#Joey and his plants

[itwasthereaminuteago]

Momma I wanna marry him

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[captaincalamity]

to be fair you can actively be the faggot america AND the redneck agenda

[burreauxsworld]

Can we please get dad Joe where the children snitch to him that someone’s flirting with mom.

Jealous!Joe , suggestive

~~~

Joe had a tiring practice today. All he wanted to do was come home to his girls, eat dinner, and relax. But when he arrived home, you and Charlotte were nowhere to be found. He sighed, remembering that you had to grocery shop today.

He took the unusual alone time to take a nice, long, hot shower. The steam and hot water helping relax his muscles. He wasn’t in the middle of getting dressed when he heard the garage open. After throwing on a hoodie over his shirtless torso, he jogged down the stairs.

Little Charlotte Burrow ran in through the kitchen door, smiling bright, looking for her favorite person, her daddy.

“Daddy!” She squealed as Joe rounded the corner into the kitchen. “Hi Princess!” Joe picks up his daughter and walks toward the garage, where his beautiful wife was, getting groceries out of her car. “Let me help,” Joe says, setting Charlotte back on her feet and grabbing the bags from you. You smile at him, and he plants a kiss on your lips.

“Hi baby”

“I really have to pee. I’ll be right back I promise” you assure your husband, before running into the house. Joe feels a gentle tap on his thigh. He looks down at his daughter. “What’s up princess?”

“I have to tell you a secret” she whispers, lifting her arms so that he’d pick her up. “Oh yeah? What’s the secret?” Joe asks, his curiosity spiking. Charlotte giggled a little bit before leaning toward his ear. “Someone told mommy she was pretty at the store”

Joe’s eyebrows shot up. “Really now?”

Charlotte nodded. “He also asked for her phone number, but mommy told him she was married” Charlotte continues. “He walked around with us for a little bit” Charlotte says. Joe knew he had nothing to worry about. You’ve been his since college, and you’re obsessed with him.

But he couldn’t shake the jealous feeling that bubbled in his stomach. You were his, and someone tried to swoop in on that? He wasn’t gonna let this go.

He carried the rest of the groceries in, and Charlotte ran off to play in her room. He walked toward the bathroom, and knocked on the door. “I’m almost done, I promise!” You call through the door.

“It’s me. I just wanna ask you something”

You open the door with a big smile, but gasp as you’re manhandled back into the bathroom, and pressed against the wall. Joe’s eyes a darker blue.

“Charlie ratted you out.” Joe says, and you roll your eyes. “She didn’t rat me out. It wasn’t a secret, I was going to tell you as soon as I was done in here” you explain, with a small laugh. “It wasn’t nothing, Joey, I promise. I have everything I could ever want right here” you assure him, but his jaw remains clenched.

“You’re mine.” He states. “All yours. Completely 100%” you agree. Joe’s lips capture yours in a heated kiss. “When she goes to bed, I’m gonna show you who you belong to, mama”

[joeyfranchise]

no one’s ever had me (not like you)

joe burrow x reader

description: after a tough week 5 loss in overtime, joe comes home to you angry and confused. you try to make him feel better and comfort him, letting him know you’ll always be there.

warnings: nothing too bad, but still MDNI. (makes me uncomfy.) lots of angry joe, a bit of fluff, semi-spicy kiss. mostly angst.

word count: 1.8k

note. hi hi! this is my first joe fic/blurb so i hope you guys enjoy it. sorry in advance that lowercase is my aesthetic. i used to get yelled at for it in elementary school. i love you guys. who dey!! (title & plot are lyrics from so high school, i love u mother taylor.)

pacing. you were pacing back and forth in front of the television in joe’s living room, watching the seconds tick down to end regulation time in the game. it took everything in you not to turn it off.

you watched as the minutes, seconds, milliseconds in overtime ticked by, hoping and praying your boyfriend and his team could pull out a win.

you felt your heart lurch as mcpherson went for the field goal and the ball wasn’t in the correct place. wide left. you knew it was over. you continued watching, frozen in place, as baltimore did everything they needed to do to score. they made it to field goal range, kicked, and won the game. your heart was hammering against your chest. your breath was coming out in short puffs.

after valiant efforts from joe and the rest of the team, the bengals once again took a loss at the very end of the game, something that kept happening to them this year. you knew joe would come home upset.

watching the post game interview was going to be something you dreaded today. joe took his seat and began talking to the interviewers, answering their repetitive questions and talking about what needed to be done to fix the team, what could use work next week.

you rested your head in your hands and blew out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. “oh, joey…” you whispered, seeing your boyfriend’s clearly upset glare on the screen. you couldn’t wait to see him when he got home, but you were unsure of what his mood would be.

after the interview was done, you turned the television off. ‘i could start some laundry’ you thought, at least that’d keep you busy until joe’s return home.

you made your way to his bedroom, which honestly felt like your room too, and gathered all the clothes that needed to be washed before taking them to the laundry room. you tossed the laundry into the machine and then added in your favorite scent beads and detergent before turning it on and closing the lid.

‘i can tackle dishes next’ you thought, heading for the large kitchen. of course you could’ve loaded them into the dishwasher, but something needed to keep you busy and washing dishes was always strangely cathartic to you.

you popped your earbuds in and started listening to your favorite playlist before tackling the chore. once dishes were complete, you vacuumed, watered a few plants, and made yourself a snack. finally the washer beeped, so you went to switch the clothes over.

as you were switching them, joe arrived home, pulling his sleek black car into the garage before locking it up and heading into the house. listening to your music and keeping yourself busy helped lift your spirits some, which you hoped would aide you when joe finally made it back.

when he didn’t greet you upon entering the house, you knew tonight would be a tough night.

you peeked your head out of the laundry room to check for a clear coast, and it was. tiptoe-ing your way down the hall, you made your way to the kitchen where joe still was, his back facing you.

you cleared your throat softly to get his attention, but he didn’t move. you could see he was scrolling through his phone, you worried he was reading negativity that was being spewed about himself and the team.

“joey?” you called, your voice sounded smaller than you intended.

“what?” he snapped, turning to face you. you flinched at the tone of his voice, taking half a step back. internally he berated himself for scaring you, but his post-game mood was too foul to turn off now.

“i know it’s silly to ask, but are you okay?” you question, looking up at him from across the room.

he ran his hand through his short blonde hair before blowing a snarky chuckle through his nose, scoffing at you.

“am i okay?” he snarked, locking his phone and shoving it in his pocket. “what a great question! you sound like the post-game interviewers!”

the bite in his tone was starting to affect you, but you didn’t want to leave him alone just yet. as much as it hurt, you knew what he needed in this moment was to let this anger out any way possible.

“talk to me about it.” you pleaded, walking toward him and placing a hand on his forearm. he rolled his eyes as a response. “c’mon joey, i know you’re mad but you can—“ you don’t get to finish your sentence before joe groans out in response, a loud “UGH!” before lobbing his water bottle at the wall. you’re shocked it doesn’t bust a hole through.

“what is there to say, hmm? what do you want me to tell you that the world doesn’t already think or know? we aren’t looking like a championship team right now. everything we’re doing is never enough for success, and here i am, 27 years old and being called washed up.” he chides, looking down at you. his voice booms across the room, making you feel only inches tall.

your expression drops, and you turn your gaze toward the wall as tears well up in your eyes. joe takes a small step toward you, his hands flexing at his sides. you can tell he wants to reach out to you, touch you, apologize to you for scaring you.

“i’m sorry.” he says softly, hanging his head. you’ll let him make the first move. he steps toward you again, bringing a hand up to your shoulder, testing the waters. when he sees that you’re still receptive to his touch, despite his atrocious attitude, he moves his hand to the back of your neck before pulling you into him for a hug. you instinctively reach up and wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him into you.

both of you stay like that for a few moments, just holding each other and feeling each other breathe. joe’s face is buried in your neck and your hand is scratching slow soft circles into his hair. you hear him sniffle and you pull away slightly, trying to get a view of his face. he looks up at you with red eyes, tears falling down his cheeks.

“joey, baby,” you comfort him, “it’s going to be okay. you’re going to be okay.” your heart breaks seeing him so upset.

he says nothing, but leads you out of the kitchen and to the living room so you can sit down together. he plops onto the couch and pulls you into his lap, burying his face again.

“i just feel like i’m failing them. i’m doing everything within my power, and it doesn’t seem like enough.” he rasps, muffled into your neck. you say nothing, knowing he needs to get this out. you run your hands down his biceps as a gesture for him to keep going, that you understand.

“the whole world thinks i’m a fluke. they think my play-calling is shit, they think i had one kick-ass college season and that i made it to the nfl and choked. when does it end, you know? we took our team to the superbowl and what happened? we lost. it just feels like i’m stuck in this rut and i can’t get out.”

you sit for a moment, processing what he said. his words hurt you, just as much as you know the thoughts hurt him.

“i hear you joey. i really do. but i have some things i’d like to say, if that’s okay.”

he nods, expectant eyes raking over your face. “i’d love to hear it, baby. please.”

“first of all,” you start, playing up your sass in an attempt to make him laugh, “you aren’t washed up. people who think you are most likely sit on their couches and rot all day long while you’re out here training and conditioning your body for the physicality of your job. i think you’re in your prime.” you pause, squeezing his biceps for emphasis.

“next, you can’t take all the blame. sure, you’re the leader of the team, but it doesn’t all fall on you. it’s very noble of you to do that, but you don’t have to shoulder it. you played your heart out today. you all did. i’m so proud of you.” you move your hands to his face, cupping his cheeks.

“lastly, fuck what the world thinks, joe. you know how good you are. i know how good you are. your parents know, your teammates know. other players in the league know. you’re incredible. you’ve got this, and after all is said and done i will be here. win or lose, i’m here, and i’ve got you.”

his eyes soften as you finish speaking. you don’t get a verbal reply. his hands reach up to cup your face, pulling you into him for a long kiss. his lips are soft against yours and it doesn’t take long before his hands are slipping up the back of your hoodie and rubbing along the exposed skin of your back.

your hands stay on his cheeks, loving the feeling of him being so close to you, his body pressed into yours. “i. love. you. so. much.” you tell him between pecks, feeling him smile into the kiss. one of his hands returns to your face and then tangles into your hair, tilting your head slightly as his tongue drags over your bottom lip.

he slowly slips his tongue into your mouth, gliding it against yours. after a moment, you pull away for air.

“thank you for that,” he smiles, stroking his hands down your arms, “for all of it. i needed that. i love you too. and i’m sorry for scaring you with my temper.”

“it’s okay, mine can be worse.” you jest, poking him in the ribs.

he pulls you down so you’re both laying on the couch before pulling his large cable knit throw blanket over you both. “let’s put it out of our minds, get takeout, and watch a movie.” you suggest, and he smiles in agreement. the two of you get cozy and pick your movie and dinner, remaining snuggled up on the couch as you watch and eat.

“you’re right, you know.” joe finally speaks again, as the movie nears its end.

“i usually am, but enlighten me.” you laugh, slipping your hand under his shirt and resting it on his abdomen.

“you’ve always had me. every turn, every bump in the road. every time i feel like i’ve made the biggest mistake, the biggest failure of my life. you’re there. you talk me through it and you put me in my place. no one’s ever had me like you have. i love you too, by the way.”

a soft smile spreads across your face as you reach up to stroke his hair again. “ditto baby, no one’s ever had me, not like you.”

he leans down and presses another soft, sweet peck to your lips. everything was going to be okay. you always had each other.

tags: @slimshiesty if you wanna be added, or if you have requests pls send me asks or dm’s! 💗

[tojisun]

something v silly and unserious but-

soap and gaz creating drama when they're bored; ghost gets hooked so fast, and price pretends he's not fazed. this week, the drama is about the regular baker in the corner street - gaz argues that he's never seen you before while soap says gaz is fucking lying. gaz goes as far as genuinely tampering with documents and records of your existence that it starts biting you in the ass.

("what do you mean i'm not- that's literally my name!"

"i'm sorry," joey says, but you and him both know he really isn't. not with the files on his desk 'proving' that your whole identity truly just doesn't exist.

hell, even your school records were drawing up blank. if it wasn't for your simmering anger, you would have drowned in the vast expanse of your paranoia.

"until this gets fixed, we have to let you go." joey gives you a pinched smile. "take care.")

("jesus, kyle," johnny murmurs as the two of them crowd kyle's laptop; they huddle in close when they no longer can hear you better from the bug they planted in the whole store. "how do we even fix this?"

"fix what?"

they jump, turning, before meeting the unimpressed look of their captain.

"hey...")

[midnight-els]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the West Wing would have been even better if they'd had a White House cat. Some headcanons bc I was thinking about it today:

Jed gave the cat a very grand, biblical name. Everyone else has shortened it to something very stupid.

Obviously all of the press and the public adore the cat. There's a minor upset in a polling themed episode when Joey confirms that once again the cat has higher approval ratings than the president. Josh is cross that they are polling on this at all.

There is one chair in the Oval Office that is The Cat's Chair. The staff know not to sit there as you'll get a. covered in fur and b. screamed at by an irate cat trying to force you off. They never warn any of their least favourite congresspeople about this.

The cat wanders around in the background of episodes, often being chased or petted by the extras.

The cat is not allowed in the situation room. The cat is always in the situation room. They had to come up with a special bug detecting protocol for the cat in case anyone tried to take advantage of this.

Ripped from the headlines plot about a congressional investigation into something related to the cat, based on the incident about Clinton's cat's postage.

The cat LOVES Air Force One. The Secret Service do not love having to get him on board or captured to get back off.

Leo and the cat are best friends. They're basically this meme. Leo's the grandma. Jed is the mom.

Aside from Leo, the cat loves the secretaries best. They always have lots of treats for him in their desks. Debbie is the only one he doesn't get on with; she has resorted to using a plant mister to spray him when he tries to get on her desk.

Josh thinks he and the cat are archenemies. The cat hasn't paid more than 2 seconds notice to Josh in his life.

CJ and the cat are archenemies. CJ was very pro-cat until she caught it fishing in Gail's bowl one day. Now she's at war to keep it out of her office. She's still trying to convince Danny to write a piece exposing the cat's dark side to its adoring public. Carol is very tired.

Sam wants so badly to be best friends with the cat. The cat thinks he's trying too hard. Will ends up exactly the same way.

Toby and the cat have never properly interacted and both are very happy to leave it that way.

The cat is supposed to stay in the residence during big events. Abbey stopped enforcing that after he got out and scratched Lord John Marbury when he picked him up against his will.

The cat has a secret service code name. One time, the code names are changed and an overenthusiatic reporter tries to break a story on the first lady's 'unusual activity' by following what he thinks is her code name. It's the cat's. CJ dines out on this for weeks.

The cat occasionally goes missing. The secretaries and Charlie have a recurring B-plot where they have to go and recover him. Somehow, the cat has always ended up somewhere relevant to the A-plot.

The cat properly goes missing after the incidents with the Thanksgiving turkeys and the goat in CJ's office (aka prime cat territory). Each time she claims she'll be nicer to the cat when it returns. Each time it lasts about two days.

Margaret thinks the cat has psychic powers and frequently provides warnings based on her interpretations of 'the signs'. Usually she's right.

The cat somehow makes off with the final edits for the state of the union one time (of course they were only handwritten on one piece of paper). Chaos ensues.

