#I’m just like them. I’d love to talk people’s ears clean off and make their eyes glaze over from talking too much and too fast

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

One of the main reasons why I silently freak out so much after talking to people in a group setting is because I listen to them (or at least try to act like I’m listening to them) but the very instant I open my mouth to speak, they start talking to someone else, or someone else talks right fucking over me even though they know I‘m trying to speak. Every. Single. Time.

And it’s not just so-called “neurotypical” people. Oh no. It’s neurodivergent people too. And the neurodivergent people I understand; but they also have to understand that not all of us are fast talkers and some of us need people to be patient or we will never get our information out. My brain-to-mouth processing speeds are extremely extremely slow and I cannot talk quickly to save my life unless I am reciting something I already have memorized. If someone cuts me off in any way before I am finished, my brain gets stuck in a buffering mode for three seconds at the very least, and more if they continue to cut me off when I’m trying to communicate “No that’s not the end of what I’m saying and that’s not what I even meant by that. Stop making hasty generalizations about a point you haven’t even heard through yet.”

But no matter who I am talking to, right before I am able to finish my extremely well-thought-out point that I’ve been formulating in my head for months or years prior in the mirror, I always, without fail get cut off because everyone gets impatient with my long pauses and doesn’t even want to attempt to listen to what I have to say because they think what they’re about to say in reaction is more important. And it’s not like I’m taking over the conversation or talking more than I listen; I’m just taking more time than they are comfortable with to say a typical amount of words.

And then those same people always tell me, in a somewhat patronizing tone, “You’re so quiet! You’re such a good listener!” Yes because that’s what you’ve made me. Why should I talk to you if you won’t fucking listen to me for three seconds. And no, after a certain point I stopped listening to you because why should I listen to you if you don’t ever listen to me?

Everyone’s nice to me and says they want me there at their social functions but they still subtly exclude me. God damn.

I suppose they want to look at me, or perhaps inhale my aroma. Like I’m a house plant.

[sunshine-theseus]

That One Cat Meme | Ona Batlle x Reader

Words: 1.6k Summary: Ona gets angry when you randomly disappear but it’s hard not to find her adorable Warnings: idk overstimulation? Hints of being neurodivergent – based on my experiences as someone who gets very overstimulated and loves routine/thinks they’re ND but isn’t diagnosed with anything. Requested by - @dandelionlibrary - i really hope you like it!

It was a mistake. A very, very big mistake. There was so much noise and light, and people were basically stuck together like glue. It was hot too. How is anyone supposed to survive in this place?

The team had begged me to join them, just once, for a celebratory drink at a club in the heart of Barcelona. After months of refusing, always coming up with excuses and waiting for Ona to arrive home in the sunless hours of the morning, I finally caved. I regretted it the moment the uber turned onto the street. Lights were flashing through the windows and the music could be heard down the block. People were lined up as far as the eye could see. There was no way I was going to have fun.

But I went.

In the beginning it wasn’t so bad. Ona was with me at all times, and we spent a lot of time in our reserved, spacious corner of the club. Until Lucy and Keira grabbed us both by our hands and dragged us onto the dance floor. I tried to wriggle free, but their determination was enough to overpower a tipsy Ona and a vulnerable me.

“Isn’t this fun!?” Ona yells into my ear. I try not to flinch at the additional noise as I nod my head.

A lie.

“Muy divertido!” (very fun)

There was a small moment where I managed to slip away into the bathroom. By some miracle it was empty and seemed rather clean for a night club, so I locked myself in a stall and just sat on top of a toilet lid. I tried to monitor my breathing and block out the bass that travelled through the floor. I couldn’t survive much longer. I needed to come up with an excuse to leave.

I slowly emerge from the bathroom and go find the group of girls huddled in the corner. I had an excuse fully prepared but as I’m making my way, someone grabs me by the waist and starts kissing my neck. I’m about to turn around and wack them with my purse when they begin to talk.

“Mi vida! Where did you go?” the familiar deep voice of my girlfriend echoes from behind me and I relax.

I stop my shaking hands by placing them over her own that rest on my hips.

“Just the bathroom. I think I’m going to head home.” I turn and give her a smile that clearly doesn’t reach my eyes.

She says something else to me, but I can’t focus on anything specific, everything was too overwhelming. Eventually Ona walks off and I’m left in the middle of a crowd again. I can feel every place on my skin where someone makes contact with me, my clothes aren’t sitting well anymore, there are too many sounds, the lights hurt my eyes. I had to get out.

-

That’s how I found myself curled up in a ball on the rather small balcony of Ona and my apartment. My noise cancelling headphones were securely on my head and I’d successfully rid myself of the horrendously tight and itchy club clothes, switching into one of Ona’s oversized jumpers and some shorts. My phone was turned off and I was just embracing the small bouts of wind and the barely visible stars in the dark night sky.

I don’t expect my girlfriend to be home until much later, so I eventually tuck myself in under the blankets. I loved our bed; it was a lot less overstimulating than a club and usually had the girl of my dreams to hold me tight. Despite the missing final aspect, I drift off to sleep.

I wake up late, Ona by my side as expected. The day off means that my schedule is simply pushed back a few hours and I have spare time to fill.

9:30am – wake up

9:36am – have breakfast + talk to Ona

10:05am – shower and get ready for the day

The middle of the day’s schedule on days off changes depending on who I’m meeting or what I plan on doing. Most of the time it involves Ona.

But Ona didn’t emerge from the room at 9:40am like she usually does, instead showing her face at almost 10. I decide I can push back my day just once to still fit our morning talk. She doesn’t greet me first. Perhaps it’s the hangover, they often mess with our order. She also doesn’t kiss me on the cheek or offer me the glass of orange juice she does every morning, despite always already having a glass in front of me.

“What’s wrong bebé?” the older girl says nothing as she sits down at the table with a bowl to fruit and a glass of water. Odd. Not her normal hangover cure.

“I don’t have anything planned for today so we can just turn the lights off and watch a movie? If your head’s hurting.” I can see her lips twitch at the suggestion, but her face remains stoic.

“Okay, I’m going to have a shower. Maybe we can talk about what’s bothering you afterward?” once again, no reply.

-

I do just as I tell Ona. The shower is set to the correct temperature and my clothes don’t make me feel like I’m suffocating once I get out. I grab some pillows and blankets to lay out on the couch and turn off the lights, settling for the small lamps on either side of the living room. The curtains help block out the sunlight that would be streaming through the windows.

Ona is still sat at the table, fruit and water finished, scrolling on her phone.

“Coriño? Con qué película quieres empezar?” (Honey? What movie do you want to start with).

Usually, I would avoid encroaching on someone’s personal space when they are upset without them asking, but Ona made it very clear physical touch was something she embraced at all times. That’s what lead me to wrap my arms around her shoulders and press kisses to her cheek gently. Hoping for some reaction.

The only thing I get in return is her arms stubbornly crossing over her chest and her lips forming a pout.

Adorable.

“Are you mad at me coriño?” another kiss is placed at the curve of her jaw.

Her lips pull taut and her cheeks flush pink. It’s hard to be intimidated by someone so cute.

“Sí.” She stands abruptly and the sound of the chair scraping against our wood floor makes me feel sick.

“You disappeared last night without telling anyone. And then you didn’t answer any of my texts! Or the girl’s! Yes, I am angry because I was worried mi vida!” Ona’s arms once again cross over her chest and her foot stamps against the ground.

Despite the sight, I begin to feel bad.

“Ona… I didn’t mean to make you worry. I got overstimulated. Everything was just too much. But I told you I was going to go when we talked outside the bathroom.” A look of confusion is clear on her face, and I sigh, approaching her again.

“You asked me where I had been, I told you I went to the bathroom and that I think I needed to go home. I don’t blame you for forgetting, you’d had a few drinks, no thanks to Mapi.”

“Yo soy estúpida. I am sorry for being angry and ignoring you. And I’m sorry I forced you to go somewhere I knew would probably make you overstimulated.” (I am stupid). Ona’s head dramatically falls forward onto my chest as she groans.

“It’s okay. You’re very adorable when you’re angry.” I press a kiss to the crown of her head.

“No I am not!”

“Sí! Yes you are! You pout and cross your arms and you even stamp your foot. Tu tambien eres muy pequeña.” (you’re also very small). I pull away from Ona and smile at the blush that still radiates from her cheeks.

“You remind me of that little kitten meme.”

“What?” I pull out my phone and search for the photo I have in mind.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“Just that you look very cute.” Another groan falls from her lips, and I laugh as I drag her to the couch.

She falls on top of me and I wrap my arms tightly around her, pressing kisses all around her face.

“You have to watch that silly adventure man movie with me.”

“Indiana Jones? You know I hate that guy. He’s so stupid.”

“But I like him, and you caused me great distress!” her laugh slips past her lips and I can’t help but smile and oblige with her request.

“You can only milk that so many times.”

“Mmmhmm.” Her head props up by her chin resting on my chest, and I lean down, pressing a kiss to her lips.

“Te amo coriño.” I smile brightly down at her as the opening music plays.

“Te amo mi vida.”

Ona turns her head to watch the silly movie, but I can’t look away from her. Her freckles seem to shine brighter despite the lack of light and the slope of her nose is so delicate. The way her eyelashes kiss her cheeks and lines appear by her lips when she laughs at some stupid joke. Her hair is in a messy bun, yet she still looks put together.

I can’t help but fall in love with her all over again.

@Y/N_L/N

@Y/N_L/N do you guys see the resemblance?

ona.batlle there is literally no resembilence stop marialeonn16 i see it

[lemonsdaydreams]

breaking the distance. |c.b|

summary: You and Colby have been dating for nearly two years, enduring long distance and making the best out of time zones and chaotic work/ school schedules. The two of you knew one day the distance would be shortened to where there would be no more planes needed to see each other, and date night could finally be more than just facetiming and watching a movie together at the same time. One of you just happened to know it would be happening sooner rather than later.

~*~*~*~*~*~

No one ever expected Colby and I’s relationship to last, and I couldn’t really blame them. On the outside looking in, It seemed like it was a storm waiting to happen. Colby, a very well known social media content creator, constantly traveling and investigating new locations with his best friend in and outside the country, and lives on the west coast of the united states. Me, a non social media content creator, studying emergency paramedicine, lives on the east coast, and never even had a passport until two months ago. The main thing people always loved to throw at us was the distance. ‘Why date someone who lives a 5 hour plane ride away, when there’s plenty of people here in the same state for you to choose from?’

I personally didn’t fully expect us to be where we are right now when I met Colby over two years ago. It’s crazy how things happen though, how quickly you connect with a person. It’s as if I’d known him my whole life, as if I was connecting with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years that night at the bar. We talked and talked for hours, the rest of the crowded bar tuned out and all I saw was him. Colby and his friends he had traveled to the east coast with a few days later after we first ended up coming over to my apartment for a game night after constantly texting and getting to know each other more. Ironically, one of his friends that came with him, I knew from my childhood. Talk about a small world.

The buzzing of my cellphone in my hand snapped me out of the daydream I was in. A smile quickly spread across my face as I spotted Colby’s name on the caller ID before answering.

“Finally waking up, Mr. Brock?” I smiled as I held the phone to my ear.

“I’m so sorry beautiful, I slept through my alarm. I totally planned on waking up earlier to be able to talk to you in case you began to stress over your exam today.” His morning voice was something that always caught me off guard, the deep rasp. It always made me yearn for the day I’d be able to hear it in person, and not over the phone.

Of course over the past two years we’ve met up and spent time together, however it was usually when him and Sam were on a trip to film or when I had a small break between semesters at school and could afford to visit him.

“It’s okay Colby, I promise.” I smiled to myself and attempted to contain my excitement as I scanned the empty apartment once more. “I’ve been just cleaning and relaxing on the couch. I think if I tried reading any more of my textbooks my eyeballs might fall out of my head.”

Colby chuckled as my apartment door swung open, and I quickly muted myself as Seth, the friend of Colby’s that I’ve known since childhood came in. “Who’s ready to mo- oh shit, are you on the phone?” He quickly covered his mouth with a hand.

“Yeah, with Colby.” I giggled before giving him a ‘shh’ and taking myself off mute.

“You’re going to do great. You always do great. This is the final bridge needing to be crossed and then I’ll be able to have you in my arms every night and hear about the crazy encounters you have at work in person. God, I can’t wait for that to be real, beautiful. I miss you so much.”

“I can’t believe that it’s finally here. Just this semester and then I’m done, graduated, nationally registered to work anywhere in the country. By the way, My supervisor reached out to the base that’s not far from where you live, and they have an open paramedic spot that is up for grabs.” I bit my bottom lip and glanced at Seth who also shared the same nervous look.

I’ve always hated lying, and lying to Colby these past few months have been absolute torture. But he’s always the one surprising me, I wanted to finally surprise him. I ended up taking an earlier program that Colby didn’t know about, which allowed me to graduate and become a paramedic three months ago. However, Colby still thought I had another two months to go. During this time since finishing school, I’ve been working and studying protocols for the state I’d be moving to, coordinating with Sam on shipping my stuff to Vegas from New England without Colby seeing the boxes, selling stuff I don’t need to bring, and basically getting ready to move to Vegas. Of course, Colby knew this day would be coming, as we have a whole checklist we share on google docs to make sure we have everything lined up for when the day comes, He just doesn’t know it’s happening sooner. Or that I’m going to be there, in like 12 hours.

“Baby, Is it okay if I let you go? I can call you back later. I have to bring my phone to the apple store, I finally got an appointment to get my battery fixed.” I ran a hand through my hair, constantly reminding myself mentally the lying would be over soon.

“Oh good, I’m so glad you got that appointment babe, I have to get going anyway. Sam and I have to go meet up with some friends to film a video, but text or call me as soon as you finish your exam okay? I love you.”

After saying goodbye and hanging up, I groaned and laid back on the empty granite counter. “Dude, no wonder you hate lying. Thank god that wasn’t a facetime call or one look at your face and Colby would see your face and just know you were hiding something.” Seth chuckled and I flipped him the bird.

“Can we go get coffee before we head to the airport? This whole not having my own car thing sucks.” Seth chuckled once more before nodding and holding out his rental keys that I snatched out his hand before he could speak. “Yes, I’ll drive. You drive worse than my grandmother.”

~

“Now boarding Group A.”

“I’m really flying to Vegas without a return ticket.” I mumbled as I handed my ticket to the flight attendant at the gate. I glanced over my shoulder at Seth who stood behind me, laughing. “You’re finally moving to Vegas. Which means Sam and I won’t have to hear Colby talk about how much he misses your voice all the time and try to figure out what haunted places we could go see near where you live.”

“Are you sure he won’t question why my phone is off for over five hours? I mean we don’t talk on the phone all day every day, but we usually check in over text to say Hi and that we miss each other or something. I don’t think a phone battery replacement would take five hours.” I buckled my seatbelt once Seth and I got to our assigned seats. “You seriously worry too much.” Seth patted my hand as he smiled. “We’ve got it all figured out. He isn’t going to have any time to check his phone with what they’re filming.”

“This is going to be a long ass five hours, Seth. This is why teleportation should be a thing. I could already be there, with Colby.” I sighed as I turned to look out the window, anxiously tapping my foot on the ground. Seth laughed and out of the corner of my eye, I spotted him hold his phone out to take a photo.

“Don’t you dare post that.” I looked at him wide eyed, which caused Seth to laugh more. “Relax, It’s a video. For memories.” I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest. “Should I yell it out now that you’re a paramedic, just in case there’s a medical emergency?”

“Don’t you dare. I’m too nervous to provide any care, nor do I want to start my career as a medic off by taking care of someone on a plane. Why aren’t we moving yet?” I peered up and around the seats, huffing as I noticed not everyone was seated.

“God this is going to be so funny to look back on.” Seth mumbled as he put his phone down.

~*~

“I’ve got all your stuff in the storage unit, and your car should be arriving in the next few days.” Sam smiled as he drove Seth and I from the airport. Colby was back at the house editing and thinking Sam had just gone out to get food for the two of them. “It’s really good to finally see you, by the way. Colby is going to lose his mind.”

“I’m so nervous.” I mumbled looking out the window of the car and taking in the change of scenery. “He thinks I’m still in my exam right now.”

“Oh I know. Dude is a love sick puppy right now.” Sam laughs and gives me a smile. “Once we get to the house, I’m going to go inside to ask Colby to come out and help me grab some stuff from my car, but in reality it will only be you.” He added while Seth readjusted the camera on the dash of the car. I nodded and prayed we’d be arriving at the house soon.

Once at the house, I laid down in the back seat of the car to hide until Colby came out. “Yeah it’s on the passenger side in the back, If you can just grab it for me as well as the camera!” Sam called out, signaling that Colby was coming my way. Before I knew it, the door was swung open and I quickly sat up and smiled as my eyes landed on Colby. “Surprise!”

Colby stared in shock for a moment, eyes wide with confusion. Next thing I knew, He was grabbing my legs and pulling me out of the vehicle and up into his arms. My arms quickly wrapped around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder and wrapping my legs around him as he held me. “What is going on?” Colby yelled out, turning to glance at his friends back at the doorway before slamming the car door and moving so I was pressed against it and using one of his hands to pull my head back so he could see my face. “You have an exam?” His eyebrows furrowed.

“Baby.” I laughed softly. “Oh my gosh I’ve absolutely hated lying to you. I graduated early, That’s why I was so busy over break and couldn’t see you. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you by being able to finally be here sooner than you thought.” I cupped his face in my hands and blinking back tears as I finally got a good look at him. “I can’t believe I’m here.”

