it filled his lungs graciously. He walks up to stand beside the two younger kids. They stand in a line, all in front of an impossibly tall platinum blonde woman dressed in a monochrome, light gray outfit and matching heels. She began to speak a disingenuine speech, no doubt repeated a million times to every new arrival. Eddie tuned her out, just taking in her appearance. Her eyes were a piercing blue shade, and her lips were colored red, highlighting her smile. Her teeth were white and perfectly aligned. She had an unreadable aura around her. She reminded Eddie of a shark. Her sheer existence is just off-putting.

It seemed like her speech was coming to an end as she then gestures to a student beside her. “This will be your mentor, your guide, Mr. Sheridan.” She averts her eyes to look down at the young man standing next to her. He could easily be around 18 years old, most likely a senior or something. His near black hair was cut short and styled perfectly. He had blue eyes, defined lips, and a strong jawline. Judging from his looks, his neat appearance, and ironed stiff school uniform, he must be this school's ‘The King’ equivalent. He held a tight, polite smile. “Mr. Sheridan here is a great student who will ensure to take good care of you. You truly are in good hands.” He looks up at the official looking lady with a bashful grin before looking back at the three. He nods to the younger kids then looks over to Eddie with a curious expression, something Eddie clocked instantly, putting a bitter thought in his mind. Eddie looks deadpan at the guy as he turns to address the full group.

“It is an honor to meet you all.” His English accent rings out. Eddie fights the urge to roll his eyes. “I will be your go to informant to guide you and get you accustomed to the ins and outs of our daily life here at Nevermore Academy.” Jeez, this guy sounds like a douche. Eddie thinks, using the second scripted speech to get a good look at the building and grounds from where he stood. “Please, follow me.” Eddie's attention is brought back to the senior as the kids next to him start moving.

“Welcome to Nevermore, dear students!” The lady calls out as they walk passed. Eddie ignores the spiel getting rambled off about how their first days will be laid out, instead looking around at the campus as they walk through. He's enamored by the sights the school offers.

Originally, when the news hit Eddie that he was being shipped off to some boarding school by order of the government, he was expecting some sort of cross between jail, juvie, and military school. This was proving to be something much different. Visually, it's something straight out of a book. Externally, no one could see the giddy feeling that was blooming in his chest.

The campus seems strangely empty for being as large as it is. As if reading his mind, the young boy raises his hand to ask a question, “Excuse me, Mr. Sheridan?”

“Please, my name is Matthew.”

“Where are all the other students?” The tan boy asks. The student, Matthew, gives the shorter kid a kind smile and nods.

“Good question.” He chuckles, “Classes are in session right now. You three arrived kind of mid-day for most of us.” He looks down at his silver, expensive looking watch, causing Eddie to subconsciously do the same with his much less expensive, black one. 10:36 AM. Eddie drops his wrist. “Actually, this class period should be releasing some students here in about the next 15 minutes.” He looks back up at the trio with a polite grin. “We're making pretty good time. Our first stop is going to be the administrative office. We'll get your schedules. You'll get fitted for your uniforms, and we'll get your dorm keys.” He turns back around with a motion to continue following him. Eddie trails behind a little, not necessarily in any hurry.

Matthew opens up the door to the office, holding it ajar for the trio to enter ahead of him. The two younger kids walk in first, then Eddie. Matthew nods cordially at him as Eddie passes, following shortly behind. Eddie grants him zero attention. “Matthew, my boy!” A deep voice booms, naturally demanding Eddie's attention.

“Good morning, Professor Shaw. I have our new arrivals here.” The blue eyed boy turned to gesture to the new students, all of whom were staring at the horns atop the older man’s head. Man, this guy looks something straight out of D&D. His deep skin tone complimented his golden irises. He stood quite a few inches over everyone else and was obviously built sturdy underneath his neutral toned, professional attire. His voice also adorned an English accent, but it only added to his mysticality to Eddie.

“I see! Hello, young man.” The older man directs at the little boy. “M'lady.” He nods to the teen girl nicely. He then turns to Eddie. “Mr. Edward Munson. I presume?” Eddie's brows raise, shocked to hear his name come off the older man's tongue.

“Eddie, sir.” He corrects. The man raises his brows slightly and gives a frown of approval, nodding his head.

