#I know but it's pouring rain outside and I am cold and hungry and tired

[ficwip]

save the dates...

Our 2025 event schedule is here!

I'm still brainstorming next October's discord events, but this will give you an idea of what the year will look like.

[nineteenninety-six]

Stray in the Street

TOMMY SHELBY X READER

2.3K Words

She found him unconscious in the street and even though she knew she shouldn’t, she dragged him into her house. It was pouring down with rain and if she left him out there on the street in the rain, she doubted he’d be alive in the morning. 

While he wasn’t as heavy as she thought he would be, it was still a hassle to pull him up and drag him to her house. At first, she had thought he was drunk and had collapsed into the street as that wasn’t uncommon for her street but it was until she had dragged him in front of her fireplace and turned the lights of her front room on did she realise that he was far from a drunk.

He had cuts and bruises littered on his face and hands and (Y/N) would bet that there was more underneath his shirt. She left the stranger by the fireplace in hopes that it would dry him off and keep him warm as she collected her first aid kit, a bowl of water and a clean rag, she didn’t know much first aid but she knew enough to clean the cuts out and bandage them.

She didn’t know what to think of the man as she cleaned and disinfected his cuts, he looked vulnerable as he laid unconscious with his head on her lap and (Y/N) couldn’t help but wonder what he had gotten into that had left him like that. Maybe he had some unpaid debts or perhaps slept with the wife of a rich and important man but whatever it was, it must have been serious. 

(Y/N) was exhausted, she had been up early and had been working all day so all she wanted to do was sleep but she couldn’t with the stranger in her house. He could wake up in a panic, having no clue where the hell he was and she would have to explain but despite all that, she couldn’t resist the pull of sleep and fell asleep on her couch.

.•° ✿ °•.

(Y/N) shot up with a gasp and her eyes immediately went to the space in front of the fireplace but it was empty. As she stood up as she tried to listen to see if he was still in the house she felt something fall off her and when she looked down she saw a blanket pooled around her feet, something she most definitely did not fall asleep with. 

She bent down to pick it up when she heard shuffling in the kitchen and the blanket was quickly thrown aside in pursuit of the noise. She made her way towards the kitchen with quiet steps and peered around the corner and spotted the stranger at her kitchen table, yesterday's paper in hand with the glass of water beside him. There didn’t seem to be anything nefarious going on with the man so she walked into the kitchen, announcing herself to him.

“I’m surprised to see you up” 

Dawn was breaking and (Y/N) could see blues and purples starting to appear in the sky which meant she was asleep for around four hours.

The man flinched in surprise and looked up at her and the first thing (Y/N) noticed was his blue eyes.

“You were asleep when I woke up” The man folded the newspaper up and placed it on the table and (Y/N) could see the way his body flinched in pain whenever he moved beyond his bounds.

“You could have woke me up. You had no issue placing a blanket on me” (Y/N) didn’t know how she was so calm now that the stranger was awake.

“The fire had gone out, you looked cold”

(Y/N) smiled at that before she walked further into the kitchen, “I’ll make us some tea. Are you hungry?”

The man shook his head but (Y/N) was going to make toast for him anyway.

With the toast and the tea on the table, (Y/N) took a seat opposite the man who returned to reading the newspaper, she watched him for a bit before she spoke to him, wanting to know more information.

“You know that’s yesterday’s paper right?” She started off with a soft conversation opener

The man looked at her and shrugged, “I was busy yesterday”

(Y/N) let her eyes run over his cuts and bruises, “I could tell”

The man placed the newspaper down and faced her fully before he asked the question that had been weighing on him since he woke up “Why did you take me in?”

“I thought you were some drunk at first and usually I would have left you there but it was raining and stumbling across a dead body on my way to work isn’t my favourite way to start the day.” (Y/N) told him, “I brought you in and then I saw your cuts so I cleaned them and patched them up”

The man fingered the bandage around his right hand and nodded his thanks towards (Y/N). 

“Are you going to tell me how you become unconscious and dumped on the street?” 

The mans face instantly screwed up at her question and (Y/N) quickly corrected herself, 

“-Or not. You can keep your secrets”

They remained in silence after that, drinking their tea but it didn’t escape (Y/N)’s notice that the man ate the toast she had laid out. 

When the clock struck eight, (Y/N) pushed herself away from the table and stood up, 

“Look, I’ve got to get ready for work but you’re free to stay here if you want but please don’t burn my house down” 

With that (Y/N) disappeared upstairs to get ready for the day and the only reason she had a skip in her step after only having four hours of sleep was because it was Friday. 

.•° ✿ °•.

When (Y/N) returned home from work, she expected the man to have left but she found him relaxing on her couch like he owned it, though this time with a glass of whiskey and today’s newspaper, which meant he had definitely gone to the shops.

“You haven’t gone home?”

“You said I could stay”

“I did” (Y/N) sat down next to him, “Though I would appreciate if I knew the name of my stray”

The man’s lips twitched at her nickname for him before he stuck his hand out, “Tommy. Tommy Shelby”

(Y/N) shook his hand, “Nice to meet you, Tommy. I’m (Y/N).”

(Y/N) sunk into the couch with a tired huff, her long hours were not worth it but she couldn’t pay the bills otherwise.

“Do you know how to cook, Tommy?”

Tommy looked at her from the corner of his eye and shook his head, “I don’t but I know who can”

“Will they be able to cook for me?” (Y/N) was too tired to even make herself a sandwich

“I’m sure they’ll have no problem but first I need a phone and a car”

“I’ve got a phone but I can’t help you with a car”

“That’s fine” Tommy stood up and stretched, “Where are we? Is Small Heath nearby?”

“Small Heath? Yeah, it’s the next town over, maybe a fifteen-minute walk”

“Good, I’ve got a couple of phone calls to make. Where’s your phone?”

(Y/N) pointed at the kitchen and Tommy disappeared. She had no clue where he was going to take her nor what the relevance of Small Heath was but the man interested her and she was keen to find out more.

Tommy returned and raised his eyebrows at her, “You ready?”

“Yup!” (Y/N) jumped up from the couch and picked up her coat and handbag before she followed Tommy out of the house, “Where are we off too?”

“Small Heath first, gotta pick something up but then I’ll take you to where the food is”

(Y/N) nodded and followed him as he walked to Small Heath, the journey was quiet and short but (Y/N) wished she changed out of her heels because her feet were killing her.

When they arrived in Small Heath, Tommy strutted around like he owned the place and add the fact that everyone they walked by including police officers, nodded their head and called him ‘Mr Shelby’, (Y/N) wondered if she was far off by that assumption. 

She followed behind him as he made his way down a street called, ‘Watery Lane’ and stopped at the house with a car outside it. He spoke to the man leaning against the house and took a pair of keys from him and had a little conversation before the man retreated back into the house but not before he took a look at her.

Tommy held the keys up at her and motioned for her to get into the car, 

“C’mon let’s get going”

(Y/N) cautiously made her way into the car, nervous as she has never ridden in one before but she didn’t want to dawdle and waste time.

“Who’s car is this?” (Y/N) asked as Tommy pulled away from the curb, “And where are we going?”

“Company car and we’re going to Warwickshire”

“Company car?”

“My company”

Now (Y/N) was all the more confused on why he ended up outside of her house. If he owned a company and cars then he couldn’t have been in debt, though it was still a very small possibility. 

“Right…”

(Y/N) ended up falling asleep on the journey to wherever Tommy was taking her and was woken up when he gently shook her awake. 

“C’mon sleeping beauty, your food is waiting” Tommy whispered as she woke up. 

“Fucking hell!” (Y/N) couldn’t help herself when she saw the house in front of her, it was bigger than all the houses on her street put together.

Tommy was already out of the car and heading towards the door so (Y/N) quickly jumped out and followed him, quietly marvelling at the house.  Tommy walked into the house and had only taken two steps when was ambushed by a maid.

“Mr Shelby! Where have you been? We haven’t seen you in two days and suddenly we get a call which only tells us to prepare some food” The maid is simultaneously  exasperated and worried, “Look, you’ve got all these cuts and-”

“Mary, it’s fine. I’m fine” Tommy cuts her off, “You have no reason to worry”

“Don’t need to worry-” Mary scoffed before she noticed (Y/N) for the first time and a flush came up her neck, embarrassed at being seen that way by a stranger. 

“The uh chefs have finished dinner, everything is waiting in the dining room” Mary’s eyes never left her feet. 

“Thank you, Mary”

(Y/N) quickly thanked the maid as well before she followed Tommy.

“You have a maid?!”

“Several, actually”

(Y/N) gaped at the man and his wealth, she was rendered speechless by everything that man did. 

Tommy pushed open the door to one of the rooms and gestured that she go first, so she did and she found a large table filled with plates of food she had only dreamed of having. They were all extravagant and high quality, something she could never have afforded.

“Take this as a thank you for everything you did”

“I didn’t ask for all of this, I would have been fine with a simple meal”

“You did something stupid, taking a stranger in from the street….but I am thankful for what you did.” Tommy looked shy as he said those words, “Me giving you dinner, is the least I could do to repay you.”

“Well, I’m not complaining” (Y/N) said as she took a seat and pulled the closest dish towards her.

“You did though” Tommy deadpanned.

(Y/N) held up her thumb and index finger and brought them together until there was only a small gap between them, and grinned up at Tommy, “Only slightly though.”

Tommy took a seat opposite her and continued small talk with (Y/N) as she ate the food in front of her. She was a curious woman, snarky yet kind and considerate and he liked her. 

“What’s your job?” He asked once she finished. 

“Accountant” (Y/N) scowled, “Long hours, underpaid and undervalued, it’s my dream job”

“How about you work for me?”

(Y/N) choked on the water she was drinking, “E-Excuse me?”

“Obviously, I need to see how you work and if you are suitable to work for the company but what do you say?”

“Are you just doing this because of yesterday?” (Y/N) was unsure of where this was coming from. 

“You said you were underpaid and undervalued, you won’t be if you work for me”

“What exactly is it you do?” (Y/N) had been curious as to how he got his massive house.

“Shelby Company Limited is in the business of exportation. We export goods from Birmingham around the world, specifically car parts” Tommy drawled as if he was repeating a pitch for rich investors. 

“Where’s the office, Small Heath?”

Tommy nodded, “What do you think?”

“What am I getting paid?”

Tommy gave a little smirk, “Above average, I assure you. Plus additional benefits.”

(Y/N) nodded after a moment and stuck her hand out, “You’ve got a deal”

Tommy took her hand and shook it once, as a confirmation of their agreement.

“I’ll pick you up on Monday and take you to the office where you can sign the paperwork.”

“Sounds good but speaking of, how am I supposed to get home tonight?”

Tommy looked at the clock in the room and was surprised at how late it was, “It’s late, you can stay the night, there’s plenty of guest rooms.”

“No shit” 

Tommy ignored (Y/N)’s comment, “I’ll have a driver take you home tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

“If you’re done here, Mary can show you to your room”

“Absolutely.”

As (Y/N) followed Mary upstairs, she realised she never found out why Tommy was left unconscious outside of her house.

[felix21im]

"Ice Cold", a Leon Kennedy x reader fanfiction

As an Art and Design student all you want to do is just knuckle down and finish that one goddamn piece you've been working on for months. Too bad your time is constantly stolen by your Waiter job with minimal pay, but hey, at least the tips are good if you unbutton your shirt that one more time.

Masterlist

Chapter 6: The Bar

“You have to be kidding me right now!” You couldn't believe what you were hearing. “It was the first time I haven’t shown up to work, I always did my job exactly how you wanted me to and this is your thanks? I told you what happened and you don't even care at all! I was literally unconscious and in shock after what occurred that day.” You exclaimed and shook your head, not believing what you were hearing.

“I'm truly sorry, but you know how we handle things here. I'm sure a young and outgoing person like you will find a new job without any problems. We will send you the money for the last days you were working. Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve got a restaurant to take care of.” Your boss, well ex-boss, went through the door and left you standing in his office in disbelief. You picked up all your personal items before then heading to the front door. You looked around once more, thinking about all the years you were working here. You said one last goodbye to your coworkers before heading out the door, leaving this part of your life behind.

You went to your own car - finally having a driver's license after Leon made sure you got your private lessons - ready to drive home. But as you were sitting down you realized that that wasn't what you really wanted. The best thing to do now was to see Leon, so that's exactly where you were going.

You pulled into Leon’s driveway and parked in front of the front door. “I didn’t know you were going to be here today.” Angel greeted you as you stepped out of the car.

“Neither did I.” You answered and walked to the door, letting yourself in. You found Leon in the kitchen and he was leaning over a bottle of whiskey. “Leon?” You raised an eyebrow, thinking it was kind of early to drink but didn't say anything to him.

You must have scared him as he shot up to look at you. He looked rough, his hair was a mess and his grey clothes were stained. “Buttercup!” He smiled as he walked over to you. “I didn’t know you were coming over today, I thought you were at work.” He planted a kiss on your forehead and rubbed your arms.

“I got fired.” You simply blurted out, rather than trying to avoid it. “Since I didn’t go to work that one day last week my boss seriously wasn’t happy.” You lightly waved Leon off of you and sat down at the kitchen counter. “I’ve never missed a day for like three years but one day! One day! Is enough to get me fired.” You placed your head in your hands and groaned.

“Well fuck that guy.” He pulled a cereal box out of a cupboard under the kitchen island and placed it into a bowl.

“Fuck that guy…” You replied. “Now I need to waste the next week of my life trying to find a new job.

Leon finally put some milk into the bowl too. “You’re a college student, you don’t need a full time job.” He placed the bowl in front of you as you looked up at him. “Eat up, Buttercup.”

You looked down at the cereal and you pushed it around with your spoon. “I’m not really hungry, Leon.” You pushed the bowl back towards him and you brushed your hair with your hand. “It’s not that I need a job, I just like having one, it keeps me busy and the extra money never hurts.”

“But wasn’t the pay terrible?” He raised his eyebrow as he began to eat your food. “And super sexual? Your co-worker Mimi told me about how you would unbutton your shirt and wear super tight pants so that the customers would tip you more…”

“True.” You admitted. “So I’ll look for something different. Maybe I can be a personal assistant like Angel and Daisy.”

“They’re more than just assistants y’know.” Leon continued to eat. “Those two have joined me on a job, saved my life once or twice.”

“It’s four in the afternoon, why are you eating cereal?” You eventually asked.

“We don’t have any food, Angel wasn’t able to go shopping this morning.” He said as he placed his empty bowl in the sink. “How about an office job?”

“That’s a bit boring, dontcha think?”

“Umm. How about that internship you were going for?”

“I still have three months left of college, once I'm done with that and I have the grades for it, I can apply.” You admitted as you got off the bar stool, not having eaten any of the food Leon gave you. Leon watched you while you were filling your glass with water and some ice to cool down. You drank it and watched Leon do the same, just with his glass of whiskey. “Isn't it a little too early to drink?” The words left your mouth before you were even thinking about it. Now it was Leon's turn to raise an eyebrow at your comment.

“Are you my mom or what now? I think I know when or when I cannot have a drink.” He snapped at you, which really surprised you.

"Obviously I am not. But that's not really responsible of you, is it? I just don't get it, why you're drinking at this time and so often in general the past weeks." You thought about what you were saying, realizing his drinking behavior dates back to the first time you even met. "I get that your job isn't easy and stuff but day drinking? Really? Seems kind of low to me, Leon."

Leon let out a laugh and shook his head. "If all you want to do now is complain you can leave. That's not what I wanted you here for."

You looked at him again with big eyes. "So you don't wanna talk? I don't know what it is that’s between us, but it can't always be good and fun. I'm literally just worried about your health!"

"Worried? I think I know what's good for me much better than you do, I'm not the child here." He spat at you as he drank from his glass.

"So if you’re not ‘the child’ does that mean that I am?” You looked at him speechless. “That's how you see me? I understand that I'm a lot younger than you but I'm not a child! And just because I'm trying to talk about something serious? What is going on with you Leon?" He didn't even look at you. Instead he poured himself another drink and took a sip. You shook your head and let out a scoff. You then grabbed your jacket and went to the door. Before leaving you looked back to Leon, hoping he would apologize or stop you from leaving, instead you got nothing. You slammed the door behind you shut and you heard something break. “A fucking mansion and his front door cant even handle a slam..” You muttered to yourself as you went over to your car. Angrily you left his driveway and drove in the direction of home.

Your roommate was home for the holidays, leaving you in your apartment alone. Rather than sitting on the couch feeling sorry for yourself you tried to get some work done.

Looking for jobs was much harder than you remember. “Host. Nope. Grocery store worker. Eh, I guess that could work. Stripper?! Hm, if I'm desperate enough, maybe…” You spent hours looking and applying to jobs, most of them being just over minimum wage but any money is better than none.

Eventually you gave up and just began to watch TV on your laptop, endlessly flicking through the channels available to you. Since none of it looked interesting you put on something random and picked up your sketchbook. As the noise played in the background and your pencil ran across the paper your eyelids became heavier and heavier, those combined with the fact that it was now eleven at night.

The sound of your phone vibrating on your wooden desk ripped you from your sleep. At first you ignored it, being far too tired to want to actually open your eyes. It started to vibrate again. You rubbed your eyes, trying to see clearly in the dark and waking yourself up. You looked at your phone confused, wondering who wanted you so late at night. You unlocked it and looked at the time first. “Almost two in the morning... damn”, you muttered to yourself. After that you checked your notification and let out a sigh. Multiple messages from Leon just in the past few hours you were asleep. You didn't even bother looking at them, knowing that he was drunk. Most of the messages didn't even make sense and there was no way to read or understand them. Before locking the phone again, an unknown number called you. Unsure about who it could be, you waited for the call to end. But soon after the same number called again. You let out a sigh, answering the call. "Hello? Can I help you?" You asked tiredly. You didn't recognize the voice talking to you, but you could hear Leon mumbling in the background. The person told you something about Leon being totally wasted and that he requested for you to come and pick him up. Unsure about what to do, especially after the argument you had earlier, you still agreed to picking him up. You ended the call and put your phone away. Putting your head in your hands, you let out another sigh and shook your head. You quickly went to your kitchen and put on a pot of coffee, needing caffeine otherwise you would fall asleep before you even got to Leon.

As you grabbed your jacket, phone and coffee you looked at your car keys and shoved them into your pocket. You knew you couldn’t take your car as you didn’t want to leave it at the bar considering it was twenty miles from home. “Why couldn’t he have gone to a local bar?”

You waited outside in the rain for a taxi to come and pick you up. You’d be sure to charge this cost on Leon’s credit card.

Faint music was in the background as you walked through the door to ‘Billy’s Bar’ and it only took you a second to find Leon. “Buttercup!” He waved and blew a kiss at you the second he spotted you.

“Hey Leon.” You somewhat smiled as you sat down next to him at the bar. “What mess have you gotten yourself into?” You muttered as you waved over the bartender, them giving you the bill. “How can you rack up eighty dollars in one night?”

You searched Leon’s pockets for his wallet but came up empty. “Woah there Buttercup, let’s go home first before you start to pull my pants off.” You simply rolled your eyes at his drunk comment.

You groaned as you gave up the search for his wallet and eventually you just placed your own stack of cash on the bar, giving a little extra for the bartender as a tip. “Come on.” You got off the stool. “Let’s get you home.” Leon got off his stool and he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, giving you a kiss on your forehead. “Jesus Leon, don’t do that…” You wiped the kiss off of you and shook your head as the two of you left the bar and into the pouring rain. “Keys?” You held out your hand and he placed his keys in your palm. The keys to one of his fancy cars that you don't even know the name of but you were pretty sure that it was an Audi of some sort. It had four doors and four wheels, good enough.

“I can drive Butterc- cup.” He hiccuped as he talked, proving just how much he shouldn’t drive.

“I’ll be fine…” You clicked the keys and the lights on the car flashed. You took Leon to the passenger side of the car and forced him off of you as you opened the door for him. He leant on the roof to help himself into his seat and you then closed the door behind him. “Alright, it’s just like my car… just a lot quicker and a lot more expensive…” You mumbled to yourself as you hopped in the driver’s seat and started the engine. The loud roar was enough to make you almost pee yourself due to your nerves.

You gripped your hands on the steering wheel and put the car into drive. The car immediately shot forward and you instantly slammed on the breaks, causing Leon to bash his face on the dashboard. “Oh fuck!” You put the car into park and looked at Leon’s nose. “I’m so sorry.” You carefully brushed your hand on his nose and luckily it didn’t feel as if it was broken.

“I’m fine…” Leon’s eyes rolled back in his head and he leant back in his seat. You simply huffed at him and leant over him, grabbing his seatbelt. As you went back to your seat you sighed at him as you looked at him sleeping.

You buckled your own seatbelt and started the car again, now more carefully. You checked all the buttons and hoped for the best as you left the parking spot slowly. Before you stepped on the gas once more to drive onto the street you looked over to Leon, who was now half asleep. Just sometimes he looked up again or out the window without saying anything. Which was probably better because he wouldn't say anything useful anyway in his state. You drove on the main street and gripped the wheel, concentrating on the dark and rainy road before you. You tried putting on some music but soon shut it off again because it just irritated you. So you just drove around silently trying to find a way to Leon's house. Every now and then Leon muttered something, more to himself than to you. You shook your head blaming yourself for his behavior. Letting out a sigh you concentrated on the road again and silently went on.

You drove for around five minutes before Leon began to get bored. “Buttercup?”

“Hey Leon…” You replied to him, keeping your eyes on the road because you didn’t want to swerve into a ditch.

“You’re the best.” You could see him smile at you in the corner of your eye. He held out his hand and you simply ignored it. “Please?” He wiggled his fingers, wanting you to hold his hand. You scoffed as you dropped your right hand from the wheel, placing your hand in his. “I love you, Buttercup.” He smiled at you again but you simply ignored it.

“You’re drunk, Leon.” You took your hand back from him, in annoyance.

You wanted him to say that he loved you, but not like this, not in a drunk slur. “I’m serious.”

"Yea, sure you are." You rolled your eyes and looked straight to the street, not giving him anymore attention.

"You're so mean, Buttercup." He began whining like a little child which made you laugh sarcastically.

"You’re behaving like a child now, Leon. I told you earlier today that it doesn't have anything to do with ages." You shook your head, thinking about the argument from earlier.

"I'm sorryyy..for snapping at you like that earlier.. do you forgive me? Pleaseeee Buttercup.." You raised your eyebrow at his apology, not thinking much of it.

"I can't forgive you when all you do is lie when you’re drunk. Say sorry again when you're sober and we'll see." You felt him moving in his seat, now directly facing you. You gave him a short look and tried pushing him back into his seat. "Leon, please sit down correctly. I can't concentrate like this."