“I missed your graduation?” He frowned, resting his forehead against mine. “I’m so confused baby.” He quickly closed the distance between us and kissed me gently. “But dear god have I been dying to kiss you.” He mumbled against my lips.

“No, It was a winter graduation so there’s no walk you didn’t miss anything.” I kissed him once more. “But I’m here. no more distance. It’s finally broken.” I ran a hand through his hair as I stared into his blue eyes. Colby pulled me closer once more and began kissing me again, deeper this time before beginning to head towards the house. “You guys should probably head our for a while.” Colby mumbled as he passed Sam and Seth, his gaze still set on me. “Already planned on it. We’ll be back later. Welcome home!” Sam called out as Colby walked away from them, still carrying me. I let out a small laugh and began kissing Colby’s cheeks and playing with his hair at the nape of his neck.

“I can’t believe you lied.” Colby fake pouted as he gently tossed me on his, ours now, bed before climbing on top of me. “But it was so worth it.” He mumbled before kissing me. “Now it’s time for me to welcome you home.” He smirked.

[hangmanbrainrot]

more than this

a/n: HI. Me again! After talking with @rosiahills22, I simply HAD to give this idea a whirl. I hope y’all enjoy! Reader’s callsign is Van Gogh (to be explained) and I don’t use Y/N. :) special thanks to @bradshawsbitch​ for the encouragement. :’)

warnings: so much mutual pining, dash of angst toward the end. Generally, all my posts are 18+ because I don’t want minors interacting with my page! Probably naval inaccuracies.

word count: 3975

summary: You and Jake have been best friends for years now… Why mess with a good thing?

pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader, Jake Seresin x Aviator!Reader — callsign: Van Gogh

“Vee, you aren’t seriously wearing that to Family Day.”

You glanced down at your striped sleep pants and faded Navy t-shirt, then whirled around to look up at the oh so familiar source of the question. Lieutenant Jake Seresin, in the flesh. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt, jeans, and black leather-banded watch on his wrist. His signature toothpick was missing from its usual post between his lips. 

“You clean up nice,” you retorted, ignoring his initial remark. “And I thought we agreed, no call signs today.”

You ‘tsk’ed at him and turned back toward your laundry basket, then bending to pick it up and hold it at your hip. 

“You have one of the coolest callsigns, besides mine, of course. What’s wrong with Van Gogh?”

“I got it because I dropped my books and everyone saw all the doodles in the margins of my notes. And it doesn’t even make sense, because Van Gogh was a painter. At least yours has a cool story, I mean—”

He said your name, low and sweet, to cut you off. The two of you weren’t about to rehash that story again. 

“Better.” This earned you a smile. “I told you, I’m not going this year. I’m just gonna hang out here, take advantage of the empty lounge, and chill.” 

“And I told you, my mother demanded to see you. In fact, I’d dare say she’s more excited to see you than she is to see me.”

“Can you blame Mrs. Seresin for having taste?” you replied easily, the teasing lilt to your voice unmistakable as you flashed Jake a megawatt smile. 

“I’m absolutely telling on you, when I see her. ‘Mrs. Seresin’ instead of Sandy, as requested.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” you shot back, mock horror covering your features.

“Can, could, and would. Get dressed, Vee. Families will be here before you know it!”

The way that Jake departed after speaking let you know it wasn’t up for debate.

———————————————————————————————————

You heard Jamie and Courtney before you saw them, their familiar, slightly shrill voices carrying over the crowd of people all waiting for their own aviator to make an appearance. Jake’s older and younger sisters had always treated you like the additional sibling they’d never had, but on a day like today, it made your heart ache. You knew, of course, not everyone was lucky enough to find a kind family to adopt them the way the Seresins had adopted you. Even Robert Seresin himself — gruff as he was, he had a you-sized soft spot, much like his son. Though good luck getting either of the Seresin men to admit it. 

You smiled as you spun on your heel, ready to retreat. Content to revel in the knowledge that you were loved, but too heavy-hearted to witness it today. You’d beat Jake here, somehow, so maybe you could slip out without his notice, either. Come up with some feeble story about suddenly coming down with a migraine, and nurse your ache alone, with your mounds of freshly laundered clothing, once you were sure he and his family had departed for the day.

But instead of proceeding forward, you collided with navy cotton and ginger and leather and… Jake. Had he always smelled this good?

“Hi, I was just,” you pushed out, before being interrupted. Why were you so nervous, all of a sudden? It was just Jake. 

“Trying to ditch me. Darlin’, my feelings are hurt.” The tips of your ears burned red with embarrassment, even as your stomach did backflips over the way his accent thickened on the word ‘darlin’.’ 

“Sorry, Jake.” You didn’t even have the wherewithal to hide the giggle leaking into your words. But you were smart enough to play it off. “I was just going to get a jacket.”

“Vee, it’s July.”

“Yes, I do have a calendar and I can read!” Your eye roll was practically involuntary. “I just get cold sometimes in the AC.”

A lopsided grin slid onto his features while he aimed a pointer finger at himself. “Human furnace. Let’s go!”

Before you could protest, he was slinging an arm around your shoulders and all but crushing you into his side. “I think this outfit is much more appropriate for a trip off base.” It sounded like he was testing the compliment. And, truthfully, you liked this particular combination of white cap-sleeve blouse and jeans quite a bit yourself, too. But it was nice of him to notice. Then again, you couldn’t recall a time when Jake hadn’t noticed you, not since the beginning of your friendship. He was just always so checked in with you. Always so present. If you squinted, you could call it attentiveness. 

“Jacob Michael Seresin, it is rude to keep your mother waiting! And where is — there she is, there’s my girl.” 

Before either of you could inhale, a head of blond hair identical to Jake’s came bounding toward you, Sandra Seresin bundling you up in her arms like she hadn’t seen you in years, rather than the months it had been since the last time she had seen you via FaceTime.

You hugged Sandy a little tighter, as if you were afraid you would disappear if you let go. If it weren't for this woman and her family, holding onto you — in more ways than one — you often feared no one would remember you at all. No one to be on the receiving end of a phone call or a folded flag, if you didn't make it home one day. You would just… cease to exist. Quietly. Perhaps that was fitting, considering that was exactly how you lived your life.

You were your parents' only child, and they were gone. Well, your father was, anyway. Your mother never recovered after his sudden death, and had taken to self-medicating to ease the pain of his loss. Which, sure, you got, once you were old enough, but you were still small and new to the world, when the light that was your father went out. No one is ready to lose a parent they're close to, but certainly not when they're five. And it felt like you'd lost her, too, by the time you were 10. Moved out by the time you were 16. So, she wasn't gone, but there was no relationship to be had. You knew, of course, that if something did happen to you, they'd find her. But who would she be mourning? You had lived a whole life she knew nothing about; you had become an entirely new person. Someone she knew nothing about, but that the Seresins knew like the backs of their hands. Courtney was filling your hands with your favorite candy on the walk to the parking lot, and Jamie's kids were telling you about how they were doing in school. 

Maybe someone, maybe a few someones would remember you. And fondly, you hoped.

At the height of the day, the sun was relentless, but as you walked beside Jake in the parking lot, you couldn't help noticing it made his hair the perfect shade of blond, and rendered his eyes the color of sea-glass.

"You know they just missed you," he chirped, misreading your expression and mistaking your melancholy for annoyance.

"No, no," you said softly. "It's nice to be missed. I just.."

"Today is hard," he finished your sentence matter-of-factly, and without any sort of air of pity. You heard, in its place, respect. He had no idea how you felt, but he'd always left space in your friendship for you to feel it. And, in true Jake fashion, he'd tried to fix it, by introducing you to his family, all those years ago, now. You'd only known each other a few months, then. But he didn't want you to be alone. And, the truth was, you hadn't been. Not since the moment you met him. All you ever felt when you were with Jake was ease. Comfort. 

Your hand found Jake’s without thinking, eyes burning with unshed tears. “You’re my best friend, Jake. And I will not hesitate to kick your ass if you tell anyone how soft I got.”

You glanced over at Jake just in time to watch an unreadable emotion cloud his expression. Before you had time to think it over, he was squeezing your hand. “I’ll always keep all your secrets, Vee. Including that you prefer green Jolly Ranchers, even though blue are clearly superior.” 

—————

The Seresins took you and Jake to a small diner off base, and it was today that you learned it was Jake’s favorite. You all sat in a booth toward the back, bunched up together in the cushioned semi-circle bench. Jake’s warm thigh brushed against yours, and you’d be lying if you didn’t notice the jolt that went through you, every time those thick cords of muscle pressed against you when he laughed, or when he reached forward to grasp one of the menus wedged between the matching salt and pepper shakers on the table. 

With an arm lazily draped on the booth behind you, fingers loosely grazing your shoulder every so soften, Jake opened a menu for you to share. 

“Well, what do you think, darlin’?”

“How did I not know this was your favorite place?” You asked, ignoring the question he was obviously asking you.

But he indulged you. “This was the first year I actually convinced you to come with us.”

“Convinced? I felt slightly bullied, Seresin.” You grinned, in spite of yourself. 

“Forgive me for wanting to spend a little time with you, darlin’.” He sounded almost coy. You glanced up at him, at the same time he looked over at you, and found that ‘butterflies’ were an understatement for what that look was currently doing to your insides. It felt like a cross between adoration and desire, but what was even wilder was that Jake’s expression seemed to mirror your own — which was absurd because it was Jake. Jake, who always made sure you never got left behind; Jake, who sometimes pulled his punches with you when he was ragging on you over the comms. Yeah, that Jake, your Jake was looking at you like… that?

But then you heard Jake’s dad clear his throat from across the table and you and Jake glanced up like you’d been caught doing something far less innocuous. Your mind worked overtime trying to decipher what just happened here but the moment flickered and burnt out before you, and the conversation moved on like a film unpaused.

Despite the fact that his entire family was here, it felt like Jake couldn’t bear to take his eyes off you for a moment, not that you were complaining. And it was something his mother noticed, too.

“So, between the two of you, who do you think is the better pilot?” Courtney teased, a mischievous glint visible in the hazel of her irises. 

But then Jake said your name at the same time you said his, causing you both to turn to each other in surprise, mouths agape. 

“Stop being modest,” he accused, almost immediately. Part of you wanted to make special note of this moment, record it somehow. So that the next time Jake decided to have a pissing contest with some other pilot, you could chime in and remind him it didn’t matter, since he thought you were the best anyway. You went to shove at his chest, but your hand — and your heart — stuttered with you made contact. He was so solid. Just firm muscle and warm skin. When your gaze dared drift upward, he was blushing. Your comment, voicing the observation, would die on your lips, as your server returned to the table with a tray full of milkshakes. Leave it to Jamie to secure dessert when you weren’t looking.

—————

When the meal had run its course and everyone was preparing for the trip back to base, you couldn’t help but hang back a little bit, just to take it all in. Jake was indulging Courtney in one of those rare, long bear hugs, while Jamie and his mother ran off to the bathroom, and his dad made small talk with another patron seated at the diner’s counter. In spite of your resistance, this family had yanked you, kicking and screaming, into their lives. Whether you’d found them or they’d found you didn’t matter, what mattered was the moment unfolding before you. You wished you could wrap it around you and let it warm you from the inside out. 

You weren’t sure when Jake had released Courtney to return to your side, or when the rest of his family had filtered out the diner’s front doors, so you jumped when you heard his voice from beside you. 

“You okay, sugar?” He was close enough that you could smell the tang of his cologne — softer than before, but still present — and feel the body heat rolling off of him in waves. You practically ached with the desire to move, to be touching him in some way, and the ferocious way this feeling roared to life within you startled you. Instead of giving in to that yearning to touch, you spun around and put some distance between you, eyes trained on him. You were desperate to find out what had changed, but when you gazed into Jake’s eyes. You just saw him, you just felt him. Nothing else had changed. But maybe nothing had needed to. High stakes situations meant you were constantly filtering out your emotions: keep, alter, discard; keep, alter, discard. You rifled through feelings often before you took a breath. It felt silly to question whether or not you’d simply overlooked or ignored your feelings for your best friend all along, but what else could be true? It wasn’t the way you felt about him that was new; no, it was the sudden impulse to do something about it that felt like an unscratchable itch.

You took a nearly imperceptible step closer, and Jake mirrored your actions. He said your name softly, cautiously. 

But then, from behind: “Hey, is everybody else outside?” 

Jamie’s voice was like cold water to the face. Still, you nodded, regaining the distance between yourself and Jake. You blinked a few times, as if you were hitting some sort of invisible reset button in your mind.

Keep, alter, discard.

You were silent, the entire ride back to base. You went through the motions of ‘see-you-next-time’’s and ‘take-care’’s, and stood in the parking lot until Robert’s truck was completely out of view.

“Thanks for today,” you mumbled, without looking up at Jake, then spinning on your heels to head back inside.  There was still enough of the day that you could get your laundry done if you headed straight in and got to work, you just had to —

Jake’s hand on your wrist stopped you in your tracks. Your skin was tingling where his fingers were wrapped around you. Jaw set, you clenched, mouth forming a straight line. You were back on base now; you were back to being naval aviators. There wasn’t any room for these silly little schoolgirl feelings Jake inspired in you. You didn’t get to twirl your hair and bat your eyelashes and fall head over heels for your best friend. Instead, you got to linger somewhere painfully between ‘duty bound’ and ‘already in over your head.’

“What is it, Jake?” You hadn’t yet turned to face him, and that was an offense he didn’t take lightly to; though instead of waiting for you to rectify the situation, he does so himself. It was so very like him. 

“Look at me, please.” The raw edge to his voice startled you into compliance. 

You turned and regretted it immediately.

“What did I do?” His eyes were so soft, so entirely unguarded. A fear you didn’t recognize was plain on his face. “How can I fix it?”

“It’s nothing, Jake.”

But he was not convinced by your sighed syllables. “That’s bullshit.” Even the way he spoke was gentle, like he was afraid you’d evaporate from the sheer force of his words if he spoke too loudly.

“Something changed, after lunch, something… Something happened,” he continued. “Did Jamie say something to you? Court?” 

A short burst of laughter punched out of you, but it sounded colder than you imagined, and Jake stepped back like you’d slapped him. Fear was replaced by irritation. You recognized that particular crease in his brow, but you resolved that this was good. Maybe he needed to hate you a little, so you could get over whatever was most definitely not happening here.

“What?” You laughed again, though this time it sounded more forced than before. “Did you expect me to go all weak-kneed because you saved me, Jake? Showed me what a real family was like? Would you like me to grovel with gratitude now, or can I save that for later?”

And you regretted the words the moment you said them, instantly spiraling. It was vicious and careless, but a low enough blow that it would end things — it would fix things, once and for all. But then that feeling from earlier returned, that burning at the back of your throat and the sting in your eyes. You understood now that what you were feeling was loss; you were preparing for the loss of your best friend. Prematurely, perhaps, but if you knew Jake at all, you knew it wasn’t that premature. He let the others think he was a jerk and a blowhard but, to you, he admitted to the real softness of his heart. The purity of it. It was you he sat beside, shaking with worry after Phoenix and Bob went down after a bird strike. You, he called when his niece got a case of the flu so bad she was hospitalized and he couldn’t see her. You, he pleaded with for help when he’d mouthed off too much in class and was pretty sure everyone hated him now. You knew everything he did was so startlingly fucking earnest. To question how genuine he was, to question his integrity, was the kind of wound that could only be delivered intimately. And you had done it so very well. A real stab and twist.

You mumbled an apology, just desperate to escape Jake and that angry, but somehow still pleading look in his eyes. It was when your back was turned that Jake finally spoke.

“God, I have to be so fucking stupid.” 

“Jake, don’t,” you said, stilled but not turning back around. Your pride wouldn’t let him see you cry.

“No, I must be. I must be a complete fucking idiot to have misread all the signs that you… That we want the same thing.”

You didn’t dare speak at first; you couldn’t. And then, when you did, the ragged nature of your breathing startled even you. “And what is it that you think we both want?”

“More than this, Vee!” He sounded exasperated, and you didn’t need to face him to know that Jake had run a frustrated hand through his hair. “More than tiptoeing around each other and how we feel about each other, and trying to pretend like, like…” 

“Trying to pretend like what?” The words ripped out of you like a sob and you couldn’t will yourself to be still anymore. Your body angled toward his like you were fucking magnetized. 

“Trying to pretend like I am not in love with you.” 

The words landed like lead around you, and you had to bite back a sob. When that wasn’t enough to muffle the sound, you slapped a palm to your mouth. 

He had done it. He had taken that big thing, wrestled it into submission, and then laid it bare in front of you. But, more than that, he’d laid himself bare in front of you. He was more naked now than he’d ever been in any locker room. This was Jake at his most honest.

And you could feel yourself teetering so dangerously on the edge of giving in. Your breaths heaved in and out of you with great effort. 

What if you ruined this? What if he left you? What if, what if, what if…

God, but what if you didn’t? What if, for once, something just fucking worked out, and someone just stayed? If there was anyone in your life who was capable of staying, wouldn’t it be Jake? Who else could it be? 

Your resolve was so thin, so fragile; when you finally spoke, it was: “Jake, I’m scared.” 

