#Jax shoots himself in the foot

[mable-stitchpunk]

"Jax makes a few questionable life choices and Ragatha, Pomni, and Gangle are along for the ride."

[d6volution]

OK. I know I’ve been requesting a lot BUUUT. You’re like my favorite writer SO!

May I request a Submissive obsessive Jax! With a praise and maybe,, a mommy kink . X Goth Fem reader

basically, Jax is like obsessed with her, he’s head over heels.! Basically will do anything but of course with hesitation cause of his certain personality. Well. Reader is a slut, and is sexually frustrated. But she talks Jax into breaking the filter just for her, and she uses him to get out her pent up arousal.

alright, this will act as a loose part 2 to my first subby jax fic as well! which can be found here.

tags: submissive!jax , dom!femreader, overstim, light bondage, oral sex, nipple play

(sorry for any typos or mistakes 🙇🏾‍♀️ )

"Ahn.. y/n.." Jax pants, pumping himself into his fist. Imagining you in his mind, that soft yet unwavering expression of yours. 'Taking care of yourself all alone..? Naughty boy, we'll have to do something about that hmm?' He replicated your voice in his head as best as he could. And his hips began to stutter at the notion of you having a reason to punish him again. His dick twitched and throbbed in his hand, ropes of cum shooting from his tip. He panted as he went soft in his own hand. His cheeks were a deep crimson as he gazed at the ceiling. 

He'd soon have to make you aware of the monster you created. He couldn't stop thinking about you, hell he couldn't even get off anymore unless he was imagining you.. this must be some sort of karma .. or cosmic joke. Him? With a mommy kink? It's more likely than you think. 

------

You were acutely aware of Jax's presence lately. You caught him staring at you more often, or ending up in the same place as you just moments later. He thought you didn't notice, since you failed to comment on his behavior, and you wanted to keep it that way. At least for now. You wanted him to realize that he had to come to you if he wanted more. He needed to admit to himself and you both that he needed something only you could give him. Unfortunately, you knew it wouldn't be that easy. Jax was rather stubborn. But, so were you.

And you guys had nothing else to do. So, let the games begin.

Jax was frustrated and after a few hours of deliberation he finally made up his mind, he needed to at least smell you again. Surely he could get in and out of your room without you noticing, like he'd done time and time before. "C'mon Jax, don't be a wuss.." He urged himself and used the key to open your room door. It unlocked with a soft click and he slipped inside without making a sound.

He could hear water running from the bathroom and immediately stuck to the wall as if it were going to make him disappear.. he stood there for a moment. Chest heaving but he realized.. it was the shower.

The shower?

Whatever higher power was out there, had to be doing this on purpose. They knew Jax couldn't resist trying to take a peek.

He shuffled over to the door , which happened to be left cracked open. And there you were, body slightly hidden by the steam and foggy glass. He could still make out the curves of your body and it was enough to make his pants feel tight already. He felt his cheeks flush from how worked up he was getting so quickly.

He cursed to himself and began to palm his bulge, still watching you wash off the grime from todays adventure.

With a squeak , the showers knob turned off the water abruptly and Jax began to panic.

"I know you're out there.~" You hummed before chuckling, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around your body. He froze— ears shooting straight up, and swallowed... slowly backing away from the bathroom door attempting to make an escape. Unfortunately he tripped over one of your shoes and fell on his ass with a thud.

"So much for bein' lady like, ya know you should really clean up in here tooTS!.." his voice cracked and before he could readjust himself to stand your foot was in between his legs.

"w.. what the hell—!" You pressed down against his bulge and the noise that left his mouth was adorable.

"I don't remember giving you permission to come into my room.. so what makes you think you have the right to judge it?" Your heel grinded against his bulge and he ground, gripping your ankle.

"L.. Listen dollface, I.. just forgot somethin' in your room the other day, sheesh cut me a br..break..!" You heel shifted again before you finally removed your foot.

"Mm.. is that so? That still doesn't explain you peeking in on me showering.." You smirked at him and he avoided eye contact. "Yeah, well maybe don't leave your bathroom door open.." He mumbled,

"Oh, don't go pouting.... you could ... easily make it up to me." You said casually, and he was attempting to stand back up but you stopped him midway as he knelt. Keeping him there on his knees instead. "Stay like that."

"What? I don't think so babe, w-we're not doin' this again." Jax said, lying right through his teeth. Because, he didn’t move.

No, at this point he was trying to convince himself he didn't want this. Even though you've been plaguing his every waking thought since then.

"Oh? We aren't? Then why aren't you moving..?" You asked , standing above him. Arms crossed over your chest. Your hair was still damp, and a bit of water clung to your body here and there.

"........" Jax was silent and you smiled, "C'mon Jax.. it's just the two of us in here. I haven't told anyone about your last session together." You tried to reassure him. "You're safe with me, let me take care of you..~" You purred, because in all reality you wanted him too. Just as badly.

You were just better at hiding it is all.

"What.. do you want me to do..?" Jax said looking up at you with puppy dog eyes and you sat down on the edge of your bed,  arching a finger.. silently beckoning him.

He instinctively went to stand but you shook your head slowly and he sighed more in embarrassment than anything as he crawled towards you.. the closer he got the more your legs spread. He almost forgot you were literally naked until he saw your glistening folds between your plush thighs.

He was staring directly at your cunt, his cock throbbing in his pants as he now set directly in front of your spread legs. "Well?"

His hand gripped your thigh and you lightly smacked it. "Where are your manners Jax?" You said with faux disappointment and his ears seemed to flatten just a little, "Please..?" He said, in more of a question,  not sure what you expected from him.

"That's more like it.." He felt a goosebumps along his body, and he didn't hesitate in burying his face between your likes much like the animal he was.

You hummed and leaned back on your elbow, he was eager. Missing your scent and taste, his long tongue flicked at your clit flattening against your cunt as a whole. You grabbed at one his ears , pulling him closer and he winced but.. didn't protest to the bit of pain. It only made him more eager to please.

'so good.. mine.. mine.. nn.. need to taste all of you. want to make mommy happy.' He thought to himself , losing himself in your taste as he thrusted his tongue in and out of your tight hole.

You were panting, hand unraveling from his ear and pushing head away, "Mn.. Jax.. baby, let's.. try something.." He wasn't budging at first, you had to use a lot of force to push him away from feasting between your thighs.

"And stop doin' this ..? nu-uh, not until you cum babe—" His trailed off and soon his voice went silent as you were peering down at him with a risen eyebrow.

"Do you wanna cum together or not?" Your voice was firm and that expression he made caused you to smirk. It was laced with obedience and submission. He was trying hard to hide it but you always made him slip.

He nodded his head obediently.

"Good boy."

"How do you feel about being tied up again..? Was that too much for you..?" You asked sweetly, sitting up so you could caress his flushed face.

"N.. Nothin' I can't handle doll.. got a thing for seeing me all stringed up?" He tried to joke.

"Oh, of course, my little rope bunny."

If he thought his erection couldn't get any worse, he was wrong. Good thing you noticed him straining against his overalls. "Let's get those off hmm?" You said and tugged at said overalls.

You have him permission to stand so he could remove his clothes,  and that he did. What he wasn't expecting a for you to slide your hands along his waist and pull him towards you. "You're so pretty.~" His waist was so thin but still firm along with the rest of his body , a vast difference from the thick shaft standing tall in between his legs.

"You could take a picture, it would last longer." Jax retorted, again hiding behind humor to mask his embarrassment.

"You what... I think I will.." You smiled and stood up, still somewhat dwarfed by his height you pushed him down onto the bed. He bounced on the plush blankets and you were quick to follow him onto the bed. He didn't even notice you quickly swipe your rope from the night stand.

"What's wrong little bunny? Not chickening out are we?" You asked, noticing his gaze on his wrists as you expertly tied them to the headboard once again.

"What? N—No.." He muttered and you positioned yourself on his lap, his dick pressed up against your warm folds. Slowly your hips rocked against him, teasing him with the warmth and wetness you could offer. "Mnh.." You moaned and he felt goosebumps along his skin. His eyes shut, but soon shot back open when he felt your lips around his nipple.

"W..What are you— ah!" He yelped when you nibbled at the senstive bud on his chest, you could feel him throbbing against you. He was enjoying it. So you continued until he was panting mess and precum was dribbling from his tip.

"So turned on just from this..? So cute.."

"Please.. just need to be inside ya doll, to touch you.."

You chuckled and kept one hand circling his nipple before pinching it, "You know what I like to be called dear, behave and maybe you'll get what you want.~"

"Please.. mommy.. n..need to be inside you.." He whimpered as you gently tugged at his nipple again and finally lined yourself up with his throbbing size, you slowly sunk down onto him.. deliberately taking your time. Unfortunately for him this was the final straw, his dick convulsed and he shot ropes of cum into your cunt before he was fully sheathed inside of you.

He cursed under his breath.

"Did you just..? Oh, baby. Doesn't mean we're done yet." Luckily for you he didn't even get soft, but he did get senstive.

"Hhh..ha.. w-wait.." He tried to catch his breath but you slammed your hips down onto him and he moaned, hips jerking as you bounced up and down on top of him. His shaft pumping in and out of your slick.

Jax strained against the ropes, it was too much. His dick was still so senstive but you wouldn't let up, he couldn't supress the whines and pleas escaping his lips in desperation.

"Mn.. d.. don't worry Jax mommy is .. almost there.. hha.." Your hips kept moving, losing that rhythm it once had and becoming more sporadic until you finally convulsed and squeezed around his already throbbing cock. Causing him to cum again on the spot. "Mnh.." Your legs finally gave out and you laid on his chest. Content with the feeling of his warm seed spilling past your stuffed cunt. "Mnh.. good boy.. see I went easy on you..~" You chuckled and he rolled his eyes.

"Mn.. next time maybe you shouldn't be so easy on me.. I can take it ya know." He huffed.

"Oh, yeah? I'll keep that in mind."

[drabbles-mc]

Desperate

Jax Teller & OC Claire Morrow

For @narcosfandomdiscord Book of In Urgent Need of Assistance: "One day I'll wake up and it won't hurt so much." and Desperate

Warnings: 18+, language, angst, smoking/weed, mentions of injury/violence, Jax Slander

Word Count: 3k

A/N: Claire Morrow IS my Roman Empire. i think about her constantly. i have yet to come up with a longfic plot for her, so for now i just keep putting her in angsty little one-shots and calling it a day

By the time they had gotten back to her apartment, Claire hadn't been expecting Jax to wait around for her. It would be far from the first time that he stormed out of her place before they got the chance to talk about everything that was going on. Sometimes she wondered if it was a purposeful move on his part—a way to avoid having to tell her things that he didn’t want her knowing, or hearing about things that he wanted no part of. Other times she simply didn't believe that her brother was that smart.

But there he was, sitting at the tiny table that was in her kitchen. He heard her as she entered the room, but he didn’t turn to look at her. It wasn’t until she was sitting on the chair kitty-corner to his that he deemed to look at her at all. It was the first time in a long time that she had seen anything resembling sympathy on his face, more specifically sympathy that was meant for her. Must've been the bruises littered across her cheek that was catching the light.

She pulled one leg up so that her foot was resting on the edge of the seat of her chair. Wrapping her arms around her bent leg, she rested her chin on top of her knee. There were plenty of things that she wanted to say, but past experiences with everyone in her family had taught her that the second she opened her mouth, their tirades would come. So now, she waited.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Jax finally asked, taking his baseball cap off and tossing it onto her table as he did.

Claire didn’t answer right away, feeling like the question was more rhetorical than anything, like Jax was just coming out of the gate with that to tee himself up nicely for the rest of his rant about what exactly he thought she had been thinking. She sat silently, not breaking eye contact with him even as she reached for the joint and lighter that were on her kitchen table.

Jax raised his eyebrows. “Nothing? You got nothin' to say for yourself?”

“Oh, sorry,” she said, sarcasm etched deep into her tone as she placed the joint between her lips. Flicking the lighter, she spoke around it, words muffled but still plenty clear enough for Jax to hear what she was saying. “Didn’t sound like a question you really wanted my answer to.”

“I can't wrap my head around it. So please,” he held his arms out slightly, “explain.”

Claire nodded but she didn’t get around to answering his question right away. She inhaled deeply off the joint in her hand, letting it crawl down the column of her throat and linger there for a few long seconds before allowing it to slip out as smoke between her lips. For a brief moment she contemplated extending it in an offer to Jax, but thought better of it quickly and kept it for herself.

“It's been an absolute shitshow on set,” she told him, making a point not to look him in the eyes as she did.

“Since when do you care what happens at the fucking porn studio?”

She gestured towards the door angrily with her hand that was holding the joint. “Since Luann asked me for some fucking help!”

He scoffed. “So you thought—”

“I thought,” she cut him off, “that I would help out since all anyone in the club ever does is show up to gawk at the girls. I helped her shoot. I helped her edit. Then all this shit with Georgie started popping off and all the girls started freaking the fuck out.”

“We took care of that.” Jax said it like it was a declaration.

Claire laughed in his face before taking another drag. “Yeah, and then Lyla came in with her nose nearly broken. So, you know,” smoke came out in tendrils with each word she said, “Luann started to think that maybe whatever you did, didn't work.”

“So she asked you?”

“No. She didn’t ask anyone, but I knew that she really didn’t want to ask you again.” She saw the way that indignant confusion went across Jax's face. “Come on, Jax. You guys have been treating her like absolute shit throughout this whole thing. And then you act like you're doing her a favor.” She shook her head, tone dropping to a mutter. “Par for the fucking course.”

“What's your fucking problem?”

She shook her head, kicking off with a lie before getting to the truth. “I don’t have a problem. And now, thanks to me, you and Luann and all the fucking girls at Cara Cara have one less to deal with too.” She stood up. “You're welcome.” She turned and headed for the fridge.

Jax watched from the table as she dug around in her refrigerator. When she popped back up into view again, she had a box of takeout in her hand. Swinging the door shut, she grabbed a fork from the drawer. She tucked into her food without even bothering to heat it up. Even if the day had been a better one, she wouldn't have put that minimal amount of time into prepping the food for herself. She paid no mind to the way that her brother was looking at her as she shoveled one forkful of rice after another into her mouth. Now that her adrenaline had runs its course, all those pesky little sensations like hunger and exhaustion and pain were starting to creep back in.

Silence settled between them again as Claire stood and leaned back against her counter while Jax stayed seated at her table. As Jax watched her, he couldn’t quite remember the last time it was just the two of them existing alone together like this. One of them was always traveling with a crowd—usually Jax. And, more often than not, wherever Claire was, Clay or Gemma wasn't far. It was never just them, and as Jax continued to sit and watch her, he didn’t know what to make of any of it.

He fussed with his cap that was still on top of her table. He knew that there were things that he wanted to say to her, but now it all just came through like static on the radio, one thought not discernible from the next.

“Do you realize,” Claire spoke up, some rice still tucked in her cheek as she spoke, “that everyone just is doing shit to try and keep you happy? Or,” she scoffed, “the closest thing to it?”

Jax shook his head. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Right now, specifically, I'm talking about Luann and the girls. They've been losing it but didn’t want to tell you because they didn’t want you getting upset again. They all feel like they owe you. And you,” she paused, looking at the container of food in front of her, unable to look him in the eye as she said, “you eat that type of shit right up.” She pushed rice around with her fork. “You always have.”

He shook his head, working overtime to not consider the fact that his sister was absolutely correct in everything that she was saying. He didn’t want his world put off-kilter so much. “You're insane.”

Claire scoffed, finally looking at him again. “Yeah, it's in the fucking genes.” She took another bite, granting herself a brief reprieve before asking, “You really going to sit there and pretend you don't know what I'm talking about?”

Jax had no problem lying, to anyone really, but especially to Claire. He'd done it outright and by omission their entire lives. The levels of success varied, but it never stopped him from trying. But now, for some reason, he found himself having a hard time faking genuine denial with her. Maybe it was because for the first time in a long time she was being honest with him too. Real honesty, not the type she usually doled out that was cloaked by layer after layer of sarcasm and well-timed jokes.

He rapped his knuckles lightly against the top of the table as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say. “I don't—"

“Forget about Luann and the girls. What,” she huffed, setting her food on the counter and going back to where she'd been sitting before, “what about me?”

He shook his head in confusion. “What about you?”

She jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards the door. “I'm the one who went and took care of shit tonight, Jax. I'm the one who rolled up to Georgie's fucking house with a crowbar and—”

“A fucking crowbar? Jesus Christ, Claire—”

She continued on like he hadn't spoken. “And you still haven't asked me if I'm okay.”

He gestured to her face. “I can see the answer to that.”

She shook her head, disgust on her face. “Don't do that.”

“What?”

“You know what.” She let that statement hang in the air. “They do all that shit to try and keep you happy. Mom does, the club does. And, as much as I hate it, so do I.”

Jax laughed before he could stop himself. She almost had him. Until those last three words, he was taking everything that she was throwing at him. But that was just a tad too far for him to believe. For as long as he could remember, she'd been a thorn in his side and she loved every second of it. He'd chalked some of it up to typical younger sibling things, the kind of stuff that Thomas probably would've done too if he'd gotten the chance. But then the rest of it? It felt like jealousy, maybe, or even just a desire to nettle him for pure enjoyment on her end. Sometimes he chalked it up to the crazy she must've inherited from Gemma.

But in that moment, the look in her eyes almost seemed heartfelt. If he'd been anyone else he would've taken her at her word but he knew better. He'd watched her grow up, seen the way that she was always so easily able to get what she wanted from Clay and Gemma. Jax and his happiness were the furthest things from her mind.

“You've never given a shit about that.”

Propping her elbows harshly on the table, she raked her fingers back through her hair. It still wasn't completely dry from the shower and left a traces of residue between her fingers. “I've never been able to figure out how to do it, but that doesn't mean that I've never given a shit.” Looking at him, she felt the familiar burn of tears growing in her eyes. “For a long time I tried so hard to just get you…get you to fucking like me. When we were kids I tried so hard. And then I stopped because it wasn't working and you were so mean. I stopped and I tried not to care anymore and I tried to give up. I just kept telling myself, ‘One day I'll wake up and it won’t hurt so much.’ But it never happened. It still does.” She shook her head, just as much at herself and the emotions welling in her chest as at Jax. “And when Luann asked me for my help at the studio, I thought that maybe that would do it, you know? And maybe if I took care of Georgie and you saw that I can pull my weight, then maybe you'd get around to caring about me.”

“It's not—”

“You know how much it sucks, how…how fucking pathetic it feels, that some days I’m trying as hard as those fucking Crow Eaters to get you to give a shit about me? You know how sad and desperate that makes me feel? You talk all that shit about family with the guys in the club, those people you call brother just because they have the same piece of leather on their backs. But then, when it comes to your real actual family…this is all you have left for me? Those guys might be in your club but you're my brother.”

He could tell by the tremble in her fingertips that those were words she had been sitting on for a long time. They'd burrowed and made a home deep down in her chest and she had been content to leave them in hibernation indefinitely. He felt bad, angry too. It wasn't the first or the last time that she made him feel like an idiot, either.

Claire couldn’t make herself look at him. Real vulnerability was something that was so hard to come by in their family, and now that she felt the sinking pit in her stomach she started to understand why. There was a tiny part of her that wanted to take it all back, but it was too late now—she was probably better for it.

He'd never given much thought to whether or not Claire cared about being liked, by him or by anyone else. She certainly never acted like it was a concern of hers. Plus, in his mind, when it came to family it didn't really matter how much someone liked you, because at the end of the day they loved you and that would always outweigh everything else. That's how their family always ended up back in the same messes—no matter the anger, they would always show up at the eleventh hour. What else mattered?

Claire sniffled quietly as she tried to wipe at her face as casually as possible. “Now look who has nothing to say,” she forced out. Leaning back in her chair, she said, “Next time, just fucking say thank you and ask if I'm okay. It's a, a decent place to start.”

The discomfort that was burning a trail down the back of Jax's neck was telling him that this was one of those times when he should be apologizing, but that type of thing had never been his strong suit. This was one of the few times that he wished he was a little better at it.

“This isn't the kinda shit you should be handling on your own,” he told her, voice gentler than it'd been so far as he nodded towards the bruises on her face.

