#I’m anticipating a major adrenaline crash when I get home

[fluffyllamas-23]

Well friends, I’m back in my home state for my brother’s graduation. Thought things with my mom would be better because she’s been behaving herself lately but I think she’s having a hard time emotionally with my brother graduating and moving away for school in the fall, so now I feel like I’m walking on egg shells and I am STRESSED

[prongsisabadger]

TWP Chapter 27

The fact that the extraction team was in orbit didn't mean we would be getting out of Felucia right away. The separatist forces had blockaded the system and the fighters would have to punch a hole in it first. I would have worried about it if it hadn't been the 104th that had been sent. The pack had incredibly talented pilots, most of them reassigned to him after their former squadrons had been destroyed.

Very early on, Master Plo had decided he would take in any troopers who had lost their entire squads and needed to be reassigned. According to Ahsoka, some Masters thought it silly. Why want a battalion made up of whichever troops death hadn't claimed? None of them had worked together before, they didn't know each other's dynamics and would probably be an inefficient group of traumatized misfits.

Turns out they weren't. Scarred and burdened with survivor's guilt, the members of the Pack got very close, very fast because they had a lot in common: they all yearned for comfort, a place to belong to. That is what the Pack was. In addition to that, Master Plo's caring yet imposing nature made for an incredible leader to rally behind. That, and soldiers who survive the loss of an entire squadron are either lucky or skilled, either way they were both good things to have in battle.

So you could see why I wasn't concerned, the best pilots in the GAR were coming to break the blockade, and break the blockade they would. There were brothers to save, Generals to aid and their very own Commander to get back. I will not lie and say I thought myself unimportant to the Pack, no, I knew I could count on them to have my back whenever I needed them because they knew I would give my life to protect them too.

Still, with the two droid battalions approaching fast from the northeast, and the possibility of the divided forces in front of us overwhelming Ahsoka, I had no time to waste keeping my eye on the sky. I had the 212th to protect too. I put all my worries aside and focused on the battle at hand. It was amazing how fast I could force my mind to compartmentalize things in the heat of battle. I realized it all came crashing down on me once the adrenaline abbed away and I found myself in a safe environment once again. It made sense, in my mind, to be able to do it, I had been Plo Koon's padawan for a few years before the start of the war and most of that time I'd been training in Dorin. The only real action I ever saw was as a member of the GAR and I'd been surrounded by soldiers the entire time. It was only natural for me to learn from and adapt to my environment.

"Commander!" it took me a second to realize it was T.H. over the comm who was trying to reach me. "Commander, do you read me?"

"Yes, T.H."

"Commander, the enemy to the northeast is five minutes out. We'll be outflanked any minute." There was distress in his voice, urgency, but not fear. He believed we would get out of there no matter the cost. but it would cost.

I turned to my master and started to back away and towards T.H's position before I yelled, "Master! I'm off to reinforce the northeast, the enemy is almost here."

He nodded, never taking his gaze away from the droids marching towards us.

"Make sure the men are ready to leave at a moment's notice."

I crossed the clearing as fast as I could, jumping over ammo crates and sprinting full speed to where I could feel T.H. As I approached the like of firing troopers, I switched my saber ona and took my stance right at the front. This was going to get ugly.

"Alright, boys, the 104th is trying to break through, we better stay alive until they arrive!" I said in as light a tone as I could manage. "Whoever kills more tinnies gets free drinks!"

"You heard the Commander, Fellas" chuckled Waxer over the comms. "She's buying my drinks tonight!"

"Yeah right, you have the aim of a geonosian bug, Waxer. I'm getting those drinks!" answered another clone.

Suddenly the commlink was alive with light hearted banter and renewed morale born of healthy competition.

"If I win though, you boys are buying for me, and I'm planning on hitting Coruscant clubs hard once we head back." I chuckled, not wanting to be left out of the conversation. We were all trying not to lose our cool as we waited for the next wave of droids to arrive and it showed.

"I never thought you were the type, Commander." Teased Boil.

"I'm not, but one's 18th solar return happens only once, trooper. And I didn't have my Age of Responsibility celebration last year, the war kinda got in the way." I laughed.

The commlink went wild, and all of a sudden I had half a platoon making arrangements for when we went back to Coruscant. The battle started, but no one seemed to notice, they were all too excited planning a bar hopping route and picking who was in charge of what for each of them. Was it unprofessional? Very much so, yes. The entire situation seemed almost fictional: troopers staring death in the face while excitedly planning a celebration. But I hadn't been aiming for professionalism, I had wanted to give them something to look forward to. I wanted them to have something to fight for other than their lives, as trivial as a solar return celebration seemed at the moment.

We had little time left on the battlefield anyway. The Pack had managed to create an opening in the enemy's blockade of Felucia and now the gunships were landing all over us to get every single soldier, Jedi and Padawan off the Force forsaken planet. I almost didn't realize the clone that came up behind me and started to lay cover fire had his armour painted gray. It was only when I felt Art through the Force that I realized we were going home.

The entire force that had been guarding the north east boarded the gunships without a second's hesitation.

"Double time, Boys. We still have to make it up to the cruiser!" I encouraged them as they all moved.

Once every last man was on board I ordered the pilot to take off. After getting clear of the foliage, I made a head count and found every trooper was present and accounted for. I reported to Master Kenobi of our situation and took the liberty of asking about Ahsoka.

"Your friend is following her Master's teachings," Said Obi-Wan with what sounded like a frustrated sigh in my ear. "I hope her habit of disobeying orders isn't contagious. I'd hate to have to go through this again with you, Kriari."

I chuckled, thinking of all those stories he had told me about Anakin as a Padwan.

"Don't worry, Master, I think Master Skywalker's made your hair go gray enough."

"Careful, young one, Anakin might be offended." He retorted with a light tone. I assumed Master Skywalker was somewhere around him and listening to every word we said.

I cut the link and focused on the rising tension around me. The gunship was swerving violently from side to side as the pilots attempted to keep us all airborne and alive. I felt the need to reassure them, tell them everything was going to be okay. But I didn't want to lie. My connection to the Force was strong, but not strong enough to see the future.

"So, who's paying for drinks tonight?"

...

"And then there was this huge argument -mid flight- about who had had the most kills and who hadn't because apparently the Commander thought alcohol was the best encouragement for the 212th. And now we need to coordinate this big ass Solar Return celebration because both battalions got excited and wanted in." Explained Headfirst trying not to laugh at how ridiculous the situation had been. "I mean the pilot was trying not to get shot down and still he went 'If I get us all on board the cruiser, do I get free drinks too?'"

The entire table burst out in laughter as we had our first meal post battle. I had left both Master Kenobi and Skywalker to deal with Ahsoka and what I assumed was a major fuck up judging by how serious they all were being about it. AfterI finished my meal, I left the men to their own devices so I could get cleaned up.

It took the Pack no time to welcome me back. I got salutes, pats on the shoulder, on the back and even a few "good to have you back, Commander" as I walked down the corridors and to my quarters to shower.

Scrubbing the dirt and grime of the battlefield felt better than I had anticipated. I was sore from the explosion and the rough landing that followed, but nothing seemed to be broken. I waited for my clothes to dry after washing them with an old robe wrapped around me. I had missed my quarters aboard the ship so much. The walls had been decorated by a few of Art's creations, a mirror and a few pictures of the Pack and I after missions. The sheets had been changed from their original grey and white to more earthy tones -I had been missing the Temple quite a lot at the time- and the closet had most of my clothes in it, if not all of them. The lingering smell of incense I'd burned the last time I had been on board still stuck to the walls and sheets. This had become my home after the Temple had been flooded by force sensitive children escaping the war. And the cozyness and familiarity of it all put me more at ease than I had been in a very long time. Not that I didn't like the 212th or my quarters there, but it was definitely not the same, even if I wore their colors on the armour for my left arm.

I got re-dressed and dried and styled my hair in its usual side part before re-braiding the longer strand on the back of my neck. I -of course- put my armour back on, but not without polishing it first. A Jedi must always look their best, they are a symbol and a representation of the Republic in the war. If we were roughed up, disheveled and dirty then it didn't do any good for morale.

As I finished smoothing away my robes, someone knocked on my door, which was odd in itself. I had already given my report and spoken to the hologram of the Council before heading for the mess hall. I hadn't had the chance to speak with either Master Plo or Wolffe because they were both engaged in post-battle protocol and I hadn't wanted to disturb them. I would get to see them later anyway now that my tour with Master Kenobi had come to an end.

I opened the door to a stone faced Wolffe. His posture and demeanor only seemed to have gotten colder and rougher during the time we'd been apart, but I still could feel how uneasy and unsure he was as he stood there, proud and strong as someone of his rank and experience.

"Commander, I wasn't expecting visits, I was on my way to the bridge to greet you and Master Plo." I said with a smile and just a smidge of confusion in my tone.

Wolffe only grew more uncomfortable with each second which was very unusual of him. I knew we had been on almost friendly terms when we last saw each other so this sudden change puzzled me greatly.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked finally, a little lost on what to do at his lack of an answer.

This seemed to startle him because he rejected my offer right away, like the idea was preposterous -which it might have been but I had a mute soldier in front of my quarters so what was I to do?

"I was-" he started before clearing his throat, his cheeks tinting slightly. "I was here to deliver something to you on behalf of the 104th." he said, pulling out a sheath from behind him.

It wasn't longer than my forearm and the sheath was the exact same grey color as my utility belt and lightsaber. Unable to say anything I took the weapon and unsheathed it. It was a beautifully crafted vibroblade. I looked up at Wolffe, grateful, confused, and a little giddy. He didn't return my gaze, in fact he was purposefully avoiding it. I didn't mind, he wasn't the type to show he cared, this was very new to him.

"Thank you, Wolffe. It's beautiful," I said, securing it horizontally on my belt at the small of my back. "But to what do I owe this amazing gift?"

Wolffe's face colored even further as he steeled his resolve and turned to look me in the eyes.

"Your armour has too much orange in it. We felt a little more gray was necessary."

[chatousgirl]

only forwards never backwards

Summary: There is something different about Rex too. Something broken, out of place in a trooper, more so in a captain.

TW: depression, low mental state, suicidal thoughts (the character doesn't act on them but they are described). Please, do not read this if you don't feel well. The warnings are there for a reason. It's mostly emotional hurt, with a small dose of comfort. If you need somebody to talk to, my inbox is open.

I wrote this impulsively, yesterday, and wondered whether to post it at all. But then, not all emotions are pretty and this is what makes us human.

Rex stares at the bland ceiling above him and tells his body to move. There is a meeting he needs to – wants to – attend. An informal one, with his  vode.  It is rare for them to be able to meet in person, so they take advantage of every opportunity to do so. The lull in battles drew the Jedi Generals to Coruscant Temple, their home, and some of their squads came with them. They managed to find a time that roughly suited them all, cashing in favours and exchanging shifts. Cody was the only one that got called on a sudden mission this morning and would leave in several hours. Thire, Fox and Ponds are all here. It should push him into action. The anticipation made him excited and yesterday he managed to do several additional tasks in an attempt to burn out the excess energy. It feels like he burned a tad too much since he can’t get out of the bed no matter how much he wants to.

“I’m alright,” he says but even to his ears it sounds unconvincing. Basing on the look Cody levels on him, he doesn’t believe him either.

“Don’t give me that pile of bantha shit, vod.”

Rex wants to reassure his brother it will be better because in the end there are periods when it is, but in this very moment the words get stuck in his throat.

“I need to fill out the forms,” he says instead. What he needs to do is get his shebs to the meeting.

“You filled three in the four hours you have been hiding there,” Cody says and his tone is almost gentle. Rex would sigh if he had enough energy to spare. The mattress dips when Cody carefully sits on the edge of the bunk. “I’ll bring them to Beam, he’ll be happy to help.”

Rex wants to protest. He’s the Captain, he can’t delegate his duties to someone else, no matter how eager they are to prove themselves. That’s an abuse of authority.

“Let us help,” the words are soft, just like the hand that cradles the back of his head. Rex leans into the touch, hates himself for it as he rolls over to wrap an arm around Cody’s middle. He thinks about the sheets of text written in the smallest font possible, rereading the same passage for the umpteenth time when the words don’t make sense and… concedes. Beam is thorough with his assignments and there’s no sensitive data in the documents to be worried about.