“Eddie it is. Pleasure to meet you. Pleasure to meet you all.” His attention is brought back to the other two. “I'm Professor Gardnal Shaw. I primarily work here in the admissions office, but I am also the teacher for Intro to More class, a course you all will undoubtedly be attending.” He smiles proudly. He lifts a hand towards the right side of the huge office. “If you would please, follow me.” He leads the way to a portion sectioned off behind a heavy velvet curtain, Matthew second in line. The teenage girl was next then the little boy after her. Eddie towered over the both of them from behind. His eyes are forward, but he catches the young boy in front of him timidly glancing back at him. Eddie offers a ghost of a smile, not wanting to make the kid any more nervous or uncomfortable around him. The boy's eyes widen when Eddie's eyes catch his gaze. An awkward smile sneaks onto his adorable face as he quickly turns to face forward. Eddie holds in a chuckle, curiosity overtaking him. He couldn’t help but ponder what on Earth could’ve possibly landed the small boy here. Was it anything comparable to him?

As the group passes the threshold of the curtain, they are met with an older, glasses wearing woman. She stood just an inch or so shorter than Eddie with the best posture he’d ever seen. Her hair was slicked back in a low bun, showing off her graying hairline. She looks just as neat and put together as the shark lady, but unnerving would be that last word used to describe her. The way her face lights up at the sight of new students instantly makes her the nicest middle aged lady Eddie has ever encountered. “Students, this is our lovely seamstress, Ms. Glenda. She will be assisting you with your uniforms.” Mr. Shaw announces with his hands clasped together in front of him.

“New arrivals!” She exclaimed excitedly.

“Good Morning, Ms. Glenda.” Matthew adds. She turns to him with a kind grin, her eyes crinkling at their corners.

“Well, good morning to you, Matthew. Very dashing, as always.” She compliments, motherly. The young man blushes, his bitten back smile extenuating his cheekbones. She turns her attention back to the new faces before he can come back with anything. “Now, who do we have here!” She adjusts her little, wire rimmed glasses and squints at the three. “A stunning young lady, an adorable little man, and quite a handsome young fellow, hmm.” The three all have their respective bashful, avoiding glances. “You,” All three lift their heads, but find her attention on Eddie specifically. Eddie's heart picks up slightly, nervous of what she may say next. “You, young man, are a bit older than the normal new arrivals I'm used to seeing.” She lifts her chin to look down the tip of her nose through her falling glasses. Eddie's brows furrowed in confusion as his eyes flit from one face to another, awkwardly glancing at each person in the room. Before he can open his mouth to say anything, Mr. Shaw buts in to take over.

“Eddie here is the first of many to come. Our academy is expanding the age range of our admissions to include those who may have found changes later in life.” The man eloquently clarifies, giving Eddie a comforting grin, but it does little to ease Eddie’s thoughts. Great, ‘first of many’. Eddie offers a grin that thinly veils his annoyance at the new found information.

“Ah, I see. Well, that's wonderful news.” The older lady says, voice full of warmth and welcome. She grins softly. “Well, let's get you all fitted! I’m sure you all have a lot more to do than sit around here all day!” She smiles widely before pulling each new student in one by one to get them situated with uniforms.

The next two hours were spent in the office, getting uniforms, schedules, and whatnot. After the admin office, Matthew guided them around campus, giving them a tour of the common yard, the libraries, showing them different wings for the different studies before finally leading them to the massive cafeteria.

The café had two levels. The main floor held a buffet spread of rotating foods, vending machines, and several rows of tables. The second floor was a balcony that had additional seating overlooking the main floor, some bathrooms, and another vending machine. On the far side of the cafeteria were floor to ceiling windows, presenting a mystical view of the Vermont countryside. “Alright, I think this is a perfect time as any to take a break and get some lunch.” Matthew announced, looking down at his watch to see the time as 12:45 PM. “Take an hour to relax and eat. I'll be back to collect you three around 1:45, so we can head to the dorms for you all to get settled in. For now, help yourselves to whatever you’d like.” The uniformed guide clasps his hands together, gives them a curt nod, and walks away.

The two kids glance at each other then at Eddie. The teenage girl walks off first. The little boy glances back to Eddie after watching the girl walk away. He looks like he wants to say something, which Eddie raises a brow to, but ultimately, he scurries away.