Jed tries to send the cat to Manchester partway through the series. After large-scale outcry from the staff, press and public he is returned to the White House. Unfortunately, after a couple of months as a barn cat he is even more badly behaved than before.

The cat is in both Jed and Abbey's official portraits.

[formulafics]

★ OSCAROO AND BABY CHRONICLES | OP81

Scenario: its the qatar grand prix race weekend, and baby piastri is making her first appearance at a race. (requested)

Pairing: oscar piastri x fem!reader

A/N: this was a CHALLENGE considering the lack of content involving oscar with kids, but i think it turned out okay! god bless girl dad oscar 🫶🏻

— SATURDAY: SPRINT RACE —

“There is our race winner,��� the commentator narrates as Oscar gets out of his car. Off comes his helmet, then his bevalavca. “Smiles all around for the Piastri family as his wife congratulates him,” he continues. You smile at Oscar, holding Joey with one arm as you embrace him. He wraps his arm around you, the other going around your daughter, careful not to hit you or her with the helmet in his hand. “You did so good, Osc,” you tell him, pressing a kiss to his cheek as you step back. Joey reaches out to Oscar, and he takes her into his hold, one of the Mclaren crew members taking his helmet and head piece off of his hands.

“There goes baby Piastri, into the arms of her father. What a sweet sight. Alright, post races interviews are hosted by Mark Webber, and we will see you guys in the cooldown room before that.”

— 🏎️

“Into the cooldown room we go and,” the commentator pauses, laughing at the sight, “There goes Joey, chasing down Oscar, as usual,” he says. Oscar smiles to himself, knowing his daughter is right behind him. Despite the adrenaline of winning the race, the Qatar heat had not been kind, and he decides do sprawl out on the floor, the cool ground soothing his hot skin. “Max joins Oscar on the floor, and as expected, there goes Joey, mimicking her dad,” the commentator laughs again as Joey lays down in the same position as Oscar.

— 🏎️

“I have to use the bathroom so bad, I can’t hold it,” you tell your husband, the pair of you laughing to yourselves as he ushers you off, taking your daughter once again. “Guess you’re doing the interview with me, Joey,” he tells her, planting a kiss to her head as he walks back out, Webber waiting. The older australian smiles, handing Oscar a mic. “Well, who’s this little lady?” Mark asks, despite being Joey’s godfather. It’s evident that he’s no stranger to the young girl, as a wife smile spreads on her face, chubby cheek’s prominent due to the action. Mark smiles and reaches out, tickling her arm. She giggles and curls into Oscar, instinctively tugging her hand away. Mark laughs, then turns his attention to Oscar for the actual interview, all while sweet his sweet little Joey is snuggled into him.

ynpiastri

liked by maxverstappen1, oscarpiastri, landonorris, mclaren, and 106,782 others

ynpiastri wowee, what a weekend. i’m so beyond proud of my love, @/oscarpiastri. you deserve this win, and so many more. i love you forever always. ❤️

also, congratulations lando on another pair of podiums, and max on your third wdc! love you guys. 🫶🏻

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maxverstappen1

maxverstappen1 thank you yn!

landonorris THANKS MUM! i love you too

⤷ ynpiastri your welcome, my child

⤷ rizzciardo i love yn and landos relationship so much

papayabull “wowee” i love when yn talks like oscar 😭

verstappensgirl THE PICTURE OF MAX AND JOEY OH MY GOD THIS HURTS I LOVE HIM

⤷ norrisnation in landos post race interview, you can see max holding joey in the background 💔

⤷ mclamg i saw that </3 it was so cute

papayamax yeah i’m gonna need about 4-7 business days to process the picture of max

⤷ papayabull GIRL i need a whole vacation to process all the content from this weekend

ynpiastri

liked by oscarpiastri, alex_albon, landonorris, maxverstappen1, and 167,892 others

ynpiastri a celebratory family dinner 🫶🏻 proud of my boys (and so is baby joey, as you can see)

view all 3,456 comments

ynpiastri @/maxverstappen1 i’m sorry i didn’t include you in the post 🥹 i made it before you showed up

⤷ maxverstappen1 no worries :)

oscarpiastri 🫶🏻 i love my girls

⤷ landonorris what about me? 🤭🤭

⤷ oscarpiastri no

⤷ papayabull LMFAO HELP OSCAR IS SO FUNNY

landonorris food was good im coming over every single day

⤷ ynpiastri okay bet i love having you over (and so does joey)

⤷ norrisnation JOEY LOVES LANDO ‼️ IM SOBBING

logansargeant please tell me baby piastri didn’t forget about me

⤷ ynpiastri no, she actually asked about you and was sad that you couldn’t make it </3 just means you have to be there for the next one!

⤷ logansargeant oh BET

cameforoscstayedforyn yn is so sweet :( the way she’s so close with logan lando and max is my most favorite thing

formulapiastri yn referring to lando and max as family is my roman empire.

⤷ ogformulaone THIS and mark webber being yn’s godfather

⤷ formulapiastri omg YES…and yn saying logan is family (in an interview a while back) 😭 baby piastri has such a good group of people to grow up with

All feedback is incredibly appreciated! Thank you so much for taking the time to read. 🫶🏻

general taglist | @renarots (shoutout to her for constantly fueling the brain rot for my fics) @jsjcue @illicitverstappen @lovstappen @minkyungseokie @harrysdimple05

[joeybsblackgf]

mdni, nsfw

take this as a peace offering because i haven’t posted anything in actual ages. i wrote this in like 30 mins btw 🤫

“is there anything i can do to make you feel better?” you asked him. you were sincere with your words, pretty eyes full of genuine concern. that’s why it made joe feel bad when the first thought that came in his mind was sexual.

so he replied, “no.”

you pouted at him, “are you sure? i could give you a massage or something or if you want me to leave you the fuck alone i can do that too.”

“why would i want you to leave me alone when you’re one of the only people who knows what i feel?”

you smiled, warmth spreading throughout your cheeks, “i don’t know…” you trailed. “i just know sometimes when i’m sad i don’t wanna be bothered.”

“you could never bother me,” joe said and then placed a gentle kiss on your temple.

there was a moment of silence before you spoke again, “so you’re sure you don’t want me to do anything? anything?”

you were hoping he’d get the hint. you were staring at him, those chocolate irises captivating his soul. your hands on his broad shoulders with your lips curved into a smile. you reached up to run your fingers through his hair, your nails scratching deliciously at his scalp. you missed doing this when he’d first buzzed it all off. joe leaned down to plant another kiss on your forehead. you could feel the air around you becoming thick with tension.

“actually i think you can do something for me,” joe agreed.

you smiled up at him, “what can i do for you, joey?”

“you really wanna make your man feel better?” he asked, coming closer to you pressing his body against yours. you nodded looking up at him with hearts in your eyes.

one thing led to another and you were on your back with joe digging in your guts so good all you could do is moan. he’d already dragged one orgasm out of you and was determined to get one more.

“look at me while i fuck you, princess,” joe said.

you did as told, staring into his eyes trying so hard to keep them open and not rolled back in unfathomable pleasure. you grabbed onto his biceps when you felt another orgasm threatening to breakthrough.

“are you gonna cum again, baby? i can see it all over that pretty face,” joe said, his voice strained like he wasn’t too far away from an orgasm himself.

your back arched off the bed when your second orgasm wracked through your body. your eyes fluttered closed in pure bliss, as your walls clenched around him so tight he almost couldn’t move inside of you anymore.

“i’m gonna cum,” joe whispered more to himself than to you. the moment the words left his mouth he was filling you up.

later after you were both calmed down and laying in bed you asked him, “do you feel better?”

“so much fucking better. thank you.”

[misojunnie]

KEROSENE 𖣂

there’s a fine line between delusion and reality.

jake sim was your boyfriend. park sunghoon was your best friend. neither knew about each other. you weren’t sure where your heart belonged, and you watch as your life begins to tear in half from the secrecy and guilt. but just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, an earth-shattering secret changes everything.

pairing: bf!jake vs. bsf!sunghoon x fem!reader

genre: psychological thriller, horror, love triangle (kinda… you’ll see)

warnings: violence/death, heavily implied mental illness, very psychological, cheating (?) ig, kinda hoon focused….(sorry), enha’s personalities and backstories are not a reflection of reality, it’s just a story

featuring: enhypen

playlist: it was only a dream by joey quinones, S.D.O.S by alex g, back to black by amy winehouse, somebody that I used to know by gotye, I was only temporary by my head is empty, only you (and you alone) by the platters

word count: 9.9k

taglist ! @enhacolor @jwnghyuns @adoredbyjay @theothernads @firstclassjaylee @dollschan @enreveriee @surrik-i @jwonistic @laurradoesloveu @laylasbunbunny @tmtxtf @shixna606 @kumiwon @heeaxvhhoon

network tags: @kflixnet @k-vanity @k-radio @enhypennetwork

see the trailer.

a/n: hello yall! sorry these fics are taking so long,,,pls still look forward to more, I got a couple lined up! and p.s., look for foreshadowing in this one ;) there’s lots of hints leading up to the plot twist! <3

The flames burned bright, and you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the crackling fire. The yellow and orange flames flashed like rubies, licking the dark sky, illuminating the beach as you watched them burn. It was like a dance, the way the fire swayed in the wind.

“You okay?” a voice broke you out of your trance as Jake planted a kiss on your cheek. You snapped out of it, smiling up at him as he reached for your hand, clasping it gently in his. He sat down on the sand beside you.

Jake Sim. A year older than you, the sweetest boy you had met in your entire life. He had sparkling eyes full of youth, a smile that could make angels sing, and a calmer temperament than anyone you’d seen in your 20 years of age. You were lucky enough to call him your boyfriend.

You had always been a rather quiet person, but Jake was the opposite. Talkative and popular, he had a seemingly endless amount of friends, many of which threw parties like the one you were at tonight. You grew to enjoy the nights spent at bonfires, house parties, the various celebrations Jake invited you to.

Many people thought you were polar opposites, but that was what made you perfect for each other. You didn’t make friends easily, but he was happy to share his. He wasn’t very emotional, but you didn’t mind coaxing him into confessing what he was feeling. He helped you come out of your shell, you helped him learn to love the peaceful moments. After all, they say opposites attract. And that was certainly true for you.

You had only been dating for a year and a half, but all your friends told you he was the one. And you were beginning to really believe it.

“I’m good.” you replied sweetly. You and Jake’s friends were laughing and dancing boisterously, but you didn’t feel like joining in on the fun. The fire was giving you plenty of company, and an unsettling feeling was creeping into your heart. Maybe it was the Halloween season, or maybe your doubts went deeper than that.

“I’ll sit with you then.” Jake offered kindly, wrapping an arm around your shoulder, and you leaned into him gratefully.

You were in love with Jake, you knew that. He was the first thing you thought of in the morning and the last at night, the main topic of all your conversations. He was sweet, thoughtful, smart, funny, and had every quality you ever wanted from a boyfriend. He was perfect, yet somehow, this didn’t feel right. Six months later, and you were beginning to have doubts. You had doubts in all of your past relationships, but none of them were as good as this one. Despite that, something was off. You could feel it.

For now, you tried to put it behind you, letting the fire and Jake’s warm touch comfort you as you watched the dancing flames.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

It was Sunday morning. You were looking forward to a day of no classes, and some alone time. While you loved being with Jake, you had spent everyday together for the past two weeks, and you were craving a little time to yourself.

It was a bit of a drive, but you suddenly wanted to go to your favorite bakery, picking up a fresh baguette to bring home, plus a few pastries for yourself. After that, you visited a nearby park, sitting on a bench alone.

You let the fresh air revitalize you, your hair floating in the breeze. There was hardly anyone in the park, the locals deterred by the fog and biting cold, but you had always enjoyed gloomy weather. You took a croissant out of the ribbon wrapped box, taking a bite and relishing in the peaceful feeling of being alone.

You closed your eyes briefly, and when you opened them, you were put out to discover someone standing before you.

He was extraordinarily good looking; it was the first thing you noticed about him. With his kind eyes, tall stature, and silky dark hair, he looked like an angel appearing out of the fog. He was standing a couple of feet away from the bench you were sitting at, looking at you directly with a soft smile.

“Oh,” you said, startled. “Hi.” You weren’t sure if you were supposed to address him, but he was clearly waiting to say something to you.

“Hi,” he replied. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just liked your shirt.” You looked down at yourself, completely forgetting about your ripped tee. You noticed his neat grey sweater and ironed jeans, wearing a thin silver chain around his neck, and you grew suddenly embarrassed about your messy outfit. He smelled of lilies and fresh paper, the kind of scent that came from a cologne but seemed to be natural.

“You like Amy Winehouse?” you asked, and he nodded excitedly.

“Love her. Valerie was my top song for like, three years in a row.” He seemed eager to share his love of jazz music, and if you were a little more of a senseless person, you could’ve fallen in love right then and there.

“What are the odds?” you said, not sure how to respond. He smiled. Then he held out his hand.

“I’m Sunghoon.” You laughed at the odd gesture, shaking his hand. His grip was firm, and his hands were warm.

“Nice to meet you, Sunghoon. I’m y/n.”

“Beautiful name.” he said kindly, and you blushed, which you would never admit. You were hoping this nice stranger only had friendly intentions; if not, you’d have to tell him to go away, and you were beginning to enjoy his sudden company. “Do you go to the college down the road?”

“No, I actually live in the next town over.” you nodded in the direction you had come from. “I just drove here to visit.”

“Alone?” you looked away in embarrassment, and he gestured to the bench. “Can I sit with you?” It was an odd request, and this was a total stranger, but he seemed nice enough. So you accepted, nodding your head. “So, what's so appealing about this little old town that you’d come all the way here?”

“My favorite bakery, and some much needed alone time.” you admitted, and he raised a brow. “I don’t get much time to myself these days.”

“That’s unfortunate. I have the opposite problem.” he said jokingly, and you opened your box of pastries, removing another croissant.

“Well, you have a new friend now.” you handed it to him, and he looked at the offer in surprise, before accepting it with a wide smile.

“Thanks, y/n. I could use a friend right now.” You smiled in response.

It was shocking how easy it was to get along with Sunghoon. Most of the time, you were horribly averse to meeting strangers; you didn’t know how to act, what to say, what to do. But speaking with him was smooth, it felt as if you’d known each other for years. It was almost concerning how familiar he seemed.

At the end of your conversation, when your phone started flooding with texts from Jake, you took your leave. You offered your number to continue talking, but he told you with regret that he didn’t own a phone, a rare and oddly endearing quality. You accepted, standing to walk away.

“Y/n!” he called after you, just as you were about to leave. You turned around, and he waved at you with a smile, his dark hair blowing in the cold wind. “See you around, okay?” You smiled back, waving.

You didn’t know if you’d ever see this familiar stranger again, but you couldn’t help but hope you did. You had never felt a friendship bloom that quickly, and you didn’t want to let go of it. But you would have to leave it up to fate, hoping you would see Sunghoon again soon, wherever or whenever that may be.

You walked away in a significantly better mood, your box of pastries in your hand. As you got into your car, you noticed the ajar lid, reaching to close it, when your brows furrowed. You opened it, noticing that not a single croissant was missing. Not even the one you offered to him, the one you watched him eat as you chatted.

You blew it off, shutting the lid firmly and turning on your stereo, blasting Amy Winehouse as you drove home to your boyfriend.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

Jake was taking you on a date. Between your busy schedules and booming social lives, it was infrequent that you had time for an actual date. Most of the time, your nights would end in cuddling sessions at your shared house, watching a movie or playing your favorite board games. But today, he had a late lunch reservation for your favorite fancy restaurant, and he insisted that you both dress up in your nicest clothes. You wondered if you had forgotten about an anniversary or event, but he assured you he just wanted to celebrate your relationship.

Sometimes, you wondered how you could’ve gotten this lucky.

You put on Jake’s favorite dress of yours, a red silk dress that reached just below your knees. You hadn’t found an event that suited it in a while, and you were excited to bring it out of retirement.

“You look beautiful.” Jake said, holding your hand as you walked through the streets together. You garnered a lot of attention, a couple as beautiful as you were. Passersby stared, whispering with envy at your youth and glamor.

“You’re being so sweet today.” you giggled, your fingers clutching a single red rose that Jake had brough you, one that matched your dress perfectly.