He took a step toward you. He could’ve closed the gap between your bodies in a singular stride, but he was giving you an out. One last chance to walk away. You remained anchored to your spot on the pavement. When he took the final step toward you, he had a palm raised to frame your face — he was shaking, but he rested his forehead against yours, too. And that was Jake, in a nutshell. Scared, but pushing forward. It was one of the things you admired, one of the things you loved most about him. 

“Don’t be scared, Vee.” The plea was soft, softer than a prayer. “Don’t be scared. Whatever there is to figure out, we’ll figure it out together. We can make this work.”

“And if we can’t?”

“We’ll figure that out together, too.” 

Even as your every survival instinct was telling you not to, even as all you wanted to do was run, you leaned in. The kiss was a little clumsy — he hadn’t been ready, you were too nervous. But then your hand found purchase against his chest, and one of his at your hip. And then you were practically tugging each other closer; your lips fitting together more seamlessly. How had you held out this long? How had you deprived yourself of this? 

Jake retracted, eyes wild and bright when he looked at you. As his lips sloped into a grin, you knew something was coming. 

“Ma’am, I’m not sure if you heard me, but…”

“Oh, you mean your little love confession?” you reveled in the flush that crept up his neck and the laugh that fled your now kiss-swollen lips as a result.

Though realization seemed to darken his expression, and his eyes left yours. The loss was one you felt immediately. 

“What?”

Jake must have felt the tension begin to seep into your body, because his thumb began to press slow, soothing circles against your hip. 

“Vee, I know you don’t need me to save you. You have never needed to be saved by anyone.” His brow furrowed a moment, and the hand still cradling your face dropped to meet the other at your hips. “But if you want to be… If you want someone else to help you carry all that weight on your shoulders. Well, that would be okay, too, alright?”

You weren’t certain, but when Jake met your gaze once again, you were almost positive there were tears welling in his eyes. The sight of his vulnerability rendered you speechless, so you nodded mutely, then managed a small ‘okay.’ It was instinctive for you to rest your forehead against Jake’s chest and allow his arms to envelope you in his embrace. More so than ever before.

You weren’t sure how long the two of you had been standing there when you finally spoke up again. “Hey, Jake?”

“Yeah, darlin’?”

“I love you.”

He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t need to. Instead, he dropped a kiss on the top of your head, and tightened his arms around you. And maybe, just maybe, you thought… this wouldn’t be so bad. Whether it was 20 minutes or 20 years, you wanted as much of Jake as he was willing and able to give. 

Keep, alter, discard? You were definitely keeping this feeling.

[isthischopper]

hi thereee, i see ur requests are open and i’d like to request…!!!!

a (if you don’t feel comfortable doing fem, g/n is fine too!) fem!s/o who ate a devil fruit that makes her a long, curly-haired lion! it also gives her a tail and ears in human-beast, beast, or normal form! and it also gives her human form hair similar to killers (long, curly-ish? luscious, you get it)

but could i request that with shanks, or zoro? possibly both if you’d like! i’m fine with either tho<3 thank you and u have amazing works!

hi! i actually love this request, and while i’ve been pretty inactive, it keeps coming back into my mind!

i’ve written a choppy little story, broken into 4 small parts. i hope you enjoy!

⁀➷ Lone Pirate

⋆ Roronoa Zoro x fem!Reader

You frequent this bar, for better or worse, a beer. Simple, effective, tasty. The bar gets quiet when you're there, the other frequents knowing not to screw around with you. You use it to your advantage, but it is a little annoying; nobody ever talks to you other than the bartender.

To be fair, you're not so talkative either.

Most pirates are the creepy-kind. Weirdos with even weirder beards and less guts than their own beer belly. Meaning... why even give them a chance?

Only a few minutes pass after your arrival, and the bar's filling up. Groups of pirates, you assume, pile in, gnarling their order and sitting at a vacant wooden table.

A younger, more colourful, group sits adjacent to you.

You paid no mind, until some burly old man tried to pick a fight. He yelled in their faces, before smashing his beer on the bar, and, successfully covering you in the foamy-sticky substance. Truly, some people have no consideration for the innocent bystander.

"Can I help you??" you snap, shooting up from your bar stool.

"Are you with them?" he spits back, bending his neck just so you could smell his rotten breath.

…them?

Before you could reconsider, you're slamming him head-first on the hard wooden bar counter, knocking him out. The other pirates looked taken off guard; presumably not expecting that reaction out of you, the rest of the patrons silent.

You decide leaving now is your best option, before someone shows up to find their friend on the floor.

***

Months later, you find yourself in the Land of Wano.

You’d heard of Kaidou’s plans for New Onigashima while searching for another island to explore. Sure, you were considered a pirate, but you weren’t in it for fame or fortune; craving the experience of it all instead. You’d explored the country, familiarized yourself with the history and culture, and joined the side of the Straw Hats— the colourful group at the bar, you came to learn.

Now: buildings are flaming, fights are raging everywhere, and the sounds of explosions are ringing in the distance constantly.

You were running the flaming halls, searching rooms for anyone injured or caught in the fire. Somehow, wrapped up in the sounds of destruction all around you, a group of men working under Kaidou slipped your ears. They’d been following you, waiting for the perfect moment to group up and take you all at once.

Who you did notice, however, was a man sprinting in your direction from down the hall. Your hair nearly stood up on end, your body screaming at you to perform some type of defence. He was looking right through you (so you thought), swords drawn, teeth bared. He looked quite intimidating; save for the green hair.

Just before he reached you, his sword swiped against another just two inches shy of your left ear. The clash slicing some of your white-blonde hair clean off. But— you had already figured it out before a single curl hit the floor.

You couldn’t help to be glad he wasn’t aiming for your neck (because he most certainly would have had it).

You had ducked under the swords upon their impact, revolving on your heel to face the group of goons. The green-haired Straw Hat already had the first three handled, so you planted your foot and pounced on the next.

It was quick work, between the two of you.

“You broke his nose.”

You hadn’t even remembered touching a nose, to be honest. You frowned, looking at the pile of defeated men on the floor.

“Which one?”

He chuckles briefly in response to your question, sliding his swords back into their respective encasing. His arms flexing effortlessly (or, maybe on purpose).

“No, at the bar that day.” he pauses “That was you, right?”

“…Depends who’s asking.” you wink.

Deciding that standing around isn’t too beneficial to the current situation, he offers you to follow. You had clicked well, bantering between brawls and fighting together like how a puzzle piece fits.

His swords and your claws working in unison.

***

Later, when the crew is celebrating the defeat of Kaidou over a drink, you’re sitting alone and taking in the view. The green haired pirate joins you, his scent alerting you of his presence before he’d sat down next to you.

“We’ll be leaving soon, It would be a shame to not have your name.” he speaks quietly, sounding much different compared to the adrenaline-fed, raspy voice you heard earlier.

Of course you knew his name, thanks to the word of Wano. People were talking about the Straw Hats everywhere, it was hard to not hear. You hadn’t considered he’d want yours.

“Y/n. Leaving me here after all we’ve been through?” you chuckle.

Kicking back, he rests his back against a rock and tucks his arms behind his head. His eyes are closed, breathing steady, but alert and conscious.

“Things to do, places to be, Luffy says.” he jokes, letting a sigh out and stretching his sore neck.

You lounge back next to him, shoulders touching. Eyes closed, the atmosphere taking over your senses. It’s serene, almost, if you tune out the hollering and music of the celebration.

His body was warm, where it met yours. You could smell the smoke and blood remaining on his skin. You really would miss him, it’s a different type of feeling to have someone you work so well with.

Fighting together, you cleared paths easily. Bonnie and Clyde, almost. What you couldn’t catch Zoro did, and you had his back in the same way. You mutually agreed on a plan every time, without any communication; it came naturally— a rare occurrence.

“Do you have a crew?” he asks.

“Mmm-mm,” you hum “Just me.”

You weren’t sure of the real meaning of this question, but soon after his fingers found their way to discreetly brush on your thigh.

***

“Who’s Zoro with over there?” Jinbe quizzes to chopper, who works to bandage a few surface scrapes.

“She’s a lone pirate!” he deduces. “A Zoan user, really strong…” he trails off, concentrating on the task at hand.

Jinbe chuckles to himself, studying the girl. It seems Chopper is right; she has the ears and tail of a lion, not to mention her mane of curly hair. He heard she had retractable claws, too. He wonders her origin.

Though, things are too joyful to be so inquisitive. He trusts Zoro’s judgment.

“A lone pirate, you say?”

“Mm, yes,” chopper confirms, stepping back to admire his work and placing his hands on his hips.

“Why do you ask?”

Jinbe chuckles again, nodding his head in the direction of Zoro and the girl. He noticed their friendliness when Zoro had first joined her, something that wasn’t too easy to come by with the green haired fire-cracker.

Jinbe leans down to match Choppers height, a mischievous grin on his face.

“I’m not sure I have seen Zoro do that before.” he states.

The click of Chopper’s feet as he turns, and then the full body shock that elopes him is enough to have Jinbe holding back a hysterical cackle. Obviously Chopper hadn’t seen it happen either.

The two of you were met for a kiss when his eyes landed on you. Slow and sensual, causing the innocent little deer to blush a deep shade of red.

Zoro’s hand held your hip just above the ruffles on your shorts, and your palm bared his chest. You were still in the same relaxed position against the rock with your bodies rotated slightly to reach, eyes closed again.

“Zoro!!??? Whaa-!!!” squeals Chopper, gaining the attention of the others.

You blush pink, but Zoro’s smug smile says it all.

What an interesting match, Jinbe thinks.

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

[seenoversundown]

For Death Or Glory : Chapter Thirteen

Jake Kiszka x Charlotte (Fem OC)

Warnings: 18+ Smut (a small amount of masturbation) Alcohol / Drinking, Suggestive conversations, dicking around on the job, Mentions of Sexual preferences, Flirting, Fluff, terrible dad jokes, and unfortunate amounts of pirate comments.

Word Count: 4k

Summary: Jake is still reeling from the events of the night before, when Charlotte rolls up with a wonderful proposition that he could NEVER refuse. Leading them into a fun game that helps him get through the rest of the night.

Author's Note: THE GAMES HAVE BEGUN. They really are so precious and watching them learn how to interact with each other has me giggling and kicking my feet. (even though I'm quite literally in charge of them 💀) Can't wait to hear how you guys feel after this one!! 💕😍

Bathroom Light - Mt Joy "So, come on, baby, let's do this right, I think I like falling in love in the bar bathroom light."

“I feel like we should talk.” 

Not my favorite thing she’s said to me, if we’re being honest. Charlotte’s leant against the doorframe to my office, her hands are busy playing with the dainty rings she has on. 

“Okay,” I say, “you can come all the way into the room though.” She scurried in, shutting the door quietly behind her. 

“I don’t know how to say this,” she starts, sounding timid, which is unusual for her. 

I can’t stop myself from speaking up, “Did I overstep?” 

“Oh my god, no. No, not at all,” she spits out. “I actually.. um.” She looks back down at her hands, a small grin grows on her face. 

My eyebrow pops up, waiting for her, “What?” Comes out with a slight laugh. 

“Maybe we could be friends who, like..” her face turning red as she whispers, “maybe hook up sometimes..” 

We’re friends? She wants to - with me? I- oh my god. 

“Oh,” I can hardly form words with the speed my brain is moving at, “Oh, uh, we can. Yes. I would be okay with that.” My eyes finally met hers, knowing full well that I probably look far too excited. 

“Really?” 

I watch her chew the inside of her lip and see her hands shake slightly, which honestly makes me feel a bit better. At least I'm not the only one who gets nervous. I reach out, grabbing one of her hands with both of mine, which gets her to look back at me. 

“Really,” I say quietly, “Whatever you're comfortable with.” Finally standing up from my desk, she just looks at me, and I can’t quite tell what's going on inside that pretty little head of hers. 

Suddenly her arms are wrapped around my neck in a hug, catching me off guard. I let my arms sit around her waist as she lets out the sweetest little laugh next to my ear. 

“You’re sure about this?” she asks, leaning back to look at me. I get to spend more time with her and possibly get laid once in a while? YEAH, I THINK I’M SURE. 

“You can be the Captain of this ship,” I tell her, choking back a laugh as hard as I can. 

She does not; she drops her head, leaning against me as she barks out a laugh. Her small frame just shook against me, but at least this time, it was happy. 

Still laughing, she looks back up at me, “You’re so dumb,” she manages to get out before leaning forward to press a sweet kiss on my lips. I could get used to that.  ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I didn’t anticipate the torture that I would endure after that conversation, having to be around her in the bar and stay normal about it. She already made me feel on edge, in a good way, before the last twenty-four hours, but now it’s ungodly how tense my body feels. 

I try to spend as much time cleaning and talking to the regulars that have come in, but I continuously find myself looking at her. I just want to talk to her. 

I pull out my phone, quickly type out a message, and slide it under the bar in front of me. 

Me: so.. does this mean I can just.. kiss you if we’re not around people?

My hands sweat at the thought, but god, what I’d give to kiss her again right now. I glance over as she picks her phone up, seeing the smirk creep onto her face. Looking around the bar to see if anybody might need something until my phone lights up. 

Charlotte: I'd like that. 🤭

Charlotte: You have a pretty mouth, so I think we should. 

Feeling warm at the compliment. A pretty mouth? I had been told on a multitude of occasions that I’m a bit more feminine, but given that my counterpart is Josh, who keeps his hair short and has facial hair, I don’t think I had much of a fighting chance. But I’ve never been complimented like that before, and I think I liked it.  

Me: play along 

I walk over to where she’s sitting, and her eyebrows pull in for a second looking at me. Sliding carefully behind Mel and Josh, I lean against the bar facing her. 

“Can you come with me? I need your opinion on if something is up to code,” I tell her, my voice at a normal volume but giving her a slow wink. 

“Oh, absolutely,” she replies, “Mel, I’ll be right back.” 

I meet her at the end of the bar, gesturing toward the hallway and leading her to our cooler. Once we’re out of sight, sticking my hand out behind me for her which she immediately grabs. We round the corner into the back room, and I turn to face her, pulling her into me. Tilting her chin up with my free hand, seeing her smile as I do. 

“Hi,” she mumbles, pressing a kiss against my lips. 

Letting out a small ‘mmm’ as my arms rest around her waist, “Let me just—“ Leaning in, noticing the way she doesn’t actually close her eyes. She just watches my mouth. Feeling her hands find their place on my stomach as I take her bottom lip between mine, making my heart shake. I wonder what makes her feel like this. Pulling my arms back slightly, letting my hands hold her waist, lightly squeezing her when I feel her hands grab my shirt. That must be something. 

“So, about that opinion,” I whisper into her, making her giggle. She reaches up, wiping the smudge of lipstick she left on me, and my stomach turns at how gentle she is.

Her eyes slowly look up, meeting my stare as she lets out a quiet, “I think that exceeds the standard, for sure.” 

We both hear footsteps in the hall; backing away from her quickly and folding my arms across my chest as she nods when Mel rounds the corner into the cooler.

“Jake, the POS is living up to its name.. Can you help?” she rolls her eyes, clearly frustrated. 

“Shit, yeah, I’ll be right there.” 

We both watch as Mel quickly turns, leaving the room looking fairly defeated. Standing there in silence for a matter of a few seconds before we both let out a quiet laugh. 

“I guess I need to do my job,” I whisper to her, making her smile. She turns to face me, fixing my shirt for me and moving a rogue hair back into place. Her hands linger on my chest as she looks at me, which only makes the butterflies in my stomach go wild. 

The smirk on her face is killing me when she says, “Go save them, boss man.” 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The bar continued to get busier, making it harder and harder for me to not actually do my job. Almost as if flirting with pretty girls isn’t in my job description or something. Stealing little glances at her any chance I could while we quietly texted each other random things. 

Charlotte: You have to stop looking at me like that 

I grab the empty glasses from a table, walking back towards the bar but sneaking up behind her. 

“Like what?” I whisper next to her ear, setting the glasses on the bar top in front of her. Giggling as she jumps slightly, scowling at me, but that doesn’t stop my stare. It would be easier if she wasn’t gorgeous. My eyes fell between her lips and holding eye contact.  

“That,” she whispers back, “whatever that is.”  She leans into her hand while the other falls into her lap. 

“You don’t like it?” I ask, forcing myself to stay focused on her eyes. Leaning onto the bar next to her, letting my hand hang over the edge. 

She smiled softly, “No, it’s terrible,” oozing with sarcasm fell from her lips, feeling her hand graze mine. 

My head tilts slightly as my eyebrows raise, “and why is that, honey?” I whisper, pulling my bottom lip in with my teeth, watching as her face flushes. 

Forcing myself to back up, grabbing the glasses as I go, what I wouldn't give to just spend the night with her instead? 

Me: do you like being called honey? 

I set my phone under the bar, pouring a few drinks for the regulars sitting there, trying not to look over at her, but it’s impossible. Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I see her pulling up her phone. What if she hates it? 

Charlotte: Mmmm I might 🤭

I'll never be sure what possessed me to call her that the first time. I've always just used ‘sweetheart’ or ‘dear’ because they feel safe and really can’t be taken too out of context. Also, to be entirely honest, I typically don’t get far enough with a girl to give her a cuter pet name than those.  It just sort of came out when I saw her start to melt down, and it’s stuck. 

Charlotte: Do you like that I use your full name? 

Her sweet voice calling me ‘Jacob’ plays in my head on a loop, so it’s safe to say I don’t mind it. Although, the way she called me ‘baby’ made me want to crawl out of my skin. She had me wrapped around her finger in that moment.  