Eddie sighs and follows suit, assembling himself a plate of food that appears too appetizing to be a school lunch. He spots an empty seat next to the massive windows on the main floor. He’s one of the only few not wearing a uniform, so on top of his obvious age difference, his attire makes him stand out like a sore thumb. This causes him to catch a couple curious glances from some passing students, but it’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before.

As he walks to the empty table, he gets a pretty decent idea of different cliques. Even in this world, high schoolers aren't too different. On top of grouping up by sport or ‘status’, one of the obvious differences is that some are separated by species.

Eddie had to use everything in him not to stare at some of the more obvious ones, some with unnaturally colored skin tones, some with horns, others with tusks for canines. It was incredible to see in person something he’d only ever imagined or seen in movies and books. Man, what the guys would say about this. He shakes his head, looking down at his plate with a small chuckle. He successfully makes it to the targeted seat without issue. He drops his bag to the floor beneath him and starts eating, “Holy shit.” The food here is just as good as it looks. He hums to himself. After that first bite, suddenly all the hunger his emotions were hiding came to the surface. His stomach growled, begging for more. He scarfs down half his plate before something out the corner of his eye catches his attention.

Outside, several feet down in somewhat of a courtyard he didn’t visit on the tour, there was a group of students. Are those real? The thing that caught his eyes was the glimmering of metal, the afternoon sun reflecting off steel weapons and shields. Eddie drops his hands to the table to watch the commotion going on outside. There were stone stairs that led off the slide of the cliff that held the main school building. There were two students walking down them with trays of food. On their uniform jackets were added emblems that took up most of the space on their back panels. It was difficult to get a clear view of the golden embroidery from this far, but from what Eddie could tell, it looked like a sword with wings where the crossguard should be.

Eddie’s brows draw closer together as he squints to try and get a better look at the group below. All of the ones sparring had taken their jackets off, leaving them in their white button ups. The others that were seated and eating were too small for Eddie to see their jackets any clearer, but he does notice one person in particular. 

Atop a boulder on the edge of the courtyard stood an observer dressed in the same purple and black striped uniform jacket and black slacks. This observer had a golden sash hanging across their torso, fastened together at the hip, something only seen on royal families. They seemed to be yelling out orders or instructions ever so often. Standing next to the boulder was another onlooker.

She had long, bright blonde curls pulled back into a low ponytail and a hard gaze. Her white button down shirt was tucked into her ankle length, black and purple uniform skirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Eddie looks on curiously and a bit in shock. Eddie’s eyes are back on the golden sash student as they hop down from their high point to go up to two sparrers.

Taking one of the swords as they talk, they ready themselves for what seems to be a demonstration. Eddie watches as they start swinging the sword around, immediately catching the attention of all the other students around. They can be seen talking as they move so fiercely. Each swing of the sword is incredibly controlled and impactful. The fight was intense, yet they were basically floating, light on their feet, and still talking. Everything done was talked through and masterfully executed. Their ‘leader’ status was easily confirmed in Eddie’s mind.

Without much difficulty, you were able to disarm your opponent, turning to the one you assumed the place of with a nod, handing them back their sword. Some of the students watching even clapped. Eddie looked on in disbelief at the scene that just unfolded. He looks down at his half empty plate suddenly becoming a bit insecure and envious.

The rest of his lunch was spent taking bites of his food as he looked out the window, utterly intrigued. A cough of someone clearing their throat brings Eddie out of his trance. He whips his head around to see Matthew the Guide looking down at him. “Sorry to interrupt, but it’s time for you to become acquainted with your new dormmate.” He says with a small smile at his own little play-on word. Eddie raises his brow and nods.

“Sure thing,” Eddie stands, bringing his backpack up with him. He stands barely two centimeters above Matthew, but it makes all the difference in Eddie’s confidence. He cocks his head to the side and gives him a sarcastic grin. “Sir Matty the Dashing.” Eddie says, mimicking Matthew’s accent. Matthew’s small smile drops a bit.

“We’ll be waiting for you over by the doors.” He turns and strides away. Eddie huffs out a puff of air. He picks up the remnants of his lunch and drops it off at a trash can on his way to where Matthew and the other two new kids stand. “Alright, now that we’re all here.” He smiles sarcastically at Eddie before turning to the other two with a more genuine smile. “Let’s head to the dorms.”