“We don’t go on fancy dates often.” He kissed your knuckles. “I wanted to make today special.” Your heart filled up with fire as you smiled at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Your lipstick lingered there, and you considered wiping it off for a moment, before deciding not to. You thought it suited him.

You were actually happy. Finding joy in relationships had always been hard for you; your brain decided to shut them down somehow. Whether going ghost, shutting down, even firing off a quick apathetic text, you found a way to escape your happiness. You weren’t sure why. But you were finally ready to retire from being a heartbreaker; Jake was really the only one you needed.

From behind your boyfriend, you caught a flash of something familiar. The scent of lilies, a grey sweater, silky black hair.

You craned your neck to get a better look, Jake watching you in confusion as you waited for him to turn towards you. He glanced at something, his face turning just a couple of inches, and it was indeed Sunghoon. His sharp nose, wide eyes, you’d recognize that face anywhere, it was the one you were hoping to see for days on end.

Jake followed your gaze, turning back to you in puzzlement.

“What are you looking at?” Upon his words, you shook yourself out of your trance, shaking your head with a smile.

“Oh, I just thought I saw someone I knew.” Jake nodded in relief, his grip on your hand growing a bit tighter as you continued to walk, Sunghoon left behind as the two of you fled the scene.

You wanted to reconnect with Sunghoon, but Jake was here, and he was more important to you. For now, you’d just have to hope that you’d see him again, in another time, another place.

As you walked away, Sunghoon turned around, his eyes following as you and Jake walked down the street, the red silk of your dress flashing under the afternoon sun.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

Jake was paying the bill for your meal. By now, the sun was beginning to set, fading slowly behind the horizon as the sky grew pink and orange. You had stepped out of the restaurant for a smoke break, waiting for him as you lit a burning cigarette. The flame of your lighter danced in the wind, swaying side to side before you put it out. Jake was trying to convince you to quit smoking, but old habits die hard, and you were craving a moment of peace.

Your eyes landed on the sidewalk, watching the fall wind sweep golden leaves across the pavement as you took another drag.

“You’re a smoker?” You startled at the sound of a sudden voice, but that surprise melted into delight when you saw who spoke to you.

“Oh, Sunghoon! I didn’t think I’d see you again.” He shrugged in response, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

“Must be my lucky day.” he replied, a smile on his face, one that you mirrored. You reached down to put out your cigarette, but he waved for you to stop. “No need to stop. I don’t mind.”

“Are you a smoker?” you asked, bringing it to your lips for another drag, and he watched you do so, seeming indifferent to your question.

“Not quite. But I don’t mind if you do it in front of me.”

“Most people hate it.” you chuckled, finishing your cigarette and putting it out on the sole of your heeled shoes. “I suppose the smell is a bit off putting.”

“I disgaree. I like the smell of smoke. It’s relaxing.” Sunghoon shrugged, and a smile grew on your face as you crossed your arms.

“I agree.” You found that it was, yet again, incredibly easy to talk to him. You’d only met twice, but you and Sunghoon already had a lot in common. Your taste in music, pastries, and your partiality to cigarette smoke were only a few of your many interests you’d discussed that seemed strikingly similar.

“So, what are you dressed up for?” he asked, and you were reluctant to answer. “Seems like a special occasion.”

“I suppose it is.” you said mysteriously, and he smiled. Glancing over your shoulder, you saw Jake’s dusty blond hair through the glass window as he collected his coat from the back of his chair. “I gotta go. But it was nice talking to you, again.” Both of you chuckled at that, and he stepped back to allow you room as you walked back to the door of the restaraunt.

“See you around.” he said, reminiscent of the first time you met, a grin on his face that almost looked childlike with eagerness. You smiled.

“See you around.”

And for the second time, you prayed that you would see your new friend again.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

After your recent encounter, you began seeing Sunghoon everywhere. In an empty aisle at the grocery store, the street behind your college, even in the area near where you lived. At first you considered that he might be following you, your meetings were so random and frequent, but he confessed at random that he didn’t live in the next town over after all. He lived in your town, not disclosing where, but telling you he was seemingly very close.

You began to enjoy your interactions with him more and more, your friendship growing stronger every day. You told him your genuine thoughts, and he gave you genuine advice. You didn’t often feel comfortable sharing things about yourself with people, but he weaseled his way into your mind almost concerningly easily. Other than Jake, he was the only person you felt like you could truly be yourself around. It was unheard of for you, knowing someone for only a month and feeling this comfortable around it. But you quickly transformed from strangers to the closest of friends.

Today was one of the lazy days where the two of you would lounge on the grass on your front lawn, sipping on coffee to warm yourselves in the cold. Well, you did; Sunghoon wasn’t fond of coffee. You had never invited him inside your house, it seemed too intimate of a line to cross while you had a boyfriend, who wasn’t home at the moment.

A boyfriend you still hadn’t told him about. But he hadn’t asked, so you assumed it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Are you worrying about something?” Sunghoon asked, laying on his back in the dewy grass. You were reading a book beside him while he stared at the gray sky.

“How did you know?” you asked, bemused, and he chuckled.

“I know everything going on in your head.” You nudged him in the shoulder, and he rolled over playfully, turning to his stomach.

“Maybe.” you replied vaguely, and he sat up on his elbows.

“What are you worrying about?” You didn’t respond.

You wanted to tell him about Jake, you really did. It’s not like you were embarrassed, or you wanted to hide him. You loved Jake, you’d be proud to tell anyone that. But you had this creeping feeling that it would affect your friendship, that Sunghoon wouldn’t be fond of knowing about him. Not in a romantic sense, no, you knew Sunghoon had no feelings for you, just as you had none for him. It was just a sinking dread.

“It doesn’t matter.” he said after a minute, rolling back onto his back, looking up at the sky as the clouds moved through the mist. “I bet I already know.”

“And why would you know?” you asked, your voice amused as you turned the page of your book. He grinned, but you didn’t see it.

“I told you. I know everything going on in your head.”

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

You were acting differently, and Jake could tell from a mile away.

He knew you, and he knew your heart. He could tell when something was bothering you, when you were unusually excited, he detected every minor shift of emotion. But lately, he couldn’t put his finger on what was happening.

You were spending less time with him. You used to be one of those inseparable couples that spent all their time together, but now you were ditching him for study sessions, meetings with friends, excessive alone time. You barely shared things with him anymore; it was like your emotions were all dried up by the time you got home. You were affectionate, but it seemed thoughtless. Jake didn’t want to pry into your business, but he knew he had to find out the cause of your sudden change.

Because not only did Jake know when your emotions changed, he also knew when you were lying to him.

You had just left for a day to yourself, and Jake grabbed his keys from the coffee table, running to his car once he knew you had left for certain. He didn’t want to follow you, that was for certain, but he was terrified that the secret you were keeping from him was big. Maybe as big as infidelity.

His old car crept around the corner, slowly following you from the back of the empty street as you walked. Your headphones were in, and he prayed you wouldn’t turn back and recognize his car. The pit in his stomach grew enormously when you turned the corner, heading towards the busier streets. He followed.

Jake parked, watching with suspicion as you walked into a busy coffee shop. He leaned over the wheel from across the street, squinting his eyes to make you out from the crowd as you sat down at a small table, your coffee table.

He stayed there for nearly an hour, just watching. Waiting for someone to come meet you, a man, as he feared. But nobody came, just you alone at that small table, sipping your coffee.

He sighed, turning his car back on, a flood of relief and guilt consuming him as he pulled out of his spot, heading back home. Maybe you weren’t cheating, maybe you weren’t lying to him. He drove back home, his knuckles blanching as he gripped the wheel tightly, turning back onto your street.

But despite his relief, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

It was day 365 of knowing Park Sunghoon. The year had gone by in a flash, but it seemed almost too short. To you, it felt like you had known Sunghoon your entire life.

You spent a lot of time together. Attempting to fit him and Jake into your schedule proportionately had proven to be hard, but Sunghoon always managed to show up when you least expected it, yet exactly when you were thinking about him. Sometimes you wondered if he could read your mind, he knew you so well.

365 days had passed, and he began feeling more like your best friend with every day.

Today, you were at the park you first met at. Coincidentally, you had happened to be craving your favorite croissants, and Sunghoon, who conveniently showed up to your dorm just beforehand, had come with you. Now, you were sitting on a park bench, croissants in hand, eating and chatting as the sun began to set.

Dozens of people walked by, but they didn’t seem to pay any attention to either of you. As you watched a pair of twenty-something girls walk past, you wondered why girls never noticed your exceptionally handsome best friend. Maybe getting a girlfriend would be good for him. You wanted him to experience the same happiness that you had with Jake, who you were realizing you hadn’t seen in a while.

“Why don’t girls ever notice you?” you said without thinking, and Sunghoon snorted, setting down his croissant.

“Gee, thanks.”

“That’s not how I meant it.” you said defensively, and he smiled in amusement. “I mean, you’re tall, handsome, sweet. Girls should be all over you.”

“Well, you’re not.”

“That’s different.” you said cynically. “I’m your best friend.” He looked at you seriously, and you shrugged. “What?”

“Nobody knows I exist except for you.” You met his serious gaze, before laughing, and he smiled in response.

“You’re so weird.”

“I’m totally serious. Nobody notices me but you.” It was a strange thing to hear, but it was seemingly true. When you were with Sunghoon, nobody really seemed to notice him, to even see him. He was enormously skilled at fading into the background, going unnoticed by passersby. As he had told you, you were the only friend he had, which only made him more endearing in your mind. You had always had issues making friends, and with your main company being your outgoing boyfriend, it was nice to know someone who went through the same struggle.

Sunghoon was Jake’s complete opposite; he was much more like you. His dark hair contrasted Jake’s dusty blond. He was calm and quiet with a strange sense of humor, not constantly joyous and amused like Jake. In moments when Jake would’ve laughed, he frowned. When Jake would’ve frowned, he laughed.

“And why is that?” you finally replied, and he smiled mysteriously.

“That’s for you to find out.” You snorted, shouldering your bag as you got to your feet, brushing off your pants. “Going somewhere?”

“Yeah, I should start heading home.” you said, checking the time on your watch and disappointed to see it was 7:45. You had plans with Jake at 7:30, and he wasn’t going to be pleased if you were any later than you already were. “Do you need a ride?” Sunghoon shook his head, leaning back against the bench as he looked up at you.

“No. I’ll make my way home.” You cocked your head at him, chuckling as you turned around, waving him goodbye.

“Suit yourself.” you said, and he waved at you as you walked down the street towards your parked car, a few blocks away, eager to get home to Jake before you miss more of your quality time. As you walked, you turned suddenly, gazing down the street at the park bench you had been just a moment before.

Sunghoon was gone.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

“You’re late.” Jake grumbled as you met him outside your home, a sheepish grin on your face. His hands were on his hips, but his disgruntled attitude faded when you pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek, and he rested his hands on your waist. “What took you so long.”

“I got caught up with a friend. I hope I’m not too late.” you said, and he smiled, taking your hand as he led you down the driveway onto the sidewalk.

“Better late than never. Ready to go?” you nodded, and you began to walk, heading towards your favorite diner. You both had cars, but you preferred to walk. It allowed for more talking, more eye contact, more intimacy. It felt more real.

“You look really handsome today.” you said, pressing a hand against Jake’s cheek as he immediately grew warm at your compliment. Two years after you’d started dating, and sometimes you still made him feel like a schoolboy with a crush. He smiled with lovesickness.

“Mm, really?”

“Really.” you said, and he pressed a kiss to your lips, your hands swinging together in unison as you held them all the way to the middle of town.

You knew you loved each other, more than anything in the world. And virtually nothing could make you doubt that, or doubt each other. But what you didn’t know was that someone was watching you.

Sunghoon stared unrelentingly as you and Jake walked together. He walked twenty paces behind or so, his footsteps silent, so soft that not even grass bent upon him stepping on it. He watched as you talked, laughed, kissed, reveled passionately in each other's love. It was enviable, he thought.

As you shifted onto busier streets, he followed. Not a single passerby or stranger turned to look at him, nobody noticed as he weaved intricately through the busy crowds, following you and Jake who stumbled through them clumsily. He went completely undetected by everyone, even by you and your boyfriend. He was right when he said nobody noticed him but you; outside of you, his existence meant absolutely nothing.

He watched from outside the diner as you and Jake sat by the windows, sharing a milkshake with two straws like the cliche you were. You assumed Sunghoon didn’t know about your boyfriend; in fact, you’d been purposefully keeping it from him. But of course he knew about your boyfriend, as well as his name, as well as everything else there was to know about him. Sunghoon knew everything about you, and that even included your cheesy, hopelessly romantic boyfriend. As you laughed at Jake’s milk mustache, you looked happier than you’d ever been. Sunghoon frowned.

He knew he had to shut down that happiness somehow, he just wasn’t sure how to. Yet.

He eventually grew tired of seeing you smiling at your boyfriend, sharing meals and stories as the two of you laughed. It began to rain, but the falling droplets never touched his head, and he turned around to walk back home, to wait for you.

To wait for the next time you called for him.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

Burn.

Burn.

Burn.

Let it all burn.

You awoke with a start, sweat matting your hair to your forehead. You sat up in bed, wiping the sweat off your face, looking beside you, flooded with relief when Jake was sleeping beside you peacefully.

You were having a nightmare. Your house was on fire and it was raging, the flames seemingly reaching the heavens as it slowly burned to a crisp. The fire was pulling you in, and for a moment you almost walked inside the burning building, until you heard Jake screaming. You snapped out of whatever trance you were in, running to the front of the house where the sound was coming from. In your front yard, Jake was bleeding, pools of blood surrounding him as he went still. And standing above him was Sunghoon, a bloody smile on his face as he slowly turned to you.

The image of his evil expression was burned into your memory, and you shook your head, carding a hand through your hair as you checked the time on the clock. It was 3:00 in the morning, but you knew you couldn’t go back to bed.

You crept out of bed as quietly as you could, careful not to wake your sleeping boyfriend as you pulled a sweater over your pajamas, walking down the stairs as they creaked, the sounds muffled underneath your slippers.

The cold morning breeze bit at you as you stepped out the front door, careful to lock it behind you. You were hoping a walk and a cigarette would help to clear your mind and calm you down.

You weren’t the type to be freaked out by nightmares, but this one felt hauntingly real. You could feel the warmth of the fire as your house went up in flames, the pure fear as Jake’s screams rang through the empty night. You tried to ignore it, lighting a cigarette and propping it in the corner of your mouth as you wandered the streets.

In your mindless wandering, you found yourself at a grassy park, ten or so streets down from your house. Nobody was here at this hour, and you walked through the trees and playgrounds until you reached a grassy hill that contained a familiar face.

You raised a brow in surprise as you watched Sunghoon sitting at the top of the hill, his back resting against a tree as he read a book, flipping the pages casually.

“What are you doing here? It’s 3 am.” you called to him, taking a drag when he turned to look at you and smiled.

“I don’t sleep.” he replied, his attention shifting back to his book. You climbed the hill slowly, your cigarette propped in your mouth as your slippers grew stained with the green dewy grass.