Me: you can call me whatever your heart desires 

I looked over at her, saw her smile at the response, and quickly started to type. This game of twenty questions is definitely making tonight go by a little faster. 

Charlotte: That doesn’t really roll off the tongue nicely- I think I’ll stick with calling you by name or baby 😉

I audibly laugh at her text, unprepared for her to get me with a classic dad joke. It was almost enough to distract me from the last part, but no such luck as my heart fluttered at the pet name. I could go for hearing that a little more often. Wandering over towards her, I lean down as I grab the glass from in front of her and whisper, “You’re more than welcome to slip a ‘Captain’ in the mix as well, yknow?” 

She leans into her hand, propped up on the bar, “So, you do like that, huh?” 

“Felt a little different coming out of you,” I tell her, shrugging as I back up a little and biting the inside of my lip as she watches me. 

Her eyes rake down me before letting out a quiet, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

I help Josh for a few minutes, pouring a handful of drinks for some regulars and running to grab orders from a few of the new tables that just came in. Rounding back behind the bar, I slide my phone out of my pocket quickly. 

Me: since we’re doing this- do you have questions or shall I continue 

Tossing my phone under the bar, turning to wash a handful of glasses for them. I try to just focus on what I’m doing. But I just want to pay attention to her. I turn around as I’m drying and putting away the glasses, doing my best to scan the room for anybody who may need anything. My eyes fixate on her as she sets her phone down and looks over at me. I pick up my pace drying, sliding the glasses onto their shelf quickly so I can grab my phone, needing to know what she said. 

Charlotte: I’m assuming you’re a physical touch person? 

Me: you would be correct but I’d like to say I can cover all the bases if you like something else more. 

I’ve always been a touch person, especially given that I’ve spent my whole life with Josh. He can’t go two seconds without grabbing your arm if he’s telling you something. So, it’s definitely something I’d developed over time and also suffered from; the lack of physical touch I’ve had in the last couple of years is contributing to the urge to ask her every two minutes to meet me somewhere hidden. Even though I would do whatever she prefers, I just hope she enjoys physical touch because I don’t know how I’m supposed to avoid it. 

Charlotte: Oh, touch is near the top with words of affirmation for me, so I think you’re doing just fine 

Knowing she likes words of affirmation makes my stomach knot up, the amount of things I’ve held back because I don’t want to overwhelm her. But I’ll tell her that she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen every day if she’ll let me. Despite the fact she was just being open, I decided to test the waters on this situation we’ve put ourselves in. 

Me: soo.. does that mean you like to be..reassured or no?

Hitting send, I immediately feel like I’m sweating. I pour a few beers waiting for her reply, hoping that she knows what I meant and that she doesn’t take back everything she said in my office today. 

Charlotte: A little praise never hurt anybody.

I whip my head over to her, and my hand wipes over my mouth as she smiles at me. The fact I’m blushing over the answer to the question I asked feels ridiculous. Why did I think this was a good idea? Making eye contact with someone at the bar who wants to order, I walk over to them. Taking their order and turning to grab all the bottles needed for it, I slide my phone from my pocket, setting it on the counter as she texts me again.  

Charlotte: Do you always like to be the Captain? Or do you like to let others assist? 

My eyes shut while I take a deeper breath; why is she doing this to me? Forcing myself to focus on mixing their drink, but my brain feels like it’s short-circuiting. She did have a little dominant streak in her yesterday. I grab a napkin and bring the drink back over to them, nodding as they thank me. 

‘All for me, baby?’ plays in my head, and I guess I had never thought about preferences like that before. Most girls I had been with at this point wanted nothing to do with being in control. I also was typically not the most sober in these instances, so it’s debatable how dominant I even was. They just wanted me to do the work, which in the grand scheme, was fine. 

The way that she wants to have control makes my body tingle. Something about the idea of her telling me what she wants me to do is kind of hot. She basically had me begging for her yesterday, so maybe I’m a bit more submissive than I thought. I get head one time, and I’m reflecting on my entire sex life. Jesus Christ, chill out. 

Me: I’ll gladly let you steer anyday, don’t have to ask twice 

I wipe down the back counter, reorganizing a bit, anything to keep my brain from spiraling out of control over her. I wash some glasses in painfully hot water in hopes that it’ll prevent anything uncomfortable from happening to me while I’m just trying to get through this shift with her. 

After a few minutes of torture, I pick up my phone again. 

Charlotte: In that case, meet me in the bathroom? 

I’ve never replied faster.

Me: 🫡  ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

“Couldn’t wait any longer?” Winking at her as I lock the door behind me. 

Her smile is devious as she runs her hands up my chest, “When you look like this? Not at all.” Tugging me closer by my shirt, tilting her head back as I lean in to kiss her. 

All I can think is how lucky I am that I’m in this weird little situation with her. The fact that she’s communicating things to me, even if we’re doing it in a kind of vague way, makes me feel a little more confident with anything that’s potentially going to happen. 

Pulling away from the kiss for a second, I gently move some hair away from her face, just taking her in. My other hand is holding her lower back, keeping her close. The way she’s looking at me makes my heart pound. 

“Can I ask you something while we're here?” I mumble, watching her eyebrows pull together. 

“Obviously.” 

“I just want to hear your response to this one,” I start. “Can you promise me that if I say or do something that you don’t like, you’ll tell me?” 

Her eyes softened at the question. Her hands grabbed the sides of my face as she pressed a soft peck against my lips.

“Of course, I will. Promise.” 

“I never want to make you uncomfortable,” I mumble against her, “okay?” 

Her soft laugh against my lips before pressing a few sweet kisses into me, I swear this girl could get me to fold so easily. 

“You really are something, Jacob.” 

My stomach flips as the sentence leaves her lips. My heartbeat felt stronger than before, and my mouth basically ran dry; what is she doing to me? The look in her eyes as we stared at each other in the subtle glow of the light, even after the past few days, I’d be lying if I said she didn’t still make me nervous. Every kiss makes it feel like there are fireworks in my chest and a ton of excited butterflies in my stomach; my entire body gets warm, and I have to fight the slight tremor in my hands, so she doesn’t know. But god, this girl has me stumbling over myself every day.

“What if we just stay in here for the rest of the night?” I whisper into her.

Her hands slid down onto my stomach, “I think they might notice we’ve disappeared.” 

“Unfortunate, innit?” the English accent sneaking out of me, making her laugh. If that’s all it takes, I’ll use it more. “Why don’t you go back out there first? I’ll go to the backroom first, so it’s more convincing.” 

“Sounds like a plan, Captain,” she winks as she pats my stomach and then quickly sneaks out the door. Leaving me there, speechless, staring at the door for a moment. I think I just tripped.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I hid in the backroom for a few minutes, bringing out a handful of things to restock with. I try to wipe the smile off my face when I can feel her eyes on me. I have Mel run to the tables and get some drink orders taken care of; she’s been trapped behind the bar all night, at least get her a few minutes of a new scenery. 

It feels nice to make drinks mindlessly for customers sometimes. The muscle memory starts to kick in, and I can just go for a while. It’s just a bonus having Charlotte sitting at the end of the bar, intently watching every move I make.

“Aren’t you supposed to be watching Melody?” I tease, sliding a drink to her. 

Her hands rake through her curls, softly laughing as she says, “Well, she isn’t making drinks right now, is she?” 

“So you’re making sure I know what I’m doing then?”

“Something like that,” she says, biting her lip subtly. The goosebumps erupt on my arms instantly when she does that. 

Folding my arms across my chest, I look at her to ask, “Anything notable?” 

She slides her paper out for a second, quickly tucking it away so I can’t see what she’s written down. Sneaky little thing.

“You seem good.. with your hands,” she tilts her head slightly, slowly blinking at me. I can’t stop myself from smirking at the comment. I had noticed before that she watched my hands, but nothing was more validating than that comment. 

I step closer to the bar, leaning towards her a little so I can whisper, “Guess you’ll have to find out.” I watch her jaw slack at my comment, chuckling to myself. Seeing her flustered makes me feel less insane for being so antsy all night. The way she shifts in her seat as I look at her, I don’t think someone has ever reacted to my stare like this before. 

We spend the rest of Mel’s shift making unbearably tense eye contact, which makes me want to get her alone even more. She stayed for a little longer after Melody left, but I practically begged her to get home before it was too late. Something about the thought of her trying to drive in the Old Port when all the late-night bargoers are out just makes me nervous. 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

After what has seemingly become our nightly routine of walking her to her car, with the new bonus of getting to kiss her before she leaves, I’m met with an empty apartment. 

She won’t be home for a little bit. I pull open the fridge staring mindlessly, realizing that I’m not even really hungry. Taking the opportunity since Josh isn’t home, I wander into the bathroom, starting the shower. 

I stood under the hot water, letting it beat against me for a moment. My brain runs rampant with thoughts of her, still unable to process that she’s giving me any time, let alone wanting to spend more time with me. 

My eyes close as I think of the way she touches me; her hands are so delicate, and she’s so careful. Her hands always find a spot on my chest or stomach when she kisses me. Grabbing fistfuls of my shirt when we make out. Her lips though— those are something to write home about. God, I really was touch starved. 

My heart flutters at the thought of her kiss and how good it felt with her. Even when she was just leaving tiny pecks down my neck, I swear I could get goosebumps just from the memory. It had been so long since I even had the option I forgot how exciting it was. 

The thought of her sitting on my lap, her hands tangled into my hair, god. I feel the twitch, trying to ignore it. No, don’t be weird, Jake. Just think about something else. Rinsing the shampoo out of my hair and trying to refocus, but all I can hear in my head is, “all for me, baby?” A small groan comes from me, and I can’t stop myself from sliding my cock through my fist to relieve some of the tension. 

Her lips wrapped around me, the way she seemed like she was enjoying it, and her little moans as she slid me as deep into her mouth as she could. 

“Fuck,” I mutter, stroking myself a little faster. The visual of her on her knees for me has me reaching out to hold myself up. How is she real?

My hips jerked forward as I heard her voice in my head saying, “Come on, Captain.” 

Another moan sneaks out, my eyes fixed shut at this point, wishing she were here. God, she was so good. The way she swirled her tongue around me, her hair wrapped around my fist. Her green eyes look up at me as she takes just about all of me into her mouth, holy shit, I’m–.

“Fuck me, Charlotte,” I quietly groan as my orgasm washes over me. The water is hardly even warm at this point, while I frantically clean myself off to avoid a cold shower— that’s five minutes too late. 

Tapping my phone as I’m drying myself off. One Missed Call. Unlocking it instantly, seeing her name sitting there, I call her back with no hesitation. Is she okay? She hasn’t called me until she’s home before. 

“Hiii,” her soft voice dances around in my ear. 

“Hey, are you okay?” I spit out, knowing I probably sound insane. 

“Oh! Yes, everything’s fine! I'm just still driving,” she replies; a sigh of relief escapes me, grateful that she’s okay. Until all my nerves come flooding back when she says, “I just wanted to hear your voice.” 

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Fourteen

FDOG Master Post | Masterlist | Playlist

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[atlas-of-a-human-soul]

A little danger, pt. 13

A little danger - Series Masterlist

Pairing: Sky of Eraklyon x mind!fairy

Warnings: angst, swearing, violence, sexual innuendos, descriptions of wounds/death

———— PART 13 ————

It’s almost funny just how much time Y/N spent wishing her powers gone, yet when her wishes are finally heard she can’t reconcile the emptiness. The power that occupied a space inside her chest, wrapped around her heart in an eternal embrace she could always rely on, is now absent. Warmth her power generated had retreated, leaving her a shaken mess with cold seeping into her bones.

“You can’t hide in your room forever”, Stella opens Y/N’s closet, her eyebrows raised as she inspects the contents. “The wounds will heal, but your closet might need some help.”

“My fashion sense is superior to yours”, Y/N remarks lightheartedly.

Scoffing, Stella grabs a black dress off the hanger. “This is a monstrosity!”

“It’s my feel-good dress!” Y/N steals it back, holding it close to her chest. Sky used to love this dress: each thread, each stitch carries memories.

“You look badass in it”, he smirks. “Makes me think about all the things I’d like to do to you.”

Chuckling, Y/N places her hands on her hips. “Do tell”, she purses her lips. “Maybe we can come to an agreement on some of them.”

Blushing, Sky bites his lip. “Well, for starters”, he moves closer, pushing her back into a wall gently. “I’d make it so you’re near me”, he speaks quietly, his voice low and dark. Suddenly, he turns her around, pressing her hips into the wall as his fingers graze her tights, slowly pulling up the hem of her dress. “And then I’d kiss your neck”, his lips graze her ear before they find a home on the left side of her neck, nibbling lightly on the soft flesh. With his hands making way forward toward her inner thighs, Y/N lets out a few short breaths in anticipation. As his fingers brush her wet panties, Sky peels away from her body.

“Where do you think you’re going?” She asks, her eyes narrowing as his smile turns into a grin.

“Class”, Sky shrugs, heading to the door. Pausing, he turns to her with a cocky smirk. “But it’s good to know how wet I can get you in a matter of minutes.”

Throwing a pillow at his head, she growls as he ducks just in time and laughs at her. “JERK!”

“I’ll make it up to you”, he promises. “As long as you wear the dress.”

Stella’s gaze softens. She can tell how hard it is for Y/n, how lost her friend seems. Y/N is navigating in the dark, but Stella has the power to change it. “You’re getting that look on your face again.”

“What look?”

“The ‘I miss Sky’ look which can also be seen as the ‘I’m constipated’ look.”

Rolling her eyes, Y/N places the dress back on the hanger. “I do not miss Sky and I am not constipated.”

“You’re emotionally constipated and you definitely miss Sky”, Stella insists. “No need to lie to me.”

Swallowing thickly, Y/N grimaces. “I miss my power.” Admitting it out loud seems like a crime, as if she’s saying she misses being an out of control monster that hurt people. Placing a hand over her heart, she chokes up. If she could put it into words, the pain that has taken a hold on her since it happened, she would. It’s as if someone locked her in a windowless room and shut off the light. The last time she felt any flicker of her power was when she was walking away from Sky. It’s the hardest thing she’s ever had to do – but it’s for his own good.

Nodding, Stella forces a smile. “It’s a good thing you’ll get it back.”

“There’s no guarantee”, Y/N frowns.

“Well, if you helped us with the Blood witches, maybe we’d have a guarantee.”

“I’m useless against them. Especially now,” Y/N remarks bitterly.

“At least you’re not cleaning toilets like Musa,” Stella tries to lighten to mood. “She’s become the janitor.”

Y/N gives a weak smile, appreciating the pep talk, but it’s not going to fix her struggles. “I’m not getting involved. But I could do with a short walk, if you’re so insistent.”

Stella nods, offering a reassuring smile. “I’ll take it!”

Glancing at her closet again, Y/N nibbles on her bottom lip as her eyes focus on the black dress. Sky did keep his promise that night. He kept it so good that she could hardly walk for two days after that. Shaking her head, she takes it in her hands again and gives it a good look.

“I look damn good in this dress and you’re about to eat your words.”

She was right. Stella had nothing but praise for the dress once it was on Y/N’s body. It fit her as if it was tailored to every curve Y/N has, something quite a few students noticed as they passed by her.

“I swear this was the fifth guy willing to risk his life and give you his number”, Stella exclaims. “If Sky gets his hands on them, they’ll be begging for a quick death.”

“Why?” Y/N presses her lips in a thin line. “He’s not my boyfriend anymore. There’s no reason for him to scare off others who’d like to get to know me.”

“He loves you”, Stella reminds her. “He’s never going to be okay with other men trying to get into your pants. Or under your dress in this case.”

Stopping by the lake, Y/N stares into the distance. “I’m not so sure you’re right about that.”

“Of course, I am! It’s Sky! The guy worships you!”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Y/N shakes her head. “He was scared of me,” she admits quietly. “He’s just hid it better than everyone else.”

“If that’s true, why has he been staring at you ever since we came out here?”

Glancing over her shoulder toward the specialists training, Y/N meets Sky’s gaze. The emptiness inside her aches. She can hardly breathe as her jaw clenches and the lump at the back of her throat grows. Shivering with the cold spreading through her, Y/N turns away.

“Are you shivering in this heat?!” Stella frowns.

Without a word, Y/N continues to walk but in a few steps her walk becomes a sprint until she reaches her dorm. Closing the door behind her, she locks it before falling to the floor. Gasping for breath, she claws at her throat as the sobs make their way through her and out into the world, filling the room with loud, barely human cries as Y/N comes to realize one thing she cannot admit out loud – it’s not her power she’s missing, it’s him. The echoes of their last argument haunt her every time she closes her eyes. Her fingers tremble as she clutches onto the black dress, a painful reminder of a time where Sky was by her side and the love that used to fill her heart wasn’t a hollow ache. She’s pushed him away, finally. It took a while but she won, he finally let her go. Sky watched her walk away and for once he didn’t follow.

Isn’t this what she always wanted? Isn’t Sky’s devotion an inconvenience? Wasn’t she always picking apart everything he’s ever said or done to justify her need to push him away?

As Y/N was breaking down under the weight of her emotions for the first time since their split, Sky was on the other side of the door, listening. He ran after her, desperately wanting to make sure she’s alright.

He didn’t see her in almost two weeks since their split, relying on updates about her state from Stella and occasionally Musa, hell even Riven saw her before he did. This time he wanted to talk to her personally, last thing he expected was to hear the gut-wrenching sound of her sobbing on the other side of the door. He’s listening, unable to tear himself away.