Matthew leads the three to the different student housing areas. They dropped off the teenage girl to her building, Matthew handing her off to that building’s dorm manager to lead her the rest of the way. Next was the young boy Eddie would come to know as Anthony. He was dropped off at his door as he, Eddie, and Matthew all stayed in the same building. Once he disappeared behind the door with his new roommate, Matthew and Eddie were left alone. “Come on.” Matthew says, walking away without sparing another glance at Eddie. Eddie’s lip turns up in a grimace.

“Hey, man. What's with the attitude.” He bites back, catching up with Matthew.

“Me? You’re the one with an attitude, young fellow.” Matthew scoffs and gives Eddie a hard look. Eddie is stubborn with his defiance.

“Whatever, man.” Eddie scoffs and looks away.

“Listen, I understand if you are not necessarily happy to be here, but you don’t need to be rude.” Eddie’s brows raise in disbelief.

“I’m not being rude, and perfectly peachy.” He says with a disingenuous grin, cocking his head to the side. “I have no issue being shipped off,” he lies, “and being judged before I get a single word to vouch for myself is nothing new to me.” Eddie shoots back. Matthew sighs.

“Look, like Shaw said, we don’t usually get new students over the age of like 15, so I was just a bit caught off guard.” He sighs, but his excuse is going in one ear and out the other. “I admit I could’ve controlled my face a bit better, but I don’t think that should get me on your bad side before we even start.” Henry goes on.

Eddie glances over at the guide through his peripheral. They enter the empty elevator, heading up. Matthew stares forward with his jaw clenched, obviously annoyed that he has to be in an enclosed space with Eddie. There’s a few seconds of silence after the doors close before Eddie sighs.

“Look, man.” Eddie starts. “Like I said, I’m used to the judginess.” Eddie waves his fingers around. “You being assigned to me doesn’t have to make us friends. I can tell by your…” Matthew looks over his shoulder at the pause only to find Eddie waving his hand over Matthew’s entirety, causing him to roll his eyes. “That you aren’t usually the guy known for ‘hanging out’ with guys like me.” He holds his hands up in surrender. “And look, I get it if you don’t wanna tarnish your perception being associated with this.” He gestures to himself.

Matthew glances over his shoulder again, “I’m here to help.-”

“I’m also not going to be a charity case to heighten your ego.”

Matthew faces forward again puffing air out. “Look who’s being the judgy one.” Eddie rolls his eyes. Though Matthew isn’t necessarily wrong, Eddie doesn’t care to admit it.

“Just listen, buddy, these past few months have really turned my world… upside down.” Eddie frowns with a fleeting gaze. Eddie rolls his shoulders back to try and roll the thoughts off his back. “I’m used to being Eddie ‘The Freak’. It’s, of course, nothing new to me being the odd one out, so excuse me for trying to cut through the bull early.” Matthew nods understandingly.

“You know, you should realize something,” Eddie looks up, eyes on the back of Matthew’s head as he stares forward. “Nevermore is a school just like every other, but most people here are coming from a similar place. Sometimes people here forget, but outside these walls, beyond that gate, we’re all just freaks, monsters,... evil to the rest of the world.” Matthew looks down the bridge of his proud nose with a familiar distant stare. The elevator doors open and Matthew walks out without missing a beat.

They pass a few doors before Matthew speaks up again. “I am your ‘mentor’,” He halts in front of a door, turning to Eddie, “I am not your enemy.” He looks Eddie in the eyes with determination, trying to get through to him. “You should know, even if we are not meant to be ‘friends’, I am still an ally. If you need help with anything, you can reach out to me.” Eddie holds Matthew’s stare, searching his gaze for any malice. Matthew’s lips form a thin line as he gives Eddie a tight smile before nodding once. He lifts a hand to knock on the door.

There's stumbling and a commotion on the other side of the door. Eddie’s brows crease in suspicion at the noises, but Matthew just sighs and rolls his eyes. The door swings open revealing a young, dark skinned boy with wide, shocked eyes. He was huffing like he just ran a marathon, undoubtedly from stumbling over stuff in the room to get to the door. “Junior.” Matthew says in a warning tone through gritted teeth and an annoyed smile. Junior avoids Matthew’s eyes by awkwardly glancing at anything but him.

