#No more holding a frying pan and cracking eggs into it

[oculusxcaro]

One thing that makes me sad about Khare is that even if by some slim miracle she does end up getting cured (or her body somehow manages to fight off the mutation), she's still going to have a hard time living a day-to-day life given she's an amputee. Cooking, cleaning and other chores would be much harder to do with only one hand and some tasks becoming downright impossible to do. The scarring she could live with but Khare would feel even more useless only having some of the functionality she used to.

[girlrotterr]

✩ ⁺ ∿ oh baby, can you hear me moan? ◦　 ♩

roommate!ellie x reader Summary: You come home earlier than usual to find your roommates door slightly ajar. You can’t help but peek inside.

You’re home earlier than usual, and the place is eerily quiet—no random guitar strumming or the faint hum of a video game in the background. Ellie’s always got something going on, whether it’s tinkering with her beat-up acoustic guitar or completely failing at some cooking experiment that leaves the kitchen smelling like burned regret. 

You shrug off your jacket, the familiar scent of scorched food hits you—a sure sign Ellie’s been at it again. 

You can almost picture the disaster waiting in the kitchen. 

Maybe she attempted a stir-fry or tried to get fancy with eggs, which, for some reason, she consistently messes up. You remember the last time: the pan had been abandoned in the sink, its bottom crusted with what could only be described as scrambled cement, and Ellie had offered you an apologetic grin as she flicked at her guitar strings, mumbling something like, my bad…

Still smirking at the thought, you head toward the kitchen, but surprisingly, the mess isn’t as bad as you expected. A single burnt toast sits abandoned on a plate, and beside it, a bottle of peanut butter left open, its lid placed on the edge of the counter. You grab a spoon to clean up, noticing that Ellie’s nowhere in sight. Usually, she’s hovering near her messes, trying to fix it or making self-deprecating jokes to play off the mess.

Curious, you wander down the narrow hallway toward her room, your steps thudding along  the old wood floor. You pass by her door, which is slightly ajar, and immediately slow your pace. 

It’s not like Ellie to leave her door cracked. 

Your hand pauses on the doorframe, a soft click as your knuckles accidentally tap against it. 

You hesitate, thinking maybe you should leave her be, but then—before you can make the decision—a faint noise escapes from inside, followed by a sharp, quick breath. 

Your brow furrows as you inch closer, pushing the door open a little more.

Ellie was sprawled across her bed, her head thrown back against the pillows, messy hair fanning out in every direction. Her breath came in uneven gasps, wet, squelching sounds filling the room. 

Fuck, she was too desperate to even bother taking off her clothes. 

Her brown jacket hung loosely off her shoulders, the fabric wrinkled and tugged from her movements. Her half-unbuttoned flannel exposed her perky nipples, her jeans were pushed down just past her thighs, the belt hanging loosely, the metal buckle clinking against her skin as her hips rocked. 

Your breath hitches, catching in your throat as you take in the sight of her hand pumping beneath her boxers, her movements quick, almost frantic. Heat floods your body, cheeks burning as your eyes lock onto her. 

"Oh fuck, yes," she breathes, her voice low and rough. 

You can’t tear your eyes away. 

Ellie spread her legs wider, her right thigh twitching slightly as her fingers pump deeper inside.  Your cunt began to ache as your eyes caught on what she was holding. It was your panties—your favorite pair—clutched tightly in her fist, the soft lace crumpled and wrinkled between her fingers. You swallowed hard, eyes tracing the wet patch staining the fabric, the glistening spot a clear sign that she had been grinding against them. 

“Just a little more…” she breathes, eyes fluttering shut as she loses herself in the moment, her lips parting slightly. “God, I needed this…” 

“Come on, don’t stop,” she murmurs, biting her lip, her brow furrowing in concentration. “Just a bit more… just like that.” There’s desperation in her voice, a plea.

“Fuck, why is this so good?” she gasps, her voice whining with need, eyes still closed, lost in the sensations of her aching cunt“Why does it feel so much better when I think of you?” 

“Ellie…” you breathe, barely a whisper, but she doesn’t hear you.

She’s too lost in her own fantasy. 

"God, I love this," she moaned softly, her voice husky, as her hand moved frantically between her legs. Her fingers pumped faster and faster, her perky tits bouncing with each thrust, the bed beneath her squeaking. "Can’t get fucking enough."

You knew you should turn away, that you’d crossed a line simply by staying. 

Your breath hitched, the air suddenly too hot, as your hand slipped beneath your waistband, trembling fingers brushing against the damp fabric of your panties. You shifted them to the side, biting your lip as your fingers found your aching clit, tracing small circles. 

You tried to keep your breathing shallow, hoping she wouldn’t hear you over her own sounds. Your soft moans mingled with the wet, squelching sounds filling the room. The heat between your legs became unbearable, a pulse that only grew stronger with each passing second. 

“Need you to fucking take it," Ellie breathed, her voice low and ragged. Her hips bucking harder, the pace of her fingers desperate. 

"Oh fuck," you whimpered, your voice shaky as the ache in your hole pulasated. The need was overwhelming, your hole throbbing with a desperate hunger you couldn’t ignore, your fingers moving faster to keep up with ellie’s pace. 

Ellie’s eyes narrowed, her brows furrowing together as her movements slowed. You watched, breathless, as she pulled her fingers out of her drenched hole, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Without hesitation, she pressed your panties against her soaked pussy, the lace clothing her cunt as her slickness coated the fabric.

With a low groan, she began to grind against it, her hips bucking, pressing harder and faster into the softness of the fabric. Her lips parted, a ragged breath escaping as her eyes fluttered shut, her head falling back against the pillows. The wet lace clung to her, the friction of it only making her grind harder.

"Love this... fuck, your panties... can’t get enough..." Her head fell back again, and she let out a deep groan, her fingers pressing the lace even harder against her aching clit.

A moan escapes your lips, quiet at first, but growing louder as the pleasure builds inside you. 

But in your desperation, you leaned a little too close to the door, your heart pounding like a drum in your chest. 

You and Ellie freeze, eyes locking in a moment of shock. 

Ellie’s eyes widen, her mouth agape.Her gaze drops slowly, lingering on your body, taking in the sight of your drenched pussy, your panties pushed to the side, the fabric clinging to your trembling thighs. 

You can hardly breathe. 

Oh fuuck.

You try to speak, to form a coherent thought, but all that escapes your lips is a breathless, “I…” 

Heat floods your cheeks, mingling with the aching throb of your pussy, pulsing with an urgent need. God— the way she’s staring at you, with that raw hunger in her eyes.

“Come here,” Ellie whispered, her chest heaving, struggling to catch her breath. 

You couldn’t resist it.

Ellie shuddered as you slid your hand between her trembling thighs. Shuddering as your fingertip circled her dripping entrance, her soft folds parting easily under your touch. With a needy moan, she guided your finger deeper, gasping as you penetrated her hole. The slick walls of her cunt clenched greedily around your fingers as Ellie bucked her hips, fucking herself on your hand with desperation.

"Fuuuck.." *she groaned, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy. Her cunt was absolutely drenched, leaking down her thighs as she rutted against you shamelessly. Ellie's needy whimpers filled the room, growing louder and more frenzied by the second.

"Fuck, just like that!" Ellie gasped, her hips bucking wildly. She gripped your shoulders tightly, her nails digging into your skin as she rode your fingers. Her juices flowed freely, coating your fingers and dripping down your wrist.

“Ohh fuckk mee…” She groaned as your fingers slipped out of her dripping hole. 