“Vor entye,” he manages to get out and pushes himself away, gritting his teeth at the loss of contact. Cody needs to leave, to take care of his own squad, to prepare for the upcoming mission. He wraps the blanket more tightly around himself, trying to ignore the burning wave of guilt and shame. Something must show on his face because Cody takes one look at him and practically throws himself on top of Rex, tangling their legs and pressing their foreheads together.

"Don't you ever feel like you have to apologise for this," he whispers, tightening his grip. Rex nods and rests his head in the crook of Cody's neck, the warmth radiating from his body anchoring him in the present.

He feels like crying, yet the tears don’t come. If the Kaminoans could see him right now, he would be decommissioned in a matter of seconds. It should serve as a motivation to get up, to prove his worth – his team is on leave, but there are always drills to work on or new strategies to plan. Instead, the though leaves him oddly numb, muddled brain pushing forward an image of his batch-mate failing to keep his cool during one of many assignments. Looking back, it was a major panic attack of a child too terrified to move in the rain of bullets, visions of death playing right in front of him. They didn’t understand it then. Good soldiers follow orders and the orders were to get across the battlefield. So, they did. Quick and efficient. Or as efficient as a group of cadets could be, anyway. All but one. Kaminoans took him aside and while the word ‘defective’ was never spoken aloud, the brother didn’t return.

There is something different about Rex too. Something broken, out of place in a trooper, more so in a captain. He pushes it aside for as long as he can, the adrenaline from the battles keeping him afloat. But there are days when the low hits and he can’t find the energy to get up from his bunk, to lead his brothers into the war they were bred for and will take their lives. There are days when all he can think of are murky waters of Kamino’s oceans, waves crashing against the shore as the storm keeps raging on. Rex sees himself walking on the pier, freezing wind whipping into his face as he kneels by the edge. He never jumps. Part of him wants to, imagines the shock of ice-cold water as he slips into the darkness, water filling his lungs. Part of him knows that in the same moment he will do everything to survive, primal instincts kicking in, trying to breach the surface, fighting for the oxygen. He wouldn’t manage, not against erratic tides, not with the armour weighing him down.

Sometimes it feels like falling. The world crumbles, slips from his fingers, and then he’s falling, a strange sense of vertigo and heart beating rapidly in his chest. He doesn’t hit the ground. Sometimes it’s Cody who catches him, with a firm grip but warm eyes. Sometimes it’s Ashoka, tips of her canines visible as she smiles at him. Sometimes he just stops, sudden and jerking and he wakes up covered in a cold sweat, the wind knocked out of him.

Rex wonders whether General Skywalker knows. He’d bet no, given the whirlwind of emotions General himself is. Commander Tano, on the other hand, probably suspects. During his worse days, she keeps an eye on him, strikes up a conversation or leaves him sweet fruits when the sight of ration bars alone makes him nauseous. It warms his heart and makes his steps just a little bit lighter, a day a little bit easier to get through. He thinks of his brothers, their steady warmth and shared life, stories filled with both joy and remorse, and the next breath takes less effort. It’s still painful as if there are shards of glass in his chest, but it’s a small step forward.

Only forwards. Never backwards.

[rejectofsociety]

Febuwhump: Day Nine

Prompt: Buried Alive

Summary: One dreadful night, Peter is declared dead. However, his healing factor is much stronger than anyone anticipated.

Word Count: 1,956

Warnings: Major Character Death 

Written For: @febuwhump

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞　　∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

The last thing Peter remembered was a long needle sliding effortlessly into his arm, followed by a groggy wave of heavy soreness washing through his practically immobile body. He had been beaten into near-senselessness and yet his mind could only focus on one thing: the baby girl Michelle would be giving birth to in just a few weeks. He had to get up and finish this battle. He had to come out on top. Yet, as his muscles tensed in an attempt to rise to his feet, he found himself unable to move in the slightest. It was like his body was no longer existent and he was now no more than a spirit frozen with nothing but the sound of his heartbeat fading away like a dying drum to keep him company. The sensation of terror shaking his insides mixed with fury and frustration at his failure made him grow lightheaded and feverish.

"That should do it," a gruff voice said to the men beside him; their faces were bruised and their knuckles bloodied, "now toss him outside... his family will find him soon enough."

After a mumbling of 'yessir' from the thugs, Peter felt himself getting yanked off the ground and heaved over the shoulder of an enemy. His eyes fluttered shut and he let out a wheezing breath then felt the freezing midnight air of January strike his open wounds. Never before had he felt so useless and weak— how could he let this happen? How could he have let himself be beaten so brutally? Searing pain shot through every wound and overwhelmed his senses. I'm so sorry, MJ. He thought as his consciousness slipped away and his life escaped through his lips.

As predicted, Peter's family did find him— about five hours later. It was none other than Ned Leeds who had found his friend laying crippled in the lingering snow on his way to work. Peter's lips were blue and his skin was pale with blood loss— his body was colder than death itself. Ned ran to his crippled friend and collapsed to his knees at his side. He gripped Peter's shoulder's tightly and cried out his name.

"Peter!" He exclaimed, "no, no, no! Stop playing around!"

He shook his friend's body harshly, as if trying to awake him from a deep slumber. But Peter was stubbornly frozen, his heart stopped in its tracks, his body practically made of ice— he was dead. Despite the undeniable truth, Ned held Peter's corpse close to his chest and begged quietly for him to wake up.

"C-c-c'mon man..." Ned whimpered, "get up... let's go home."

It would be several more minutes until Tony arrived on the scene and phoned a hospital. He knelt beside the two young men and repeatedly begged FRIDAY to check for a heartbeat, as if she were merely choosing to torture him with some sick joke. Again and again, the AI somehow managed sadness in her voice when she reported that she found no heartbeat.

Later that morning, Peter was carried away from the scene in a body bag. Neither Tony nor Ned could see the blue bag holding a frozen corpse through the tears in their eyes. As heart-wrenching yet numbing the events were, the worst was yet to come— and the worst began with telling Michelle her lover had brutally passed away.

"M-m-michelle," Ned shakily began, many minutes later when he found himself standing in Michelle's living room.

"Ned, what is it?" Michelle asked anxiously, she hadn't slept at all the night before, "have you found Peter?"

His eyes dropped to the ground and the tears came rushing back to his eyes. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he searched for words to speak. Michelle shifted on her sore feet and felt her heart rate spark up.

"Ned?" She called, her tone somewhat demanding, "what happened?"

"Peter..." he drew in a deep breath and choked back a sob, "Michelle, he's gone..."

Michelle went dead silent and time seemed to slow to a stop. The blood drained from her face and her head grew light as the world seemed to disappear around her. She stumbled forward and Ned rushed forward to lower her carefully to the ground. All of her senses were muted, seemingly blocking the reality of his words from sinking into her mind. Ned spoke another sentence, supposedly one of comfort, yet it completely bypassed Michelle's hearing.

"I-I-I don't believe it!" Michelle cried.

"I know, I know," Ned rasped as he wrapped his arms around her, "it doesn't seem real."

"He can't- h-he can't-" was all she could manage as her voice broke and cracked.

She felt a tiny little foot smashing into the wall of her uterus, as if the baby was asking for her father. Michelle broke into uncontrollable sobs at this and clasped her hands over her stomach. Ned could only hold her closer.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞　　∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

Four days later, the funeral took place. It was modest and uncrowded, just how Peter would have wanted it. The only ones to attend were the Avengers, May, Ned, Betty, and Michelle— no former classmates, no coworkers, no one who would arrive out of pity (not even Michelle's family arrived). 

Michelle refused to view her lover's body. She physically couldn’t bring herself look at Peter if he wasn’t alive, even if his wounds were sealed and cleaned. It's not like she'd be able to see anything through her tears anyways.

After Peter's coffin was lowered into the cavity carved out of the graveyard's ground, Michelle stood from a distance, shaking and sobbing silently. May and Ned kept their arms wrapped around her tightly while Tony and Pepper stood nearby with Morgan clinging to them tightly. The ten year old girl's gaze traveled from Michelle to the grave every few seconds, her eyes red and puffy from crying for the past four days.

Finally managing to contain herself after many deep breaths, Michelle gathered a handful of dirt in her hand and paced towards the grave. Each step was nauseating and made her clouded mind grow heavy and ache. Staring down at that coffin made her legs grow weak, and part of her wanted to lay in that coffin next to Peter, close her eyes and maybe pretend they were merely sleeping in their bed together. Of course that was a ridiculous fantasy.

That handful of soil fell from her hand in what felt like slow-motion. As it collided with the wooden coffin with a soft pitter-patter, a heartbeat was reawakened. A faint sound from within the corpse's chest that could only be picked up by the finest hearing. Peter's seemingly deceased body had been working desperately to heal itself from the moment it had been tossed outside. Now, just hours too late, the process was finished and his wounds were healed.

The first sound to meet his ears was the gentle sound of muffled footsteps stalking away from him. Then a weighted soreness washed over his body, as if he had done an intense workout the day before. 

A loud clatter sounded from above as a shovel carelessly tossed earth on top of the coffin. Slowly, Peter's eyes opened and he inhaled a lungful of musty, stuffy air that caught in the back of his throat. The scent of old dust and fresh dirt hit his nose like a snare, making tired adrenaline awaken in his veins. A chorus of thumps as one shovel-full after another of soil was tossed on top of him and his eyes groggily forced themselves open.

"Em.... j-ay," he croaked out hoarsely, his voice breaking weakly.

A few muffled words reached his hearing and suddenly his heart rate spiked and thundered in his ears. Terror enveloped his body as he stared above to recognize the wooden barrier that sat hardly inches away from his face. 

Claustrophobia forced the walls around him to seemingly cave in, making his stiff body begin to tremble anxiously. He inhaled sharply, only to cough and choke when only dust entered his lungs— he was already low on oxygen. His eyes widened and tears rushed to his eyes, blurring his vision. Instinctively, he flexed his tired arms in an attempt to reach out and free himself. His fists almost instantly hit the casket's roof and, with his arms staying glued to his sides and having hardly any space to move, the hit was feeble and useless. Panic flared inside of him and his heart pounded dangerously fast and impossibly loud, so loud it became the only thing he could hear. His entire body felt feverish as if it had been set on fire, yet at the same time it was freezing cold, like getting hypothermia at the same time as a heatstroke. Frigid sweat dripped down his back and face as he trembled.

Again, he weakly smashed his fists against the wood, only managing to rattle the coffin. If he had awakened earlier, the two men burying him would have seen the shaking and instantly pull him out. But now there were several weighted layers of dirt covering the casket, and the movements went unnoticed.

Dread and helplessness fell heavily upon Peter like each shovel-full of soil being carelessly tossed on his coffin. He hysterically smashed his fists and knees against the roof as much as the tiny space would allow as every muscle horror. His body was still sore and exhausted, yet the adrenaline fought this as much as it could. He had to meet his daughter. He had to raise her with Michelle. He had to see Ned get married to Betty.

"N-no," he wheezed hoarsely, "MJ! No, no, no!"

His useless cries and pleads were drowned out, deeming him mute. His breathing grew shallow and rapid with his eyes squeezed shut as if that would chase away the feeling of the walls collapsing around him.

His knee crashed through the weakened wood and he felt dirt spill coldly over his clothed legs. A plume of dust filled the casket, forcing Peter into a coughing fit as the debris filled his lungs. 

Surely that caused an effect on the surface, someone had to have seen that. He thought with misplaced hope. He blinked away some dust, and for a moment he managed to contain himself enough to strain his ears to listen to the voices above.

"Don't worry. It was just the dirt settling," a gruff voice stated, "it tends to do this. Now hurry, we're almost done here."

"No!" He called desperately, thrashing as much as he could manage as tears streamed down his cheeks, "please no!"

Too panicked to control his breathing, the shaky breaths became unbearably frantic. However, he was fresh out of oxygen and was only hyperventilating dust that clogged his throat and stung his nose. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening. Michelle, I'm sorry! Were the only thoughts circling his mind as he fought for consciousness. He felt his breaths grow weak and shuddering as he became increasingly lightheaded. His heart palpitated and skipped beats in terror. His throat was now too dry and scratchy to scream any longer— the words that left his mouth were croaky and hardly whispers. His movements were rapidly slowing down and growing weak.

"M... michelle," he rasped softly, his last breath escaping his lips like a ghost.

His heartbeat faded away and became faint as his body went limp and his eyes fluttered shut. He was not dead yet, only unconscious with lack of oxygen. However, within minutes he would be a corpse once more— laying in a broken coffin with tears drying on his face, dirt in his lungs, and a daughter who would never meet her father.

[supportingme]

My Patron Saint: 01

The pain.