Eddie glances between Matthew and the kid, Junior. Matthew turns to Eddie, “Eddie, meet Junior,” He turns to gesture to the kid. “Your new roommate.” Matthew raises a threatening brow at Junior. “Junior, meet Eddie.”

“H-Hi,” The kid’s voice cracks awkwardly, “Come… Come on in.” Junior turns to walk away from the door, going further into the room. Eddie glances one last time at Matthew. He looks over to Eddie with a sigh and raises his brows.

“Good luck.” He mutters as he walks away. Before Eddie can follow up with Matthew’s concerning final words, Junior starts rambling.

“Here, over here is your bed, obviously as it’s the empty one, and over here is mine,... obviously. I, um, I moved some things around, but you’re more than welcome to move anything around how you’d like, well, I mean, as long as you,… you know, you leave my side of things alone, unless you want this side, we… we can figure something out that works for the both of us. Over there,” he turns to point at a door next to the one Eddie just entered through. “That- That’s the bathroom. It’s pretty nice, we have a tub, shower, sink, toilet, everything needed, and, uh,” Junior keeps rambling as Eddie slowly walks through the space.

It’s shockingly spacious. Once he passes the entryway, the place expands into a large, square room. This is nothing Eddie expected for a dorm. The full-sized beds are on opposite sides of the room with enough respective furniture for two people. Each side has its own bed, dresser, desk with a lamp and chair. Junior has a foldable, wooden divider next to his bed, blocking the view of his bed from Eddie’s. On either side of the room were two archways leading into an extra individual area. Without being too nosy, Eddie could see that Junior’s side has a plant and a bookshelf. His side seemed a bit barren.

Eddie back glances at Junior’s side, finding it an odd mixture of neat and messy. The younger’s clothes were filling a dirty laundry hamper to the brim, but there was not a trace of anything on his floor. His mirror was squeaky clean, but his dresser had different, mismatched nicknacks littered over the top. His desk had papers spewed all over with multiple open books, but the chair was tucked in and pens, markers, and pencils were organized by color and size in a storage container. His bed wasn’t made, but he had shiny shoes neatly lined under the bed frame.

The rambling kid himself was set up in a similar fashion, his appearance is pristine, his white shirt tucked into ironed pants, shoes shined, necktie tightened and perfectly aligned, but man, the kid would not take a breath. “It’s nice to meet you.” Eddie interrupts whatever he was on about. Junior comes to a complete stop, turning to Eddie with raised brows.

“Sorry. …I- I’ve forgotten my manners.” He shoots out a hand with his chin lifted high, back straight as a board in perfect posture. “Junior Shaw. It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Eddie slowly reaches out to shake Junior’s hand. He squints with a small smile.

“Shaw?” They shake hands for a bit too long due to Junior not knowing when to let go.

“Yeah… He’s my dad.” Junior tilts his chin down to hide his face. This is the first time Eddie notices the small horns growing atop his head, just barely peeking out in his thick dark hair. Eddie nods as his smile grows. “Oh.” Junior drops his hand. “Sorry.” The awkwardness of the kid makes Eddie’s heart swell. It’s oddly comforting. “Uh…” Junior trails, seemingly trying to fill the silence but not knowing what to say.

Eddie walks off, heading over to his side of the room. His eyes immediately land on the bed, seeing his new uniforms and his old suitcase. “That was fast.” He mumbles more so to himself. He runs his fingers gently across the striped fabric.

“Oh!” Junior says abruptly, grabbing Eddie’s attention. He turns to see Junior running to his dresser, picking something up, and turning to rush up to give it to Eddie. “Here.” He hands Eddie a small welcoming gift. It was a gift basket with some pens, pencils, notebooks, and other miscellaneous school supplies. On top of it all was a purple card with glittery gold writing on it. ‘Welcome, Edward!’ it read, causing Eddie to bite back a small smile. “I know,” He raises a brow looking up from the basket to Junior. “It’s kind of cheesy, but my dad said giving you a welcome gift would make you feel more… welcome… yeah.” He says. Eddie gives him a kind smile.

“Thanks, kid.”