Without wasting a second, she quickly positioned herself above you, her slick folds hovering mere inches from your own. With a swift movement, Ellie slammed her cunt down onto yours, your aching clits rubbing together as your slick juices mixed. 

“ellie! please please please!" you moaned, tightening your grip onto her wrinkled bedsheets. 

"That's it, baby," she groaned, grinding her hips in tight circles.

She gripped your hips tightly, pulling you closer. The sounds of wet skin slapping against wet skin echoed, mingling with your moans and cries of pleasure. Ellie's perky breats bounced with each thrust, her hardened nipples grazing against yours. She gripped your hair, pulling your head back to expose your throat, which she attacked with biting kisses and sensual licks.

"Atta girl," Ellie whsipered, "Take what I give you."

[elexaria]

dating simon riley wasn’t always easy. “i’m a bloody nutcase, eh?” he’d joke when he’d wake up in a cold sweat, taking deep breaths as his calloused thumb rasps against the soft cotton bedsheets, grounding him back to reality. “puts all my efforts to shame when i wake up like this. fuck’s sake.”

therapy is mandatory, especially given his role as lieutenant. the traumas of childhood, the torture. he thinks he’s good at dealing with his problems, thinks therapy is a waste of time. “what, it’s just a bloke sat there starin’ at me? hell, get me a piece of paper with some made up degree on it and even i could be a therapist.” he grumbles after you point out that, in fact, he’s not as good as coping with his trauma as he thinks he is.

“you need to actually give this a go, si. it’s..” you pause, biting the inside of your lip as you make breakfast. his hair is disheveled, wry strands of grey sticking up against the grain. his dark circles only exemplify just how tired he is, especially when he has his night terrors. you shake your head, sighing as you crack another egg into the frying pan. “how can i expect you to stay safe out there when you’re barely able to look after yourself when you’re home?” you sigh out as he grunts, taking a seat at the small dining table, his eyes skimming through the morning paper.

god, he’s such a stubborn bastard. it takes months to get him to at least consider finding a new therapist, to get him to actually care about his mental health. christ, if he can’t do it for himself, can’t he at least try for your sake?

and then, it’s like he has a lightbulb moment. you come home after a long day at work, only to find him sat at the dining table, writing scruffy notes in a ring bound notebook. “mission notes?” you ask curiously, keeping your eye on him as you make yourself a cup of tea. he grunts, shaking his head as he continues to write.

“it’s a diary. supposed to help with your mental health or summet.” he replies, settling his pen down to meet your gaze. you must have had a look of confusion on your face, and it makes the corners of his lips twitch up into a half-smile. “yeah, i know. a bloke like me with a diary, like i’m a bloody teenage girl.” he quips, now grinning as his fingers toy with the corners of the notebook. “writin’ about all the boys i fancy on the field.” he shoots a wink, before continuing to write some more in his notebook.

it’s actually surprising, a smile on your lips as you watch him in his own little world, actually making an effort in his mental health recovery. you come over, settling a warm cup of tea by him before pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of his head, still smiling as you make your way upstairs to give him some privacy. he comes upstairs after half an hour, chucking the diary into his bedside table drawer before sprawling out onto the bed obnoxiously with a deafening groan. you whine and complain when he purposely stretches on you, gently crushing you with his bolder-esque shoulders with a massive grin on his face.

there were still bad days, though. days where he’d hide himself in the garage to work on some of his projects. but you’re both trying, he feels his heart break when you gently knock on the door, holding a plate of snacks and a cup of tea for him, and fuck, it makes his bad day slightly better.

that evening, he curls up besides you silently on the couch, his journal and pen in hand as he clears his throat. you curiously peer down as he begins to flick through the pages of chicken scratch, gently tapping the page as he looks up at you. he clears his throat, and begins to read out the sweetest paragraph, one that makes your eyes well up with tears.

“no idea where i would be without you, love. you make the darkest days of my life brighter than ever. you make life worth it.” he ends his speech , the timbre of his voice cracking with emotion as he looks at you. and right there, you know that through all the trials and tribulations you two will go through, you’re the love of simon riley’s life and he would never let you forget that.

[shellshocklove]

ridin' shotgun | joel miller

pairing/AU: joel miller x female!reader – post breakout & no ellie AU

summary: as the snow covers the land, joel starts to like his new life on the farm, but is it too good to be true?

warnings: this is an 18+ fic so mdni!!! canon-typical violence, age gap (reader is mid to late twenties), swearing, guns, vomit, use of pet names, fluff, angst, fingering, oral (f receiving), some tags are left out to avoid spoilers, no use of y/n

a/n: this is the second part to this. so i'd recommend reading that before this one. i'm very sorry this took me so long! i'm hoping it was worth the wait! <3 also a big thank you to @dustydaddyyy who's always up for helping me when i'm stuck <3 happy reading!

main masterlist / series masterlist / ao3 / playlist

from the river to the sea, palestine will be free 🇵🇸 this account stands with palestine. the creator of tlou is a zionist, and the second game is largly based on israel/palestine. please, everyone who interacts, educate yourself about the genocide happening right now, and support/donate.

“Morning, Joel,” Arthur greeted him as Joel entered the kitchen.

Joel felt far from rested. His eyes burned with sleep behind his eyelids. He’d love another hour or two on his pillow, but Arthur’s heavy steps coming down the stairs had woken him.

Damn, these thin walls.

“Mornin’,” Joel said as he sat down at the dining table, looking past the curtain on the portrait of the day. The world was blue with dusk, contrasting the low candlelight inside. Alma stood at the stove, butter crackling in the frying pan as she cracked an egg, then another, two suns in a greasy night sky.

“I think we’ll bring the logging sled today,” Arthur spoke up and gestured out the window, “I think the snow is more than deep enough for the sled.”

“Yeah?” Joel looked out the window again. Assessing the snow, he guessed it was about two feet give or take.

“Yeah, I think it’s gonna be enough– If not we’ll test-drive the sled, make sure it can handle the weight.” Arthur continued, but Joel lost interest as soon as he heard the sound of a door shutting down the hall.

Joel hummed, leaning back in his chair, his eyes flickering to the door of the kitchen waiting to see you walk through. A moment later, you padded into the kitchen in your pajamas, feet clad in soft wool socks. You’d thrown a sweater over your sleep shirt, but Joel remembered how the thin fabric had clung to your skin last night. Remembered the shape of your nipples poking through, the sounds you’d made as you’d whimpered his name. Joel’s cock twitched in his pants at the memory; crashing against the wave of shame and guilt that washed over him when he recalled what he’d done after he’d stepped back into his room.

“Good morning, sweetie,” Arthur greeted you as you sat down, opposite Joel.

“Good morning,” you smiled, resting your chin in the palm of your hand, tiredness like a faraway look across your face.

“Did you sleep well?” Arthur asked.

Your eyes widened at the question, quickly flickering to Joel before they found the table. Your face dug deeper into your hand as you twisted slightly in your chair. A shy smile blossomed across your face.

Huh.

A forgotten tickling feeling of pride filled Joel’s chest as he watched you. The way you avoided his gaze, like your dreams would show through your eyes if you did. But Joel didn’t need to hold your gaze to understand. Something had shifted, both for him and for you. It was different now.

A chuckle escaped Arthur at your motions, “That good, huh?” Arthur teased, “All fairytales and rainbows?”

“Something like that,” you breathed out a chuckle.

Joel cringed. He was closer to a nightmare. Why did he even entertain his thoughts of you? You were the one who was a rainbow, while he’d paint you in a dull grayscale.