The pain, it was too much.

His chest heaved as he ran, shooting a chaos spear through the wall. The hand that shot it crackled and sparked with chaos energy. It burned, it hurt, everything hurt. No time to stop and think. He had to run, he had to go. He had to get away.

“Get that hedgehog and bring him back here!” The speakers in the facility rumbled with a gravely voice. “Dead or alive, I don’t care. I can fix him either way.” The words carried him faster as he clumsily scampered through the G.U.N facility. The exit, he needed to find the exit. Oh but it hurt, everything inside him hurt. As if he were on fire. 

Thick, deep red sparks of chaos energy crackled through his body and up his spines as if they were lightning rods. He needed to go. He needed to get out. He needed to run. Anywhere but here. Home, the ark, anywhere. Somewhere they wouldn’t find him. Oh if only Rouge were still around. She’d know how to get him out of here. 

He stopped for a moment, holding himself against the wall, gasping for air. His limbs felt like limp noodles, struggling to keep himself upright. It hurt. Teeth grit as he heard the sound of boots running towards him. Shit, time to go. He started running again, sliding around corners, ducking into rooms, busting through windows and walls like a rat in a maze. 

“Freeze!” 

He skid to a halt, staring down the barrels of three separate guns. “Shadow the Hedgehog, we have you surrounded.”

Another soldier pulled out a communicator. “Sir, we have him cornered in sector 2B.” The response was barely audible as the pain rocked its way through him. He needed to leave. He needed to get out. He panicked. Oh god it hurt. His body acted on its own, trying to find any way to stop the pain, to leave, to escape. He was desperate. Energy crackled around him, enveloping him in a bright red light as he screamed.

“Chaos Control!” 

---

An arm rested lazily outside the driver side window. The car rattling as it sped down the dusty back roads outside of Empire City. The distant glimmer of the cites lights guided him home through the inky blackness of night. 

It had been a late night job. Something G.U.N assigned him. It wasn’t often that the military would hire a hitman, but they had their reasons. Or so Rouge had said. Just so long as it didn’t happen too often. The last thing he wanted was for the military to think he was buddy-buddy with them. Of course, if the pay was right, he’d take on any job. But working with the military didn’t sit right in his stomach. 

He shifted in his seat, turning up the stereo and shifted gears. Pedal hit the floor as he flew down the road, the speed feeding into his veins, satiating his little adrenaline junkie needs. Melting off the stress of the job, slipping into his own little nirvana as he drove. This is why he took the backroads. No one patrolled out here. He could go as fast and as free as he wanted to. 

His eyes shifted upwards as a red light flashed, crashing down onto the road in front of him. “What the--?” His foot hit the break, body stiffening as he swerved out of the way, spinning the car around to face the direction the light came from. Quills bristled as he stared wide eyed into the crackling red bolt. This wasn’t any ordinary lightning. This was chaos energy, and a lot of it. 

The energy fizzled out, leaving the silhouette of a hedgehog standing in the middle of the road. He panted heavily, holding his head, it hurt, everything hurt. Amber eyes seemingly glowed in the headlights he looked up into, feral, in pain, enraged. The two hedgehogs sat idle for a moment, staring back at each other. Letting the situation sink in.

The one in the car was the first to react. He reached over, to the glove compartment, retrieving a set of spare inhibitors and threw the car into park. He got out, a bit too fast for the other hedgehogs liking. He took note of the other hedgehog’s frantic movements. “Hey, calm down!” He spoke as if that was going to help the other at all and walked up to him, clamping the inhibitors onto his wrists. 

The relief was almost instant. The pain faded to a dull ache as the inhibitors absorbed most of his excess energy. He was still on edge, but much more subdued than before. That is, until he was suddenly picked up like a sack of potatoes and tossed into the back of the car. “Where the hell are you taking me?” He hissed, staring at the alternate as he got in the front seat. 

“Someplace where you can calm the hell down and tell me what’s going on.” The driver replied, glaring into the back seat. “Now sit down and shut up, we got a long drive ahead of us.” The majority of the ride was silent, save for the sounds of the car as they sped down the highway. Only one question was asked of him.

“What’s your name?”

“Shadow..” He responded, being met with an irritated growl. 

“I know that. What’s your identifier? You got an alias or something? An old nickname? Anything?” 

He thought for a moment scratching his head, there...was the code name he’d been given by Tower back when he first joined G.U.N. Surely that would do. “Ares.” He replied, staring up to the front seat. “And you?”

“Kirai.”

---

“Sir, I’m afraid we lost him. Data reports a large explosion of chaos energy just before he disappeared. We believe he used a powerful chaos control to leave. Powerful enough to get past the barrier.”

A hand slammed down on the desk. “Don’t you think I know that?” The heavier set man stood from his chair. Arms folded behind his back as he walked up to the window on the far side of the office. “You imbeciles, of course it was chaos control. How else would he have gotten away?” He breathed a sigh, rubbing his temples. “Have you set up the link to him yet?” He peered over his spectacles.

“Sir, the intelligence team is working on it. However, we can’t find his signal anywhere in the vicinity. We’ve scanned all of Central City, his tracker hasn’t given a signal.” 

“Hmmm… Get out an all points bulletin. We need that hedgehog back. Put a message out to news stations, do not let civilians approach him, we don’t know what he’ll do to them. If they see him, have them call state authorities. Do not let them know this is military related.”

“Sir!” With a salute the soldier left the room, leaving the G.U.N commander to himself. “It appears I underestimated you, Shadow. Great grandfather did better on you than I had initially anticipated.” He smirked, walking back to his desk. “No matter. We’ll find you. You’ll be converted into the ultimate weapon soon, my nephew.”

“Commander Robotnic, the president wishes to have a meeting with you.”

The commander raised a brow, peering at his pager and leaned back in his chair. “Of course. Send him in.”

[codyfernmorelikedaddyfern]

Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me - Xavier x Fem!Reader

So… I have a very long Spotify playlist full of songs that are fueling my inspiration to write about… stuff…

Go Easy on me, this is my first Cody rodeo and I have not written for a few years. Also, English isn’t my first language …

Description: You went to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show with your friend Montana and a couple of her male friends. Everyone expected you to be the Janet of the group and Xavier is lucky enough to be your Rocky.

Warnings: Fluff, Smut, soft Xavier, sorta cuteness, virgin!Reader

You had just went to see the Rocky Horror Show with Montana, your flatmate, as well as a handful of her friends you had been hanging out with here and there when there was nowhere else to crash. You tucked your jacket closed over the sequinned bustier to protect your skin from the cold night’s air and then you hoisted yourself in your friend’s Van, your body still trembling from the “post show high”.

Gushing over the mind blowing performance that unfolded in front of you with Montana, the both of you dressed as Columbia and Magenta from the show. Her friend Xavier, driving his weed infused van in a very safe costume of Brad Majors, tried to jump in the conversation occasionally made the both of you giggle, amazed that he even enjoyed the show in comparison to Chet, wearing a pair of bright gold boxers shorts and boots. “I’m dropping you at your flat, ladies?” Xavier asked, pushing a giggle out of your blond friend’s throat.

“No thanks, X! I promised Chet I’ll go back to his’ if he came over as Rocky” she replied, earning a cheeky look back from the buff brunette. “alright then! I’ll drop both of you first then get Y/N back” the driver fed back, giving you a glace through the rear view mirror. Your flatmate giggled again at the sight of the look you just received, literally poking fun at you by digging her finger in your exposed thigh repeatedly. You had confessed to her that you were not indifferent to the blue eyed man ever since you saw him walk in the apartment and she had been trying to push you to jump on every occasion you ever had.

The adrenaline from the live performance  made your mind spin and all of a sudden, 20 minutes flashed in a heartbeat and the next thing you knew, Chet and Montana were dropped to his flat and you were on your way to yours. A comfortable silence fell upon the both of you, only broken down by the soft voice of Xavier.

“so, you enjoyed the show, didn’t you? -Yeah! It was amazing! I’m disappointed you didn’t wear some garters and thigh highs, you replied in a laugh. - Believe me, sweet thing, you wouldn’t have been able to handle it if I came as a Transvestite. I should be even more surprised you dressed as Columbia. - And who did you think I was going to dress up as? - We all expected you to wear one of these mid length dress and a velvet headband and be the Janet of the group, Xavier teased, flashing you a half smile, I’m kinda disappointed as well to be honest.”

The soft buzz of the adrenaline started to wear off slowly as you kept some small talks  with your driver. The familiar lobby of your flat came into view once you took the left turn at the junction and the soft hum of the engine was the only thing you could hear as the van parked up in front of the large glass double doors, the gentle glow of the neon lights from within lighting up half of the street.

You jumped out of the van, looking up at the building you called home. You heard Xavier shift the gear stick and you suddenly turned to face his passenger window, placing your hands on the open door frame, popping your head down into view and earning a surprised, but anticipating look from his stormy blue eyes. “Do you want to come up for a coffee or something?” you asked in a somewhat whisper.

You thought you saw his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed a gulp he was holding on to without his own knowledge. He silently took your offer and pulled his handbrake back up, pushing the gears back in neutral and turning off the ignition, withdrawing his keys and shoving them in his back pocket. He stepped out of his car while you retrieved your own pair of keys, shoving them in the lock of the glass door leading into the lobby.

You stepped in  the warmer inside of the apartment complex, holding the door wide open for Xavier, trailing behind you. “Thank you for the invite, by the way”, he reminded himself while you pushed the elevator button. The soft voice sounding appreciative to receive a caffeine boost to fuel the rest of his drive home. You  climbed in the lift, pressing number 3 and ascending to your flat, guiding your blond friend through the hallways of the building.

Pushing the keys to your apartment and opening the door for the both of you to come in, the comfortable silence growing steadily heavy from the moment you stepped out of the car. You navigated to the kitchen, grabbing a cup and preparing your coffee machine to pour a hot brew for your friend, the conversation peaking up about life and summer projects for the upcoming months. You poured his cup and, as he walked your way to retrieve the mug, you catch a drift of his smell. Was it his cologne that triggered that sharp tug in your stomach? Or maybe was it his pheromone filled sweat causing your hormones to spin and coil through your body?

You passed the cup to him, your fingers brushing against his, sending a shock of electricity down your spine. The feeling must have been mutual as he jolted slightly at your touch, trying to pas it off as simple static electricity. You exchanged a shy smile, totally unaware of what that feeling piling up in your belly means. You caught yourself staring at his fingers, letting your gaze winder down his arm, up the crook of his neck and onto his face, a somewhat surprised look on his face. He cocked up his brow as he noticed your lingering stare.

The subtlety of the head tilt and the slow leaning towards you took you by surprise, Xavier’s face resting but a few inches from you. “Next time we go, you should be dressing up as Janet so we can match, Y/N, I think it suits you better”, his soft voice whispered as you recoiled back shyly, deepening the space between your faces. You were convinced your flushed cheeks could radiate enough heat to warm up some omelet. The waft of his body hit your nose again and you closed your eyes, taking it all in.

He was right tho. You were Janet. Shy and only ever ever felt the soft pressure of a pair of lips against yours. But he was far from being Brad, at least from what you’d ever seen of him. The split second it took for Xavier’s words to escape his mouth seemed to last a lifetime. You parted your lips to speak but was cut off by him.

“ I’m sorry, I didn’t think Montana was lying… She told you you kinda had a thing for me, he kicked back, straightening himself fully. - No it’s- It’s okay, don’t worry. - I’ll have a word with her, i’m really sorry for making you feel uncomfortable. - Please, don’t… She wasn’t-She wasn’t lying, you stuttered, aligning your shoulders parallel to his. I’m just being awkward… I’ve never had someone come back home with me before.”

He looked away, the cold shroud of relief making his shoulders drop. He sighed in contempt and looked down at you, speckles of red staining his cheeks at the realization of the situation. Xavier placed the warm mug on the counter and shook his hands while stepping back. “Just because we’re into each other, doesn’t mean we have to do anything, ‘kay Y/N?” the blond one exhaled, his eyes widening once more “Sorry, I didn’t mean it this way! All I’m saying is that I’d love to just hang out with you” his voice stumbled in confusion as he brought his hands to the either sides of his head.

You softly chuckled, walking away from the kitchen counter and kicking off your shoes as well as jacket by the front door. A pair of slender arms linked around your waist and there it was again. That pulling coil binding itself to your core as his sweet aroma enveloped you. His lips attached themselves to your temple and for a second, it looked like he was taking in your scent as well. You tensed up to his touch, not used to this sort of attention.  “I’m really sorry, Y/N, I just can’t help myself” his voice trembled against your skin, your hands shyly exploring the skin of his arms and resting on top of his calloused fingers. Goosebumps covered your skin when his lips landed against your cheekbone, releasing his digits from yours to graze the supple skin of your face.