Claire could see it on his face that he was trying. And if she had been less exhausted, if she'd been in a more forgiving mood, she would've given him credit for that. But the Morrow in her was getting the best of her and she wasn’t about to hand him any kind of participation trophy after everything that had happened.

“You're telling me that if I'd called, you wouldn't have sent me to voicemail?”

He sank back in his chair as though her words had physically pushed him away. “This what you're always thinking about whenever you call me?”

She shrugged. “I don't know. Usually it doesn't…” she trailed off, wanting to find the right words. “The stakes felt higher this time, I guess.”

Quiet washed over them again. Claire switched back and forth between looking at the tabletop, and looking at her brother. She was fairly positive that Jax hadn't ever let her go this long uninterrupted. It felt like the first time she was ever able to lead a conversation with him. She had no idea what good it would do, if any, but it was something at least. Part of her was still just stuck on the fact that he had stayed and waited. It wasn't necessarily any great feat, but for Jax it was something close.

“I'm glad you're alright,” he said with a nod. When Claire nodded back at him in response, a small smirk crossed his face as he said, “I'm glad you beat Georgie's ass, too.”

Claire didn’t want to, but she found herself laughing with him for the moment. It helped shed some of the weight that had been crushing her chest. “It felt kinda good. Lyla's busted nose is nothing compared to what his looks like now.”

Jax chuckled and for a moment they seemed like a pair of teenagers, talking to each other about the things they could never tell their parents. It was the kind of moment they never had when they were actual teenagers. It was refreshing in its own way, even if they were still avoiding the gaping wound of a problem between them.

“Did you tell Luann?”

Claire shook her head. “No. Did you tell Clay or—”

“Hell no,” he stopped her sentence short. “Neither of us would hear the end of it. I'd lay low ‘til those fade.”

She grazed her fingers over the slightly raised skin of her cheek. “Right.”

The exhaustion of the evening was starting to hit Jax, too. It felt useless to ask, but he still did. “Need anything?”

She shook her head. “I'm good.”

“You sure? I can stay.”

She laughed, and the sound was as humorous as it was sad. “Don't. It's fine.”

Jax frowned but he didn’t fight her on it. Reaching to grab his baseball cap of her table, he spoke as he pulled it down onto his head. “Alright. I'm gonna head out, then.”

Claire nodded, watching him as he walked around the table. “Night.”

“Night.” He rested his hand on her shoulder for a moment as he walked by. “Call me tomorrow, let me know how shit goes at the studio.”

“Sounds good.”

Jax paused when he was halfway out the door of her apartment. “Claire?”

She raised her eyebrows, and Jax saw every ounce of tiredness that she was weighing on her. “Yeah?”

“Thanks, and…” he trailed off, knowing how he should end the sentence and still not able to say it.

There would be time for more fights about it another day, so Claire let this one go for the sake of her own sanity. “Yeah. I'll call you tomorrow.”

She wasn't able to fully slump back in her chair until she heard Jax's bike start up and then fade into the distance. Once it was silent in her apartment and on the lot again, she all but melted into the seat of her chair, wanting nothing more than to go to bed and disappear under the covers, but feeling like she couldn’t make the last of the trek to do so.

(divider by @thecutestgrotto 💞)

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[dragon-creates]

Royally Screwed!

Read on AO3

1/2/3/4/5

Hey guys! Just in case, I might not be able to update as frequently as I usually do since college is starting back up but I'll try and get a chapter up at least every two Wednesdays! I hope that's okay with you guys! Anyways, without further delay, here is chapter 3! Let me know in the replies if you catch any of the references I put in!!!

3. Soldier, Poet, King

“He’s not at his lessons! He’s not in his room! No one has seen him Kinger!” Queenie cried, clutching her robe worriedly.

“Don’t worry my dear,” Kinger pressed both his hands to his wife’s shoulders, “He couldn’t have gone far.”

He had said that to his wife a few moments ago. Apparently Jax was playing around with the children of the other lords and ladies that had visited the castle, only to disappear after giving one of them a nasty scratch across their face. The child had wailed, saying that Jax had attacked them out of nowhere, but Kinger had a feeling that there was a bit more to the story than what was already told. He was familiar with how some nobles raised their children, and this child in particular came from a family that was full of nothing but spoiled snobs.

And so he was out in the garden, coming across a giant oak tree with a small wooden fort built atop of it. Jax’s treehouse.

Kinger took a hold of the ladder that was attached to the trunk, making his way up and through the hole in the middle of the floor. He found who he was looking for, a small six-year-old rabbit with frustrated tears staining the fur his cheeks as he clutched something in his hands.

“There you are,” Kinger spoke gently, alerting his son of his presence, his little ears shooting up as he glared at the intruder. “Everyone has been wondering where you went, your mother was worried sick.”

Jax’s ears drooped, he didn’t mean to make his mother so upset. He rubbed his cheek on his sleeve, ridding any tears that were still marked upon his face.

Kinger climbed out of the hole, making his way over to the boy and sitting down next to him. “I was told that you scratched one of the noble’s children,” Kinger said, watching as the boy paled with fear. “While I’m not pleased with an outburst like that, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and ask why you did it. I know you wouldn’t have done that unprovoked,” he patted the top of his son’s head comfortingly, Jax leaning into the touch. “What happened Jax?”

The boy turned to his father, his face growing anxious before opening his hand, revealing the head of a little chipmunk fast asleep in his purple palms. “They tried to squish it with a stick,” Jax mumbled, “They said that it was like me, a nobody trespassing onto royal grounds. It was just trying to get some food.”

Kinger felt his heart sink. Of course it was a comment about Jax being an orphan. It wasn’t the first time that he had been bullied for not being blood related to him and Queenie, even those who weren’t children had picked on him for his humble beginnings. Yes while both he and his wife were able to have children, the two had heard of Jax’s birth parents passing away from an uncontrollable illness, leaving the poor baby to fend for himself. He and Queenie immediately took him in as their own, raising and teaching him everything he needed to know about the kingdom. Unfortunately it seemed that the nobles weren’t so happy about their choice and had resorted on taking it out on the poor boy instead.

“Well then, they are forbidden to step one foot into this castle,” Kinger declared, his mind already made up on the matter, “They have no right to treat you or the poor critter so horribly.”

“But they’re right,” Jax whimpered, looking away. “I don’t belong here. No matter what I do, everybody knows that I’m not a true royal.”

“That’s not true!” Kinger interrupted, taking both of his son’s cheeks in his hands. “You might not share our blood, but you are still our son. Your mother and I love you so much, you are part of our family and that makes you a truer royal than any of the nobles could ever dream to be. You have the heart of a king Jax, never forget that.”

Jax gave his father a watery smile, the latter wiping away his tears. The little chipmunk squeaked in the child’s hands, the king and prince looking down at it. “I think he’s feeling better now,” Kinger gestured to the rodent, “It’s time for him to go.”

“But…but he’s my friend!” Jax exclaimed, clutching it tighter, “He has to stay with me.”

“He has a life and a family out there Jax,” Kinger told his son, “I know you care about him, after what he went through, but its because of that care you have for this critter that you must let him go. He might be gone, but the bond that you’ve formed will be a part of you for years to come.”

Jax let out a small whimper, stroking the back of the small creature. His father was right, the chipmunk probably had its own ‘Queenie’ and ‘Kinger’ to go back to as well. Jax stood, walking over to the window of the treehouse and opening his hands, releasing the rodent. The chipmunk looked back at Jax one last time, nuzzling his finger. The child laughed at the sensation, before waving to the chipmunk as it ran back into the gardens.

Kinger got up and went over to Jax, ruffling his son’s ears, the child laughing louder. “Glad to see you’re feeling better,” he said to child, Jax wrapped his arms around his father, squeezing him tight. The king chuckled, returning the hug with the same pressure his son was giving him. “And who knows, maybe you’ll get a pet of your own one day. Perhaps a dog or a hamster or a cat-”

“What?! Ew! No way!” Jax stuck out his tongue at that, “Cats are the worst animals in the world!”

“I don’t know,” Kinger shrugged teasingly, “When you’re older you end up with your own feline companion?”

“Never!” Jax blew a raspberry, The king guffawed, deciding to put an end to his teasing, much to his son’s mercy.

“Alright, alright. Let’s head back inside, your mother is still looking for you,” Kinger was a bout to turn and head to the exit, only for Jax to grab his father’s hand with a desperate look upon the child’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I…I’m not ready to go back inside yet,” Jax admitted, his ears drooping onto his back. “Can we play a game? Please! Just one game and then we’ll go inside.”

Kinger’s heart sank. Jax was so scared to go inside in case any of those horrible people were there. How could any of the nobles say such vile things? Not just about his son, but about a child! If they had a problem, then the cowards should take it up with Kinger himself instead of a boy still navigating the ways of the world. He would deal with them later – along with some colourful language he had planned for them – as for now, his son was more important.

“Alright,” Kinger nodded, “One game and then we’ll find your mother. The last thing we want is face her worried anger.”

Jax shuddered, he knew all too well what his mother was like when she was overcome with so much panic to the point of frustration. He nodded quickly as he and his father sat down.

“Now then, what would you like to play?” Kinger asked.

Jax hummed in thought, putting a finger to his chin as the ideas ran through his mind, “How about…three rounds of rock, paper, scissors!”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Kinger exclaimed happily.

The two put their fists out, slapping it against the palms of their other hand, with Kinger pulling his hand out in a scissor motion while Jax made a rock shape with his. “Yes!” the child cheered happily, “I won the first round!”

“You’re starting to get better than me,” Kinger told him, “Ready for the next round?”

“Yeah!” Jax grinned.

Kinger prepared himself “Okay, one, two-”   

“What are you two doing?!” Queenie cried out, poking her head through the hole of the floor, making both father and son squeak in terror. “Do you two know how long you have been gone for?! I was worried sick!”

“Apologies darling,” Kinger chuckled nervously, “We just wanted to play a quick game.”

“I’m sorry mama,” Jax brought his knees to his chest, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Queenie sighed, shaking her head as she opened up her arms for her son, with Jax immediately running to his mother and hugging her. He had always been a ‘mama’s boy’ ever since he was a baby. “Just keep track of time, okay dear?” she whispered soothing, rubbing Jax’s back.

“Yes mama,” Jax nodded against her shoulder.

Queenie gave her a husband a glare, “That goes for you too Kinger.”

“Y-yes darling,” Kinger rubbed the back of his head at his wife’s icy gaze, “Again, my apologies.”

The queen was unable to hide a smile at her husband’s awkwardness, eventually giving in and climbing up into the treehouse as well. And so, that was how the family spent their afternoon that day, with them talking with one another about anything and everything, to Kinger and Queenie telling Jax stories of adventurers and swashbuckling pirates, to the parents even indulging with their son’s games of pretend as he recreated those stories with nothing but a stick for a sword and a wooden board as a shield.

The rest of the nobles would probably scoff at them acting like this, but they didn’t care. This was their family, even if they were royalty, and nobody could take that away from them.

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Sixteen Years Later

Jax paced up and down the hall, wringing his hands to help calm his nerves. Never in his life had he been so nervous about anything. Why may you ask? Pomni was finally deemed well enough to get out of bed, and today he was going to give her a tour of the castle. He needed this to be perfect, the poor girl had already been through enough, he just wanted the day to be about her. To make sure she was happy. Her smile left a handprint on his heart, and he couldn’t get it off. He would do anything to see it again.

Motley was perched upon his shoulder, with the prince subconsciously reaching up to run his hand over the kitten’s head as he purred into Jax’s cheek. He would never admit it, but Motley was a really good comfort to him these days. Apparently, the little kitten knew exactly what to do to calm him, it was annoying how easily attached Jax had become with him.

He took a deep breath, he could do this. He walked down the hall until he stopped in front of the room Pomni was staying in, he wrung his hands one more time before gently knocking on the door three times.

“I’ll be one second!” he heard her voice ring out.

“Take your time!” Jax answered back, using the extra seconds to relax himself more. A few moments passed until the click of the doorknob made him jump. He brushed back the fur atop of his head, breathe Jax, remember, be suave.

That all went down the drain the moment Pomni stepped out. Jax was sure his heart had just skipped a beat. Pomni wore a teal-coloured dress, small flowers embroidered onto the fabric. The dress hung slightly off her shoulders with ruffles around her collarbones, the sleeves were long and ended at her wrists but had puffs at the elbows. Around her waist was a matching corset of the same colour, and the layered skirt ended by her ankles. She’s so…so… Jax’s face softened.

Pomni blushed as his eyes focused on her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Her hair might be short but she had managed to take two sections and braid it into a crown around her head. “W-why are you staring?” she stuttered slightly.

“Because you’re beautiful,” he answered honestly. He felt a twinge of pride as her face reddened more, contrasting against her dress. Easy Jax, remember, you don’t want to scare her off. When his father had informed him of Kaufmo and the circus’ story, the urge to protect the jester only grew stronger. The last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm her.

“Thank you,” she smiled, “I don’t think I’ve worn anything this nice in my life.”

“Trust me, you look radiant in that dress,” Jax told her.

Pomni had to physically fight back the blush she felt rising to her cheeks. If someone were to tell her a few months ago that she would be flustered at the compliments Prince Jax of Laphria would give her, she would have laughed in their face, repulsed by the notion that the reckless prince would give her any sort of attention. But now, after he saved her life and seeing this new side of him, it made her all the more curious to see what else she could find out about him. Dare she say it, she was excited to have his company for today.

“So, tell me, what’s up first for our tour?” she asked, going over to him and picking up Motley from his shoulders and cradling him in her arms.

Jax smirked, only holding out his hand, “You’ll just have to wait and see little lady.”

Pomni raised a brow, her lips matching his expression as she took his hand, “Then hurry up and show me.”

He let out a laugh, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he started taking her down the hall. Maybe it was the excitement of the whole thing, but their feet started to quicken, and soon they were jogging and jogging turned to running, poor Motley��s eyes going wide at the sudden increase of speed. They couldn’t stop laughing, not knowing why. In fact, now that they thought about it, this was possibly the first time each of them laughed truly and freely – with no malice or fear attached. It was…nice.

Soon, Jax was leading her into the gardens, past the bushes filled with berries and the colourful shrubbery of flowers. Their steps slowed as they halted near a large oak tree, Pomni looked up to see a wooden house, shaded among the emerald leaves atop of it. Jax let go of her hand, taking a hold of the ladder against the trunk as he began to climb up. Pomni placed Motley on her shoulders, taking the initiative to follow him.

Once Jax made it into the building, he sat next to the hole in the floor and helped pull Pomni up once she neared the top. Pomni sat next to him, letting her eyes roam the place, the subtle breeze of the wind brushing her cheeks as the sun shone upon her. “Welcome to my humble abode,” Jax grinned, “AKA, my childhood treehouse.”

Pomni marvelled at her surroundings, letting Motley down so he could explore the area as well, “This is adorable!”

“Yeah,” Jax suddenly became anxious, rubbing the back of his neck. “I knew that when I gave you all those gems and coins it made you a little uncomfortable, so I wanted to start with something small with our tour so you wouldn’t get overwhelmed.”

Pomni’s mouth gaped a bit. He could have taken her to the most grand, lavish places in the whole palace, yet he chose the most earnest part of his childhood to show her to make sure she was comfortable. She didn’t know whether to awe at the innocence of the act, or gratitude that he was putting her first. Either way, she never felt happier towards the prince than she did now. “Thank you Jax,” she replied honestly. She secretly ate up the way that she managed to make him blush this time.

“Y-yes, well,” he stuttered, “I do happen to be pretty smart.”

“On certain occasions,” she snickered.

“Hey!” he gawked at her, though the smile on his face proved that he was anything but mad. He shook his head fondly, a warmth spread through him at the fact that she didn’t feel anything negative to him while speaking with him. He was getting to know her without his reputation getting in the way of that. “I always loved coming up here as a kid. It was a safe space for me when I wanted to get away from everybody.”

Pomni tilted her head, inching closer to him. Jax was really hoping she wouldn’t see his tail wagging at the close proximity. “Safe space?” she asked, though after hearing that awful group of low lives from the last show, she had a faint idea of what he was talking about.

“Yeah,” he sighed, his ears dropping slightly. “Not everyone was happy about the fact that my parents decided to adopt me when they were able to have children. I was born in a poorer part of the kingdom, so everyone kinda knew what my rank was before I was royalty. There was just so many people who literally hated me for even breathing, it wasn’t like I asked to be born into poverty or for my parents to adopt me. So whenever I needed a break from it all, I would come up here with my parents. We’d always come up with new games in here and turn the treehouse into whatever adventure we chose. Whether it be a pirate ship and I was the captain, or my own castle where I was helping save the princess, it was the best memories I had ever made.”

“That sounds remarkable,” Pomni said, unable to tear her gaze away from the prince’s face. He looked so…happy. Not the cruel smirks that she had come to expect, but genuine happiness that came from reflecting on those memories.

“It really was,” he agreed, his heart fluttering as flashes of him as a boy going to save his mother from his ‘castle’ treehouse with his father as a dragon. That little boy had changed so much, and he would admit it, it wasn’t for the better. “When I started to get older, the comments just started to get worse. My parents started to ban people from the castle who didn’t relent, but they knew that they held importance since most of them owned some of the lands in the kingdom, so they had to be invited to events sometimes to help discuss shit that’s happening. No matter what I did, I was never good enough. It didn’t matter how much I smiled or bowed or trained myself to prove that I wanna gonna be the best heir for this kingdom, as long as I didn’t share royal blood, they already made up their minds about me. So, I decided to become what they wanted me to be. A reckless troublemaker who liked to prank others and throw the most destructive parties. For a while, I started to like it, I liked that for once I was the once who held the cards. But I knew that whoever I invited just used me to get into these parties, to indulge in luxury while talking behind my back. And seeing how disappointed my parents were…all I did was ruin things for everyone.”

He stopped, looking up at Pomni to see tears running down her cheeks as Motley tried to purr to comfort her. “I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief, “I shouldn’t have gone as long as I did, I didn’t mean to upset you.”  

“No, no, its not your fault,” she sniffed, wiping her eyes, “It was never your fault. You know that right?” She wasn’t talking about the crying, she was talking about his childhood. Jax gave her a half-hearted shrug. “I’m serious. I’ve had my fair share of people in my life who would rather project their insecurities onto those who are vulnerable than decide to be a decent human being. No, you shouldn’t have done the things you do now that you’re grown, but don’t blame your child self simply for existing.”

Jax didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or do both. For years he kept everything in, too afraid to touch the fear and guilt that crept up his spine every day. But the way Pomni spoke about it, with such ease and clarity. It was almost like she had walked similarly in his steps before. He was about to ask her how she knew all this when her hand reached forward to his face. He held his breath, fighting the urge to hammer his foot against the wooden floor with excitement. Her fingers brushed the fur on his cheeks, when she pulled back his heartbeat slowed when he realised the tips of her fingers were wet. Had he really been crying? “Wow,” he wiped any leftover wetness away, “Sorry, kinda pathetic.”

“No,” Pomni shook her head softly, a smile gracing her features, “No it’s not.” This girl. She never ceased to amaze him. “So, tell me. What other games did you and your parents get up to in here?”

Jax laughed wetly before going onto to tell her how he and his father would hide up here from his mother whenever they would steal cookies from the kitchen. Pomni chortled at the image of a small rabbit and the king hiding up in this very treehouse from the disgruntled queen while huddling with a jar of cookies.

It wasn’t until it was near noon that the two realised they had been outside for so long, just talking and enjoying one another’s company. They went inside eventually when Motley started meowing his head off for some food. Jax was confident in saying that he had more fun with Pomni in those couple of hours than all of his parties he had ever thrown. Truly, that girl had bewitched him.

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“This is incredible!” Pomni beamed.

The next day, Jax had decided to take Pomni to visit the library in the castle. She had seemed particularly excited about that, he remembered that it was rare for her to see a proper library in her lifetime, and he hoped to change that.

“Just imagine! So many genres from all over the world in one place!” she gasped as she ran her hands along the spines of the books, Motley upon her shoulders once again. The kitten had become quite fond of Pomni during the jester’s stay at the castle. “Can you believe how amazing that is?!”

Jax chuckled as he kept up with her, “I guess I’ve never seen it that way”. But it made sense, his family could afford every single book known to man. Whether it was the most groundbreaking adventure novel in existence, or a simple cookbook, there was without a doubt that the royal library had something for everyone. Even the largest book shop in all the lands wouldn’t be able to do that.  