He had a smug smile on his face now. "Am I all you can concentrate on now?" Leon came closer to you and you backed up, now shoving him away with your right hand. The road in front of you was still slippery and dark and you couldn't drive like this. In a short motion you stepped on the brakes and stopped at the side of the street. Now facing Leon as well you tried pushing him back into his own seat, hoping he would leave you alone now. He still resisted and even though he was totally drunk he still was stronger than you. He grabbed your wrists and came closer to you, almost sitting on your lap now. You were able to keep some distance with your legs but it wasn't an easy task. "Buttercuuup.." He began again as he started playing with your fingers. "I'm serious.. I loveee you, since the first time I met you." You looked at him, searching his face. People always say that drunk people speak the truth but a part in you didn't want to believe it. Not because you didn't have feelings for Leon, but this whole situation seemed wrong to you. You realized it wouldn't get you far when arguing in this state so you just let him talk, not giving it much thought. Leon continued talking but he soon noticed you didn't even listen anymore. As soon as he came closer to you again you snapped back to reality.

You unfastened your seatbelt and got out of the car. You walked through the rain to Leon's side of the car and also opened his door. He looked at you confused but didn't say anything. You loosened his seatbelt and almost threw him out of his seat and out the car. He just about caught his balance, looking at you perplexed. You tried finding the right words but didn't even know what you were doing here. Leon leaned on the side of the car, already totally soaking wet. "Leon, I don't know what's going on with you but I can't continue driving when you keep on annoying me like that! So please just shut up or we're gonna stay out here until you're sober again, I don't care!" You shouted towards him, hoping he would even hear you through the loud and heavy rain. You came closer to him again, waiting for an answer. It seemed like hours passed, but Leon didn't say a thing. You groaned and opened the back door. You grabbed Leon's arm and pushed him inside. Overwhelmed by the sudden force, he fell into the backseat taking you with him. So now you lay on top of Leon, both of you totally wet. You felt Leon's warm breath and also the smell of alcohol. You suddenly felt hot and everything around you seemed to stop, all you saw was Leon. He looked you deep in the eyes and you into his. Without even thinking about it, you felt Leon's big hand on the back of your head, pulling you closer to his face. And the next thing you felt were his lips on yours. For a split second you leaned into the kiss, before realizing what was happening. In an instant you shot up and pushed yourself away from Leon. He looked at you, confused and heartbroken. "Leon. Let's just get you home now." You helped him put on a seatbelt without speaking another word and then went back to the driver's seat. The rest of the drive home neither of you spoke a word but every now and then you felt Leon staring at you from the back.

Finally you arrived at his home. Even though it was raining you could still make out the driveway and main door. You didn't bother parking the car in his garage, so you stopped in front of the door. You took the keys and before leaving the car you looked back at Leon. He wasn't asleep. He looked out the window, like most of the time during the ride. It reminded you of a child that wanted to stop at the local McDonald's but his parents didn't want to. You shook your head and tried hiding your smile. After that you left the car and also helped Leon out. Both of you didn't say a word as you walked to the door. Leon's arm was around your back for balance but you didn't mind it. It was better than letting him walk alone and him ending up injuring himself. You opened the front door, which was unlocked to your surprise. Apparently no one in this house thinks it could be possible that a thief would come here to say hello. You took off your own jacket which was totally drenched and hung it up. You then did the same for Leon, without any words exchanging either.

"I should probably get you something dry to wear. You're gonna get sick otherwise." You said more to yourself than to Leon but he still heard you and agreed.

"Let's.. just go upstairs and change there. It doesn't matter if the house gets dirty." Leon already started walking towards the stairs but you soon followed after noticing how he couldn't even walk straight. You then helped him upstairs and you went into the bathroom.

"I'll get you something to sleep in, just.. sit here and don't move. Can you do that for me?" He nodded silently and you left the room. You went into his bedroom and got some pajamas for him and also something for you to wear. As you entered the bathroom you found Leon sitting in the bathtub, naked. Even though you've seen him half naked before this wasn't what you wanted to see. Covering your eyes you threw his pajamas over. Obviously he didn't catch them so now they were lying next to him. "Jesus, Leon. What are you doing? I asked one thing of you and-"

"Sorry, Buttercup.. I just didn't want to freeze." He put his legs closer to him and rested his head on top of them. You shook your head and even though you didn't want to, you had to agree with him. You were also cold and wearing wet clothes didn't help. You sighed and looked at him. "Are you gonna shower by yourself or do you need help?" You felt like his caretaker right now but you also couldn't leave him hanging now. He looked at you with big eyes, which basically begged for you to help him. You sighed once again before walking over to him. You started the shower making sure it was warm enough. It was just a quick way of warming him up, not wanting to spend any more time with a naked and drunk Leon. After you were done you helped him out of the bathtub and put him into a towel. After drying him a little bit you helped him get into his pajamas and walked him into his bedroom. You watched him get into bed and before taking a shower yourself you saw him drifting off into a deep sleep. Closing the door behind you silently you went back into the bathroom and took a shower and changed into some of Leon's clothing. Nothing too special but at least it would keep you warm. After you put all the wet clothes away you went downstairs to try to get some sleep as well. You entered the living room and lay down on the big couch. Just a few minutes later you felt sleep take over and take you into a world of dreams.

You woke up the next morning to Angel's voice. "Hey there. Sorry to wake you up, I just wanted to see you before heading out again." You sat up and stretched, looking at Angel. "Thank you for bringing Leon home. I wasn't home yesterday and.. I'm sorry you had to see him like that." You shook your head, putting a hand on Angel's shoulder.

"Don't apologize for that. It's no big deal.. I think. Does this happen often? He was so.. weird yesterday." You looked down, feeling guilty for snapping at Leon like that yesterday, maybe being the reason for him ending up drunk.

"It's, well, it happened before. He always likes to drink but I'm not sure what's going on to be honest. But don't worry, okay? It has nothing to do with you or anything. Chances are high he's just fed up with work, I don't blame him." You nodded, smiling at Angel now. She then stood up and gave you a small smile before turning to leave. Before leaving though she turned back to you. "I prepared some coffee for you and Leon. Maybe try waking him up. And.. try not to be too mad at him, would you?" She waved to you one more time before leaving the room and soon the house.

You got your two mugs of coffee and you went up the stairs to wake up Leon. As you put your hand on the doorknob you could already hear his snoring so you made sure to be quiet. He laid face up on the bed and his hair was extremely messy, so rather than waking him up like you originally planned you just sat on the chair by the window and drank your coffee. The rain from last night was still just as terrible, if not worse to the point where you couldn't even look out the window, you needed some other source of entertainment. You picked up one of the books that Angel had placed in there as decor and began to read it. It was only a small book, something about a knight in shining armor there to save the princess, just like all the other fairy tales. As you were reaching the end of the book you could hear Leon beginning to stir, his breathing had become a lot lighter and his snoring had stopped, meaning he was pretty much awake now. You took another sip from your coffee and you could see Leon sitting up in bed. He had his hand on his head and you could tell that it was pounding. “Good morning, Sleepyhead.” You gave him a faint smile as you tapped the table, another mug of coffee waiting for Leon.

He groaned as he waved his arm at you, wanting you to bring the coffee to him. At first you just shook your head at him and clicked your tongue but he wouldn't give up, you were too tired to argue about it so you just sat on the side of the bed, your back facing him. “You’re mad."

“You think?” You snapped at him, still looking forward, at the blank wall in front of you.

“I’m sorry, Buttercup.” He sat up properly and shuffled towards you, being careful not to spill his cold coffee. “I was being stupid. I had a bad morning and I just wanted to chill out for the rest of the day, have a nice drink and just relax by the pool or something.”

“Oh so me arriving for a surprise visit, that's what derailed your day?” You turned to face him and you could tell that the two cogs in his brain were working overtime.

“What? No!” He shook his head as he tried to get a grasp on the situation. “I overreacted to you asking about my drinking problem-”

“Oh so now you admit that it's a problem?” You interrupted him, by now your body was fully turnt to him, just by your body language he knew that you were more than just pissed at him.

“It’s always been a problem.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I can try and explain it.” You simply huffed at him, wanting to hear his excuse but still wanting him to know that you're angry. “After Raccoon City I began to get pretty bad nightmares. Like really, really bad nightmares. You can guess why.” You simply nodded at it, feeling guilty now that you got him to explain. “I couldn’t sleep for weeks at a time, so I tried my best to just keep myself busy. Hobbies, people, anything. I would sometimes go out to bars and whatnot and I figured out that after a few drinks I would usually sleep better that night.” He adjusted himself in bed so that he was fully sitting upright, his full attention on you as he talked. “I’ve been doing it for years, Buttercup. It’s just a hobby I guess.”

You didn’t really know what to say. Sure you lived with college kids so you were around drinking fanatics 24/7 but an actual alcoholic? You didn’t have much experience.

“Buttercup, I’ve tried everything.” He leant forward and grabbed your hand, rather than you recoiling like the night before you accepted it and you shuffled yourself closer to him, sitting cross legged next to him on the bed. You hesitated before leaning your head on his shoulder and also grabbing his hand.

"I don't know how I can help, Leon. But you can't continue like this. I.. I didn't recognize you yesterday, you were so different. I don't want to worry about you, when you're out for a drink. I just-" You looked up to him with big eyes, some tears forming inside them. You felt so helpless and even bad for not noticing anything earlier. Leon squeezed your hand.

"Shh.. it's okay, Buttercup. After I met you, I tried to stop drinking, you can even ask Angel. But the nightmares never end. The only time I was able to sleep through the night was.. when you were here and slept next to me. Knowing I wasn't alone, feeling you next to me, it helped me." You blushed and gave him a small smile, but deep down you knew this wouldn't help long-term.

"Even if I stay here to sleep in your bed, you will always want to drink. And I can't be here with you all the time. You need.. we need something else to fix this problem." You took a deep breath. "Leon, I think you need professional help. Like, I don't know, medication to help you sleep?" You looked at him unsure of what you could do to help.

"I tried that before, Buttercup. I swear I tried it many times before but I also fell back into this habit. I can't change it anymore." You shook your head.

"No Leon, stop saying stuff like this. You may have tried before but.. now I'm here. I'll help you. I promise I will not leave your side, we will do this together. We can work in small steps, you hear me? Like.. you always drink your whiskey with ice, right? What about you trying to put in less alcohol and more ice? Step by step? It's worth a shot and this way it isn't cold withdrawal. What do you say?" You looked at him with big eyes, kind of proud of your idea. A small smile rested on Leon's face as he looked at you.

"It's worth a shot. But don't get your hopes up too high. This won't be easy and.. if things don't work out, I don't know who I'll be then."

"Leon. I am not leaving you alone now. We will do this together and no matter what happens, I'll be here. I believe in you." You lay your arms around him and hugged him. You felt his arms around your body and smiled. After a short while you let go of him. Both of you took a sip of your stone cold coffee and sat there in silence, the only sound being the rain outside the house.

You saw Leon fidgeting around and looked at him questioningly. Before you could ask what he was thinking about he began speaking. "You know, uhm, what I said yesterday. I meant it. Sure, I was drunk and all but…", he turned to you. "I love you. I have for a long time now but I didn't know how to say it. But I really do." You looked at Leon with big eyes, shocked that he would bring this topic up again. Unsure of what to say you stood up and walked around the room. Leon's gaze followed you and you felt bad for not saying anything. After walking up and down you finally sat back next to him again. "Leon, I.. I don't know what to say. I mean.. I. God. Leon. I love you. I really do." You let out a small laugh. This whole situation felt so bizarre to you. You saw a big smile growing on Leon's face and you had to return it. He grabbed you by your arm and pulled you to him. You looked each other in the eyes, knowing what both of you needed now. Leon closed the gap between you two and after so long you kissed him. Without being drunk. Just a real and honest kiss, both of you wanting it and knowing it was the right thing. “So what was the bad news that you got yesterday morning?” You asked him as you pulled away.

“I have to go to Italy for a job.” He smirked. “But I think I might drag you along with me, we can have some time together once I'm done with work.” You thought about the offer for a split second before agreeing.

"At least I don't have a job where I have to ask for permission anymore." You jokingly said, trying to make the best of the situation.

"Well then we have a plan. Sooo, you better get home and pack your things. We should be at the airport early tomorrow morning. I'll text you the time and pick you up. Sounds good?" You nodded before going for another kiss. You stayed at Leon's house for a while longer before eventually going home and packing your stuff. You were excited to be by his side at a job and couldn't wait for it anymore. God knows what you've gotten yourself into...

----

Taglist: @trinswhimsys @dixanadu @oppsie--channie

[kaimelia]

there’s a place

TW: DEPRESSION AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

a/n: hi! first of all, this is very very heavy, so please take care of yourself and know that I am always here <3 second, this fic is scary to post as I’ve poured a lot of emotion into it, so yeah. also sorry if this does not! make much sense but emotions etc anyway I love you all <3

———————————

Amelia stares up at the ceiling above her, her hands resting on her stomach and moving with each breath she took, a small reminder of the fact that she was still, in fact, breathing.

She doesn't stir until the door is pushed open, and Link walked through just for the grin on his face to fall immediately after seeing her on the floor.

"Amelia?"

His voice is soft, and it brings her a moment of comfort. Not because she finds it comforting, but because she once did.

Link walks over to her and cocks his head to the side, and Amelia's pretty sure he's speaking, but she can't hear anything besides her heartbeat pounding in her chest. She assumes he's asking what happened, because anytime she's upset, he's always keen to find the reason and fix whatever happened. But, sometimes, it can't be fixed, and he's never willing to accept that.

He's definitely asking what's wrong, and she wishes she had an answer.

She doesn't remember how she ended up on the floor, but she's there, now, and he's standing above her, staring at her as if she's an animal behind a cage in a zoo, like some foreign creature he doesn't understand.

Amelia realizes it's true, that he doesn't understand. And, he probably never will.

She realizes that she'll have to spend the rest of her life explaining how she loves him and their son with every last fiber of her being, but can barely get out of bed most mornings. How she can have everything she's ever dreamed of, yet end the day in tears more times than not.

She shouldn't be feeling this. She should be grateful. She has a healthy son who's passed all of his checkups with flying colors. She has a boyfriend who will lay on the floor beside her and hold her hand in silence. She has a successful career, a wonderful family, and a life she never thought she would live to see.

Because for so long, she fought.

She fought through addiction, grief, depression, through the days where she wanted nothing more than to crawl up into a ball and scream until her vocal cords shriveled up and blew away with her silent sobs.

And she's not quite sure she can fight for much longer.

"Amelia," Link whispers beside her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Let me help you."

"No," she mutters almost inaudibly, but she knows Link heard from the expression on his face she can make out of the corner of her eye. Shock, disappointment, confusion, maybe even a hint of disgust as he attempts to help.

He's just trying to help, she tells herself. He's just trying to help. It's not his fault, and she should let him help.

"Amelia." His voice is stern, now, and her body tenses.

He's not doing anything wrong. She's the one lying on the floor and acting like a child throwing a tantrum. She's the one being ridiculous. She knows.

Amelia gulps.

"I'm taking you to bed now, okay?"

He wasn't really asking if it was okay; Amelia knows. He doesn't wait for a response before scooping her body up into his arms and holding her as if she were a blanket abandoned on the floor.

He thinks this will disappear. That she'll wake up in the morning as energized as ever with a smile as broad as his across her lips.

She won't. She never has. But, he hasn't noticed, and he never will.

To him, everything is shiny. Everything is shiny, and everyone is happy. He refuses to see a day where the sun doesn't rise all of the way, and he's left half in the dark. That day doesn't come.

She wishes she could think like that, because maybe that's the way her brain should work. She should be able to turn off the thoughts of jumping into a body of freezing cold water at the idea of taking her son to the park the next day. She shouldn't be staring out the window of their bedroom, wondering what would happen if she flung it open and jumped.

She didn't want to die, per se; she just wanted to feel something.

"Alright, I'm gonna grab you some pajamas."

He's helping, she reminds herself.

God, help hurts.

He's helping, she reminds herself as he dresses her like a child, muttering some hardly amusing story about his patient. He smiles at her for a minute, and she knows he's waiting for her to react. She doesn't.

It's not his fault. She hasn't told him what does help, and he's only doing his best.

It's better than being alone, she decides. Because, if she were alone, God knows what she would do. At least he's here to take care of her.

"Here, roll over," he muttered, holding the comforter up as he waits for her to move. She doesn't. "Amelia, please." He finally sighs in disappointment and places it over her. "If you need anything, just ask, okay?"

He stays there for another moment, or a few moments, and then walks away and lingers in the doorway. He closes the door, and he probably thinks she's fallen asleep.

She wishes she could.

He's still standing outside the door. And he's talking, now.

"Hey, Mer," he speaks softly, but Amelia can hear him as clear as day. "There's something wrong with Amelia."

There's something wrong with Amelia, there's something wrong with Amelia, she repeats to herself, gripping the comforter tightly.

Link walks away from the door, and she can't hear him any longer. Maybe she's grateful for that, because whatever he's saying, or whatever Meredith's saying surely isn't something she'll like.

The door opens some time later, and Link walks through with Scout in his arms, and Amelia cringes at the sound of his cries. Ear-piercing, loud enough to send a wave of tension through her chest.

"He's hungry," Link says, walking towards her, and Amelia tilts her head to the side. "I wasn't going to bring him in, but there's nothing in the fridge.

She silently curses herself for not pumping, for not thinking ahead, because as she takes Scout in her arms, she feels like the worst mother in the entire world.

He's staring at her as she feeds their son, cradling the small boy in her arms and holding him just close enough as necessary. Scout's tiny eyes are staring up at her with a particular adoration that she's spent hours obsessing over as the sight of it brought butterflies to her stomach. Now, she just bites her lip and looks away.

Eventually, she feels Scout being lifted from her arms, and she's alone in the dark bedroom again.

There's a sliver of moonlight seeping in through the curtains and illuminating a stripe across the floor. She pulls her knees up to her chest and traces her eyes down it, making out the outline of clothes thrown on the floor and pillows tossed off of the bed.

The door creaks open, and Link comes through again. He changes into his pajamas without speaking a word, only humming a soft melody she faintly recognizes. He doesn't say anything as he climbs into bed beside her and presses his lips against her temple, and quietly whispers, "I love you," before pulling away and tracing his hand down her back as he does so. He lays down, and sleep overtakes him so quickly that she's half tempted to wake him, just so that she's not suffering alone.

Maybe, if this were a few months ago, he would've stayed awake with her, sitting in silence just so that she wouldn't feel alone. But, he's pulled away from her, in the slightest of ways, so small that she barely noticed over time.

He's snoring gently, the way she always used to tease him about, but she can't stand it now. She gets up from the bed, hoping that Link doesn't hear her or follow her.

Before she knows it, she's throwing the front door open and running outside, her arms spread out and her face tilted up towards the sky. It's raining.

The rain is heavy and cold, and Amelia begins shivering almost immediately as raindrops fall down her face. But for once, she doesn't care. Because god, it feels good.

She relaxes her body and exhales heavily. And she's laughing, or some mix of a laugh and a cry, and then she's not sure if it's a conscious reaction, but she's grateful for the feeling.

She finally forgets about everything, about Link waiting inside with his perfect idea of how she should be, about everyone around her judging all of the time and not understanding.

Because, she's so tired, and all she's wanted is some sense of relief.

And, maybe, she's found it.

[lost-item]

Settle for Less

Late last night, or.. Was it morning? He can’t tell. It’s quiet. Outside, the rain’s pouring. The only sounds within the caverns of Pogtopia is the pattering rain on the surface, and the thunder. Tommi awakens with a jolt, panicked breaths now bringing life to the silence. He shuffles in his bed to sit up, eyes darting around the room. There’s nothing, no one. He’s in bed, in Pogtopia. He’s safe. It was just thunder. Once his breathing’s calmed, he decides to get up. He makes his way downstairs, if you can call it that, and starts picking some potatoes.