“What are you, a vampire?” you joked, sitting down beside him when you reached the top. You were hesitant to talk to him after your dream, but you did regardless, his hand reaching out to take a hit from your cigarette, his smile just as vivid as it was in your nightmare. You tried to brush it off. It was just a dream, after all.

“Not a vampire, no.”

“What are you reading?” you asked, and he shut the book, showing you the cover.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” he replied, and you nodded at him, impressed as you took your cigarette back from his hands.

“Ken Kesey. Nice.” He shrugged.

“It’s interesting. The main character hallucinates all kinds of shit.” You snort.

“I’ve read it.” He smiled, tucking the book away behind him. That smile, which had once seemed so pure, seemed malicious through the lens of your dream.

“I know.” You both grow silent, the sound of burning ash and your breathing being the only sounds in the quiet morning. The two of you watched the grass sway in the wind, completely undisturbed by the presence of other people.

“We run into each other a lot.” you said finally, Sunghoon turning to look at you. You were pensive, your cigarette burning out in your hand until the ash reached your fingers, and you crumbled it in your hand. “Do you sometimes wonder if we can read each other’s minds?” Sunghoon leaned back, closing his eyes against the breeze.

“I’ve never wondered that. I’ve always known it.” You looked at him, your brows drawn as you nudged him with your elbow, him laughing in response.

“You’re pretty strange, you know.”

“You’re pretty strange too. That’s why we like each other.” You couldn’t argue with that, so you didn’t. You just leaned back against the trunk of the tree, your shoulders touching as you and Sunghoon sat in silence, watching the sun slowly rise in the horizon.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

Jake was saying something to you, but you weren’t listening. Lately, you’d been having a hard time focusing on just about anything.

Your nightmare was persisting, coming back to haunt you every night. Ever since that first dream, your mind had been preoccupied with the image of that fire. The fear you felt in your dream crept up on you in your waking hours, the image of Sunghoon’s face burned into your eyes every time you closed them. And it certainly didn’t help that he’d been showing up more than usual, taking more of your time away from things that mattered, like the man in front of you.

You found that you were thinking about Sunghoon more than often. For the past year, he had been your best friend and nothing more, but now, you weren’t sure. His silky hair and mysterious smile kept you up at night, and the gleaming blood on his face as he smiled woke you up in the morning. There was something about him; you couldn’t explain it, but he drew you in just as strongly as that fire in your dream. And the guilt you felt for thinking about him so often was doing nothing to improve your mood, or your relationship.

“Y/n? Are you listening?” Jake asked frustratedly, snapping in your face. You came out of your trance, startling awake as you dropped the tea bag you were holding, the one that had been steeping in your tea for more than a couple minutes now. You threw it into the trash, your angry boyfriend following you as you sat down at the dining table. “I swear you don’t even listen to me anymore.”

“I’m trying to, Jake.” you said, running a hand through your hair. You didn’t even remember what you had been talking about, why he was mad at you in the first place.

“For the past week, you’ve barely spoken to me,” he said. Jake was rarely angry, almost never, but you could hear the resentment in his voice. “You don’t even look at him half the time when we’re together.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” You felt hazy.

“Where are you going at dawn every morning?” Your gaze snapped to him, and his eyes were filled with a flurry of emotion; hurt, anger, sadness. “Every morning, you wake up at 3:00 and leave. You think I haven’t noticed?”

“I’ve been having nightmares. They wake me up.” you dismissed him, taking a sip of your tea and finding it had grown cold during your argument.

“You’re not cheating on me?”

“God, no, Jake.” you said, rubbing your forehead in frustration. “I’m just…I’m just confused right now.”

“Then please, tell me what’s going on!” he said, gesticulating in annoyance. “You won’t even speak to me lately. We used to talk all the time.” You considered telling him about Sunghoon, but this was not the time, nor place. It would only make him angrier, and you hated fighting with Jake more than anything.

“I can’t have this conversation right now.”

“Well, when are we going to have it? I mean, do you even love me anymore? You’ve been avoiding me nonstop.”

The past you would’ve fled, would’ve told yourself that this wasn’t worth the conflict and decided to run. You were used to running, but you were tired of it. The new you loved Jake, and you would get through whatever was stopping your relationship, regardless of how hard it was. And you knew you were the one to blame.

“Of course I love you. I’m sorry.” you said, standing up and abandoning your tea on the table. “I’m just going through a weird spot right now, and it’s hard to explain.” You placed a hand on Jake’s face, and he immediately softened. “Soon, I’ll tell you everything. I promise. I’m just in my own head right now.” He put his hand over yours, smiling tightly but accepting what you said, despite how much it hurt his heart to see you struggle in silence.

“Okay. Okay, that’s fine.” He pressed a kiss onto your hand. “And next time you have nightmares, please, wake me up. I’m happy to keep you company in the morning when you can’t sleep.” You smiled, kissing his cheek as you released him, grabbing your mug of tea and dumping it in the sink.

“How did I get so lucky?” Jake grinned at that, walking with you to the kitchen just to hold your hand, walking you to the living room as the two of you cuddled up on the couch together.

You tried to put it out of your head, but something was off. That little, self-sabotaging part of your brain was screaming, begging to be released, and you knew that somehow, it would manifest itself eventually.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

Burn.

Burn.

Let it all burn.

Flames were eating away at your bed, and you stood in the doorway as it burned. The fire consumed the walls, your house and all its belongings being consumed by golden flames licking the sky with their enormous size. You watched as your closet, then the bed sheets, then the clock on your nightstand table reading 3:00 am. The fire spread until your room was consumed whole. The house was burning down. And there was nothing you could do to stop it.

“Wake up!” a voice screamed, and you recognized it to be Jake’s through your trance. “Y/n, wake up!” You were confused, turning around to see him behind you, tugging at you, shaking your shoulders with vigor. There was desperation in his eyes, his eyebrows drawn as he shouted at you, desperately pulling, but you wouldn’t budge.

Shouldn’t he be dead by now? This wasn’t how the dream was supposed to go.

“Y/n, wake up!”

Something snapped, and suddenly you were awake, but the house kept burning. Wrathful fire ate away at the furniture and your bed, the walls beginning to collapse in on themself as the house moaned with the effort of keeping itself upright. The house shook, the walls caving in, Jake standing behind you in his pajamas, shocked awake, desperately trying to pull you away.

“Please, we have to get out! Now!”

“This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.” you murmured, still in a sleepy haze. “Am I dreaming?” But it didn’t seem like a dream, no, it was all too real. Your house was on fire, and you began to cry, tears streaming down your face as you stared at your burning bedroom, paralyzed with grief.

Jake pulled violently on your arm, leading you out of the bedroom and through the house. It was full of fire, your staircase burning the bottoms of your feet as you both ran to the front door, flames licking your skin until you finally made it outside.

“What just happened?” you asked, your voice trembling as you both watched your house burn down, the framework being the only thing left. The fire let out a roar, the roof creaking before it crashed in on itself, the walls crumpling to the floor. The flames ate at the grass, igniting your yard and everything around, the ravenous fire slowly spreading across the ground. Somehow, only your house was the one ignited. Nothing else. “How…how did this happen?”

“I don’t know.” Jake replied mournfully, and you began to cry, your shoulders shaking as sobs wracked through your body, and Jake held you close, tears running down his cheeks as well.

You both watched the house you had so dutifully loved, and the relationship you’d made inside of it, burn to the ground, turned to ash and dust. It was all lost. And you knew it had something to do with you, the dreams you’d been having.

Somehow, you had this creeping feeling that the man with the bloody smile, the man who haunted your dreams, was at fault.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

The police said the fire was likely due to a pilot light and an excess of gas, some logical, reasonable explanation, but you weren’t listening. Jake was nodding along to their long-winded speech, but you were staring off into the distance, eyes zoned out on the wall of the police station where you sat.

You felt Jake grasp your hand, his thumb rubbing circles on your skin, but you were too enraged to even feel it. Sunghoon was at fault for this. You knew it. Your brain had been warning you, sending you fire-filled nightmares until they finally became reality. It was his fault. It was his fault.

And you were going to find him.

“Smoke break.” you muttered when your boyfriend and the police looked at you questioning, standing up in the middle of their explanation with your fists tightly clenched. You strode out, Jake covering for you, telling the police you were a smoker, you were stressed, all the things they wanted to hear. Their voices went silent as the door closed behind you and you walked right out of the station, not sure where you were going but knowing you’d run into him somewhere. You always did.

“Are you looking for me?” Sunghoon said, and you shrieked at the sound of his voice, startled. You had walked nearly five streets away, to that empty park you had seen him in just a couple of days previously, and there he was, sitting against the same tree at the top of the hill. You slowly walked up to him.

“Sunghoon.” your voice trembled as you spoke, with anger or fear, you weren’t sure. “Was it your fault?” He cocked his head at you, shutting his book.

“Was what my fault?” You shook your head at him.

“You know what I’m talking about. You always know. So tell me, was the fire your fault?” For a minute he didn’t respond, until his lips spread into a crooked grin, and you felt a shiver of fright run down your spine. You had never been scared of Sunghoon, not since you met him that day on the street, but now you felt pure fear when you looked into his eyes. That haunting smile had come to life, from your dreams into your reality, and although there was no blood, you could feel it in the way he looked at you.

“You ruined everything.” you said quietly, your shoulders trembling. “My house is gone. Burned to the ground.”

“C’mon, don’t tell me you actually cared about that house.” He stood, and you backed away from him, stumbling down the hill as he pressed towards you. “Or is it Jake that you’re really worried about?”

“What?”

“Don’t play games. I know about your boyfriend, I’ve known since the day we met.” You never told him about Jake, you were certain you had never slipped up.

“Have you been following me?” you asked, confused and frightened, and he smiled again, that same bloody smile.

“I don’t need to. I told you, I know everything about you.”

“I’m done with this. You’re crazy.” you said with finality, dizzy with rage and fear as you turned and walked away from him, your slow pace turning into a run as you sought to be as far from him as possible.

“No, I’m not. You are.” he called after you, but you didn’t hear it, running against the wind as the sun just began to come up, peeking over the cloudy horizon.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

You didn’t see Sunghoon for a while after that. You and Jake rented a studio apartment at the edge of town, it being the only thing you could afford after you lost all the money that was tied up in the house. You were both depressed, but at least you were together.

Sunghoon’s actions weighed heavy on your mind. You didn’t tell Jake that he was the one to blame for the fire, you were afraid of how he would react. If you revealed you had been keeping Sunghoon a secret for this long, he might blame you for the house burning down, and where would you go from there? You had already lost your best friend, and you weren’t willing to lose your boyfriend too.

“There’s something you’re not telling me.” Jake said quietly. He was sitting on the couch, head in his hands, as he usually did when he had nothing to distract him. “You’re keeping something from me.” You didn’t respond, because you knew he was right. You were keeping something from him, something enormous, and it was eating away at you. “You won’t talk, you’re smoking more than usual, you’re withdrawn-”

“My house just burnt down, Jake.”

“It was my house too.” he said sharply, and you didn’t reply. You could feel a distance growing between you and Jake, getting wider with every day, and you didn’t know how to fix it. You were desperate to resolve this issue, but how could you tell him that you were to blame for the fire being lit?

“Tell me about your nightmares.”

“What?’ you said, your brows lifting in surprise. He looked up at you, his eyes pleading with you for any kind of response, something he could work with.

“You said you were having nightmares. Tell me about them.”

You didn’t want to, not at all, it would make you have to explain everything to him. But you owed him that, so you sat beside him. And you told him.

“Our house burnt down in your dream? Every night?” he asked, in shock that you could’ve predicted what happened. “And I died?”

You swallowed down your guilt. You kept out the part where Sunghoon was the one to kill him, just saying he had died somehow, but lying to him out loud felt much more horrible than just keeping things from him.

“Yeah. I don’t know why, it just happened.” You expected him to yell, to blame you, to say anything, but he didn’t. He just nodded, like he understood, and you heaved a breath of relief.

“Okay. Okay, I get it.” He abruptly stood, grabbing his keys, and you looked at him with confusion. “I’m going on a drive to clear my head. I’ll be back.”

As he said it, he walked out the door, and you prayed that he was right, that he really was going to come back.

After all the occasions of lying to him, it was Jake’s turn to lie to you. He attemped to keep the wheel steady as he searched for a psychologist, anyone who might be able to give him an answer about what was going on with you. He felt guilty, but that guilt began to slowly disappear as he pulled into the garage of a towering building, walking into the lobby and attempting to find someone who could help him. The secretary led him into a white room, a man sitting at a desk who smiled at him warmly, a kind gesture he was happy to receive.

“Jake? Sit down.” the man said, and Jake sat. “I’m Dr. Yang, but you can call me Jungwon if that makes you more comfortable.”

Jake nodded nervously, looking around the room, scared of the stale, white appearance. It was frightening, an unfamiliar territory that felt foreign to him. He felt like he was selling you out, like he was putting your fate into the hands of another person, but he couldn’t help it. He knew he had to do something.

“So,” Dr. Yang said, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair. Jake gulped with anticipation, a mix of fear and guilt running through his veins as the psychologist’s judging eyes landed on him, narrowed. “Tell me about your girlfriend.”

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

You were wandering around town, as you had often been doing. It’s not like you had anything better to do, with Jake busy and your mind distracting you from getting any work done. There was a flurry of thoughts running through your head, a synthetic blur of fire, blood, and everything you wanted to suppress. It was overwhelming you.

You were on an empty street. You found that lately you wanted to avoid running into other people. You didn’t want to hear their conversations, see their judging eyes, no, you wanted to be alone.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” Sunghoon said, and you nearly jumped in fright. His ability to seemingly come out of nowhere was jarring, and it was beginning to frighten you. Not only did he appear whenever you wanted to see him the least, he always knew exactly where you were. Every minute of the day, down to the exact location. How was that possible?

When you recognized him, you narrowed your eyes, turning away and walking as fast as you could. With long strides, he easily caught up to you.

“What? Are you ignoring me?

“I don’t want to see you ever again.” you spat back at him, and he seemed amused by your vitriolity, eyes crinkingly up into humorous crescents.

“Oh, don’t you get it?” he smiled, and you felt that same fear run up your spine, the fear you felt when you first confronted him about lighting the fire. With every day, he was becoming more like the man you saw in your dream and less like your best friend. “You can’t get rid of me.”

“Please, just go away.” you said, your angry voice tinged with desperation, pleading with him to leave you alone so you could return to the peaceful life you used to have, and for a moment, it looked like he almost pitied you.

“Why? Did I cause problems between you and Jake?” You whipped around, furious that he was still able to read your mind in moments like this.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

“So I was right. I am causing issues between the two of you.” he seemed happy at the prospect of his meddling, and that only made you more concerned, watching the way his smile grew. “Exactly as I expected.”

“Stay away from him.”