She might as well be in a different dimension to him now, that’s how distant she feel to him. Absolutely no bridges can be made when she refuses to even see him. But, if he’s being truly honest, he hasn’t sought her out either. In the time they’ve been apart, Sky focused on himself. More importantly, Sky focused on honing his skills and pushing away the pain of losing her.

Saul and he have both been iced out by Y/N, which had weirdly enough brought them closer together, fostering an unlikely bond Y/N would likely approve of.

He can walk away now, pretend he doesn’t hear the love of his life crying her heart out, but he doesn’t. His love for her won’t allow it. Instead, he sits with his back resting against the door frame, unable to stay away any longer, and finally speaks.

“Beatrix told me I should have let Andreas kill Saul.”

Silence falls heavy on his shoulders. The cries have stopped, stifled by the sound of his voice, but he can feel her tears still flowing. Just because she’s not bawling, doesn’t mean he can’t feel every tear she spills over him.

“Accused me of doing it on purpose, using Saul as an excuse”, he chuckles bitterly, still in disbelief over the ridiculousness of the accusation. “I think she forgets he was my dad too.”

Sniffling, Y/N unlocks the door. Sky shifts in surprise, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Part of him expected that perhaps him speaking would entice her to open up.

As she opens the door, she remains seated on the inside, crisscrossed. Her eyes are brimming with tears, red from irritation, and her face is blotchy, but she doesn’t seem to care about that. Her own pain is unimportant when Sky is hurting – something she’s always done.

“I knew you’d do that”, he sighs. Sitting with his legs crossed on the outside, he sniffles too. “I shouldn’t have followed you.”

“But you did”, she states.

“Do you know the girls tried using some sort of a convergence crystal to give Musa her power back?”

“It didn’t work”, she shrugs meekly.

“Maybe it would work if you were with them.”

Biting her lip, she frowns. “I don’t have any power to help anyone.”

“We both know that’s not true”, Sky gives her a pointed look.

“I don’t know what you mean”, she defends.

“Yes, you do.”

Y/N shakes her head. “Have you been drinking? I can smell the booze on your breath.”

“Why ask questions you know answers to?”

“Because I hoped you’d tell me I was wrong.”

“You are wrong”, he quips. “You’re wrong for ending things with me.”

“You don’t need me.”

Letting out a heavy breath, Sky runs a hand through his hair. “It’s not about need, Y/N. It’s about wanting and loving and I both want and love you. I’m just tired of chasing you and being met with a million of these doors and invisible lines I cannot cross.”

He’s tearing himself raw for her, the ache in his chest so unbearable it’s like the very air is suffocating him. It’s all he can do – be honest and be present.

“You’re right”, she says quietly serving as a knife to his already bleeding heart. “So, give it a rest.”

“I killed my dad”, Sky spits out through gritted teeth. “I had to wonder if you’re going to survive too and to hate myself for being the reason you were even there to begin with.”

“I made my choice that night because I wanted to make sure you’re safe”, Y/N remarks. But when she continues her voice is laced with regret and bitterness. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save Andreas too. I was weak. And now I’m nothing.”

“You’re never nothing”, Sky’s quick to correct her. “To me, you’ll always be everything.”

Nodding, she doesn’t reply. What’s the point? Whatever she says, he’ll counter it with the exact opposite…the opposite she doesn’t believe in. It’s like talking to a wall.

“I did hear you”, she whispers, her voice breaking as truth spills from her lips. “It was a flicker of power, but I haven’t felt it since. It’s quiet”, she points to her temple. “Nothing happens in here anymore.”

“You miss it?”

“All the fucking time.” Tucking her hair behind her ears, she sighs with sorrow and longing. “And I miss you.”

“You don’t have to miss me”, his words are a desperate plea. “Say the word and I’ll cross this barrier”, he points to the doorstep, the barrier she had set.

“The problems we had aren’t so easily solvable.”

“Had”, Sky repeats with hope.

“I’ll get my magic back”, Y/N furrows her brows. “I know I will.”

“Is that what you want?” Sky swallows thickly, barely keeping himself together as he realizes just how fractured their seemingly unbreakable love is.

“Y-yes.”

“In that case, I hope you do get it back.” Sky looks down, finding it hard to keep eye contact. His heart is bleeding for this girl who seems to be tearing herself apart. They can fix each other, but she doesn’t allow that.

Nodding, she sniffles tears cascading down her cheeks. Wiping them away, she forces a smile. “Saul says you two are finding common ground.”

“We’ve got a problem.” Saul walks up to Sky. “You were drunk, weren’t you? Last night? That’s why you don’t remember.”

“Are you gonna lecture me?”

“No”, Saul sighs heavily. “You know, when I thought I killed Andreas, I got drunk for two years straight.”

“Yeah?”

“You were just a baby then. Y/N’s mom tried to sober me up and then you got older and I realized I had a job to do.” Pausing, Saul licks his lips, the memories are still vivid. “I’m still here, Sky. Still trying to do that job.”

“I know”, Sky sighs. “But I can’t train. Every time I pick up my sword I’m…”

“Back there. I know. It will pass. It’s going to take time and it will not be easy, but when it comes time when you need to fight to protect someone you love, you will fight.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“I picked my sword up for you, Sky. You’ll pick it back up for someone too.”

“Y/N”, he nods, the thought of her giving him strength. “If someone threatened her, I wouldn’t hesitate.”

“What does she have to say about it all? Have you even talked to her?”

“I haven’t even seen her since she walked away from me. She’s avoiding me.” Sky shrugs, attempting to hide the true depth of pain he’s been in. “What would I tell her? That I was hoping I would have some sort of redemption with my dad? With her? That we’d have a future?”

“See, that’s your problem. You try to predict your future, but we’re soldiers Sky. We don’t get to make predictions.”

Scoffing, Sky takes a step back, frustrated. “That’s fucked up.”

“Life’s fucked up. And guess what? It doesn’t give a shit about your plans. Once you come to terms with that, you become unshakable.”

How can he ever come to terms with that? To accept he might never have the life he wants with Y/N? That all those nights they spoke sweet nothings to each other about their plans are best to be forgotten?

Sky wants a proper life: he wants to marry Y/N, to have kids together, to be able to breathe without living on borrowed time.

“All great fighters are unshakable, Sky. We make peace with those we love every day, because we know tomorrow it could all be gone.”

“So, I’m meant to go through life in a constant state of uncertainty?”

“Readiness”, Saul corrects

“And how did that work for you when you lost the one you love? Huh? You’re still mourning her, watching over her daughter. You’ve mourned my father for all this time and yet you think it made you unshakable?” Tapping Saul’s shoulder, Sky forces a smile, a fragile façade. “You think it works, or that it works for you, but that’s not the life I want to live.”

“We’re trying”, Sky nods. “It comes with ups and downs.” ‘Would be a lot easier if you were around.’

Swallowing thickly, she musters a fragile smile. “I know it’s hard, especially with all the what if’s about Andreas, but Saul has always been there for you,” her voice cracks. “He’s not your blood, but he is your family.”

‘You’re my family.’

“You just need to take time to heal and it’s gonna be fine.”

Pressing his lips in a thin line he nods faintly. “Time…yes.” A sad smile tugs at his lips as his eyes glide across her body. “You look really beautiful in that dress.”

Y/N reaches over the threshold, a trembling hand hesitating before Sky notices. But he does notice and he doesn’t hesitate, taking her hand in his before she has time to change her mind.

For a moment, they both half expected a jolt of electricity to shake them both upon contact, to reignite the spark that once held them so close. But it never comes. Nothing really happens…except Y/N doesn’t feel cold anymore. The empty spot in her chest is filled, even if for a few fleeting moments.

Because the sound of an explosion that caused them to separate had left her feeling empty again. In that moment, the world feels impossibly fragile, teetering on the edge of an abyss.

Sharing a worried look with Sky, Y/N’s the first to speak, fear and confusion evident in her eyes. “What the fuck was that?!”

PART 14

[lumityfication]

ranking my favorite percabeth scenes (in pjo only not hoo) because i need to get this off my chest

(disclaimers that this is def pretty percy centric but that’s bc pjo is from his pov, i haven’t reread hoo recently enough!! and ik the first scene im mentioning is also very popular but i feel like we can always be talking about it more. this is my ramble i can do what i want)

1. for me my favorite scene in any rick riordan book will be when annabeth takes the knife for percy in TLO and then when they’re on the rooftop afterwards. she’s literally his achilles heel. he didn’t tell her where his weak spot is but she took the knife anyway. Get back no one touches her. him letting her feel the spot on his back. You’re cute when you’re worried your eyebrows get all scrunched up. sorry i’m crazy

2. when they got paired up for war games in BOTL and percy said “nice” and annabeth just said “your armor’s crooked” and fixed his straps. I think about it so often

3. annabeth sitting with percy at the poseidon table in BOTL. She was sitting next to me. i mean Right next to me. him saying he liked the fact that she broke the rules to sit w him. the other campers looking….. they’re besties your honor

4. when they’re doing the cabin inspections in TLO and annabeth is cleaning up her stuff in the athena cabin and she’s like This whole thing with beckendorf and silena makes you think about what’s important. about losing people that are important and percy short circuiting and thinking abt how he could only focus on the earrings she was wearing. i hold them in my hands

5. percy’s panic when he thought annabeth was going to go with the hunters of artemis. he literally just got her back he was so scared that he’d lose her for real this time … the way he stutters makes me spin in a circle really fast like i just love the ttc angst pushing them into realizing what they truly mean to each other

6. underrated SOM moment is after scylla and charybdis when it’s just percy and annabeth in a little lifeboat before arriving at circe’s island, and when percy snaps at annabeth and she apologizes hes like i can’t resent her we’ve been through so much together there’s no point in holding a grudge…. my babies!!! (SOM percabeth is just too underrated like to me it’s when they really start to understand each other, what makes them tick, what the other has gone through, it puts them on the same page which sets up their dynamic in the rest of the series)

7. when annabeth is passed out in SOM and they have the fleece on her and percy whispers “you’re a genius” to her because he promised to tell her that if they made it out alive 😭😭

8. percabeth in the attic in TLO getting the great prophecy and reminiscing and then locking eyes and percy remembering another time they were alone together when annabeth kissed him in mt st helens. crazy scene it’s CRAZY

9. annabeth’s reaction when percy shows up back at camp after being at calypsos island. he was the bravest person i’d ever known… he’s…. HES RIGHT THERE!! is just SO ICONIC and her hugging him so fiercely :(((( he literally crashes his own funeral and annabeth being mad at him but also clearly incredibly relieved makes my heart ache even if it’s silly. such a tragedy that we don’t get annabeths pov in pjo because i would have loved to know how she was feeling in the like two weeks where she thought percy was gone

and then there’s obvious ones like the underwater kiss, “a kiss for good luck it’s kind of a tradition right”, mt st helens, aphrodite looking like annabeth, giving up immortality, and pretty much everything percabeth in TLT i feel like is discussed so much too bc of the show lmao

anyways girls when they reread pjo and notice even more little percabeth moments every time they read it 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫🤯🤯🤯😭😭😭😭😭😭

[deadpools-baby-knife]

A type of love. (Logan x OFC)

Description: Listen man (GN) I saw this gif and I thought 'Oh he's a FREAK freak' and thus the idea of Sonne and Logan fucking nasty and playing with each others blood was born.

Warnings: Very NSFW, blood mention, blood drinking, vampire bites, some vaguely sub/dom energy, there's full penetration (I thought that in the Dennis iasip voice)

I hope you enjoy <3 This is also aviable on AO3

The clock chimed twice, Two AM, Sonne had been in the apartment alone for six whole hours, Wade went to see Blind Al, and judging by his barely legible text message, had gotten fucked up on coke with her, so he was spending the night at hers, which was perhaps a blessing.

Logan had gone out for a drive, Sonne wasn’t sure what was bothering the wolverine but decided to not ask, He’d been gone for long enough that he should be back by now, but knowing him, he was sulking in a bar somewhere under the guise of ‘giving her and Wade space.’

She knew how to entice him back, so showered and used all his favourite scents, lavender, vanilla and just a pinch of his cologne.

She then picked out his favourite outfit of hers, a long flowy soft negligee that barely covered anything it was so sheer, it was a deep blue, he said the blue always made the purple of her eyes pop, it was so nice she had a box full of them, wolverine’s are destructive, after all.

It was three AM when she rang him, he answered quickly which surprised her.

“Yeah?”

His voice was like gravel, she wondered how many cigars and cigarettes he’d been smoking, the faint sound of music and people talking could be heard, she was right, he was at a bar.

“You’ve been gone for hours.”

“I told you not to wait up.”

“Wade’s crashing at Al’s…” She trailed off “So we have the apartment too ourselves..”

She lowered her voice to a husky whisper

“I’m wearing that outfit you like.”

If she focused hard enough, she swears she can hear his heart pounding in his ears

“Gimme half an hour, sweetheart.” 

“Make it fifteen, I’m cold and I’d hate to have to cover up.”

He chuckled, it was a tease on her behalf, she couldn't feel the cold, not really.

“I’ll try my best.”

It was ten minutes before she heard the familiar rumble of Logan’s bike drive up to the building, and parking up outside. She smiled to herself, she was actually impressed, she timed standing up with the front door swinging open.

Logan closed the door, Sonne noticed the scuffs on his jacket, the boot marks on his jeans, she could smell dried blood.

“Something happen?” 

“Some punks were picking a fight with a homeless guy..I persuaded them to reconsider.” 

He closed the door with a slam, She rolled her eyes, the neighbours would be complaining, They were already the odd trio, the last thing they needed was more attention on them.

“I leave you to your own devices for a few hours and you get in a bar fight..” 

She stood up and walked towards him, the negligee flowed around her like smoke, she purposely made her footsteps make noise, to attract his attention.

It worked, when he turned she noticed the bruising on his face, the cut across his bottom lip still bleeding.

His eyes scanned her body and she saw a very primal hunger awaken within him, Anyone else might have been scared, but they both knew that Logan could only hurt her when she let him, she could kill him in a second, she was the apex predator here, maybe that just made it better, added to the thrill.

“I was helping out someone, I thought you’d approve.” Sarcasm dripped from his words “The good vampire who disapproves of mindless violence.”

She reached up and cupped his cheeks in her hands, she rubbed the blood away with her thumb, then put her thumb into her mouth and sucked it clean, his blood was still warm, tasting of whiskey and cheap vodka.

He kissed her, his lips were rough, his beard rougher, his tongue forced its way into her mouth, cigar smoke still clinging to him, She felt his hands latch around her waist, pulling her into his chest, against his rock hard muscles and hardening cock, hidden behind faded blue denim.

It had been a long time since Sonne had met anyone who could leave her breathless, yet here he was, pinning her against him.

He sank his teeth into her bottom lip, it stung and made her gasp, she moved her hands down his body, feeling each tense muscle, Wade was right, he did need to relax from time to time. 

She rubbed his cock through his jeans, it was getting harder under her touch, he groaned in her mouth, moving his lips off hers to her neck, he bit into her flesh, making her yelp, he chuckled again, moving his hands off her waist to slip under her legs under the fabric, his hands were rough against her smooth skin, he was warm, almost burning.

His hands moved up her thighs, to her cunt, she was now suddenly aware of how aroused she was, and so was Logan, she could feel him smirking against her neck.

“You’ve been waiting all night for this, haven’t you?” 

He lifted his head to look her in the eyes, she was frozen by his gaze, it was intense, burning a hole straight into her soul. 

If she still had one.

“Haven’t you?” She squeezed his cock, which was now at complete hardness, she could feel it twitching in her palm, trying to escape the fabric that confined it. “All I needed to do was call and you came running.”

He ran a finger through her folds, teasing her, she held back a whine. 

“Don’t act like if I called you, you wouldn’t come running just as fast, doll.”

He brought his finger to his lips, she could see her slick glistening in the light, he put the finger in his mouth and sucked, she let out a breath.

His free arm latched around her waist, picking her off the floor, she wraps her legs around his middle, her wet cunt settling on the bulge in his jeans, the fabric is rough, a jolt of electricity that goes from her clit to her toes.

His jacket was cool against her exposed flesh, contrasting to the furnace that was his chest, she tried to shift, to get at his neck, to kiss and bite him, he was holding her too tight to allow any movement, he knew what she wanted to do. 

He carried her into his bedroom, the stale smell of cigar smoke clung to every inch of the space, it was comforting, he dropped her on to the bed, it was soft beneath her, a blue-green plaid bedspread, that she was sure was the exact pattern of a shirt he owned, she’d have to tell Wade about that, he’d have a good joke about it.

Logan closed the door, and began taking his jacket off, Sonne watched from her spot on the bed, there was something oddly sensual of watching him undress, even if it was just his jacket.

He stripped down to just his vest, faded white, almost grey with spots of dried blood, it made Sonne frown, just how bad was that fight he got into? He must have noticed her frown.

“Trust me, the other guy is far worse off.” He must have noticed her frown.

“That's what I’m worried about.”

“I left them alive.” 

“Great, so they can identify you.”

He chuckled and shook his head, walking towards the bed “You worry too much, doll.”

“You think I’ve lived this long by being sloppy?” 

“You’ve lived this long because you use charm rather than violence..” he shrugged “I don’t have your looks.”

“You’re alright looking..I suppose.”