He’s so fucking tired of them. Tired of the taste, tired of the hint of dirt that still lingers. He’s cooked them in just about every way possible. It doesn’t change how they taste, though. But it’s all they really have, all he can really get. Wilbur seldomly brings anything home while he’s out. Maybe a rabbit, or apples, but that’s rare. He’d go out himself, but he’s been told repeatedly, and scolded, for doing so. The only time he’s allowed out is if it’s with Wilbur. And the only time it’s with Wilbur, is if it’s to train. Tommi hates training. He swears to Prime he was never born to fight. Sure, he can handle himself pretty well in combat, but it’s never been like he wanted to. He’s sick of it, really. He always charges in head first with things, overpowering his opponents. But now, he can’t do that the way he used to. His wings are gone, his strength is gone, and so is his confidence. His spark, his fire. So, any time they do go out for training, it’s hell. Wilbur never goes easy, never takes breaks. He just keeps coming at him. They aren’t even using wooden weapons, no. They’re using real blades. What if he fucks up and accidentally hits him? He’s so careless lately… He finishes cooking the potatoes. The smell stirred Wilbur awake, who finally decided to crawl out of his dark and dreary room. There’s never any light on in there… He’s always in the dark. How does he even see anything, is he part owl? Prime… “Morning” Wilbur yawns. “It’s already three, nearly four.” Tommi grumbles in reply. “AM?” “No, PM!” “Shit, must’ve overslept, huh?” “Y’think? Fuckin moron…” Tommi gets up from the furnaces, and hands freshly baked potatoes over to Wilbur, “Here, call it brunch.” “Mmm, potatoes, my favorite” His tongue’s laced with sarcasm. Tommi all but rolls his eyes, “Yeah, I know.” He snuffs out the flames of the furnace, the area now dimly lit by only the glow berries dangling from the ceiling of the cavern. Wilbur stuffs his face with some potatoes, while Tommi rummages through some chests, not caring to eat himself. He’s not hungry anyways, despite what his screaming stomach might argue. “So,” he begins, potatoes still being chewed, “I was thinking we’d try something new today.” He finally fucking swallows the shit. “Something new…?” Tommi turns to face him, intrigued. “Yeah!” He proceeds to pull out two axes, real iron axes, from his inventory, one in each hand, “Axe training!” He says, a grin on his face. Tommi groans, “Fuck, man, I thought you meant something NEW new, not- Not- More fuckin’ training!” “Well, it is new! You don’t exactly know how to fight with an axe, do you?” “I hardly even know enough about a sword, prick…” “True, you’re quite rubbish” “Oi!” “Anyways, enough bickering, we’re wasting daylight. Let’s go.” Wilbur spins around on his heel, both axes still in hand, and makes his way to one of Pogtopia’s many exits. “N-now?!” Wilbur turns his head back, “Yes. Now.” “But- But I don’t even have my sweater, I-” “Then go get it!” He barks, his patience running as thin as a lit thread of dynamite. Tommi quickly rushes up stairs, grabs his red sweater, and puts it on, making his way back down. Wilbur’s already gone outside, of course, and has started walking. Tommi quickly races after him to catch up in the snow. “Wilbur, fuckin- Fuckin wait up, man!” Tommi’s energy is quickly being drained, the cold weakening his already frail body. He can feel his legs beginning to freeze as he pushes on in the knee deep snow. Wilbur simply ignores him, continuing on through the spruce forest, until they reach a clearing. A familiar clearing. One they often go to to train. He finally stops, and turns around to face Tommi, who’s panting, hands on his knees. The sun’s already starting to go down, it being winter. He can feel the chill in the air starting to turn even harsher, and each breath he takes is beginning to get more and more painful. “Are you already fucking out of breath? We haven't even hiked for an hour!” “But- But I- You know I don’t do good in the cold, I-” “No excuses, I had to drag your ass all the way from Manburg, so I don’t want to hear it!” Tommi bit his cheek at that… Guilt swelling up in his chest. It’s not like he wanted to be carried after he was… He’d rather not think about that right now. “And that’s why I’m training you, so something like that doesn’t happen again!” He hands Tommi one of the axes, “Now, show me what you’ve got!” Tommi begrudgingly takes hold of the weapon with both of his hands, and takes a step back, trying to ready himself. Wilbur does the same, staying in place until the kid makes his move. Tommi charges forward, axe in hand, and brings a swing down towards Wilbur, who easily dodges it by jumping to the side. He then counters, by tripping up Tommi’s feet, causing him to lose his balance, and face plant in the snow. “Again.” Tommi wheezes for air, the wind knocked right out of him upon the landing. He uses the axe to help support himself up, and stands to face Wilbur again. This time, he begins again by running towards him, though instead of swinging the axe downwards, he does so from the left. Still too slow, and easy to read, as Wilbur blocks it this time with his own axe, and then proceeds to hit Tommi’s hand, knocking the weapon out of his grip. Then, he forces Tommi back with a shove, onto his back. “Again.” Tommi lays there for a moment in the snow, trying to catch his breath. He can feel his blood pounding in his skull, trying oh so desperately to get oxygen to his aching limbs. “I said again!” Wilbur orders. Tommi brings himself to a sitting position, the axe in front of him. He grabs it, and is shaking, but he yet again stands up. He can feel the strain that fall had put on his injured… Well, what’s left of his wings. He readies himself again, axe in both hands. “You’ve got to stop coming at me without thinking! You’re such a child, charging in at all of your problems…” Wilbur adds on that last bit more as an intimidation, but it leaves a sting. “I am not a child, I’m 17, damn it!” Tommi’s grip on the axe tightens. “LITERALLY a child!” Wilbur rolls his eyes, and Tommi takes that small window as a chance to charge at him again. But Wilbur saw it coming, and once again, he’s down on his back. “Who even raised you? You can’t fight for shit, Toms!” “YOU did, you prick!” Tommi retorts. “Ohh, righttt…” Wilbur takes a step forward, “Then, am I the one who raised you to be such a wimp? A coward?” “I- no, you-” Wilbur keeps going, “I mean, here you are, down on the fucking ground again! How many times will it take, Toms? How much longer do I have to waste my time on you for you to get this shit right?” “I-I’m trying, Wilbi, I really am, I-” “I don’t want you to try, I want you to get it fucking right!” “I-I’m sorry…” He lowers his head, unable to make contact with the judging eyes that are burning a hole into him. That’s all he can say… That’s all he can ever say these days… Wilbur sighs, “Again.” “But-” “I said, again! Your enemies wouldn’t even give you as long as I have!” “I know…” He groans, and struggles to his feet. His legs are shaking, exhausted. They’re also starting to go numb from the cold. Snow’s clinging to his pants and the back of his sweater. His fingers tremble as he picks the axe up a third time. “This time, I’m not holding back,” Wilbur warned. “Neither am I, bitch!” Tommi readied his stance as best as he could. This time, Wilbur charged first. Tommi’s now completely on the defense, caught completely off guard by this sudden shift. He raises his axe to deflect the incoming blow, and is pushed back. He stumbles backwards, but regains his footing. Wilbur doesn’t take another moment to once again charge at him, an eerie smile on his face. Tommi ducks, dodging the next swing yet again. He rolls out of the way, and quickly, but painfully, gets back on his feet, trying to get some distance. But Wilbur wont let him. He keeps coming at him, swinging. “Your enemies will never give you an opening, a moment to even breathe, to even think!” Wilbur huffs, continuing to swing at Tommi, “You need to fucking learn that, get that in your head!” “I-” He knows that, but- He can’t even catch his breath, waste it, to respond. All he can do is dodge. He fumbles back again, and is surprised by the sudden contact made with his backside. He’s against a tree. Wilbur swings, and again, Tommi dodges. Wilbur’s axe is lodged into the tree with a thwack. He tugs at it, but it won’t budge. Tommi takes this time to run across the clearing and get that distance he finally needed. “That was a perfect opportunity, Tommi, and you fucking wasted it!” Wilbur shouts, turning to face him, “I was stuck there, back turned to you, weapon stuck in place, and you didn’t fucking take the shot! Why?!” He’s genuinely angry. “B-because I- that would’ve-” “WHY?!” “I-I don’t want to hurt you, Wilbi!” He holds the axe up in front of him, close, to guard himself. “What?! Who cares about that, I want you to fucking fight! Give me your all!” “But-” “No fucking buts!” Wilbur’s stepping closer now, pissed. He doesn’t even have his axe, but in all honesty, he truly doesn't even need it. Not against Tommi. Tommi flinches as Wilbur goes to, what he presumes, grab him by the shirt, but instead he grabs the axe from his hands. “Wha?!” Tommi gasps, surprised. “Now you’re in for it, Toms…” There’s a disgusting sense of a true threat behind those words. “W-Wilbi, I- wait, I-” Tommi stumbles back as Wilbur begins to raise the axe over his head. He falls on his back once again in the snow. He glares up in horror at the sight of his brother, his own brother, once again raising a weapon at him. Just like Rev. He begins to hyperventilate, “No no no NO NO!” he covers his face with his arms, desperately, and pathetically, trying to protect himself. He can feel the hot tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Wilbur striked the axe down, barely missing his head, and it slams into the frozen ground beside him. Tommi flinches at the impact, and whimpers. Tommi’s shaking now, crying his eyes out, desperately trying to make himself as small as possible, curling up into a ball, laying on his side, glancing up at Wilbur through his own fingers. “Please, Rev, please- p-please stop, please.. Please…” He says between shaky breaths. It hits Wilbur just then what he’s done. Like the axe that pierced the frozen earth beneath him, the realization of what he just did, what he was about to do, to his own little brother, struck him. He quickly backed away, standing, looking down at his brother. “Toms, I- I’m-” He can’t say it, he doesn’t deserve to. He kneels down to try to comfort him, but Tommi screams, and begins backing away in a panic. Wilbur’s utterly shocked, dumbfounded. He really just did that. He really just… Just like his “brother”, Rev… He raised his axe against Tommi. Tommi even mistook him for Rev, he- He saw him as him, he- How couldn’t he??? Sure, they- They’re twins, but- But never in a million years did he think he’d raise his weapon against his brother like that… Though he’s sure Rev thought that, too, but… Now look where he is. “Prime…” Wilbur gasps for air, realizing he hasn't exactly been breathing. They stay like that for a while. Tommi sobs and hyperventilates, each breath more painful than the last as the stinging air pierces his lungs. The sun’s already begun to set below the horizon, and is beginning to fade. They need to head back, mobs will start spawning any minute now… “Toms, we need to go. It’s dark.” Wilbur says, dryly. Tommi whimpers on the ground, but agrees. He’s freezing, he’s tired, he’s afraid… He just wants to go home… “M-mhm…” He barely gets even that out. His throat’s tight, like there’s a hand around it. He sniffles a few more times, and begins to get up. The snow around where he laid had begun to melt from his outburst. He rubs his eyes after he stands. “Go get the other axe, the one in the tree.” Wilbur doesn’t turn to face him, instead he starts walking back towards Pogtopia. Tommi simply nods, even if he can’t see it. He makes his way over to the tree, his body aching. His arms are shaking so badly from exhaustion. He attempts to pull the axe out, but it’s futile. Pointless. He’s so pointless. He can’t even get a damn axe out of a tree, how does he expect to be able to fight with one? Wilbur turns around after he notices he hasn’t caught up with him, and looks over at where he’s still struggling. He sighs, and stomps over. “Move” he shoves Tommi away, and easily takes the axe out of the tree, “If you can’t even fucking do this, then I just won’t bother training you how to use an axe anymore. You fucking got that?” He glares down at Tommi, who has his head lowered, turned away. “Got that???” He repeats himself Tommi nods. Not good enough. “I said, did you get that?!” He barks. Tommi flinches, but proceeds to sign, [Yes]. Oh. Back to that, are we? Fuck… He really fucked up. He sighs, and puts both axes away in his inventory. “Let’s go, we’ve wasted enough time here, on you.” He continues walking, hands in his trenchcoat’s pockets to try to fight back the numbness he’s suddenly feeling. Tommi follows after him. They walk for a while, the sun now completely set.  Wilbur pulls out a torch to light their path. Tommi’s head’s down the entire time, simply following by keeping an eye on Wilbur’s feet. Wilbur doesn’t dare say anything, or else he’d let himself slip back into his… Old self. Suddenly, Tommi tugs at Wilbur’s sleeve. Wilbur scoffs, “What now?” and he looks down at him, stopping in his tracks when he looks down at his brother. His little brother, who’s crying. His little brother, who’s shaking from the cold. His little brother, who he hurt, again. Tommi simply signs, [I’m sorry for freaking out, Wilbi…] Wilbur says nothing in response. He simply grits his teeth, and continues walking. You shouldn’t be the one apologizing, Toms… Ever. Thank you for reading! This is a small one shot based on a dsmp!au I take part in roleplaying! In this world, it is the Wilbur SMP (WSMP). Wilbur’s the sole founder of L’manburg. His brother and twin, Revivebur, is of another world. His younger brother, Tommi, is a magma cube hybrid.  There’s many other characters, and we have so much lore! I could ramble on and on in one post, but I feel that’d bore people, so... If you are interested in other one shots I’ve written, I’ll be sure to post them and tag them with #wsmp! Thank you! ^-^

[doodlebeeberry]

More oc writing while I wait for laundry! This is also just funky concept play lol

He watched them quietly for a time. They’d go through an odd cycle of drumming their fingers on the table, picking up their sandwich, considering, and dropping it back onto the plate without taking a bite. They must’ve gone through the motions five times before he finally rolled his eyes and, nabbing one of the chips off his plate,

“She’s not gonna die you know.”

Mp3 turned to look at him as he bit into it. Tin did his best not to look back.

“What?”

“You heard me” He swallowed.

“She got hurt, that’s all. She’s not going anywhere.”

“You’re awfully sure of that”

“Course I am.”

“How?”

“Just am.” He munched in another chip. An odd sort of silence stretched across the table, palpable. The clatter of the diner and its patrons seemed to exist outside of it, like they were living in a bubble. Swinging his leg a bit, he almost revealed in the tap of metal against wood. Mp3 frowned, and got about two steps into the cycle again before breaking it.

“I just don’t get it,” they began. He held back a groan as best he could. They’d been saying the same thing all day.

“She would’ve said something if she’d gotten into trouble, right? She would’ve written. She should’ve called. She always does.”

“Maybe she didn’t want to”

“Why wouldn’t she though”—they gestured wide, and in the process a tomato slice fell free from their sandwich and plapped onto the table—“she doesn’t just hide things like this, it’s not in her nature! She once had half the town mobbing after her after losing their mail and she still told me. Dragged me into it, even!”

“So?”

“So if something was wrong she should’ve told us—told me!”

“But she didn’t”

They drew their lips thin.

“She doesn’t have to tell you everything you know. Could you pass the salt?”

They grabbed it, for what it was worth, but instead sent him a narrowed look.

“How is this not bothering you?”

The little mint looked up at them, almost curious.

“You’re just...quiet. And still. Like it’s just Tuesday.”

“It is Tuesday.”

“That’s not the point and you know it.”

Their tone was sharp, strained. He almost felt bad about that one. They let their food fall back onto the plate and leaned in towards him.

“She’s your friend, Tin. Doesn’t it bug you at all that she got into...whatever mess she got into and didn’t want to tell us?”

They watched each other. The bubble popped; in his ears flooded laughter and cutlery clatter, afternoon sunlight poured in from the window at his side. It glinted against Mp3’s screen, casting a fine sheen, deepening the wideness of their eyes.

“Of course it does” He answered. The least he could do was be honest. “Why wouldn’t it?”

They blinked at him once, he could all but hear their processor whirr. They sat back, breaking off the staring contest. Without a word they slid the salt across the table. He took it between his teeth, biting down just enough to press the little button along the side. A few paltry crystals scattered out from the bottom and onto his food before it ran dry. Figures it was nearly empty.

“Sorry.”

He set the contraption aside. Great Sweetners how he hated those things.

“It’s fine.”

He considered his food, undersalted even still. He hadn’t even been hungry to begin with. He heard Mp3 bite into their food more so than saw it.

“It’s a good thing, you know. That you two get to be that close.”

Chancing a glance up, he caught their soft smile.

“You’re in on this too, you know. You and Cy,” They shrugged with their right shoulder, adding as though uncertain, “if you want to be, that is.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that.”

“Oh, well that’s good! I think the rest of our family already adopted you anyway.”

He flinched back a bit at the notion.

“I’ve only met most of them once though?”

“I know! I had to wait at least two days to get to that point. No fair that it only took you one.”

“I guess I must’ve had an unfair advantage.”

“Yeah,” they bit into their food again, “guess we both did.”

It was warm, but thankfully not yet humid. There didn’t seem to be any rain incoming any time soon. Walking back from the diner, two spare meals tucked into a plastic bag, he took a moment to savor the calm of it all. A lone red squirrel crossed their path. The two of them stopped to watch it scurry by.

“You know,” Mp3 began, “I know you said to stop worrying and all that, but I still really do wanna know. What in Saccharine's name could be bad enough to make her stop writing entirely?”

It darted up a nearby tree, vanishing between rich green leaves.

“No clue” They started walking again. He thought of burnt, blistered fingers, deeply tired eyes, the lingering scent of smoke and sweat, and resisted the cold, unsettled trill that crept up his back at the reminder of the early morning.

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I’d like knowing.”

[writinginthedarkwood]

Kitsune Todoroki: A Mischievous Encounter

Your village is starving, you make the journey to the abandoned shrine to plead with the god that may or may not be there...

~Some supernatural smut for ya (also kind of fluffy? idk)~

Kinks for Kinktober! -  Master/ Slave

Shoto Todoroki x Reader Halloween special!

My feet are exhausted, I’ve been walking for too long today. A day’s journey seemed like such an easy task before I actually started the path through this over grown wood. I sighed and tightened my boots, the sole has been wearing thin for months now, but they’re holding up okay. I took a sip from my leather pouch, the tangy flavor of the leather tainted the fresh water, but I couldn’t restrain myself and gulped it down anyway. The tree’s are blowing gently, the sun is shining threw the tree’s and hitting the banks of the river, reflecting off of the exposed stones of the low water. “The drought is effecting the forest all this way west too...” I mumbled into my pouch before taking one last sip.

Something loud moved through the bush behind me, I snapped around and stared at the foliage line. Was something hunting me this whole time? I don’t have a blade to protect me, the biggest predators on this side of the mountain are supposed to be the foxes. My heart pounded in my chest, but nothing appeared. The sound was gone before I fully turned around. I guess I should keep moving, no use sitting around waiting to lose sunlight. I brushed some dirt off of my pants, brother won’t miss these, and besides how would I make this journey in anything else? My family is one of the richest in town, to be caught in these clothes would be embarrassing for my grandparents.

The sun started to die down, it’s that time of day right before sunset. The sky is turning golden, soon it will turn pink and then all of the light will disappear. Panic set in my chest, I took a deep breath. I need to keep my head, I should have reached the shrine an hour ago. The plan was to find the shrine, make the offering, sleep until early morning and head home. “This was so stupid...” I started to curse myself. What made me think I could actually make a difference? I tried everything to help, even learning how to work the fields much to my families disapproval. People are hungry, tired. Live stock are dropping like flies. Even the inn keepers cat got sick and died this week, the gods have forgotten about us.

Tears gathered in my eyes. I swept one off of my cheek, I feel helpless. I walked for what felt like another hour, but judging by the sun its only been a few more minutes. Something peered through the tree’s just up ahead. Is that it? I pulled back a low hanging tree branch and stepped into a clearing. An old, older than anything in our village, building sat run down and falling apart. It was made of crumbling stone. The sloped roof was falling to the ground, the whole place barely standing. I carefully stepped through the doorway, there it was. The shrine! Compared to the building, this fountain looked untouched. It was smooth, made of a stone I didn’t recognize. It might have once flowed with water, the smooth stone was bone dry. A little bonzai tree sat on a pedestal, its roots grew out of its pot, the clay container close to bursting. It was overgrown, but healthy. Is someone taking care of this place? I looked around. Cobwebs and rotting wood indicated nobody had been here for a long time, the tree sat happily here, all alone. I pulled out the tiny statue from your napsack. My families most precious heirloom. A porcelain statue of a bowing dog, my families symbol.  My grandmother will be devastated that its gone, but it will be worth it. I laid the statue down in front of the fountain and closed my eyes. I bowed down and took a deep breath. Please, please help my village. I pleaded silently, the sound of trickling water made me pry my head up off of the floor. It’s much brighter in here now, the floor is less cold. The fountain was running, gently, a stream flowed out of the bonzai’s pedestal. I gasped is a god listening? I shut my eyes tight and clasped my hands in front of me. “I’ll do anything to save our home, I’m pleading to anyone that’s listening!” 

“Deal.” A low, calm voice answered me from behind. I screamed and twisted myself around and fell on my backside. The shrine was lovely now, the walls fixed, the roof hanging in place where it should be. Lanterns hung on the wall, burning with a low red flame. A young man was relaxing at a kotatsu, he wore a white robe, red flowers danced on one side, the other had blue split down the middle. He was lovely, his hair was also split down the middle, red on one side, white on the other. His face is flawless, an angular jaw, clear skin. You noticed a deep scar over his right eye, but it didn’t take away from his impossible beauty. He took a sip of tea, he wasn’t looking up at you. “Who... who are you?” I gathered myself and relaxed on my knee’s, trying to mask how scared I am. How did everything change?

“I should be asking you that question.” He set his cup down and poured himself another drink. “You are the one barging into my home uninvited.” He said plainly. He pointed to the spot beside him at his blanketed table. “Please, have a seat.” I obeyed, standing up and joining him at his tea table. My hands shook slightly as he handed me a cup. It was freezing cold, the tea was barely steeping. The glass had frost along the rim. “Oh, uhm, thank you.” I set the cup down. “My name is “Y/N, of the Y/L/N family. I live in the village at the base of this mountain.” He took a long sip of his tea and then set it down. “This tea is terrible.” He exclaimed, setting the cup down sort of hard. I’m not quite sure how to respond. “Oh no its deliciou-” I grabbed my own cup and took a sip. I swallowed hard and tried to mask my look of disgust. This tea is awful, I’ve never tasted anything so rancid. Besides the fact that its freezing cold. He sighed and shook his head. “Well, hopefully you can make a better cup than I.” You noticed as he bowed his head down slightly, he had two pointed ears atop his head. They were the same color as his hair. His eyes are heterochromic, he peered into yours curiously. “Can you make a decent cup of tea?” He asked.

“My mother and father never complain when I make them a cup. I’ve been known to do well in the kitchen.” I held my hands in my lap, his stare is piercing. A small smile turned the corners of his mouth upward, his teeth were pointed behind his beautiful mouth. “Oh wonderful, you’ll make a perfect servant.” Suddenly fear coursed through every bone in my body, I fell back on my wrist and placed another over my mouth, muffling a scream. He leaned forward, his smile fading. “Where are you going?” He reached for my ankle to pull me back to the table. I pulled myself away, trying to stand up and flee. He moved quicker than me, grabbing my leg and pulling me to him. He hovered over me, his hair falling in his face as he studied mine. “Are you alright, you look a little pale.” One of his ears twitched, and he blinked quickly a few times. “You’re not a human.” I spilled out, my voice shaking. “Ah, I guess that could be intimidating for some. Don’t worry Y/N. You’ll get used to it.” His face stayed serious, but his tone was light. He moved himself off of me and helped me sit up. “My name is Shoto. You may address me as Master.” He thought for a moment. “Or Shoto.” I couldn’t help but crack a smile. He seemed regal, like a prince, but very down to earth at the same time. “I apologize, I’ve never had a servant before.”

I thought for a moment. Putting pieces together that I haven’t quite grasped from our conversation so far. “Wait, I’m not your servant.” I said as light hearted as possible, not wanting to make him upset. He cocked his head at me puzzled. “Did you not just say that you would do anything to save your home, for anyone that was listening?”

I nodded my head yes, not liking where this is going. “Well I was listening. I took you on that deal.” He paused for a moment. “It should be raining now, nothing too harsh.” I stood up and opened the screen door, it was drizzling. The sound of the water hitting the roof with little ‘pings’ was music to my ears. “You did this?” I asked, sticking my hand out to gather some of the drops. It was real, it was really raining after months of harsh sun. “Yes, I can call on rains in times of joy.” He stood up and joined me in the doorway, he’s so much taller than I could tell before. His body is strong, his chest slightly exposed from his robe. “It’s been so long sense I’ve had a visitor. It’s not like I could just let you slip away.” He put a hand on my shoulder, his fingers freezing cold. “Such a lovely face, we’ll have to put you in more fitting attire.” He played with the strings on my tunic. “I can’t be your servant.” I said looking outside and not at him. “My family doesn’t know where I am, I left without telling them.”

“Ah, I understand.” He said sweetly. He snapped his fingers and the rain stopped, the moon shone through the dissipating storm clouds. “Wait! That wasn’t enough rain.”