Joel let out an inaudible sight, and leaned back in the creaky kitchen chair, as his hands twisted in his lap. He didn’t miss the way his movement caught your eye as he felt the drumroll of your gaze break over him. Joel didn’t dare move, scared he’d scare the warmth of your attention away. But something pulled at his chest, and he couldn’t deny himself to look at you, to drink in your early morning shyness. You didn’t look away this time, instead you smiled. It was a small and polite smile, but it still felt like a kiss to his skin. The small moment between you only lasted a second, but to Joel it felt like an eternity – one he wouldn’t mind spending with you.

You dropped your gaze when Alma placed the breadbasket on the table, and like it had broken a spell, you immediately stood to your feet, “Let me help you, Alma.”

A moment later the table was set and ready, and Arthur was already helping himself to a fried egg. Safe for the sound of cutlery against porcelain plates, a silence fell over the kitchen.

“We uh,” Arthur started, looking over at you, “We were thinking of using the logging sled today,” he informed with a dig into his eggs. “'Could use your help saddling up the horse.”

“Okay,” you nodded, reaching across the table for the butter, “but I need to milk the cows first– you know how they get if I don’t do it first thing–”

“I can do that, sweetie,” Alma interrupted you with a smile, taking a bite of her bread.

“Oh, okay,” you turned your head to Alma as you said it, giving her a smile, but Joel could see the worry behind it. “But if it’s too much I’ll be right there–”

Alma cut you off again, “I can handle it– I did this all by myself before you came along, you know.” She said it with a wink to put you at ease, but Joel saw how your teeth dug into your bottom lip, and he wanted nothing more than to ease it away with a kiss.

No. No kiss.

Shit.

After last night, Joel couldn’t think straight. He wanted you now. He wanted what he knew he couldn’t have– what he shouldn’t have. With his eyes boring down into his plate, he tried to will his wants away. Tried his best to not build memories on things not yet said – to not feel the ache of never having touched you.

The air nipped harshly at Joel’s cheeks. The sun had finally risen over the mountain, shining its light over the crystals in the snow. A thousand diamonds blinked at him as he helped Arthur pull the log sled out of the barn. It was covered in dust and dirt, and the cobwebs stuck to Joel’s mittens like cling film. Clapping his hands, a cloud of dust evaporated from his hands – almost cartoon-like.

Joel picked at the yarn, trying to cover the hole that had become wider and wider every day. He felt bad about it; you’d made them for him out of the goodness of your heart, and now he’d ruined them– or the work had. Sharp branches had hooked themselves through the stiches, and the rough bark had worn the yarn down.

As Arthur checked the sled, and got it ready, Joel felt himself drawn to the open stable door. Leaning against the barn door he watched you quietly. You worked with practiced hands, saddling the old workhorse, Ingydar, as you talked to it in a low voice.

“You’re going to work in the woods today,” you said to the beloved nag, “Work in the woods with Arthur and Joel. Do you remember Joel? He’s a nice man, isn’t he?”

Joel felt his cheeks warm at your words, his eyes falling to the worn wood floor, as he continued to listen to your little conversation.

“Yes, he is! He’s very nice– fed you too many carrots last time he said hello, didn’t he? But you liked that, didn’t you?”

Joel looked up at that, his eyes locking with yours’ as you looked straight at him, a teasing smirk covering your face.

“That ain’t how I remember it,” Joel defended, stepping closer to the open stall door. You tightened the straps on the saddle while your smile grew larger at his words.

“No?” You teased, moving on to checking the straps on the bridle.

Joel stepped closer, his mitten clad hand coming up to pet the old horse. “No,” Joel shook his head, “you kept handin’ me all those carrots ‘s how I remember it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you laughed, stepping closer.

“Sure, you don’t,” Joel teased, a rare smile tugging at his lips, matching your own.

Locking eyes with you again, Joel felt something light bubble under the surface of his ribcage. You really were beautiful like this – eyes sparkling and smile wide. He couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at him the way you were right now – like he hadn’t lost everything, like he didn’t have blood all over his hands, like he was worthy of a smile.

Stepping even closer, you noticed the holes in them. “Joel, your mittens.”

“Sorry…” he started, trailing off when you grabbed his hands, “They get hooked in the branches ‘nd–”

“Don’t apologize,” you cut him off, with a shake of your head, “I can fix them– it’s no problem.”

The sun shone through a small window in the back wall of the stall. Bright white light lit up the back of your head, crowning you in the morning. You stood so close now, the warmth of your finger brushing over his rough skin through the hole, and his hands suddenly felt heavy in yours.

A burden you shouldn’t bear.

“Uh…” Joel cleared his throat as he stepped away, pulling his hands from yours, “Thank you.”

Finishing up saddling the horse you led it out the stall door, the iron shoes click-clacked against the worn wood floor before it fell silent against the snow when you led the horse outside. With a nod in the direction of the house you told him to wait inside for you.

“Would ya let Arthur know he can go right ahead with the sled?” he asked you, his body half-turned towards the barn house.

You let out a breathy laugh, a frosty cloud of smoke clouding your smile before you nodded.

Inside, he waited for you on the couch, watching you wave Arthur off on the horse through the window. Joel’s heart picked up its beat when he heard your hollow steps across the porch. He shifted slightly in his seat when you walked in, almost standing but then decided against it in the same moment, rubbing his hands over his thighs instead.

Stomping off the snow covering your shoes you smiled at him like always, and Joel didn’t know what to do. A feeling starting to bubble under the surface of his skin. Excitement? Nervousness? Dread? Joel couldn’t tell. Maybe he felt all three at once– if that was possible. Excitement at the prospect of being alone with you, but also nervousness at the prospect of being alone with you. They gathered around his heart, filled his chest, but the dread, it climbed up his spine, bit its cold teeth in the back of his neck.

“Just let me grab my things,” you hurried with a gesture towards your room.

Joel cleared his throat and nodded. It felt clumsy and awkward, and he cursed himself for it while he waited for you. He couldn’t be alone with you. Couldn’t entertain the growing feelings. It wasn’t right – to you – Joel needed to stay away, to keep a friendly distance.

Joel sighed and closed his eyes.

Nothin’s happenin’. 

Like a broken record, those two words spun in Joel’s head in the few seconds it took before you were back in the living room, dropping down next to him with your basket overflowing with yarn.

It felt like déjà vu.

You worked in a comfortable silence, and Joel didn’t know if he should say anything. He watched how you worked your needle with a practiced hand – you made it look so easy – but Joel knew it wasn’t. A lifetime ago he’d spent way too many nights with a needle in his hand trying to mend a hole over the knee of tiny pink pants, his stubby fingers gripping the needle tightly, guiding it clumsily through the fabric until he was red in the face from frustration.

He needed to thank you, but should he say it now or wait until you’d finished? The longer he watched you, the stronger that bubbling feeling felt, bubbling over, up his throat and over the bite of dread.

“There!” you smiled when you’d fastened off the last stich. You grabbed a hold of his hands before he’d had time to think and pulled the mittens over his knuckles.

“Thank you,” he said, voice scruff but tone still shyer than he’d expected.

You smiled at him again and leaned a little closer to readjust the mittens, tugging at the yarn where you’d mended them, pulling them into the right shape.

“You’re welcome, Joel.” You locked eyes with him and suddenly Joel noticed how close you sat. It made him hold his breath as his heart started hammering against his chest.

His gaze flickered towards your lips for half a second, wishing for something he couldn’t have– shouldn’t have. He caught himself quickly, finding your eyes again but they were fixated on something else, his lips. Who leaned in first, Joel would never know, the only thing he knew was the feel of your breath against his lips before they brushed over yours in a soft kiss.