His warm knuckles gently tilted your chin towards him, sinking in the ocean blue of his eyes. “Can I?” he whispered, his gaze trailing between your lips and your eyes. You gently nodded, twisting your body gently to rest in front of him. A sharp inhale inflated his lungs, his sight fixating itself upon your lips before he closed his eyelids, the plump and soft flesh of his lips gingerly landing upon yours, holding your chin and letting his other hand travel from your waist up to the sweet spot in between your shoulder blades, gently pressing his chest against yours. You slender fingers landed on his back, returning the kiss as your lips softened against his.

The cold air landed across your lips as he pulled away from your kiss. The burning tingling caused by the sweet embrace of your mouths spread through your chest , covering your arms in many more goosebumps than the previous touch, Xavier’s fingers shyly exploring the raised bumps on your arms. “are you cold sweetheart?” he asked, tilting his head to the side like the most adorable puppy. You shook your head no, looking down to his lips again, silently asking for more. “I’ve never felt like this before, the last kiss I ever received was during a stupid game of spin the bottle when I was 14”, you admitted.

It suddenly dawned onto him, straightening up once more. You adverted his gaze, feeling embarrassed of yourself. “Never…?” he breathed out, a certain level of concern booming in his voice. You sheepishly shook your head , trying your best to hide the flustered look on your face only to look up and fall once more in the deep sea of his eyes before he hesitantly planted another kiss against your lips, this one deeper and more desperate.

You softly whimpered against his mouth, pulling him a couple of steps back, backing yourself against the wall behind you. Following your lead, Xavier pushed one step further, pressing you against the concrete as his nose brushed yours, cocking his head to the side. Hormones filling up the air around you both, you trailed your hands from his back up to his neck, allowing your other palm to lose itself in his hair, the air growing thicker with a need for more.

He suddenly pulled back, shaking himself out of his burning state. His face somewhat twisted in a state of confusion. In this instant, you could read through him like an open book and doubt was the only thing written on his blank chapter. His frantic eyes looked around for some sort of confirmation that he was far from making a mistake and the only thing he found was your worried eyes and your fingers pressed against your own lips as if you were trying to retain the burning sensation of his own mouth pressed flushed on yours. “I’m so sorry, Y/N. I didn’t mean to…” he panicked before your hands wrapped themselves around the collar of his shirt, pulling him once more in a kiss, this time more heated and passionate then ever before.

You could feel your heart pumping in your chest, threatening to burst out at any second, his lips opening shortly after contact was made, his tongue splitting your mouth open and searching for yours. Following the only lead of your instinct and pushing your own out, deepening the heated embrace with a soft whimpering escaping your throat. Your digits slide on his shoulders, peeling off his jacket and letting it drop to the floor before the kiss was broken again but this time, his lips trailed down from yours down to your jaw, gently nipping at your skin and sliding off to your neck.

Heavily breathing against his chest, you started to feel that burning heat moving from your heart all the way down to your belly and to rest between your thighs. This times, it was you who pulled off of him, a lonely tear building up from your eye and rolling down your cheek.

“Hey, it’s okay, Xavier reassured you, pushing you in a tight hug. - I’m frightened, you breathed out, suddenly confusing panic with arousal. I don’t know what’s happening. - Shh, sweetheart, it’s alright, I’ve got you.”

His fingers laced themselves in your Y/H/C hair, cooing and shushing you softly and walking you towards the couch gently. Xavier sat you down on the sofa and retrieved an empty cup of water for you, finding a spot by your side. “I’m not sure what is happening” you confessed, your fingers trembling before you reached for his, looking up to meet his eyes, silently begging for one more hungry kiss. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop if we carry on, Y/N” Xavier admitted, rubbing his forehead with his free hand and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t think i would want you to stop, Xavier”. He lunged for your lips, laying you down impossibly gently against the pillows of your couch. Once more, his tongue seeked yours, this time fighting for dominance while his hips dug between yours. You shyly reached up and started to unbutton his shirt before his fingers wrapped around yours, making you rip it open, too eager to be able to feel more of your skin against his. The fabric of his shirt flew off of his body to fall on the floor. You pulled away from his lips “Not in here, please… I don’t want Montana to walk in on us…” you whimpered under him, the heat between your thighs growing hotter by the second.

He chuckled softly, getting back on his feet and pulling you up against his chest, placing a soft peck on your lips. “Lead me where you want me” he whispered in your ear, making the flustered stains on your cheeks grow more intense, your fingers tangling with his and guiding him to your bedroom. Leaving the door open behind the both of you, Xavier pressed his exposed chest against yours, his fingers looking for the zipper on the sequinned bustier covering your torso. Pulling it down a handful of teeth, he looked back at you, searching for any doubts in your eyes, finding only passion and envy. “Y/N, promise me you will not regret this”, he inquired while pressing his forehead to yours. “I would hate myself if you were to regret this”, he cooed, his free hand cupping your cheek. Tugging on your heart strings, your instinct pulled your forward, planting a soft kiss against his lips, your hands gathering by the buckle of his belt to pry it open.

An adorable smirk lingered on his lips as he pulled down the zipper, making you shiver as the cold air of your bedroom assaulted the soft skin of your chest, now exposed. Letting your top collapse to the grown, the blond’s fingers hooked themselves underneath your thighs, gently pulling you up and pushing your legs around his waist. His feet carried you both to the bed, pushing you against the mattress. You both took part in another heated kiss, begging for more in short bursts of whimpers and groans, his fingers now discovering your body, caressing your shoulders then your clavicle, ribs and finally making their way up against your breasts, ripping our a moan from you.

Xavier pulled off of your mouth and hissed at the sound of your moan, allowing his hand to travel down to the waistband of your short, sneaking slowly underneath the border of your panties. You dove into his eyes, working on opening your shorts and squirming out of them. The blond man peeled off your underwear just enough for you to feel the cold air hit your folds, realizing that you had been confusing this strange new feeling with anxiety. He shimmied out of his trousers, chucking them to the floor along with his socks, laying beside your naked body, only clad of his white boxers.

His eyes took in the view of your exposed  body all in, noticing a small shiver covering your body. Another chuckle passed his throat and he pulled you in his arms, nudging the both of you under the covers. You joined in with a giggle and pushed your fingers against his cheek, stroking it and watching him lean into your palm. His body shifted on top of your while your kiss reinstate itself, less desperate and more gentle this time, your fingers losing themselves in his bleached blond locks  while his own moved to caress your inner thigh.

Your lungs filled with air in a gasp as his digit stroked the edge of your folds, gathering wetness on the tips of his phalanges. “Fuck, I didn’t know you would be so w-” your lips pushed themselves against his again, bucking your hips up against his fingers, which Xavier pushed forward against your clit, stealing a moan from you. You crossed his gaze, now dark with lust, biting your lower lip and listening to your halting breath. Gently making his way to your entrance and maintaining eye contact with you, he slipped his calloused digit in your core, pushing another moan out of your chest, the new sensation unfurling new feelings deep inside your belly.

Thrusting gently inside of you, he seeked the spot that would make you mewl for him. Your E/C gaze traveled down to the throbbing ache in his boxers, trying to reach for it. His eyes met yours and, using the slight confusion at your advantage to pull his wrist out, wrap your legs around his wast and pushing his ever hardening groin against your own crouch, rolling your hips against him and ripping out a surprised moan from Xavier. “I don’t need foreplay. I want more” you begged, trying desperately to push down his boxers. A shiver run down his spine while he grinds his hips against yours. He looked back for his trousers, breaking off the contact from your burning skin.

He peeled off the underwear you tried so hard to pry off, having you averting your eyes shyly. He chuckled and reached back for the pocket of his pants, pulling out a condom from his wallet. “I promise, I didn’t plan this…” he said with guilt laced in his voice, blushing more than he had been already. “You’re fine Xavier, I promise” you echoed, somewhat begging for more contact. He laid back against you, dropping his lips against yours while his hands busy themselves opening the condom and rolling it upon his length.

Biting your lower lips and finally looking down to Xavier’s pulsating length wrapped between his thighs. His gaze traveled up to you again, catching you staring and pulling a small snicker past his lips before he lined up his hips. “If you want me to stop, just let me know and we’ll stop” he whispered, peppering your cheeks with gentle kisses. You nodded your head, smiling enthusiastically. He linked his mouth to yours in a tender peck, slowly pushing the tip of his cock between your slick folds, causing your whole body to heat up even more, gripping at the sheets and making a mental note to remember to breath. The pain subsided as he sunk deeper inside of you, his lung hissing in pleasure while you moaned in his mouth, confused as to whether it was due to pain or pleasure.

Once again, his lips departed yours, this time to allow a delectably sweet moan escape from him, pushed inside of your core fully. He paused for a few seconds, savouring the sheer pleasure of finally being buried between your thighs, then looked down, silently checking if you were alright. Your fists clenched around the sheets, you took a moment to adjust to this very new sort of pain. A pain so intimately tied to pleasure that the confusion was overly obvious, your eyes pleaded for him to stay and carry on, a bundle of nerves unraveling from the inside of your stomach.

That’s when he began thrusting, slowly at first, making sure you were comfortable, picking up the pace ever so slightly with your first moan. The head of his cock softly stroked against that unknown spot you had never dared to discover, as if he was made perfectly to please your deepest triggers. With a chain of hips clashing and skin slapping, his rhythm got quicker and the intense pleasure seamed to shred it’s way through your stomach, a thrashing tornado building up in your core and upon each stroke, a moan jumped out of your lips, matching his irregular grunts and growls. “Fuck, Y/N-…” he moaned as he buried himself deeper inside of you, quicker with every approval. He pulled himself down against you, one arm snaking around your waist and the other caressing the beautiful hills of your breasts.

How could you have waited so long to feel such a carnal and feral emotion? So raw and instinctive, it seemed perfectly impossible for your to never experience it ever again after this night. Sloppy kisses turned by heavy moans and whimpers and broad strokes helping you climb the obtuse slope of your climax. That deep coil tightened inside of you as you prepared yourself for a release, the intense and powerful pleasure nearly becoming uncomfortable. “I need it harder” you panted, pushing a string of swear out of your lover’s lips as his hips dug harder inside of you, pushing roughly inside your dripping cunt. The madness of your height force out loud moans and half assed cursing.

And it snapped. Your fingers reached for his back and your nails dug your way down from Xavier’s shoulder blades all the way to the small of his back, earning a soft wince from him. The clenching of your walls and the intense shaking and twitched got the sweaty boy moaning louder than before, his beautiful face torn in pleasure as his cock plucks deeper at you. “Yes, Y/N, cum for me”, he breathes out, stuttering and growling. His eyes open to fall upon the expression of raw pleasure clawing it’s way through your body. Pushing you through your orgasm, his hips rolled further than before, making sure to get you whimpering your way out of your climax, not fully realizing how close he was, himself.

Quickly propping yourself against him, your lips connected to the soft flesh of his neck, nipping and suckling at the pale skin of Xavier, parking your newly conquered territory as your height finally flushed itself out of your core. The slight pain of your love bite being just that little nudge to bring him right at the edge of his own climax, “I’m already going to c-” he tries to warn but the arms of Eros already reached for him and pulled him to the void of his own release,  his whole body bucking, twitching and spurting into the condom, causing a slight whine to pass through your lips. His cock twitched again and his body clenches, filing up the empty space in the condom.

His chest collapses against yours, unable to keep his eyes open or even synchronized, still trembling against you, mouth agape. Planting a small peck on his lips for each uncontrolled twitches passing through his body, Xavier gingerly pulled out of you, leaving you feeling empty and with a swift movement, the condom is discarded and you find yourself pulled against his chest, a contempt smile across his face. You sigh softly, relaxing in his arms, drifting to slumber, gently lullabied by Xavier’s calming heartbeat.

Montana’s cheeky giggles is what wakes you up during the early hour of the morning, still laced and tangled in the arms of your still asleep lover. Her small frame is standing in the doorway, her Polaroid camera in hands, snapping a picture of the both of you burred deep underneath the covers of your bed and your clothes somewhat thrown around your bedroom. “Tell us about it, Janet” she teasingly joke, swiftly moving out of the bedroom and leaving the Polaroid snapshot drift to the floor, closing the door behind her…

[itsgonnabe-brian-may]

She’s a Killer/Dancing Queen 2

// part one

wc: 2.2k

John Deacon x reader - joe!john Deacon x reader.