“I’ve named my price. Your village will prosper, healthy children will be born. Rains will fall, crops will grow. Your village will be taken care of for generations if you just...” He cupped my face with both of his hands so that I was looking him in the eyes. “Stay with me, please.” His voice was so deep and raspy, my heart fluttered. “What kind of responsibilities will I have?” I felt hypnotized by his beautiful eyes, so old and wise. “You’re to take care of all of the shrines needs.” He spoke softer. “Along with all of my needs as well.” He closed any space between us. His chest pressed gently on mine, his right hand traveled to the back of my neck and held me there, the other still resting on my cheek. “I can train you to be my shrine maiden, my mystical woman of the wood.” His breath tickled your face, he spoke so closely to your mouth. “If you just stay here with me... forever.” I closed my eyes, my eyelids heavy and drunk with his seductive words. He spoke warm honey into my ears, I drank him in. “I’ll... I’ll do it.... Master...” I sighed into his kiss. He placed his lips onto mine gently, pressing down and sliding around my mouth. I kissed him back, hungry for more. He hesitated, he started reaching for my tunic, tempted to pull it off of me. He resisted and pulled away, out of breath he staggered further back into the shrine. “I deeply apologize.” He straightened himself out and I stepped away from the door frame and shut it behind me. “I don’t want to hurt you, I just haven’t ever seen anyone so-” He took a deep breath, calming his voice. “So beautiful.” My face burned. “Any other spirit will be feverishly jealous of me, I’ll do everything I can to protect you from any unwanted advances.” He bowed his head slightly, sealing his promise. “You don’t have to be sorry Master Shoto.” I feel lightly embarrassed, losing control of myself and my urges. “I didn’t mind...” I gulped, trying not to seem any less lady like than I already appeared. He put his hand behind his neck and let out a breathy chuckle. “Oh, that makes me feel less monstrous. I try not to be like some of the other more... animalistic creatures of these forests.”

I played with my thumb nail, tempted to picking it off. “What kind of things live out here Master Shoto?” I asked, my curiosity killing me. He’s unlike anything I have ever seen, could other people like him really be out here? “Lot’s of spirits, some a little less wicked than others. We get together for festivities quite a bit... hopefully you’re a good hostess.” My heart pounded at the thought of more spirits coming here. “They’ll be coming here...?” He sat back down with the tea and I joined him. “Of course, this is a regular hot spot for all manners of spirits. tengu, Oni.  Other kitsune.” He put a hand on my lap and rubbed my knuckles. “I wonder how they’ll react when they smell you...” He trailed off in thought for a moment. “What do you mean?” Do I smell bad? I take special attention to my hygiene, I suppose I have been hiking all day. “Well your scent is very intoxicating. I’ve never smelled a human so alluring.” My cheeks flushed again, he compliments so sincerely. “Will they try and hurt me?”

He took no time to think about that. “Oh most definitely, most of the lot takes no consideration for their primal urges.” He said bluntly. “Your scent combined with your raw beauty, I’ll have to beat them off with a broom.” I let out a light squeak, my heart sinking into my stomach. “What should I do to make myself less... desirable?” I never thought I was particularly prettier than any of the other women in the village, just from different status. I’m not callused from hard work, wrinkled from sunshine or bloated from bad food. My mother always calls me beautiful... and my parents had many suitors in line for my marriage. I look in the mirror often, and sometimes I feel insecure.

“There’s nothing you can do, especially sense you’ve never been taken by a man.” He spoke matter of factually. I blushed wildly, completely flustered. “What would you know about that!” I raised my voice and the fox spirit chuckled. “No need to get embarrassed, I can smell it on you.” He leaned toward me and  took a deep breath through his nose. He placed a hand on the floor beside me, I leaned back on my hands as he invaded my personal space. He placed his nose along just below my jaw line and took another deep breath. “I missed the only logical solution to all of our troubles.” He purred, his voice right in my ear. “I’ll just make you smell like me, so that no lusty tengu will try and touch you...” I froze, his entire demeanor changed. His breath grew heavier, he touched my side and used his legs to pry mine open and place himself between my hips. I tried to speak, but my voice came out shaky. “I- I thought that you didn’t want to succumb to your primal... uhm, urges.” He laid me down on my back and pressed his hips firmly onto mine. “Oh don’t worry darling, I’ve thought this over very thoroughly.” He placed soft kisses on my neck, one after the other. His lips just barely touching my skin. “This isn’t just for me... for my needs.” He crooned in my ear. I let out a small moan and clamped a hand over my mouth, horrified. I’ve never made a sound like that before. He pulled my hand off of my mouth and pinned it about my head. He traced his finger tips down my arm and gripped my other hand, forcing both of my wrists into one of his strong hands. “I need to keep my sweet servant girl safe.” He used his free hand to hold himself up off of the floor. He stared down at me, his face held some type of sincere innocence, like taking advantage of me isn’t his intention. “I’ll just mark you as mine.” He pulled my cloth pants down and my breath caught in my throat. His eyes rolled partly back into his head, he looked overwhelmed by me. He let go of my hands and fell on his elbow, smashing his lips onto mine. His hands ran over my body, he ripped my tunic over my head and threw it away from us. Looking down at me with a crazed look in his eye. “How are you this magnificent?” He pulled at the tie around his robe. He exposed himself, his body incredibly toned and hard. I reached out and ran a finger over his abs. I blushed, but I couldn’t look away. “You’ve never seen a man in this state.” He grinned. “What do you think?” He was kneeling, but he was still looming so tall over me. “What do you mean?” I stammered out, partially breathless. “Tell me how much you enjoy looking at my body.” He oozed with confidence now. “My slave.” His sharp teeth flashed, enjoying every moment of this. “I like looking at your body-” He gripped my chin and forced me to look in his eyes. “Say it again.” He spoke almost in a whisper. “I love looking at your body Master Shoto.” I tried to drip my words with as much sweetness as possible. Shoto reacted, pleased with me. He let go of my chin and touched me on the outside of my heat. He swirled his finger around, I whimpered pathetically. My slit grew wetter, I tried to cover my face in embarrassment again. “Stop that, I want to see every look on your face as I claim you.” He took his finger away and put it in his mouth, tasting me. “Tell me what you want Y/N.” I stuttered, not answering him fast enough. He placed two fingers on the most sensitive part of my body. He pressed down on my clit and rubbed up and down, his fingers grew colder. I gasped, his touch so drastic compared to my warmth. My stomach felt nauseous, I craved something. Anything other than this torture. “Master Shoto, I want-” I gasped again, he gathered some of my moisture on the tips of his finger to lubricate his touch. He rubbed even slower, letting the temperature gradient do most of the work. “Tell me what you want or I’ll stop.” It was an empty threat, his want was worse than mine, his member dripping in anticipation. “I want you to claim me Master!” I pleaded gripping onto my own hair and squirming underneath him. “As you wish, Y/N.”

I cried out, his staff’s tip punctured through my innocence. He pressed himself close to me, he held my face close to his, keeping his lips on my cheek for comfort. He moved his hips slowly, gently working his way in through my resistant walls. “You need to breathe Y/N. If you relax it will hurt less...” He whispered so sweetly in my ear. I took a shaky deep breath. “Just like that darling, I can feel you getting wetter...” He moved more of himself in, his whole length filling my entire body. I moaned, every second he’s in me gets better and better. “What a good girl, getting so wet for her master.” He gripped onto my hair at the base of my neck and thrusted in me harder, starting to get an even pace. He couldn’t help himself, groaning in my ear, repeating how much of a good girl I am. My body started to heat up even further, the pressure in my core building up to an unbearable point. “Master... I-” I screamed out, my mouth releasing a lewd sound. This made Shoto smile and chuckle. “You finished on me-” He groaned softly in my ear. “I’m flattered.” My body is shaking, my breath falling out of me in whiny gasps. “Want me to make you do it again?” He said mischievously, his tone almost feeling like he was mocking me. Teasing me for being so inexperienced, or for needing more like a greedy beggar. “Yes master.” I said through chattering teeth. “Beg me...” He kissed my jaw right under my ear. He slowed down, holding his cock in my body completely still. I squirmed, my hips rocking. He gripped my pelvis and pinned me down, forcing me to hold still. “If I sit here still long enough I’ll eventually climax...” He grinned wolfishly, I could feel him twitch. “I want more Master...” I whined like a child begging for more dessert. “Be specific.” He was toying with me, his eyes glazed with pleasure. “I want to feel like that again, please do it again Master Shoto.” I couldn’t care how unlady like it might sound to beg. He pulled himself mostly out, and slammed back into me hard. The sound of our bodies mashing together was almost as loud as my moans. He pounded into me, his hips flailing wildly. I scraped my nails down his back and hid my face on his shoulder. His neck bringing me comfort as I felt my bodies tension build back up again. He effortlessly kept his pace, barely seeming winded. I hadn’t noticed how long it was before he finally came close to his own release. My voice grew hoarse, crying out over and over again every time he brought me to the edge and let me go. My entrance is getting sore, I’m still slick but I’m using muscles I’m not used too. “Can you take anymore of me slave?” Sweat had started to pool on his forehead, just the slightest hint of his stamina dying down. “Y-yes” I said slightly unsure. I can hardly move, my head flat on the floor and my mouth dripping with drool. My clit throbbed, my thigh muscles ached. Tears had been running from my eyes for a bit now, my climax bringing the salty streams out to run down my face. “I think you’re lying my darling...” His voice was shaky, he kissed my forehead and I buried my face in his chest. “I’ve about given you everything I have.” He slammed his hips into me one more time and let out a heavy sigh. He pulsed in my body, he let his weight go onto me. Pressing us flat onto the floor. He held me like that for a moment before pulling out. I closed my shaking legs and my groin muscles thanked me. Being stuck in that position for so long caused my whole body to cramp. “You’re such a good girl, you took me for hours.” He helped sit me up. “Was it really that long?” I leaned onto his shoulder and he rubbed my back. “Time moves a little strange here, but yes its been awhile.” He played with my hair and traced along my spine. I started to doze off in his arms. “Don’t worry I’ll train you to last even longer.” He said sweetly. I couldn’t even respond. “Sleep now love, tomorrow you’ll have to learn all of the shrines duties.” He chuckled at my groan of protest. “Goodnight Y/N...” He talked into my hair. “My darling...”

HEY YOU READING! Hi you should follow me if you liked this story! I’m planning on building other characters in the same world and possibly even doing a part 2 for this one? I think Kaminari Denki is going to be a Tengu... it should be shocking~ (I’ll see myself out for that stupid pun)

[sinsforjeon]

Possessive 2 |JJK|

[so many of you guys asked for a part two so I really hope that this is satisfactory🥺💖]

!!Hey if you’re triggered by anything that involves emotional abuse then please don’t read this because it does contain similar themes!!

—————————————————

Things had changed. After your little slip up Jungkook had begun to watch you like a hawk, never letting you out of his sight even when you had to go to the bathroom.

You felt suffocated and you didn’t how long you could take it before you began to lose your mind.

He had taken your phone away or any form of communication you had with the outside world and had packed all your belongings before dragging you to his secluded penthouse.

He had never told you about the place which meant anyone who knew you would have no idea where you were.

“Kook?”

“Yes?”

“I can’t do this anymore.”

Your words were whispered out as tears began to roll down your face. You were crying so much that breathing began to get hard.

Jungkook cooed softly as he came around and crouched in front of you. “What’s wrong, angel?” He asked but you failed to answer.

You were sobbing, words leaving your mouth in a jumbled mess as you tried to reason with him.

“Hey- hey! Shhh, it’s ok.” He brought you into his embrace, bringing your face against his chest as he rubbed soothing circles on your back all the while he hummed your favorite song.

He knew you so much to the point where he was the only one who could calm you down and it didn’t take him long at all.

Once your breathing came back to normal he brought your face closer to his as he began to gently wipe away at your tears.

“What’s wrong? Hm?” He asked and at his soft voice, you almost lost yourself again.

“I c-can’t-“

“Breathe, baby, breathe.”

You took a deep breath, sniffling loudly and cringed at the sound that your blocked nose made.

“I’m- I’m tired.” You whispered as you looked up at him with empty eyes.

“I’m so tired, Kookie. I feel trapped and suffocated by what you claim as- as love.” You continued and the man watched you with a hard gaze.

“Why? Why are you doing this to me?”

“Baby- I love yo-“

“No!” You shouted as you ripped yourself away from his embrace an empty laugh leaving your chapped lips.

“This? This isn’t love Jungkook. This is an obsession, it’s unhealthy! Can’t you see? You and I- we aren’t good tog-“

“Don’t you dare,” Jungkook sneered as he stood up, now hovering above you, “don’t you dare finish that fucking sentence.”

You shook your head, the tears from earlier returning but you refused to back down now.

“Or what?! Huh? What are you going to do Jungkook? Are you going to hit me? Because that’s how you treat the one you love right?”

“Shut up.”

He was calm but inside he had a raging storm. He didn’t want to scare you but why couldn���t you see that everything he had done for you was out of love.

“Or are you going to kill me? Is that what it’s going to take? Are you going to end my li-“

“Shut the fuck up!”

His voice was loud and it brought shivers down your spine and just like that, your bravery was replaced by fear.

“Everything,” Jungkook growled out as he got closer to your face, “everything I do for you, I do because I love you.”

He was so close now, you could feel his warm breath wash over your tear stained face.

“We aren’t good together?” He asked before letting out a sarcastic laugh, his hand gripping your jaw harshly.

“Who are you good with then, huh? Are you fucking someone else behind my back, Y/N?”

His voice was sinister and you choked on your breath, your heart clenching painfully at his words.

“Is that it? You want to leave me for another? Is he fucking you that good, hm? Never took my angel for a slu-“

Jungkook never got to finish his words. You had spat in his face out of rage and anger. How could he? How could he accuse of something so vile.

Jungkook calmly wiped his face with his free hand as he looked back at you, his eyes wide with rage.

You have never ever taken Jungkook as one for violence but at that moment you felt as if he would raise his hand at you.

“Angel...” He breathed out as he forcefully brought your face closer to his, his nose touching yours and his eyes never leaving yours.

“Kookie?” You squeaked out as your hands went to clutch in his shirt. “I’m sor-“

“Let go.”

“Kook- please-“

“Let. Go.”

Your hands immediately went to your sides as you whined quietly at his rejection. Jungkook had never spoke those words to you, he liked it when you would cling on him.

“I do everything for you and this is how you repay me?” He asked and you were about to answer but the hand around your neck made it impossible to.

“You’re such a fucking brat, you know that?” He sneered before he let out an empty chuckle.

“I think I need to put you in your place, you seem to have forgotten, angel- you seem to have forgotten that you belong to me, you belong only to me.”

He continued as tears rolled down your face.

“You have the audacity to spit in my face. Seems like my little sinner has gotten brave so I am going to remind you of your place.”

You gulped as he moved closer to your ear.

“Next time think before you fucking act.”

You were afraid, terrified even and after all that he’s done to you, you’ve never felt this scared of him.

“W-What are you going to do to me?” Your voice trembled as you looked at him with teary eyes.

“Where’s the fun in telling, angel?” He asked as he dragged you to your shared bedroom.

“You think I don’t love you? Think I want to hit you? Fucking kill you?” He huffed as he took out a duffel bag.

Where was he taking you this time? You wondered as he began to pack but he only packed your clothes. What?

“K-Jungkook?” You whimpered as he threw the bag at your feet before he sat down on your bed.

“You’re tired of me right? Then leave. There’s the door.”

You were shocked. Overwhelmed with mixed feelings because this was all you ever wanted. To be free. You didn’t realize how long you had been standing there until he broke you out of your reverie.

“Get the fuck out!”

You flinched as you picked up at the bag at your feet as you hurriedly made your way out of the room with him behind your feet.

“But remember angel, no one will ever love you the way like I do and when you’re ready to accept that, the door is always open.”

His words burned at the back of your head as you made your way out of the house. It was cold and wet outside and you had no idea where you were.

You panted as you looked around, shivering slightly at the pouring rain before pulling out a warm jacket from your bag and began to make your way far away from the penthouse.

You don’t know how long you had been walking but you were tired so tired that you couldn’t even feel the cold due to the numbness of your body.

The rain had gotten harsher and you felt as if you were walking in circles. With a frustrated cry you slumped down, painful sobs ripping away from your chest as you brought your knees up under your chin.

What if he was right? That he was the only one who could ever truly love you. All he ever wanted was to protect you from the grotesque ways of the world.

He was only trying to keep you safe but you just had to push him and now here you were, cold and alone with no one to keep you safe.

You whimpered your boyfriend’s name, shivering violently as the rain continued to harshly hit upon your weak body.

“Kookie-“ You whimpered again before you passed out from the cold that had started to become too much for your body to bare.

It was warm. Wait, warm? You groaned as you tried to get up but failed as a hand gently pushed you back down.

“Angel?” A familiar voice called out and you whined at the sound as your head began to pound causing a stream of tears to fall down your face.

“H-Hurts.” You whimpered as you brought your hand up to your head, wincing at the pounding pain against the side of your head.

“Oh angel, I’m sorry.” The voice continued, a hand coming up to gently wipe away at your tears.

“K-Kookie? wan Kookie.” You gasped softly as your eyes fluttered open only to be met by the eyes of your boyfriend. You couldn’t help but to burst into tears.

“Baby? What’s wrong? Don’t cry.” He was here, he had saved you. Maybe this was love? Maybe he loved you.

“Kookie?”

“Yes, angel?”

“Kookie.”

You whispered out and the boy gave you a sad smile as you brought your hands up to his face, as if you couldn’t believe that he was there.

“You’re sick angel. You must rest now.” He whispered as he leaned into your touch, his larger hands enveloping over your small trembling ones.

You shook your head at his words, afraid that you were just dreaming, that you’d find yourself alone in the cold night again.

“Don’t- Don’t leave me please-“

“Hey-hey, no I’m here, angel. I’ll be here when you close your eyes and I’ll be here when you open your eyes.”

You sniffled as the boy cooed, wiping away at your cheeks and nose.

“It’s ok. Rest now my angel.”

You hiccuped as you shook your head, refusing to let go of him let alone let your eyes shut.

“Baby- come on. You need to rest.”

“No-“

“Y/N...”

You gulped at his tone as you reluctantly nodded, letting go of him before laying down again. Your eyes monitored his every move afraid that if you took them off of him even for a split second, he would disappear into thin air.

Eventually your eyes began to slowly close, tired from how long you watched him move around.

True to his word, Jungkook stayed with you the whole time as he nursed you back to health. He would only leave the room to make you food or to go to the bathroom and even though his heart broke at the sound of your whimpers he had to make sure you were recovering.

Two days had passed and the second he let you get up from the bed, you cling onto him. Arms around his neck as you buried your face on the crook of his neck and he only hushed your sorries as he rocked the both of you back and forth.

“Are you hungry, angel?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Here- let me go and make you food.”

You got off of his lap but trailed after him like a lost puppy and your eyes did the same thing as he prepared a meal for the both of you.

Jungkook placed your plate of food in front of you before he sat across and began to eat. You weren’t eating. He frowned as he placed his fork down before looking up at you.

“Angel? Why aren’t you eating?”

“Why? Why did you bring me back even after I-“

“Y/N. Eat your food.”

You shook your head, sobbing loudly as you got off your seat to kneel down next to his chair, your hands immediately finding his.

“Kookie- I was so horrible to you! I was a bad girl, Kookie- please don’t make me leave again-“

You were rambling, your sentences incoherent as you tried to apologize to the only man who could ever really love you.

“Oh sweetheart, you’re such a mess, huh?”

“I’m-I’m so sorry.”

“Shhh, it’s ok angel. It’s all ok now.”

Jungkook took your trembling body into his arms as he sat you onto his lap before he began to gently wipe your tears and placing soft kisses on your flushed cheeks.

You leaned into his touch, whimpering quietly as you clutched onto his shirt just like he always liked.

“Oh look at you. My pretty girl can’t be looking so sad, hm? Can you tell Kookie how to make it better angel?”

“Stay w-with me.”

He only smiled as he placed a soft kiss on your lips before he began to feed you. He was gentle, touching you so gently as if you could break.

“I’ll always stay with you, angel. You’re stuck here with me baby so get used to it.”

You began to leave soft kisses on the base of his neck, the actions cause the man above you to smile as he gently gripped your waist, urging you to continue.

“Baby, you should be resting.”

“Nuh uh. I miss you.”

Jungkook let out a stuttered breath as you found his weak spot, gently nibbling on the skin and making sure that you left a pretty little mark just like he always did to you.

Your kisses trailed down onto his collarbone as you slowly began to unbutton his flannel shirt, pushing it half down his arms so his torso was exposed to your hungry eyes.

It wasn’t long until your found yourself on your knees in front of the man who claimed to love you. You were eye to eye with his bulge as you gulped loudly.

You bit your lip nervously as you looked up at him and he softly ran a hand through your hair while the other fished his cock out of his sweatpants.

“You’re gonna be good for me angel, aren’t you?”

You nodded as you tried to move closer to his shaft but his hold on your hair tightened as he pulled you away from his half hardon.

“Angel don’t be so rude. Beg and I’ll give you what you want.”

“Kookie! Please! Gimme- want your cock, please-“

He chuckled softly as he brought his cock onto your eager lips. You were almost drooling, whining loudly when he playfully pulled away but he quickly silenced your protests as he carefully sheathed himself in your mouth.

You gagged at the sudden intrusion but Jungkook didn’t let up. He began to gently fuck your face. He was so vocal. Your name and a string of curses falling from his lips as he thrusted his hips into your face.

“Mmmfuck- so good, angel, you’re so fucking good for me.” The praises that left him had you moaning around his throbbing length.

You had tears running down your face, spit running down your chin but Jungkook still looked at you as if you were the most beautiful being to ever walk the earth.

He pulled you off of him, groaning at the sight of your messy face. A string of spit connecting from your lips and onto his cock, wet cheeks and teary eyes but by god did you look beautiful.

“Look at you,” he marveled as he pushed your hair out of your face, “such a pretty baby, hm? So messy but so so pretty.”

You smiled at his words as he gently cleaned up your face. Jungkook stood you up before reaching down and hooking his hands under your thighs as he picked you up. Your hands went around his neck as he walked the both of you into your shared room.

He sat you down on your bed before he straddled your body, his lips immediately finding yours. He began to grind himself against you, his cock rubbing against your covered centre.

“Please- please touch me Kookie.”

“Anything for you baby. I’d do anything for you.”

Those were his words as his hand slipped inside your flimsy shorts and panties. You were soaking, the feeling of your slippery cunt causing the boy above you to hiss softly.

“God, you’re so fucking wet- all this from just sucking my cock, hm?”

“Y-Yeah- made me so w-wet.”

He only hummed at your confession as he used his middle finger to rub the juices all over your throbbing clit. You were so sensitive and so swollen that even the slightest touches had you seeing stars.

“Fuckkk- you’re so eager, angel. Making such pretty sounds for your Kookie.”

You gasped as your legs opened up even more at his raspy voice directly in your ear. You were leaking, clenching around nothing as your juices gushed out of your pussy only to be absorbed by your panties and shorts which were ruined at this point.

Jungkook’s fingers continued to abuse your slippery clit, pinching and rubbing all while you writhed beneath him. You were so close. So so close but the boy knew you like the back of his hand so he stopped his movements eliciting a frustrated cry from your chapped lips to which he hushed with a soft kiss on your temple.

“Hush now my love. You will cum, I’ll make you cum so fucking hard you’ll beg me to stop.”

You hiccuped at his words as he roughly pulled off the soiled clothes from your body leaving you with nothing but his hoodie on.