“It makes me want to cry with joy,” she admitted, picking up a paperback and examining it. “I know it seems silly, but you have no idea how much this means to me.”

“Oh?” Jax’s face became serious, moving towards her. What did this girl go through to make her say that? “Why is that?”

Pomni shifted in her place, worry spreading across her features.

“Please, don’t tell me if it makes you uncomfortable,” Jax reassured her, “You have no obligation to tell me.”

“No, it’s alright,” she smiled slightly. “I’ve never been able to see many libraries in my lifetime, but I will always remember the first time Kaufmo took me to see one. We were allowed to roam one of the villages we were performing in, so he let me see my first ever library. We spent all day in there reading anything we could find. I remember him telling me the importance of books. Each one of them holds a lesson and history for anyone who needs to learn it. No matter how small it is, one book can hold great meaning for a person. It’s why we must cherish them and the morals that they hold.”

She hugged the book tighter in her hold, Motley rubbing his head against her neck as he purred. Pomni giggled and placed a little kiss on the tip of his nose.

Jax inhaled deeply. So many overwhelming feelings were coming afloat after Pomni’s words, he stepped away for a moment to collect himself.

Pomni’s face fell, fearing that she crossed the line, “Your highness, I didn’t mean to offend you-”

“You didn’t!” Jax whipped round quickly, making sure that Pomni knew she wasn’t at fault. “Its just…never in all my lessons and teachings did I feel like I have learned more than what you have told me at this moment. You hold so much passion and joy within your knowledge than any of my tutors have given me. You have more conviction in one memory that I have had within my entire being. You’re remarkable Pomni, and I hope that I can see the world through your eyes.”

Pomni bit her lip as his words repeated through her head like a mantra. No one had ever said something so earnest as he had, and she had least expected it to come from the ‘reckless Prince Jax’ of Laphria. “Well, it isn’t so hard,” Pomni teased, “After all, you wouldn’t have saved my life if you didn’t.”

Did he?

Did someone like him, who spent most of his life building up this reputation to be arrogant and self-centred, deserve a second chance to see the world as she did? Then again, he didn’t know what she went through, but he could see that behind her smile, sass and glam that there was a girl who was deeply hurting yet still chose kindness every single time. He would let her tell him, of course, but one way another he knew he had to find out. “I appreciate your faith in me little lady,” he smirked, deciding to press an arm against the bookshelf as he peered down at her. Was it a risk? Yes. But the way her breath hitched and eyes widened made it oh so incredibly worth it. “You sure it’s not mistake?”

Pomni gulped, ridding any type of flustering she felt flutter in her heart as she pushed him back with a smirk, “I happen to be very good at reading people. So no, I don’t think it’s a mistake.”

He nearly choked on his own spit at the sudden turn in dynamic. With a hum, she walked away, feeling his eyes on her as she did so while opening the book in her hands.

Jax gave his cheeks a tap, snapping himself out of it while a lovesick grin stretched on his lips as he chased after her. This girl had his heart in the palm of her hand and she didn’t even realise it. In all honesty, as long as Pomni had it, Jax didn’t want it back.

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Pomni stretched her arms above her head after she finished warming herself up, wearing a simple cotton shirt with spaghetti straps and dark pink leotard shorts. A few guards had escorted her trapeze equipment as per her request, she wanted to continue practising even if there weren’t any upcoming shows. It gave her peace of mind after the chaos of her attempted kidnapping. Plus, she liked doing her tricks. Apart from her music, she was proud of this being one of her talents.

Her aerial silks, trapeze bars and hoops had been moved into a spare ballroom within the castle along with everyone else’s equipment. She had waited until the rest of the circus cast had finished with their own rehearsals, feeling more at ease when she practised alone.

She wrapped a practise rope around her wrist, preparing to start when she heard a voice echoing around the room.

“Is this what you do on a daily basis?” Jax asked, curiosity and amazement lacing his tone.

Pomni smiled, she was actually really happy whenever he found the time to visit her. Sometimes his duties caught up to him, which left days that they were unable to spend time together. Wait, did she really admit that she liked spending time with Jax? “Not on a daily basis,” she said, turning to face him as he walked over to meet her, “Just whenever I feel the need to practice.”

“Looks simple enough, bet I could do it easily,” Jax knew he was bragging, but he made sure that there wasn’t any mocking in his voice. It seemed Pomni knew that as well with the way she cheekily raised her eyebrow.

“Oh, it looks that simple huh?” she grinned.

“Yeah,” he said, “I’d be able to nail it in ten seconds.”

Pomni hummed as though she were in thought, raising her hand and curling her finger in a ‘come hither’ motion. Jax knew he struck something there as his pulse began to hammer hard throughout his veins. Nevertheless, he did as he was told. She took his hand, he nearly flushed at her sudden boldness. She was bringing him closer to her…until she pulled on the rope, ripping her hand away and sending her soaring up to the darkened roof.

Jax blinked for a second, trying to regain his bearings after the trick she just pulled that sneaky little minx!

He heard a throat clear, making him look up as he saw Pomni descending down from the ceiling, her arms gripping onto the bottom of a trapeze ring as she slowly lowered back onto the ground. “Word of advice,” she spoke as her feet touched the ground, “Don’t immediately throw yourself into the deep end if you barely know how to keep your head above water.”

Jax was unable to tear his eyes away. It was just one simple act from her and yet he was attached to her like a dog on a leash. He had fallen and fallen hard. He ran a hand over the top of his fur on his head, smoothing it back as he grinned at her, “Why don’t you show me how it’s done then little lady?”

He watched as she froze in place while he restrained himself to laugh at her adorable yet slightly angry reaction. That nickname always struck a nerve with her. Pomni’s lips twisted as though she were in thought, “Hmm, okay. If you can handle it.”

“Oh I can handle it little lady,” he chuckled, “Come on, show me what you got.”

“Okay, put your hands on my waist,” she said simply.

Jax had never been more thankful for his fur covering his cheeks, hiding the redness rising to his skin, “I-uh-um-what?!”

“I said, put your hands on my waist,” she stated as if she weren’t suggesting that he touched her with her wearing what was basically close to undergarments. “Unless you’re not able to do this?”

“Well I didn’t say that,” he told her, “I just…don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Hey,” Pomni let go of the hoop for a moment, taking both of his hands in her. “I wouldn’t be asking you this if I wasn’t okay with you putting your hands on me. If you’re not comfortable with it though then that’s absolutely fine. But don’t worry, I trust you.”

She trusts me. When was the last time someone trusted him? It sent a rush through him and gave him a determination that he never had in his life before. A determination to earn and keep that trust that had been provided for him.

“So, as long as you’re okay with it,” she continued, guiding his hands to both sides of her hips, “Put your hands on my waist.”

Jax nodded, pressing his hands firmly to her sides. Taking a hold of the metal hoop again, she swung it in a circle around the two of them before it went back behind her again. “Lift me up,” she instructed him. Without missing a beat, Jax did as he was told, lifting her onto the hoop while Pomni held on with one arm, using her spare hand to stretch out her body into a line while her legs gripped the other end of the hoop.

She brought her free arm back in, grabbing the top of the hoop and pulled herself into a sitting position. “Hold onto the bar,” she said next, with Jax firmly holding the hoop in place as her legs reached up and wrapped themselves around the top of the hoop, pulling her upside down. “Now here’s where you need to pay attention. This thing is gonna start to pull itself up once you sit down. All you gotta do is hold on and I’ll tell you what to do. Understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” Jax could only stare in awe at how her body twisted and moulded itself into whatever way Pomni wanted. It was simply miraculous to experience.

“Good,” she smiled. Jax carefully lowered himself onto the hoop next to the upside-down jester, gripping it tighter once he started to feel it rise. “Easy, just hold on until I say otherwise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Jax gave her a nervous laugh, “Should I be saying that to you?”

“Let’s just call this getting even then,” she smiled, “Now hang on there for a second.”

Before he could ask what she meant by that, she swung herself upright and pulled herself to sit on top of the hoop. He gasped when she jumped, about to go after her before she grabbed on a nearby rope. His breath hitched as he watched her swing round the ballroom, her eyes closed in a content bliss as if this whole practice brought her to a peaceful state of mind.

She swung back towards Jax again, letting go off the rope and grabbing the bottom of the hoop, pulling them back onto the ground again. Jax slid off the hoop, going closer to Pomni. “Not bad for your first try,” she mused, “Wanna go again?”

Jax wrapping one arm around her waist and using the other hand to grab the bottom of the hoop. The two shared a grin as the hoop ascended upwards, Jax holding tight to both of them to make sure that they wouldn’t fall. Pomni gulped at the strength he displayed, it certainly wasn’t anything to sneeze at. Wrapping her arm around his waist and joining his other hand on the hoop with hers this time, she started to pick up momentum, making the duo spin faster and faster.

Grinning, Jax jumped down, letting Pomni spin round the ballroom again. “Not bad for a first timer huh?!” he called out to her.

“I have to agree, you’re a little rusty but you’ve got potential,” she giggled back.

An idea popped into his head. Jax ran to the walls of the ballroom while Pomni raised a brow as he started to scale them. As she swung round to him, he jumped off and grabbed the hoop, circling his arm around her waist again. The two laughed freely, without a single care as they flew around the room.

Eventually, they had slowed to a stop, gently pressing their feet against the marbled floor as they panted from the thrill and exhilaration. “That was…wow,” Jax gasped.

“Yeah,” Pomni breathed, “Not bad for a beginner.”

Jax brushed a stray hair away from her face, Pomni watching his finger trailing her cheek as he did so. “Um, I should get back to my duties soon,” he said, “But thank you for the lesson…I had fun.”

“Y-you’re welcome,” Pomni stuttered as he drew his hand back.

They paused, a silent tension growing between them. Pomni was praying that he didn’t hear her heart thunder in her chest, not knowing that Jax was doing the same - practically begging to whatever entity was out there that she couldn’t hear his wagging tail rustling under his clothes. “Good day Pomni,” Jax bowed, before leaving the ballroom.

Pomni lifted her hand to where his was on her cheek. Perhaps it was the rush of the whole practice, but part of her wished that he kept his hand there just a little bit longer.

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If there was one thing that Pomni was grateful for during her and her family’s stay in the castle, it had to be the opportunity to sleep in. While being a performer, there was always a strict schedule that she had to follow. From when she had to wake up, to the endless hours of training, to when she had to eat and eventually find the time to get a full eight hours of sleep without her busy schedule being interrupted. So it was a small blessing that she got to enjoy the longer hours tangled in the soft sheets of her temporary bed.

When she eventually got out of bed and pulled on her teal dress did she hear the commotion going on outside. She walked over to her window and pulled open the curtains, immediately beaming when she saw what was going on.

In the castle courtyard, everyone from the village was setting up stalls and games. From stands with every type of fruit and dessert, to activities such as ring tossing and painting, there seemed to be something for everybody to enjoy. With an excited squeal, she slipped on a pair of sandals and ran out of her room. She wanted to find out what was going on!

She tore down the hallway, her smile splitting across her face. She didn’t notice the figure in front of her until she collided with it. “Oh my god! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Woah little lady! It’s okay, no harm done!” Jax’s calm voice made her sigh with relief, a sentence she never believed would come to mind.

“Jax,” she brushed herself off before realising the feline companion resting on his shoulders. “Motley!” she picked up the kitten and cradled him in her arms, rubbing her face against his.

Jax huffed I am not jealous of a kitten, I am not jealous of a kitten, I am not jealous of a kitten, I am not jealous of a-

“-So! Do you have any idea of what’s going on outside?” Pomni’s question pulled him out of his internal ramblings as she blinked up at him.

“Oh, that?” he said, “You’re gonna love this.” He gestured his head to the nearby window, encouraging her to follow him towards the glass. “Every year, after our annual harvest, we throw a festival for the village within the castle courtyard. Since it was an event created by my father, royals can attend if they want to, but all of the other nobles are banned from going. I mean, after the shit they’ve said about me, the last thing the villagers need is the upper crust sneering down at them after all their work.”

“And you? Do you go?” Pomni asked as she peered down at the setup from down below.

“Ah…I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to go down there,” Jax admitted, “Like I said, the last thing they need is for the upper crust to mess everything up. And this is coming from the guy who set off fireworks in the village.”

Pomni’s face fell slightly. While she still wasn’t pleased with that stunt he pulled, she still recognised that he was making an effort to not be that person anymore. Even is she didn’t know the catalyst for that change, it was still change. “Well, don’t mess things up then,” she stated, taking his hand, “Just come down and stick with me, I’ll make sure we have lots of fun.”

“Ya sure?” he gave her a nervous tight-lipped smile, “The village ain’t a big fan of me, for good reason.”

“Like I said, stick with me and they’ll see that you’re not so bad,” she said, “I mean, you might still be incredibly annoying but I’m sure it will be fine.”

“Wow! Thanks for that Pomni!” he drawled sarcastically, though he was unable to hide the grin he wore as she laughed at his disgruntled face.

“You’re welcome,” she chortled, Motley mewling along with her as if he was laughing at Jax in his way cat-like way. “Now come on! I don’t want to waste the day!”

She grabbed his hand, this time she was the one dragging him along, running down the hallways. Jax laughed at her excitement, feeling his own arise as well.

But he had to admit, when he went out into the sun rays beaming down on his and hearing the thrilled chatter of the villagers, he was actually glad that he agreed to come out.

There were a few stares, and a few anxious whispers from the villagers who worried that he had a trick up his sleeve. Part of him was tempted to run back inside, to hide from the wondering eyes staring at him. But Pomni’s hand on his helped him feel a bit braver, it made him want to seize the day and lower his walls a little bit. Yeah, he could do this.

“Ragatha!” Pomni squealed, lifting Motley to rest on her shoulder the moment she saw her friend. Jax watched her as she ran up to the ragdoll, hugging her ash their cheeks pressed together tightly. “Look at all this!”

“Its incredible isn’t it!” Ragatha pressed a chaste kiss to the jester’s head, she let her go once the ragdoll saw Pomni’s rabbit companion. “What is he doing here?”

“Well nice to see you too,” Jax rolled his eyes.

“Easy you two,” Pomni glared at them before turning back to Ragatha, “I wanted him to join me today, so please be nice.”

“Him? Isn’t he the same guy that made you say that ‘men are the worst thing in this realm’ to us?” Ragatha crossed her arms.

“Oh? Is that so?” Jax raised a teasing brow.

“W-well, I’m not wrong about that!” Pomni interjected, “But Jax is…not as bad as I thought. I still think men are awful though!”

“I don’t trust him,” Ragatha scowled at the prince, half tempted to pull out the hidden butcher knife she had attached to her thigh holster.

“Ragatha!” Pomni groaned, “He saved my life! And I’ve been spending time with him for the past few days to get to know him better! It’s okay!”

“I promise,” Jax spoke, turning both ladies’ attention to him. “I have nothing but good intentions. I know that it’s a little hard for you to warm up to me, but I swear that I want to keep Pomni safe as much as you do.”

That seemed to convince the ragdoll a tiny bit, judging by how her eyes softened slightly. Though they still held a coldness to them, “Okay…just remember, Moon and I are right here if you need us Pomni, so don’t hesitate to come to us if you need anything.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Pomni assured her, whirling round to grab Jax’s hand again. “Now come on you! They’re making crepes at that stall over there and I wanna try one!”

And so, Jax was dragged away once again, leaving the ragdoll to watch them as they drifted away. Moon and Sun walked up to her, the former placing a hand on her shoulder, “Still unsure about the prince?”

“Pomni says that he’s nice,” Ragatha told her, “I just don’t know what to think.”

“I think we should trust Pomni,” Sun happily suggested, holding an ice cream in his hand. “If she can go from despising his guts to being his friend then there must be something good about him. Almost as good as this ice cream!” He took another bite, savouring the sweet chocolaty taste.

Ragatha and Moon chuckled at this antics. “Maybe you’re right,” Ragatha nodded, “Maybe he is changing.”

“At least he wants to make an effort to do so,” Moon mused, “Unlike…”

Ragatha and Sun brought the woman in for a hug, Moon didn’t need to say his name for them to know who she was referring to.

“It’s okay sis,” Sun whispered, “You didn’t know.”

“Exactly,” Ragatha agreed, “Besides, you were too good for him anyway.”

Moon let out a shaky breath as she melted into their embrace. She might not have the romance she always dreamed off, but to be honest, she found something even better.

.

.

.

Pomni kept dragging Jax around each stall and game she could find once they had finished their crepes. She had bought a few strawberries, cherishing each one she bit into and shared with Jax. She cheered when she won the ring toss and had even beat Jax in a few rounds. And she even reunited with the girls who gave her the flower crown and sat down for them to put flowers in her hair.

Jax watched on fondly as they weaved each one into her hair while holding onto Motley, until one of the little girls stood up and walked over to him, shyly clasping her hands together. “Um, Prince Jax?” she meekly said, “I have a few flowers for you too. You don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to! I just thought you would like some.”

She held up a few simple purple roses wound together into a crown. Pomni’s favourite flower he recalled. He looked at the little girl, he remembered how crestfallen she and her friend were when he insulted their flower crown for Pomni a while back. He was so wrapped up in his own plans with trying to woo her than he put down the hard work of literal children! Children of his kingdom. He kneeled down gently took the rose crown in his hand and inspected it, even if it was a small gesture he had to attempt to right his wrong – the first of many but it still counted. “I think it’s perfect,” he grinned, placing it on his head, “Its better than my real crown!”

The little girl beamed, “You’re welcome your highness!” She gave him a quick curtsy before running back over to her friend and Pomni. Jax laughed as he stood back up, he had to admit, the crown was pretty good.

But it was in no comparison to how Pomni looked. Tied within her braid and short hair were small daises, white carnations, specks of baby’s breath, lavender and a few small pink roses. She gave the girls a twirl, the skirt of her dress fluttering like the petals in her hair. “Thank you!” she cooed, her smile wide.

Jax’s eyes widened, her beauty striking him in his poor heart. Never before had he seen a being as beautiful as Pomni. Motley gave him a teasing mewl, he swore that the little shit was mocking him, “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up fish breath.”

Pomni skipped over to him, “So, what do you think?”

“I’m dead,” he dramatically placed a hand to his chest, “You killed me with how pretty you are little lady.”

Pomni rolled her eyes at his antics, “Sure princey. Now come on! I wanna go try some cheese!”

This time, Jax was fully prepared to be dragged away again, not minding a single bit.

For the next few hours, that was how their day was spent. They made sure to try every single piece of food from the stalls, bought a few souvenirs from sellers and played every single game that was available (with Jax losing to Pomni every single time of course). One by one, each villager could see a difference within the prince, and the elders of the kingdom felt a sense of déjà vu with the way he looked at Pomni. It was similar to how a young Kinger acted when he saw Queenie for the first time.

Soon enough, the sun began to set and the stars began to rise. Tables were pulled out, hot food and drink were served, and a small space was left for anyone who wanted to dance to the band playing on stage. Pomni and Jax had finished their meals a while ago – a simple dish of beef, bread and mashed potatoes – before ordering two pints of beer and playing a game of rock, paper, scissors while Motley licked at the empty plates. Jax had just lost another round, making him groan in defeat.

“Yes! I have won once again!” Pomni cheered, “That means that you have to give me another confession.”

“What else do I have to confess, I’ve already told you how much of a gem you are to the mind’s eye,” Jax smirked, winking at her.

“Seriously?” Pomni deadpanned, taking another sip of her beer, “Come on. Tell me something, anything! No matter how ridiculous it is.”

Jax sighed, there was one thing that came to mind. He wasn’t sure if it was him or the alcohol, but the next thing that came out of his mouth was, “I don’t want to be king.”

Pomni placed down her mug, her face serious and concerned.

“All my life,” Jax started, “I had everyone tell me who or what I would be. I’ve been confined to my position without having a chance to choose who I want to be. Even my parents, bless their hearts, already have my future planned in their heads. I just…I don’t want to be tied to this role. And even when I tried to make it my own, I had everyone else hate me for it.”

“But you wouldn’t be tied to it. Your parents are rulers, but I’m sure that didn’t stop them exploring who they want to be, and I’m sure that won’t stop you to,” Pomni told him. “And you’ll be in a position where you can change things for the better, to make things better for other people who have less. Just think of the wonderful things you could accomplish!”