@queer-heart-attack

I got a little carried away but I hope that this was a fun read! Let me know what you think! Also sorry that there’s no “keep reading” and if the format is screwed up. I’m posting from mobile.

//

A bubbly laugh escaped your lips as you bowed extravagantly. You had definitely gotten a little carried away while playing the songs, but hey, you never got to play them all the way through in front of others so you took the opportunity.

The 4 men standing behind the glass of the studio had the weirdest combination of facial reactions. Brian was delightfully amused, Rogers face was a mixture of surprise and joy, Johns mouth was slightly agape with awe and Freddie’s face was light up brighter than a Christmas tree with excitement.

“That was brilliant darling!” Freddie exclaimed throwing open the doors, with no regard for the 3 men following behind.

“Bloody fantastic,” Roger added. Which came to a shock to you.

“Wait and didn’t you say that you hated disco?” You prompted, quirking a brow at Roger.

“Careful Y/N, he’s a bear and disco is the stick your poking him with,” Brian laughed leaning against the piano.

“Excuse me what, poking a bear? With a disco stick?” You asked quizzically raising a brow. The metaphor clearly not making sense.

“Right, sorry Y/N, it’s an expression. It’s like Roger is a bear and you are there with him in the forest, but not actually in a forest, and he’s upset—“ John blabbered on before Freddie cut in.

“John, no one cares about the bloody metaphor, we care about the music! Isn’t that what we’re here for? Now come on Y/N, teach a rock band how to be Disco!”

The next hour included the 5 of you talking about goals and wants for the week to come. You had agreed upon teaching them an ABBA song part by part on Thursday and play all together on Friday morning, the rest of the day was for what you wanted it to be. And of course a farewell party that night. And then sinfully early Saturday morning it was time to make the journey home, but you couldn’t dwell on it, there was music to be played! And fun to be had!

Thursday:

All the boys had shown up first thing in the morning. Even Roger who wasn’t supposed to play until 1 had come. The recording room was filled with energy and anticipation. You had sworn the boys the secrecy between each other. No one was to talk about what song you had chosen and the sound was switched off, but they could still see the session.

Each member got a 2 hour session alone with Y/N with an hour break for lunch at noon.

Freddie was first up, it had nothing to do with the fact that he was the most excited to play, outwardly at least. John was definitely the most excited, but he was shy and would just have to wait his turn. Freddie insisted on watching you play piano and then trying to copy afterwards. Needless to say you were blown away by his talent. Only an hour had passed and he had mastered his part on the Grand Piano. The rest of the hour was spent with you two messing around on the keytar and teaching him some of the words, along with the harmony’s. Again you were shocked with his range and ability to hit the notes that the female back up singers had trouble with.

Brian was next.

“Look, I am so sorry that there’s not more guitar to this song, however I stayed up late transcribing the violin part, which I think you will make sound really cool,” you confessed at the beginning of his time slot.

Instead of being disappointed he was thrilled and relentlessly complimented your work and teaching. Your heart soared with every compliment Brian gave. If you didn’t know him any better you would have sworn he was flirting. But alas he was just being the dorky fascinated man he was. John, however grew annoyed with it fast. He was jealous, even Roger stopped making fun of him for it, which was rare.

Brian was also a quick student, though the pace was different. You two sat on the edge of the platform stage and each with a guitar in hand. Within the last half hour you had also ended up giving him some lyrics to accompany you and Freddie. Your voices were going to blend fantastically, at least you thought so.

Finally it was lunch time. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t been starving during Brian’s session. Lunch consisted of lots of coffee, brought from Sweden in your carry on, sandwiches and french fries.

“You mean chips Y/N,” Roger mocked your American English.

“I most certainly do not, they are French Fries, not chips or crisps,” you fought back.

“You see that is where you are wrong,” Brian said joining the discussion.

“Brian! I thought you were on my side,” you gasped mocking offense. You picked up a handful of fries- excuse me chips- and tossed it at the boys. Hitting John square in the nose.

“You did not just do that! What have I done to you Y/N, I said nothing!” John squeaked.

Roger grabbed some and flung them in your direction in retaliation. Soon individual fries were flying across the room. Deaky somehow ended up at one end of the room, you at the other with one fry in your hand.

“Come on Deaky, come on,” you said under your breath like a small prayer before throwing it perfectly into his mouth.

“Yes!” You screamed out in joy running over to John throwing your arms around his neck in celebration. In the adrenaline of victory you impulsively pressed a kiss to Johns cheek. Both of your cheeks burned crimson red. Thankfully Roger was too busy pulling out his wallet to give Brian the cash he had just lost after betting against Deaky’s fry catching abilities and didn’t make a comment.

Eventually you all calmed down and sessions resumed. This time with Roger. Who was surprisingly pleasant to work with. Even if he had spent a majority of the time fumbling around and poorly flirting. At one point he kept dropping his drum sticks, which lead to you sitting on the stool pressed up against him, his hands being kept closed by yours. He would whisper a dumb comment in your ear, which lead to a laughing response or smack to the back of the head.

John was fuming, internally at least. With the sound off he couldn’t hear your consistent rejections towards Roger’s advances, which just made his jealousy worse.

“He always gets the pretty girls,” he mumbled sneeringly and threw his feet up on the coffee table.

However he didn’t have to deal with the antics for too long, it was his turn, finally.

You two sat as you had with Brian, yet your knees touched ever so slightly. Both of you noticed, but said nothing.

You weren’t gonna lie in, you picked out this song because of the bass line, and the fact that you knew John would excel at it made the decision final.

The two of you played in intimate unison. By the end of it you were laughing and teasing each other. You offered gentle touches as corrections, which juxtaposed the threats that you had given Roger a mere hour ago.

The rest of the band also seemed to notice the difference and the fact that you hadn’t been playing for the last twenty minutes. Brian was the only one who truly understood it though. He certainly was going to keep an eye on the two of you, and maybe suggest a bet.

The day slowly came to an end. Dinner was burgers and chips, you had given up on the fight of chips vs fries, and of course there was a celebratory beer. 8:00 pm rolled around far too quickly, but it was time to call it a night. All of you were tired of being in the studio for 12 hours. Especially you, since you had been the only playing for almost all 12 of those hours. Flopping down on the hotel bed was only slightly less rewarding than teaching the boys their parts.

Friday:

Getting out of bed at the sound of the cheap hotel alarm clock was almost too easy. Today was sadly your final day in England for this short visit, but it was also the day where all of your hard work came together. Hopefully. At least you all had fun.

You threw on a pair of black bell bottoms and a white tank top, even though it wasn’t that warm out, you had learned your lesson from yesterday. Wearing a knit jumper is not a good idea when working with Queen.

To your surprise all of the band arrived before you. They had come to practice their individual parts. Which made your heart melt. And once you arrived each of them had a few more questions and you answered. Around 3 you gathered in the recording room.

“You boys ready to get your disco on?!” You called out as if you were trying to get them excited. They already were.

“Of course we are, so what are we waiting for Darlings?” Freddie replied, starting off the first few piano notes of the song. Brian joined in soon after. Then Roger with an enthusiastic smile. You and John joined in together, him on the bass, you on the keytar.

“Half past twelve” You Brian and Fred harmonized perfectly.

“There’s not a soul out there— no one to hear my prayer———-“

With a symbol crash you began the chorus line.

“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A man after midnight— won’t somebody help me chase the shadows away—-“

At that moment, Queen had embodied dancing queens. Everyone had gotten engrossed in the music and was dancing along with their part as much as they could. Naturally, John excelled at it. The song ended with a final symbol crash. And then a moment of time where everyone’s breath could be heard, then laughter. A Rock band had just done a damn good job of being a Disco band.

“Wow, I think this is your guy’s calling, screw rock and roll!” You laughed, grinning widely.

“Careful, Queen might just come kick ABBA off the charts with a disco track,” John teased.

“He’s right, no one is stopping us! Watch out darling,” Freddie joined in with a wink.

The rest of the day was spent teasing each other, lounging around and messing around. In the 3 days that you had spent with Queen, you all had become quite close. Close enough where they divulged their favorite pub to you. Eventually you moved from the studio to that pub, which was conveniently down the street. It was packed and the band preforming wasn’t half bad. It was no Queen. But it did the job of creating a upbeat vibe. Freddie found a small booth in the back corner while Roger left to go get a the first round of drinks. Unsurprisingly the round included tequila shots. Soon you were three shots in and tipsy. You thanked the booth for being small, especially since it gave you the opportunity to be closer to John. He was also feeling a little extra confident and placed his arm discreetly around your waist.

“Jag vill bara säga tack —,” you began before realizing the boys around you looked dumbfounded. “Right, English is a thing,” you laughed. “As I was saying, thank you for everything, I loved being here, I’m glad I got to come,” You laughed raising your glass in a toast.

“We loved having you darling!”

“Come back any time!”

The night carried on in celebratory fashion. More drinks, lots of bad dancing, laughing, terrible jokes, and more untranslatable Swedish phrases that slipped out. Your pretty sure you confessed your attraction towards John. Thank god he didn’t understand the language. Though he understood body language. At around midnight you and John went out for a breath of fresh air. Brian had originally planned on joining but just sent a wink instead.

Soon enough your lips were on his. I’m perfect unison. Your arms wrapped around his neck loosely, his around your waist. A mix of lust and admiration filled the air as he took a step back leaning against the brick wall, in turn pulling you closer.

“You know, I’ve been waiting to do that since the second you started signing,” John sighed smiling at you.

“And I have too,” you smiled back. Your cheeks turning a light shade of pink. The tipsy-ness from the alcohol had worn off. Late night London and being alone with John had made you want more. Every part of you wanted to stay but you knew it wasn’t going to happen. You loved your life back in Sweden and your job was all you could ask for. It was too bad that the man you dreamed of was in London.

The band came out after an hour or so and insisted on walking you way back to your hotel. The trip back was mostly occupied by trying to get John to memorize your number, and consoling Roger because he had to leave the girl he was flirting with. Everyone got a tight hug goodbye, John got an added kiss on the cheek, then you left for the airport 3 hour later. Still a little tipsy and in love, but you got your ‘man after midnight’ in the end.

[divine-peach]

past life reading for @solar-neon-rays

Memory:

My eyes shoot open, adrenaline coursing through my body like liquid lightning, making me jump up from the floor of the boat I was sleeping on. My heart beats erratically, weighing so much more at this moment of time than ever before, like heavy iron in my chest. Flecks of water jump from the hidden bottom of the waterfall, the line where falling water meets the ground hidden behind a churning of white foam and mist. I feel high strung, my body tight, so many emotions and feelings coursing through me - I want to cry in happiness and joy, my body tingles with excitement and anticipation and I want to jump, fly, soar. It’s exhilarating!

I turn to look at my fellow crew members who followed me on my journey, the boat staff and friends I have made along the way. “We did it, men!” You shout triumphantly, raising a fist into the air. Your cheery attitude was infectious, spreading through the people until they too started clapping each other on the back and throwing congratulations. You laugh, unable to keep all the turbulent, happy emotions inside of you. Emotions threatening to bubble over and spill. “Well done, mate” Your friend Christoff comes over and pats you on the back, hard. You smile at him - Christoff with his Norwegian immigrant parents and vaguely Australian accent. “Couldn’t have done it without you,” He whispers softly, catching his eye, before saying more loudly, “all of you”. Christoff grins, his eyes crinkling and reflecting the same warmth you feel within you. You grin back at him, gripping his shoulder. “Thanks, mate.” You turn away from him to address the rest of the group, back silhouetted against the vivid sunset, bright hues of orange and pink and blue and purple colouring the sky.

“Alright you hobgoblins [I’m presuming this was a term of affection]," You shout, voice nearly swallowed up by the roar of the steadily approaching waterfall, gaining their attention. You then proceed to give them orders, before finishing your speech with a: “We’re gonna feast tonight!”, causing cheers to once again, be let loose aboard the ship. You watch Christoff leave to join the others, causing you to turn around and gaze at the sunset that was illuminating the scene before you in a passionate flame. It was absolutely breathtaking. The first waterfall crashed into the water on your right, and further to your left, another smaller waterfall was presumably placed, given with the clear cut of water reflecting the pink hues of the sky and the slowly descending sun. The heat stuck to your skin while insects buzzed incessantly around you, yet you’ve never felt more at home or at peace.