Jungkook didn’t waste any time as he made himself comfortable between your thighs. He gripped his leaking cock as he began to gently guide himself into you.

You let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding in when he finally bottomed out. He was big so it didn’t come as a surprise when you felt a sting of pain from the intrusion.

He didn’t hold back like he usually would. Jungkook fucked you like it was his job to do so. His thrusts were slow and deep, reaching places you never knew existed.

He took your breath away with every thrust as your legs clung around his tiny waist. He drilled his cock into you causing even more juices to slip out of you.

“Fuck- fuckfuck angel you feel so fucking tight-“ he gasped as you clenched around him, your eyes rolling at the back of your head as he found your gspot with ease.

“Yeah? That the spot, Princess? Hm? Did Kookie find that special place that makes your toes curl and has you seeing stars?”

You nodded as you choked on your breath, your eyes looking down to where you met. You were speechless, nothing but harsh pants and loud moans left your mouth.

“Fucks sake angel- do you have any idea what you do to m-me? Hm? You drive me cra- fuckkk- crazy so fucking crazy angel.”

He moaned as he looked at you only to find your eyes focused on the sight of his cock fucking into your cunt.

“You fucking slut-“ he chuckled breathlessly as he placed a hand around your neck, bringing your attention back to him, “you like watching yourself get fucked? Like seeing my cock drill into your pretty cunt?”

You cried out as he began to harshly rub your clit, bringing you into an unexpected orgasm that had you seeing white for a couple of seconds.

Jungkook continued to fuck you through your orgasm, hissing loudly at how much you drenched his cock with your arousal.

“So. Fucking. Filthy. Look at what you’ve done to me, Princess. Made a mess all over Kookie.”

“Suh- so sorry.”

He only grunted as he continued to abuse your gspot as well as your clit, your hand going around the wrist of the hand that harshly rubbed at your clit. He quickly slapped it away as he began to punish your bud again, causing you to sob loudly.

“Take it. You fucking take it, I know you can angel- there you go ohf-fuck such a good girl. Such a good fucking girl. Cum for me baby, drench my cock just like I know you can.”

You were shaking, your legs threatening to close but failing due to the body that laid in between them. You thrashed around the bed as you squirted around your boyfriend, the pressure of your orgasm threatening to push the other out but he only forced himself back as he fucked you through it all.

“Thaaat’s it- fuck yes, you’re gonna make me cum so fucking hard for you, gonna fuck you full of my c-cum-“

Jungkook harshly panted as he placed his forehead against yours, his eyes holding yours in an intense eye contact while he came inside you.

It was quiet for a couple of seconds before he carefully pulled out as he laid in your arms.

“Are you ok angel?”

“T-Tired.”

He nodded against your chest before he placed a kiss where your heart sat.

“Rest my love. I have a feeling you’ll be feeling more tired as the days go by.”

“Why?”

“Because angel,” he smiled as he placed a hand on your stomach, “we might’ve have added another one to our lives.”

Your breath hitched at his words as you looked down at the hand that rubbed soothing circles on your stomach.

With a loud gulp and a nervous smile you let him shower you with kisses, cursing yourself of how careless you had been because you knew then and then.

You had messed up.

[himik0toga]