Jax nodded slowly, processing what she said. He would be able to do that, he could lead his kingdom with the kindness and greatness the way Pomni viewed the world. “But what if its too late for me?” he asked, “What if I messed things up too much for people to see me that way?”

“Trust me, from my experience, its never too late to try and change how people view you,” Pomni said. “For better or worse, for what role you play, its always up to you with how you want to be viewed.”

Jax titled his head, Motley doing the same once he finished licking the plates, “What do you mean by that?”

Pomni paled, she said too much “My apologies your highness, I didn’t mean to overshare!”   

“Hey, hey,” he gently took her hands into his. “You have no reason to apologize, and besides, I thought I told you to call me Jax.” He wiggled his eyebrows cheekily. Pomni shook her head as a faint smile graced her features, “There we go, better?” Pomni nodded. “Good. You don’t need to tell me anything if you’re not ready to do so, okay?”

Pomni tapped her nails on her mug. Apart from her family in the circus, she hadn’t shared her story to anyone. But with Jax, there was a security to him. He made her feel warm, content…safe. She never got that from any other stranger she met, even if they were the kindest folks she would ever come across, it paled in comparison to what Jax gave her in the past few days. It was peculiar, yet nice. Pomni took a breath, gripping Jax’s hand tighter and looked him in the eyes. She could do this.

“I don’t have many memories before I joined the circus,” Pomni said, “But I remember my Ma’s voice. I remember how gentle her voice was when she sang to me, and how she stroked my hair while I fell asleep. I would sing with her every time until I was too tired, and I remember how she would kiss my forehead the moment I shut my eyes. It was so peaceful…but one day, all of that ended.

I woke up to rubble falling on me while I was still in bed. I kept screaming out for my Ma, but I didn’t know that she was already gone at the time. I don’t know if it was a miracle, but because I was stuck for so long, nobody was able to find me. I was under there for hours, and all that was left of my village was destroyed. Including my family.

The reason why we were raided? It’s because of this,” she pulled her hands away for a moment, cupping them as the same blue mist from her performance hovered above them. “It’s not all a trick of the mind like cards and such. Everyone in my village was able to do this, to master the ability of manipulation, teleportation and telekinesis.”

She picked a daisy from her hair, “From disguising one thing to look a certain way.” She waved her hand, the mist making the daisy change to an orchid then back to its original form. “To making it go one place to another.” The mist formed again, with the daisy disappearing from her hand and reappearing in her other one. “To making it float,” once again, with the flick of the wrist, the daisy hovered a few inches off her hand by its own accord and floated back down again. “Everyone in my village was able to do it. That’s why they wanted us gone.”

Her face fell, but she continued her story nonetheless, “I remember screaming for my Ma once I got out, but deep down I knew that her soul was already within the heavens. So, with no home or no family, I left. I wandered for days, sore and hungry, until someone grabbed me and dragged me away. The next thing I knew I was in a circus tent, with Caine standing in front of me. He overheard that a survivor from my village managed to get out and wanted to use them…use me for his show. And since no five-year-old had the strength to escape, I was trapped there ever since.”

She wiped a few stray tears, she was stronger than this. She shouldn’t be getting emotional over this, it happened years ago! I won’t cry, I won’t cry, I won’t cry-

Jax’s warm hands encasing hers broke her out of her internal mantra, his eyes kind and focused. “I’m here,” he whispered, “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

Pomni sniffed, letting the tears trail down her cheeks as she continued. “Every moment of my life spent there was hell. If I wasn’t sleeping, I was either training or performing with little to no breaks. But what made it worse was what Caine did. He didn’t just want to use my powers for the circus, but for himself too. Ever since he heard of the last survivor, he was given an amulet to absorb my powers and give them to him, so that he was able to do the things that I could do. It hurt, every single time. I didn’t even feel like a person anymore, just his sparkly little possession. And don’t get me wrong, I love my abilities! Its one of the last things I have from my people, but the fact that Caine kept using it for his own benefit made me feel dirty. It’s not his, its mine! He’s stealing my powers! He’s stealing me!” She choked on a cry at the last part, Jax gripped her hands tighter as Motley rubbed his head against her arm, both of them silently comforting her.

Pomni bit back a few tears, calming slightly when the thought of Kaufmo entered her mind. “If it wasn’t for Kaufmo, I don’t think I would have stayed sane,” she admitted. “He made sure that I was who I wanted to be, not Caine’s doll, not the circus jester. My Pa made sure that I and everyone else knew that I was Pomni. When he taught me to play guitar and helped me with my singing, because of that I felt closer to my Ma. I didn’t feel lost or scared, I felt like me. My music is important to me, it’s who I am! It’s the part of me that I can show people so they know what I’m like on the inside, so they can hear my story, my hopes, my dreams.”

“So when I told you that I wanted to know you because of your song…” Jax trailed off.

“Yeah,” Pomni nodded, “That was how I knew you were genuine. You didn’t see the performance, you heard my voice and wanted to know my story. No one ever gave me that. My family in the circus did, obviously. But outside of that, you are the only person who knew my music showed who I really was…thank you Jax.”

Before he could even process anything else, she leaned over across the table and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Even Motley seemed surprised, his little eyes widening. “Y-you’re w-welcome P-Pomni,” he stammered, “W-wow! I-is it-t w-warm out h-here or i-i-is it just-t m-me?”

Pomni hide a snicker behind her hand, it might be mean but she wanted to get a little bit of revenge for all of his teasing. Her eyes drifted over to the band on stage, they were taking a break and sipping some water to sooth their throats. But what really caught her attention was the lone guitar on stage. “I really want to play that right now,” she said aloud, many ideas of what to sing coming to mind right now.

Jax followed her gaze to the guitar and looked back to her, “Then go for it.”

“Huh?” Pomni whipped her head back round to it.

“I’m serious,” Jax said, “Show them the version of you that you showed me. Let them see how amazing you are.”

Pomni looked back to the guitar again, “You think?”

“I do,” Jax smiled, “And if it goes wrong you can blame me.”

Her lips quirked up into a grin, “I think I’m gonna do it.”

She placed down her mug and went over to the stage, she anxiously cleared her throat as the band leader turned to her, “Hi, um, is it okay if I play something?”

“By all means,” the band leader welcomed her warmly onto the stage.

Pomni picked up the guitar, wrapping the strap over her shoulder and held the instrument in the correct position. Dread finally settled in. So many eyes on her, so many people. Yes she always sang in her performances, but that was when she was doing her tricks and trapeze. That was what the crowds enjoyed, could she really do this? Would they want to see this part of her? Would it be enough?

Her breath quickened and her hands trembled, until her eyes met Jax’s. The way he was looking at her, with so much faith and excitement for what she had to say. Her nerves slowed and she sighed deeply. She could do this.

Her fingers started strumming the strings, a merry little tune filling the air as she began to sing.   

There will come a soldier

Who carries a mighty sword

He will tear your city down

The band started to play along behind her, a few voices joining her.

Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord

He will tear your city down

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord

The nerves were fading, her confidence building as she continued, her voice ringing throughout the crowd as they awed at her beautiful voice.

There will come a poet

Whose weapon is His word

He will slay you with His tongue

Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord

He will slay you with His tongue

Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord

The audience whooped and cheered. From within the sea of faces, she could see Kaufmo with the rest of the circus crew, clapping along and showing his support. Pomni laughed, nodding back at him.

Gangle took Zooble’s hand, leading her to the dance floor along with the other villagers and the two began to dance along to Pomni’s song. Sun and Moon got up as well, Ragatha and Kaufmo following behind. One by one, more people from the crowds collected a partner and started to dance. Even the two girls from earlier took both of Jax’s hands in their own, respectively, leaving Motley behind on the table as he watched his master get dragged onto the dance floor with glee.

Pomni giggled as the prince began to dance along, but she was able to tell that he was having fun.

There will come a ruler

Whose brow is laid in thorn

Smeared with oil like David's boy

Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord

Smeared with oil like David's boy

Oh lei, oh lai, oh, Lord

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh, Lord

He will tear your city down, oh lei, oh lai

Ohh

Pomni gave the guitar back to the original player, thanking them quickly before running onto the dance floor as they continued the song. She took the hands of another person, skipping and prancing along with the song.

Jax looked ahead and saw Pomni dancing. While the tear stains were still there on her cheeks, gone was the pain that she held from telling her story. Instead, he saw the smart, kind, witty girl who lived freely and for herself. The girl he fell in love with.

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh

The song began to pick up the pace, the dancing becoming faster and faster. No one could hold back their laughter and cheer, even Jax was unable to hold back the excited whoops from his throat the more he changed from partner to partner.

Pomni had her eyes closed, the bliss and liberty from the music letting her lead her steps. This was her. This was who she was. She never felt happier.

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai

Oh lei, oh lai, oh lei, oh lai, oh

The music stopped abruptly, Pomni opened her eyes to see who her last partner was that she collided with.

Jax.

The two panted for air, their hearts pounding from the dance and from…something else. Their smiles were starting to hurt their cheeks, but they didn’t care.

Everyone started to clap and cheer, it was another perfect festival that ended with another perfect dance. This time, it was led by a song that was performed by a wonderful singer.

Pomni rested her head on Jax’s chest, exhaustion catching up to her, “Thank you Jax…for everything.”

Jax’s tail was wagging, on full display for the rest of the kingdom to see. But he didn’t care. Seeing Pomni this happy and content was more than he could ever ask for. He rested his chin on her head, “You’re welcome Pomni.”

.

.

.

A mysterious man in red paced in his office, nursing a glass of whiskey in the shadows as one of his right-hand men looked on with worry and a little bit of fear. “They should have been back with news by now,” the red man growled.

“I’m sure they won’t take long sir,” the right-hand man assured him, trying to save himself from his boss’s wrath.

He nearly sighed with relief when a raider burst through the door, gasping for air and desperate to tell his story, “Sir! I’m sorry it took me so long, but Laphria guards were stronger than they looked-”

“I don’t want excuses,” The man in red murmured, “I want your report.”

“Right,” the raider straightened up, “We managed to get our hands on Pomni but…”

“But what!” the man in red snapped, making the raider gulped.

“B-but she regained some of her powers and tried to escape,” the raider explained, “One of our men hit her head and was then attacked by Prince Jax, who took her back to the castle.”

“So what I’m hearing is that you didn’t capture my jester?” the man in red mused.

“N-no sir,” the raider trembled.

The man in red hummed, before stepping out of the shadows wielding a dagger, stabbing the raider in the chest. He choked and spluttered as a terrifying pair of eyes stared down at him through a pair of teeth. Eventually the knife was pulled out of his chest, leaving him to bleed out on the floor.

The right-hand man could only look on in horror as the raider bled out to death, praying that he wasn’t next.

“No matter,” Caine murmured, sitting back down at his desk. “I can be patient. Soon their guard will be lowered enough and my possession will be back in my clutches soon. It’s only a matter of time before Pomni comes home.”

Song Credit: Solider, Poet, King by The Oh Hellos

[theboywithburninghands]

This is something I didn’t expect to write, but it sort of just… Came out of my head. It’s a horror whump (I think that’s the word kids these days are using) piece about Jax’s unusual phobia with a little bit of Funnybunny thrown in because yes. It’s definitely less conventionally cute than the other ones I’ve done so far, but I hope you enjoy it regardless. It’s also heavily inspired by Stephen King

T/W: blood, horror, discussed gore

He Who Walks Behind The Rows

*Jax is by himself in a cornfield. It’s hot out. Uncomfortably so. The sky is cement gray. He’s been here before, and he knows that if he’s here…

then It was here too.*

Jax: …Oh no.

*The husks of corn rustle, from the wind? Please just let it be the wind. The sound, like the rasp of a giant, angry rattlesnake, chills him to his core despite the oppressive heat. …He shouldn’t have said anything, now It could track him*

Jax: I’m leaving. I’ll go now.

*Jax turns tail and runs. It never does any good, but running bought him a few seconds when he wasn’t in It’s grasp. The cornfield seems to laugh at him as it rustles. “Just where do you think you’re going, little rabbit? Don’t you want to stay? Why not rest a while? It’s soooo hot out…”*

Jax: Just stay away from me!

*It was like trying to tell a shark not to eat a bleeding dolphin. There was no slaking It’s thirst. Jax made the mistake of glancing to his right, and he locked eyes with It. Two hateful red eyes as large as beach balls leer back at him from several cornrows away. It didn’t matter how fast he was or how agile he moved, It would catch him. It was like liquid, could easily catch him at any time, but It always liked to watch him run.*

Jax: I don’t see you! You hear me, I don’t see-

*His right foot catches a husk on a nearby stalk and it trips him. The serrated edge of the leaf rips the skin and fur of his foot open, and he tumbles onto the ground with a yelp of pain and fright*

*He grabs for his foot, which now oozed hot blood onto the tightly packed dirt. The pain is muted but somehow unbearable. He feels blood stain his glove, but soon forgets everything about the pain… It appeared in front of him. Jax’s ears pin back against his head*

Rowstalker: …Ghhhhhhh…

*It opens Its leathery mouth to reveal a maw that could fit a bus, filthy brown and reeking of moldy corncobs. Jagged, shattered-glass teeth protrude from random spots, cracked with blight and oozing bacteria-ridden drool.*

Rowstalker: Chhhrrrrr….

Jax: Get away! GET AWAY FROM ME!

*A whiplike tongue snags Jax’s right ankle, dragging him towards It’s mouth. Jax pitifully claws at the dirt, wildly grasping around for purchase and finding none. He lets out a whimper and looks down at his ankle, his red blood staining It’s rotten green tongue-*

*…Red?*

*He didn’t bleed red anymore! This wasn’t real! He was-!*

Jax: AGGH!

*Jax shoots awake in bed, throwing the blanket off his chest. He feels the wash of relief that comes with waking from a nightmare. He takes several deep and gasping breaths, taking the blanket off his right foot. It’s unharmed. He collapses onto his pillow*

Jax: Gimme a break… I just got hot under the blanket again…

Pomni: J-Jax..?

Jax: POMNI! *he shoots back up in bed. Pomni is standing not too far away in his room, clutching her left arm with her right hand. She jolts when he jolts* You- How’d you get in my room?!

Pomni: You… left the door unlocked. I wanted to say goodnight… *steps a little bit closer* Are you okay..?

Jax: Huh? Yeah, I’m fine! Fit as a fiddle!

Pomni: Your hands are shaking… *it takes her a second to work herself up, but she takes one of his hands. It is indeed trembling*

Jax: *sigh, eyeroll* I had a nightmare, okay? Happens sometimes when I get too hot.

Pomni: Do you want to talk about it..?

Jax: Nope. G’night. *he lets go of her hand and rolls over, pulling the covers up to just his waist this time.*

Pomni: *she hovers her hand out for a second before putting it back down at her side* Y-Yeah. Goodnight, Jax. *she puts her hand down and heads for the door* Don’t forget the lock.

Jax: …Do you get them too?

Pomni: Huh? Get what?

Jax: Nothing. Forget it.

Pomni: …Nightmares? Sure. I mean, who doesn’t..? I still get dreams that I haven’t turned in a big assignment or I’m driving with no steering wheel-

Jax: That’s not what I’m talkin’ about. *he rolls over* Those are just stress dreams. Baby stuff. I’m talkin’ about nightmares that make you never want to sleep again. Things so horrible you wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy.

Pomni: Yeah, maybe once or twice. Technically we’re living in one. *tiny, nervous smile*

Jax: *smirk* Heh. Yeah. I don’t know if I had them back in… you know, the real world. But they got bad here. If I’m not dreaming about… *he looks at Pomni* …I prolly shouldn’t tell you, actually. It’s… no fun.

Pomni: *Although she’s a bit surprised by her own confidence, she climbs up onto Jax’s bed and sits on the end, looking at him with a delicate smile* Try me.

Jax: …You’re sitting on my bed.

Pomni: *talking over a laugh* Do-Don’t change the subject! Tell me about your nightmares.

Jax: Why do you care..?

Pomni: Because… Because I care about you… *blushes*

Jax: *also blushes a faint pink-purple* Uh… *swallows* Okay, fine, but if you get creeped out, it’s on you. …Usually I’m in a cornfield. Sometimes a house or a barn. And something is after me. I don’t really have a good name for It… so I just call It The Rowstalker. Since it… stalks. The rows. Of corn.

Pomni: What does it look like?

Jax: It’s hard to explain. It’s taken a bunch of different shapes… usually it’s got big red eyes and giant, messed up teeth. But I’ve seen it fly, or swim, or dig…

Pomni: Does it hurt you?

Jax: Yeah. Bad. Sometimes it gnaws my head off then drinks the blood out of my neck… sometimes it eats me from the feet up, slowly. Sometimes it starts with just one arm, and…

*Jax feels his entire body shiver, and his ears pin back. Pomni holds one of his hands and he squeezes it in return. It’s humiliating, sure… but it does feel good to actually tell somebody about this.*

Pomni: …I’m sorry. That sounds horrible. I uh… I wish I had advice…

Jax: Nah. You don’t need to give any… Can you do one thing for me, though..?

Pomni: Yeah.

Jax: Don’t tell anyone, okay? If this ever gets around to Caine… he could make it real.

Pomni: Why would Caine…-

Jax: Maybe for Halloween, or a haunted house or something… if he ever made it real, I think I’d…

*Pomni hugs him. It’s… a gradual and awkward affair, given Pomni’s discomfort with touch, but she gets there eventually. Jax sighs, but he hugs her back. The bells on her coxcomb hat jingle softly.*

Pomni: Is this okay?

Jax: Yeah. Yeah, this is okay…

[faithinlycaon]

What do you think of all the recent pack drama?

"Oh god this shit. I mean Calebs alpha sooo im not about to question him about something I dont have all the info for but man... Jax is a great beta sooo i think Calebs shooting himself in the foot ya know."

[rubeau-art]

"So I'm kinda stuck... Don't laugh at me!" w/ jax & monroe? 😳

-yeenybeanies ✨

Escalated beyond Jax and Monroe because It felt like the Delta fam deserved a moment. Man I am bad at sticking to the prompts.

These have been really good practice for me though! So thank you for shooting this one my way!

I feel like this ties into this pic [here] very nicely.

Again, rough as guts, but I enjoyed it.

—

Monroe tapped his foot as he checked his watch and let out a sigh. Jax had said he would meet him in the Plaza after he had finished with an errand, but Monroe stood alone some twenty minutes after the agreed time. It wasn’t like Jax to be late. Or at least, late without telling Monroe that was the case. Something must have happened.

He wasn’t supposed to fit his comm when on shore leave, but he slipped the little device into his ear anyway. Jax always had his in these days for safety reasons, so it was the best way to catch him if something had happened and Jax couldn’t send him a message.

There was a light hum in Monroe’s ear as the comm tuned. “Hey, are you doing okay?” Monroe asked when he heard the hum stop. “I thought we were supposed to meet at the-”

“I won’t be coming.” Jax said very quickly. “Go on ahead, the others will be waiting for you.” 

Jax sounded strained, and Monroe knew at once that this wasn’t just some regular inconvenience. He folded his arms and leaned back against the wall.

“What happened? Do you need me to-” “Nothing happened.” Jax interrupted him again. “I’m not feeling well, that’s all.” 

He was lying and Monroe knew it. Did Jax forget they had known each other since they were kids? Monroe pulled out his phone and started typing out a message to Tully as he continued speaking with Jax. 

“Are you still at the cabin?”

There was a long silence before Jax let out a defeated sigh. “Yes…” “Are you stuck at the cabin?” Monroe pressed. 

“Oh for- Fine! Yes, I’m stuck at the cabin- Don’t you laugh at me!”

“Sorry.” Monroe stifled a chuckle with his hand. “Is it bad? You’re not anywhere that could be dangerous?” He had no idea which way the shift had gone. But as long as Jax wasn’t hurt then it didn’t matter right now.

“It’s fine, really. Just go meet the others, okay? I’ve been through worse out in the field.” “I suppose that’s true.” Monroe was not about to leave him on his own though. He knew Jax had been looking forward to today, prattling on last night about how it was going to be nice seeing people outside of the stresses of work. Unfortunately there were some stresses Jax just couldn't escape. Tully had already messaged him back, the two of them making new plans. “Alright, I’ll let the others know you can’t make it. Try and get some rest and I’ll check in with you soon, okay?”