Warm. Joel felt so warm.

His hands worked by their own volition; mitten clad, and soft against your cheek, pulling you closer to him, but not close enough. Your hand grabbed at his jacket in the crook of his elbow, tethering yourself to him, to the moment, like you’d float away if you didn’t. You hummed against his lips, a desperate sound as you shifted closer.

The sound messed with Joel’s head, he wanted to hear more of it, pull it from you again. His tongue teased at the seam of your lips, a distant thought at the back of his head questioning where his boldness suddenly came from, but he ignored it.

It didn’t matter.

The sound escaped you once more and you opened yourself up to him. Joel’s other hand, moving with desperate urgency, found your hip – pulling you even closer. He licked into your mouth, and he fell deeper into you, deeper into the grip you’d snaked around his heart.

A loud slam of the kitchen door pulled Joel away, and the reality of what he’d done trickled coldly down his spine. Out in the kitchen Alma rummaged around while you looked at him with bright eyes, pupils slightly dilated with a hazy smile across your lips.

Joel felt awful.

He shouldn’t have done that.

He’d taken advantage of you. He’s too old for you – none of this was right.

You noticed the change in him, you must’ve, because your eyebrows pulled together in the smallest of frowns as you regarded him.

“Joel,” you started, your voice low and soft, but he just shook his head.

“I’m sorry!” Joel quickly stood to his feet, wiping his hands on his jeans as though that would somehow erase what he’d done. “We– I shouldn’t have done that– I’m sorry.”

“Don’t,” you tried to grab at his hand, but Joel only shook his head again.

“I’m sorry.”

Joel was out the door before he could regret it, lord knows he couldn’t take anymore regret. His life had been full of them, full of ‘I shouldn’t haves’. He dug his mitten-clad hands in the pockets of his jacket, his head hanging low as he headed down the road towards the forest.

A heavy blanket of clouds had shaded the morning sun, the world darkened in the beginnings of real winter. As a snowflake kissed his cheek, his thoughts wandered to the butterfly he’d seen all those weeks ago. How it had rested over his knee– made him think of Sarah.

You’re on the right path.

Joel had never felt this lost.

The kiss.

It took up most of Joel’s mind. When he worked himself hard with an axe in his hand, when he was counting sheep, but most of all, each time he saw you. Then his thoughts had a mind of its own, reminding him of how your lips had felt against his own, the feel of your body under his touch, and the sounds you’d made just for him. The kiss had been the first kiss who’d made him want another. The first kiss where he’d pulled away and not been satisfied. He needed to kiss you again, to feed this new hunger for you.

But it wasn’t right. An old man like him with someone like you. It wasn’t a good idea– would never be a good idea.

So, Joel tried his best to avoid you, but avoiding you was impossible – you lived in the same house, shared a bedroom wall. He saw you every day whether he liked it or not – and he did.

He liked you, and it scared the shit out of him.

He felt like he lived in a cruel state of limbo. He didn’t know what you were thinking. If you were mad (you had every right), if you were disappointed (he hoped you weren’t), or happy (maybe the most devastating thought of all).

The fire crackled loudly, sparks kicking, the sound making you look up from your book. Joel’s eyes found his own book, rereading the same paragraph he’d been trying to read for the last thirty minutes– ever since Arthur and Alma had retired to bed. This was the first time he’d been alone with you since the kiss, and he felt it all over his body. The aftermath of the kiss sticking to his body like the Austin heat had done in the peak of summer – he couldn’t shake it off, couldn’t ignore it.

“When was the last time you cut your hair?” you suddenly spoke across the silence.

Your question was unexpected, and it made him pull his brows together in a frown. “You sayin’ I look bad?” Joel asked, dogearing the page he was on before closing his book.

“No,” you said quickly, shaking your head, “No-no, I mean it’s just a little long.”

Joel looked at you for a second before he ran a hand through his hair. Well, it wasn’t like you weren’t right. Lately his hair had started to get in his eyes, even when he pushed it back. Most days when he was working outside, he could tame it under the knitted beanie you’d made him, but it had started to have a life of its own.

“Boston. I think, Tes–” he cut himself off before he said her name, clearing his throat awkwardly to cover his slip up. He’d forgotten, forgotten for a second that she was dead. Forgotten she’d died for him and his stupid quest to find his brother. Died for nothing.

“I can trim it for you… if you want?” you asked with a bite of your lip.

He couldn’t say no to you.

“Uh… yeah,” he nodded, “Okay.”

As you led him up the stairs to the bathroom, Joel tried not to think too hard about what it would mean – you cutting his hair. He tried not to think about how the last person who’d done something like that for him was Tess, and what it meant that she was gone– that it now would be you.

Your fingers running through his wet hair felt good– what didn’t feel good was the way his back almost gave out from leaning his head in the bathroom sink. The basin was too small, and the tap hung too low for him to comfortably turn his head, instead the water spilled down his face.

Why the hell was he drowning himself for you?

“Done soon?” he grunted, his hands gripping the sides of the sink while he felt your fingers scrub at his roots.

Yes, Joel was uncomfortable, but the way you stood so close – practically leaning on him – it felt nice. So nice that Joel thought that if his eyes weren’t already shut, they’d flutter shut at your touch.

Soap suds ran down the sides of his face as you giggled, “Just a little longer.”

You maneuvered his head back under the tap, your right hand running through his hair under the water while the left covered his eyes in a useless attempt. Then you grabbed the towel resting next to him on the porcelain, the world suddenly silenced through fabric as you dried his now clean hair.

“You can stand now,” you told him with a small tap to his back as you stepped away. You’d laid the towel around his shoulders, ready to catch any excess water.

Joel groaned, “I don’t think I can.”

You giggled again and then your hands wrapped around him, helping him up. Joel groaned again, but this time for show. He liked the way you touched him, gentle – always gentle. He plopped down in the chair you’d brought in from the spare bedroom, while you got your comb and scissors ready. The wooden chair creaked as he shifted his legs, widening them while he rested his hands in his lap.

He’d never seen this chair before, but then again Joel hadn’t explored the house much – it didn’t feel right. He was a guest after all, only staying for a few months– or was he? His eyes found you in the mirror, and then that thought suddenly felt awfully wrong.

“Ready?” you turned around to him, a pair of kitchen scissors in one hand, and an old shaver plugged into the wall in the other.

You didn’t say much as you worked. It was uncharacteristic for a hairdresser, at least from what he could remember. Back before the outbreak he’d rarely gotten his hair cut by someone other than himself. With his clipper guard set to four he’d tidy up the sides when it was needed and called it a day.

Your quietness was also uncharacteristic to you. You never talked his ear off, but you were never this quiet – at least you weren’t before the–

Stop.

Joel tried not to think about that.

He’d gone and fucked everything up now. Instead, he stole a glance at you in the mirror, watched the way your lips pursed in concentration to the metal sound of scissors snipping, and the low buzz of the shaver.

He needed to apologize to you.

“I…” he started, watching your head snap curiously to watch him in the mirror.

No turning back now– just say it.

“I’m sorry ‘bout the other day– It wasn’t right to kiss you like that.”

Your curiosity pulled into confusion across your face, and your eyebrows tugged together in a frown.

“You don’t have to be sorry, Joel,” you told him, your voice gentle, “I didn’t exactly–... well I definitely wasn’t stopping you.” You said it with an awkward laugh. Your kind, always kind, eyes that’d watched him in the mirror, now glued to the back of his head as you gently combed his hair.

Joel felt something bloom in his chest at your words, and despite himself, he felt his cheeks warm slightly as thoughts invaded his mind. 