“I can’t guarantee that.” He was the exact vision you saw in your dream, smiling with malice and hatred like you had never seen in a human face. You feared for Jake’s life. If Sunghoon had managed to make your fiery nightmare come to life, who was to say he wouldn’t kill Jake as well? Maybe your mind was trying to warn you about him, to tell you what he was going to do next.

“Please, don’t hurt him.”

“Don’t worry. If he dies, it won’t be me that kills him.” You didn’t understand what he was saying and you didn’t want to, so you walked away, refusing to speak as tears began running down your face. Luckily, this time he didn’t follow. You turned to see him staring at you, that smile on his face.

Maybe you were to blame, for blindly trusting a stranger. Sunghoon had managed to worm his way into your brain. He knew you inside out; your behavior, your thoughts, he almost knew you better than you knew yourself. He was living inside your mind. He had infected every part of your life, even your dreams, and you were suddenly wishing that you had never let him sit down next to you on that bench a year ago.

When you looked back at him again, he was gone.

You ran back to your apartment as quickly as you could, praying that Jake was back from his drive. You were relieved to see him safe and sound, sitting on the couch. But something was off; he was staring at the wall, completely silent, his eyes glazed as he clutched a half-empty beer in his hand.

“Jake?” He turned to the sound of your voice. “Is everything alright?” He didn’t respond for a minute, like his brain was processing your question.

“I’m fine.” he said after a moment, turning back to the wall, staring at the peeling wallpaper with rigor. Unable to turn his attention to you.

That night, you went to bed with a heavy heart and a buzzing brain. You were grateful to see that Jake had climbed into bed next to you as usual, but you were much too scared to sleep, no, you were afraid to even close your eyes. You watched the new clock beside your bed as the hours flew by, and suddenly it was 2:30 am. You still hadn’t fallen asleep.

You buried yourself further under the covers, Jake’s light snoring comforting you as you tried desperately to get to sleep. But your mind was racing. It was a flurry of images, most of them Sunghoon. You rolled over towards your bedside table, reaching for the bottle of sleeping pills your boyfriend had bought you in hopes of easing your vivid nightmares. You popped one in your mouth, swallowing it dry before you closed your eyes, praying for the sweet feeling of sleep.

As you drifted off, you stared into the image of Sunghoon’s bloody face carved into the back of your eyelids.

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

You awoke with a start. The house was completely silent, no evidence of anything that could’ve woken you from your sleep, but you were on high alert. Your heart raced as you looked around the room, falling on the empty space next to you in bed. You immediately sat up in bed, searching the room with your eyes.

“Jake?” you whispered, and heard no response. You slowly got up, your feet padding softly across the floor as you came around the bed. As you stepped forward, you felt your skin grow wet. When you looked down, you were horrified to see the source.

Blood. Red and thick streaks of it running across the floor, leading from your bed to the door to your bedroom, which was slightly ajar. The door you remembered firmly shutting before you went to sleep.

Your heart felt like it was burning in your chest, buzzing with fear as you followed the trail of blood, a sob escaping you when you saw it ran down the staircase, and you clapped a hand over your mouth.

“Jake?” you said again, calling out for him, your voice breaking as it rang empty in the night. He didn’t reply. You dialled 119 on your phone, your hands shaking as it rang. “Hello?”

“119, what’s your emergency?” a voice answered on the other side, and you trembled, slowly descending the blood soaked stairs.

“There’s blood all over my house. I…I think someone killed my boyfriend.” you said, your voice cracking as you broke into a sob, clapping a hand over your mouth to silence yourself. “Please, please hurry.” You followed the blood further, a horrible, debilitating sense of deja vu striking you as it led to the front yard. You prayed this wasn’t true, that it was just another cruel dream, but it felt as real as anything.

“We’re sending units to your location. Stay where you are, we’ll be there soon.” You wanted to listen, to follow instructions, but you dropped your phone, the call ending when you saw what was waiting for you in the front yard.

The closer you got, the more you could see that it was Jake, laying in the grass, his mouth and eyes open in a silent plea. His right fist was clenched shut, and he was covered in blood, and you abandoned all caution to run to him, collapsing onto the ground, blood wetting your dress and your hands as you cradled him in your arms.

This couldn’t be true. You’d had this dream over and over, night after night, but you never thought it would become your reality. You felt like your entire world was shattering. You had lost Jake, you had lost him permanently, and it was all your fault, for welcoming a stranger.

“I told you.” Sunghoon said, his voice quiet as he stood behind you, watching you hold Jake’s body as you sobbed. You could barely address him, too concerned with grief. “I told you he’d die.”

“This is all your fault.” you said, your voice shaking with fear, anger, grief, all the emotions you could imagine were running through you at one time. “I never should’ve befriended you.”

“Oh, you didn’t have a choice.” Sunghoon said, kneeling next to you, his hands resting on his knees. The sound of sirens began to ring through the air, blue and red light shining across the street as cop cars pulled up in front of your house. “We didn’t meet that day. I’ve always been with you.”

“What are you talking about?” you asked, but he didn’t respond.

He got to his feet, his eyes dark and filled with pity as police officers ran out of their cars and towards you, straight past Sunghoon. You pointed to him, eyes wild as they looked at you, then the direction of your finger.

“That’s him! He killed my boyfriend!”

“Ma’am, we’re going to need you to let go of the body.” They ignored you, prying Jake out of your hands. Sunghoon watched as they dragged you away from Jake, inspecting his body while you screamed at them, pleading with them to catch the killer, to arrest him for what he had done to your boyfriend. You still didn’t understand. It was almost pitiful.

You were still screaming and pleading when an officer approached you, a note in his hand, almost illegible through the sheen of blood that covered it.

“Are you y/n?” he asked, and you only cried harder, which seemed to confirm his question. He raised the note, displaying it to you, and you attempted to read it through your tears, your eyes going dry when you processed it.

Y/n killed me.

It was Jake’s handwriting, you knew it. After two years, you’d recognize his handwriting anywhere, the distinctive scribble, the way the letter y looped at the tail. Your heart felt like it would stop in your chest as the officer stared at you scrutinizingly.

“You’re under arrest.”

“What? No, you don’t understand.” you said desperately, struggling against the rough hands of the officer as he attempted to cuff you, wriggling desperately. “I didn’t kill him, Sunghoon did! He killed him!” you screamed, pointing at the dark haired man standing in the shadows, watching.

The more you looked at him, the more you realized that you didn’t know anything about him. Sunghoon always had the ability to read your mind, but you couldn’t name a single thing about him apart from what you had in common. Where did he live? What was his last name? What was his family like? Where did he go to school, where did he work? You couldn’t recall anything, and your eyes widened in terror as he stared at you from the sidewalk, casting no shadow on the pavement.

Then, he smiled, that bloody, horrible smile, the one that haunted you in every sleeping and waking moment.

“Sunghoon killed him!” you cried desperately, the officer staring in confusion at the empty space you were pointing to, the only thing in the silent night being the trees and bloody sidewalks. He turned back to you, and the next three words he spoke made you feel like you could die on the spot, you were so filled with dread and fear.

“Who is Sunghoon?”

𖣂 𖣂 𖣂

back to the masterlist.

[the-queen-of-hell-666]

Getting Him Back

Pairing: Daryl Dixon (Alexandria, Pre-Saviors War) x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

Summary: You finally get Daryl back after he escapes from Negan.

Warnings: explicit language, established relationship, explicit sexual content (unprotected vaginal sex, vaginal sex, creampie, outdoor sex, semi-public sex, sweet sex, soft sex), quite of bit of angst, mentions of murder, mentions of blood and gore, depression, Negan being an asshole

a/n: I've had this idea for a while and wanted to see if I could write it as well as I thought of it. I hope I did good! Let me know if you want a part two where Negan intergates the reader?

Banners by @vase-of-lilies

It had been one week, two days, and five hours since Negan had taken your husband. You remembered the broken look in his blue eyes as the saviors tossed him into then back of the truck, more tears falling down your cheeks as you made eye contact with Daryl. You felt rooted in your spot on the hard ground, the strong smell of blood and bile stinging your nose. You couldn’t look around you, you couldn’t see your dead friends, or the broken faces of your friends. You felt like in the process of taking Daryl, Negan might as well have rammed Lucille through your chest. 

Michonne helped you back to Alexandria, up to her guest room, helping you wash up. You felt empty, your body felt numb, you couldn’t talk, you wanted it to be a horrible nightmare, that you would wake up and Daryl would be wrapped around you. His strong arms keeping you against his chest, making you feel safe like nothing could ever hurt you. You stayed in bed for days till the Saviors arrived at the gate wanting to see what they could take. You were startled when Negan came bursting through the door to your temporary room. You immediately stood up grabbing your knife from its place on the nightstand. 

Your tired eyes met Negan’s hazel ones as amusement filled his face, “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Dixon. You look like horse shit.” He chuckled as he placed his hands on his hips. 

You avoided his gaze and sat down on the bed, letting your shoulders curl in on you, “Take whatever you want, I don’t care.” You mumbled feeling utterly defeated as you pulled your legs up to your chest. 

He rolled his eyes, “Oh, c’mon. Where’s that little spitfire that almost yanked Fat Joey’s jewels off?” He chuckled and sat next to you, making you flinch. 

“You took my husband. I won’t do anything to harm him.” You said as you flipped your knife in your hand. “I just want him back.” You mumbled as you looked away from Negan. 

He let out a sigh, “Sorry, sweet cheeks. Your boy messed up, he’s mine now, but I’ll tell you what I told him.” He said and you turned to look at him, “As long as he does what I say, no harm will come to you. I won’t fuck up your little home. You’ll be safe.” He said in a serious tone and small tears welled in your eyes and you looked away from him. 

You sniffled softly and wiped your tears away, “T-thanks.” You said in a low and shaky voice. He smirked and patted your shoulder before leaving. As much as you wanted to kill Negan, but as long as he had Daryl, you wouldn’t. You’d just sit quietly hoping that one day, Daryl will come home.

The day Rick decided to fight the saviors and a group of you all made your way to the Hilltop, your hopes were answered. The gate opened to the Hilltop and you all walked in and from behind the door was Daryl. He looked exhausted, skinny, but alive. Your heart skipped a beat as your eyes locked with his, your feet moving of their own accord as you ran over to him. He met you in the middle, scooping you up in his arms, your lips meeting his in a passionate and loving kiss. His hands pressed against your back as your thighs wrapped around his waist and your arms around his neck. 

Later that night, you and Daryl sat around a secluded fire near the back wall of Hilltop. You were planted in Daryl’s lap, his strong arms wrapped around your waist. Your fingers intertwined with his, as you laid against his chest, his nose nuzzled in your hair. 

“I missed you.” You whispered into the air as you watched the flames dance. 

He let out a soft sigh and kissed your temple, “Everyday in that damn cell, I dreamed about gettin’ home to ya.” He mumbled against your hair, squeezing your hands in his, like he used to do on runs when you two would split up. 

You turned in his hold to look up at him, you tucked his hair behind his ears, admiring his handsome face. You could see his cheeks darken in the flickering light, “I thought I lost you.” You whispered as small tears escaped your eyes and trailed down your cheeks. 

You saw small tears fill his eyes as he rested his forehead against yours, “Only thing keepin’ me goin’ was you. Wanted to get home to ya.” He whispered, his voice full of emotions as you saw a small tear track down his cheek. 

You wiped it away with your thumb, “M’here now. Not going anywhere.” You whispered to him and he smiled softly and caught your lips in a soft kiss. His hands let go of yours and moved down to grasp your hips softly. You trailed your hands up his chest to tangle your fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.  

His hands moved down to grasp your ass tight. You let out a surprised gasp as you felt his strong hands slip into the back of your jeans. You moved your hands down to undo his button-up, caressing up and down his bare chest. He quickly undid your jeans slipping them down your thighs to reveal your panties while you undid his jeans and pulled out his hardening cock. You stroked him slowly in your hand as he kissed down your neck, nipping on your pulse point, sucking a bruise into your skin. His hands moved down to slide your panties aside and helped you sink down on his hard cock. You moaned his name as your hips met his, his cock deep in your cunt, the tip kissing your cervix as he bottomed out in you.

You laced your fingers through his hair, pulling him back in for a kiss as you slowly started moving your hips up and down, letting out moans and gasps against his lips. His cock brushed against your sweet spot with every thrust, as his hips bucked up into you, matching your pace while his hands grasped your hips tight. He grunted softly with each thrust, “F-fuck, darlin’. Been too long.” His voice sounded rough and strung out as he pushed you to your orgasm. His thrusts grew faster and harder as you two chased your orgasms.

“M’so close, Dar. Wanna cum with you. Please.” You whined as you felt the coil in your belly tightened as he moved a hand down to circle your clit with his rough fingers. You caught his lips in a deep kiss as you moaned louder, cumming around his cock hard. Your thighs shaking from their place around his hips, and he groaned against your lips as he reached his orgasm, painting your walls white with his spend. You moaned as you felt his warm cum fill you up and your fingers dug into his shoulders as you rode out your orgasm, your walls milking his cock with each pulse of your walls. 

You slumped against him, his cock still deep in you. You rested your forehead against his and you cupped his cheeks softly, giving him a small smile. “I love you, Daryl.” You whispered softly, caressing his cheek softly, tucking a strand of his dark hair behind his ear. 

He gave you a small smile and pecked your nose, making you blush softly. “I love ya too, darlin’.” He mumbled and you nuzzled into his chest, vowing never to let go of his ever again.

[megalony]

I Need Help

This is a new Eddie Diaz imagine I've had finished for a while now and really need to post. I hope you will all like it, please let me know what you think.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@zoeybennett @mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @rainechase45 @lolalolsstuff @jupiter1700 @ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay

Eddie Diaz Masterlist

Summary: During the night when one of their kids isn't well, Eddie gets up to look after her.

Enjoy.

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

Eddie kicked off his shoes in the hall and tossed his keys in the dish, raking his fingers through his hair as he headed down the hall. He was about to head into the kitchen until something caught his eye in the living room and he changed direction, steering towards the right instead.

The tiredness washed away like the tide going out when he took a look around. The tv was playing a Thomas the Tank Engine cartoon, the curtains were drawn and a few candles were lit around the living room, something that was a regular sight almost every evening when the sun went down.

But it was the sofa that drew Eddie's attention.

All three of his boys, huddled together on the verge of falling asleep. Chris was tucked up in the left corner with a blanket draped over his lap. He had Nate next to him in the middle with his head on Chris's shoulder, and beside him was Joey who could barely keep his eyes open.

"What are you lot doing up?" His eyes drifted to Chris who knew he was still allowed to be up since he was the eldest.

He advanced over to them and perched down on the end of the sofa beside Joey, watching him liven up almost immediately when his dad sat down next to him.

A cheeky grin spread across Joey's lips and he scrambled to climb onto Eddie's lap and huddle up against his chest, whining quietly until Eddie wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Eddie leaned his head down and kissed the top of his boy's head and he grinned, tightening his arms around Joey and gently swaying him from side to side.

And of course, feeling left out, Nate wriggled around until he could worm his way under Eddie's right arm and tuck into his chest too. He curled his arms around Eddie's neck and kissed his cheek.

Both four year olds looked like they were ready for bed which made Eddie wonder why they were still awake. He had been expecting only Chris to be awake when he came home.

"Hi daddy."

"Hi buddy, why aren't you two in bed?" He slouched back into the sofa until his knees bumped into the coffee table and he was almost getting lost in the sofa cushions. The boys both wriggled around until they were planted down on his chest with Nate's head on his shoulder and Joey curled up on his chest, both hands clutching his shirt.