Todoroki x Reader

~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, okay, just hear me out. What if, in the fantasy AU- we switch shit up? Like instead of Dabi "dying" or, being cast out or cursed, Todoroki is the one to... disappear, or be cast out instead? This story was originally for my friend, but then I thought, "why not post it on tumblr?" So here we are! I'm not sure what the title should be yet, If anyone has any suggestions feel free to tell me :D But until then it's just going to be that title. This is a X reader story, with Shoto Todoroki and a mix of Dabi in there too- mainly todoroki though.

~~~~~~~~~~

The starry night sky glimmers like fairy dust. Harsh winds blow past the walls outside, angel tears pounding down onto the windows. The clap of thunder and a flash of lightning shocks the youngest occupant of the castle with a startle. His shaking, shivering form huddled in the corner as he slaps his hand over his mouth to muffle his small cry for help. Not like anyone would be able to hear him, it’s well past the dead of night.

“Shoto.. I know you’re here somewhere…”

the deep, scratchy chuckle echoes throughout the empty corridors. Frantically looking around, breath hitching with the streams falling down the small boy’s face. His unoccupied hand grips his shirt over his chest, willing desperately for his heart to calm down. Heavy footsteps get closer, the thumping in his ears get louder with the rain pouring harder outside.

Wide eyes look over to the sight next to him, letting out a louder cry. Everything, from the walls, floors, curtains, and flowers. The very world he grew up in slowly starts to decay right in front of him. Gasping when two hands wrap around his throat, squeezing threateningly. Quickly looking up he notices the white hair and bright eyes.

“Found you~...”

Before it goes dark. Hiccuping as he hits a floor harshly, water splashing around him. Shaky eyes look around the new room, mind racing over taking any form of coherent thoughts to form. It’s pitch black, nothing in sight. The water below him feels warm, warily bringing his hand up to his nose. His shaky hands cup his face, screaming out bloody murder in fear.

A smell of a sickening familiar smell fills his senses. From many days and nights since his young age of training, he knows this scent just like his older sister’s touch and soft words. Blood, everywhere. Iron permeated his mind with horrors from his father’s abuse. Standing up on quivering legs like a newborn fawn, his cries echo in this endless room. Bringing both hands to his chest in search of a form of comfort.

His bottom lip trembles when a scarred hand reaches out to grab his neck as before, electric blue eyes coming in view. The manic grin of the male stretches, causing blood to seep through the ruined and healthy skin. 

“Why’re you running from me shoto! Am I that scary to you? Maybe I need to teach you how to respect your elders!” 

The echoes of the male’s laughter surrounds him, not allowing any escape. With a wink the virile man slowly retreats, his gravelly chuckle everywhere. 

“Please! Why are you doing this to me?”

He yells, his feet moving before he could stop himself to run away. A sudden intense heat pulls another yell from him, moving away from the bright red flames. Tripping over what seems to be a root, tumbling down like jack and jill.

The light burns his eyes while laying on his back, whimpering at the stinging and pain from branches and thorny bushes. Helpless, he lays there while watching the blinding sun above of him shine into his eyes. The only bit of comfort being flush green leaves, the soft grass under him, and the birds singing into the atmosphere.

“Hello?”

Silence. Then ringing. the only sound his ears could pick up, loud enough to drown out everything other than that voice. He freezes for a second, breath stopping at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Yet his body relaxes at the tone of it, so soft and sweet. Surely this… voice, is from an angel sent to him from the heavens to save him from this hell.

Shade covers his vision, looking weakly up at the goddess above him. He can't see her face, though, the sun behind her shading her face. Her hair and surely soft skin glowing, yet unable to see the features of her face.

“Do you need help?”

The worry in her voice is evident with the way she bends down, holding her hand out for him to take. Cautiously he grabs her hand, shivering at the sudden warmth after being left out on his meadow’s floor for seemingly hours. Unable to look her in the eyes, too scared what she’d say about his bandages and mixed eyes, his focus stays on his lap.

“Here, take this”

He can almost hear the sweet smile in her voice, unable to see it. She gently places a small basket on his lap, the weaving of it simple yet enough for it to work. He first picks up the bread, freshly baked and chows down on it, the growling on his stomach loud enough for the little girl to laugh a little.

“You must be really hungry…”

She crouches down, pulling the satchel off her shoulders and grabbing some wraps and medicine.

“This should help with those cuts.”

Stating matter of factly, she gently grabs his arm which was injured during the fall, and places some of the gooey medicine on. The young boy flinches at the sudden touch of cold, yet calms down quickly after. It feels nice against his skin, he decides, and lets her continue. She soon deems it on enough, grabbing the wraps and wrapping them around his arm to make sure the medicine doesn’t wipe off.

“There you go!”

Her sweet voice fills his ears, making a small, soft smile to show on his face. He realizes it’s the first smile he’s had in months, and it warms his heart.

“My name is…”

The sound of her name in his ears creates a ringing sound, he asks her again what it was, or tries to as his voice seems to not be working. He tries again, touching his throat but nothing comes out. His eyes close shit as panic starts to set in, the ringing getting louder and he has to cover his ears to block it out.

Snapping his eyes open he frantically looks around, to notice it’s black out. The sun has settled past the trees, sleeping for the night. The moon has risen high in the sky, casting a blue and beautiful tone to everything. The stars are out again, twinkling in the sky. A fog has spread through the place, causing a chill to run down his spine.

Shivering he stands up, calling out to the seemingly empty place. Silence. The trees look young and beautiful, almost mysterious yet frightening with how the dark envelopes the ones further away. Glancing down he’s taller, has gained more muscle, and wears leather clothing. A teenager. He distantly wonders where he is, bringing his hand up to mess with his lock of hair, smooth and soft to the touch.

Just as he’s about to take a step further, he hears footsteps not from him. His eyes snap towards the direction of the footsteps, bracing himself in case he needs to fight. Yet instead of an enemy or animal, a younger boy around his age walks forward with firewood. He looks up, and smiles brightly at the bi-color haired male. His green hair bouncing as he rushes over.

“Sorry I took so long, todoroki-kun! It took a little longer to find firewood than expected” 

he chuckles nervously, finding a firepit and throwing the wood in it. A brown haired girl follows after, their water pouches once again full of water. Once the wood is lit, it gives the boy, Todoroki, a chance to look around better. The memories of what happened before he got here comes rushing back, now able to think after his nightmarish dream.

“Todoroki-kun! Hurry up!” A cheerful voice ahead of him calls, causing him to glance up at the two in front of him. Izuku Midoriya, is a bit shorter than him yet all the more cheerful. He always has a bright smile on his face, eyes big and filled with wonder at every new plant and animal the three of them come across.

The second friend of his, Uraraka Ochaco, is always just as bright. How brown hair bounces with each step she takes, looking forward to the next part of their adventure. Her eyes are always on Midoriya-kun though, Todoroki has realized. He hasn’t brought it up to her yet but he wonders why she’s always glancing at him.

“Sorry, Uraraka” he says in a monotone voice, walking a bit faster to catch up to his two only friends.

“Don’t be sorry, Todoroki-kun! I just want to make it to the next village soon!” she giggles, looking ahead again once Todoroki is walking besides them.

The three make an excellent team, Midoriya always ready to fight others if they do his friends wrong. Uraraka has her own fighting spirit, knowing some sort of fighting technique from many years of being poor and having to fend off the disgusting people in the world. Then of course the tallest of the three, knowing how to use a sword and ride a horse from his days at the castle.

The three traveled days on end, this time ending in a peaceful place, surrounded with trees before setting up camp. Uraraka set up their places to sleep, Todoroki looking to find some food while Midoriya went to gather camp wood.

After finishing up they enjoy their time telling stories, sometimes scary sometimes of legends. Of course Midoriya spoke about legends the most, always fascinated with both the dark and light of the stories. After having their stomachs full and get tired, they settle down for the night. Todorki is the first to fall asleep, unaware of the other two giggling and going off into the night to have more time together.

Todoroki blinks and nods after noticing Uraraka waving her hand in front of his face, sitting down on the rock he sat on earlier during their story times. Leaning towards the fire he warms up quickly, looking around again. Midoriya and Uraraka are chatting quietly, trying not to disturb Todoroki’s peace too much.

The fire’s light doing little to hide the red on both of their faces, apparently one of them said something embarrassing, both of them being affected by it. He looks to the ground, kicking up some dirt while standing.

“I’m going to head back to sleep”

He says quietly, the two of them looking over and nodding at him before continuing on with their conversation, this time more calmly. Laying down on the make-shit bed of leaves and blankets, he stares up at the sky again.

This time the fire’s smoke and embers swirling into the sky above him. It almost reminds him of the older days where he would sneak out with all three of his siblings, before something happened with the oldest making him turn cold towards everyone. They would dance and laugh around a fire, pretending to be part of that one legend of the fire demon, once creating the magical flame, giving warmth to the humans and the ability to cook meat.

Their father would always get mad at them the next morning after finding out from the tracks of dirt they let in, though the eldest would always protect the other three. Closing his eyes to try and rid of that memory, he falls into yet another slumber, this time staying asleep until the morning and bright blue sky shows again.

[sbtlns]

Home, part two

Summary: Reader left the bunker on a mission to find Cas

Warnings: minor angst 

A/N: Thank you for the support so far! This one’s a little short but part 3 is coming soon (◡‿◡✿)

Part One 

You sped out of the garage and onto the main road, worries of Castiel clouding your mind. You suddenly remembered the cellphone you had given him a few years ago, along with the warm memories from that day. “Y/N, I don’t understand. I am a celestial being why would I need a telephone?” You could practically hear his gruff voice and see the adorable way he tilts his head when he’s confused. Smiling to yourself, you pick up your phone and dial his number. Your heart sank when it went straight to voicemail. Come on Cas, you thought, biting your lip to try to stop the tears from forming.

You had been driving for about four hours when your gas light came on, making you turn into the nearest town. At the gas station you realized just how late it was and how tired and hungry you were. You hadn’t eaten since yesterday, so you made a mental note to head to the nearest diner to grab some grub. Right as you pulled into the gas station it started pouring down rain. Great, you thought, way to make a bad day even worse. You stepped out of your car just long enough to put the nozzle in your gas tank and pay for the gas before seeking refuge back in your car. You were already soaked to the bone and you had only been outside for a minute. Pulling your rain-slicked hair out of your face, you were glad to be out of the rain and felt bad for any poor son of a bitch stuck in it. You heard the gas nozzle click and braced yourself to face the rain again.

After getting gas, you quickly spotted an open diner and decided your best bet of staying out of the rain was to park behind the diner and cut through the back alley. You jumped out of your car and jogged through the alley while being pelted by the rain. Great idea, you mentally kicked yourself. The sound of a man yelling pulled you from your thoughts and you quickly looked around trying to find the source of the yelling. Up ahead there were two men next to the dumpster. Out of instinct, your hand found its way to the gun you keep in your waistband, ready for whatever was about to happen. 

Squinting through the rain, you were able to get a better assessment of the scene. The larger man had pushed down the other and was yelling while pointing his finger in his face. “And if I catch you picking through this dumpster one more time I’m calling the cops!” he spat before storming into the back door of the diner. You remove your grip on your gun before sprinting to the poor man that had just been pushed to the ground. 

“For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, a stranger, and you invited me in” you heard the man mutter bitterly while brushing the dirt off of his sweatshirt and jeans. “Need a hand sir?” you asked from behind him, stretching out your arm. He turned to face your and your blood ran cold. Those blue eyes. You would know them anywhere. 

“Castiel..” you whispered, suddenly at a loss for words. He slowly lifted his head to look up at you, mouth open in shock. “Y/N” he said. You took in the disheveled former angel before you—his signature suit, tie, and trench coat were replaced with a sopping wet t-shirt, sweatshirt, and jeans, his hair was plastered to his face by the rain, there were a few cuts on his face, and he was shivering. Your heart broke for him. You’d never seen him like this, so vulnerable, so human.

“You found me” he said in awe. You bit your lip to stop the tears that were forming in your eyes from falling. You cleared your throat and forced a smile. “Of course I found you, you can’t get rid of me that easy,” you said playfully. His features softened and a small smile formed on his lips. “Come on, Cas, let’s get you out of this rain,” you said sticking your hand out even closer. He looked at your hand for a moment before hesitantly taking it in his own. You pulled him to his feet and snaked your arm around his waist, trying to stabilize  him. He leaned into your touch, shivering the cold off of him. You manage to get him to your car, opening the passenger door for him to climb in. You jogged around to the driver side and hopped in, letting out a breath you hadn’t known you were holding. 

The two of you sat in silence for a few moments, recovering from the rain, before you took a deep breath and grabbed your phone. Castiel watched you open your GPS app and punch in an address he wasn’t familiar with. “Where are we going, Y/N?” he asked, his ocean eyes peering into yours. You smiled at him before softly saying, “Home, Cas. We’re going home.”

[caffeinatedbraincell]

I’m back on my bullshit with more TOG fluff, have fun :)

Read on AO3

Joe stumbled into the kitchen, soaking wet and wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He looked around frantically before making a beeline toward the countertop. He lunged for the notebook lying there.

Behind him, Nicky yelped. “Yusuf!”

Joe turned around to find his husband carrying a package of flour in his arms, which he’d apparently been retrieving from the pantry while Joe barged into his workspace.

“Hmm?” Joe said distractedly, already starting to feel the lines slipping. Damnit, why did the perfect words for his poems always only occur to him in the shower? Meter, alliteration, emotion… he’d had it all at the tip of his tongue moments ago. He just needed to write it down before he-

“Hayati, you better have a good reason for standing dripping wet and half-naked in my kitchen. There’s soapy water everywhere! You’ve made such a mess, Joe, and I just mopped…”

Nicky’s lamentations continued, and Joe tried desperately to listen while mentally reciting what was left of the lines he’d composed in the shower.

“Joe?” Nicky’s fingers snapped impatiently in front of his face. “Are you even listening to me?”

The last vestiges of his beautifully crafted words evaporated from his brain, and Joe sighed, shoulders slumping forward. “I’m sorry, Nicky. I’ll clean it up.”

He turned to grab a spare dish towel from the cabinet, shivering slightly as a wayward breeze hit his damp skin. Before he could take two steps, Joe felt a gentle hand around his wrist.

Nicky maneuvered the flour package onto the table and leveled him with a mortifyingly discerning look. “What happened, love?”

Joe remained silent, unsure of how to go about explaining the absurdity of his current presence in the kitchen. The whole endeavor seemed rather stupid in retrospect. And it wasn’t like he had a line or two of breathtaking poetry to show for it, either.

Nicky’s eyes widened a little at his hesitation. “Are you alright, Joe? Are you hurt?” He ran his hands fretfully up and down Joe’s arms and chest, feeling for traces of an injury. Joe’s eyes snapped up guiltily, and he took hold of Nicky’s wrists and brought them to his lips.

“I am alright, amore. I mean it. Not at all hurt. Please do not worry.”

“You’re trembling. Go dry off and wear something warm, I’ll take care of the floor. Then you can tell me what’s going on.”

Minutes later, Joe emerged from their room in one of Nicky’s large, fleece-lined hoodies. He found Nicky in the kitchen, wringing out a towel into the sink. As soon as he saw Joe, Nicky walked over and pressed a warm mug of hot cocoa into his hands.

“Let’s sit on the couch?”

Joe nodded, following his husband to the living room and curling up next to him on the cushions. A small blaze was starting to catch in the fireplace. Outside, rain poured with a vengeance. Nicky had closed the window but left the curtains open. Joe smiled to himself. He had never met anyone who loved the rain as much as his Nicoló.

“Drink, hayati. We can’t have you catching a cold. See, I even added those tiny marshmallows you like.”

Joe took a large sip from the cup, sighing softly as the chocolate-covered notes of nutmeg and cinnamon floated over his tongue. He nuzzled closer to Nicky, feeling a little overcome with warmth and love.

Nicky wrapped his arms around Joe and pulled him closer. “So, are you going to tell me what prompted you to run out here mid-shower in the cold of winter?”

“I thought of the right words,” Joe mumbled into Nicky’s holiday-green jumper.

“Hmm?”

“For a poem I was writing. I’ve been struggling for days with a particular section and it suddenly came to me while showering. I wanted to write it down before I forgot.”

A comfortable silence blanketed them for several minutes. Joe took another sip of his drink, savoring it gratefully.

“You didn’t, though.”

“What?” Joe asked.

“You didn’t write anything down. You came into the kitchen, but you never even opened your notebook.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot the words. They never stay for long.”

“Was it because I yelled at you?”

“No! No, amore, that was well-deserved. And you didn’t yell at me, you just…emphatically expressed your displeasure at having to mop again. Which is fair, honestly.”

Nicky chuckled, and Joe felt his heart fill with warmth all over again. He set the empty cocoa mug aside and tenderly pressed his lips to Nicky’s.

The next morning, Joe found a whole set of brand-new children’s bath crayons in the shower, stacked neatly next to their soaps and shampoos.

___

The crayons turned out to be a life-changing convenience. This became clear just three weeks after they arrived, when Joe found himself in a position to send a completed manuscript of his current poetry book to his publisher ahead of the deadline.

“This has literally never happened before,” he told Nicky in awe. “I’m always late, if anything. You are a genius, my love, thank you so much for the pre-Christmas present.”

Nicky all but preened. “Had you told me earlier, I would have gotten the crayons for you ages ago.”

“Ah,” Joe replied a little bashfully, “I didn’t actually know such a thing existed until you got them.”

It was when Joe returned from a brief meeting with his publisher the following day that he and Nicky had their first actual fight in several months. It started, like most of their fights, with empty stomachs and a grocery trip oversight.

“Joe, there’s no fresh garlic in this bag!”

“There was none at the store. Use the minced garlic in the fridge.”

“What?!”

Joe rolled his eyes. “It’s the same thing, Nicky. Better, in fact, since it’s saving you the trouble of having to chop it yourself.”

“Have you ever heard of making roasted garlic cloves using minced garlic?”

“I have not,” Joe conceded. “We should make something else.”

Nicky knew he was being impractical. Obviously, there was nothing Joe could have done if they were out of stock at the store. But Nicky had been planning this dish for days, and had already promised Nile he would send her some as part of his ongoing campaign to refute her claim that “any form of garlic except garlic bread is gross.”

There was no way Joe could have known about that, either, but Nicky was in no mood to admit any such thing.

“Joe, you had one job! I gave you a grocery list!”

Joe turned from where he was stocking the refrigerator, brow furrowed. “I don’t know what exactly you expect me to do about the store being out of garlic.”

“I don’t know, maybe check another store? Was that the only grocery store in this city?”

“Nicky, I think you should go to your room.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s just…you’re hungry. And you’re clearly not prepared to cook without fresh garlic. So let me do the cooking, and you, uh, do something else. Outside of the kitchen.”

“Are you kicking me out of my kitchen?”

“Our kitchen, madre de dio, Nicky! I’m trying to help you!”

“Maybe you could help me by actually getting the stuff I asked you to get from the store!”

“You know what, if you need whole garlic so urgently, get it yourself. It’s dark and below freezing outside. There is no way I’m wandering from store to store at this hour to fulfill this baseless whim of yours.”

That, Nicky knew, was a completely justified response to his unreasonable anger. But it hurt nevertheless.

“Fine,” he whispered, grabbing his coat and storming out the front door before Joe could see the tears prickling in his eyes.

Joe stared at the door, astonished. Part of him wanted desperately to follow Nicky outside. Of course he could check a couple more stores. If Nicky genuinely wished for something, Joe would go to the ends of the Earth, scour Heaven and Hell, to get it for him. No amount of ego was worth knowing his beloved was out there, hungry and alone, in the frigid wind.

But Joe was also well aware that he wasn’t at fault here. And Nicky, his Nicky, rarely reacted like this to their disagreements; perhaps he just needed some time for himself. It wouldn’t be right for Joe to impose his company when his husband clearly didn’t want it.

Joe sighed in frustration. A hot shower would clear his head, he hoped, heading for their bedroom.

Twenty minutes after he had stormed out, Nicky was coming around to the realization that this had been a profoundly stupid idea. Moments after leaving the house, he had realized that he’d left the car keys behind. Foolishly, he’d boarded a bus for downtown, too irked to return home. Now, with the bus routes closed for the night and taxis staying off the road as snow clouds threatened the city, Nicky quietly admitted to himself that he was stranded.

The first weak snowflakes began to fall. Then the wind picked up, blowing several icy droplets into his face. Nicky shivered. Fuck this, he thought, pulling out his phone. His pride wasn’t worth causing Joe to worry, and it definitely wasn’t worth getting sick from the cold and creating loads of extra work for his husband. He was going to call Joe, apologize profusely, and beg him to come pick him up.

At their home, Joe let the steaming water soak through to his tired bones as he scrawled passionately on the shower walls. He was a little hurt and, if he was being honest, more than a little worried. But for once Nicky wasn’t here for him to talk to, so he threw his words at the wall in brightly colored crayon instead.

He almost didn’t hear his cell phone ring. Contorting his upper body out of the shower, he wiped his hands on his towel and reached around for the phone in his pants’ pocket. The called ID flashed his husband’s name. Joe picked up without hesitation.

“Hello?”

“Joe, I fucked up. I’m s- so sorry. I should never- never have spoken to you like that, h- hayati. Please- please forgive me.”

Over the line, Joe could hear Nicky’s teeth chattering as he struggled to get the words out. Joe shut the water off and clambered out of the shower.

“Nicky, what happened? Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m f- fine. It’s just cold.”

“Come home. Please.”

“Yeah, that’s- that’s the problem. I took the bus here. The c- car keys…”

Joe had put the phone on speaker and was already getting dressed. He shouldered into a coat and seized a large throw from their bed, striding into the living room.

“I’m coming. Where are you?”

“Uh, Mira Mesa Transit Station. S- sorry, kind of far.”

“Nowhere in the universe is too far.”

“Joe-”

“Just sit tight, I’m on my way.”

Joe drove like a madman. Luckily, no one else was insane enough to be out in this imminent blizzard, so at least the roads were clear. In just under ten minutes, he reached the station.

A figure sat huddled under the overhang. Joe barely managed to stop the car before jumping out.

“Nicoló!”

Nicky struggled to his feet. “Joe, grazie a dio-”

“Shhh, amore mio, I’ve got you,” Joe soothed, pulling a shivering Nicky towards the car and bundling him into the passenger’s seat. Once he'd climbed in himself, Joe turned up the heater and divested Nicky of his too-thin, snow-soaked windbreaker. “Wear this,” he coaxed, whipping his own dry jacket off and wrapping it around Nicky’s shoulders.

“No, hayati-”

“Shh, love, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

Joe wrapped the throw over the jacket, dusting the snow from Nicky's collar and tucking the blanket in. The whole way back, he drove with one hand on the wheel, intertwining the other with Nicky’s and rubbing his knuckles to warm him up.

“Shower,” Joe decided as soon as they stepped into their home. “You’re so cold, my heart. Go stand under warm water until you can feel your toes and fingers again. I’m going to make us some hot soup, okay?” Joe leaned forward and kissed Nicky’s nose gently.

Nicky nodded, too cold and tired to insist on helping. He had an inkling sense that Joe might still be irritated with him, after all. It would not be undeserved.

He made his way to their bedroom, draping Joe’s jacket over a bedpost and discarding his own clothes as he stepped into shower. Exhaling deeply, he turned his back to the stream of hot water- and froze.

A red bath crayon lay fallen on the floor, clearly left behind in haste. Joe must have been showering when I called, Nicky thought with a pang of guilt. But what had caught his attention was the shower wall in front of him. There, written in his beloved husband’s flowy cursive, was a poem.

If I could only read your heart When your lips cannot translate I wouldn’t let it break, my love Yet if it does Take mine An eternity alone I’ll wait.

The warm water poured down Nicky’s back, relaxing his aching muscles even as tears sprung into his eyes at Joe’s tender, longing words. Nicky stared and stared until the steam blurred the writing beyond perception.

A knock at the bathroom door snapped him out of his reverie.

“Nicky? Are you alright? Almost done?”

Nicky cleared his throat. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

He shut off the water and dried off. He found the bedroom empty, and slipped into the pajamas and fluffy sweatshirt that Joe must have laid out for him earlier. Dry and warm and very cozy, Nicky felt his eyes well up again at the care Joe put into something as minor as picking out some clothes.

Even during their worst fights, Nicky never doubted their love for each other; their hearts had been one far too long for any such lingering uncertainties. But it never ceased to amaze him how quickly Joe forgave. How despite taking Nicky’s hurtful words to heart, Joe went above and beyond to make sure he didn’t suffer.

He took a deep breath to regain his composure, and walked out. But the moment he entered the kitchen, the fragrance of creamy red pepper tomato bisque reached his nose, and he very nearly broke down in tears again. His favorite soup. It was a recipe he and Joe had perfected together through the years. Watching Joe quietly ladle it into two bowls, Nicky felt something clench in his chest.

“Hayati.”

Joe spun around. “Nicky! Are you feeling better, my heart?”

“I am.”

“Oh, good. Are you, uh…” Joe’s eyes flickered to the floor. “Are you still angry with me about the garlic thing?”

Nicky crossed the distance between them in two strides and threw himself into his husband’s arms. Joe stumbled back, a little startled, but quickly pulled Nicky close and buried his face in Nicky’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Nicky.”

“No. No, Yusuf, please. You did nothing wrong. It is I who should beg your forgiveness, having treated you as I did. You've shown me nothing but kindness, and I’ve done nothing to deserve it.”

Joe shook his head in protest, nuzzling his nose into Nicky’s neck.

“I saw what you wrote in the shower,” he continued. Joe stilled in his arms. “I- I don’t know if you meant for me to see, but…”

“I forgot to erase it. But everything I write is for you, Nicolò. It’s yours.”

“It was beautiful. Beautiful, and heartbreaking. Forgive me, my all. Forgive me for raising my voice at you, for making you feel alone. Forgive me for walking away insteading of talking to you. And forgive me for dragging you out into that storm at this hour to come searching for me, it was beyond cruel to make you drive so far-”

Joe pulled back, eyes round with tears, and gently pressed his palm to Nicky’s lips.

“Stop it. Please. Don’t apologize for calling me when you needed me. Where would I rather be than at your side? I meant it, earlier. Nowhere in the universe is too far.”

Nicky held Joe’s hand to his lips and kissed his palm. A tear slipped down Joe’s cheek as he swallowed a sob. Nicky wrapped a hand behind his neck and rubbed soothing circles into the tense muscles there. After a few minutes, Joe's breathing evened out, and he lifted his eyes to gaze at Nicky with unguarded adoration. It would be so easy to just let this go, Nicky thought. But the knowledge that he had hurt Joe stood like a wall of glass between them, and Nicky felt it would drive him mad.

“Joe, I- I need to hear you say it. If you forgive me, that is. I don’t know, tonight has just been a lot. Please, hayati, I-”

“You are forgiven. You are always forgiven.”

Nicky exhaled, feeling the glass wall shatter. He kissed Joe’s temple softly. “Thank you, my love.”

Joe tilted his head slowly, dragging his lips up Nicky’s jaw until he could capture his mouth in a melting kiss. Nicky responded with ardent devotion, backing Joe up against the refrigerator and holding him there as they kissed again and again. It was only when he grew light-headed from lack of oxygen that Nicky pulled back. Still, Joe whimpered at the loss of warmth, reaching out for his husband.

“Nicky…”

“Joe, you have no idea how much I want to stand here kissing you all night. But you’ve prepared this wonderful dinner. I’d hate for it to get cold.”

Joe laughed, a joyous thing that swept Nicky off his feet just like it had the very first time he'd heard it.

“Alright, let’s eat. But after dinner we’ll cuddle on the couch under the heated blanket and I’ll hold you to your promise.”

Nicky smiled fondly, unable to help leaning in and placing one more kiss at the corner of his beloved’s lips. “Please do.”

[hannahcoursey]

Wind Chill

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 2,838

Request: Hi there! Do u think u could do an imagine where the reader almost freezes to death and wakes up in Dean’s arms? You can pick the circumstances, but I think it’d be fab! xoxo

The days had been getting shorter as the end of December rolled its way closer and closer. You and the boys had your eye out on every news outlet and local scanners for anything that went bump in the night, but the radio waves were eerily silent. 

The three of you sat in the library, all working on your own things. Sam sat in front of his laptop, tapping away, the clicking of the keyboard the only noise that floated through the bunker. You were neck-deep in a new book that you had gotten your hands on at a thrift store during the last job you’d worked a few towns over. It was some sappy love story that made your heart flutter and your face blush and you would never be caught dead reading it - which is why you’d ripped off the front cover. Dean sat closest to you, swirling around a glass of whiskey that was a sip from being empty. The silence between the three of you was comfortable and welcomed in your hectic lives. That was, of course, until Dean couldn’t sit still any longer.

“Okay I am officially ready to rip my eyes out,” He announced, standing and wiping his hand down his face. Sam stuttered a laugh and shook his head.

“Go kill something, you’re nicer when you're not bloodthirsty.” Sam finished, his eyes never leaving the screen in front of him. You smiled and looked up at Dean.

“You hungry? I can whip something up for dinner.” You asked, peering up at the elder Winchester. He looked at you pointedly.

“Y/N, in all fairness, the last time you cooked, I was feeling it for the rest of the week - and not with my mouth.” He squinted, wincing inaudibly. You rolled your eyes.

“Fine - starve for all I care,” You stood up and put your book under your arm. “I’m gonna go see what we have.”

“I think I might hit the sack, a nice afternoon delight don’t sound all that bad right about now.” Dean said to your back as a yawn interrupted his words.