“Welcome.” He says before walking away to go to his desk and sit in the wooden chair. Eddie takes a seat on his bed, next to his uniforms, and places the welcome gift beside him on top of the neatly folded clothes. “So, uh…” Junior starts, “You’re kind of old…er… older. Older than the usual new students.” Eddie chuckles and nods.

“Yeah, so I’ve heard.”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just curious, is all. Sorry.”

“No worries. I’ve been getting it all day.” He tilts his head. “You know I’m not old. I’m only 19, going to be 20 this year.” Junior nods without looking up at him, instead focusing his eyes on the papers on his desk.

“That’s cool. My dad told me we’re taking in more students, probably opening up a new department or something like that. So,... how’d you end up here?” Junior asks absentmindedly. The question takes Eddie off guard a little. What is he supposed to say? He turned into a monster and attacked his uncle after dying in battle in an alternate dimension? Would that make sense, even here? Junior takes Eddie’s elongated silence as a sign. “Hey, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to tell. Told you, I’m just curious, probably too much for my own good.”

“I… just got some new… powers?” Eddie thinks of how to word an explanation without going too in depth. “So, I got sent here to try and help… control them.”

“Oh, an Acquirer. That makes sense.” Eddie tilts his head in intrigue at the new lingo, but before Eddie can ask for clarification, Junior bombards him with some more questions. “Have you looked at any of your classes yet? Seen any clubs, you know, if you’re into that? Were you in any clubs or sports back when you were in your old school?”

“No,” he chuckles, “No sports. I’m not a sports guy.” Junior nods. “But I did have a club I was leading, called Hellfire.” Junior turns in his chair to look at Eddie with a curious look.

“Hellfire? What was it about?” Eddie’s eyes light up a bit, now that’s a question he loved to answer.

“Well, it was a mystical gathering of the most daring and creative minds.” Eddie began with a smirk and squinted eyes, enjoying the familiar innocent curiosity on the young boy’s face. “Creatures of all kinds, from all over would gather to travel together and fight great battles, solve fantastical mysteries, and establish their title as heroes.” Eddie says in a theatrical tone, drawing Junior’s interest. Eddie chuckles, shaking his head and looking down. “It was a club where I would host D&D campaigns after school.” He smiled, reminiscing. Junior raises his brows and nods.

“Oh, I’ve heard about D&D! I’ve always thought it sounded a lot like Slayers, just minus the tabletop portion.” Eddie lifts his head to the smiling boy.

“Slayers, huh?’ Junior nods.

“Yeah, Dungeon Slayers Club, officially, but we just call it Slayers for short. It was kind of inspired by D&D, but you know, we’re the actual ‘creatures’.” Junior explains. “It takes all the fun of D&D and brings it into real life. We really train and fight and go on quests and everything. It’s really fun.” He beams.

“Is that the club with the emblems on their backs, the group of students out in that courtyard during lunch?” Junior’s brows raise.

“Yeah. I wasn’t there during lunch today. Usually, the lunch gatherings are just us hanging out during our break. The real club takes place after school.” Junior says matter-of-factly. “First official meetup of the season is tomorrow.” Eddie nods.

“Think I can come and check it out?” Junior's brows raise again, and his eyes go wide.

“Oh, uh, I don’t know. I mean, we’re always welcoming to new people, at least they were with me. I was the last person who joined, but, uh we’re not really the most popular group.” He rambles. “Slayers doesn’t really have the best reputation. It’s kind of…infamous? Most of the other students see us as a paranoid bunch of…well, losers, like end of the world preppers or stuck in the past people or whatever. I don’t know if you’d want to start yourself out by associating yourself with us. You- You may want to check out something else like the fencing team or- or something first.” He says bouncing his gaze around in one of his awkward antics.

“Nope,” Eddie stops him, “I want to check it out.” He says firmly. Junior, though a bit shocked, becomes excited.

“Oh Okay, well, tomorrow then, I can bring you with me to the club during lunch, so you can meet some of the members and maybe get you to talk to Reider. She’s awesome.” Junior begins with a glint in his eye. “She’s been heading Slayers for, like, the last, like, four years, been in the club for even longer. She is so cool, really.” He says seriously, nodding his head. “If the world ever did come to an end. She’s definitely someone you’d want on your side. They’re, like, really amazing. She can out fight and out smart anybody, I swear.” He nods in approval. Eddie smiles, being reminded of his own Little Sheep back home. Junior turns back to the homework on his desk, “Reid’s a great leader. You’d like them, 100%.” He nods again.