He could hear the soft relief in Jax’s voice when he spoke. “Yeah, sounds good.” 

—

Jax let out a heavy sigh as the comm went quiet. This was not how today was supposed to go. But then again, no days ever went the way there were supposed to for him anymore. This shift had been bad. One of the worst in fact. It had hurt more than usual and he’d collapsed, almost blacking out. Thankfully he hadn’t, but thanks to being on the ground when the shift happened, he was now scrunched into the private holiday cabin he and Monroe had been sharing, his shoulder jammed into a corner, front door somewhere behind him, and his legs and hips twisted awkwardly in the now very cramped space. 

It could have been worse though. He didn’t think he had broken any of the furniture and there didn’t seem to be too much strain on the structure around him when he adjusted his position so he wasn’t quite so twisted. It wasn’t much, but it turned a pinch of pain into more of a dull irritation.

Jax wasn’t sure how long it would take before he could shift back to normal after this one. Normally it was a few minutes, but he had tried and only gotten himself wedged a little tighter. With that being the last result, he wasn’t particularly keen on trying again just yet.

He leaned his head on the wall and closed his eyes. He just had to wait it out. Monroe had been right, he should try to rest. Even if it was uncomfortable as hell, he wasn’t exactly going anywhere anytime soon.

—

The rest Jax managed to get was feeble and broken. Scrunched up in the cabin and unable to move, aches had settled in that woke him easily every few minutes. 

He had just fallen into another light doze, when something pressed into the bottom of his shoulder-blade. It didn’t hurt like everything else did at the moment, but it was enough to wake him. “...Wh… what the hell?”

He looked down, shifting his position by mere inches. All he could see was a patch of sunlight from a gap between his ribs and the floor. Shit. Someone was at the door, and had opened it to him blocking the damn thing- Wait. Monroe was the only other person with access.

Just as Jax thought this, Monroe’s voice drifted up from outside. “Oh my god. You weren’t kidding when you said that you were stuck.” 

“You thought I was kidding?” Jax groaned quietly, taking a moment to breath away the creeping feelers of panic that had worked into his head. He could feel Monroe’s hand moving the fabric of his shirt and wished he would stop, the fabric tickling him. 

“I didn’t think you were kidding. You just made it sound more like you couldn’t get out and less like you couldn’t move at all.” Monroe’s touch moved town across Jax’s shoulder.

“You might have better luck getting in through the window.” Jax muttered.

“Are you able to open a window from where you are?”

“No.” “Then I’m not going in through the window.” Monroe knelt down, finding the small gap between Jax’s side and the floor. “I don’t want to explain to the caretaker why I needed to break into the cabin while you were in here.” 

Jax made a noise at that. He didn’t want anyone else to find him like this, or for Monroe to get in trouble because he’d had an uncontrollable shift. He made another noise as he felt Monroe shuffle underneath him, the much larger man holding his breath in fear as he tried to lift his weight off his friend. 

It took Monroe a minute to shuffle through. He was not a small man himself and it was a rather tight fit, but soon enough, he was able to straighten up and take stock of the situation. That didn’t take long though. He turned to look at Jax’s face, finding those green eyes fixed on him.

“Jammed in pretty bad, huh?” He said quietly, and Jax nodded. 

“I thought you had gone to see the others…” Jax looked away from him, feeling guilt in his chest for ruining not just his own plans, but everyone elses.

“Oh, I did. We just changed plans. We’re still meeting up, just at a different venue.” Monroe winked and Jax when his friend turned to give him a look. He gave Jax’s chest a little pat, chuckling at his confusion. “If I got in, then they should have no problem.” “Wait what?” 

No sooner had those words left his mouth, Jax felt another body wriggling in the gap under his ribs and he froze again, staring at Monroe with wide eyes. He didn’t.

Monroe had. With Jax unable to join them, and the rest of the team worried, Monroe and Tully had made a backup plan and brought the others back to him instead.

Monroe and Jax were soon joined by the others. Tully and Birdie having no issues wriggling in, while Allan had needed a hand to straighten up at the end. 

“Cozy.” Birdie said, looking up at Jax and giving him a smile and Jax rolled his eyes. 

Birdie Had been the last of the team to learn of Jax’s condition, and he had been furious with all of them for keeping him in the dark. You’d never know now though as the pilot hoisted himself up onto Jax’s thigh and sprawled out, looking far too comfortable with the situation than anyone had a right to. Whatever anger he had harboured had vanished, and he had even volunteered to be on call should ‘Atlas’ ever need a pilot in a rush. 

Jax wished he could have literally brushed him off his leg, but the pilots lack of worry was a comfort in many ways.

Monroe had rescued some cushions from the couch and dropped them next to Jax so he and Allan could sit down. Neither of them were going to say out loud that Jax’s chest was actually very comfortable to lean against, but a shared glance and a stifled chuckle still escaped them. 

While everyone else was settling, Tully had moved away to the far wall and a space that wasn’t currently occupied by the larger blond, and was busy setting something up. When he was done, he moved out of the way and Jax laughed, startling the others.

Tully had set up a holo-screen, the floating display showing the splash-screen for ‘West of the Echo’, a now old, space-western series that just so happened to be Jax’s favourite. 

“Shit, I haven’t seen this in years.” Jax gave tully a small smile as the younger man came back over to the group. 

“I know.” He said, settling himself near Jax’s hand and resting his own on the ball of  Jax’s thumb. “I was saving it, but I felt like this was a better time to bring it out.”

Jax’s fingers twitched, curling gently around Tully’s torso in silent thanks. He didn't know that Tully had known he liked this show. 

He listened to the quiet conversations as the series started playing. Allan began telling them he actually knew someone who had worked on the series, and Birdie started going off about some of the piloting nonsense he saw on the show. It was nice. No one was fussing. No one stressed over being unable to help him. They just kept him company while he was stuck, and for the first time in a very long time, Jax felt some sense of being home.

[mayans-sauce]

Gemma’s Daughter (1/?)

Pairing: Angel Reyes x Female Reader

Word Count: 1.8K

Warnings: Cursing, angst, yelling, cheating, heartbreak, physical fight

Request by anon which you can find HERE

A/N: thank you for the request! Sorry it’s a little late. I changed it up a bit by having Jax and Gemma still be alive as well as some other things. I’m really happy with how this turned out so I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it <3

Sign up HERE to join my taglist!

GROUP CHAT for updates!

Gif Credit: @pedropcl

This was the third time Angel’s phone went straight to voicemail. It was the middle of the night, and he said he would be home 3 hours ago for his and your movie night which at the end of it, you would share some thrilling life-changing news. You were worried sick about him not returning your calls, worried that something serious had happened. What if he was hurt? Or worse, dead? You decided to shoot him a text; maybe he was doing something important, making it so he couldn’t pick up right now.

📲 Angel😇

Baby, where are you? I’m worried! Please just let me know if you’re safe ok? I have something exciting to tell you. Love you❤️

You texted some of the other guys. None of them had heard anything from him. They told you not to worry. He was probably caught up with something and would turn up eventually. Luckily your brother Jax picked up when you called. You asked him for some guidance on if you should sound the alarm or wait until Angel gave off noise. Since he was in the same life as your husband, you figured he would know what’s best. He told you better to wait. That he was most likely dealing with something that had taken his full attention. If he didn’t turn up tomorrow, Jackson said he would take the drive over to help you look for him. You were so thankful for your big brother. He was always there to help you whenever he could. To protect and love you.

You refused to go to sleep before he came home or before he called you, so you knew he was safe and sound. Some movie was playing on the TV that you didn’t pay much attention to. The battle between you and your eyelids was still going strong. All of a sudden, you were woken up from your zombie state by the front door opening and closing. Footsteps that belonged to no other than Angel made their way into the dim-lit living room.

“Angel!” His movements were sort of clumsy. A sign that he had been drinking. You came to stand at his side. Holding him up by his forearm as it looked like he was going to faint face down ass up on the floor any second. Your nose scrunched up at the strong smell of the alcohol on him. “Angel, I was worried sick! Where were you?” “I was out with my brother.” His words had a pinch of sluggishness in them as he spoke. “We were supposed to have our movie night! We haven’t seen each other all week, and this was going to be our evening together.”

“Ugh,” he tugged himself out of your grasp, which took you by surprise. “Why are you so bossy all the time? I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.” His words started to sting a little, but you didn’t think that much of it. He was shitfaced drunk, and he wasn’t his usual self. “Angel I-“ “No, you listen here, I’m sick and tired of you always going; oh Angel this oh Angel that,” he tried to mimic your voice but failed miserably, “like shut up. Shut the fuck up for one goddamn second in your life and stop being so fucking clingy.” You couldn’t believe what you were hearing from him. The tears in your eyes started to build up as you held two protective hands over your stomach. Your mouth was slightly agape in disbelief. “A-Angel ple-please-“ “No, I don’t fucking care right now. I’m leaving.” And just like that, he turned around and walked out. The force of the door slamming shut shook the whole house as you were left with an emptiness inside you.

The tears ran down your cheeks like it was pouring rain outside. Your body trembled at the anxiety and stress you were feeling at what just happened. You looked down at where your hands were laid over your stomach. “I-I’m so sorry li-little bean. I’m so so-sorry, my sweetheart.”

In the morning, you woke up in the worst state you have ever been in. The same clothes as yesterday were still on you. The pounding in your head wouldn’t seem to stop. Your eyes raw from crying, and your throat felt like rough sandpaper. Wrapping the blanket around yourself, you padded down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As you stared out the kitchen window, you saw your neighbor playing with their kids, which started the production of tears again.

A gasp left you of the sound from the front door opening and Angel’s voice calling for you. You met him in the living room—both of you staring at each other without saying a word. You should be mad at him, shouldn’t you? To scream at him for saying those hurtful things? But for some reason, your heart wouldn’t allow you to do so. You were just relieved that he had come home.

Angel was the first one to break the awkward silence. “Please… sit,” he pointed towards the sofa. You sat at one end while he took his place at the other. His face was in his hands. It looked like he had something to share with you. “Angel… what is it?” Your voice was nothing but a whisper. His eyes locked with yours and his heart broke when he saw what mess he had left you in. “I’m sorry for how I acted. Yelling at you like that…saying things that aren’t true… it’s not what you deserve. I don’t know what came over me and… I have something I need to tell you.” He looked up to you as tears welled up in his eyes. You gave him a slight nod, a sign that he could go ahead with whatever it was.

“When I left in the night, I was supposed to go over to pop's house to sleep. I didn’t take the bike because I was too shitfaced to drive, so I went on foot hoping that it would sober me up… and... I just kept walking and walking until I found myself… not at Felipe’s.” He peeked up to you from where he was looking down at the floor just a moment ago. His heart broke into microscopic pieces when he saw on your face that you knew where his story was most likely going. As much as he didn’t want to finish, he had to. He had to come clean and straight with you. You deserved that much.

“I found myself at Adelita’s place… and… we hooked up.” The silence after he said that was hefty and long. Once again, he was the one to break it. “Querida… it’s the biggest fucking mistake I have ever made in my fucking life. I don’t know what the fuck came over me to do something like that to you… to us.”

He tried to get a hold of your hand, but you pulled away in disgust. You didn’t want him to touch you after he had been feeling all up on her in the night while you were home alone crying yourself to sleep. You had no words, none. Your mouth was opening and closing, but nothing seemed to escape it. “Please say something.” “Where is she?” “I don’t see ho-“ “Goddammit Angel, just tell me where the fuck she is!” The scream you let out startled him. “Sh-she’s at the clubhouse… there was some emergency that needed to be taken care of, and it couldn’t wait till later.”

At lightning speed, you had grabbed the car keys and were out the door. Angel registered what the fuck was going on when he heard the engine's roar from the car. He was quick to his feet and on his bike to try and catch up before you did anything stupid.

Not thinking straight, you barge through the Templo doors to be met with Adelita and the rest of the MC standing over a map planning something. “Sweetheart, you aren’t supposed to be here,” Bishop said with a stern manner. You didn’t hear him. You didn’t care that you weren’t supposed to be in the room. All you could think about was the rage filling you up as she stood there gloating at you. A smug look on her face that you knew where your man had been last night, all cozy and tangled up together in her sheets.

She didn’t expect you to jump her and start beating the shit out of her; she knew you weren’t that type of girl, so it startled her when you did. That’s when Angel walked in out of breath and saw the scene in front of him that had him stand dead in his tracks as he watched. Your hands punched and scratched as you screamed, "I'm the mother of his child, not you bitch! Don’t ever touch him again!” You didn’t register what you said, and now everyone knew. She tried to fight back, but you were much more powerful than her.

It took the guys a few moments to pull you off as they were in sheer shock at what was going on in front of them. You were usually a shy and sweet girl that wouldn’t even hurt a fly. They were surprised that you so quickly took her down. Once pulled off, Taza escorted Adelita out since it was time for her to leave. “How in the fuck did you do that?” They almost said in unison. "Jax may be my brother, but my mother is Gemma, and you definitely don’t want to fuck with us.” You knew your mother would be proud of you for standing up for yourself and for putting that bitch in her place.

“Wait… you’re pregnant.” “Yes, Angel, I’m fucking pregnant, and you’ve just fucked up our whole relationship, our future.” The tears that were threatening to spill were managed to be put under control by your choice of not showing any of them how you truly felt, sad, empty, alone, and betrayed by Angel’s choices of thinking with his dick and not his fucking brain.

You were about to storm out when he grabbed you by the forearm. “Wait, please… we can fix this! Please let me fix this dulce.” “No, Angel,” you twisted your arm to get loose of his grip; the touch of him made you cringe, “the damage has already been done. I can’t fucking stand to look at you. Not now. I’m going home… I’m going home to Charming for a while.” And with that, you left Angel there to mend his broken pieces at losing the two of you…

To Be Continued

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Thank you for reading❤️ A quick reblog and feedback would be so appreciated❤️ Let me know if you want to be added/removed from the taglist.

MAYANS MC TAGLIST: @blessedboo @60shannon @bellisperennis0 @capnsaveahoe @diaryofkali @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @xvvalx @missswritings @theocatkov @pinguinstudiert @chibsytelford @encounterthepast @rawrlittlepanda-95 @beeroses @siriussnape07 @adaydreamaway08 @miss-nori85 @oldstuffnewstuff @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @jatriciaaa @browneyes912 @cole-winchester @blackksunflower12 @phoenixhalliwell @cant-decide-at-this-moment @love-mesome-me @holl2712 @jennisdirtyimagines @balladbloodwrites @lilacyennefer @smallflower16 @marvelmaree @brwnlikefoxy @kaylaygrace @stupiddsapphicc @violet624 @boomclapxox @mijop @macgruberrr @queen-under-the-shire @missihart23 @vixemi @heeeeeres-saint @paintballkid711 @x-goddess-of-nature-x @angelreyesisdaddy04 @mrsmarvelous1995

ANGEL REYES TAGLIST: @spnaquakindgdom @Negansnympho89

[noladyme]

La Cuervo - Chapter 21

She is used to the biker-life, having grown into a woman in the familiar embrace of SAMCRO. A bad decision and a gun-shot later, she gets whisked off to Santo Padre, and put under the protection of another club. What is supposed to be a short stint in the Mayan headquarters just north of the border to Mexico, turns into something more; when la quervo begins to develop feelings for el angel - and he seems to return them in kind...

TW: violence, blood, drug use, alcohol, smut, fluff, angst

In the spirit of "The Crown Princess of Charming", this is a story about O.C. Nina and Angel Reyes. It is obviously non-canon, as characters who have passed on, on Mayans M.C., are present in it, and others have been excluded completely. Nina is written as a cis-female, but I have tried to keep her race and looks as ambigous as possible. Should you find any of this story offensive, please let me know.

21.

“The bullet only graced her leg; but the wound was still deep enough for her to need crutches for a little while. Do you know of any pre-existing medical conditions?”. The doctor was explaining Nina’s condition to Angel. Nina was annoyed at how he seemed to think the curtain separating him and Angel from her and the other patients, was a wall; that would keep their conversation private. “She’s got asthma”, Angel replied. He sounded tired and angry. “That shouldn’t come in the way of her recovering fully… Not physically at least”. “What do you mean?”. “She is in chock. What she just went through did a number on her”, the doctor said. “We offered her a sedative, but she wouldn’t let us come near her with the needle. The nurse had to hold her down for me to apply the local anesthetic, to stitch her up; and she refused to let us do any blood tests, before we swore you were just outside”.

Nina shifted in the bed. Her leg was burning with pain, and all she wanted was to be far away from where she was. “You should have let me in there with her!”, Angel growled. He was clearly unhappy with Nina being prodded with needles against her will. “It’s against protocol…”. “Fuck protocol!”, Angel exclaimed. “And what fucking blood tests?”. “Sir; there are other patients here! You need to keep it down…”, the doctor said. “What blood tests?”, Angel demanded. “The woman who shot herself bit her. We’re checking for hepatitis B and C, and rabies…”. “Rabies? She’s not a fucking dog!”, Angel almost roared. “Just let me see her…”.

He opened the curtain, and met Nina’s eyes; trying for a warm smile, and failing miserably. “Hey mami… Have you been giving the doc a hard time?”. He came over to take her hand, and kissed the top of her head; before looking her over. “Why haven’t you cleaned her up?”, he asked the doctor. Nina was wearing a hospital gown, having been wrestled out of her own clothes, for the police to put it into evidence bags. She was still covered in blood-specks everywhere but her stitched and bandaged calf, and the around the bite wound on her arm; which had been covered by a band-aid. The doctor sighed defeatedly. “Look, I have about fifty sick and wounded people to tend to within the next thirty minutes; and my nurses are short staffed”, he said, and edge to his voice. “We have to help those who need us the most; and we can’t spend time washing down a patient who won’t cooperate”.

Nina tightened her hold on Angel’s hand. “I wanna go home”, she whispered. The doctor looked at her, as if startled that she could in fact speak. “Miss Teller, you should stay the…”. “Angel, take me home!”, Nina demanded. Angel nodded at her; letting the furrow between his brows speak for him. He put an arm behind her back, to help her sit, and grabbed her shoes from a bag on the floor.

“Mr. Reyes; Nina needs the care we can provide for her here”, the doctor said. “She’s not staying in this shithole. You wouldn’t even give her a private room”, Angel growled, and helped Nina put on her shoes. He let his hand hover over the bandage on her leg for a second. “We’re out”. “What about after care? Pain medication?”. “I know how to deal with bullet-wounds”, Angel said. The doctor gave him a displeased once over. “I’m sure you do…”, he grunted. He sighed defeatedly. “Ok… But I’m going to need you to sign some discharge papers, Miss Teller; stating you’re leaving against my recommendations”. Angel wrapped the blanket from the bed around Nina, to cover her naked backside. His movements were gentle but brusque. “Leave it by the desk. We’ll handle it”, he said, and put his arm around Nina’s waist. “Let’s go…”. The doctor rushed away to get the paperwork ready, and Angel half supported, half carried Nina out into the hallway.

It looked like the entire charter of Mayans were gathered by the front desk. Nina didn’t have the energy to speak, and focused on not supporting her weight on her pained leg. “How are you, mija?”, Bishop asked. Angel shook his head. “They can’t do shit here… The doc stitched her up, but that’s pretty much it”, he said. “That fucking bitch could have killed her!”. “Don’t…”, Nina croaked. He looked down at her, and his expression softened. “I’m sorry, cuervo”, he muttered, and led her to sit down in a chair. A nurse came over with a clipboard of papers, and pointed at the places Nina needed to sign. With shaking hands, she scribbled some intelligible doodles; and handed the board back. “Come back if you experience any unexpected pain”, the nurse said. “What, from her gun-wound?”, Gilly asked with a raised brow. The nurse scuttered off with a displeased look on her face.

“I’ve got the van outside”, EZ said, and looked at Nina with a worried expression. “But are you sure…?”. “I want to go home…”, Nina said bellow her breath. “Please”. Angel ran a hand through his hair, and shook his head. “The fucking exterminator… We can’t go back to ours until tonight”, he groaned. “The clubhouse is crawling with cops”, Gilly said. “Take her to mine. We got you, niña”, Coco said, and he and Angel got on either side of her; to help her get to her feet. More or less carrying her outside, the two men got her out to the van, and into the middle passenger seat. They flanked her, with Coco behind the wheel, and Angel letting Nina rest against him. She heard the other Mayans start up their bikes behind the van, and they drove away from the hospital. Looking out of the van’s windows, she noticed Hank and Taza drove up alongside them, and Bishop went up to front the caravan. They were in protection mode.