He began smoothing his hands up and down their backs while he tilted his head back and strained his ears to try and listen to the sounds in the rest of the house. He couldn't hear the girls. If the boys were awake then chances were that Grace was up too and since Eddie couldn't see his third triplet anywhere, he figured she had to be somewhere with (Y/n).

"Where's Gracie?" He murmured softly against the top of Nate's head, but neither of them seemed to be in a talking mood. They were tired, they probably wanted to head to bed and go to sleep.

He tilted his head to look over at Chris who also looked tired, but was doing his best to stay awake to finish the cartoon he was watching.

"She was sick, mum took her for a wash."

Eddie's lips formed into a thin line and he nodded. Out of all the kids, Grace was the one who got sick the most. When the triplets had been born, she had been the smallest, weighing less than four pounds. Whenever there was a cold or an infection going round, Grace always managed to catch it and she had a hard time getting rid of them, having a weakened immune system. The triplets had been born premature, but both boys had faired a lot better and got back to health faster than Grace.

"Let's get you two in bed, hm?" With a deep breath, Eddie pushed forward from his heels to his toes and got to his feet, one of the boys in each arm.

Nate tightened his arms around Eddie's neck and pulled his knees up into his stomach to be smaller and easier to carry. Whereas Joe stayed wrapped up against Eddie's chest, half asleep already with his eyes closed.

Eddie juggled them both in his arms, more than used to carrying them all around. The triplets loved for Eddie to carry them all at the same time, even now that they were getting big since they were now four. And he strived to keep up and continue carrying them whenever they asked. It didn't matter how old they got, he still thought of them as his little babies.

He leaned down so he could kiss the top of Chris's head who grinned, burrowing his head back into the cushion behind him.

"Can I watch tv in your room?" Chris asked quietly, to which Eddie nodded and let him go ahead down the corridor first.

Turning to the side, Eddie nudged the triplets' door with his hip and headed in. The covers on their respective beds were askew, the curtains were closed and the night light was on. They must have either gone to bed or had been in the process when Grace was sick.

"Okay," He murmured quietly, easing Joey down first because he was practically asleep.

Once Nate was on his bed, Eddie tucked Joey in and moved a few of the teddies and toys from the bed. Joey liked to try and sleep with every toy he owned until there was no room for him in the bed. Numerous times Eddie had found him with bruises from lying on his toy trucks that he snook into bed with him.

With a kiss to his head, he moved to Nate who reached up and latched his hands around Eddie's arm when Eddie leaned to kiss his head.

"You stay, 'til we sleep?"

"Sure, buddy." Eddie kissed his temple again and brushed his thumb across Nate's cheek who snuggled down into the covers, but he didn't close his eyes. He kept a watchful eye on Eddie, making sure his dad wasn't about to leave the room and leave them alone.

He watched with intrigue as Eddie moved over to Grace's bed, but once he realised what Eddie was doing, Nate allowed himself to close his eyes. Knowing he could still hear Eddie pottering around the room.

Grace had clearly thrown up on the covers because (Y/n) had stripped the bed before she vacated the boys to sit with Chris while she sorted Grace out. So Eddie busied himself remaking the bed and changing the duvet cover. While the boys liked to have matching bedding, Grace was happier with Disney bedding with bright colours.

Just as he finished switching the pillow cases around, Eddie looked to the right when he heard soft footsteps.

A tender smile flooded (Y/n)'s face when she realised Eddie had already gotten the boys into bed. She leaned her cheek on top of Grace's head as her daughter snuggled down against her chest, her whimpers now ceased to quiet murmurs.

"Hi babygirl, you feeling better?" Eddie held his hands out when Grace seemed to become animated and she wriggled around immediately to try and get to Eddie.

Her arms looped around his neck and her face tucked down against the collar of his shirt so that Eddie could feel her damp hair clinging to his cheek and her lips kissing his neck. He smoothed his hand up and down her back and kissed her wet hair before he carefully sat down on the bed and tried to lay her down.

"Been sick." She muttered somewhat defeatedly while her arms stayed deadlocked around Eddie's neck. She didn't seem to want to let go until (Y/n) held out her teddy bear to her as an exchange.

"I can tell," Eddie responded quietly before he kissed her temple when her arms finally unravelled from his neck. "Try and get some sleep, I'll come back in to check on you soon, okay?"

Once she was curled up in a ball with her teddy pinned tightly to her chest, Eddie got up and followed (Y/n) out the room. He left the door ajar slightly just in case any of them needed anything or Grace cried out that she was going to be sick again.

A grin worked its way onto (Y/n)'s face when she felt Eddie's arms swoop in around her waist, reeling her into his chest like a fish on a hook. His lips attached to the side of her neck and he swayed them from side to side. He felt (Y/n)'s hands move down to hold his wrists and she leaned her head back on his shoulder, allowing her to pepper a few soft kisses against his temple.

"Did you have a good day?"

"Interesting, to say the least, and I don't think it's over yet." He had a funny feeling that Grace was going to keep them up throughout the night, no that he could blame her in the slightest. If she wasn't well, Eddie was going to be checking on her during the night and probably getting up to settle her down when she woke up.

But he was hoping she got a few hours sleep for now, it would make her feel better and it would let Eddie have a bit of time with (Y/n) and Chris before the night was conscripted to running in and out of the triplets' room.

***

A groan tumbled past Eddie's lips when he heard the bedroom door close for what felt like the hundredth time tonight. His had felt heavy when he lifted it from the pillow and looked towards the doorway, although he couldn't see properly now the light of the hallway had been shut out.

His eyes followed (Y/n) through the darkness as she slowly trudged towards the bed that looked like heaven to her weary bones.

Her legs felt like jelly and her head was swimming so deep that the room was spinning on its axis around her. She didn't know what time it was, it had to be some time past midnight but before four because she could see the blackened sky through the gap in the curtains.

This was the third time tonight that Grace had woken up crying and although she had originally been whimpering out for Eddie, he had been asleep and (Y/n) didn't want to wake him. He had settled her to bed and been back to calm her down around midnight, it wouldn't be fair for (Y/n) to wake him up and make him calm their daughter down, again.

The moment her hands reached out for the bed, (Y/n)'s eyes fell closed and she crawled into bed, feeling half asleep already.

The moment she was beside him, Eddie flopped his arm forward and looped it around her waist. He gently pulled (Y/n) back towards him until her back hit his bare chest and he was able to tuck his face into the crook of her neck and smother his lips against her warm skin.

"How is she?" Eddie's deep, rumbling voice was laced with sleep and showed he was barely awake, the same as (Y/n). He continued tiredly peppering kisses along her neck and jaw while his hand splayed out on her chest and this thumb stroked up and down her skin over her top.

"She was sick again, but she's gone back to sleep now."

"If she wakes again I'll go stay with her."

A few weeks ago when Joey had been sick during the night, (Y/n) had woken up in the morning to an empty bed. She went in search of Eddie and found him in the triplets' room, cramped into Joey's small bed with Joey laid out on his chest, fast asleep. She had been surprised that the other two hadn't climbed on top of him in a dog pile, but they must not have noticed that Eddie had spent the majority of the night in their room.

(Y/n) knew if Grace started crying out for Eddie, he would go see her and he would end up staying with her for the night to make sure she was okay.

Each of the four kids had the amazing ability to wrap Eddie around their little fingers in their own way but when they were ill, they all wanted hugs and cuddles.

Tonight was going to be no different.

(Y/n) could feel herself drifting in and out of sleep, but she found it hard to properly switch off. Part of her mind was on alert, waiting for Grace to cry out or be sick again or scuttle into their bed and say she couldn't sleep. And she was also expecting Nate and Joey to therefore wake up too and find it hard to settle again. The boys had been waking up every time Grace threw up and then (Y/n) and Eddie had to settle all three of them back to sleep.

She nuzzled her face into the pillow and willed herself back to sleep, unsure how long she had been dozing off for.

She could hear Eddie's soft breathing behind her and she could feel his lips merging with the back of her head. He had edged even closer to her since she climbed back into bed and now had his lips and nose pressed down against her hair.

Eddie's arm had stayed secured around her waist and his chest was glued to her back like they were merging into one.

She felt Eddie hum in content in his sleep when she wriggled back against him and burrowed down into his embrace. Her hand reached down to grip his arm that was deadlocked around her waist and she clung to him, hoping their closeness would send her back to sleep.

"Daddy…"

(Y/n)'s eyes began to flutter and her head started to spin again as she tried to wake herself up but it was hard when every inch of her was desperate to stay asleep, curled up into her husband. But if she didn't get up now, then Eddie would have to wake up. One of them had to move.

A yawn escaped her lips and she moved her head around on the pillow, slowly opening her eyes to try and see where her little girl was. Her voice sounded distant and quiet, maybe she was in the doorway. Grace had a thing of lurking in doorways, afraid of walking into the room late at night when she knew she was supposed to be asleep.

It didn't matter that (Y/n) and Eddie always told her that it didn't matter when she wasn't well. If she needed them, she could wake them up or come out of her room and find them around the house for whatever she needed and she wouldn't be in trouble. She still got worried and hung back in doorways.

"Baby, what's the matter?" She willed herself not to fall back asleep and tried to look around for her little girl.

Maybe Grace couldn't sleep for feeling sick and she wanted to climb into their bed. It wouldn't be the first time and neither her nor Eddie would object to Grace spending the rest of the night with them. It would save them having to keep getting up to go into her room to settle her.

She opened her eyes and looked ahead of her at the side of the bed just as Grace's meek, delicate voice caught her attention again.

"I need help."

Eddie's eyes shot open and his body jolted against the bed when (Y/n)'s scream pelted through his ears and sent shockwaves through his body.

He jerked forward, tightening his left arm around (Y/n)'s waist while simultaneously pulling her back against his chest to keep her safe and close. Their legs were tangled together and Eddie couldn't quite loosen his leg from between her thighs, despite not knowing the threat or realising what was going on.

His chest was heaving and his head snapped to look around the room and find the intruder. There was a baseball bat tucked under Eddie's side of the bed which his mind was intently trying to focus on in case he had to take a dive to grab it and defend them.

They hadn't had a break in before. They had never had a scare like that and Eddie couldn't remember the last time he had woken up to his wife screaming.

"Amor-" He briefly looked down at (Y/n) who was pushing back into his chest, but when he looked in front of her, his chest tightened until he wasn't able to breathe properly. The air fizzled out of his lungs and his jaw loosened and hung down in silent shock.

He hastily uncurled his arm from (Y/n)'s waist and leaned his chest down into her back so he could reach out for her nightstand. He switched on the bedside lamp, illuminating the dark grey room with a golden orange aura. Tears welled behind his eyes and every muscle in his body tensed until it felt like he was going to snap in two when his eyes set on his baby girl.

"Oh God!"

Grace was stood at the side of their bed, tears falling from her eyes that were a mixture of tired and petrified, but it was her face that sent her parents reeling. Blood was everywhere. Blood was painted over her nose, mouth and chin and smeared onto her cheeks from where she had tried to wipe it away. It was all down her neck and splattered on her pyjamas like she had tucked into a bowl of strawberries before bed.

Eddie practically climbed over (Y/n) to jump off the bed and scramble onto unsteady legs in front of his four-year-old. His hands cupped her bloodied face and tilted her head from side to side to try and see where she was hurt.

"Babygirl, what happened, were you sick again?"

His eyes briefly scanned the room as if to make sure there was no one lurking in the doorway or hanging around a corner ready to pounce and attack them but the room was empty and safe. He looked back at Grace and tilted her head up before he gently moved his thumb to her lower lip and opened her mouth to check she hadn't thrown up the blood. It was smeared all across her face and down her lips.

If she had thrown up blood then Eddie would have to take her down to the emergency room right now.

"Daddy, my nose… I'm sorry." Grace gently touched her button nose that resembled her mother before she held her hands out towards her dad who looked down to see them covered in blood.

She had never had a nosebleed before. She woke up thinking she was going to be sick but when she looked down, her nose had unleashed a river of blood that splattered down her face, onto her clothes and her bed and she didn't know what to do or how to stop it. Just as Grace reached her parent's room, the bleeding stopped but she was still covered in blood.

She had managed to quietly scramble out of bed so she didn't alert her brothers and wake them up. She didn't know what her brothers would say if they saw all the blood. She hadn't been sure what her parents would say or do when they saw it and she feared she might get in trouble for making such a mess.

"Oh baby. It's okay, let's get you cleaned up."

Eddie gently scooped her up in his arms and sat her on his hip as he stood up to his full height. His erratic heart was starting to calm down now he knew he wouldn't have to call 911 and say one of his kids was coughing up blood. The thought of Grace coughing up blood sent Eddie's mind reeling, he couldn't be dealing with that sort of panic because he knew the kind of illnesses and problems which would cause that in a toddler, and none of them were good.

Leaning over the bed, Eddie pressed his free hand to the back of (Y/n)'s head and kissed her temple, feeling her hands reaching out to hold his hips for a few seconds.

The sight of their daughter stood at the side of the bed drenched in blood had almost made (Y/n) faint. She couldn't help but scream when it looked like Grace had been attacked or was dying, asking for help in such a feeble, terrified voice like that. She wasn't going to get that image out of her head.

Grace tucked her face into Eddie's neck and coiled her arms around his neck as he headed out into the hall.

After a quick thought, Eddie nudged her bedroom door open and took a peek inside just to make sure the boys were alright. Both Nate and Joey were fast asleep in their beds and he rolled his eyes to see that Joey had clambered out at some point and now harboured more toys in his bed with him.

But it was the sight of Grace's bed that made Eddie take in a sharp breath and the four year old whimpered into his neck, afraid she was going to get told off for the mess.

The pale lilac covers Eddie had only just changed a few hours ago were now splattered with crimson and had a large patch of blood drying in the middle. Half of the pillow was soiled with blood that no doubt had seeped into the pillow itself and the bed sheet was dotted with smears of blood matching the little droplets on the carpet and the bedside table.

"Okay," Eddie rubbed his temple at the sight of all the mess from one little nosebleed. It was going to take a lot of cleaning. "You can sleep with me and mummy tonight and we'll sort this in the morning."

There was no way Eddie was cleaning this up now, not when Grace needed comfort and they all needed sleep, and he couldn't risk waking the boys. As much as Eddie knew leaving the blood was going to make it harder to clean the stain in the morning, he couldn't be bothered tonight.

It could wait until morning when Eddie would no doubt have to bin the pillow and most likely the sheets as well. He quietly pulled the bed sheet off and wrapped it around the duvet sheet so when the boys woke up in the morning, they wouldn't be frightened by the sight of bloodied sheets and their sister no where to be seen.

He then grabbed some fresh pyjamas from the drawer and quietly left the room. On his way to the bathroom, he peeked in Chris's room just to make sure the eldest was still asleep and hadn't woken up at any point from the charades tonight.

He flicked on the bathroom light before he gently sat Grace down on the side of the sink. "Let's clean you up baby."

Once the sink was filled with warm water, Eddie threw her bloodied pyjamas in a corner.

"Come here, look. I'm not washing your hair tonight, we can wash it tomorrow." Eddie carefully gathered Grace's hair in his hands and found a bobble to tie it up at the back of her head. There was no way he was giving her another bath, not after she had had two tonight from being sick. It was too late and they were both too tired for that.