“Dean you do realize what an afternoon delight is right?” Sam scoffed, amusing no one but yourself. Dean shrugged.

“Yeah, it’s the afternoon and it's delightful.” Dean’s voice dripped in sarcasm as his feet padded down the hallway. You turned and caught Sam’s eye, the both of you chuckling lightly. As you stepped into the kitchen, you reached for the light. The pantry in the open shelves was more than bare, only a box of pancake mix and a dwindling loaf of bread was in sight. You walked over and opened the fridge. 2 beers sat at eye level and a head of browned lettuce sat next to it. You tossed the lettuce and closed the fridge, grabbing the keys to one of the cars in the garage and searching for your coat. 

“Hey Sam, I’m gonna go for a run,” You walked out to the library, just as Sam was closing up his laptop. 

“Y/N, it’s already,” Sam started, looking down at his watch, blinking a few times, “6:30 - can it wait for tomorrow?” His eyes looked heavy as he questioned you.

“Unless you want a heaping plate of oxygen for dinner, no.” You smiled, “It’ll be quick, the longest part is the drive there and back, it won’t take awhile.” You finished, making it obvious that you weren’t asking. Sam nodded and rubbed his eyes. 

“Alright well, I think I might take a nap; I could recite the local news in my sleep at this point, I've read it so many times.” He scratched at his neck. Finally spotting your jacket hanging on the railing of the steps leading to the door, you crossed the room and put it on.

“I don’t blame you, get some rest and when you wake up I’ll have dinner made.” You padded up the iron steps, looking over at his large frame. A smile crawled up his features.

“Y/N, you don’t have to cook for him,” He squinted at you sarcastically, “You could burn the bunker down and he’d still love you.” He finished as you waved your hand at him.

“Shut up Sam.” You replied, snarky. With a small laugh, he turned and walked down the hallway, right as you slipped out the door.

The garage doors opened, letting in a blast of white snow. The road out in front of the drive was covered and it was coming down hard. When you pulled out onto the road, your back tires skidded and lost traction, causing you to fishtail for a brief moment. You slowed down and adjusted to the conditions, driving a little steadier and slower than you usually would. The sky was pitch black, if you didn’t know any better you’d guess it was 2am. As you made your way to the grocery store that was around half an hour away you promised yourself you’d make it quick before the weather got any worse.

Once you arrived, you rushed yourself around the store, grabbing peanut butter, jelly and bread for sandwiches, then grabbed some bacon, pie and lunchmeat. You made sure to get some salad, croutons and dressings for Sam, as well as some frozen fruit so he could make smoothies for after his morning jogs. After gathering together some pasta, chips and miscellaneous items you headed for the only open register. You got back into your car and checked the time. It was almost 8:00 and you’d spent well over 45 minutes in the store. Cursing at yourself slightly, you started up your car and slowly moved on your way back to the bunker. 

The snow had laid down thick, leaving an icy blanket across the pavement, your tires crunching it beneath their weight as you prayed you’d make it back. It had begun to sleet, the freezing rain making your windshield wipers useless. Your wheels were slipping and even time you slowed down, your breath hitched, fully expecting not to get moving again. You came to an intersection, looking around at your options. Straight ahead, there was more traffic, but not a straight shot home. To your right was a back road that led almost right to the bunker’s front door. You hesitated. Taking a breath you decided that maybe going the quicker route would leave you with a better outcome. 

You pulled the wheel, moving down the beaten path. Just as the final streetlight left your vision, your car slowly took you off course, slowly fishtailing into a ditch. You yanked the wheel in the opposite direction and smashed the accelerator, but it was no use. Your wheels spun as you settled, the right side of your car tipping into the frozen outcove. You looked down at the clock. You’d only made it about 10 minutes. You have got to be kidding me. Patting the pockets of your jacket, you found your phone and switched it on. “No Signal” flashed across the dim screen as if it was taunting you. You slid it back in your pocket and looked around. You reached for the door, but it didn’t budge. You pushed your body weight against it and bounced hard, yet it hardly moved an inch. So much for walking back to the store. You turned up the heat and turned up the music just a notch. Might as well get comfortable. You peered around the back, spotting a wrapped up blanket underneath the bench seat that you’d remembered leaving a few months back. You brought it up front and laid it across you and listened to the drone of the radio.

----

A few hours passed and you checked your phone like you had done every 10 minutes. Still no signal. Sighing, you glanced at the clock. 12:48am. How had they not noticed that you weren’t back yet? A chill slipped down your spine - it wasn’t from the cold that seeped in the sheet metal of the car - What if they’d fallen asleep for the night? You shook your head. No, you promised them food, they never forgot when you volunteered to make dinner. A flashing orange light on your dashboard drew your thoughts away from the boys; Your gas was running low. No gas, no heat. You sat up straight and looked around. There were no cars in sight, everyone preferring to stay inside during the blizzard. You leaned forward and twisted the key in the ignition, the engines’ rumble fizzing out along with the ambient music of the stereo. You sat back in your seat and tried to calm your mind, as the icy chill from outside slipped its way into the  car, minute by minute. 

----

The blanket was doing nothing at this point. Your movements were almost painful, your extremities vibrating with the numbness that fell over them hours ago. You had tried to turn the car on an hour or so ago, but it only sputtered in response. It was 6:57am. Your teeth had stopped chattering around 3 and you hadn’t slept a minute of it. The cold was oddly uncomforting, you couldn’t drift off in the state you were in. Your eyes had grown heavier now, which worried you more than anything. You fought to stay awake, but the cold unconsciousness welcomed you into the darkness. The upside was that you didn’t feel cold anymore; you just felt tingling. The sun had begun to rise, the orange glow casting a dim shadow through the thick snow-covered car. Your eyes fluttered. Stay awake. You tried to sit up but you were just so tired. A loud knock on your window forced your eyes open; you hadn’t even realized you’d shut them.

“Y/N?” A deep voice questioned, muffled by the layers of snow that had settled over your car since you’d landed there. The car shook lightly at first and then violently, until the door crackled and creaked next to your head, allowing the sunrise to pour in. Cold air blasted in the car, your hair whipping around your face. When you opened your eyes, you were met with Dean’s, searching yours. You tried to smile, but you couldn’t feel your face move, his name fell flat on your lips. His hand laid against your face like a hot iron scorching your cool skin. You sucked in a breath and he pulled away. 

“Dean,” You tried, licking your lips, “It’s looking like I’m gonna have to make dinner another night.” You tried to smile but your lips tingled, forcing your laugh sounding more like a wheeze. 

“Don’t worry about dinner, come on.” His brows were pulled up as he looked down at you, pulling you closer to him.

“Dean, it’s been below zero all night,” Sam walked over and whispered to his brother, not so quietly. “You can’t last all that long in weather like that, she ne-” He started, but Dean shot him a look.

“I know Sammy,” He growled, exchanging looks at one another, before Sam turned around and opened the door to the backseat of the Impala. Dean looked back down at you and pulled you up to his chest, holding you close to him. He was so warm. Your eyes fluttered, constantly at war with trying to keep them open. The Impala’s heat was blasting as he settled in the back with you in his lap. Sam walked to the front and pulled out, leaving your car in the ditch. There was no music, only the rumble of the engine drifting through the cabin. You felt like you could sleep for days. 

“Hey, hey, hey, keep those pretty eyes open, alright sweetheart?” Dean’s hand fell onto your cheek again as he held your head up lightly. 

“Dean, I’m-” You whispered and he leaned down closer, “I’m tired.” You slurred, your eyes rolling slightly. 

“C’mon Y/N wake up,” His deep voice pulled you momentarily out of the coma that was dragging you under, “Look at me, keep your eyes on mine, okay?” His face was inches away from yours, his warm breath slipping over your features. You looked up at him again, meeting his worried expression.

“I can’t-” You tried to explain it, but you couldn’t manage the words, “I’m tired.” You finished hardly above a whisper, as your eyes rolled back one last time and your world went dark. The last thing you felt was Dean shaking you. 

----

You woke up to arms surrounding you. Your body was sore and felt like you had gone 7 rounds with Lucifer and your head pounded. You moved your fingers around, feeling them and making sure that they were all still there. Looking up, you connected the arms to a body and the body to a head. Your heart dropped to your toes as you looked up, analyzing every freckle that splayed across his nose. His eye’s flickered underneath their lids. I wonder what he’s thinking. You looked around. You were in Dean’s room, the guns hanging on the walls a clear indicator of the Winchester’s belongings. Slowly pulling his arm off your waist, it suddenly tightened. He grumbled deeply behind you, before roping you back in and laying his hand on the side of your face. Except when you looked up at him this time, he was already looking back at you. 

“Mornin’ Frosty.” He grinned, his voice gravely and sexy. Hearing his voice like this woke up a beast in you that begged to be touched by him. You looked away as the thought ran through your head.

“Very funny.” You mused. His hand pulled your face up, his finger under your chin. 

“I’m not laughing,” He said, his expression blank, “Y/N, you were in zero degree weather for almost twelve hours, do you know how close of a call that is?” He shook his head slightly and leaned up on his arm while looking at you. “Why didn’t you call? I would’ve come, I would’ve got you.” He questioned.

“I had no signal, I tried - it didn’t work.” You shrugged, looking down at your hands. He let out a sigh.

“When I woke up and you weren’t there, I just about tore the place apart,” He ran a hand through his hair, “I thought something had taken you, but then Sam said you’d left to get some food. When I opened the door and saw the weather, I knew you had to be out there somewhere.” His hand reached up and caressed your face, taking you by surprise. “Y/N, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you.” His voice was hardly above a whisper. You stared at him, eyes wide.

“Dean,” You hesitated, not sure how to take it, “I appreciate you and Sam worrying about me-” You started.

“No it’s not like that,” He shook his head, inching closer to you, “I mean, I don’t worry about you the way Sam does,” He cocked his head to the side, “Well I hope it’s not the same, that would be an issue.” He said more to himself than to you, his eyes drifting past you in thought.

“I’m not sure I follow.” You muttered. His eyes looked down at you again.

“I’m saying that not knowing where you were for a minute there had me going like nothing else.”  His lips were plush and mere inches away from you and you had to mentally remind yourself not to stare at them. And you were failing miserably. “I never want to let you out of my sight again.” He whispered, pausing a moment before leaning in and brushing his lips gently to yours. The blood rushed through you, giving you chills for a whole different reason than earlier. His hand slid through your hair and with his other hand he pulled your body closer to his. You returned the kiss, leaning in, pressing against him harder, When he pulled back, he searched your eyes for a response.

“Then don’t.” You whispered in return, a small grin crawling over your features. He matched your smile and pulled you in. He smelled like old cologne and worn leather and you breathed it in all you could. When he pulled back, he gave you a grin and held your face in his hand.

“God, I have waited so long to do that.” He smirked, his confession taking you by surprise.

“Well, maybe you should do that more,” You shrugged sarcastically, “I don’t hate it all that much.” You beamed up at him, unable to hide your happiness.

“Oh you don’t hate it?” His eyebrows shot up, his words filled with the sarcasm that made you love him, “That’s good, I’m glad you don’t.” He chuckled, pulling you down to his chest. 

You knew that from now on, most of your days would be spent like this; laying on his chest, stealing kisses and exchanging laughs - and you didn’t want to spend them any other way.

----

Hey guys! I hope you liked this one - if you have any requests submit them to me and I’ll give em’ a go!

[renxamamiya]

Twin Stars

Late birthday present for @lenle-g! It’s been ages since I’ve properly written Thunderbirds fanfic and god it feels good.

A03 | 4.2k

“-and Gordon managed to catch it! You should have been there, John!”

Alan’s excited face as he recounted his recent mission shone brightly through the holovid. Earlier that day International Rescue had received a distress call in one of the National Parks in Thailand, where a couple accidentally collapsed into a previously unknown cave network unearthed by soft mud left from the recent monsoon rain.

John always liked to hear about Alan’s recent escapades down on Earth, the youngest Tracy’s enthusiasm infectious and delightful to hear that John couldn’t help but smile. He knew that for Alan, being part of a mission taking place on the blue, glowing planet below John’s feet was a rarity for Alan, the young boy having to always sit out just in case someone needed help within the reaches of their solar system - something that occurred more commonly as space travel continued to evolve rapidly. The young Tracy, unlike the majority of his brothers, had little opportunity to experience the different places around the World outside their Island home; and John pitied him.

“Well, that’s amazing, Alan,” John said, returning Alan's enthusiastic smile, while reaching for his coffee, taking a sip from his mug, thankful that artificial gravity was even a possibility on Thunderbird Five. Though he was in the rescuing ‘business’ alongside his brothers, he preferred to be out of the action, to be their watchful eye, their guardian angel.

“I mean, it’s better than having to perform system diagnostics on Thunderbird Five,” Alan said smugly, crossing his arms as he looked at John with some sort of smug superiority, “I know you gotta do it but it seems really boring, you sure you can’t let Brains take care of it?”

“I’m fine,” John assured Alan, taking another sip from his mug, “I’ve done this numerous times, and I don’t need to tear Brains from his work. Besides, I have EOS right here with me.”

“You mean your code baby?” Alan laughed, and John rolled his eyes, “I know you hate being around people but I mean, do you really hate people that much that you’d rather be around some computers?”

“I am not just a ‘computer’,” EOS piqued up, her childish voice sounding clear offence to Alan’s little nickname, “And John and I are progressing through the system diagnostic quite well, thank you very much. Ever since I became a member of International Rescue, there have been practically no flaws in the system’s code. Thunderbird Five is impenetrable.”

“For now,” John corrected the AI, “Remember, Havoc managed to install a virus in your software-”

“-Through an illegal and extremely painful form of brute-forcing my code!-”

“- and we need to ensure that our systems have as little vulnerabilities as possible. We can’t take that change. Ever.”

“Which is why I’m glad that I’m not doing any of that.” Alan laughed, trying to introduce humour to the rapidly tense atmosphere between creation and creator. It seemed to work, as John sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before remembering that Alan was still on the call.

“Sorry about that, Alan.” John apologised to the younger Tracy, “I didn’t mean for any interruptions during our call.”

“Aww it’s okay, John, I should be the one sorry. After all, I did anger the code baby,” Alan said, causing EOS to blow a raspberry (or play a sound clip of a raspberry) directed towards Alan.

“So, when are you coming down to Earth again?” Alan asks John, his eyes now staring at him with eagerness, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has, but it’s normally busy for us this time of year, isn’t it?” John said, knowing that the change of weather and the encroaching holiday season meant more people being tired as most of the World is shrouded in dark and cold, meaning more opportunity for disaster. Alan’s face fell, disappointed that he would likely be seeing his elder space-loving brother way later than he wanted, and that John was right.

He groaned, crossing his arms on the table before nestling his head on top of them. He hated winter rescue missions, and silently begged for any divine being for there to be no disasters as the winter season encroached across the world. John cringed, suddenly realising what he had done.

“Sorry...” he mumbled.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.” Alan reassured his brother, swinging his head up from the table, and gave John a smile, “Just make sure you buy me a super cool gift, okay? I won’t accept anything less than a new hoverboard if you’re missing Christmas again.”

“Alan, I’m sure that Brains can build something much better than what you can get on the market.” John pointed out, and Alan groaned.

“Yeah but he’s busy,” he whined, and John rolled his eyes; yet he knew that it was Alan’s excuse to see John again back on Earth, even if it meant that the ginger astronaut was tripping on his own two feet for the entire duration he was there.

“Okay, Alan,” John relented, sighing as he put his coffee down, quickly turning his attention to multiple screens towards the side as to check the progress of his temporarily forgotten system diagnostics, “I’ll look over the possible models. Maybe, if everything quiets down this year, we can take a trip somewhere?”

“Where exactly?” Alan asks, and John smiles at how suddenly excited he looks.

“I don’t know. Other than Ohio to meet up with some friends, I’m leaving the rest up to you.”

“Oh hell yeah!” Alan practically jumps out from his seat, now restless at the prospect of travelling to somewhere different with John. Before he could say anything, John could hear the distinct call announcing dinner from Grandma. He turned to look at John.

“I’ll be back, John,” he informs his brother, “It’s dinner time, and damn I’m suddenly hungry.”

“Well, good luck with Grandma’s cooking,” John said, now feeling pitiful towards Alan as he smiled at his brother.

“Nah, it’s Virge’s turn, thankfully,” Alan said, “He’s making some really nice curry tonight that he found somewhere in Dad’s old cookbooks! Oh god it smells delicious! I gotta dash, John, talk later, bye!”

“Bye, Alan,” John waved just as Alan disconnected the coms. Getting up quickly to pour away the remains of his now cold cup of coffee, he sat back at his workstation, pulling up a message window, and typed requested some time off with Alan from Scott.

***

There was fire everywhere. Heat rumbled in his ears as metal cracked and splintered below his feet, flakes of wiring and globs of plastic dripped ahead of him as he carried his injured brother out from the rapidly collapsing space station, his arm around his neck.

John struggled for breath in his helmet as he helped Alan navigate the flaming remains of the wreckage, the oxygen that the failing life support provided was already being eaten up by greedy flames that continued to roar for more. The two Tracy’s were familiar with the danger around them and practised many times over the course of their careers to make miracle escapes, yet despite their almost divine-like lucky streak, the disappearance of their father for many years have properly ingrained in them that they too could not escape the threat of death.

“John?” Alan murmured as he quietly exited from unconsciousness, the wound from the heavy steel that struck the young astronaut from earlier in the rescue oozed blood, the crimson streaking visibly down his pale face alongside streams of sweat under his helmet.

“Yes, Alan?” John said, trying hard to give his brother a comforting expression as they shuffled through the deteriorating space station, “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“-m fine,” Alan grunted as he looked at his brother through half-lidded eyes. Alan was not fine, John having the displeasure of witnessing a beam fall on his brother as they made their escape alongside the other members of the space station. Sharp, steel shrapnel sliced Alan’s skin as the station suddenly exploded, sending the youngest of the two brothers whizzing back, and John considered it a miracle that his baby brother wasn’t now blind in both eyes. “-at happened?”

John’s soft smile faltered as he heard Alan’s speech slur, Alan delirious from his sudden, violent impact onto the floor and the smog that choked his lungs. John had the displeasure to witness Alan’s slip out of consciousness, minutes before he struggled to get Alan’s helmet on as he breathed heavily within his own.

“You got caught in a blast,” he replied shortly, turning his attention to the path before him, “Some metal shrapnel scraped your skin pretty bad. It’s a miracle you only got away with that scratch.”

“Oof,” Alan commented, and John struggled to swallow the urge to scold him right there and then. What Alan did there was reckless, staying seconds longer at that malfunctioning console then John had advised him to, he didn’t need to be the one who had to man the console, he…

John shook the intrusive thoughts as he grunted audibly, mustering the extra energy he needed to push forward, his muscles screaming from the previous aches of having to pry open functionless doors and pushing away obstructing debris. He turned to check on Alan again, his eyes still half-open, unfocused as he kept his gaze looking at the floor before them.

“How far are we to Thunderbird Three?”

“Not far,” John answered, just able to see the airlock they used to board the space station past another set of doors, relieved that the glass has been damaged to the point of shattering thanks to the surrounding heat. He breathed in a deep breath, the air in his helmet stale and hot while the muscles in his legs ached. When he had managed to reach the sanctuary of Thunderbird Five, he had to revise his own exercise routine to work more on his leg muscles, he thought to himself.

“We’re close now, Alan, just hold on tight, okay?” John said. Alan's only response was a grunt of acknowledgement, and John wondered if his words were meant to console his younger brother or himself. They both continued to trudge towards and through the broken glass of the last door dividing them between certain death and salvation, John helping Alan through the jaded glass, anxiety choked him at the idea of even a small bit of glass scratching through the fragile material of Alan’s spacesuit.

“-Mmm we there yet?” Alan said, and John uttered a quick ‘yes’ as he again draped Alan’s arm around him. They were so close. So so close.

“There you are!” one of the astronauts said, and John ignored their impatient glare as he quickly typed Thunderbird Three’s access code, exhaling the tense breath he unconsciously held as the access hatch opened up invitingly. John gestured with a quick nod of his head, an invitation for the scientists to follow him into the rocket before quickly shuffling inside with his brother, heading towards the cockpit.

“Easy does it now,” he muttered, lowering Alan gently into his seat, taking off Alan’s helmet to allow him some semblance of fresh air. Alan gasped deeply, and then coughed as John quickly checked his wound. The gash was noticeable, yes, and he feared that it was too deep to be properly taken care of while in space.

“-m gonna be okay, John,” Alan huffed, and he lightly swatted John’s hand away in annoyance, “You’re as bad as Scott,”

“It’s a good thing that the other astronauts don’t have any injuries,” John thought to himself, annoyed that Alan was acting so childish despite being injured. He reached for the First Aid Kit that was located in a compartment that was snugly under the dashboard, quickly taking out a padded gauze and antiseptic, before disinfecting Alan’s wound, the youngest hissing in response.

“John, we don’t have time for this,” Alan said as he again swatted John’s hand away from him, “We need to go, the station is about to blow,”

“Alan, please I need to take care of it now,” John warned, pouring a small amount of antiseptic onto the gauze before pressing it onto Alan’s head, earning a loud hiss from the boy, reaching for tape in order to hold it in place, “You’re bleeding, and I cannot take the risk of it getting infected,”

Alan replied with nothing, too tired to put up anything other than weak grumbles and hisses as the antiseptic made contact with exposed flesh. John quickly patted the tape down on skin before dashing into his own chair, settling down and making sure he was secure before reaching over the controls, undocking Thunderbird Three from the faltering space station before departing, engines blasting in full throttle to ensure they didn’t blow up alongside the inevitable bomb beside them.

They were a few minutes in their flight back to Earth when Alan’s vision as someone cleared up, his eyes picking up the low rumble of Thunderbird Three’s rockets and the astronauts quietly muttering amongst themselves. He closed his eyes. Over the course of his rescuing career, he learned to appreciate moments of stillness and rest; though the rush of adrenaline of brushing against death was an addictive, thrill-seeking activity he couldn’t get enough of, the aftermath was less pleasant, and he still remembers the numerous injuries he had gotten as consequence for not allowing his body to rest.

He turned to John, his older brother’s expression focused and serious, arms tense as his hands gripped the navigation controls tightly. Alan swore he could hear the fabric strain by how tight John’s grip was, and could see his jaw clench tightly - something he did during high moments of stress and anxiety.

“John, you okay?”

“I’m fine.” John suddenly snapped, looking at with sad, angry eyes. Alan flinched, not used to John’s anger, the middle brother always being calm and detached emotionally to the point of numbness, almost like a machine, always listening and level-headed.

John noticed Alan’s flinching, and suddenly he shrunk with a guilty look on his face.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Alan,” he said, and Alan replied with a nod, “I just… I just thought you’d...”

“Hey, but I’m okay, I just got a bump, that’s all.”

“But it could have been worse.” John emphasised, looking away from his brother’s eyes and onto the scenery of space in front of him, “Even a tear in your suit could have been...”

“John, I’m fine, really.” Alan reassured his brother, and felt less tense as he saw John’s arms relax, “Honestly there’s no point in worrying about what if’s anymore. The mission is pretty much done and we can relax.”

“I know Alan, but I can’t help it.” John admits, swallowing nervously, “It’s a habit. You know how anxious I get, and just seeing you there unconscious… I know you’re more than capable of participating and even leading missions, Alan but… but no matter how many times you’ve been on missions I can’t help but worry.”

“I’m not a baby, John.” Alan fake pouts, and John laughs weakly.

“I know, but you’re my baby brother. That’ll never change.” John said, “and because you’re my baby brother, I don’t think I, or any of our family would stop worrying about you.”

“Yeah yeah, I get it.” Alan mumbles. The two brothers sat there while John continued to navigate them home.

“Hey, John?” Alan piqued up.

“Yes, Alan?”

“Thank you for rescuing me back there.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Please, don’t tell Scott.”

“I don’t think that’s non-negotiable.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” John laughed, “If he saw you getting injured in the report before I had the chance to tell him, it’ll be my life on the line next. Unless you can save me, of course.”

“I don’t think even International Rescue can save you from the wrath of Scott going all Mom-Mode.” Alan joked, and John couldn’t resist the urge to let out a humorous, warm chuckle.

***

“John, can you tell me what mom was like?”

John looked up from the tablet he was reading to see Alan’s blue eyes peer into his own, his face half-obscured by shadows cast from the setting tropical sun, blue skies turning a gradient of rich red and orange. He tapped the power button of the tablet off before he put it down on the coffee table in front of him, allowing the spaceman to turn to his youngest brother.

The topic of their mother came up numerous times over the course of Alan growing up. She passed on too early in his life for Alan to remember her, only able to build an image of her in his head through pictures and old recordings that the family had kept safely throughout the years, still only able to daydream holidays with her, memories too young to properly remember the real, organic sound of her delighted laughs echoing in the small rooms of the ranch house they used to live in. John could only pass sympathy to Alan, him feeling as though he took for granted the moments he spent with his mother watching the stars twinkle at night from high, dusty hills, her shared enthusiasm for the stars and space and the beyond now echoed only by the telescope and old fashioned textbooks she silently left behind.

“Sure, Alan,” John replied to his brother’s inquiry, not brave enough to ask him why their mother had again sprung among the forefront of his mind. Alan predictably had a detached relationship with their mother, asking why his brother and father cried with such fervour around the time of her birthday and had looked at them with curiosity when a whiff of perfume from some passing stranger was sometimes all it took to make their eldest brother violently tear up. He felt sad with his mother’s passing, yes, but to him, it was more akin to losing out on something the other brothers shared so strongly. John understood empathised somewhat with this feeling; being the middle child meant that the time spent with his mother was not as fleeting like with Gordon and Alan, yet he was not so close with her as to feel the sizeable hole she left within her passing as she did with Scott and Virgil. A sweet spot he was awarded from the timing of his birth: one that allowed closeness with his mother, but also the distance in grieving when she passed.

“Well, she liked orchids and space, and enjoyed the smell of baked bread and the grass after he had rained-.” he started with practised cadence, the list of what their mom was like rehearsed through the many, many times Alan had repeated the question to him.

“Yeah, I know all of that.” Alan huffed, impatience getting to him from having listened to the same words over and over again, “I wanted to know what she was like when she had me.”

“Why the sudden curiosity?” John asked. Alan shifted in his stance.

“Well...” he said, now looking away at John in embarrassment as he reflexively rubbed the back of his neck, “My friend from my online class, Billy; his mom’s having another child, and that got me thinking...”

“About mom.” John finished, Alan sighed.

“Yeah.”

John grinned, amused at Alan’s sheepish behaviour. He nodded in reply and waited for Alan patiently as the younger brother made his way down the small steps into the circular lounge, sitting on the space next to the seasoned astronaut and waited for John to start with a patient gaze.

“When mom had you...” John started, closing his eyes momentarily to cast himself back into two decades ago, “I remembered there being the four of us at the time, of course. Gordon was always running around causing trouble in the house, mom trying to catch him while she was six months pregnant with you. I remember days where we helped her around the house whenever we could, mom too tired from having to take care of four sons while you were on the way. I uh, also remember some weird foods she had us pick up whenever we went into town with Dad.”

“Like what?”

“Pickled eggs, sometimes Hot Cheetos dipped in ice cream. I remember distinctly mom wanting nothing but imported durian for an entire month.”

Alan almost gagged at the list, John laughing gently at his reaction.

“That’s how I felt as well. Even the mention of durian still makes me a bit sick.”

“Yeah, yikes. Sorry, you had to endure that bro.”

“Unless you had direct control of mom’s cravings, you have nothing to be sorry for, Alan.”

“Well, not that I remember,” Alan said, and John raised an eyebrow, curious as to where this conversation was heading, “Unless of course, my alien baby instincts were controlling her the entire time!”

He positioned his index fingers around his canines, moving them around if they were mandibles as he made absurd sounds that John could do nothing but laugh at how ridiculous Alan was acting. Alan soon joined in, the two of them laughing in amusement before calming down to soft giggles.

“Haha, very funny, Alan,” John said, gathering his composure yet again, Alan grinning proudly at his joke. Silence drifted between them, John looking at his brother carefully as Alan thought of another question to ask him.

“John?”

“Yes, Alan?”

“How did mom react when she was told that she had me?” Alan asked, “I mean, having five boys does sound quite a handful.”

“Actually, mom wanted another son,” John recalled, and Alan looked at him with bewilderment, “You should have seen Dad’s reaction, however. Though he loves you dearly, I remember him hoping that we would have a sister instead. Gordon was especially pleased, as your arrival meant he would have someone to play with when Scott and Virgil were especially busy; Scott was just happy he’d soon have an excuse to get Gordon out of his hair.”

“What about you, John?” Alan asked him, and John shrugged.

“I don’t really remember what I thought,” he admitted, reflexively looking away at Alan for a bit as he tried to recall that particular memory, “I think I was just… indifferent.”