Appearance:

You had sandy blond hair bleached constantly by the sun, combined with fine lines of platinum blond. It sat, shaggy and mop-like on top of your head, with either a hat to cover it or your fingers running through it excessively. Your skin was very tanned, a tan produced by hours upon hours of working in the sun. One time you went back home to England, you swore you could see the tips of your father’s moustache curl up in surprise. You had a cheeky grin, seemingly permanent on your face, with a nose slightly bent and crooked from years of playing rough and sports and adventure. Eyebrows were sometimes slightly singed due to your strange love of getting close or approaching an open flame and your eyes were a lovely dark green. You were quite tall, with Christoff being the tallest on the ship, and your physique wasn’t lean at all - rather hard muscle.

Traits & Characteristics:

You were a quiet curious kid when you weren’t asking questions all the time. You gazed upon the world with such wonder, often found running around in nature with a book at hand to help you identify the strange frog in the pond. You grew up to be relatively good at academics - not the best, but neither the worse, which only caused you to see more wonder in the world, feeding your curiosity. You could never keep still, always fidgeting or on the move, leading you to travel and gallivant around the world. You were easy to get along with, making many loyal friends along the way, but felt emotions really easily. You were often seen as a child in a man's body when faced with adventure or objects.

Major Themes:

Adventure

Curiosity & Discovery

Rivalry

Freedom & Liberation

Soul Searching

Peace

Wonder

Notes:

You loved to travel, spending a lot of time on the water or near the water. You especially loved your stay in Cairo, Egypt - your view of the river Nile, whether during sunrise or sunset, from where you were staying a favourite memory of yours. 

This memory may have happened so where in Brazil, South America.

You were born in July, placing your sun in a Cancer-Leo cusp.

You were born and raised in England, Cheshire keeps coming up.

You were born in a well off family, your mother was seen as this soft but emotionally distant or physically distant figure in your life, while your father, though more honest and to the point, was a more fixed, stable structure in your life. You may have had a lot of fights or arguments with your father, but you both understood each other enough to quickly and easily forgive and apologise.

You wanted to continue exploring forever, yet your mother and eventually your father (persuaded by his wife) hounded you to settle down and marry a ’respectable’ woman. You eventually did, but your wife often brought upon memories of another woman, who had dark hair and skin and an easy smile.

[mel-the-fangirl]

Rushed Confessions - Requested

Tom Holland x Reader

Words: 1,905

Requested by: anonymous

“Can you do a tom holland x reader where the reader is sam and harry's age and the three of them are really close but tom has always lowkey liked her and when he comes home or whatever he just like word vomits to her about liking her and just fluff?”

I absolutely loved this request, I may have tweaked it just a tiny bit, I hope you don’t mind. Also, apologies if it took so long! Thank you so much for sending it in, and I hope you like it! As always, REQUESTS ARE OPEN.

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

“Sam, mate, you’re supposed to catch it with your hands, not your face.”

“Shut up, Tom.”

“Sam! Sam! I’m open!”

Another day, another round of squabbles from the Holland brothers. The sound of their feet scuffling along the ground filled your ears along with a few (more than a few) colourful words coming from their mouths. The lads were playing basketball, if you could call it that. It actually looked more like they were just throwing the ball around then tackling each other afterwards.

“I’m not quite sure if that’s how basketball works.” You remarked from your spot on the Hollands’ backyard deck, there was no fucking way in hell that you were joining in with those cavemen.

“It’s not.” replied Paddy from next to you

“Padster, how come you aren’t joining in?” you asked

Paddy rolled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a rather nasty looking bruise. You let out a gasp that he promptly rolled his eyes at.

“Oh, come on, Y/N. It’s just a bruise, doesn’t even hurt.”

Harry let out a yelp as Sam and Tom tackled him to the ground. Paddy ran over to them, concerned for his older brother. You didn’t move though, you just rolled your eyes. He’d shake it off, like he always does.

Most your days were spent like this, being an honourary part of the Holland family, you basically lived with them. Sam, Harry, Tom, and you had christened yourselves “The Fab Four” since you were children, the fact that Tom was three years older than the rest of you never posed an issue (since he’s basically a child).

“Thanks for the concern, Y/N.” Harry said sarcastically as he passed you, going into the house to get some ice for his arm

“You’re so welcome, my child.”

“Shut up, we’re the same age!” he hollered from inside

You chuckled, quite pleased with yourself. Your phone beeped in your hands, you looked down to check it.

With Harry inside, the game had ceased. Sam had lifted Paddy above his head so he could reach the hoop.

“And here comes Paddy Holland with the winning shot!” Tom said in his special sports announcer voice

Paddy dunked the ball and both his brothers cheered. You chuckled to yourself but didn’t look up, too engrossed in your phone, well, until it was snatched from your hands.

“Rude!” you yelled, whipping around to face your enemy. All five feet and eight inches of Thomas Stanley Holland stood before you, he was smiling, your phone held high above his head.

“Using my height to your advantage, I see.”

Tom shrugged. “Well, love, I’ve got to. Sam and Harry make me look like a joke.”

Your attempts to jump for your phone were futile but since you weren’t one to back down easily, especially when it came to the brothers, you bent your knees and sprung upward forcefully. And although it was valiant effort, Tom caught you by your waist before you could even grab your phone.

Gravity pushed you down, inevitably taking Tom down with you. Your bodies crashed down onto the floor but Tom made sure to lay you on top of him so he could absorb the majority of the impact. The wind rushed out of your lungs as your back hit Tom’s chest, you heard him grunt from under you.

Sam and Paddy watched you two with interest, they shared a knowing look but said nothing, carrying on with their game.

“Tom! You fucking idiot!” you exclaimed, struggling to roll off of him since he was holding onto you tightly

He let out a big laugh, squeezing you. Tom has always loved you, he’s never told you right out, but as they say, actions speak louder than words. And in Tom’s case? They were screaming.

“Tom, come on, let go!” you elbowed him, making him loosen his grip on you

The both of you sat up, catching your breath. Your eyes met briefly, and you burst out laughing uncontrollably.

Paddy nudged Sam, “Look at them. Do you think Tom likes Y/N?”

“I’ll be damned if he didn’t.” Sam replied, noticing the way Tom looked at you.

Dom and Nikki invited you to stay for dinner which wasn’t an unusual occurrence. You all sat around the dining table, eating, laughing, swapping stories, and basically being a picture perfect family.

“I can’t stress enough how nice it is to have another lass in the house, Y/N. I’m so glad you’re around more often, love.” Nikki smiled at you from next to Dom

“I’ll be around even more, if you’d like.” you joked, earning laughs from everyone

“We’d love that, wouldn’t we, Tess?” Tom scratched the Blue staffy that has been sitting by his feet the entire dinner, scarfing down scraps happily

“Tom would love that.” Harry muttered as he sipped from his glass, a bruise was forming on his arm from their earlier game. Tom froze upon hearing his brother’s remark. What did this little fucker know?

Your spoon was suspended halfway to your mouth, you looked to Harry with a confused look on your face. The lighthearted chatter continued around you.

“We,” Sam punctuated, looking briefly at Tom “would all love that, Y/N. We could be the Three Musketeers while Tom is away.”

Tom inwardly sighed in relief. He gave Sam a thankful look, then simultaneously frowned at Harry.

“You could still be the Fab Four. I could stand-in for Tom.” Paddy said hopefully and oh-so adorably. You gave him an affectionate look and nodded.

“Of course you can stand-in for Tom. He’s a butt anyway for leaving us here.” you stuck your tongue out at the oldest Holland boy, which he returned. The parents snickered at all your antics, feeling accomplished for having created such a beautiful family.

“Who’s going to stand-in for Harry, then?” Dom asked

“Harry’s irreplaceable.” you stated nonchalantly, eating the last of your roast dinner

Dom stood up from his seat and called for everyone’s attention. “Can I have everyone’s attention, please? I’d better, or else you’re all grounded, except you, Y/N.”

You pumped your fist in the air triumphantly as everyone laughed.

“I just want to toast to Tom.” Dom continued, “As I always tell you, your life is changing. We all pray you never forget where you’ve come from, son. You’re doing us proud, representing Team Holland on the world stage and completely eclipsing my career. Safe travels, my boy!”

“Hear, hear!” Harry exclaimed as everyone raised their glasses

---------

“Need help?” you strode into the kitchen, dinner having just ended. Tom was already doing the dishes, just like he always did.

“Oh shit, hey.” he hastily shut off the tap and turned to you

You leaned against the counter, gazing at Tom thoughtfully. He gazed back at you, trying to remember the way you looked.

“I thought you’d left already.” Tom said softly, leaning against sink, crossing his arms.

“Without saying good bye to my favourite Holland?” you replied, giving him a sly smile

He couldn’t stop the blush that spread across his cheeks. “And here I thought Harry was your favourite Holland, what with him being irreplaceable and all.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, well, well. I didn’t think my little comment would get under your skin so much.”

He ran his still soapy hands through his hair, not noticing the suds that stuck to his hair.

“You’re always getting under my skin, Y/N.” he chuckled nervously as you moved closer to him

“It’s a talent. Hold still a minute, Tom.” His heart nearly stopped as you reached up to brush the soap suds from his hair. His eyes involuntarily fluttered shut, savouring your touch.

“Y/N,” Tom breathed out once he felt your hand caress his cheek

“I-I’m sorry.” you stuttered out in reply, wringing your hands nervously. Had you crossed a line?

You began inching closer towards the doorway. Tom finally snapped out of his stupor and noticed your retreating form, he grabbed your hand. “No, Y/N, wait. I-I need to tell you something.”

A mixture of confusion and anticipation flooded your veins. He took a deep, cleansing breath that he expected would give him the composure he needed to say what he wanted to say, but instead:

“I’velovedyouforsolongandIdidn’tknowifyou’dlovemebackbecauseIthoughtyouwouldthinkitwouldbeweirdbutyeahIloveyou,Y/N.”

Real smooth, Tom, real smooth.

Both of you stood in stunned silence, allowing Tom’s rushed confession permeate the still air. The rest of the Hollands were eavesdropping on you from the opposite side of the walls.

“You.. You what?” you managed to get out

Tom just wanted to pull his hair out, how he wished he had some of that Spider-man confidence right about now. He took another deep breath, and looked you right in the eyes.

“I love you. I have loved you for a long time now but I never said anything because I thought you’d think it was weird.”

There it was. He’d finally laid it all out for you. Now was your chance, you could finally release all of your pent up feelings for Tom, you could finally tell him how much he actually meant to you without the fear of being rejected or the fear of ruining the amazing friendship you two had built.

“Eight years,” you mumbled, just loud enough for Tom to hear “Eight years, I’ve been keeping this from you, from all of you.”

His heart was racing. Could it be? Was he luckier than he thought?

“What are you saying, Y/N?”

You shook your hair out in mild frustration. “Tom. I’ve loved you since I was ten.”

And with that, Tom took you in his arms in a bone crushing hug. He then lifted you in the air and spun you around like you didn’t weigh a thing. A mix of elation and adrenaline was coursing through Tom’s veins, you didn’t have to say anything else, the kiss Tom pressed to your lips did all the talking for you.

Now comfortably seated on the couch, you and Tom snuggled together. His hand drew patterns on your back while the other held yours tightly. It was already rather late, the realization that Tom was leaving tomorrow hit you rather hard.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered to you “And I was wondering, Ms. Y/L/N, if you would like to accompany me for a few weeks?”

You looked up at his handsome face, trying to gauge if he was actually serious. “You want me to come with you?”

“Of course, Y/N.” he replied sincerely, placing a gentle kiss on your lips

“I’d love to.. But, maybe you should ask my folks first?”

Tom laughed. “I will. Don’t worry, they love me. They won’t say no.”

“I admire your confidence, Thomas.”

“Not as much as I admire you… So, you’ve been in love with me since you were ten?” he wiggled his eyebrows at you with the smuggest look on his face

“Shove off, Tom.”

He got on top of you and began peppering your face with kisses. “Oh, come on, Y/N! You know you looooove me.”

And you did. You really, really did. The best part was, he loved you too.

[narrans]

One Shot | September Prompts

TWENTY | Please

“Ali, please, you need to get some sleep,” Joan pleaded with Ali, who was barely conscious while sitting upright. The other borrowers, with a little help from the team, had set up a temporary living area for the kids. They hadn’t anticipated rescuing so many, though they weren’t complaining, and the vast majority of them did not want to be separated from one another. Instead, the adults voted on taking turns staying with the children in case they needed anything – something the humans could not do unfortunately.