Maybe he should tell you why he did it. 

Shit, did Joel even know why he did it? 

“I thought you–” Joel felt the words stall in his throat for a second, before he cleared it decisively. 

No going back now, he thought to himself, just rip off the band aid you idiot.

Another part of Joel screamed at him to stop the words before they even left his lips, and his doubts gnawed at his insides with more intensity than ever.

“The other night, when you were asleep,” he paused to swallow, a lump growing in his throat, “I was getting to bed and I heard–... well, y’were sort of having a dream, sweetheart.”

With nervous eyes, Joel found your face in the mirror, and watched the way the smiling expression dropped off your face, quickly replaced by a wide-eyed look of pure mortification. 

“I–” you stuttered out, and Joel rushed to correct himself. 

“It’s nothin’ to be embarrassed about, I shouldn’t a been watchin’ you, I just–... thought maybe y’liked me, or something.” 

His words hung heavy in the air between you, and Joel’s heart picked up its beat as he watched how all your movements suddenly went quiet, along with the shaver, seemingly processing all this new information.

Your eyes found the back of his head again, and when he felt the comb run through his hair again, Joel suddenly felt very guilty for even bringing it up. 

Stupid. Why on earth would he do that? Was he trying to send you into an early grave? 

“I’m sorry you walked in on that,” you finally managed, your eyes fixated on your working hands as you refused to meet Joel’s eye – looking infinitely embarrassed.

You’re sorry? He didn’t want to hear those words leave your mouth ever again – the only person in this bathroom who was sorry, was him.

In the mirror you looked so small, and it was his own doing. Your teeth dug harshly into your bottom lip as your combed, and combed, and combed his hair in a shaky hand. Joel felt his heart break.

He’d dug himself too deep now, Joel thought, he had to tell you, to reassure you it was okay.

After a beat of silence, Joel spoke again.

“I’m not.” 

Your eyes widened at his words before they snapped to the mirror, staring at him as the shears trembled slightly in your hand. Still, you didn’t say anything.

Joel didn’t have the faintest idea where he was going with this, and with the way you looked at him now, his doubts seemed to overtake him as he got the sudden urge to swallow his words right back up. 

“Look, forget I even said anything angel, I didn’t mean anythin’ by it–” 

The word slipped from his lips like the most natural thing in the world. Something flashed in your eyes through the mirror, he could’ve sworn it, and Joel seemed to realize a beat too late what he’d called you. Feeling his cheeks heat up, his embarrassment forced his gaze to fall anywhere but at you, quicklyfinding his hands knotted in his lap.

“Joel,” you said softly, and despite himself, Joel felt the earlier warmth expanding like a balloon in his chest, “It’s okay.” 

He perked up at your words, his eyes snapping from his hands to you as you moved, coming to stand in front of him. Your hands deftly moved the comb through his curls as he looked up at you through the strands. You seemed focused on cutting the ends, before you let out a breath. 

“It would’ve been okay if you had been watching, you know,” you said, your voice simple and even.

Joel felt his entire body tense at your words as his eyes bored into your face. He watched the way your face grimaced slightly; your eyes focused on snipping the strands right.

“I just mean I–” There was a pause as you gave him a half-embarrassed smile, your lips pursed together as you seemed to search for your next words. 

You were standing so close, so close he could smell the sweetness off you. You made him dizzy. Dizzy with warmth. Dizzy with proximity. Dizzy with something heavy in the depths of his chest he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Joel didn’t know why he did it, didn’t know why the way his hands moved felt like second nature, but when the tips of his fingers grazed the back of your knee in an attempt to reassure you, it felt like something was calling to him.

“It’s okay,” he told you, “You can tell me, angel.” 

Finally, your eyes met Joel’s. Those kind sparkling eyes bored into his own as you, in an attempt to gather some courage, swallowed hard.

“I–I do like you,” you said.

The finality of your words lodged something loose in Joel, and something he hadn’t felt in a long time flicker to life in his chest.

“That so?” he asked, his voice a little lower.

Somehow, you were stood even closer, only slightly taller than Joel as he angled his head up towards you. Your chest started to rise and fall in a quicker rhythm at his question. Looking at him, your lips twitched in a nervous smile as you turned slightly away from his, placing the comb and scissors on the sink gently.

You nodded.

Still turned away from him, he watched how you gathered yourself, your hands resting on the porcelain as your head hung low between your shoulder blades.

“When you…” you trailed off, moving the comb and scissors in a perfect parallel line next to each other. “When you,” you repeated, “kissed me… I thought maybe… you liked me back.”

It was now or never.

Joel knew it.

Standing from his chair, Joel’s hand found your shoulder, turning you to face him. You didn’t look at him right away, your head tipped in a bow as you fiddled with your fingers.

“Hey,” his fingers brushed lightly under your chin, tilting your head up. Your eyes were wide, flickering like sunlight over wavy water as you studied his face. His eyes fell to your lips – he couldn’t help it, and the memories of how they’d felt against him resurfaced in his mind. If he just leaned a little closer, he’d feel them again.

“Joel… if you don’t want me– if you don’t like me, you can just tell me– I’m a big girl.” Your voice sounded almost breathless, like you’d run up a flight of stairs or walked miles in knee deep snow.

Joel shook his head before you’d even finished your sentence. Don’t want you? Don’t like you? It was absurd.

“It ain’t that.”

“Then what is it?” The way the words left your lips, broken, beaten, it had Joel’s heart tear apart in his chest.

“It ain’t right, angel. I’m too old f’you– I can’t take advantage of you like that.”

A frown pulled at your face then, “Take advantage?” you questioned with a shake of your head. “I’m a grown woman, Joel. Would it be taking advantage if it was what I wanted? If what I wanted was… you?”

Joel had never thought about it like that before. The thought of you wanting him back had seemed like a fantasy – something that would never even be a possibility.

Your fingers moved a strand of hair out of his face, brushing it away, and Joel held his breath. Hesitating for just a second, you cupped his cheek gently and leaned closer. The softness of your lips over his own had Joel reeling – didn’t matter how quick or chaste the kiss had been – it only left him wanting more.

“I look stupid.”

“You don’t look stupid, Joel,” you laughed, full of joy.

You adjusted the bandana holder and fixed the crooked kerchief around his neck slightly. The red fabric picked up the warmth in his lined leather jacket, and the metal holder caught the shine of the sun.

Joel couldn’t believe he’d said yes.

This morning when he’d gotten up with the sun, Alma had stuck her head out of her and Arthur’s bedroom right as he was on his way out the bathroom. Arthur wasn’t feeling well, and Joel had prepared himself to work in the woods alone. It wasn’t the first time Arthur had gotten sick, and with the way he was looking lately, Joel figured it wouldn’t be the last.

He'd been washing his dishes from his breakfast when you’d padded into the kitchen. With a look over his shoulder, he’d caught the way you’d smiled at him before you padded over to him.

“Good morning,” you’d said and wrapped your arms around him from behind.

“Mornin’, angel,” he’d hummed back. He’d dried his plate and placed it on the counter before he’d turned around, still in your embrace.

Joel wasn’t used to it yet, your affection, he still had a hard time comprehending it was meant for him. That it wasn’t some joke you’d so cruelly played on him. A joke to see how long you could feed him this adoration until he’d get hooked on it, hooked on you, before pulling away.

Joel didn’t dare hold you too tightly. Everyone he’s ever held in his arms had been pulled away by death’s hands. Every day since you’d told him you liked him, wanted him, Joel had been afraid to lose you.