He could see a few strands clumped together with sticky blood, but her hair wasn't matted and he would wash it as soon as they got up in the morning. right now, he just needed to get them both cleaned up and back to bed to see if they could get a few hours of sleep.

He was glad he wasn't back at work in the morning.

He began to hum softly as he grabbed a sponge and started to clean the blood that was caked onto her skin like drying cement. He took his time getting the blood from beneath her short fingernails and scrubbed her hands, arms, shoulders and around her neck before he dared move towards her face.

She had smeared the blood everywhere in her panic. Her lips, down her chin, across her cheeks and even beneath her eyes, and it was all dried around her nose too.

Her eyes closed and she scrunched up her nose and lips as Eddie carefully held her chin in his left hand and switched the sponge for a flannel that would be easier and better on her skin. His tongue poked between his teeth and he bent down to be level with her so he could make sure he got it all off.

He then cleaned the little specks of blood from his neck and hands that she had inadvertently transferred onto him by mistake.

"That's better, babygirl."

The sink looked like a crime scene when Eddie was finally finished cleaning the blood off them both. And when he looked at his little girl sitting on the side of the sink, his heart swelled and cracked at the same time. She was rubbing her eyes, trying her best to stay awake but she was wobbling and flagging, in desperate need of sleep.

He set her down to her feet and helped her into a clean set of pyjamas, and once Grace held her arms back out towards him, Eddie could do nothing but oblige. He lifted her up to settle back against his chest and he slowly made his way out the bathroom and back to his bedroom.

He took a moment to look at (Y/n) once he was back in their room. She was laid down again, but her eyes were open and she looked wide awake. Grace had given her a fright and a boat load of adrenaline that was taking a while to wear off.

Eddie ventured closer to the bed but he stopped when Grace quietly whimpered into his neck.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"I feel sick."

Eddie reasoned with himself that he wasn't tired anymore. Grace had given him such a fright that he was now wide awake with the image of her covered in blood engraved onto his mind. So he turned off the bedside lamp so the room was back to a hazy dark blue colour with only a few glimpses of light peeking through.

He shuffled Grace down in his arms until she was curled up on his bare chest and stomach, her legs coiled up to her stomach and her head on his collarbone so his chin could perch on top of her head.

He walked towards the window and began to pace up and down the carpet. His feet were slowly shuffling along the carpet and he rocked his arms up and down so Grace was swaying up and down on his chest just like he used to do when she was little.

It was something he had done with all the kids. He struggled to get a connection with Chris when he came back from the army, but he found that when Chris couldn't sleep, rocking him against his chest and pacing the room like this settled him to sleep.

It worked wonders with Nate too. The triplets had been kept in hospital for quite a few weeks after they were born and the boys were released before Grace. Nate had colic and was always unsettled so Eddie took to pacing the bedroom and rocking his boy up and down to help his tummy and get him to fall asleep. And it worked for all the triplets when they weren't feeling well or something was wrong and they were unsettled like this. It was a habit none of them had grown out of yet.

(Y/n) turned over in bed to face the window and a tender look fluttered across her face. She watched Eddie pad barefoot across the carpet in small lines in front of the window and it was almost as if (Y/n) had been transported back four years to see Eddie calming one of their newborns.

He had Grace in his arms who was finally fast asleep, curled up into his chest like she was a little baby curling back into the fetal position. Clearly Eddie wasn't ready to go to sleep just yet, he was too content humming to his daughter and holding her while she slept to think about going back to bed.

***

Opening her eyes, (Y/n) adjusted to the brightness seeping into the room and glanced around before a soft smile formed on her lips. She was laid on her side, facing Eddie.

He was sprawled out on his back, one leg hanging off the edge of the bed and his hair was stuck up in all directions. Grace was laid out on his chest, her head buried in the crook of his neck and his arm was looped safely around her back. Even in his sleep, he was holding her secure against him, trying to keep her safe and sound in his arms.

Rocking her to sleep had done the trick for the rest of the night and Grace clearly hadn't been sick again or had another tremendous nosebleed, which was a great relief.

But what made (Y/n)'s grin broaden was the fact that when she looked down, she realised they weren't the only ones in bed. Both Nate and Joey had somehow found their way into the bed at some point in the early morning. They were both curled up in the middle of the bed, Joey tucking himself into (Y/n)'s chest while Nate was as close to Eddie as he could get without also laying on his dad and crushing him in his sleep.

Shuffling closer, (Y/n) kept her left arm tucked beneath Joey and reached her right arm across to rest on Eddie's abdomen.

A hum passed through Eddie's lips and his hand moved to squeeze (Y/n)'s arm before he rubbed at his eyes to wake himself up. He was tired, he was beyond tired but he didn't want to sleep anymore. His chest was aching from having Grace sprawled out on top of him like this, it made it a lot harder to breathe deeply when she was pushing down on him but it didn't really matter. His little girl was comfy and finally asleep, Eddie would stay crushed and out of breath forever if it gave Grace some comfort.

When he opened his eyes, Eddie tried to look around without disturbing Grace who nuzzled her face closer into his neck and tickled his skin with each soft breath she took.

A smile sprawled across his face when he realised the boys had wormed their way into bed with them too. They must have woken up and realised Grace wasn't in their room anymore and quietly slithered out to find her.

He started to run his hand up and down Grace's back while he wormed his right hand around to reach for the boys, and then for (Y/n). It felt like his wife was laid an ocean's distance away from him rather than just a few feet with the boys laid between them.

He brushed the back of his hand against (Y/n)'s cheek and stretched out as much as he could with Grace wriggling around on his chest. And he could feel his smile growing wider when he heard Chris's bedroom door slam shut and his plodding footsteps growing closer and closer in the hall. He was coming to find them and see if they were all awake yet.

"Mornin' troop."

[venussaidso]

Ketu Kinship p1.

disclaimer: as per usual, all my posts are based entirely on fictional dynamics and themes that perfectly tie into the nakshatras of the characters/actors. when talking about onscreen pairings, i am not promoting anything. don't ask me about compatibility, i'm simply a dedicated consumer of fictional media who just so happens to be obsessed with the meanings and storytelling behind nakshatras. if this resonates, though, i am glad. but when it comes to real life, i'm not intrigued by astrological pairings. this is for fun!

The Chinese drama Love Between Fairy and Devil is so Mula-coded. The way Mula is derived from the Sanskrit word for "root" and the Fairy, played by a Mula Sun native, gets to the tree of emotions of the Devil (who is the epitome of a Ketu power-hungry emotionless tyrant, mind you). She finds this tree, which is representative of his psyche, to be completely damaged and frozen, and she unintentionally heals his roots (which gets to his core issues, and hidden parts of himself). Ketu bringing forth truth and healing, this debilitates him, and she becomes his weakness.

Although, there's a toxic aspect that I just explored of the Ketu-Ketu pairings, especially in het pairings, where the Ketu man fixates on the Ketu woman and he traps her, selfishly taking away her autonomy. Of course, it's romanticized, but this is yet again another Ketu man doing too much because he can't healthily express his feelings (as they begin to surface, all thanks to her Mula abilities) and he overexerts himself, his genuine feelings for her being in conflict with his tyrannical instincts (another power trip for the Ketuvian).

The one astrological influence I found to go perfectly head-to-head with Ketuvians' force is Rahu, and vice versa. I will be getting to that post someday; but Rahuvians can be the least tolerant and more resistant of them. The same way Sun-Saturn pairings function. Being of equal polarity, there can be enough tension and conflict to showcase their refusal to submit to each other's force as opposed to natives of the same rulership.

And also, the Beauty-&-the-Beast element I talked about is there between Fairy and Devil, of course, as I've explored with this specific nodal pairing before. Even in the other details of the drama, such as her friends being plants the same way Belle's friends are kitchen utensils and teacups. Her isolation speaks to her Ketu-rulership, and her getting locked up by the Ketu male she's supposedly meant to fall in love with is literally Beauty-&-the-Beast. Except the Beast here is a murderous god, the actual biggest threat in the universe and whatnot. While Punarvasu's Beast was merely a vain, narcissistic prince, compared to Mula as the Beast who is initially extremely villainous and darker (as explored before in my wolf in disguise post, how nodals are the evil beasts everyone has the right to be wary of). Of course, as you can see how the media has always been obsessed with humanizing & redeeming murderous male characters, the Beauty-&-the-Beast tale is of two Ketuvians here.

Although, not to shit on Ketu-Ketu entirely.

It is interesting that (fictional) Ketu-ruled natives, though seen in a symbiotic dynamic with Jupiter-ruled natives, are magnetized by those of the same rulership, and vice versa; to the point of certain medias showcasing a better understanding of the Ketuvian through other Ketuvians. It is also interesting how fans of these shows even prefer these pairings, sensing way more chemistry and connection than expected, such as;

In the love triangle between Joey Potter, Pacey Witter, and Dawson Leery; Pacey Witter and Joey Potter are the perfect endgame to pretty much majority of the fandom. Initially Joey loves Dawson for his Jupiterian tendencies, but even the viewers grow to realize that Pacey actually sees her for who she is. While Dawson, being so full of himself, remains with a version of Joey in his head that just isn't real (Jupiter's idealization getting in the way of reality). The way Pacey sees Joey goes to Ketu's energy cutting through superficial layers to get to the essence of things. Pacey gets to look into Joey's dreams, aspirations and true self more than Dawson will ever.

With Rory Gilmore, Dean, and Jess; it’s almost the exact same thing. Rory and Dean are initially drawn to each other’s polarity and seem like a fine fit. Then, Jess comes along, and his presence gives us a more real version of Rory. They have that effect on each other where, while they’re so magnetized by one another, they feel so grounded and seen when they’re together. He validates important aspects of herself that we never see Dean do.

Alex Russo and Mason Greybeck. Her first relationship was with Dean (another Punarvasu by the name Dean lol), and some can argue it’s her best. But her relationship with Mason demonstrates a deeper understanding and appreciation of her character compared to her relationship with Dean. Her second relationship was pretty much the most iconic on the show. With Mason, Alex was just seen, he gave her space to thrive even in her recklessness. [Also Mason's unhealthy fixation on Alex showed in episodes post their breakup. Typical.]

With Clara Oswald and the Eleventh Doctor and the Twelfth, this is another clear example that Ketu-Ketu is the best fit in my opinion. Clara had only become an equal beside Twelfth, developing a deeper, more real, connection with him because she is seen and through him her character thrives more. Clara with Eleventh were a stereotypical Ketu-Jupiter pair, mostly centered around him and his Jupiterian abundance with no room for her to grow or be grounded in a meaningful way as Jupiter doesn't challenge Ketu or pierce through Ketu.

Her character beside the Eleventh Doctor was based on his fascination with her, not supporting her growth or complexity as Jupiter has the tendency to idealize. With the Twelfth Doctor, he challenges her in ways that force her to confront her fears, truths and insecurities. This is the Ketuvian piercing through the other Ketuvian, adding even more emotional depth to their connection.

As Ketuvians can be extremely grounding from their ability to see beyond things and destroy illusion, it comes as no surprise that such natives can be validated by one another just based on perception and the ability to brutally tell things as they are alone. For example, in the film, Thoroughbreds, Mula Sun Olivia Cooke plays a character who is marked by her blunt honesty and emotional detachment, contrasting the performative and often illusory behaviour of the characters around her. Being that she is Ketuvian, she is the grounding force that drives the movie, forcing Ashwini Sun Anya Taylor Joy's character to confront the darker, more complex aspects of herself and her insecurities. The Mula native's candidness acts as a mirror for the Ashwini native who hasn't had anyone pierce through her as she did. The unwavering authenticity of the Mula native encourages her to reconsider her own identity.

This way of Ketuvians seeing each other always comes with an unspoken acceptance and understanding of each other. They seem to initially function like Solar people who hate having expectations put on them as it restricts them. Ketu people hate falsities projected onto them, and when they’re with people who limit them as they try to navigate their own identity, or with people who don’t see them and have the Ketuvian center them instead, they become suffocated. It comes as no surprise that when another Ketu person walks into their life, they feel so validated and grounded, as the truth that's always existed within them is forcibly pulled out and mirrored. In general, without my dramatic ass interpretation, Ketu people are just naturally more inclined to the company of each other because there’s a theme of belonging, as headless and directionless as Ketu is.

[joeybsversion]

Stubborn

Joe Burrow x Reader

You surprise Joe at a game

You’re led through the stadium to the bottom row of empty seats. The stands would soon be filled with rowdy fans and the field lined with players. Right now though, it was quiet, cold, and snowy.

“So, Joe has no clue you’re here?” One of the other girlfriends asked.

“No.” You smiled. “With the weather and winter storm advisory he told me to stay put at home, but too late now!” Laughs erupted from the other girls.

“He’s going to be so shocked to see you.” One of them said, brushing the snow off of her seat.

You did the same, hoping to take a seat and bundle up under the blanket you packed. “Hopefully he’s happy and not mad.” You giggled anxiously. “He was pretty serious about me not leaving the house this weekend. And to be honest, I don’t blame him, even though it’s a short drive from our house to the stadium, the roads were pretty scary.” You thought back to the short but stressful drive over.

“It’s such a big game though! If they win this, they’re AFC champs! He’d be bummed if you weren’t here afterwards.” Your friend reassured you.

“So let’s just hope for a Bengal win then!” Your attention turned to the field as the players came out to warm up.

Typically you all would spend your time watching the game from the box, but with it being such a high stakes game, being closer to the field was so much more fun.

By the end of the fourth quarter, you couldn’t feel your fingers or toes and your throat was sore from cheering. The bengals were up by 2 and there was 47 seconds left, but the Chiefs had the ball, and anyone who is familiar with the NFL knows that Patrick Mahomes and his team can pull it off. The chiefs inched closer and closer to the end zone, time quickly ticking down. You could feel the butterflies in your stomach doing somersaults.

With 6 seconds left, the chiefs kicking unit took the field to kick a field goal for the win. You squeezed your eyes shut and grabbed the hands of the girls around you.

“AAAAANNNDDD THE KICK IS BLOCKED!” The announcer yelled over the stadium. Your eyes flew open as you jumped up and down in the air. The Bengals has won and would be going to the Super Bowl.

You quickly paraded your way down to the snowy field, doing your best to trudge through the blizzard to find Joe.

He caught sight of you veering towards him in the crowd and his gaze warmed you from head to toe. You sped up and soon were running into his open arms, jumping at the last minute to wrap your legs around his waist and tackle him with a hug. This was the only way you could talk face to face without one you straining a neck muscle.

“Congrats, Joey!” You planted kisses all over his face. Photographers gathered around, capturing the moment.

“That’s my fucking girl.” Joe said, so surprised to see you. “What are you doing here?” He asked, a stern expression across his face.

“I couldn’t miss this game.” You laughed, nuzzling your face into the warmth of his neck.

“You what?” He asked over the cheering and chaos around him, his arms wrapping tighter around your waste.

“I had to come see you.”

“I told you to stay safe and stay at home.” He groaned.

“Joey, it’s a 34 mile drive from our house. Besides, I couldn’t miss the chance to tell you how proud I am of you.” You peppered his face with kisses again.

“You’re so stubborn.” He laughed.

“Yeah, but you knew that when you started dating me.”

“True. And I love you for it.”

[burreauxsworld]

Can we get dad Joe where he has five boys all mini him and wife is pregnant with baby girl🌸

This is such a vastly different thing for me to write because I imagine Joe being the biggest girl dad but I’m gonna give it a shot!