The little girl Ali brought in separately was still unconscious, but her breathing seemed to stabilize and become less labored. Her bandages were no longer bleeding profusely. Patton managed to give her water and even a little orange juice. She was sleeping soundly, but still needed to be monitored. It was late in the evening; Ali knew that much. A cold plate of food was to her right on a side table, but she hadn’t had an appetite for a while. She couldn’t even identify it out of the corner of her eyes. The adrenaline once coursing through her veins and keeping her upright was rapidly turning into a crash. Still, Ali shook her head and gave Joan a thoughtful grin.

“Not yet,” she muttered. “I can sleep later. I’ll only be up for a little while longer anyway. Just until her fever goes down a little more.” Ali wetted another piece of washcloth and switched it out for the one on the girl’s forehead.

“Ali,” Joan said, eyes rolling. “You’ve been up for basically almost three days with no sleep.”

“That is false,” corrected Ali. “I slept for a couple hours earlier today when I got in and took a nap before we headed out for day nine of observation.” Joan was not impressed.

“Okay. So, if we do the math, you’ve been awake for maybe fifteen to twenty hours for every one hour you slept? That’s assuming this unhealthy cycle of yours has lasted for around sixty hours or so.”

Ali rolled her shoulders and leaned her head to the side, letting the satisfying crack display her relative annoyance at being out-mathed while she was sleep deprived. “I’m fine.”

“Ali, please…”

“I said I’m fine. Just a little bit longer. Anyway, no one else is awake right now. Don’t think I didn’t notice everyone passed out on the couches. You are all just as tired as I am, so one of us has to take the hit for now. Seeing that I am currently doing something, I will stay awake.” Joan moaned, knowing Ali was beyond stubborn when she dug her heels in.

“Fine.” With that, Joan grabbed a nearby blanket and settled onto a nearby couch which was currently unoccupied. Within minutes, Ali could hear soft snoring. She smiled to herself and rubbed her dry eyes. It had been quite an eventful few days. The rescue, the observations, the potential court case, and, finally, her fight with Hickory. Well, less of a fight and more like a rant where Ali was personally attacked and tried to defend herself. Whatever it was, Ali was still disquieted. Hickory apparently hadn’t been seen by any of the borrowers she had interacted with or the other humans in the house.

Ali usually wouldn’t be worried. Hickory was prone to vanishing for a couple days here and there. Sometimes, she didn’t want to stay in her “room” which was on Ali’s shelf next to her bed and would go stay somewhere else. Ali never tried to pry where Hickory went, understanding the need for space from time to time. There were plenty of nooks in the house where Hickory could go. The attic. The basement. She could even stay with other borrowers if they didn’t mind her staying for a day or two. Unlike Hickory, Ali couldn’t slip away unseen unless she left the house.

Ali was worried this time. She knew Hickory. Ali knew Hickory’s preferences from thumbtacks to snacks, conversational topics to comfortable silences. Ali knew what could make Hickory happy and the things which tormented her in the silent, sinister parts of her mind. Ali was the only human, if not the only sentient person, who knew about Hickory’s past. While Hickory could put up a good front for the others, Ali knew why Hickory did the things she did when no one else had put it together. All of these things compiled together told Ali there were only a few things Hickory would have done after verbally assaulting Ali the way she did – and at least two of those things were not good.

Still, Ali could not initiate. It was stupid. It was complicated. It was Hickory. Ali found herself tangled in thought hours later. Ali doubted she could have snapped herself out of her mental loop if it weren’t for a few cautious taps to the top of her hand. Her eyes, unfocused and glazed with exhaustion, came back to her as did her other senses. A few blinks cleared away the cloud to reveal Patton standing mere inches from Ali’s hands. Instinctually, a smile tugged into place on Ali’s face.

“Hey Patton,” said Ali, her voice barely above a whisper. She hadn’t realized how long she had been out of it, staring blankly at the edge of the counter. Patton smiled and backed away bashfully.

“Hey Ali. Sorry to bother you,” Patton said. He seemed less tired than earlier. Ali could only attribute it to either a good sleep or something of Virgil’s doing. At any rate, it was good to see Patton with some pep in his step.

“You’re never a bother, Patton. What can I do for you?” asked Ali after a difficult yawn suppression.

“Actually, it’s what can I do for you,” Patton replied. “I know you’ve been up for a long time. You need some rest, even if it’s just for a few hours. Everyone left a couple hours ago, or so Perci told me. Even Thomas is asleep. It’s your turn.” Ali hummed disapprovingly just before suppressing another yawn.

“Patton…”

“There’s no arguing with me, kiddo,” said Patton in the sweetest, stern-demand Ali had ever heard in her life. She almost chuckled when she stopped herself short, not wanting to seem disrespectful. “Now. You told Joan you were going to wait until her fever went down. I just checked her cheeks and she’s not hardly as warm as when she arrived. I’ll stay awake and keep an eye on her. You can drag that couch over here or sleep in your room. Choose what you’d like, but you are getting some sleep, now.” Ali found herself quite impressed with Patton’s authoritative disposition, especially because his demands were caring and said so sweetly. It reminded her of a father speaking to a young child; which, in some ways, was probably a good summation of her current mental state.

“Okay. I’ll get some rest on the condition that you will wake me if she wakes up or if something happens to her. Promise?” Ali, maintaining slow movements, raised her finger for Patton to shake, which he did with a glad smile.

“Promise. Now, get some sleep.” Ali did not realize how stiff her body was after sitting for so many unmoving hours. She didn’t want to be too far in case Patton needed her attention, but the ground was an unforgiving surface for sleeping. As a compromise to herself, Ali tugged two cushions from the sofa close to the counter. She felt like a toddler as she walked with a blanket over her shoulder and collapsed onto the cushions. Within a fraction of a second, Ali was drawn into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weightless abyss. Warmth. Peace. It felt endless. The darkness, often unnerving, served as a barrier to the outside world. Ali felt like she never wanted to leave. She could have slept for days if she allowed herself such a delight. Alas, no such thing could be allowed. There was too much to do. Too much to see. Too many people who needed help. These thoughts leaked into the silent abyss, disturbing the silence. Ali rolled over from the darkness back to consciousness. From where she was on her cushions, she could see the beginnings of dawn lightening the room. Ali estimated she was probably only asleep for three or four hours, but they had been heavenly hours. She was thoroughly tempted to turn right back into the darkness just behind her eyelids when a sound caught her ear.

Ali moved cautiously as she sat up once she verified the sound was not too close to herself. The last thing she needed was to accidentally roll over onto someone. The sound repeated and Ali soon realized what the sound was. It was Patton. He was sitting beside the glove where Ali left the girl. Ali’s heart stopped in her chest. Had something happened. Refraining from rushing to Patton’s side, Ali calmed herself with a breath and prepared herself.

“Patton?” she called quietly. Instantly, Patton’s head whirled around. His glasses were slightly smudged with tears, eyes red. “What’s wrong? Is she…” Ali couldn’t bare to continue her thought; and, thankfully, she didn’t have to finish. Patton quickly shook his head and removed his glasses to wipe them clean.

“No, she’s okay. Sleeping soundly,” Patton reassured between sniffles. Relief flooded Ali’s body, sending a shockwave of newfound energy through her. There was no chance of her returning to sleep now. Instead, she stretched and resumed her position on her chair.

“Are… you okay?” asked Ali. Patton glanced up at her and placed his glasses back onto his head.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Sorry for bothering you. I just…” He turned his head back to the slumbering child.

“Don’t be sorry,” said Ali. She rubbed what was left of her sleep from her eyes. “What’s on your mind? Feel like talking about it? You don’t have to, of course.” Patton nodded, his slightly curled mess of hair bouncing up and down.

“I know. Thanks,” he muttered. “It’s just… there are so many of them. I knew things were bad, but this…. They don’t have their families, their homes. They’re out here all on their own. I know some of them are older and they’ll probably be alright to start living on their own, but there are the others and there are just so many…” Ali could hear Patton’s voice was straining to keep even and clear. He averted his gaze and wiped his eyes again. “Sorry. I… just can’t seem to stop crying. Feeling sad is one thing, but crying is a little different.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Ali repeated with a thoughtful smile. “It’s good to cry sometimes. It’s a healthy release for the body. Plus, it shows how much you care. There’s no shame in being tender hearted. Honestly, I think it’s one of your strongest and most charming qualities.” Patton glanced up at Ali, a glowing smile laced with tears on his face.

“Thank you, Ali.” A gentle silence filled the room. It was the perfect morning silence; one that accompanies the early morning hours before the world wakes. Patton looked back to the child, some thought rising in his mind. “Ali? I… well… I don’t know exactly who to talk to, but…”

“Talk to? About what?” prompted Ali, a slight concern audible in her voice.

“Well.” Patton began playing with the edges of his poncho. “Where are the kids going to go? I mean… who will look after them?” Ali had to admit, Patton had a very valid point. They hadn’t anticipated so many children of varying ages, though they were not complaining. If Ali were being honest with herself, she would have considered themselves lucky if they rescued a dozen from that awful place.

“Well,” she said within a sigh. “I know Roman and Remus mentioned having some of the kids stay with them, but that was before we knew how many. Why?”

“Well, Virgil and I talked and we want to help out. I know they’re scared and would rather be with their own families, but… I don’t know… even if it’s not forever, maybe they’d like to have a home. And, maybe, Virgil and I could give them that.”

“You want to foster and adopt some of the kids?” asked Ali. Patton’s head turned to her, slightly tilted in confusion.

“Foster?” he asked.

“Yeah, foster. Adopt would be the kids being a permanent member of your family. Fostering is like that, but if their parents are found they can be reunited. That’s a severe oversimplification, but that’s the gist,” explained Ali. Patton nodded excitedly.

“Then, yes. We’d like to do something like that.”

“That’s great,” Ali winced at the slight raising of her excited voice when Patton had not. “Umm… I don’t think there is anyone to talk to honestly. We’re sort of playing by ear,” said Ali. “Do you want to be in charge of that, Patton? Finding homes and families for the kids?” Just as Patton smiled, the first rays of sunlight crested over the horizon and illuminated the living room. Ali though the timing serendipitous.

“I would love to,” he beamed.

“That’s settled then. I guess I’ll let Thomas and the others know just so when the kids find homes we don’t panic when they’re gone. We should probably wait a couple days before letting the kids loose, just in case, but there shouldn’t be any issues.” The smile on Patton’s face could not be slapped away. After a few more minutes of sitting in excited anticipation, Patton left Ali so he could begin planning his rounds and let Virgil know the good news.

The timing was good. The next shift of borrowers arrived to relieve those who had stayed the night with the children just as Patton left. Ali could hear rustles from inside the bags as the children, undoubtedly woken by the adults leaving, became curious and apprehensive. Ali realized, suddenly, that she was probably the only human awake in the house and that her being there in the same room prevented the children from looking about and exploring. All of the volunteers knew that the children were not allowed off of the table until they had regained their strength and their injuries were assessed. Still, that did not prevent them from walking about the tables and counters which were set up as the initial workstation.

Unwilling to leave her critical condition patient, Ali carefully scooped the glove into her palms and decided to move to the coffee table and couch whose cushions she robbed hours earlier. It was just far enough so the others shouldn’t feel threatened while letting Ali keep an ear out for any emergencies. The girl seemed to be sleeping soundly and hadn’t woken since the day before, not that Ali was surprised. Ali had made it only two or three steps away when she heard sprinting footsteps and a sharp, demanding shout.

“You leave her alone!” Ali glanced to the table to see a boy, maybe in his early to mid-teens based on what Ali knew about borrower height and age, sprint from the perceived protection of the bag to the edge of the table and glare up at her. His hair was a dark caramel brown like his eyes and they burned with anger and fear. “Let her go!” Ali, bewildered, knelt to be at eye-level with the child. Ali could see he was trembling, but fiercely determined.

“I’m sorry. Is this a friend of yours?” asked Ali softly. The boy’s features hardened as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes.

“GIVE HER BACK!” he shouted. Ali glanced down at the girl and then back to the boy.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Ali said soothingly. “I’m not taking her. At least, not far. She’s still not feeling well and needs to rest. We’re just going over there, okay?” Ali directed her eyes to the nearby sofa, which did not satisfy the boy.

“She can sleep over here,” argued the boy as he clenched his fists. “Now, put her down!” One of the other borrowers, Perci, jogged across the table and stood at the child’s side, placing an arm around the boy.