Maybe that’s why he’d said yes? You’d convinced him it’ll be safer for you if you knew how to shoot.

Joel didn’t know.

The only thing he knew was that he’d caved under your wide and blinking eyes. You’d looked too cute to say no, and he disliked seeing a frown upon your lips, unless he could kiss it away.

Which he did – but only when you were alone.

You’d both agreed to keep this thing, the fondness, the love, growing between you a secret. It was easier that way, at least until you both knew what it all meant. Right now, it was a thing, a fondness, but not yet a love, although Joel wasn’t far off if he were being honest with himself, especially when you looked at him with those moony eyes.

With a pat to his chest, you pushed off him with a smile. In a closet upstairs you’d found you both a cowboy hat and some bandanas you’d insisted on him wearing. The whole thing was silly, but the way you’d lit up with happiness when you’d placed the cowboy hat on his head, it didn’t matter to Joel.

“C'mon cowboy,” you laughed, and grabbed his hand.

He let you drag him with you before he caught up with you. He pulled at your arm so you crashed into his side, and wrapped his arm around your shoulder. It made you giggle, and the sound bubbled around Joel’s heart.

Ingydar stood waiting dutifully in his stall, where you’d gotten him ready. The saddle bags were packed with your lunches and a box of ammunition, and at the back of the saddle you’d rolled two sheep skins and tied them with leather ties. Everything was ready for your day out together.

Or your date, Joel thought as he trailed after you, closing the stable door behind him as you led the horse outside.

Joel insisted you get on the horse first with his help. He wanted to make sure you were comfortable and sat as safely as possible before he slid his foot into the stirrups. You wiggled around to mess with him, and Joel grabbed your knee to steady you. It made you giggle again, and he earned himself a ‘Relax, honey’. Then you leaned back and made space for him to get in front of you.

Joel liked the sound of ‘honey’.

“Y’alright back there?” Joel said over his shoulder after he’d gotten on the horse. Placing the shotgun over his lap, Joel made sure the safety was on before his hands came down to take yours where they rested over your thighs, and gently guided them to slot around his waist.

“Y’actually gotta hang on sweetheart, or you’ll slide right off the minute he starts trotting,” Joel said, fighting back a smile when he felt your arms tighten around him.

“I know how to ride a horse,” you retorted, and his chest shook with a slight chuckle. 

“Not saying you don’t, angel,” he replied easily, and kicked Ingydar lightly in the sides.

The old horse started walking, and Joel pulled on the reins, steering it down the road and then south towards the woods.

“’Just makin’ sure you ain’t gonna fall off ‘s all,” he said.

You hummed in return, leaning your body against his back. “It’ll have to be a really bumpy ride for me to fall off, Joel,” you spoke, the innuendo not lost on Joel.

He decided to pull at the thread a little, “And I s’pose you’ve had a lot of these bumpy rides, have you, angel?”

Your hands around his waist tightened slightly as he felt you lean over his shoulder, your hat dumping into his. A smile tugged at his lips, and in his side vision he could see you narrow your eyes playfully at him. 

“What are you insinuating, Joel Miller?” you asked him, your tone only half-sharp.

A chuckle rumbled in Joel’s chest, before he bit back a smirk. “I’m not insinuatin’ nothin’,” he replied, keeping his tone as normal as he could.

He felt your eyes study him for a moment before he heard you let out a dissatisfied hum. “You definitely are.” 

“Well, we got an entire horse ride to god knows where to debate it,” he shot back, which made you smile.

You leaned back again, and a second later he felt you rest your forehead against his back. Joel figured you must’ve flicked your hat off; letting it rest against your back tied by the string around your neck.

“An entire horse ride to god knows where?” you repeated half-mockingly, speaking into his back but Joel could hear your smile in your voice, “You really know how to make a girl wait for it.”  

“You have no idea, angel,” Joel replied, an otherwise joking tone overshadowed by something else, something more honest.

Behind him, Joel felt you shift, and a small spark of pride filled his chest. He had an effect on you, the same way you had an effect on him. Quickly, you changed the subject, and that spark of pride grew larger in Joel’s chest.

“Did you have a plan, by the way?” you asked him, your voice light and innocent, “Or are we just riding this horse off into the sunset?” 

“It’s the middle of the day,” Joel pointed out, “And you’re the one who put me in a bandana, so don’t even bother tellin’ me you ain’t the one with the plan.” 

You let out a giggle at this and pressed your face into his back once more. “Just keep going straight for now, you bore, I’ll tell you when.” 

Joel chuckled at you, and did as you said, guiding the horse south at the edge of the forest where the snow wasn’t as deep. He felt you tighten your hands slightly around his waist, before you fell into a comfortable silence.  

The horse held a steady pace, rocking you in a soothing rhythm in the saddle. The day was bright and sunny, almost blinding against the snow. Joel had never gone down this way before, never seen the stone face of the mountain up close, the way it cried glittery winter tears when the sun shone.

“There’s a river down here somewhere,” you suddenly spoke, breaking the silence that had built between you. “There’s a nice little spot down there where we can camp.”

Joel pulled at the reins, following in the direction you’d pointed. “You’ve been down this way before?” he asked.

“Maybe once or twice a year,” you started, “There’s this town, Jackson, maybe a week’s ride south. I’m not exactly supposed to talk about it– they run a pretty tight ship, coming off a little more threatening than they are, but they’re sort of like a commune. Arthur has this deal with one of the ladies, Maria, where we help each other out by trading.”

A frown pulled at Joel’s face, “I thought y’all were all alone out here?” 

“Well, we are, but not really. It’s because of them we still have running water and electricity– we’re connected to the same system they use. And then usually in the fall or in the spring Arthur will go trade with them for things we need like soap, or nails and stuff we can’t make on our own at the farm.”

Joel hummed, and the puzzle pieces of information you’d given him, started to fit into the bigger picture he’d painted of your life at the farm. He could understand why Alma and Arthur still resided at the farm. It was their home, the place where they’d lived their whole life, but for you, for you it was different.

“So… you know ‘em? You’ve gone with Arthur to meet this Maria?” he asked.

“A little, I guess. She’s uh…” you trailed off, resting your cheek against Joel’s back instead.

The river finally came into view, and Joel let you have the silence. He guided Ingydar down towards the riverbank. A wound cut the ice in two where the river poured backwards eternally. The water clucked under the ice as you rode along the edge; was it wishful thinking to think it sounded like the coming of spring?

“She?” Joel prodded gently.

Joel heard you sight before you sat up, no longer leaning your weight on him. “She invited me to come live with them… in Jackson.”

Joel frowned, “’nd you told her no?”

“Well… yes– I just, I can’t leave them alone.”

“Sweetheart–” Joel started, but you cut him off.

“Let’s stop here!”

You didn’t say anything as Joel watched you loosen the saddle bags and sheep skins, while he petted the old horse. He found himself wondering how you’d ended up on the farm, and if you could’ve been happier somewhere else– like Jackson.

He tied Ingydar to a tree, before he waded back to where you were trampling the snow flat. He helped you form a bench out of the snow, cutting through the layers until you found a hard enough crust to hold both your weights. The sheepskin warmed under him, as he sat down with a groan. It made you turn around from where you sat on your haunches in front of the fire you were building, a teasing smile pulling at the corner of your mouth.

“Tired already, old man?” you teased as you stood to your feet and walked closer.

Spreading his legs, Joel made room for you to stand between them, as he tipped his head back to study you above him. Your smile was dangerous, wild and wonderful.

“Old man, huh?” He raised an eyebrow at you, not able to resist the urge to wrap his hand around the back of your knee.