Logan just smirked, and kicked off his boots, Sonne wouldn’t say it aloud, it would seem far to corny, but Logan was more than ‘alright looking’ he was beautiful, and Sonne had seen a lot of faces in her time, but his would stay in her memory forever, she tried not to dwell on if there would ever be a future without him in it, she hoped not, she hoped that they, along with Wade, would stay like this forever, a curious trio who loved each other, even if the two men would never admit it.

Sonne was old enough to know there was more than one sort of love.

The mattress moved as Logan climbed on top of her, he put his hands beside her head and met her gaze, almost daring her to try and move, he even moved his head to expose a pulsing vein in his neck.

She licked her lips, his lip had stopped bleeding but she was sure she could remedy that given the chance, centuries of self control was being put to the test at this moment.

He put his hands on her waist and let some of his weight rest on her, he was heavy, having metal bones upped his body mass but even without that, he was taller than her by a foot and muscular, but that meant nothing to Sonne.

She giggled as his fingers ghosted across her bare hips, lifting the sheer fabric to bunch around her waist, he leaned down to kiss her temple

“You’re being very submissive tonight, doll..”

“Isn’t that what you want?” 

He grazed her teeth across her ear lobe “I’m just seeing how long you can keep playing pretend.”  

He rolled his hips against hers, pressing his jean covered crotch into hers, she smirked at him, showing her fangs, he wanted her to do something.

So she did, she hooked her legs around his waist and flipped him over, he let out a soft grunt as his back met the mattress, his cock twitched beneath her.

“See? I can be big and strong too..” she teased, running her hands up his chest, she pressed her pointer finger into the fabric, her nail catching on it, she applied pressure and dragged it down, cutting the fabric as she did, splitting it in two “But unlike you, I’m not a brute who can’t control myself.” 

“Keep tellin’ yourself that.” 

  He was smugly grinning up at her, the stretch of his lips caused his bottom one to bleed again, a tiny red stream going down his chin, that was again, a purposeful move on Logan’s end.

They locked eyes again, his stare was a silent dare to do it, to give in.

She bent down and kissed him, tasting his warm blood on her tongue, she could hear his heart beat pounding in her ears, feel it rumbling in his ribs.

His hands went down to his belt, she heard the clang of his buckle and moved out of the way to allow space for him to undo his fly and pull down his jeans and boxers, by the time she moved back into position, his cock was rigid and ready for her as she sank down on him, her eyes rolling back as he stretched her open, rubbing against all her sensitive walls.

He groaned into her mouth as he bottomed out inside her.

“Fuck..” he mumbled as she pulled her mouth off his. 

Sonne sat up, adjusting herself on his cock, their thighs were touching, his balls resting against the curve of her ass, she grabbed the hem of her negligee and began to lift it.

“Leave it on.”

“I don’t want to ruin it.”

Logan grinned again, a almost manic look in his eyes, Sonne was sure a similar look was in her eyes, she didn’t have to hold back, not with him, no matter what she did, he’d be okay, she couldn’t accidentally kill him, he wouldn’t run away screaming the second he saw her fangs.

Nor could he kill her, his claws could cut her skin but that was about it, they were two monsters who had managed to find someone like them.

He looped one arm around her waist and pulled her down to lie against his chest, her head nestled against his neck, against that pulsing vein he had taunted her with, he thrusted his hips into hers, she whispered a swear under her breath in german.

She ran her nails across his chest, drawing blood that she lapped up with kisses, he dug his fingers into her waist, she’d be bruised in the morning, it was worth it.

At a certain point she had to stop kissing his chest and neck, all she could do was just hold on for dear life as he fucked her, she thanked whatever god was out there that she wasn’t mortal, else she’d have more than bruises to deal with, at this phase she would have gotten a damn broken hip. 

But it felt so, so good, she was rapidly approaching the height of her orgasm at breakneck speed, usually it was gradual like waves on a shore, this time it was a flash flood that took her by surprise, she kissed him in order to silence the scream that was building in her chest, one of his arms went up her back, resting on her spine, he sat up, manoeuvring her so she was sat in his lap, he broke the kiss this time, resting his forehead against hers as she shook against him, whimpering.

“Atta girl.”

His spare hand went down to her clit, he rubbed his rough thumb in circles over the sensitive nub, she twitched against him.

Fuck she shouldn’t have poked the bear.

He managed to draw another three orgasms from her, getting more and more smug with each one.

“Now who needs to work on their self control?”

Sonne couldn’t even fathom a snarky response, her head was swimming, the mixture of his constant thumbing of her swollen clit and the long strokes of his cock, her brain had melted and was about to pour out of her ears at any second. 

She felt his laugh rumble in his chest, he was covered in tiny scratches and love bites, his sweat causing his chest hair to stick to his skin, if Sonne had the energy she’d be kissing every inch of it.

“Come on baby…one more for me..”

“I can’t..” She whined “Fuck..its all too much..”

“You can finally have a go at my neck…I’ve seen you eying it all night.”

“If I do that right now I might really hurt you.”

“I can take it..”

She kissed his neck “I know…but still…I wanted to double check.”  

The vein was pulsing, she wasn’t sure if it actually was or if her hunger was making her imagine it.

As she sank her fangs into his neck, she reached the peak of her orgasm, the assault on her senses caused her to almost black out, her cunt clenched around his cock in a way that made him curse, she barely heard him over the sound of blood in her ears.

There was some sort of irony to the fact that as she drank from his neck he came inside her, Sonne was reminded of the tales of vampires who would sneak into mens bedrooms and have sex with them before draining them of blood, it seemed a fair trade, or in this instance it was.

“Okay…okay doll that's enough..”

His heartbeat was getting slower, she knew what that meant, she’d bitten into his jugular, a normal human would be almost dead by now.

She very almost didn’t stop, what was the worst that could happen? Logan would pass out for a few moments and then get back up.

No, even if he could revive, the idea of “killing” him made Sonne feel sick.

She pulled away, she wasn’t aware of the blood covering her chin until then, the spell was broken, she avoided Logan’s gaze, embarrassed that she had gotten so lost in her feeding that she almost stopped his heart.

He fell back into the mattress, pulling her with him, she lay her head on his chest, her previous bites and scratches were already healing, they’d take a few days to disappear completely.

“Come ‘ere.”

He cupped her face and tilted her head up, he bent his head down to kiss her, she put a hand up and gestured to her blood covered mouth.

“Let me clean up-”

“I don’t care.”

His lips were warm, his teeth sharp on her bottom lip, he split the flesh open, mixing their blood together on each other's lips.

There was more than one sort of love.

When the kiss ended, there was blood in Logan’s beard, all over his mouth and chin, Sonne properly looked the same, she smiled.

“We need to clean this up…before your bed looks like a crime scene.”

He put his arms around her body, pulling her even tighter against his chest, as if trying to pull her inside his chest cavity.

“I can always change the sheets.”

[mando-forgive-me]

Out of curiosity how much did your newest piercings hurt? Was it awkward? How is sleeping with them? Sorry for all the questions I've been thinking about getting mine done but still on the fence

Hi bby! 😌 No need to apologize at all, I love talking about my piercings!

For anyone who doesn’t know, I got my nips pierced a couple days ago. I went to a shop that I absolutely love and feel very comfortable at, which helped a lot with the pre-piercing jitters. For whatever reason, I was pretty nervous about this one, maybe even more so than my VCH. I talked to the lovely people at the shop about this and they recommended having both nips pierced at once, which was a HUGE help! It was much easier to get both done at once.

I showed up for my appointment, confirmed they had the jewelry I’d picked out (round iridescent beads 😍), and they got me settled into a private room. When I was ready, they had me take my shirt and bra off, and then they cleaned the area with iodine and marked where they were going to pierce with marker. I laid down, they used some kind of tool to hold my nips where they wanted them (which didn’t hurt at all), then told me to take a deep breath in, then they did the piercing. It was more hot than painful, quicker than a cartilage piercing, and not as “shocking” as the vch (that one made me jump lol). The pain was really brief, just a bit intense, but it went away almost immediately. Even having the jewelry put in didn’t hurt, which it sometimes does with a new piercing. And once it was as all done I felt like such a badass AND had some gorgeous new sparklies to show off. I was a very happy corvid lol.

It wasn’t awkward at all, and I say that as someone who does usually feel awkward af lol. But my piercers are pros and we all had a common goal, plus it was nothing they hadn’t seen a thousand times. I will say that finding a shop/piercer you’re comfy with is key, so you might want to shop around a bit, maybe try getting an ear or other piercing before this if you’re still on the fence.

Sleeping has actually been a lot easier than expected! I hate wearing a bra to bed, but it helps them not catch on anything which is ESSENTIAL. They’ve been incredibly well-behaved - only a tiny bit of aching, and no blood after that first day. So far at least, healing has been a breeze and I’m so, so happy I went through with it!

I hope that helps you make a decision, but feel free to ask if there’s anything else you want to know 💕

[timaeusterrored]

(L.A.R.P. PT 1)

((This is based off of me finally watching a comfort YouTuber play True Colors. In this, Kerry is a young single dad living in the small town of Haven Springs. Spoilers for the game if you haven’t seen it💕 also featuring everyone’s favorite college AU homies being silly to make Ted happy))

Vincent Welles had been living in Jackie’s apartment alone for well over a month after the incident. In that month, he has reconnected with old friends, and old lovers. And made some new friends along the way. Including the smallest member of their pack, Ted. He was a cute kid and a splitting image of Kerry, and had the same attitude too. But he and Vincent got along well, even bonded over a comic that Ted was making. Vincent was in deep with that, and talked Johnny’s ear off about it. The guy liked to pretend he wasn’t up to date on the latest issue.

But after the incident, Ted shut everyone out. Vincent knew it was coming, he was 10 and still learning emotions. And as much as Vincent adored Kerry, he knew having a single dad that also sucked with emotions couldn’t be easy either. But Kerry was really trying and it was adorable.

And one way he was trying to get his boy’s spirit back was town wide LARP. And Vincent was all for it.

“I swear to god if you don’t find that feather I’m gonna… steal your edibles.” Kerry grabbed his guitar from Vincent’s table and pointed at him.

Vincent gasped, hand over his heart. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me.” The kiss on the cheek after proved he wasn’t being serious.

Vincent was still getting ready when he got the dreaded text message with the first thing he saw saying ‘Bad News.’

Ker <3

Ted is not feeling this already, his mom is on her way to come get him

Vincent

What?! We haven’t even started! I’ll talk to him.

Ker <3

Good luck. He ain’t talking to anyone. Not even J.

Vincent

I’ve got this. You’ve been speaking my language since you said LARP

Ker <3

Fuckin nerds

Vincent

Dare I say… you’re more excited about this than we were.

Ker <3

Go fix my kid and shut up <3

Vincent

Love you too

Well that wasn’t reassuring. He knew this shit was hard, and he felt like he was the only one that understood where Ted was in his head right now.

So he grabbed his fake sword and made his way into town.

He found the boy sitting on the dock, a helmet and shield by his side. He didn’t even look at Vincent as he approached, but a blue aura surrounded him. Vincent sat next to him, holding his knees.

“I don’t need cheering up. I’m fine.”

Vincent frowned, looking down at him. “Look dude… I know shits tough right now… but Jackie wouldn’t want us to just mope around yeah? He’d want us to go have some fun.”

Ted held himself tighter, but looked up at Vincent.

“And… your dad made us a pretty epic adventure to go through… but I can’t do it alone. I’d be fried out there!” Vincent exclaimed, poking the boy. Ted smiled, sighing.

“Fine… but only if we do it together. I don’t wanna do it alone.”

“Oh we’re doing this together. I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

And so the two set out on their quest. Fist stop, the Queen.

Color Vincent shocked when he saw Rogue of all people sitting on the park stage, fake crown and all. Even more shocked when she was speaking the language and seemed to really get into it. Her aura was a golden hue, and her thoughts were of Ted.

‘I’m glad Ted is smiling again. Thought we lost him for good this time.’

The two wandered around the park, discussing their quest. Find six scrolls, and three life gems. Goddamn Kerry was making them work for this, but it was a good distraction. And got everyone out of their slump.

“Found one!” Ted ran over and picked up a scroll, waiting for Vincent so he could open it.

Written in Kerry’s handwriting was a congratulations and a clue to their next location. And a warning to watch out for bandits.

The two wandered about, making their way back to the bar. Vincent had left and the place was clean, but now it was a full on murder scene. Vincent briefly wondered if this was too much for Ted, but he knew Kerry was in charge.

At first, they heard no one. Ted took the lead, walking up to the bar… when Mike popped up behind the counter. And if Vincent knew Mike, he knew the bartender was all into this.

“Oh thank the heavens!” Mike cried, leaned against the bar as if it was the only thing keeping him up. “My heroes!”

Ted looked up at Vincent, who tried to stop his laughter and keep serious for Ted. He nodded for Ted to take the lead, he was the main character in this story.

Mike told them the story of a gang of bandits running in and robbing the place, searching for his life gem. Why Mike had a life gem, Vincent didn’t know. This was Kerry’s first time planning this.

Vincent and Ted were walking down an alleyway when a ‘bandit’ jumped down, the bandit was clearly Judy with a bandana around her nose and mouth. Vincent was amazed he was keeping it together so well for Ted, but seeing his friends this way.

What he didn’t expect, when Ted had yelled to run, was to run head first into someone’s chest. He looked up and have to cover his mouth to keep from laughing.

Standing there, full cosplay and all, eye makeup and bandana around his mouth, was Johnny Linder.

[hockeylvr59]

Here With Me Part 7 || Taylor Makar

Author’s Note: Taylor is going home for Christmas but first he wants to see Kelsey one more time. Take-out and movies takes it's usual turn to something far more intimate. Is it even really just sex anymore? FC: Marina Laswick (@marooshk on instagram).