---

The Mayans were gathered on the small porch outside Coco’s house. Nina could hear them muttering and arguing quietly, as she sat holding her mug of steaming instant coffee. “Fuck! What the fuck are we going to do? We don’t have a switch!”, Bishop growled. “Keep it down, Bish’. She’s right inside”, Taza grumbled. “At least she took out our rat”, Riz said. “She didn’t kill her… Camille killed herself”, Taza said. “Fucking bitch…”, Creeper grunted. A muttering of agreements was heard.

Nina took a sip of the coffee, and picked at her broken nail. The pain from it, the bite, and the gun wound on her leg distracted her from the visions she was seeing every time she closed her eyes. She’d killed another person; no matter what Taza said. If she hadn’t twisted Camille’s wrist, and the shot hadn’t hit her head, she would still be alive. And Nina would have been dead.

Letty walked quietly through the living room, shooting Nina a wary look, before opening the screen door. “Angel. I filled the tub”, she muttered. She heard Angel grunt a reply of thanks, before he came inside with Coco at his heels. “I’m gonna clean her up”, Angel muttered, and went over to help Nina up. “Come on, mami”. Coco led Letty down the hall, and muttered something about her going to stay at Gabby’s for the night. He was worried; all the Mayans were worried. With no snitch to hand over to Palo, they most likely had a war on their hands.

Angel supported Nina into the bathroom, set her down on the toilet lid, and closed the door behind them. Almost unable to move herself, Nina let Angel untie the strings of the hospital gown, and pull it off her. Letty had left a bundle of clothes by the sink for her. It looked like a mix of her own and Coco’s; as she probably didn’t know what would fit Nina. Once she was naked, Angel carefully helped Nina into the tub; with her leg hanging over the edge, to not get the bandage wet. He cupped some water in his hand, and began washing her gingerly. For a long while, they didn’t speak; neither of them able to find the words for what had just happened. Nina knew that Angel had probably taken a few lives himself – it came with the territory – but she wasn’t a killer. At least she wasn’t supposed to be.

She closed her eyes, and leaned back in the tub, emerging herself in the water. The water filled her ears, and the world went silent for a few seconds. Closing her eyes, Nina tried to let calm fall over her. The water was warm, and Angel’s soothing strokes down her arms, made her drift into something resembling peacefulness. Her foot knocked over a shampoo bottle, and it fell into the tub with a clanking noise, that sounded like am explosion in Nina’s ears. It all came back again. The gunshot. Camille’s eyes. Gael’s eyes. The red mist of blood and brain matter. Death. It felt like arms were trying to hold her down – drowning her – and she let out a scream under the water; frantically grabbing for anything to get back to the surface.

Angel’s strong arms wrapped around her, and quickly pulled her out of the water; and onto the floor, where she sat shaking in his arms. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to… please…”, she coughed and sobbed. Angel held her tight, and rocked her back and forth. “You’re ok… No one is gonna hurt you". “No, because I killed them… Everything I touch, dies”. “That’s not true…”. “Gael… Daniella… Camille… Jax…”. Her stomach was hurting from the muscles contorting as she sobbed. “You didn’t kill your brother, Nina…”, Angel said, burying his fingers in her hair. “Maybe if I’d done something…”.

With both hands on either side of her head, Angel made Nina look at him. “You didn’t do anything wrong…! You just survived”. He grabbed a towel, and began gently drying her off. After a while, he sighed. “I’m so sorry, querida. This was on us… on me”, he said. Nina met his eyes for a nanosecond, afraid to see her own reflection in them. “No. I killed her…”, she breathed. “I’ve murdered two people”. “No… No, cuervo”, Angel said. “You protected yourself from a monster, and you forced the hand on a crazy bitch, who was about to get herself killed anyway… You did nothing wrong”. “Then why do I feel like I deserve as much as I gave?”, Nina rasped. Angel cupped her face, and made her look at him. “Because you’re too good for this fucked up world”, he said. He put his forehead against hers for a second, before hissing her temple. “Te amo… so fucking much. If she’d taken you away from me…”. He seemed unable to finish the sentence, and simply held her close for a few more moments, before getting to his feet, and pulling the plug in the tub.

“It's time to end this shit. Were going to war with VM”, he grunted. Nina’s heart fell to her stomach, and she tried to stand; but slipped, and fell into Angel’s arms. “Don’t! Palo will kill you!”, Nina exclaimed, tears returning to her eyes. Angel wrapped his arms protectively around her, letting her lean on him. “This isn’t just about you, querida… We…”. “I don’t care! Please, Angel. I can’t lose you…”, Nina sobbed. Someone knocked on the door. “You ok in there?”, Coco asked. “We’re good. Be out in a minute”, Angel replied, before pressing his lips to Nina’s. “We have to finish this”. Unable to respond, Nina simply let him dress her in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She was shaking, and tears continuously streamed from her eyes. Angel wiped her cheeks, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Come on”.

With her arm around Angel’s waist, she limped back into the living room. All the chairs in the house had been gathered in there, and the Mayans were seated down on them; making the room a makeshift templo. EZ hovered by the door, keeping his eyes on the street outside. He looked over his shoulder for a second, locking eyes with Nina. His gaze told her he wanted to say something, comfort her somehow, but now wasn’t the time. Angel led Nina back to the couch, to sit next to Coco. She let out a tiny yelp in pain, as her leg brushed against the coffee table, and Coco picked up a joint he’d apparently just rolled, and handed it to her. “For the pain, ma’”, he muttered, and lit it, as she put it to her lips. Taking a deep drag from the blunt, Nina instantly felt the dulling sensation of the marijuana stream through her body. Angel sat down next to her, and took her hand.

“First of all…”, Bishop began. “Nina, I’m sorry. From what I understand, what Camille did to you, didn’t have anything to do with you situation with Palo. We let her into our inner circle, and she… fuck… We let you get hurt”. “That’s not on you…”, Nina muttered. “Yes, it is", Bishop said. “I broke my promise that we’d keep you safe. We owe you". The rest of the Mayans nodded solemnly. “I… ok", Nina said quietly.

The president sat up straight in his seat, and lit a cigarette. “Ok… Let’s start with the good news”, he said. “Our rat is dead”. Nina had to swallow thickly, in spite of the cloud of calm the joint had left in her head. “Bad news is, we don’t have a switch”, Taza said. “And we don’t have anything to hold over Palo’s head”, Hank muttered. Taza looked at Nina. Their conversation about his secret returned to her, and she frowned at him just enough to let him know she still wanted him to keep quiet. “Let me talk to him”, Nina said. “He wants me; maybe I can…”. “No”, Angel said. Nina scowled at him for cutting her off. “I don’t want you getting killed over me! Just let me see him, and I’ll… I don’t know, apologize, or offer him a deal like I did with you”. Angel gave her a hard look. “You’re not going anywhere!”, he growled, and looked around at his brothers. “Even if Nina wasn’t here, Palo’s already fucked us over enough for us to go head-to-head with the Vato’s”, he said. “I agree”, Bishop said with a nod. “Bishop! Don’t do this!”, Nina exclaimed. “She’s got a point…”, Hank muttered. “Listen to the woman, Bishop. War doesn’t have to…”, Riz began. Bishop shook his head. “I’m done kissing Palo’s ass. Nina’s out of the equation from here on out. It’s war”. Angel nodded fervently. “War!”.

Nina took a final deep draw from the blunt. “I guess you don’t need me here, then”, she sneered, and got to her feet. “I’m gonna go sleep for about a hundred years; and if your dumb asses are still alive when I wake up, then yay… But I’m not holding my breath”. Bishop looked angrily at her. “I’m gonna chose to believe that’s the pain and the blunt talking”, he growled. “Shove it up your ass”, Nina sneered. “Coco, do you mind?”. “Letty’s room is down the hall to the right”, Coco muttered. “Follow the smell of hairspray”. Nina wanted to storm dramatically out of the room, but her wounded leg wouldn’t hold her weight, and she stumbled. Angel caught her, but she shrugged him off. Taza got up, and walked over to take her arm. “Come on, kid”, he said quietly, and led her down the short hallway, into the teenager’s room.

Nina sat down on the bed, and went to lean against the headboard. She wiped away a few stray tears. “I’m good. Thanks”, she said. Taza sat down on the edge of the bed. “You’re not… You’ve had too much happen to you to be ok”, he said. “And now, the man you love is walking into what will probably be certain death”. His words broke the fragile strings holding Nina together, and once again, she began sobbing. “I don’t want that… I don’t want any of you to get hurt for me!”. Taza scooted closer, and pulled her into his arms for a moment, before pulling back. “Nina, I love you; but you’re thinking a little too much about yourself at the moment”, he said. “Any one of those men out there would throw themselves in front of a moving car for you; but this war isn’t about your situation with Palo. They want war”. “Why?”, Nina croaked, and wiped her eyes. “Bishop and Angel are right. Palo’s overstepped our boundaries in more ways than one; and he needs to pay”. “So you’re behind this? You want war as well?”, Nina asked. Taza sighed. “No… I’ve seen Palo at his worst before… He’s a nightmare”, he said. “He’s not going to stop until every Mayan in the charter is dead, and then he’ll move on north; try to take out Oakland”. “Is Vatos Malditos really that strong a club?”. “They don’t fear death… And that makes them dangerous”.

They sat for a moment in silence, before Taza spoke again. “We know what needs to happen”. Nina’s eyes widened. “No, Taza; please!”. “I can finish this before it starts”, Taza said. “And I want to”. “What if they…?”. “I’m tired, sweetheart”. The VP squeezed her hand. “Every day I’m not being honest about who I am, I feel like I’m betraying both myself the man I loved”. Nina swallowed thickly. “You want to come out to the club”, she whispered. Taza nodded. “I’m afraid to… but by doing it now, I can avoid the people I love being killed in an unnecessary war. I have to”.

Nina took a deep breath, and then blew it out. The haze of the joint was already wearing off from the seriousness of the situation. “Do you want me to come with you?”, she asked. Taza smiled, and stroked her cheek. “No… This is something I have to do on my own”. He kissed her forehead, and got to his feet. “Whatever happens, just know that I think you’re one of the best things that has ever happened to this club”. Nina tried for a warm smile. “I love you, Taza”, she said. He winked at her, and left the room; closing the door behind him.

She laid back on the bed, letting herself accept the situation. A murmur of voices from the living room broke the silence. On one hand, she was happy she couldn’t clearly hear what was going on; on the other, she wanted to jump out of bed, and run after Taza – if only her leg would have carried her. She heard Taza speaking calmly, before being interrupted by Bishop; his voice a little more gruff. Taza continued speaking, before a group of voices rose. “You’re fucking kidding me!”, she heard Riz exclaim. Taza spoke again, being interrupted by Creeper’s voice. “… keep this from us?”, was all she could hear, before Angel cut him off. “… Nina in on this?”. Taza muttered something more, when Bishop growled. “… done!”. The president’s voice was cold. Taza spoke again, and then the door opened and closed. Nina heard a bike start up, and drive away.

She turned her back to the door, and fell back into tears. She didn’t know how long she cried, but in the end, she fell asleep.

---

When she woke, it was dark outside. The door to the hallway was slightly open, and a set of crutches were leaning against the wall by the bed. Nina sat up, and grabbed the crutches to get to her feet; before hobbling into the hallway, and went towards the living room. Coco was seated on the couch with a dazed expression, probably only partlydue to the blunt he was halfway through. Nina sat down on one of the empty chairs, and he handed her the joint. “How’s the pain?”, he asked. Nina took a huff of the blunt. “Better”, she said, unable to avoid chuckling, as the smoke left her lips again. Coco smiled at her. “Where is everyone?”. “Bish’, Riz and Hank are at the clubhouse; cleaning up after the cops. They brought the boy scout”. “Then I know who’s really doing the clean-up”, Nina said, and rolled her eyes. “Yeah… Angel’s grabbing food, and Gilly and Creeper went to Vicky’s”, Coco said. “Said they needed it”. Nina clenched her jaw, and braced herself. “Taza?”, she croaked. Coco reached for the blunt, and took a huff himself. “He left after he told us… Shit, I never knew”. “Are you going to… What are you going to do to him?”. Taking a last draw from the joint, Coco put it in the ashtray, to let it smolder. “I don’t know… We never had to deal with anything like this before”, he said. “What do you think should happen?”, Nina asked. Coco shrugged. “Taza’s a good VP. He kept a secret, but he hasn’t hurt anyone, or done something against our rules”. “He broke one rule”, Nina muttered. “It’s a fucked-up rule”, Coco grunted. Nina let a smile ghost her lips. “Taza can ride, and he can make decisions… That’s what I care about”.

Angel pulled up outside the house, and came in, carrying a large paper bag. He gave Nina a short smile. “You get some sleep?”, he asked. “Yeah… some”, she said. “I got burgers…”, Angel said, and put down the bag on the coffee table. “I went by the house, and opened the windows; but it still smells like shit in there”. “Letty’s out. Stay the night”, Coco said, and went to get beers from the fridge.

Angel sat down on the couch, and began unpacking the food. Realizing she hadn’t eaten all day, Nina’s stomach made an angry growl of hunger. “Woah…”, Angel said, and looked down at the blunt in the ashtray. “Munchies?”. “A little”, Nina admitted. “Are you ok?”. “Why wouldn’t I be?”, Angel asked. “Just… Everything that happened today, I guess…”, Nina began, before sighing, and shrugging. “What? You mean the part where my girl yelled at me, and then got shot?”, Angel said. “Or the part where I find out she’s been keeping secrets…”. He raised a brow at her, and Nina felt her cheeks burning. “It wasn’t my secret to share”, she muttered. “If you’re gonna fight, do it later”, Coco said, returning with three beers, and handing them out. “I’m hungry”.

They ate in silence, before Coco called it a night, and went to bed; tired as fuck, as he declared. Angel and Nina sat for a few moments more, avoiding each other’s gaze. “I couldn’t tell you…”, Nina finally said. “No, I get it”, Angel sighed. “It’s just… You kept this secret, that could have saved your life. And you didn’t let me help”. “That’s what you’re angry about?”. “I’m not angry, querida… I just wish you’d let me protect you”. “By hurting Taza?”, Nina asked. “I would have had his back!”, Angel said. “I knew that… At least I think I knew”. Nina shook her head defeatedly. “But if the rest of the club decides to punish him, you can’t stop that!”. Angel took the last sip of his beer, and began clearing the table. “We’re not letting that happen”, he muttered. “Who?”, Nina asked. “Me… Coco and Gilly… you”. He gave her a warm smile, and went to throw away the trash.

Nina got to her feet, and with the help of her crutches, she followed him into the kitchen. “How did everyone else take it?”, she asked, leaning against the doorway. “Riz and Creep are pissed Taza didn’t tell the club a secret that could save us from war. Tranq is… Tranq. He doesn’t let anyone know what he feels until he’s sure about it himself. And Bish’… I can’t read the man”. “But you’re behind Taza…”. “Yeah”. He came over, and gave her a short kiss. “Thank you”, Nina said. “For what?”, Angel asked. “For being… you”, she smiled.

Letting Nina support her weight against him, Angel led Nina back into Letty’s bedroom; carrying her crutches for her. She winced a bit, when she accidentally stepped down on her bad leg, and Angel frowned. He closed the door, and helped her get in to bed, before shedding his cut, and climbing in with her. “You gonna sleep in your jeans?”, Nina asked. “If I take them off, you’ll just start getting ideas…”, Angel smirked. “I got shot today, just before being drenched in another woman’s blood… And, we’re lying in a bed under a poster of Zac Effron. I think I can gird my loins”, Nina said with a scowl. “Maybe I can’t”, Angel whispered, and pulled her into his arms. He accidentally bumped against her leg, and Nina let out a small yelp. “Fuck. Are you ok? I’m so sorry!”, Angel exclaimed. “I’m ok…”, Nina whimpered. “Just don’t touch it”. “I’ll get you some drugs tomorrow. The good kind”, Angel promised. Nina chuckled, and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Thinking about the day after, she suddenly frowned. “What’s wrong, cuervo?”, Angel asked. “Tomorrow… What’s gonna happen?”, Nina said. “Clubwide lockdown…”, Angel sighed. “I’m taking you back to the house in the morning, to get your stuff. Coco’s gonna go with us, as an extra gun; but after that it’s back to the clubhouse”. “And then what?”. She felt herself starting to shiver, and Angel gingerly pulled her closer. “We called in backup. Bishop met with Alvarez today; and Oakland is coming down to back us up if needed”. “SAMCRO?”, Nina whispered. “What do you think?”, Angel smiled. “SAMDINO too… Don’t run away with Packer”. She pinched the skin of his arm playfully. “Ow!”. “So you’ll have the numbers… You might not even have to use Taza’s secret”, Nina said; ignoring his exclamation of pain. “We don’t know Palo’s numbers yet… VM has grown since Taza’s day”, Angel said. “We gotta be ready for a fight”.

Nina sighed, and put an arm across Angel’s chest; burrowing against him. “After this morning… I’m so sorry I got so angry…”. “Nah, I had it coming", Angel said. “I said some stupid shit… That could have been the last thing I ever said, before I lost you…”. “I did leave you; I fucked up so bad…”. “We’re past that, querida. I shouldn’t have brought it up…”. Angel brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. “But you were right. I should have found a better way… And now you’re going up against Palo, and you might not make it…”. “Nina…” Nina continued, unable to control her panicked breathing. “I’m gonna lose you! He’s not gonna stop until you’re all…”. “Nina, stop!”, Angel said. Nina felt her lungs beginning to close up, and she took a few heaving breaths. Her anxiety worsened, when she realized she didn’t have her inhaler. Angel dug it out of his own pocket, and pressed the button on the top, before holding it to her lips. Breathing in the powder, Nina felt her breathing return to normal, and Angel put away her inhaler again. “You have to relax, ma'. You’ve been through too much today". Wiping her eyes for her, he kissed her forehead. “I can’t lose you…”, she whispered. Angel looked deep into her eyes. “I’m gonna do whatever I have to, to get back to you”, he said, and kissed the top of her head. “I love you”. “I love you too”.

Tilting her head, Nina sought out Angel’s lips, and breathed him in, in a deep kiss. Angel carefully lifted her knee, to let her leg rest over his. She craved his closeness, needed him near her, more than ever; for fear that it would be the last night she’d get to sleep in his arms. Angel soothingly brushed his fingers up and down her lower arm. “I can’t deal with any more death…”, Nina said. Suddenly, without even knowing it herself, she’d made a decision. “I want to see Palo”. Angel’s eyes widened. “No, Nina. That’s not happening…”, he said, and went back to stroking her arm; though a bit more roughly than was comfortable. Nina pulled herself away from his grasp. “I can’t run away from what I did”, she said. “So, you’re going to let Palo punish you? Kill you?”, Angel asked. “No, I’m… You’re right. I haven’t done anything wrong; I’m not looking to be punished for anything”, Nina said. “But I can’t let anyone else die on my account. Not again”. "It's like we said. This isn't about you anymore". "But if I hadn't been here...", Nina tried. Angel sighed. “Get some sleep”, he said. “But…”. He looked at her intently. “Sleep. You’re in pain and you’re high. You’re not thinking straight. You’ll have a clearer head tomorrow”. He brushed his lips against her cheek, and closed his eyes.

To Angel, the conversation was over. To Nina, nothing was settled; and it took a long time, before exhaustion finally forced her to drift off.

---

[madamebaggio]

Notes: Previously...

***

Jax let out a long breath. He laughed, but it was a bit out of desperation. “So… That happened.”

“Yeah…” Scott agreed carefully, not knowing how the other man was taking things.

“Fucking werewolves.” Jax threw his head back and groaned. “I can’t believe this shit.”

“Yeah…” Scott looked around, trying to figure out if he should just go.

Finally, Jax decided to look at him again. “I suppose I should keep this a secret.”

“That’d be nice.” Scott agreed immediately.

Jax scoffed. “You kids should really invest in some guns. Especially for the talking one.” He indicated Stiles, who was a bit farther away with Lydia. “He needs to take better care of himself.”