Your teeth caught on your bottom lip at his touch, and a pride swelled inside Joel. Pride at pulling a reaction from you. Before you could answer him, a boldness took a hold of him, and he wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you down into his lap.

You yelped out a giggle and your hands came down to brace yourself against his shoulder. Joel felt a feeling overcome him; one he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Happiness.

It tickled at his heart, teared at something inside, and it scared him.

“You okay?” you asked, your voice coated in concern, and Joel felt his cheeks heat up. He let out a dry chuckle, embarrassed by how easily you could read him.

“Yeah,” he cleared his throat, “I just…” he trailed off, studying your face and watching how your eyebrows pulled together in the smallest of frowns.

He shook his head again, before he leaned forward, not thinking it through as he brushed his lips over yours in a kiss. You reciprocated the kiss immediately, although maybe a little caught off guard. Joel’s arm around your waist tightened, as his other hand brushed up your side. He needed to hold you close for just a second, just to know this was real, that this feeling was real, and that you were real.

You broke away first, breathless with a giggle before you dove down again for another peck. Joel let you kiss him; let you cup his cheek and bring him closer. You shifted in his lap, your core rubbing slightly over his crotch. It could’ve been an accident, but the small gasp you let out told him it wasn’t. His arm around your waist tightened, and he had to pull away.

Wide eyes looked back at him, and Joel couldn’t help but stare at your lips. He felt like a teenager, a teenager sneaking out the house to meet a girl. To finally be with you without the secrecy – to touch you and kiss you openly.

“You’re somethin’ else, aren’t you?” he whispered.

A smile teased at your lips before you leaned in closer, your breath brushing over his ear, “You have no idea.”

Blood coursed south, and Joel felt his cock come alive behind the confinements of his jeans. It was cold enough for a man to freeze his balls off, but desire’s warmth filled him anyway.

He pulled his head away, finding your eyes blown full of lust. A smile teased at the corner of his mouth as he spoke, “Let’me teach ya to shoot before you get too excited.”

“Before I get too excited?” you laughed, and sat up properly in his lap again, “I think that might be you, old man.”

Teaching you to shoot was less of a success than Joel had intended. He’d found a couple of old glass bottles in the barn to use as target practice, but your aim was terrible, missing each shot. To your credit, it wasn’t your fault. He’d taught you how to load the gun, how to stand safely, and with his hand snaking around your body, how to hold it properly.

He could swear his intentions were good at first, he actually wanted to teach you, to make sure you knew how to shoot, and safely, but when he saw how your body shivered from his voice in your ear – he decided to play with you a little.

Maybe he whispered a couple of innuendos in your ear while he dropped his voice an octave just to see your reaction. Or maybe he pressed himself a little closer to your body, showing you how it was done like in those cliché romcoms he’d been forced to watch with Sarah.

It didn’t take long before the empty bottles, or the shot gun was forgotten, as you pressed your lips against his in a desperate kiss, your cold nose rubbing against his own.

But Joel didn’t have it in him to complain.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound at the door jolted Joel from his sleep. He’d almost been dragged under, laying in that limbo state between awake and asleep– not yet in dreamland, but not still among the living.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Joel sat up, letting the duvet fall into his lap and exposing his chest as the streak of yellow light coming through the ajar door cut his bedroom in two. Joel had to squint to see you properly in the doorway as he shed the last grip of sleep.

“Angel?” he questioned, as a tight grip of fear ran through him. He sat up properly now, ready to jump out of bed, his hands already searching for his shotgun resting at the foot of the bed.

With his eyes now fully adjusted to the dark, he watched how you quietly stepped inside his bedroom, closing the door as gently as you could – and the panic seemed to seize just a little. You padded to the edge of his bed, still so quiet, with your hands clasped nervously over where the hem of your sleep shirt met the bare of your thighs.

“I couldn’t sleep,” you whispered.

Joel shifted over slightly and lifted the duvet for you to slip under. An open invitation– one you were quick to accept.

“D’you have a nightmare?” Joel whispered, the wolf hour keeping his voice down.  

You shifted closer to him, your head rested on his pillow, and Joel couldn’t help himself from touching your waist gently – his fingers dancing over the soft cotton of your shirt.

“No,” you whispered back, “just couldn’t sleep.”

Joel hummed and shifted over onto his back, extending his arm for you to shift closer. It felt natural now – touching you. You felt like his, and he felt like yours. He didn’t know where it was going, but he was starting to enjoy the road to you. To get to know you more, what made you laugh, your quirks, and the way your body felt under his hands.

The weight of your head on his chest, Joel welcomed; his other hand quick to intertwine with the one you’d slung over his middle. He just wanted you close now, every chance he got.

“’Just try ‘nd get some sleep, my angel.” Joel pressed a kiss to the top of your head before he pulled back and closed his eyes. With you in his arms now, he knew he’d have no trouble falling back asleep.

“I–” you whispered.

Joel hummed; his eyes still closed.

“I kept thinking about you.”

Curiously Joel opened his eyes to find yours. You had tilted your head to look at him, you mouth slightly parted as you studied him with moony eyes. The way you looked at him stirred something inside him, a warmth pooling in the depth of his core.

“Yeah?” he questioned with a slight cock of his eyebrow, “’bout what?”

Then you got shy all of a sudden, hiding your head in his chest. “Thought about how you touched me,” you whispered.

“Touched ya how?” he prodded, gliding his hand up your arm slowly.

He knew it was wrong to play with you like this. Everything was still new, each touch unexplored and seeking. He couldn’t fuck you, even if he wanted to, and he did, badly, but Joel couldn’t risk it. Not in this world, not at this farm, it wasn’t fair to you.

Over him you held your breath as he teased your skin, eyes fluttering shut as his hand moved down the side of your body, and under the duvet.

“Like… like how you touched me in my dream,” you exhaled in a breathless voice.

Now Joel sucked in a breath, holding it in his lungs as he tried to calm himself down. He had an idea on how he’d touched you in your dream, but he couldn’t hold himself back from asking anyway.

“’nd where did I touch ya in your dream, angel.”

You squirmed against his body when his hand reached your bare thigh under the duvet, and soon your fingers locked around his wrist to guide it up over the soft skin of the inside of your thigh.

“Here,” you whispered.

A small gasp escaped you when he brushed his thumb gently over your clothed clit. Joel felt the wet warmth of you against the pad of his finger, making his cock twitch to life in his pajama pants.

“Here?” Joel whispered back, as his thumb started rubbing small circles over your clit.

“Y-yes.”

The noise you made, the noise he pulled from you from his small touch, sounded like the sweetest melody in Joel’s ear, and he wanted to hear it again. He ran his fingers through your cloth covered folds, and felt the wetness already seeped through.

Fuck.

“My angel… You’re so wet already,” he tutted, “Were you touchin’ yourself thinkin’ ‘bout me in that bed of yours?” he hummed in your ear.

A shiver ran through your body when his fingers found your clit again. Slowly, he started circling his fingers again, and the quiet moan that escaped you filled his chest with desire.

“Yes,” you breathed out, almost a whimper.

His teeth caught on his bottom lip, biting down to stave off the groan he wanted to let out at your words. He needed more of you, to feel the softness of you, to pull more of those breathy whimpers from your breath.

“Tell me, angel.”

In a bold move, Joel dipped his fingers into your panties, gliding two thick fingers through the seam of your folds, dipping into your arousal soiling your panties. His touch made you suck in a quick breath, as your eyes squeezed shut in pleasure. A proud grin spread across Joel’s face. It had been a while since he’d been with a woman, even longer since he’d been with a woman he felt something for.