Warnings: cursing, sex // Word Count: 4,261

~~~~~~

Six

Though finals were almost over and Taylor was more than ready to go home for a few days, Kelsey and the other night were still ingrained in his mind. The way she giggled as he kissed her repeatedly, the ease with which they talked about anything and everything and how they just existed in the same space, how somehow she still seemed to want to be around him even if he had fucked things up more than once. He might be looking forward to the break to see his parents and Cale but he wasn’t looking forward to not being able to see her. 

He wasn’t leaving until tomorrow, even if his last final was this afternoon and she had mentioned texting if he wanted to do something. Feeling like he’d regret not at least putting the question out there, Taylor grabbed his phone and shot Kelsey a quick text. 

Taylor: Hey, any chance you’re free tonight? Thought maybe we could go walk around Hampshire Mall and people watch or something. 

Waiting for her response made his heart pound and he tried to focus on reviewing his notes for the thousandth time for this final. 

Kelsey: Mom just dragged me to Hampshire mall yesterday but I’d be down to do something else. 

Taylor: My final should be done around 4. Want to just come over after that and we’ll figure it out from there? 

Kelsey: Sounds good. 

Knowing that she was coming over, Taylor quickly cleaned his room and bathroom before heading out to make sure that he wasn’t late for his final. 

*****

Arriving at Taylor’s, Kelsey texted him that she was outside but remained sitting in her car waiting for his response to know that he had made it home, not ready to face the cold. She’d been a little surprised by his invite but it certainly wasn’t unwelcome. She’d only been home for 5 days and already her parents were driving her a little bit insane. So it was nice to say that she was going to see a friend and hang out and that she’d likely be back late and not to wait up for her. 

With the confirmation that he was indeed home, Kelsey climbed out of her car, quickly pulled her jacket on over her thin top and flannel shirt and headed up to his apartment knocking softly. After only a moment the door opened and Taylor’s arms wrapped around her in a hug as he backed into the apartment, pulling her with him. 

“Hey.” He whispered softly in her ear as he held her close. Pulling back he moved to help her with her coat as he guided her to his room. Almost immediately he could tell from her expression and her dressed down clothing that she was more tired than she had communicated. Setting her jacket on his desk, he sat on the edge of his bed looking at her as she toed off her shoes and set her purse down.

“Want to just order take out and watch a movie or something?” Taylor suggested, not wanting to make her go out when she looked like she could really use a night in. 

“Sure.” Kelsey nodded, hanging by the door for a moment before moving over to sit beside him. Tugging her against him, Taylor wrapped an arm around her. 

“You didn’t have to agree to come over if you aren’t feeling well.” He murmured. 

“I’m fine.” Kelsey assured him. “Just a little stressed from dealing with my parents. I love them but sometimes they can be a little controlling. Can we order pizza?” 

“Of course.” Squeezing her gently, Taylor asked what kind of pizza she wanted. 

Going back and forth for a few minutes after pulling up Antonio’s menu, they eventually settled on one and Taylor called in an order, insisting on paying since it wasn’t like he wasn’t going to be buying food tonight anyway with the dining halls on freezer clear-out mode and their freezer empty heading into break. 

Murmuring for her to get comfortable and handing her his laptop to work on finding a movie, Taylor dipped out of the room for a minute. When he returned he had a folded table in one hand and two bottles of water in the other. 

“I have no idea what you want to watch.” Kelsey declared having basically only opened up a new tab on his laptop browser. 

Setting the waters down, Taylor unfolded the table and placed it next to his bed to sit the computer on once they chose something. 

“Just pick something Kels.” He assured her. Sighing and rolling her eyes a little, Kelsey proceeded to open youtube and search for christmas movies, pulling up a compilation video and making it full screen. Once the computer was settled on the table, Taylor moved around the bed to climb in from the other side, pulling her close to him and urging her to relax back against him in the small space. 

“Really Kels…Frosty.” He whispered after a moment, chuckling as she stretched for the laptop and pulling her back. “Kels. I don’t care what we watch.” He repeated. “I’m just glad you’re here.” 

Though she was a little tense, it wasn’t long after they settled that Taylor’s thumb found the gap between her leggings and top and started stroking softly, slowly urging her to relax against him. She hadn’t realized just how much tension and fatigue she was holding until that moment and she closed her eyes just focusing on the solidness of his chest against her back, the gentle touch of his thumb on her skin and the press of his mouth against the top of her head as slowly some of that tension dripped from her body. 

They had finished Frosty and were in the middle of Rudolph when there was a knock on the apartment door signaling that their food was there. Reluctantly, Taylor climbed off the bed to retrieve the food and came back with plates and napkins in addition to their pizza. 

Sitting up cross legged, Kelsey took the plate of pizza from Taylor and thanked him softly for dinner. As they ate, she asked how his finals had gone and whether he was packed and ready to go home for a few days. Taylor’s mumbled reply that they had been fine and that he was mostly packed made her shake her head a little and nudge him with her toes admitting that by the looks of it he probably didn’t have to pack much assuming most of his things were still at home. 

Taylor joked that she shouldn’t have to pack at all which made Kelsey blush because she admittedly took far more to her apartment at school than she probably needed to and therefore actually did need to pack each time she went home. 

After basically demolishing the pizza between the two of them, Kelsey got up to use the bathroom and wash her hands while Taylor cleaned up everything else. This was her first time in his bathroom and she was actually a little surprised at how tidy it was, it was nothing like what she expected. 

Crawling back onto his bed, Kelsey resumed the video and when Taylor returned he snuggled back up against her, tucking his head against hers and sliding his arm around her waist again.  Though it was nice just cuddling like this, Kelsey knew that she would likely fall asleep if she stayed snuggled and focused on the tv. 

Twisting in Taylor’s arms, she rolled to face him and peeked up at him asking what he was hoping he’d get for Christmas. His answers of a few video games, some clothes, and some things for hockey were altogether unsurprising, but Kelsey liked hearing him talk. Answering the same question in return, Kelsey replied that she had asked for some new boots, bobbins of thread for her sewing machine, and just some other small things, nothing crazy. Next she inquired what his favorite traditions were and couldn’t help but smile hearing him talk about his family. 

As they talked, Kelsey’s fingers slipped between them and after a moment she found the faint line of hair below his belly button. Unconsciously, she brushed her fingers over the fine hair of Taylor’s happy trail until he murmured her name, voice a bit dry. Looking down, she noticed that he was straining against his sweats and couldn’t help but smile a bit at having garnered that reaction from such a simple touch. Now armed with purpose, Kelsey returned to brushing her fingers against the fine hairs, all the while pushing Taylor’s shirt slightly upward, signaling that he should just take it off. 

Once he had, he pulled her into a kiss which started fierce but then tapered a bit to something softer but still heady. Carefully, Taylor tugged at her flannel until it hit the floor with a soft thud and Kelsey shivered a bit until Taylor’s palms slid up and down her arms warming her. Breaking the kiss to breathe, Kelsey reached for his bedside table, opening the drawer and drawing a condom from it before shifting to kiss him again. 

Though her need for him was as strong as always, Kelsey didn’t feel rushed to move things along and instead just kissed and touched him as the cartoon droned on in the background. Moving up to his ear, Kelsey teased that they might get put on Santa’s naughty list for this before she sucked softly at the spot just behind his earlobe. 

In response, Taylor palmed at her ass and groaned, the sound only spurring Kelsey on as she dipped her head, mouthing at the juncture of his neck and collarbone until another small bruise was guaranteed to form. 

Letting him pull her back for a proper kiss, Kelsey sighed into his mouth and let him pull her top off, exposing her breasts to him and increasing the skin to skin contact as they made out. The way he touched her, his thumb brushing against her nipple, made her moan and her head fell back allowing him access to her neck where he would surely also leave a mark as his mouth latched on. 

Moaning softly, Kelsey scraped her nails down Taylor’s shoulders and back as her body arched against him, basking in the feeling. When his mouth moved to kiss over her shoulder, Kelsey gently pushed him backward and smirked, kissing her way down his chest to his waistband. 

“Kels…you don’t…” Taylor mumbled, his eyes dark as he watched her. 

“Hmm but I want to.” She replied, sliding her fingers under the edge of his sweats to gently tug them down. As she did so she admired his tall, solid body on display just for her. With him now nude, Kelsey kissed along the v of his hips while lightly scraping her nails over his length and taking him in hand. Stroking him, she picked a spot and nipped softly before beginning to suck a mark there as well as his hips jumped under her. 

His movements only made the mark larger and when she heard him hiss and felt him twitch, Kelsey pulled back and tore the condom open, quickly rolling it over his length. Shifting, she smiled up at him before kissing over his tip and then taking him into her mouth. She knew he wasn’t likely to last long but that didn’t bother her and she even reached down to stroke his balls, stimulating him further with the aim of driving him straight to his orgasm. 

“Kels. Fuck…fuck.” Taylor mumbled causing her to chuckle and vibrate around him. Feeling him start to cum, Kelsey took him in her mouth as far as she could and just worked him through the pleasure before pulling away and softly kissing at his hip as his body relaxed. 

“Holy fuck Kels. C’mere.” Taylor whispered, voice scratchy. Complying, Kelsey shifted back up the bed and accepted his kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair. “Your mouth is insane.” He mumbled against her lips, making her smile again. Losing herself in his soft teasing kisses, Kelsey whimpered a bit when he pulled away and climbed off the bed. 

“Just disposing of the condom Kels.” He quickly explained, shedding it and tying it off before tossing it in the trash can. “Not nearly done with you yet.” The promise his words held made her shiver and she shifted against the pillows until he climbed back beside her, quickly hovering over her. 

As his mouth slanted over hers again, Taylor’s hands reached to tug gently at her leggings communicating his desire to pull them off of her body. Tangling her fingers into his hair, Kelsey just continued kissing him, silently communicating her assent by lifting her hips ever so slightly. Breaking the kiss and pecking her lips, Taylor slid down the bed, tugging her leggings and underwear with him until she too was nude before him. 

Somewhere in his mind he was thinking that all she needed was a bow on her head and she would be the perfect Christmas present for him. 

The way he stared at her would be unnerving if Kelsey couldn’t see the want and desire pooling in his eyes. In a way it still was, because there were flecks of something more than just lust there that Kelsey couldn’t decipher. 

“Hands are clean.” He assured her and when she nodded he pressed his thumb against her bundle of nerves finding it quicker than any man ever had before. Then he carefully pressed one finger inside of her, letting her walls relax around him with the ease of her arousal. Using that one finger to crook upward just slightly toward the spongy flesh of her g-spot, Taylor missed a few times before finally hitting it and causing her hips to jerk as she gasped a breathy ‘oh’. 

“Mmm is that the spot?” He questioned kissing her hip as he pulled his finger out only to insert a second along with it. 

Scissoring his fingers a bit to stretch her out some, Taylor then refocused on finding that spot again, this time using both fingers. As he nudged against it, Kelsey squeaked and her hips jumped again and though her eyes were closed, she could tell that Taylor was smirking as he kissed his way down her thigh. 

Though he couldn’t say it aloud, Taylor knew that one of these days, assuming she wanted this to continue, he wanted to make her fall apart in as many ways as he could. 

Stilling his fingers inside her, Taylor chuckled at her whine. 

“Hand me a condom and the scissors Kels.” He murmured before crooking his fingers teasingly inside her. As she tried to reach for them in the bedside drawer, Taylor continued to play with her, blowing air over her clit and stretching out her vaginal walls. 

Eventually though she managed to obtain the items and Taylor slipped his fingers out, reaching for a rag to wipe them clean. Before he could though Kelsey tugged at his wrist, bringing his fingers up to her mouth where she slowly and thoroughly licked them clean. That alone caused him to pop a semi again and he cursed once he regained brain function because that had to be the sexiest thing anyone had ever done. 

“You’re killing me Kels.” He gasped, just utterly amazed by her. 

Winking, Kelsey nudged the condom wrapper and scissors in his direction, aiming to remind him of what he had planned on doing in the first place. 

“Is someone needy?” Taylor teased, causing Kelsey to slip her own hand between her legs. If he wasn’t going to finish what he started, she certainly would. Snatching her hand away, Taylor pinned it down beside her murmuring that she’s such a brat. Letting her hand go after giving her a warning look, Taylor cut the condom and settled it over her core before shifting into position to get his mouth on her. 

Someday, Kelsey would love to let him go down on her without the barrier because if it felt like this with one, she could only imagine how much better it would be without. But for now she just squirmed as he sucked on her clit sending sparks of pleasure through her body. It felt incredible and it was hard to believe he already knew her body this well. 

As her pleasure increased under his tongue, Kelsey dug her fingers into his bedding. Seeing it from the corner of his eye, Taylor slipped his free hand up to lace his fingers with hers, holding her hand as he fucked his tongue inside her seeking to send her over the edge. He could tell she was getting closer and as he kissed over her clit while taking a breath, he murmured for her to let go and cum for him. 

It didn’t hit hard and sudden, that one big peak that was the ultimate high. Instead, as Taylor’s fingers squeezed against her own and he sucked on her clit again, pleasure rolled through her in wave after wave drawing tears from her eyes as she spasmed around nothing for nearly a full minute. It wasn’t intense like she had come to expect but in its own way it was one of the best orgasms she’d ever had. 

Seeing her crying, Taylor quickly slid up the bed and pulled her body to his asking if she was alright. Nodding, Kelsey just clung to him, swallowing hard before assuring him that she was okay, it was just a lot. 

Knowing that Taylor would insist they didn’t need to do anything more, Kelsey kissed him deeply, guiding one of his hands to her breast. She needed him now more than before and she didn’t want to stop. 

As he palmed her breast, rubbing his thumb over her nipple, Taylor pulled back to murmur against her lips asking if she was sure. 

“Please Tay. Need you inside me.” She pleaded softly. Grabbing a third condom, Taylor disposed of the previous one before stroking himself and then sliding the sheathe into place. Placing her into the center of his bed, Taylor settled over her. 

“Is this okay?” He asked, checking to make sure she was okay with the position. 

“Yeah T. Please.” Kelsey assured him, sliding her legs up to create a better angle for him between her thighs. Holding his weight up, Taylor lined himself up before gently pressing inside of her inch by inch, both of them gasping slightly at the friction. Bottoming out, Taylor remained still to let her adjust, leaning down to kiss her softly. 

Her fingers quickly tangled in his hair and she kissed him back deeply, murmuring against his lips after a moment for him to move. Unlike previous times they’d had sex, there was no rush at all to their moments, their bodies just learning new ways to push and pull to create pleasure for both of them. 

With Kelsey’s hair fanned out around her head, she looked like a goddess and Taylor couldn’t help but stare at her as he thrust slowly but firmly. This all felt different but that wasn’t something he could think about while buried balls deep inside her. Instead, he changed the angle just slightly, dipping his head to draw one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking at the pebbled flesh. It drew the prettiest moan from Kelsey’s throat and Taylor wanted nothing more than to keep making her sound like that forever. 

While Kelsey’s first orgasm had been relatively mellow, already she could tell that it wouldn’t be long before a second stronger orgasm crashed over her body. With her nails scraping over his upper back again leaving a new set of marks, Kelsey flexed her internal walls around Taylor. His body jolted and his teeth scraped against her nipple sending a flood of heat to her core and causing her to tighten around him again. 

It was a feedback loop that benefited both of them, increasing their pleasure and the slow build they were creating. 

Kissing once more, Taylor pressed his chest against Kelsey’s and she held him close, gasping into his mouth. There was nothing about this that she didn’t like and she knew it wouldn’t be much longer before she reached that peak. 

Eventually, Taylor’s thrusts turned to more of a slow grind and as he brushed up against her g-spot repeatedly, Kelsey squirmed against him, soft little moans spilling from her. 

“That’s it Kels, cum for me.” Taylor whispered into her ear as he kissed softly down her neck. Another slow graze and it all snapped, Kelsey crying out into Taylor’s shoulder as her body spasmed around him. Though he’d known she was close, he hadn’t expected it to be like that and his own orgasm crashed over him causing him to release into the condom. 

Holding her close as they both came down, Taylor rolled just slightly so that he didn’t end up crushing her. 

“Hey.” He whispered when she blinked up at him, her light makeup smeared slightly. 

“Give me a minute before you move T.” She whispered back her voice shaky. Nodding, Taylor just brushed a few strands of hair from her face and rested his hand on her waist before looking at his alarm clock for the time. It was only 9:30 or so and Taylor swallowed hard before speaking. 

“Stay for a bit?” He requested, remembering how quickly she had booked it every other time they’d had sex. Seemingly ignoring that question, Kelsey murmured for him to pull out and then shifted off the bed. “Kels…” Taylor whispered feeling slightly ignored and hurt. Seeing his expression, Kelsey stopped and sat on the edge for the moment. 

“I need to pee. So I’m just putting on clothes to go to the bathroom and back, that’s all T.” She assured him, just throwing leggings and the flannel on but not her actual top to show him she really wasn’t leaving. 

Watching her step out, Taylor pulled the condom off and disposed of it before shifting to tug the blankets back on the bed to reveal the sheets so they could actually cuddle on them and not the dirty comforter. Throwing on just his sweats, Taylor settled into bed and downed the rest of his water. 

As promised, Kelsey returned after peeing and cleaning up a bit, washing her smeared makeup off. She smiled a bit seeing the now unmade bed and moved to climb into it beside him, letting him pull her close. It all smelled so much like him and it was a smell that Kelsey was trying to engrave into her nose so that she wouldn’t forget it while he was gone. 

“Think it’s your turn to pick something.” Kelsey murmured motioning to the screen that was now black. 

“Just want to cuddle.” Taylor replied, causing Kelsey to nod and just relax into his arms. That hadn’t been just sex and Kelsey knew that Taylor knew that too but she wasn’t going to bring it up unless he did. If he wanted to cuddle they would cuddle but she knew she couldn’t stay too long because she did need to get home at some point. 

Neither said much of anything and Taylor’s fingers stroked along her hip as he buried his face into her hair. This was something Kelsey had never done. She’d had plenty of sex but just cuddling after, no that was definitely new. But she liked it, probably because she liked Taylor. She just wished she knew if he felt the same way, if he wanted this to be something more like she did. She wasn’t going to pressure him though, plus now would be a really horrible time to bring it up with him going home tomorrow. 

No, she’d just stew on these feelings awhile longer and wait and see how things played out. But tonight had only reaffirmed what she already knew, she was falling hard for Taylor Makar and she didn’t want to stop. 

Lost in thought, Kelsey hadn’t realized that Taylor was falling asleep on her until his thumb stopped against her hip. He looked so peaceful and sweet sleeping and Kelsey found herself stealing one more kiss before carefully extracting herself from his grip. He didn’t stir thankfully and Kelsey quickly put her top on before tossing the flannel back on. Slipping her shoes onto her feet, she grabbed her purse, retrieving the small container of cookies she had tucked in there to leave for Taylor. They were reindeer peanut butter cookies with chocolate covered pretzels as antlers and m&ms as eyes and a red nose. 

Settling it onto what she presumed was his half packed bag for traveling, Kelsey grabbed her jacket and snuck out of his room, leaving the apartment to head for her car. Her forgotten panties remained on Taylor’s floor, having been kicked under his shirt at some point and left for him to discover later. 