“Hello, sorry to intrude. Is there a problem here?” said Perci, her eyes darting quickly to Ali and trying to read the situation. The boy shrugged off Perci’s arm from his shoulder, scowling and taking a few steps away.

“Yes! This human is taking away Vi!” the boy pointed accusingly at Ali. Perci glanced just over the table to see the sleeping girl. She was aware of the girl’s condition and combed her fingers through her own short, dirty-blonde hair.

“Vi? Is that her name?” Ali realized she had spoken aloud when the boy audibly growled at her.

“Don’t call her that! Only her friends call her that.” Ali nodded apologetically.

“I’m sorry,” Ali said softly, a statement which seemed to surprise the boy. Perci glanced to Ali, not sure what how to proceed. Ali needed to establish trust. Alarming the others by not listening and taking one of their own away from them, even though it wasn’t true, was not the way to do things. Ali, with a quick nod, gave a slight smile to Perci and looked back to the boy. “Okay. I’m going to set her right here. Is that alright?” The boy’s eyes narrowed skeptically, but he nodded his approval.

While Ali raised her hands with the girl, she spoke softly to the boy. “Now, it’s important to let her sleep, okay? So, don’t try to wake her. She has a few severe injuries she’s recovering from.” Ali laid the glove just in front of the boy, who cautiously approached and knelt by the girl called Vi’s side. He seemed to understand Ali’s instructions as he did not try to wake Vi and, instead, visually inspected her to ensure she was still in one piece. Ali leaned back onto her heels and watched the boy’s interactions. He didn’t seem to be related to Vi. Their facial features were not similar and their hair color was vastly different, her hair being a very pale blonde from what Ali could tell and his being a rich brown. The boy reached out and clasped Vi’s hand in his own. The strength he seemed to exude moments before was waning. His shoulders were shaking slightly. He also seemed to be fighting tears as he stared at Vi’s pale face. Perci, who was still standing nearby, took a few steps back to give the boy some space.

“W… will she…” He didn’t seem to know how to finish his thought. Ali hoped he was leaning toward the more positive side as she replied.

“She’ll be alright,” encouraged Ali. “She will wake up. Her body is just recovering. If she’s not up by this afternoon on her own, we’ll try waking her up.” The boy wiped his nose on the back of his hand, refusing to allow his eyes to leave the girl’s fragile frame. Ali tried to catch the boy’s eye, something he was actively avoiding. “Would you feel up to helping your friend better?” This caught his attention. He glanced at Ali, obviously apprehensive but eager.

“What do I need to do?” he said with as much confidence as he could muster.

“Well, she needs to stay hydrated, but she can’t drink on her own. After she rests for a little while longer, you could help her do that,” replied Ali. “You wet a paper towel and let it drip on her lips and in her mouth. That, alone, will help her tremendously. Perci or one of the other adults can show you.” The boy glanced over his shoulder at Perci who was still supervising the interaction.

They sat in silence for nearly five minutes. Ali could see some of the children peaking their heads out, surveying the scene around them. She could hear the encouraging words and soothing comments. She also couldn’t help but notice the nervous glances from the shadows. It was time. Ali spotted a tall side table over by the television. It was lightweight, but stable. Ali stood slowly and brought the table between the cushions she used as a bed and the main table.

“I have a compromise,” she said after resuming her kneeling stance. The boy’s eyes narrowed cynically. “I need to be able to monitor your friend in case there are any changes, but I want you to feel like you can keep an eye on her too.”

“Then just leave her here,” stated the boy shortly.

“Unfortunately, I can’t monitor her without watching. I’m also making the others nervous by being here.” Ali nodded her head toward where the other children were. “If she’s on this table here, we’ll both be able to check up on her. Okay?” The boy seemed reluctant, but Perci, thank goodness, stepped in and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Ali won’t let anything happen to your friend. She’s one of the good ones.” The boy’s shoulders sagged just before he puffed out his chest got to his feet. It was apparent he was forcing himself to accept he couldn’t do anything at the moment to help his friend.

“You let me know the second she wakes up. Understood?” Ali nodded obediently.

“Absolutely,” reassured Ali. He turned his head away, looking slightly bashful suddenly.

“Tell… tell her that Axel is really worried and that I’ll do anything to help her get better.” He spoke so softly Ali almost missed it. She nodded again as Perci stepped up and guided Axel back toward the others. Ali, once again, lifted the glove the girl was on and, this time, placed her on the table by the cushions. [What an interesting boy. Axel. Certainly has some spunk] Ali thought as she sat and leaned against the wall. The moment she was out of sight, the sounds of the children exploring and walking about began. There were hesitant giggles and curious awes as the Shelter was explained and questions were answered. A head would peer over the edge from time to time, but no one other than Axel dared say anything to her. Roman and Remus made an appearance after an hour or so and, soon after, Thomas began rummaging around in the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Much like the night, breakfast was uneventful and Ali found her mind wandering once again. Even though the girl, Vi, wasn’t awake, she upheld her promise and returned her to the table for Axel and Persi to supervise. Ali admired Axel’s determination and selflessness. He was obviously terrified of the notion of being with humans but pushed these things aside to help his friend. He kept cool towels on Vi’s head and was especially delicate when giving her something to drink. Persi nodded, assuring she would keep an eye out, while Ali left to help Thomas in the kitchen.

“Morning,” he greeted. There was a pep in his voice indicating he already had some sort of caffeinated beverage this morning or had a fantastic sleep, one of the two. Ali smiled, but flinched as she caught her reflection. She looked like a train wreck.

“Morning,” she replied. Her voice sounded deeper than usual.

“Did you get any sleep?” The emphasis he placed on the words indicated both concern and teasing sarcasm.

“Sure, let’s call it that. Yeah, I pulled some cushions over after Patton relieved me. Might’ve gotten three or four hours. Not sure. Anyway, the girl is still passed out cold, but her fever seems to be breaking. One of the kids called her Vi. I think that’s her name, but I’m not sure.” Ali poured herself some coffee and heated it in the microwave while fetching some things to make it sweeter. She hated bitter coffee.

“Good to hear.” There was a sudden roar of laughter followed by Roman and Remus’s playful, bantering shouts. “That is also good to hear,” muttered Thomas. Ali hummed in acknowledgment as she doctored up her coffee and enjoyed the way it warmed her fingertips. The ribbons of steam lifted in the air from the caffeinated brew. The humans listened to the seemingly pleasant but faint conversation in the next room over.

Then, like a pressing weight on your lungs, something unpleasant filled the space between Thomas and Ali.

“Have you heard anything from…”

“No, I haven’t heard anything. Probably won’t,” muttered Ali, knowing who Thomas was referring to. Ali cracked her neck uncomfortably and turned toward the stairs. “Whelp, not to be rude, but I need to bathe. See ya on the other side.”

“Ali.” Thomas’s voice indicated his disapproval of her walking away from the conversation.

“Thomas.” Ali returned using the same tone with a hint of annoyance.

“You can’t avoid this.”

“I’m not trying to,” stated Ali, her back still to Thomas.

“Sooner or later, you’ll have to see her again.”

“And I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.” Thomas stared disbelievingly at Ali.

“You didn’t even go back to your room last night,” pointed out Thomas.

“Because I was keeping an eye on Vi,” explained Ali.

“Right, that’s the only reason?”

“That’s the only reason.” There was a deliberate beat of silence followed by Thomas’s sigh.

“Look, I’m not trying to pick a fight first thing in the morning. I don’t mean to sound patronizing and I’m not… I’m a Hufflepuff by nature and don’t seek conflict for kicks. I just want to make sure that you’re both all right.” Ali had to agree with him. “Just… please. Just talk to her.”

[juvcniles-blog]

i’ve written so many intros for this mans that you’d think i’d have at least One saved somewhere but nope !! so here goes nothing all from scratch lmao he also has a stats page that you can find right HERE. 

alright so colby grew up in rockville, maryland with his little sister laurie and his two supportive parents. they were honestly a v traditional american family. middle-class, super loving, strong bonds, and nothing major or tragic ever happened in their lives. that was probably why colby always found other ways to entertain himself, either by running off into the woods and bringing home a snake ( dead or alive ) or getting on a bus and ending up two towns over with an amber alert on his ass for 7 hours straight. moral of the story was that he was a rambunctious little kid always searching for something more, and that trait never left him tbh.

when high school rolled around this made him the Cool Kid. he started chain-smoking cigarettes and skipping class in his shitty 2002 honda accord. rock climbing kind of became his thing, like a little barefooted monkey crawling all over the earth and eventually settling down somewhere with a scenic view and smoking so much weed that he convinced himself he was buddha in the flesh. nonetheless, he still managed good grades and solid friendships and him and his sister became pretty close around this time. they were kind of like each other’s safe havens, could go to each other for anything and confide in one another when needed. they both definitely covered for each other at least Twice when sneaking out of the house lmao. 

before graduation there was definitely talk about a gap year, and afterwards colby had somehow managed to convince his parents to let him do it. he had literally dreamed of traveling the world one day and he never imagined that he’d be able to do it at such a young age and especially with so much support from his parents ( emotionally and financially ). they felt that he’d earned it, and so off he went to europe with nothing but his skateboard and a duffle bag full of clothes and his single leather journal. he kissed laurie goodbye on the forehead, not even realizing that that would be the last time he’d see her in 3 whole years. 

at first colby only extended the vacation by a couple of months, which turned into a half a year, then a full year, and so on and so on. his parents stopped supporting him after the first year because they just wanted their son home, but unfortunately he got Sucked into the lifestyle of sex and drugs and hostels and a bunch of other illegal shit that only his journal had the opportunity to hear about. what’s funny about it is that he was genuinely having some of the best moments of his life. he met new people everywhere that he went, easily schmoozing them into letting him crash on their couch, but he’d never stay for too long because colby was a moving man. he was essentially a vagabond, pawning stolen items and selling his own artwork to get by, but he was fulfilled and that was all that really mattered to him at the time.

laurie was the one who convinced him to come home. if it was going to be anybody, of course it was the one girl who actually meant something to him other than just a warm mouth. he expected his parents to be upset but they were just Happy more than anything else, and greeted him with tight hugs and watery eyes. colby hadn’t anticipated on staying. in fact, he only wanted it to be a quick weekend visit before he was catching a flight to paris, but an acceptance letter to godfrey university with his name on it was quick to change his mind. laurie had written the application herself and sent it off without a word. she said it was what she wanted for him, that she wanted to see him succeed educationally because he’d already succeeded in other life skills. it was the only thing he was missing. plus, a college experience was definitely long overdue.

it seemed like just as quickly as he made it home colby was already packing his bags for hillsboro, oregon. he’s heading into the university as a twenty-one year old freshmen but anything’s better late than never. he left laurie with a handful of journal entries ripped out from his leather notebook, hoping she’d smile to herself as she read about all the adventures that he’d been up to while traveling the world. that’s honestly a great way of describing him as a character.

he’s crazy But !! he’s thoughtful, and also super charming and quite confident. because of his travels he kind of views himself as more superior than other people, having so many life experiences under his wings and being fluent in both spanish and french. it’s kind of hard for him not to think of himself as better than most people, but in general he’s a rather likable guy. pretty comical at times and definitely Very poetic, especially when he’s fucked up. he enjoys sleeping around with people and will never actually commit to a relationship, which is ironic considering his number of idiotic tattoos. you’ll never catch him without his skateboard under his arm, his journal in his hand, and a cigarette tucked behind his ear. 

suggested connections !!

friends !! colby has more friends than anything else, whether they be super close or just friendly people in passing. he’s v affable. 

troublemakers !! people he can wreak some havoc with. he’s honestly such an adrenaline junkie and he won’t survive without these people in his life. maybe he’s the bad influence on them or vice versa. 

enemies ?? we can work on the details but i think that he should have at least One solid hateship lmao please give me this. 

old fling !! ok i imagine this being a person that colby has met once before, probably during his travels, and developed feelings for throughout his visit but then fled the moment that things got real. they probably left off on weird, unresolved terms. 

 hookups !! this can be just about anybody tbh. he’s not picky when it comes to sleeping around, as long as they’re not Totally insane.

his muse ?? this will probably be a selective connection since this person is someone that colby deeply admires. he likes them more from a distance than face-to-face, and uses them as inspiration for his paintings and other creative works.

coworkers !! i’m not sure what other occupations there are yet but colby works as a pizza delivery boy, so if your muse needs a job then this would be a fun connection.

i’ll keep adding to this as i think of more but this is all i have for now !!