“Indifferent?”

“I think during that time, space was all I cared about, honestly.” he sighed, “I knew mom and dad wanted another child. It wasn’t exactly my place to protest, so I mostly kept quiet during mom’s pregnancy. Gordon was practically bragging to his friends about you, though, and I think both Scott and Virgil were happily anticipating your arrival as well.”

“Yeah…” Alan trailed off, John noticing Alan’s saddened expression.

“Alan.” John cautiously said, “What’s the matter?”

“I dunno.” Alan mumbled, giving John a half-hearted shrug, “I just...”

“What?”

“Dunno… disappointed that you didn’t really react much, I guess?”

“Oh.”

Silence again fell between the two brothers, tense emotions occupied the void left from the previous conversation. John looked away from Alan in embarrassment and shame, and Alan looked away in turn, the idea of staring at his b.

John suddenly chuckled to himself, Alan looked at him curiously.

“Why are you smiling, John?”

“I’ve just remembered something,” John said, looking up from the floor to meet Alan’s stare, “Something you used to do when mom and dad weren’t around.”

“What was it?” Alan asked, and John’s grin grew wider.

“Whenever I had a book out, about the stars, you’d always crawl up to me. Even when you were six or seven months old and Scott was too busy trying to get Gordon out of trouble you’d just sit next to me while I was reading. I think back then you thought I would read you a story there and then.”

“Did you read your science textbook to me when I was a baby?” Alan half-joked.

“Eventually.” John smiled, “You’d never leave me alone otherwise.”

“Haha wow,” Alan said, “Doubt I would have understood anything though.”

“That is true, but you were a diligent student when you weren’t drooling on the pages,” John said, fondly remembering helping an infant Alan trace the constellations in his book with his finger, a memory in which he still remembers fondly.

The two brothers continued to talk about tales from Alan’s infant years as the sun fully set and the moon rose in full, John recounting fond memories of messy dinners and sunny days out, and Alan listened intently, imagining them as his own.

“Hey, you two,” Scott’s said casually towards John and Alan, both of them interrupted by their vacation into nostalgia as they both turned to spot the eldest holding a cup of coffee and looking tired, no doubt still intending to get some work done before heading off into bed, “What are you guys doing?”

“Nothing much, Scott.” John answered before Alan did, “Just talking about some old memories with mom.”

“Well, don’t stay up too late, okay? Alan you need to get up to take that test tomorrow, and John-”

“Yes, Scott. No late-night projects. I understand.”

Scott gave the two of them a satisfied smile before he turned to walk off into the villa, the two brothers watching him until he left.

“You know, with Scotty around, it’s almost like mom never really left,” Alan said smugly, and John couldn’t help but laugh.

[bahistaflix]

Line One

where in every exquisite thing existed, there was something tragic. 

 "𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒆?"

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

- written in english

- self indulgent

- nct taeyong au <3 

June 13th, Wednesday

A Law student was walking soaked wet in the rain in the busy streets of Manila. She already knew that it was going to rain really hard that day, but instead of bringing her umbrella with her, she gave it to her friend.

She ran at the nearest train station and fixed herself, she waited for the train to come and immediately searched for the seat she personally liked, and as expected she saw the student from the nearby university, again. The girl thought that it might be just a mere coincidence that the guy has always the same exact schedule as her everyday, even on weekends.

Days and weeks passed, but nothing changed. Everyday the girl would find the guy sitting in the front of her seat, as if it is also the guy’s favorite spot. Sometimes, she finds it odd that everyday they are in the exact same place. A Rainy Wednesday night came, everything was a mess, everyone was in a rush, the train was packed and full. The girl decided to ride the train despite the amount of people inside the train, despite her being awkward around a lot of people in a room. She was already tired of waiting for the next train and took the risk and got inside the train.

She was stuck in front of the door and people were being violent because of the uncomfortable crowd. She was about to pass out but fortunately, a guy caught her before she even fell, held her hand and placed it to the pole handle in front of them. The guy whispered, “are you okay?” The girl can’t even think straight and process anything because of the dizziness she feels. Out of instinct the guy moved closer to her and made her lean her head to his chest. The guy usually goes off in Abad Santos station, but decided to stay with the girl up until the last station because somehow, he’s concerned about the girl’s condition. When the train was about to reach its last stop, the guy whispered to the girl leaning towards him,

“We're already on the last stop.”

The girl opened her eyes and immediately apologized to the convenience she caused to the guy she doesn’t even know.

They got off the train and walked side by side silently, both of them hesitating who would break the thin ice that makes their walk awkward, in the end the girl initiated the conversation.

“Architecture?”

“Yeah, you?” the guy answered.

“Law” she answered back with a smile.

The girl was about to talk but the guy talked first and suddenly asked “Are you okay?” The question made the girl stunned and surprised. She just smiled at him because they both know she’s not.

 Her temperature was high earlier and it’s impossible that guy, in where she rested her head and leaned in won’t notice that she’s sick. Both of them continued to walk, both of them didn't even know where they were heading to. 

The guy stopped by in the front of a convenience store and asked the girl to wait for him outside, the girl just nodded and patiently waited for him. Few minutes later the guy came back, with a fever patch, bottled water, warm milk, cup noodles, cupcakes, and a pack of chocolates. 

He asked her to sit outside the convenience store where the tables and chairs were placed. He prepared everything and asked the girl to start eating.

She just stared at him, completely confused.

“Eat, so you would gain your energy and smile again.” he said while placing a fever patch in the girl’s forehead.

She can’t process what he just said, but the only thing she knew was,

She’s thankful.

After a few minutes of hesitating, she ate what the guy gave her, she’s also hungry and tired after all.

“Thank you.” she gently whispered, but already enough for the guy to hear it. They finished eating their “dinner” and cleaned up their table and decided to go home.

Both of them already bid their goodbye, but unexpectedly the guy ran back, held her hand, and asked.

“What’s your name?”

“Elie, you?”

“Taeyong.”

“Thank you for today, Taeyong.”

“See you tomorrow, Elie.”

The next day, The train stopped at the third station and Elie saw Taeyong, entering the train with a warm wide smile on his face. Things felt different that day, even if the weather was bad, the two of them seeing each other felt like it was all sun and rainbows all day. Elie expected that Taeyong was going to sit in front of her seat again, but things went differently. Taeyong sat right beside her, greeted her with a sweet and warm “good morning” and immediately touched her forehead to check her temperature.

“Do you feel better now?” he asked. Elie just nodded with a smile, but deep inside she was actually saying

“Yeah, thanks to you.”

“Do you have a class today? Review? Leisure?” Taeyong asked.

“I’m just going to pick up something and maybe go home early to rest.” she answered.

“Do you want to have breakfast with me?”

“Sure, I’d love that.” she answered with a bright smile.

After that morning, Taeyong and Elie always find themselves sitting next to each other everyday in the train. From the warm breakfasts, a good vibe lunch, sweet afternoon coffee and tea’s to cozy and fancy dinners. Taeyong would always stay with Elie until the last train stopped to accompany her and sometimes, he would also send her home.

Days, Weeks, and Months passed. The relationship between the two of them grew stronger and deeper. They started to have cute and cringey pet names, they became more clingy towards each other. Both of them knew, they were about to fall,

In love.

1st day of September, The sun was already down and the heavy rain was pouring in the busy streets of Manila. T

Taeyong was waiting outside Elie’s university, hours passed, but he still patiently waited. He even had thoughts that maybe the girl is busy, have a lot of things to do. Minutes and hours passed, it was almost midnight, but Taeyong, the man he is, still waited for the girl he likes.

 The clock struck 12, a signal that it was already midnight, and the day already ended, but there was still no Elie coming out the University gate.

Taeyong was about to leave when he saw a beautiful girl coming out of the gate, a girl that has dark brown eyes, pale skin, chapped lips, dark hair that was tied in a bun, wearing a big pair of lenses, carrying a lot of thick books. Despite the fact that the girl was in complete and stress, she still managed to smile at the guy looking at her, lovely.

As Elie was walking towards him, Taeyong stared at her deep brown eyes, he assured her eyes to be connected to his as he was about to say consequential. He held her hand and smiled, the girl noticed his action and asked,

 “Why?” 

Taeyong pulled her into a hug and expressed the fragment of his feelings towards her.

“Atty. Elie Suarez, I’ve loved you from the moment I laid my eyes on you, I see you everywhere, in the stars, in the river; to me you’re everything that exists, the reality of everything. I want to pass through life with you by my side, to be my second self, and the best earthly companion. You became my sun, my moon, and all of my stars.---” The guy stared right into her eyes and said

“I want to spend the rest of my sunsets with you.”

Elie didn’t know what to say, she thought that was the worst day of her life in law school because she got scolded by an attorney, almost failed to attend a class, stayed in the library to finish a lot of syllabus, she ended the day with such a stressful mood, but after all she have Taeyong, waiting for her outside the gate. Despite the heavy rain, cold breeze air, and countless amounts of smoke around the area, Taeyong waited for her, and unexpectedly expressed his feelings. 

Elie felt like she’s the luckiest person alive at that time. She maybe had the worst earlier,but Taeyong started her day, like it’s the best feeling in the world. 

She was about to answer Taeyong’s confession, when the guy’s phone rang. He stared at it for a minute and Elie just shrugged it off and told him to answer his phone first.

Which somehow, she regretted right after.

She found herself in front of a hospital, his ex was pregnant.

She was just there spacing out, can’t even cry, wasn’t able to process anything, everything. An hour passed, he came out and just hugged Elie, crying. He kept on saying, asking for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry.” Taeyong didn’t have to explain why he’s sorry, she knows, he’s the father of that child.

Elie gave a white lie, “It’s okay.”

“Please tell me you love me, I’m willing to risk everything for you, we can start over, we can try again.” Elie just smiled when she heard him.

“You know what? You look tired, go get inside, get some rest. As your friend, I don't want you to get sick too, besides you’re going to have a baby now, your own little star, aren’t you happy?” Elie casually said, trying to hide the pain with a smile.

Taeyong was lost and confused and asked “friend?”

Elie just nodded and smiled, “yeah, we’re friends right?”

“Right, friends.” Taeyong whispered bitterly.

“Anyway, i should go now, see you around Taeyong.” Elie said and smiled as she started to turn her back and walk away, leaving Taeyong alone.

Elie found herself walking in the rain again, alone, lonely, and devastated. The rain poured heavier and made her soaked in the rain, she cried, she finally admitted to herself, she was deeply hurt, but she doesn’t want to be selfish. The child needs a father, she doesn’t want to take him away. Even if it shattered her into pieces.

“Perhaps we’re wishing for each other upon the same star, but I think we did it wrong. Even if you’re not here to stay, I am happy the universe allowed your soul to stop by. Now that I know you exist, how can I not love you? Atleast, we breathed and moved in the same world. In the end, we will all become forgotten stories, I’ll see you when the road decides it's time for our paths to cross again.”

She was never sure if Taeyong was the lighthouse of her life, or the storm.

She cried her heart out, wished and whispered to herself.

“If this is a dream, please wake me up.” as soon as she wished, she woke up.

She immediately checked her phone, and it said

  “June 13th, Wednesday.”

[ END ]

[greekowl87]

How about #8 on the dialogue prompts?

A/N: You never specified which #8 from that prompt list you wanted so I picked all of them :) Hope you enjoy it. P.S. No beta. Tagging @monikafilefan @suitablyaggrieved @baronessblixen @today-in-fic @improlificinsarcasm

“#8.” No specification: “What are you talking about? You’re the only face with a view around here.” / We can’t do this.. anymore...you deserve someone better than me.” / “Stop biting your lip, you know that drives me crazy.” / “What are you wearing? you look like a llama ohh wait or is it an alpaca?”

Mulder’s back was turned to her as she sat on his bed. Somewhere off in the distance, Scully heard a rumble of thunder. Then there was a bolt of lightning. The rain started...first like one pebble against the window, then another, then a whole slew of them. Mulder grunted in his sleep. Scully licked her lips and adjusted the blanket around him. 

He still smelled like fire, ash, and lost hopes. Scully sighed and went to his bedroom window and watched the storm intensify like the one in her heart. She shivered; her gray sweater failing to keep the chilliness of his old Alexandria apartment at bay. Assuming he would not mind, she took a hooded Knick’s sweatshirt that hung on the back of his door. She glanced over her shoulder and wandered out into the living room.

Scully watched the storm continue from his desk in the light of the fish tank. Her watch read 1:00 am but felt like she had been awake for days. Her hazy mind swirled with the recent events...their work up in flames, clutching a numb Mulder to her, trying to coax him to get some sleep, staying with him. Then there was the matter of Diana Fowley. She tried not to let her mind go there.

Fowley helped Mulder find the x-files; Scully helped destroy them.

Gently, she probed the back of her neck, feeling the slightly raised scar that she implanted months ago. The miraculous cure that saved her from her cancer and that Mulder had saved her, almost losing himself in the process. Where did that leave them now? She began the year sick and dying of cancer, caused by her abduction, found a daughter that died that she never knew she had, all to lose it.

She hugged the worn sweatshirt around her. It smelled like him and made her remember the nights he would stay with her during the course of her cancer. She closed her eyes at the memory. She felt so confused, but after her cancer had been cured, she had some idea of where it could be headed...what they could be. But the maelstrom appeared in the siren Diana Fowley and had run their ship off course. Again.

The storm raged and Scully sighed.

She could just as easily leave...go home, leave him to his misery. He probably saw her as the destroyer of worlds and all that he believed. Scully winced, recalling seeing how Mulder so cozily held Fowley’s hand. There was history; of that she was certain. She had her evidence: Frohike’s chickadee reference, that fucking holding of hands, the way she caught Fowley looking at Mulder, and Gibson’s own warnings to her. You don’t care what others think about you but you care what she thinks.

“Scully?” 

Mulder’s muffled voice came from the closed bedroom.

“Scully?”

He was becoming more panicked.

“In here, Mulder.”

She buried her face into the oversized sweatshirt, inhaling deeply. She tried to draw some strength and some better memories. She heard him getting up, shuffling around. The bedroom door creaked open and he ruffled his hair. “What time is it?”

“A little after one,” she whispered. She didn’t break her gaze from the storm raging outside. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I can’t...I don’t know how I even how to sleep for those few hours.”

“Exhaustion,” she said.

The lightning lit up the night sky. “What are you wearing? You look like a llama, ohh wait, or is it an alpaca?” He joked.

She didn’t look at him. “It is a sweatshirt of yours. I hope you don’t mind. I was cold.”

“It’s fine. Are you hungry? I can make something.”

“I’m fine, Mulder.”

She chewed on her lip thoughtfully, lost in her own thoughts. He was still tired, exhausted. “Stop biting your lip, you know it drives me crazy,” he tried to jest again.

“I’m sure,” she whispered dryly. “Mulder, I’m not really in the mood right now.”

“You’re still here. That says something.” 

“I guess.” She shrugged. “I can go if you want me to.”

“No,” he said immediately. He put his hand on her shoulder and she jumped slightly. The move did not go unnoticed. “Stay, Scully? You can take the bed if you want.”

“I’m fine, Mulder.”

“What is it? What’s bothering you?”

“Aside from the fact we’ve lost the x-files, all of our work is up in flames, and I never discover what actually happened to me and we may not ever find your sister? I’m peachy.” Scully could feel his eyes glaring at her at the base of her skull, somehow able to look at the chip even in the dark. “I can still go, Mulder. Perhaps there is someone else...you’d prefer.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Scully?” She felt tears in her eyes. Dear God, what was wrong with her? She shook her head silently. “Scully, talk to me. Is the loss of the x-files? Our work? I won’t know unless you tell me.”

Again, she shook her head.

“I saw you. In the hallway with her.”

“Who?”

“I’m sorry. I’ve said too much. I should go. You probably want to be alone with your thoughts.” She moved to take off the offending shirt to give it back, but he stopped her. “Mulder, let me go.”

“No. Not until you tell me. We’re partners.”

“For how long?” Scully snapped. “They’re taking away the x-files from us. They’re going to separate us up! Again. She may have been with you to find the x-files but I’m certainly the one to destroy them.”

Mulder arched an eyebrow. “You mean Diana?”

“I really should be going.”

“Scully, stop.” She’s already lost in her thoughts and Mulder realized the weight of loss affecting her too. “Scully!”

“I’m a jinx, right? I should’ve done more.”

He abruptly ignores her and pulls her into a tight hug. She fights him, trying to push away. “Scully, stop.” He was taller and stronger than her. “Scully, stop! Listen to me!” The pieces were coming together. “You saw her holding my hand.”

She stopped dejectedly and nodded. 

“And you think I’d prefer to have her than you?”

Again, another weak nod. 

Mulder had never known her to be so insecure, so emotionally raw than at this moment. He massaged her shoulders gently as she kept her head down. “We’re both hurting, Scully.”

She couldn’t handle it anymore. “Who is she to you, Mulder?”

“She ain’t no Scully if that is what you’re asking.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“What do you think?” He tipped her head up so she looked at him. “What are you talking about? You’re the only face with a view around here.” She smiled slightly and he gently thumbed away the stray tear. “You’re my partner. No one is splitting us up again.”

She nodded.

“Stay, Scully. Do you want to know who she is? I’ll tell you.”

Mulder guided her to the couch. “Let me grab us something to drink. It’s a rather painful story for me to tell.”

She didn’t resist him. Scully leaned back in the darkness on the well worn green leather couch. The storm continued to rage outside. She heard him shuffling around in the kitchen when he came back with two shot glasses and a half bottle of tequila. He poured them each a shot and gave her one.

“What are we drinking to?”

“You and me.” He told her simply. “We’re still here and we’ll find a way back again. And like I told you after Puerto Rico; I still have you.”

“Mulder: the eternal optimist. That doesn’t sound like you.”

They both took the shot. Scully grimaced as the fiery liquid burned down her throat. Mulder set his glass on his coffee table. He sighed, trying to figure out where to begin. “It is true, Diana helped me find the x-files back in ‘91. But there was more to it. It was a brief and torrid affair as the Victorians would call it. I got drunk...proposed. Three months later, she was gone and a divorce.” It came out in a long breath and Scully was silent. “It was the first time, in years...decades someone had actually cared about me or so I thought.”

Scully leaned forward to pour herself another drink. She pulled it back and could feel bile rising up in her throat. “She was your wife?”

“Briefly,” he murmured in thought. “I was naive. I wanted things to change. So I proposed. Worst mistake of my life. She gave me divorce papers and left for Europe. I haven’t seen or heard from her in years until last week.”

“Ex-wife, huh?”

He nodded. “She grabbed my hand, not the other way around. I...I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Mulder was quiet and watched her reaction. “Do you still love her?”

“Is there some fondness of what once was, could have been? A bit. But do I love her? Not anymore.” He gazed Scully fondly. “She did not come into my office five years ago and stubbornly defend me and our work. She did not cover my ass more times than I can count. She did not shot me to save me from myself. She’s not the one that I’m in love with.”

Scully had been staring fixedly at the dim bottle of tequila before his last words hit her. “What?” Her eyes met his. “What did you say?”

“You heard me.”

“I think I did but I am uncertain.”

“I’m not in love with Diana Fowley. Maybe at one time, long ago, but not anymore.” He leaned forward to cup her cheek “You know exactly what I meant, Scully.”

“We can’t…”

“We can.” The thunder crackled again and lightning lit the room. She briefly saw his eyes and she froze. Something overtook her and she leaned forward. “We’re okay, Scully.”

“Will we be?”

He nodded. Mulder caressed her cheek and gently teased her with his own lips. She responded instantly. He lunged backward with her. Scully did not know what new spirit possessed her. She carefully straddled his hips, trying not to lose her balance on the couch.  She bit his lip teasingly, her own tongue delving deeper. Mulder’s arms snaked up under her shirt, grazing her bareback. “I’m not going to lose you again,” he vowed between breaths. “I’m not going to lose you ever again. I can’t.”

Scully took off his shirt in one sweeping motion. “You’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” he promised. Her nails scratched lightly against his chest giving him goosebumps. Mulder stopped her suddenly in a sudden moment of clarity. “Scully, what are we doing?”

She stopped, becoming self-conscious. “What do you mean? Mulder, don’t do this to me.” His blank stare was all she needed. She got off him and dropped his sweatshirt. “I’m going to go home. I’ll um, see you later okay?”

Before he could utter another word, she had disappeared into the night. The storm still raged outside. He lowered his eyes and collapsed against his leather couch. He lost his work, their office, and now, he could feel himself losing her again...just like he lost Diana. Maybe he really was meant to be alone.

Scully rode the elevator down to the ground floor and she could feel tears in her eyes. At the door separating her from the lobby of the apartment and the storm outside, she felt something building in her. Anger, frustration, sadness, and longing. She shook her head. She remembered how her mother told her how Mulder never stopped looking for her during her abduction. The quick, loving gazes he would give her that he thought she wouldn’t see. And she made a decision.

On her heel, Scully turned to go back to the elevator and go back up the stairs. As soon as she stepped off the elevator and the door closed behind her, a large rumble thunder crashed overhead and then there was darkness. 

“Great,” Scully murmured, staring at the one emergency light down at the end of the hall. Had that happened earlier, she would have been stuck on that elevator. “Just great.”

She walked quickly to Mulder’s door and twisted the knob and shut it behind her. Darkness eschewed his apartment. With practiced ease, she locked his door. “Mulder,” she called.

“In here, Scully.” He was in the living room. A single candle was lit on the coffee table and his eyes were red. “I, um, what are you doing here?”

“First things first, Mulder. Do you have any other candles?”

“Kitchen,” he answered, “beneath the sink.”

Scully grabbed the candle he had lit and procured three others. Mulder made no effort to move. She placed them strategically throughout his living room so there was enough light so that neither one of them could hide.

“Carefully, Scully, we’ve already had one office go up in flames tonight.”

“Ill place humor, Mulder.” She sat next to him on the couch. “I came back.”

“Why did you?” His voice was barely above a whisper. “Scully?”

“Because my place is here. With you,” she answered evenly. She gazed outside his window as lightning lit up the sky. “Do you remember our first case? In Oregon?” 

He chuckled. “The bug bites, no power, and I decided to take the biggest risk in my life. I decided to trust you.”

“Funny how things come full circle, huh?”

He grunted in amusement. “You still have my sweatshirt on, Scully.”

“And you’re not getting back.”

“But you’re here.”

“I’m here.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why? I’m not.”

“Then why did you run?”

“But I came back.”

“You came back,” he whispered. In the dim light, he took her hand and held it tightly. “Where do we go from here, Scully?”

“I don’t know. Maybe now tonight...wasn’t the right time for that. We’re both hurting, Mulder.”

“Are you saying no altogether?”

“No,” she whispered. She looked down at their hands. “I’ve wanted it for a very long time. But tonight, Mulder, we’re mourning. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe next week? Right now, I just don’t want to be alone, and I think, neither do you.”

“You have? Wanted it that is?”

Scully chuckled. “Yes, very much so.”

“I have to.”

She smiled. “Do you mind if I spend the night here? I don’t think either one of us wants to be alone tonight.”

Mulder met her eyes in the candlelight. “Will holding you suffice for tonight? Cuddling?” The word sounded foreign on his tongue. “Scully?”

“I would like that. And Mulder, I’m not like her...Fowley. I understand you both have history, but I’m not like her. I won’t abandon you or our work.”

Mulder shuffled on the green leather couch, bring Scully with him. Like perfect puzzle pieces, the lay together. Scully was protected between the back of the couch and Mulder. He sighed in relief as if he finally found what he had been searching for all his life. She pulled the Aztec blanket from the back of the couch around them. “Scully, I know this sounds bad, but I am glad you are here with me right now.”

His hand lazily pushed back her red locks as she nuzzled his shoulder, taking in his scent, and trying to memorize every aspect of this moment. She hugged him. “There is nowhere else I would rather be.”

Mulder smiled and watched the candlelit dance with their shadows. “Tomorrow?”

“We get back up and maybe lay down in Georgetown?” The suggestiveness was heavy in her voice. “Change of scenery?”

Mulder smiled and kissed the top of her head. “I’d like that.”

The storm continued to rage outside but in the darkness of the Alexandria apartment, Mulder and Scully, holding tight to each other, knew they were going to be okay.

[silence-burns]

The Long Road //part 6

Fandom: Bright

Summary: Based on “Imagine Kandomere interrogating you.” by @thefandomimagine

The clock hanging over the automatic doors chimed at 3 in the morning. Around it, Kandomere could see the stains of what must've once been coffee, probably bought at the cheap and hygienically dubious booth he was currently trying to appear busy around. The person throwing it must've had good aim.

The lukewarm fluid swirling in his paper cup looked as dreadful as it smelt. Drinking something so thick and oily was a health hazard and a risk Kandomere was most definitely not ready to take.

The rain outside was loud in the strained silence of the night. It forced the few people desperate for a bus at this hour to wait inside the old building, freezing without the central heating. Stations like that one never seemed to be overflown with travelers, despite everything looking right at the first sight. There were a few stalls offering food, not exactly fresh, but good enough for individuals hungry enough not to care. There was a board with all the hours of departures and places you could go, and somewhere in the rain waited the busses you could take if only you had enough money.

Nothing was off, and yet the air stank of sweat, desperation, and cheap cleaning products poured on the floorboards twice a year. The few people that gathered in the restricted space of the waiting area didn’t utter a word to one another. Unconsciously, they tried to stay as far from the others as was possible on the chairs with gum stuck under the seat.

It wasn't a completely rotten place - Kandomere had a good memory of what truly hideous places felt like. There were, in fact, worse picks for those in need of a ride outside of town without gaining anyone's attention. Those places were of little interest to him, but in his line of work he'd have to be completely deaf or dense not to be aware of how many of those rides never reached their destination. With that in mind, Kandomere had to admit that things could've been worse. Still, he wasn't particularly happy about trying to blend in such a place.

He didn't really have to, actually - it was all a matter of choice that brought him there at such an early hour, preceded by a note with scraps of information. He was used to receiving information from multiple sources, but he had to admit some of them were lacking in skills you made him used to. Still, the note brought him there. He wished it could be done by someone else.

He felt out of place.

Kandomere pretended to sip from his cup, holding his breath for a moment to avoid the stench.

He heard steps from the second entrance. Those steps were lively, and out of place too. They belonged to a person far less desperate and broken than usual visitors.

Just as he guessed, you stopped next to him, in front of the large, far-from-clean window watching the busses.

"What brings someone like you to such a rathole?" you asked, a smile playing on your lips.

"You," the elf replied. A thin man looking like a shadow of his former self shot you a curious gaze from the nearby stall.

Kandomere eyed him. There was nothing on him to betray his profession, but the man fled anyway.

"Are you here to arrest me?" you asked.

"Are you here to commit a crime?"

"Who knows?" you shrugged and stepped away. Kandomere threw his cup into a bin before following you.

Your steps echoed in the old building. The roof was high, and in better days it must've looked grand. Now it was only a cobwebbed space nesting a few pigeons.

You approached a grate guarding the concrete stairs, shadowed because of broken lights. The glass from the cracked bulbs covered the first few steps.

"It's closed," Kandomere noticed sternly.

"Only for the good citizens."

You reached for the grate over the lock and shouldered it hard. The lock, already rusted, didn't last long.

With a dramatic bow, you welcomed him in. Kandomere was far from happy. The stench of old piss forced its way into his nose and down his throat.

The stairs led to the roof, wet from the pouring rain. It was loud, hitting the concrete with all the wrath the skies accumulated in the past days. You stopped on the edge of the staircase before it.

"I thought you'd give up your wait half an hour ago," you said, hands buried in your pockets. The air was cold and humid.

Kandomere tried not to touch the walls which were sweating brown, murky rain. "I had my reasons."

"Care to share?"

"Something tells me you were aware of everything," he snapped.

"Don't act so tough. I was just curious which one of my little birds would be careless enough to spy on me for you. There's nothing better than a double agent, but only if they do their work right."

Kandomere understood.

"You deliberately tipped them on yourself."

"I wanted to know how many would turn on me when I made my plans a little bit more official."

Kandomere eyed you carefully. "You're lying," he said at last. "You've been changing your plans for a while now. I want to know why."

"I want a great many answers too. What makes you entitled to get yours?"

"You." Simple as that. It made your smile dim.

"There was a period when all I wanted was to leave this town and this state and everything that made up my life up until now. I'm tired, Kandomere. No matter what I do, I feel like I'm running in circles. Sure, there are good days, and there are moments I cherish. I just lack… something grander. Something worth the bad ones."

You expected ridiculing. Maybe an exhausted sigh. Maybe even being called stupid, if he was in a particularly bad mood.

What you didn't expect was a laugh that echoed down the stairs behind you. You blinked, but nothing changed.

Kandomere brushed his hair off his face.

"Are you seriously telling me you're having an identity crisis?"

"And what if I am?" you pouted, crossing your arms.

"Nothing. Nothing, and that's precisely it," he nodded as if things were settled. He liked to do it, despite things very rarely being settled

"I don't understand."

"And that's okay. I'd be worried if you understood the whole premise of life." Kandomere turned and walked back down the stairs.

"I'm gonna take that bus if you make fun of me like that!" you said to his back.

"Go ahead. I'll find you wherever you go."

The rain continued to pour.

"I was going to use the favor you owe me," you said, "and make you promise you wouldn’t look for me."

"I'm glad you didn't."