“I’m afraid of him shooting his foot.” Scott confessed.

“Fair enough.” He eyed Stiles and Lydia. “What’s the deal there?”

“It’s complicated.” Scott shrugged.

“It normally is.” Jax agreed. “But she’s into him, so if he’s waiting to do something about it… He doesn’t have to.”

[bbrandy2002]

Fools Rush In

Part 1

I am participating in @wackydrabbles prompts: “I don’t plan to stop”

A/N: In this, MC does not exist in Liam’s social season. OC Riley lives in Las Vegas.

A/N/N: This series is crazy lol

Series Premise: With two weeks until Liam is to marry Madeleine -- his pick during the social season -- the guys throw him a bachelor party in Vegas. After a drunken night, he finds himself with more than he bargained for.

Book: The Royal Romance

Word Count: 1152

Inspired by Carrie Underwoods song, ‘Last name’

Perma tags: @emceesynonymroll​ @romanticatheart-posts​ @burnsoslow​ @dcbbw​ @ao719​ @jessiembruno​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @texaskitten30​ @janezillow​ @merridithsmiscellany-blog​ @mskaneko​ @loveellamae​ @queenjilian​ @sirbeepsalot​ @pedudley​ @caroldxnvxrs​ @jovialyouthmusic​ @forthebrokenheartedthings​ @desireepow-1986​ @bebepac​ @kingliam2019​ @lovablegranny​ @cordoniaqueensworld​ @amandablink​ @blueaster-blog1​ @liamsx-world

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

High above the Las Vegas strip, on the rooftop lounge of the Rio Hotel and Casino, the Voodoo Nightclub was rife with energy and spirited chatter. Covered overhead by only a cluster of twinkling stars, the patio's dancefloor was packed with rhythmic freestyling movements to the DJ's techno beats. A large crowd gathered around the flair bartenders who wowed with their acrobatic-like tossing of bottles and shakers. Nightlifers admired the vast cityscape of flashing neon and rolling gold letters from fifty-one stories below. 

It was noisy and upbeat. 

It was full of gigantic cocktails and mixers. 

And on this warm spring night, surrounded by loud music and drunken tourists, Liam sat at a table alone, wondering how the hell he got abandoned at his own bachelor party.

Well, he wasn't completely alone, the ringleader of this little shindig was at the bar drinking shots out of the bellybuttons of some randos while dressed as Elvis.

He could almost kick his brother's ass for getting him into this position. He was the spare. This was supposed to be Leo's problem; he was born and bred for this position. Now Liam was stuck unhappily engaged to be married to his brother's former fiance in two weeks, who coincidentally was also his step-cousin. I'm the white trash King of Cordonia, he mused, that's what they'll call me.

The second in command: his best friend, Drake, took off 30 minutes ago to spend some of his big winnings on the boulevard while bitching about ending his dry spell.

And the last time he saw Maxwell, the youngest Beaumont was trying to show off a dance move on the balcony's railing. One of the cage dancers assured the mesmerized crowd he landed safely on cloth awning a few stories below.

At least the lovely couple having sex behind him briefly engaged in conversation, even if it was only to ask him to be their lookout. 

He had nothing better to do and liked the concoction Leo ordered him, so why not. Viva Las Vegas!

While he sipped the rum and fruit-flavored cocktail and tried not to choke on his straw from the couple behind him repeatedly banging into his chair, he looked up to see a young woman approaching him.

"Jax?" She flashed a hopeful smile at Liam.

Liam shook his head, trying not to get lost in her beautiful smile and scintillating brown eyes that reflected the clubs flashing neon like glass. "Uh, no. It's Liam." I wish I were Jax.

Her smile faded. "Oh! Well, shit. I'm sorry. He was supposed to meet me here 20 minutes ago, and you resemble his tinder profile pic."

Do I pretend to know what the hell that is? He nodded with an awkward chuckle. "Good old Tinder."

She unlocked her phone and held it out to him. Liam studied the picture of the man who did look a lot like him. He read the bio aloud: "Jax, 28. I always keep a loaded gun beside my bed in the event of intruders so I can shoot myself to avoid meeting new people." He grimaced with wry amusement before glancing back to her. "I think we know what happened to Jax."

"Damn." She slumped her shoulders in disappointment until she noticed the activity taking place at the table behind Liam. She stooped down with a slight smirk and leaned into his ear. "I hate to tell you this, but there are people having sex behind you."

Liam scratched the tip of his nose. "Yeah, I know. I'm their lookout. And I don't plan to stop until those two lovebirds are finished."

The woman winced and scrunched her brows. "Really?"

"Noooo," Liam whined. "Get me the hell out of here," he pleaded.

She laughed and grasped onto his wrist. "Come on, Liam. We can sit at the bar together if you'd like."

He looked down at her tiny hand wrapped around his wrist; it was so soft and warm. He smiled up at her. "I'd like that a lot, Miss ..."

"Brooks. Riley Brooks."

Liam rose from his chair, knowing he probably shouldn't go with her. Riley was pretty and sweet, and he was already two sheets to the wind. He couldn't help himself, though; there was something about her.

They took their seats at the bar and ordered a Witch Doctor to share. When the bartender set the massive cocktail in front of them, Riley took a sip from her straw and turned to Liam. "So, what's a good looking guy like yourself doing here alone?"

Liam twisted his straw between his forefinger and thumb, not wanting to discuss his complicated situation, but he was never one to lie. "It's... um ... my bachelor party." 

"Ohhh! I see." Riley scooted away and, with a half-hearted smile, said, "I guess congratulations are in order."

Liam scoffed. "If you knew the whole story, you might not congratulate me so quickly."

"Is she that bad? Surely there's something good about her."

He took a long sip of his drink, then looked at her with a deadpan stare. "Not one."

Riley chuckled. "Do I even wanna know why you're marrying her then?

"Probably not," he quipped.

Liam told her how his friends threw him the bachelor party as one last big hoorah to his freedom and then ditched him for their own pursuits. And how he really wanted to see the Statue of Liberty at the New York New York Hotel, but it wasn't in the guy's plans.

Feeling bad for her new friend, Riley offered to make his dream a reality. After finishing their drink and downing a few Jager bombs, the two of them staggered out.

Liam and Riley swayed down the bustling sidewalk, holding onto one another for balance and cackling the whole way.

"Liam!" Riley animately pointed. "Look! There it is."

Liam lifted his heavy head, and his droopy eyelids widened when he gazed up at the 150-foot replica of Lady Liberty. "Whoa … She... Is … Magnificent." He stood at attention and saluted. "Here's to freedom and … other cool shit," he slurred.

Riley lowered her head and placed a hand over her heart. "God bless America."

Liam shook his head in agreement. "Yes. Yes. Just ... bless the hell out of it. And you know what? The rollercoaster makes it even more ... bitchin."

Riley grabbed his upper arm and shook it hard with excitement. "We gotta ride it, Liam!"

He smirked. "Try to stop me!"

After riding the coaster, both laughed through nausea as they stepped off. 

"Ahhh, that was so much fun! We should go again!" Riley shrieked while hovered over a trash bin.

Liam thought about it until he caught sight of a couple coming out of a wedding chapel across the street.

Liam swung his arm over her shoulder with a grin. “You know what else would be fun?”

Riley giggled. “What?”

“Getting married.”

[d6volution]

Disconcerted.

Jax/Reader.

tags: heavy angst, hurt no comfort.

requested by: @ibbitynibbity

Another new addition to the circus. Great. Those were Jax's first thoughts when you arrived.. you were just like the other newbies, asking questions and not shutting up about this mysterious exit. That was until Caine explained how there never was an exit in the first place. It was merely a placeholder. Then your whole world came crashing down. You were distant for a while.. but soon you opened up and got more comfortable with the members.

You were kind, charming and actually.. kinda funny. Jax found himself getting drawn in by your aura. It was hard not to.

Unfortunately when it comes to Jax, grabbing his attention wasn't always a good thing.

Jax stuck his foot out as you walked by, with a 'digital' breakfast tray in your hand.

CRASH.

Everything flew from your hands, and you hit the ground with a thud, any previous chatter silenced, and all eyes were on you. "J.. Jax.." Gangle spoke up, clearly disturbed by his crude actions, but the bunny simply rolled his eyes.

"Whaatt? They'll be fine, it's just a joke. Right , y/n?" His grin grew wide as he watched you pick yourself up from the ground. Your breakfast glitching away into thin air. "S-Screw you, Jax.." Your voice was trying its hardest not to crack. This hadn't been the first time, no. This poor excuse of a bunny really seemed to get a kick out of tormenting you.

Gangle still made a point to come over and help you out, dusting off your clothes when you stood up. A flimsy ribbon caressed your back in a poor attempt to sooth you. "Thanks Gangle.." You said, shooting a small smile at the kind bundle of red.

"N.. No need to thank me.. he's.. been being a-a jerk more than usual.." She mutters under her breath, making sure to be quiet enough that Jax couldn't hear her. Luckily enough he didn't. The bunny just watched, his smile dropping when he saw you smile at gangle.. why smile at her instead of him? He was just messing around. You should find it funny.. you /would if you had any sense of humor at all.

It doesn't matter. It's not like he'll stop anyways, he told himself and silently poked at the 'food' on his plate.

You headed back to your room, too embarrassed to continue eating in the main hall. Arriving at your door you were greeted by a small note attatched to it, where your faceplate usually is. You blinked before gently yanking down the sticky note.

'Just a little apology doll, ;) maybe you'll have more fun with them instead."

Them?

Who the hell did he let into your room? You thought, and anger bubbled up throughout your body as you swung the door open. But, it was... empty. You sighed and closed the door behind yourself, flopping onto the bed and bouncing a little unceremoniously. Just then, you felt something crawling on your arm, no a LOT of some things crawling on you. Immediately, you shot up, screaming, and swatting the spiders off of your body. You hurried out of your door and fell back onto your ass in the process.

"Ouch.." The spiders had gotten knocked off of you, but their little shadows were still moving stood in your room, causing you to shudder.

Just like clockwork Jax was standing outside of your door, pointing and laughing at you. "Oh, this it too priceless, you should have seen your face, y/n. Bravo. I needed that laugh, babe." He was hunched over, still trying to catch his breath.

You were shaking with anger, the only reason he even knew about your fear of spiders was because of the time you all decided to come together as a group and open up to each other a little. Talking about your likes, dislikes... hobbies and.. fears.

"Jax.. wh-what is wrong with you..?" You said, still shaking from both anger and fear of the spiders from earlier. "What did I do to you to be treated like this!? Y.. You're insane! I hate you!" You screamed at him and his smile seemed more forced now. "Uh huh.. sure ya do." He scoffed and your breath hitched , you could hardly hold back your tears anymore.

"I do! It's n.. not my fault you're obsessed with me or something!" Tears were streaming down your face and Jax took a step closer to you. "You flatter yourself y/n, why would I be obsessed with someone like you huh? You can barely speak your mind without stuttering half the time— Nah, you're just here for a laugh. A form of entertainment for us all." He smirked before walking past you.

Your eyes were wide and you stood frozen in place. Was that true..? Was everyone laughing too.. behind your back? You spun sound but the hall was now empty. Did everyone think you were weak? Just something to laugh at to past the time?

You laughed dryly and felt your vision briefly glitch.

"Oh y/n! There you are." Kinger came rounding the corner shuffling over to you.

"H.. Huh?" His presence snapped you out of your train of thought, and your vision seemed normal again.

"Oh, a-are you okay?" He asked, seemingly worried.

'A form of entertainment.'

The words rung in your ears and your wondered if Kinger was laughing with Jax too before this. " ... No, Jax let spiders loose in my room." Your voice was hoarse from all that yelling and crying.

"Did you say spiders? I.. I'll remove them, I think they'll like it in my insect collection even though they aren't really insects but.." Kinger continued to speak to himself as he happily entered your room. Meanwhile you leaned against the wall, sliding down until you were sitting on the floor completely, silently waiting for him to remove the spiders from your room.

Jax walked back to his room, seemingly unbothered... well until he was behind closed doors. As soon as he entered his room, his shoulders slumped over and he sat on the edge of his bed. "Think I might have went a little overboard this time.. maybe I should check on them.." He muttered to himself, burying his face in his hands.

"Don't be a wuss, Jax. Just apologize. Can't be that hard." He said and stood up to his feet. Who knows maybe this could be a fresh start? A whole one eighty. He wondered if he could get some flowers too.. for, the apology of course. He said in his head as if he had anyone else to convince rather than himself.

Back in your room, you had your door locked and shut. Huddled on your bed, beneath your blankets with just your face poking out. You were muttering to yourself, staring at the wall. 'They all hate you, they all agree with Jax. You're nothing but entertainment. You're stuck here, there's no way out. No way out, no way out no way out.

The thoughts were becoming words and your vision began to glitch again, but worse this time.. at first you tried to fight it. Holding your head in your hands as if to physically keep yourself from falling apart.

Knock, knock.

'y/n, open up will ya? you're not still mad from earlier right? c'mon. i've got something to show ya.' Jax's voice was muffled from outside, but hearing his voice alone was enough to make you snap.

You laughed as your vision went completely black, only specs of color being seen here and there. Then it was silent.. and oh how blissful the silence was.

Jax sighed, and dug into his pocket after hearing no response .. pulling out a key and unlocking your door... his smile dropped and for once he looked to be in complete horror. "No.. no.." He muttered as dropped the makeshift apology basket, for a moment he was frozen but you didn't give him time to process. You were towering over him, a glob of abstracted black shifting shapes taking the form of a mindless monster.

He scurried down the hall, and you unceremoniously bursted through the small door leaving a gaping hole to your room. You bellowed and Jax felt his world crashing down on him. Did.. he cause this? Did he make you abstract?

His mind was racing and he hurried and hid around a corner. Fuck, fuck fuck. He grabbed his head and slid to the floor.

Even for someone like him this was too much, too much too fast. He was going to apologize. He.. didn't mean any of this he was just a dumb ..idiotic bunny. Jax relentlessly scolded himself until Ragatha came rounding the corner, huffing and puffing.

"J..Jax! Thank god.. y/n .. they abstracted.. we have to find Caine.. Jax..?"

He was smiling, but it was more crazed. "T.. This is all my fault.. I.. I'm.. Hah.." He laughs, and lowers his head so Ragatha couldn't see his expression.

"Go get Caine Rags.. I'll distract y/n." His voice was monotone.

"W.. What? No, let's go together—" She tried to reach her hand out and he immediately slapped it away. "I said go get Caine! Now." His voice was laced with a growl but in no way intimidating.. no, his voice shook. It was on the brink of breaking.

Jax stood up and walked in your direction, you were hard to miss. Leaving destruction in your very path.

"Y/N!" He called out, trying to get your attention. And that he did, your large form turned to face him. Bellowing loudly as you ran right for him, but he didn't move.. he stayed completely still and without hesitation you knocked him into a wall. "A.. Alright, you.. earned that one.." He said weakly, trying to pull away from your grasp now but you kept slamming him into different surfaces until he was glitching out uncontrollably.

"Oh my ! You were not exaggerating!" Caine's voice could be heard from a distance, but Jax was in far too much pain to even register it. The glitching hurt, but maybe its what he deserved for being such a asshole. Not just now, but all the time. Maybe his luck finally ran out and karma was here to bite him in the ass.

"And away with you!" Your abstracted form was tossed into the cellar by Caine and Jax reached out to you without thinking, "N.. No.." But you disappeared beneath floor.

Snap!

Jax was back to normal, the pain was gone.. well physically anyway, the pain from losing you was still burning deep in his chest. He didn't have anything to say. Any questions that Caine and Ragatha threw at him was ignored. He walked by them, and all the other members who began to show up after hearing all the commotion. He could hear their voices trailing off , talking about you.

How could you do this?

Do you think it could have been too much them?

Was it Jax..?

He walked faster and slammed the door to his room. Locking it behind him. Maybe it would be better if he stayed here..away from everyone where he could no longer cause any harm.

His thoughts only got louder and more consuming , his room seemed to shrink and box him in.. he sat on the ground before curling up in a fetal position as his thoughts started to eat him alive.

Just then, there was a brief glitch in his vision.

[poorlytunedukulele]

Day 20 - Little Prince

April 16, 2871; Meridian Bay, Mars

Out of all of the Guardians, he just happened to be sharing a bunker with a loud one.

Her thoughts dominated the space.  Her senses screamed out for danger from every direction, from him, even.  Why would he be a threat to her?  He’d saved her life- on impulse, mind you, to pop out from cover, grab her arm, and drag her into the bunker before the Cabal shells made their way from orbit.

Yet still she side-eyed him, mind screaming distrust.  She spoke casually enough.  “You know, I haven’t hung out with many Corsairs, but you don’t strike me the type.”

Death raining down outside and she was making small talk.

“Don’t you know when to be quiet?” Uldren hissed.  The Guardian shot him a confused look, shook her head, and moved to peek out the entrance tunnel.

“There is still an artillery strike happening outside,” Uldren reminded her.  “You will get yourself killed.”

She took the possibility of death with a mental shrug.  “I want to see what’s out there.”

“Why don’t you stick your entire head out of the bunker?  Or better yet, take a jaunt to the observatory?  It’s the third building on the left.”

She actually memorized it.  She nodded to herself, muttered “Observatory, okay,” under her breath, and considered the path to the structure.  “Dying is usually unpleasant, you know,” she said out loud.

Unpleasant.  Like a bad smell or a slightly off piece of bread.

“Remind me to not bother saving your life next time,” Uldren muttered.

“Didn’t I say thank you?” the Guardian replied.  She paused for a second.  “Did I say thank you?”  She hadn’t.  “Damn.  Thank you.  Had no idea the Cabal would call down a strike on their own base.”

“You aren’t scanning their radio feeds?”

She looked back at him, interest as sharp as knives.  “You are?”

Uldren shrugged, effecting easy confidence.  “Their encryption protocols are incredibly basic.”

The Guardian shook her head and returned to her survey of the still-being-bombed Cabal encampment.  “More used to Fallen systems,” she admitted.

Uldren didn’t bother replying.

A salvo of fire shook dirt from the ceiling.  Uldren kept himself very firmly in the corner, under the support beams. His radio howled with magnetic interference.

Reluctantly, the Guardian made her way back into the bunker proper.  “I don’t think it’ll let up anytime soon.  I’d offer you a transmat out, but those munitions are disrupting signals something fierce.”

Nothing he didn’t know already.  And still she considered him like he might take out his sidearm and shoot her for spite.  (In all honesty, he was considering it.  Her mind screamed out impatience and anxiety in a way that tinged the air with acid.)

“Not a Corsair,” she said (mostly to herself), “Not a civilian.  What are you?  Some sort of Awoken Shadowjack?  Stealth-Corsair?”

He relented, if just to have her shut up.  “I am the Prince of the Awoken, Uldren Sov, brother to queen Mara Sov,” Uldren spat.

She considered him with a raised eyebrow and not an ounce of reverence.  “I’m Azra Jax.  And you're too short to be Prince Uldren.“

He was shocked.  "Am I," he growled.

"You're supposed to be-" she began.  Then she stopped.  Exasperation hit her like a Pike.  She pinched the bridge of her nose.  “I’m sorry.  Cayde told me you were like six-foot-four," she said.  The exasperation was turning quickly to mortification.  "He’s going to die in a fit of laughter when I get back.  Given I don't stab him first.”

When she gets back.  Not an if.  Maybe that’s what annoyed Uldren the most: not the bumbling, indelicate thoughts, not the casual disregard for the way things were supposed to work, but that assurance.  She was trapped in a bunker while Cabal artillery thundered outside, on the front lines of their war with the Vex, where death waited at every corner, and she did not have to consider the fact that she might not make it home.  It was a guaranteed thing.  Death was but an unpleasantry, the destruction outside but an inconvenience.

“Yeah, you’re upset,” the Guardian muttered to herself.  “I’m… going to go shut up and sit in that corner now.”

“Please,” Uldren said.

There was a solid five minutes of blessed quiet.

Then, the Guardian’s curiosity got the better of her.  “Do all Awoken Princes go scouting around warzones or is it just a you thing?”

AO3 Link

[moonknightly]

She’s Not Yours

Pairing: Poe Dameron x Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

Excerpt: “But then you laughed again, the sound echoing through the expansive room, and he couldn’t take it anymore. Poe glanced down towards the datapad in his hand, the frown on his lips only deepening as he could still hear you from across the hangar. He loved the sound of your laugh, but not like this.”