Reider. Eddie repeats the name in his mind, thinking back to her image. Cool name.

Eddie and Junior sit in a comfortable silence, the loudest noise coming from Junior’s pencil against paper. Eddie stands after a minute or two and begins unpacking his things, organizing his half how he wants. “Do you usually study in silence, or is it just cause I’m here?” Eddie asks as he closes his last drawer and turns to look at the back of Junior.

“No, I usually work this way. Sorry if that’s weird, but- but don’t worry about me. If you want to play music or watch something, don’t worry about me.” He lifts a hand to wave dismissively. Eddie nods and walks away from the dresser.

“You know, I think I’m going to do a little exploring.” Eddie announces as he heads to the door. Junior lifts his head.

“Oh, do you want me to come with? I could help show you around.” He offers, but Eddie shakes his head with a wave of his hand.

“No, just continue with your work. I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna wonder and get familiar.” Eddie says with a small smile. “Be back later, kid.” He turns to leave without another word.

As soon as Eddie is outside of the dorm building, he decides to just pick a direction and start walking. He walks around the campus, again getting some looks from passing students as he’s the only one out of uniform. He leisurely wanders around, eventually stopping in an outdoor hallway that surrounds a small courtyard in the middle of one of the buildings. As he stands there, he stares at a familiar stranger’s face. Reider.

She was sitting at the end of a wooden bench at one of the picnic tables. In front of her, sat on top of the table was a boy with ivory skin and brown, fluffy, curly hair. He was slim but obviously muscular and had a killer smile that Reider couldn't help but return. Sat beside her was the same curly blonde he saw earlier.

The blonde seemed a bit more relaxed and was leaning on elbows that were resting on the table in front of her. Her loose curls were free from their ponytail and now let down, bangs framing her forehead. She was also looking up at the boy who was talking, quite animated, about something Eddie couldn't quite hear.

Though Reider didn't know of his existence, Eddie couldn’t help but admire her smile. It was easy to get distracted. Aside from being a total warrior badass, she is simply gorgeous. The shine in her eyes, the way the world around her brightens with each smile, the curve of her nose, the creases of her face as it contorts with laughter. There’s no way she could possibly be considered the leader of the ‘loser’ club. Eddie couldn't comprehend how anyone could not like whatever had her stamp of approval. Everything about her was positively infectious and contagious. It was plain to see. Even from a distance, Junior’s fanboying over her made total sense.

Eddie stood in the shadows of the hall just watching. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious. Abruptly he winces, flinching at the all too familiar feeling in his brain.

The sharp migraines he'd gotten ever since waking up in that place have started to dull, feeling more akin to an unreachable itch or a fuzzy static. He didn't know if the pain was weaker or if he was just building a tolerance. Eddie sighs, opening his eyes to see Reider and her friends standing and collecting their things. Before anyone can notice his presence, he takes his leave, disappearing out of the courtyard corridors and closing in on a new found back exit off campus.

Eddie walks along the road that leads up to the campus before he makes his way into the wooded area that lines the pavement. Once he feels he's gone far enough, the buzzing itch returns. He groans, annoyed at the feeling.

He knows he's alone out here, but he can't help himself from looking around him to see if anyone is watching. Once he decides the coast is clear, he kneels down, closes his eyes, and takes a few deep breaths, slowing his heart rate. He reaches a hand out and rests it on the massive trunk of the fallen tree he'd stopped in front of. He takes deep breaths during the entire exchange, feeling the wood beneath his fingers crack and shift.

The feeling of a numb rush floods his veins as the headache dissipates. He knows that means he's done right. He opens his eyes, seeing the newly opened glowing gate. Again, he looks around him before looking back at the portal. Every time he opens a new door between worlds, that area in the back of his brain tells him he's done something right, but his heart still makes him feel like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar, constantly scared he's going to get caught doing something he's not supposed to. One of these new found powers of his was the ability to open passages from this world to the other. At first, it felt wrong. There were so many bad memories there, but he'd always felt compelled to open these doors. Now, it's more so akin to a guilty pleasure, something he knows he shouldn't enjoy, but he can't resist. It calls to him.

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(OP: 04/27/2024) (Revised: 11/13/2024)