~~~

The Burrow household is nothing short of chaos. A controlled chaos though. The kind of chaos that brings a smile to your face as you watch your four rambunctious little boys run around. You and your husband, Joe, have 4 little boys and a little girl on the way.

There’s Jackson and Joseph Jr, the twins and the two oldest at 7 years old. Then there’s Dylan, who’s 5. Lastly, Colby, who’s 3. All of them are carbon copies of your husband. With their big ocean blue eyes and curly dirty blonde hair.

Jackson, like Joe, is big into football. The two of them throw the ball back and forth for hours. Joseph on the other hand, is more of a mama’s boy. Just like his father before him. Whenever you went, little Joey went. Whenever Joe went, Jackson wasn’t far behind. The two little ones, however, could go either way. Sometimes they wanted you, sometimes they wanted Joe. It just depended on the day.

Today, it was the latter. You leaned against the door frame of the sliding glass doors leading to your backyard, watching as your husband and four boys played a game of football. Well, Colby attempted to play, but he mostly just stumbled around the yard messing with whatever random toys he could find.

A smile graced your lips as you watched your husband show his boys how to throw the perfect spiral. You laid a gentle hand on your baby bump, glancing down.

“Be prepared. This is your life” you mumble, looking back up at your boys. “Mama,” Colby babbles, while he stumbles toward you. “Mommy’s home!” Dylan tells, capturing the attention of his brothers and father. “And she brought dinner, because she doesn’t feel like cooking” you tell them, as little arms wrap around your lower half.

“Alright boys, careful. Don’t be too rough” Joe reminds them, planting a kiss on your forehead while the boys ran toward the kitchen table.

“How’s baby Gracie?” He asks with a smile. “Very active today. I think she might be the bengals newest kicker” you joke and he beams with pride. One thing Joe couldn’t wait for, was the arrival of his little girl.

[icallhimjoey]

i need to be put to sleep by soft!joey's slow scratchy hands pls

little short one? yeaaaaaa little short one Wordcount: 1.1K

---

Sweet Dreams

You heard footsteps getting closer and froze, phone in hand still, even though two hours ago you'd said you were going to bed because you were so tired.

Not your fault scrolling social media was so easy to do whilst lying on your side, all tucked in and cosy, duvet tight in a fist under your chin.

The footsteps stilled in the doorway and a small huff of laughter followed.

"Why am I not surprised?"

You immediately groaned in protest, discarded the phone and whined "Couldn't sleep," in a small voice as you rolled onto your back.

Joe grinned at the mess of your hair, the crease of the pillow that painted your cheek, one of his own T-shirts twisted around your torso.

Soft and sleepy, but not asleep like you should've been.

"No? Phone keeping you up?" Joe asked, moving around the bed whilst undoing his jeans.

Your eyes followed him until you were completely turned onto your other side, facing him on his side of the bed.

"Did you know that white sharks all have a big meeting once a year?" you'd been watching weird videos.

Joe raised an eyebrow, couldn't help the smile tugging on the corners of his mouth as he undressed. His girl had been learning.

"All of them just go to the same place, meet up in the middle of the ocean every year, and no one really knows why,"

Joe kept silent, pulling his T-shirt over his head and sitting down to take his socks off.

"Maybe it's for Christmas," you whispered, wondering, and got a hearty laugh out of Joe.

"You're ridiculous." you heard him mumble under his breath.

"Big family get together."

"All right," he said, turning, voice strained as he started moving covers around. "On your front."

You looked at Joe a second, not moving, as he waited, one knee already pressing into the mattress.

"Come on."

You didn't know if he was being serious or not.

"Come on, turn over."

Suppressing a grin, trying to bite it away, to hide it into your cheeks, didn't work at all. It made Joe smile too, knowing that you knew what he was doing and the fact that you were already smiling before he'd even done anything.

When you just laid there, smiling at him, Joe grew impatient and laughed as he got a hand on your shoulder, pushed you and said, "Turn over," more pressingly.

You obliged, finally. Rolled onto your stomach and felt how Joe climbed and settled over the backs of your thighs. He pushed covers down and then used both hands on your sides to push your (his) T-shirt up, revealing your bare back.

"Okay, I'm keeping score this time."

"No," you moaned into the pillow. "No score keeping, just..." you just wanted stroking fingers. Just Joe's soft touches.

"Winner gets to pick what we have for dinner tomorrow," Joe said, voice much softer, slowly swirling into whispers. There'd be no significant impact, win or lose, Joe knew. He loved the same places you loved, but that little squirm you just did where you wiggled your bum was worth the initial comment.

You felt him bend down, weight shifting, before a small kiss got planted to the center of your back and you relaxed under him.

"Okay, first one,"

Joe sat back up, glanced up at what he could see of your face, eyes closed, pressed into the pillow, and started writing.

He used a lone finger to trail across your back, shaped out letter after letter, going all the way up, dipping just underneath where the T-shirt sat bunched up at your shoulders and then all the way down where it touched the hem of your underwear.

Then, he stilled.

"Shark," you had to work hard to voice the answer, voice soft and sleepy. You knew you'd fall asleep in no time.

"Good," Joe hummed, then used both hands, all fingers, to trail from the tops of your shoulder blades all the way down to the dimples in your lower back to 'reset' you.

Next one.

Joe touched warm soft skin, used the most delicate of touches and when you hummed after he stopped, he whispered, "Didn't catch it?" and did it again.

You melted under his touch. Would pretend you didn't catch anything at all if it meant he'd just keep going.

All you could hear was his breath and the low sound of fingers trailing across your skin.

"Merry Christmas," you guessed after a while and Joe hummed, grinning wide. "So smart," he cooed, leaning down to press another kiss into warm skin.

Teasingly, his fingers trailed down to your sides where they squeezed you a second, said, "These are my favourite bits," making a small noise escape your throat.

"Sorry," Joe whispered, chuckling lightly to himself. "But they are." Then he used both hands again to trail straight lines, up and down.

"Difficult one next," Joe whispered, and you knew it meant he was going to do a full sentence.

You were never going to guess it. You'd be asleep by the time he'd get to the end.

Joe knew it too.

Was exactly why he was doing this.

Light, barely there touches traced along your back once more, and they were letters, sure, but there were so many of them. You lost track after making out maybe three words. After that, everything sort of started jumbling together and it was no longer a game you were playing, but just a feeling that relaxed you.

After a while, Joe whispered, "You're falling asleep." and used both hands again, not bothering with an answer from you. It made you open an eye and strain your neck a little to try to catch a glance of him.

"Go to sleep, I'll keep writing. Close your eyes."

And so you did. Felt Joe's fingers trail and felt sleep slowly take over. Then, you caught the word love from his fingers.

"Love," you whispered.

"Stop fucking guessing," Joe replied fondly, voice even softer than yours. "Go to sleep."

And fine.

Last thing you felt was Joe swirling shapes, long soft strokes, the letters no longer really there, just fingers on skin that relaxed you more than a massage would've done.

Joe'd never admit it to you, but the act was hypnotising enough to lul himself to sleep as well.

Last thing Joe wrote was sweet dreams after he knew for sure you'd dozed off, breath steady and eyes no longer fluttering. He carefully leant down, lips hungry to touch the skin his fingertips got to experience and then slowly lowered your top again. Climbed off of you and swung the duvet back to cover you both.

You hummed into the pillow as Joe snuggled up next to you, all warm and soft.

"Sweet dreams, baby." Joe whispered, drifting off to join you there.

---

The Taglisted

@adoreyouusugar, @alana4610, @ali-in-w0nderland, @alwayslindie, @babybluebex, @barfightzanddiscolightz, @bettyfrommars, @cancankiki, @capricornrisingsstuff, @chaoticgood-munson, @chrissymjstan, @choke-me-eddie, @demonsanddemogorgons, @did-it-work, @dirtyeddietini, @dylanmunson, @eddies-puppet, @electricmunson, @emma77645, @emmamooney, @everythinghasafacee, @figmentofquinn, @frootvelvet, @ghost-proofbaby, @ghostinthebackofyourhead, @harringtonfan4, @haylaansmi, @jasminearondottir, @jewellethief, @joesquinns, @kellyxo1, @kennedy-brooke, @lovelyblueness, @manda-panda-monium, @miserybeans, @nadixq, @notverywise, @pepperstories, @phyllosilicate-s, @roosterisdaddy36, @sherrylyn628, @sidthedollface2, @thebellenouvelle, @thewondernanazombie, @tlclick73, @werepartnersnow, @winterwakesthewolf, @witchwolflea, @yelyahcardella, @yunirgo

taglist currently full, sorry

[joeys-babe]

Joey B Blurbs: More Than A Woman

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Summary: You’re back with more antics and poor Joe is on the receiving end of yet another Tiktok trend. This time it's asking him to name a random woman’s name out of nowhere to see what he'll say…

Warnings: slight angst, unserious/funny

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

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*No specific date for this fic!*

(y/n’s pov)

Joe and I were sitting on the couch watching The Office while we waited for Ja’marr, TB, and Tee to arrive for dinner.

I knew Joe would tone down the coupley stuff when “his boys” arrived, so I was currently savoring the feel of my boyfriend's body against mine.

When I walked into the living room earlier to find him comfy on the couch, I immediately crawled on top of him and laid my head on his chest.

Joe grabbed a blanket and put it on top of us before he slipped his hand under my sweatshirt to rub my back.

Now and then he'd kiss my head or comment on something in the show since the episode currently playing was quite the doozy.

If you know anything about The Office… you probably feel some type of way about the words “Casual Day”.

The episode was messy nonetheless and pretty unforgettable. We had seen it so many times but it still made Joe laugh so many different times.

Since we had seen it so many times, I was increasingly getting bored.

Time to do a little trend with Joe.

I went through my mental folder of different things I could do with him without getting up from my comfortable place in his arms. That's when the idea hit me.

“Hey, baby.” - you

“Mhm?” - Joe

“Name a woman.” - you

“Name a woman?” - Joe

“Yup.” - you

What’s he going to say? I thought.

“Uhm… I don't know, uh… Meredith.” - Joe

“Meredith?” - you busted out laughing

“Yeah.” - Joe nodded

“Like the one in the show? The one’s who's boobies you just saw? Jeez, now I know where your mind is at…” - you

“What?! It's not like that, she was just the first woman that popped into my head. They were blurred out too! I don't need to see some rando’s boobs when I can see yours anytime I want! I swear I wasn't being creepy…” - Joe

The entire time he was seriously trying to defend himself, I was holding in my laugh. I was just teasing him but I'm guessing he didn't pick up on that.

“Joe, I was just playing around.” - you laughed

“Good. I thought you were being for real for a second and I was worried I was going to be put on the couch tonight.” - Joe chuckled

Mmm, Imma mess with him.

“Who said you aren't being put on the couch tonight? I'm kinda disappointed you didn't name… I don't know… me!” - you

“Aye! That's not fair, you don't count.” - Joe

“Joe, why wouldn't I count? I'm a woman, aren't I? That was the criteria.” - you

“You’re more than just a woman though… you're my gorgeous, smart, sexy, kind, and amazing girlfriend.” - Joe smiled

Joe leaned forward to press his lips onto mine in a sweet and thorough kiss, but when he pulled away with a sly smirk on his face I decided he wasn't getting away with it that easy.

“Stop trying to butter me up, boy. You're still sleeping on the couch.” - you grinned

“Damn it!” - Joe grumbled

I giggled as I spread kisses all over his cheeks before finally planting one on his lips.

“I'm just kidding.” - you

Joe opened his mouth to talk but the sound of the doorbell cut him off.

“The guys are here.” - you went to crawl off of Joe but he stopped you

“Come in!” - Joe

The front door opened and in walked the wide receiver trio. I gave Joe a skeptical look but he just kissed my cheek and pushed my head back onto his chest.

He was really not trying to sleep on the couch tonight.

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Authors note: kind of a niche blurb… iykyk.

Request for this fix;

Hope you enjoyed! 💕