A/N: I already have a part two written but I don’t know, I kind of like where this ended? Do you guys want to see a hella jealous Poe get into a fight with Jax? Also, is Jax’s name Star Wars-y enough?

Warnings: I cursed! What’s new!

Hate. Hate was an entirely valid, completely accurate, and thoroughly deserved feeling Poe experienced each and every time he witnessed that damned Pilot of his, Jax Rhade, standing even remotely close to you. He couldn’t stand seeing the utter scumbag speak to you, and he would fully admit that his heart ached each time you laughed in response to whatever dumb, and probably crude, story the other man would whisper in your ear. Poe wished that he could just walk over, sweep you up into his arms, and take you somewhere far far away from the moron.

But, that moron was your friend, and as much as Poe couldn’t stand even the thought of Jax, he knew that he had to accept it for what it was. He refused to be the kind of boyfriend who dictated who you could and could not associate yourself with. If you wanted to be friends with who Poe considered to be his worst pilot, you could be friends with him. Who was he to stop you?

Except Poe was growing more and more annoyed with the fact that he constantly felt the need to flirt with you. It made his stomach churn each time Jax wrapped his arm around you, and he actually saw red when he witnessed the piece of shit smack your ass after returning from a mission — that had been an instance Poe hadn’t been able to ignore, and he could still remember the feeling of spit flying from his mouth as he ripped the pilot a new one.

But the simple flirtation, it wasn’t something that he could control. Your relationship with Poe was a secret, afterall. Nobody except for Snap knew that the two of you had spent the last year and a half together, and even he had only found out when he walked into the hangar one night to the sound of you moaning from behind Poe’s X-Wing. Jax didn’t know, and even if he did, Poe was pretty sure that it wouldn’t stop his flirtatious behavior, and that annoyed him even further.

And so he quietly seethed as he watched you both from across the hangar. He impatiently tapped his foot, waiting for the moment that he could pull you away from Jax with some lame excuse of needing you to look over a report on his datpad only to actually sneak you away to his quarters.

“Could you be anymore fuckin’ obvious?”

He glanced to his left. Snap was casually leaning against Poe’s X-Wing, eyes narrowed, though his body language suggested that he was, for once, relaxed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Poe responded, voice sharp as his irritation was evident in his tone.

“Oh come on, don’t give me that. You’ve been staring at them for the last twenty minutes.”

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Snap huffed, rolling his eyes at the younger pilot’s behavior, but decided against saying anything further. Poe was grateful, because he really didn’t feel like starting an argument with Snap, and he knew that his annoyance would only spark one.

He knew he was being obvious, though. He really hadn’t been able to tear his eyes away from you, and he knew that if he didn’t look away soon, someone other than Snap would notice if they hadn’t already.

But then you laughed again, the sound echoing through the expansive room, and he couldn’t take it anymore. Poe glanced down towards the datapad in his hand, the frown on his lips only deepening as he could still hear you from across the hangar. He loved the sound of your laugh, but not like this.

He quickly copied the file he had been working on before purposefully hitting a few buttons that he knew would corrupt the original. He had already hoisted himself off of the ground, and began making his way towards you before he could even finish manipulating the document.

You saw him coming, of course. You had been watching him out of the corner of your eye the entire time. He surprisingly lasted longer than you thought he would.

You greeted him when he was still twenty feet away, effectively cutting Jax off in the middle of his story. “Commander Dameron, sir.”

Poe gave you a stern look as he continued to walk closer — one that anyone else would have missed, but one that sent a shiver down your spine. You knew how much he loved hearing you call him by his official title.

“Y/L/N, I hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” he finally said as he stopped right in front of you, placing himself between you and Jax, who he completely ignored.

“Nah, I’ve always got time for you, Dameron. What’s up?”

He smirked, a certain kind of mischief swirling within his eyes. He gently waved the datapad in front of you, an almost sheepish grin crossing his face as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth.

“I screwed up the report from the last mission and I need you to fix it.”

You playfully rolled your eyes but took the datapad from him, briefly looking over the file he had pulled up on the screen.

You whistled lowly, your eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Stars, you really did a number on this one.”

“And that’s exactly why I need your expertise.”

“You’re just trying to butter me up so I’ll say yes.”

“Is it working?”

You chuckled, shaking your head as you pretended to be exasperated with the man in front of you. “Only to keep General Organa from yelling at you.”

“Perfect,” he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he took a moment to just look at you.

But soon, he found himself smirking, relishing in the utter joy that flooded his chest when he heard Jax scoff behind him.

Poe finally turned to face the man he had purposefully ignored up until this point, lazily clasping his hands behind his back. “Did you need something, pilot?”

Jax looked as if he wanted to say something, and Poe’s eyes narrowed, almost daring him to. But after several seconds, Jax only looked off to the side, shaking his head as he thought better.

“No.”

Poe took a step closer to him, the smirk on his face turning into something wicked and dangerous. He was challenging him.

“No what?”

Jax’s fists clenched, and Poe waited for the moment he lashed out, either verbally or physically. He would jump at the chance to ground Rhade in a heartbeat, no matter how minute the situation proved to be.

But Jax didn’t make a move. Didn’t throw an insult out towards him. Instead, he only straightened his shoulders, and kept his gaze away from Poe’s intense dark eyes.

“No, sir.”

Poe would admit that he was a little disappointed, but he didn’t want to show it. He nodded his head once, only partially satisfied, before turning his attention back to you.

You were smirking, and Poe felt his smile quickly return.

“Now if you just want to follow me Y/L/N, we’ll find somewhere quiet to work on that report.”

You nodded, knowing fully that the only quiet place you would be heading to were Poe’s quarters where the report would be quickly forgotten, but you definitely weren’t complaining. You let Poe lead you out of the hangar without another glance towards Jax, your pilot being your complete and only focus.

“Yes, Commander Dameron.”

[fyeahwildfire]

Spirit Bound

Chapter 7

Summary: After your fight with Kitana in the garden, you head towards your next match. Will you be able to face Scorpion or will you fail Earthrealm?

Pairing: Mortal Kombat x reader; Bucky x reader; other soulmate x reader

Warning: Angst, swearing,

You arrive the exterior courtyard where all the combatants await. You look among the crowd and have not seen your brother. Where was Bi-Han? 

Walking up to Liu Kang and Kung Lao, you continued browsing among the crowd. Surely he would be there to support you? Right?

“Kombatants! Only one Earthrealm warrior remains.” Shang Tsung announced while looking at you.

Avoiding his gaze you whisper to Liu Kang, “Where is Sub-Zero?”

Liu Kang locks eyes with Kung Lao and both of them show frowns on their faces.

“Where is my brother?” You ask more firm this time.

Jax Briggs approaches you, he hands you Sub-Zero’s face mask and wrist guards. “Sorry kid, but Scorpion and Quan Chi got the drop on him earlier.”

You suppress the tears in your eyes, you can’t show weakness… not now. Not when everyone is counting on you. Instead, you channel all that pain into rage. You will avenge Bi-Han.

You place Bi-han’s mask and wrist guards on the floor as they were too big for you to wear. Perhaps you can give them to Kuai Liang.

“Make sure no one touches his belongings.” You step forward and await your next challenger.

“Earthrealm’s last warrior Y/N. Is she ready to bear such a heavy burden? Earthrealms fate is in her hands. Your opponent will be….Scorpion!”

Scorpion appears in a flash of fire, upon looking at his next opponent, he freezes. “Lady Y/n what are you doing? Why are you standing here?”

You scoff and glare your eyes at him. “I’m your opponent you fucking traitor.”

Scorpion shakes his head, until he notices Sub-Zero’s mask and wrist guards on the floor beside Liu Kang and Kung Lao’s feet. He looks back at you with sadness in his eyes.

“You killed Bi-Han. For that I will send you to the depths of hell where you belong.” You get into your fight stance. Your fists and eyes glowing with green telekinetic energy.

“Fighting with Scorpion…the sorcerer Quan Chi!” Shang Tsung announced just as Quan Chi teleported through a portal, laughing as he does so.

“Oh I’m so going to enjoy kicking both of your asses.” You fight with Scorpion first.

He attempts to block your attacks, but he has no interest in fighting you. He wanted to explain what happened? To beg for forgiveness, but it was clear your rage had consumed you.

“I do not wish to fight you.” Scorpion dodges another attack.

“Then you should have thought of that before breaking your promise.” Your fist connects to his face. “I did warn you what would happen if you killed him. Now you will pay dearly.”

“What about your soul?” Scorpion catches your fist before it could connect.

You swiped your leg underneath his, “It’s too late.”

You gather your telekinesis and just as Scorpion rose to his feet, you send the telekinetic blast towards Scorpion, sending him flying backwards right into Quan Chi.

You walk over to his unconscious body. “I am showing you mercy, something you don’t deserve.”

Seeing you distracted, Quan Chi attacks you and lands a punch to the face. You stumble back a bit dazed, however you shake it off. Both of you circle around each, staring each other down.

“You will pay for what you did to Sub-Zero and Scorpion.”

Quan Chi smiles wickedly, “Is that so? You a mere pathetic mortal, believe you could best me. Very well, but please do put up more of a fight than Sub-Zero did.”

Yelling out of anger, you charge at Quan Chi. He shoots out blasts from his hands which you dodge at superhuman speed. The pillars behind you destroyed. You jump into the air and land two good kicks into Quan Chi’s chest.

Quan chi flies backwards but regains himself like a cat. You try to attack him again only for Quan Chi to dodge your attack.

The other kombatants watch the intense fight between you two. Quan Chi continues to use his dark magic against you; however, you dodge every single one of his blasts.

In the midst of running towards Quan Chi, you conjured up the soultaker sword. You jump into the air and bring down your sword. Quan Chi attempts to dodge but he is not quick enough, you cut into his shoulder.

Lord Raiden and the other Kombatants watch as you and Quan Chi exchange blows at superhuman speed.  

Scorpion has regained himself and has seen what you were capable of. He regrets betraying you. Regrets the choice he made. He searches your eyes but only sees rage behind them.

You kick Quan Chi in the face. He stumbles back, blood dripping from his mouth. He yells out angrily, whirling around he uses his dark magic to throw blasts at you. You dodge by jumping into the air, flipping while doing so. You use the pillar before you to kick off and land a few steps away, as Quan Chi sent a blast towards the pillar.

The courtyard is in ruins as you and Quan chi continue to attack each other. You land on a broken pillar like a nimble cat. Your eyes are glowing with pure rage. 

Seeing Quan Chi jump into the air. You growl and jump into the air as well.  Up in the air you kick Quan Chi in his abdomen.

Quan Chi teleports before he could hit the pillar behind him. You use your telepathy to track him above you, but before he could grab you from above you maneuver yourself. You kick and punch him with savage intensity.

With Quan Chi on his back, you continue to pound on him. Scorpion attempts to intervene, for your sake. However, you brush him off and continue to attack Quan Chi.

“Lady Y/N, enough!” Scorpion grabs you in his arms and hauls you off Quan Chi.

You break from his arms, breathing heavily as you look into his eyes, “Why save him? When he is the cause of your pain and suffering. He killed your family and clan!”

Scorpion’s eyes widen with the truth. He looks back to see Quan Chi had fled. 

Up on his throne Shang Tsung is amused by your victory. However, he and Scorpion knew your next match would be your last.

“Lord Raiden, will she be alright?” Liu Kang asked, as he saw you leaving the courtyard.

“She fought well. She needs time to recollect herself. The tournament is not yet over.” Raiden explains.

“Goro.” Liu Kang whispers.

Johnny leans over to Sonya, “What’s a Goro?”

She shrugs as she has no idea either.

“It has been years since an Earthrealm warrior has progressed this far.” Shang Tsung announced as he looked at Raiden. “But the reigning champion is far beyond your champion’s ability. To the Lair!”

You had been walking to clear your mind when a portal open under your feet. You fall right through it and land hard on the floor. You recognized this place; it was the dungeon where Jax was imprisoned. You spot a large empty throne. You rise on your feet and look around; you sense a presence behind you.

“I did not expect to fight in this tournament.”

You come face to face with an eight-foot-tall humanoid with four arms.

“Or that I would fight a mere Earthrealm girl.”

“Do not underestimate her, Goro. The lady Y/n is more than capable of defending herself. Especially since she comes from a line of soultaker wielders.” Shang Tsung appears from behind the throne. “I’ll make you a deal. Yield and Shao Kahn will grant you mercy. You can come to Outworld and live as a queen. We shall show you every pleasure.”

You narrow your eyes with disgust. “Is that how Shao Kahn got you to betray your world. I am not as weak or easily manipulated as you Shang Tsung.”

Shang Tsung narrowed his eyes, “A shame then. You will die tonight.”

Goro walks forward, “I will give you a warriors death, Earthrealmer.”

“Fight!” Shang Tsung announces.

Goro attacks you immediately, you try to dodge his every single attack. His strength and endurance are unparalleled. This fight was the most intense as it took everything in you to stay alive.

You whirl around and kick Goro in the back of the leg, making him fall to his knees. One of his four arms grabs you by your ankle. He throws you over his shoulder and slams you into the ground, hard. He decides to pick you up again only to slam you once more into the ground.

You feel the wind knocked out of you and your certain that something is broken.

Goro picks you up again only to fling you across the room, where you crash into the wall. You cry out in pain, as you fall face first into the ground. Yup something is definitely broken. The pain was excruciating. You heard the incoming heavy steps of Goro and for a moment you wanted this fight to be over.

Get up! You heard a voice within your mind. You must get up!

You feel a warmth on your tattoo that was located on your left rib. Your other soulmate tattoo. You groan as you push yourself up off the floor.

That’s it. Keep going. Do not give up.

You wobble as you try to stand straight, your legs felt like jelly. You put up your fist and state, “I can do this all day.”

Goro attempts to strike you, only for you to dodge his attacks. You jump up and kick him in the chest.

“Now Lady Y/N, you can do better than that. I will see the victor shortly. I have more pressing matters to attend to.” Shang Tsung disappears from the lair.

Your movements are fast as you kick and punch Goro. You move swiftly as Goro attempts to punch and stomp you. He brings down his four fists only for you to dodge by doing a triple backflip.

Goro sees you engulfed by green telekinetic power; in a speed of light you had turned the tables. It was Goro now who was in danger. You levitated in the air and kicked him repeatedly in the torso till he smashed into the column behind him.

You push off his chest so you the debris did not come down on you. Goro was however buried underneath the debris.

A few moments later, shooting out from underneath the debris, Goro let out a monstrous roar and charged at you. The perks of telepathy you knew what your opponent was going to do. Before Goro could bring down his monstrous arms on you, you quickly dodge his attack. From behind you unleashed your telekinesis on Goro.

In the Shang Tsung’s throne room, Raiden and the other Kombatants await the arrival of the victor. Raiden and Earthrealm warriors prayed you made it out alive.

[haematophiliac-a2]

// Rundown of RP events since I made Jax (And removed some events). If I missed something do tell me pls, or say if you wanna be included where we’ve RP’d. So going through all this the only mistake he’s made in Rocket is NOT HAVING A USB DRIVE ffs Skull gang. You ruined a perfectly good man.

RP - October 2018 onwards [Age 32, nearly 33] ⯈ Jax becomes more social with Rocket employees having simply focused on his work prior to this [RP begins]. ⯈ He is introduced to his own daughter [Hailey] after a phone call and begins to heavily drink, passing out on a friend's floor every night, as a way to cope with such news. He also misses work due to this.           Two weeks into drinking, the friend is sent by the boss to sort things and restrains Jax while he is passed out. When he wakes, said friend and he begin to talk. With Jax’s Rocket file in his hands, the friend reveals that it is he who had ensured the case of manslaughter at Jax’s hands never came to light. The guy also pretends to phone Jax’s psychiatrist and says he can come off his medication. Jax believes him and stops taking them that night. This was all a simple ploy to cause a little chaos by said friend.           He then makes a deal with the friend, signing a contract that all things will be sorted when it comes to his daughter. Unknown to him, as he didn’t read said contract as he was far too distressed at being restrained, the contract designates that the mother will be killed. ⯈ Jax is later one day working on call at the hospital in his usual paramedic job and is called to a car accident which turns out to be Hailey's mother. She dies in his arms.           He starts using drugs more than normal to cope with the emotions that appeared after he stopped his meds, plus the grief of losing a patient he once knew. He doesn’t even consider Hailey now has no mother.           He also starts to hear voices again and begins to believe his medication was to control him. ⯈ One day he accidentally hurts his friend Cyan by cutting too deep into his side while they were messing around. After this he loses the man’s trust and starts to spiral down into self hatred, which in turn has him taking even stronger drugs. ⯈ The voices grow stronger and start telling him to kill someone on his birthday. He can't ignore them and becomes rather depressed and recluse, completely unable to handle having emotions.       Eventually he listens and just after his birthday sets out on a mission to attack whoever he meets first which is a young woman he meets in a bar. They converse and she goes to his apartment where he assaults her.

2019

⯈ Without the medication his dissociation gets worse until he forms states of ‘fugue’ where he wanders without being conscious, waking up in random places. He puts this down to work stress and ignores it.     ⯈ He starts to attack people after drugging them when they meet in bars, usually by slipping something into their drinks or offering them something he says is something specific but isn’t. They then either go to cheap motels or fancy hotels depending on the severity of the assault from Jax; motels are for severe attacks where nobody will care and hotels are for lesser things. Often he doesn’t remember what he’s done when he’s done it. ⯈ He gets sent to Alola on a research mission and decides he will get over his slight addiction to drugs while there. During the various weeks he befriends the Skull Gang.       Soon enough he makes enemies of the gang, if from withdrawals causing him to act up or from generally being a nuisance, and ends up in a heated argument with Dosh’te, Skull’s admin. Dosh’te says Jax is just like every other Rocket and that shakes Jax to the core and causes him to feel guilt, ensuring he remembers bits and pieces of what he’s done to people. He breaks down and the next day tries to kill himself. He is discovered and his life saved and he spends two weeks in hospital where his emergency contact is Cyan, who soon arrives to the chaos of a fully fledged emotional Jax. It takes him a while to truly accept any help but he eventually calms down and soon returns to his job. ⯈ After a while his research is destroyed by Dosh'Te and Guzma as an act of revenge.       A Rocket Enforcer named Riku appears and beats Jax half to death as punishment which inevitably has Jax dissociating heavier where he then seems to forget what Riku has done when he regains consciousness. ⯈ Near the end of the year he meets a young woman named Bear and starts to manipulate her. They met at random and parted ways but Jax followed her thinking to attack her. However, somebody else gets to Bear first and so Jax attacks the assailant with a lead pipe, leaving him for death before boarding the train with Bear. He offers Bear a place to stay and things seem fine at first until he starts using her for whatever he can, including cooking and cleaning.           Bear is later coerced into joining Rocket as Jax thinks her useful for the cause, knowing he will get praised for recruiting such an usual person.

2020

⯈ After a year of chaos and refusing to see his psychiatrist, Jax is eventually medicated again. Said psychiatrist and Jax bump into each other and he is convinced to make an appointment. With insomnia and the likes plaguing him, he is put on heavier medication to calm him down and help him sleep. At first he doesn’t want to take it but eventually is coaxed into it by friends. ⯈ He kidnaps his boss's son, Silver, and keeps him prisoner for three weeks in a house he has rented just on the edge of the city in the suburbs. Silver is subjected to torment but is ensured to be kept alive with a supply of food and water. Yet one night, at home, Jax freaks out about the whole situation and releases Silver. ⯈ Moves apartments to a much nicer place, still in Celadon. ⯈ One day, his daughter approaches him and tries to shoot him but misses before running scared.          She later appears while he is on shift at the hospital and the pair get talking. They meet in a café after Jax has finished work and speak properly. He softens a little and they both agree they got off on the wrong foot. After that they exchange numbers but don’t contact each other. ⯈ He befriends someone called Seph while out and about and they both hit it off straight away and agree to meet more. Strangely he feels to be lured in by her and can’t stop thinking of seeing her more.         They do indeed cross paths several more times and Jax realises he actually enjoys being around her. At first he is appalled and panicked by the idea but soon, after both admit their allegiances, he calms to the idea.