As she drove back to her parents house, Kelsey couldn’t help but feel a little bummed. All of those cheesy Christmas romance things felt so close but so far away. But there was nothing she could do about that now, no, now all she could do was wait for Taylor to get back from Calgary and from wherever his stupid holiday tournament was so maybe they could figure out what they both wanted this to be. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to her.

[diduthinkihadforgotten]

when i was young and in love, i wrote a note on the back of a framed photograph that you’ve kept for over half your life. you never read the note, let alone knew it was there. but you’ve kept the photograph. you hung it above your bed and even though we hadn’t spoken for awhile you took it with you when you moved.

you say your wife hates it. that she hates me, too. you say you still see me as human. as me. despite it all, it’s still us. at the end of time, at the end of the 3000 year space opera we’re starring in.

you remember my jokes. you remember my secrets. i don’t remember what the note says anymore. probably something dramatic and overly affectionate. maybe some type of blessing, perhaps a curse.

another lifetime from now i’ll be down where the sun never stops shining. chasing your ghost through haunted hallways and making dinner for two. i won’t think about your hands or your smile.

keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer, right? i’ll hold you all at arms length instead. last time i let someone get too close they read my book, which was not meant for their eyes, not written for them, and became confused and thought we were much closer than we were.

listen babe; the stories i tell are not for everyone’s ears. you aren’t meant to be able to pry open my chest and read what i have tattooed on the inside like an autopsy. you did that by force and don’t speak the language anyway. i’ll vivisect myself for the right people, i think. some don’t even ever have to ask.

still there are others. there will always be others. that’s the thing about me. i’m everyone and no one and someone in between the two. i’m terrified of being known but im more scared of spending my life not letting people know me and having only my children at my funeral.

i’m scared i’ll outgrow it all and never grow into the person who lives in the back of my head. that i’ll spend my life in pursuit of more stories to tell and end up face down in a gutter having done nothing of substance with the precious time we have on this earth together.

why not do it all? why not break down at your back door begging to be let in. why not go to a birthday party that will surely be their last and pop the cork anyway like we’re celebrating a million more years or a last minute victory.

i have all these complex feelings and nowhere to put them. my therapist ghosted me (imagine being too toxic for even a professional to help. ha.) and i don’t trust anyone enough unless im drunk enough to trust everyone.

remember when we were brothers? remember when you’d try to out drink me and end up vomiting into your best shirt while i sunk ball after ball at your kitchen table? remember watching movies, listening to the same music, loving the same person and saying, “yep, that makes us brothers.”

there was one person at my dogs funeral, aside from me. actually, there were 7, but none of you speak to me anymore so i can pretend it was just us. the smell clung to that purple shirt and i cried in my pajamas while we cleaned the blood off the floor. i remember the movie being so bad we had to have our first sleep over. i remember getting so shitfaced from some combination of grief and loneliness and also having left my ex less than a week before. i remember we didn’t fuck it up til the morning.

i remember telling you all my stories. even, especially, the ones that painted me as some kind of fucking monster. i remember you’d get this slightly delighted, terrified look in your eyes when i’d talk about alligators or bodies of water. when i’d destroy you at a card game you’d been playing longer than you’ve known me and i’d demand a rematch.

she says you sound like you miss me. i hope to fuck you do. i hope everything haunts every last one of you forever and i can continue to be your hometown supervillain long after i’ve left.

[apolytus--pc]

Chapter 1 - Nyx (first draft) (we're sorry)

I’m about to sit down with a new book in a study room when a loud scream interrupts me. I want to get in a few chapters before lunch so I ignore it and move on, finishing the first few pages.

“You bitch!” someone shouts, from far away.

I immediately recognize the voice and jump from my chair, striding towards the door. I can already tell what’s going on — a fight between Audrey and Riella. I love when they fight. It's the only entertaining thing that ever goes on here. As the yelling gets louder, I speed up. It’s coming from the common room. I pass a group of people talking just outside and grab Nat by the wrist without stopping.

“Nyx, where are we going?” She struggles to keep up with me, half a cookie still in her mouth from lunch.

I turn to her, remove my hand from her wrist and sign in ASL, “You didn’t hear the scream? Audrey and Riella are fighting again.” I generally prefer to use sign language instead of actually speaking. Plus, everyone else understands ASL so there's no need to speak out loud.

I grin at her and continue on, turning away before she can sign back, and try to convince me to not get involved. I grab her hand once more and pull her forward, urging her to go faster.

Natela and I are identical twins and best friends. We have the same blue eyes, same freckles, same humor, same split dyed black and white hair, same everything. Physically, the only difference is our clothing styles and the fact that I prefer glasses and Nat prefers to wear contacts. Also, unlike Nat, I don’t mind getting into trouble while she is usually trying to keep herself and I out of it.

“Shut off your goddamn music, Ri! Put in headphones! Something!” Audrey screams as she punches Riella square in the nose. As Riella recovers, Audrey pulls her electric blue hair back into a ponytail with a ribbon. She then removes her pink beaded earrings and tosses them to the side.

“Or what?” Riella wipes at the blood now dripping from her nose, which only smears it across her face more.

I lean against the doorframe and look over at Nat, using our own version of sign language to say, “This will be good.”

We had created our own version of sign as young kids, and used it often whenever we didn’t want others listening in. We called it TSL or twin sign language. Everyone here could understand ASL, and a few others could speak it, but none were as fluent as Nat and I. 

She rolls her eyes, pairing it with a disapproving look. I smirk and turn back to the fight.

“Or I’ll mess up your stupid face!” Audrey lunges again, seemingly going for Riella's throat. Riella sidesteps, using her long nails to scratch Audrey’s cheek and avoid harm to herself. Audrey immediately puts a hand where she was scratched, gasping dramatically. When she pulls her hand back, I can see the small bit of blood glistening on one of their fingers.

“I’d like to see you try,” Riella sneers, taking a step back

Grace and Rebecca run in behind us, yelling for Audrey and Riella to stop, but their pleas are drowned out by the scream Audrey lets out when Riella pulls her hair. Netpune eventually files into the room behind me.

He signs, “How much do you wanna bet they’ll kill each other by the end of this month?”

I suppress a smirk as the rest of the group tries to break up the fight. However, their efforts are worthless and Mr. S strides into the room a couple minutes later.

“Ahem.” He tries to get their attention but Audrey and Riella continue to fight, ignoring him. “Girls.” He tries again a little louder, but they don’t even glance in his direction. “For the love of god, will you two please stop fighting!” Mr. S shouts as loud as he can, making Audrey and Riella freeze. “Thank you. Everyone please have a seat, I will talk to you all shortly. One and Two please go clean yourselves up. Six, please get the others.”

I roll my eyes and sit on the end of the couch next to Nat, who shoots me a smile. I glance around the room, taking in what everyone else is doing. Watching the people in our house is always entertaining. 

I live in a house with nine other sixteen-year-olds and our guardian of sorts, Mr. S. There's Audrey, Riella, Vanessa, Rebecca, Effie, Neptune, Sirona, Grace, Natela, and me. We live on a secluded island with no one else around. We are educated by Mr. S and books, and we are stuck with only each other for company. It’s torture.

A few years ago, the people in our house would bicker all the time, but now the petty feud is mostly for dramatics. Only Audrey and Riella really think there’s still a divide and have recently resorted to physical fighting.

I look around the room to see all the fascinating things that the people in our house are doing. Effie, Vanessa, Rebecca, and Grace are sitting on the floor in some bean bags. Effie’s saying something and gesturing around the room with one hand while the other is wrapped around Venessa, her girlfriend. Vanessa is absent mindedly tracing Effie’s hand with her fingers, not participating in the conversation. Rebecca is frowning, as if what Effie is saying is incredibly distressing. Grace runs a hand through her long brown hair, whispering a reply to Effie’s comments.

Audrey is sitting by the window next to them, holding a towel to her bleeding cheek and ignoring everyone else. 

Audrey is what people would call “a mean girl”. She loves to stir up drama and get in fights, she’s super overdramatic, and she’s stereotypically pretty. She wears a full face of makeup and cute pink clothes. I love her. Not in the love way, not even in the “I love my friends” way. I just find her incredibly funny.

Sat in the opposite corner of the room is Riella. She is holding a tissue on her bleeding nose and staring rather unpleasantly at Vanessa. Somehow, the two of them are also twins. Unlike me and Nat, their only similarities are the amber color of their eyes and their dark tan skin. They aren’t friends the way Nat and I are, either, which is clear from the glare Vanessa is shooting right back.

Like Audrey, I also find Riella extremely funny. She has a great sense of humor, and the two of us are pretty good friends. She also definitely pisses Audrey off on purpose, which makes for some very entertaining fights.

Neptune is sitting on a chair next to the couch. It seems like he’s also just passively observing. I’m actually surprised he’s here, since a lot of the time he’ll slip away, somehow unnoticed, for long periods of time, which never seems to get them in trouble with Mr. S. I always beg them to tell me their secrets, but they refuse every time.

I glance back up towards the front of the room at Mr. S. He’s running his hand through his hair, revealing the scar on his forehead, while he paces slightly and talks in hushed tones to Sirona. 

Sirona is the nicest person in the history of the universe, or at least of everyone I know. I know that isn’t saying much given as I have only ever met like 10 other people, but seriously. She is always happy, always positive, always patient — our resident peacekeeper and Mr. S’s favorite.

Sirona has a frown on her face and keeps saying things like “why?” and “please?” I can only hear bits and pieces, though, because Mr. S keeps his own voice down, and he seems to be doing most of the talking. Suddenly Sirona shouts, “Fine!” and storms away.

Mr. S curses under his breath, wipes his glasses and takes a long deep breath as everyone turns to look at him. He’s strong but skinny with big shoulders, and shoulder-length wavy brown hair typically tied back in a ponytail. He glances up, realizing the amount of eyes staring at him. 

Even though he is shorter than a little less than half of us, he still manages to look down on us as he says, “I suppose that I should probably begin while I have all of your attention.” He pauses, looking around the room, probably making sure we were all there. 

“This is going to be hilarious,” I sign to Nat in TSL. She just shakes her head.

“I’ve kept you all here because the fight, while utterly unacceptable, has in fact brought a few things to my attention,” he continues, his voice rising as he speaks. “This feud of yours is getting out of hand. It’s aggravating, and, quite frankly, incredibly foolish. You all display such potential, but you will never be able to utilize your abilities to their full extent if you do not learn to work together. I expect you to resolve this petty conflict within the week, or the team-building exercises you can expect in your immediate future will be the least of the consequences you’ll face,” Mr. S says sharply.

“What are you going to do?” Audrey bursts out. “Ground us? We’re already living on an island with no one else around. It’s literally like an eternal grounding. What more can you do? Kill us?”

“Don’t tempt him,” Neptune mutters, turning towards the window and the open field behind it.

“I’d like to see him try. There’s ten of us and one of him.”

I mask my face into calm indifference to hide the smile, and when I glance at Nat, I could see her trying to hide her own laughter, a lot less successfully. Audrey has always been outspoken and dramatic especially if she wants something, or has an opinion, or even just wants some attention. Plus, sometimes she does occasionally have good points. 

Like the fact that this island sucks.

Mr. S pointedly ignored the outburst and resumed his speech, the only difference is his narrowed eyes. “There will be no more fighting. Do you all understand?” He enunciates each word, spitting them at us.

Mr. S meets each of our eyes, slowly turning his head to look at each of us individually. I’m the last one, and when he gets to me, I hold eye contact, eventually making him the one to break the stare. I hate eye contact but I never stand down to a challenge. Mr. S’s eyes eventually change focus, and fix on something past the doorway, and without another glance at any of us, he stalks out of the room.

As soon as he leaves, Audrey jumps up from her spot on the sofa and glares at Riella, opening her mouth to say something. 

Grace quickly stands, placing her hand on Audrey’s shoulder, quietly whispering, “Don’t.”

Audrey ignores her. 

“‘You will never be able to use your abilities if you don’t work together,’” she mocks, “Who does he think he is? That was the dumbest–”

Neptune cuts her off. “Well, you losers have fun pissing Mr. S off even more and making everything worse for all of us,” he says. “I’ve got better things to do.”

“It’s not like he can hear us,” Audrey counters, rolling her eyes.

“Really? Because as far as I’m aware, he hears everything.” Neptune looks around at all of us dramatically, then bursts out laughing. “I’m kidding. You guys are so gullible. He’s probably moping in his office because Sirona is mad at him. He couldn’t care less what we’re saying.”

With that, Neptune marches out of the room, the smile wiped from his face. Riella follows shortly after. The rest of us fall into an uncomfortable silence that I would normally accept with open arms, but this silence is unnatural. I don’t like it.

[flirting-with-psychology]

o1. I’m in a relationship o2. I can’t eat sugar o3. I am in love o4. I think Bush was an awesome president o5. I think gay marriage should be approved o6. I enjoy playing my music loud o7. I like to decorate stuff o8. I love the color silver o9. I have too much free time 1o. I love hugs!

I like to take pictures

I am a blonde

I love Vanilla Coke

My parents are divorced or separated

I get amused easily sometimes

I hate my sibling sometimes

I love all my friends to death

I have been to the world of my own at least once

I love Aladdin 2o. I’m afraid of losing loved ones

When I get home the first thing I do is get on computer

I need to apply myself more.

I need more sleep

I like to write poetry

Hypocrites piss me off

I wish I could ride a motorcycle

I don’t like chocolate much

I have weird dreams

I don’t have a shower 3o. I love to swim

I’m scared of changes

I don’t do extracurricular activities

I’m too lazy

I am an atheist

I tend to hate jerks

I’d rather have a small group of close friends than a large group of friends that I didn’t know all that well

I’m easily hurt

I’m an Internet nut

AIM takes up ¼ of my life

I like giving gifts

I enjoy receiving them as well

I’m quiet in class and loud with my friends

I love watching films

I am very crazy at times

I know how to play the flute

I love where I go to school

I hate my homelife

I don’t like eating

I leave school soon

I am an impulse spender

I only ever seem to drink pepsi/coke

I have lots of nicknames

I eat too much junk food

I’ve had a Xanga for over a year

I’m tough on the outside, super sensitive on the inside

I love video games

I am shy at first

I’m scared that the entire world hates me

I love sarcasm

I’m a bit blonde at times

I think I scare people sometimes

I think snobby people suck

I hate it when people judge others without knowing them well

I prefer the internet to the TV

I can cry and not be sad

I shower

I interrupt people a lot

I hate it when people ignore me or irritate me

I’m quiet, then I come out with random outbursts

I have a lot of pet peeves

I hate scratched CD’s and DVD’s

I love blue eyes

I hate acting girlish

I’m a very messy person

I want more piercings

I hate my figure

My friends are loud but awesome

I sleep on my side

I appreciate nice things that are done for me, even if it’s just a compliment

I’d love to have the money to buy things for people for no reason at all

Iced coffee is the best

I want to get my ears pierced again

I want my belly button pierced

I like sitting around doing nothing if it pleases me

I don’t like talking to new people

I love horse back riding

I’m a daydreamer

I never want to get married

I like clean sheets

I love to ramble about random things

If I leave my hair to dry it goes curly

I don’t sleep much

I loathe sunbathing

I’m scared of the near future

I hate it when parents take sides

My starsign is virgo

I share my Birthday with best friend.

I love recieving Xanga Comments 1o0. I’ve rode in a hot air balloon 1o1. I’ve bowled left handed 1o2. I love popcorn 1o3. I’ve liked my best friend before 1o4. I wake up to an alarm clock 1o5. I hide things under my bed 1o6. I hate closed-minded people 1o7. I have gone sky diving 1o8. I’ve written a book 1o9. I love Def Leppard 11o. I make wishes on “11:11”

I’ve played lacrosse

I have the same best friend since kindergarten

I absolutely love cute/weird socks

I know what I want to be when I grow up

I write in cursive

I paint my nails

My best friend lives in another state

I watch T.V. to fall asleep

I try to always do my hair in cute styles, but it never looks good. 12o. Whenever I’m bored, I usually resort to dumb quizzes like this one.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

549 of 2023

o1. I’m in a relationship o2. I can’t eat sugar o3. I am in love o4. I think Bush was an awesome president o5. I think gay marriage should be approved o6. I enjoy playing my music loud o7. I like to decorate stuff o8. I love the color silver o9. I have too much free time 1o. I love hugs!

I like to take pictures

I am a blonde

I love Vanilla Coke

My parents are divorced or separated

I get amused easily sometimes

I hate my sibling sometimes

I love all my friends to death

I have been to the world of my own at least once

I love Aladdin 2o. I’m afraid of losing loved ones

When I get home the first thing I do is get on computer

I need to apply myself more.

I need more sleep

I like to write poetry

Hypocrites piss me off

I wish I could ride a motorcycle

I don’t like chocolate much

I have weird dreams

I don’t have a shower 3o. I love to swim

I’m scared of changes

I don’t do extracurricular activities

I’m too lazy

I am an atheist

I tend to hate jerks

I’d rather have a small group of close friends than a large group of friends that I didn’t know all that well

I’m easily hurt

I’m an Internet nut

AIM takes up ¼ of my life

I like giving gifts

I enjoy receiving them as well

I’m quiet in class and loud with my friends

I love watching films

I am very crazy at times

I know how to play the flute

I love where I go to school

I hate my homelife

I don’t like eating

I leave school soon

I am an impulse spender

I only ever seem to drink pepsi/coke

I have lots of nicknames

I eat too much junk food

I’ve had a Xanga for over a year

I’m tough on the outside, super sensitive on the inside

I love video games

I am shy at first

I’m scared that the entire world hates me

I love sarcasm

I’m a bit blonde at times

I think I scare people sometimes

I think snobby people suck

I hate it when people judge others without knowing them well

I prefer the internet to the TV

I can cry and not be sad

I shower

I interrupt people a lot

I hate it when people ignore me or irritate me

I’m quiet, then I come out with random outbursts

I have a lot of pet peeves

I hate scratched CD’s and DVD’s

I love blue eyes

I hate acting girlish

I’m a very messy person

I want more piercings

I hate my figure

My friends are loud but awesome

I sleep on my side

I appreciate nice things that are done for me, even if it’s just a compliment

I’d love to have the money to buy things for people for no reason at all

Iced coffee is the best

I want to get my ears pierced again

I want my belly button pierced

I like sitting around doing nothing if it pleases me

I don’t like talking to new people

I love horse back riding

I’m a daydreamer

I never want to get married

I like clean sheets

I love to ramble about random things

If I leave my hair to dry it goes curly

I don’t sleep much

I loathe sunbathing

I’m scared of the near future

I hate it when parents take sides

My starsign is virgo

I share my Birthday with best friend.

I love recieving Xanga Comments 1o0. I’ve rode in a hot air balloon 1o1. I’ve bowled left handed 1o2. I love popcorn 1o3. I’ve liked my best friend before 1o4. I wake up to an alarm clock 1o5. I hide things under my bed 1o6. I hate closed-minded people 1o7. I have gone sky diving 1o8. I’ve written a book 1o9. I love Def Leppard 11o. I make wishes on “11:11”

I’ve played lacrosse

I have the same best friend since kindergarten

I absolutely love cute/weird socks

I know what I want to be when I grow up

I write in cursive

I paint my nails

My best friend lives in another state

I watch T.V. to fall asleep

I try to always do my hair in cute styles, but it never looks good. 12o. Whenever I’m bored, I usually resort to dumb quizzes like this one.