He’d felt something for Tess, but that had been so complicated – it didn’t work right, they didn’t work right together as more than friends, like the puzzle pieces didn’t quite fit together. But the sex had been good, something to make them both forget for a little while.

Everything with you worked almost too easily, and Joel wanted to make you feel good, you deserved it, he thought.

“I-I,” you said breathlessly, as he worked his fingers slowly up and down from your hole to your clit, “I thought about your f-fingers.”

“Yeah, baby? Where?” He whispered in your ear before placing a kiss to the column of your neck. Joel was playing with you now, seeing how desperate he could get you before he tasted you.

“I-inside… I thought about your fingers inside me.”

Joel smiled into your neck. This felt as good a time as any to slip a finger inside you, so he did, slowly. You keened under his touch, and the sound of the small gasp you let out made Joel’s cock even harder.

“Like this baby?” he teased, pumping his finger slowly in and out of your wet warmth. He felt your hand wrap around his wrist, holding his arm, almost guiding him in his movements. He curled his finger inside you, trying to find that spongy spot inside that made you see stars.

“Y-yes, Joel–ah!”

There it was.

He liked the sound of his name falling from your lips like this, and he intended to hear it again. He couldn’t help but think about the way your cunt would squeeze around his cock, how tight you’d feel around him, as he continued to massage the spot with the pad of his finger.

“That feels good, doesn’t it?” he cooed, and placed a kiss to your cheek.

“Uh-uh,” you nodded, your eyebrows pulling together in a frown of pleasure, “Uh-uh.”

He felt your walls flutter around him, and Joel knew he had you just where he wanted you. Quickly, he pulled out his finger before slipping in a second. Your wetness dripped down his hand, coating him in your arousal with every pump of his fingers inside you.

Your breathing picked up, and small moans escaped you in time with the thrusting of his fingers. Joel had to contain himself from rubbing his bulge against your thigh, chasing any kind of relief.

This wasn’t about him, he told himself, he only wanted to make you feel good.

He knew you were close now, with just a flick of his thumb over your clit he’d have you coming on his hand – but Joel didn’t want it to be over yet. He needed to taste you, he’d thought about it as he’d jerked himself of, fantasized about how you’d taste on his tongue.

Suddenly, Joel pulled his finger out of your cunt. A strangled noise of, what Joel could only describe as disappointment, escaped your lips. It made Joel chuckle.

“Joel,” you whined, and squeezed your fingers around his wrist.

He didn’t answer, instead he sat up, a teasing smile coating his face as he shifted down the bed and pulled the duvet with him.

“Calm down, angel, be good f’me, okay?”

His hand wrapped around your calf to spread you apart for him, and he slotted between your legs. He placed a gentle kiss to your knee and let his eyes find yours where they looked back at him wide with anticipation.

“Are you gonna be good f’me?” he asked as he gave you another soft kiss, but this time to the inside of your thigh.

A breath escaped you in staccato, and you nodded, “Y-yes, Joel.”

“Good girl,” he rumbled, placing fluttering kisses up your thigh until he reached your core.

Joel didn’t want to waste any more time.

He stripped you out of your panties, and threw them to the side to get lost in the bedding. Finally, he got a good look at you, and fuck you were beautiful. Your cunt glistened with your wetness in the low white light of the moon coming through the window. Your hole pulsed when his thumb found your clit, where he pulling the hood back slightly as he teased you.

“Please,” you pleaded, your hand wrapping around his shoulder; searching for something to hold on to.

“It’s okay, angel,” he comforted you, as his finger spread your lips apart, and put you on display for him before he pinched them together. Under him you let out the smallest of whimpers as he played with you.

“I’m gonna put my mouth on you now, baby,” he told you, his finger back to circling your clit. “Gonna taste you pussy.”

His eyes flicked from your cunt to your face, searching for any indication that this wasn’t what you wanted. But Joel didn’t find any, your mouth had dropped open in the smallest of o’s, and your eyes were glazed over in lust.

“Please, Joel,” you begged, spreading your legs wider for him.

A grin spread across Joel’s face, and at last he finally closed the distance between his lips and your cunt, placing a kiss to your clit to start.

A hand found his head, as your fingers dug into his hair, which only made him smile wider. He dipped lower, flattening his tongue to taste you properly. You tasted so good, a sweet-salty taste he instantly craved more of. He licked a stripe from your clit to your hole, gathering up the arousal leaking from you, and hummed in contentment.

The fingers in his hair tightened their grip as he teased at your hole, pushing his tongue inside you a couple of times and earning himself the sweetest moans. Joel made sure to remember every twist of pleasure, and whiny moan.

He continued with a lick up the seam of your folds, which made your hips buck, chasing the swipes and zigzags of his tongue.

“That feel good, angel?” he prodded before latching onto your clit.

“Y-yes!” you gasped as he sucked and flicked his tongue.

The noises he pulled from you went straight to his hard cock. He could feel the precum leak from the tip and staining the fabric of his pajama pants. Shamelessly, he started bucking his hips against the bed.

He had to calm down, this wasn’t about him.

With a sudden move he pulled away, making a breathy whine escape you at the loss of his mouth. Joel sat up on his knees, before his hands found the back of your knees.

“Hold your legs f’me, angel,” he commanded, and pushed your legs up towards your chest. You did as he told you, and hooked your arms under your knees to put your cunt on full display for him.

“Fuck,” he breathed out, “so pretty f’me… so messy– listen.”

He ran a finger down your cunt to prove his point, a slick wet sound filling the air.

“Please, Joel,” you begged again, your voice broken with a breathless whine.

“Please what, angel?” he mocked, a spark of pride filling his chest as he watched you bite down on your lip.

“Please… make me come,” you whispered, and Joel thought he’d never heard anything sound so hot in his life.

He dove down again, consumed your cunt. His tongue lapped at your core, his finger teased your hole, pushing the pad just inside your opening; in and out, in and out. His lips found your clit again, where he flattened his tongue before drawing precise circles. Around his finger your cunt pulsed – you were close.

Joel never slowed down his tempo, determined now to make you come. He continued to lick and suck, thrusting his fingers inside you fully now as he pushed up against the spot he’d found earlier. Your breath picked up the pace, small breathy moans and whines escaping you in an increasing tempo.

“R-right there,” you heaved, your face scrunched together in pleasure. “D-don’t stop– I’m gonna c-come.”

Joel hummed against you, continuing his rhythm with his fingers and his tongue, coaxing you closer and closer to your orgasm. You started to mumble something, but Joel couldn’t hear it clearly between your heaving breaths.

He was determined now.

Curling his fingers again, your eyes snapped open, “Joel!”

Your cunt spasms around his fingers, and then you came around his fingers. Your eyes screwed shut as you moaned, as your body squirmed under him.

You looked so beautiful– you sounded so beautiful.

He continued to massage his fingers inside you, thrusting them slowly as you rode out your high. Making sure to drink in every sound, every squirm and twist of your pleasure as he watched you calm down.

When your breath had started to come back to normal, Joel pulled his fingers from your cunt. His fingers were coated in you, coated in your slick arousal and your cum. With a cheeky smile he brought his fingers to his mouth as he locked eyes with you and sucked them clean. The wide-eyed look on your face was the sweetest thing he’d seen.

“Joel,” you begged, your hand pulling him down over you.

He held himself up with a hand digging into your pillow, and he couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at you. He never wanted to forget the look on your face in this moment, never wanted to forget what you looked like glowing in a post-orgasm bliss.

Your hands cupped his cheek and pulled him down to your lips. The kiss was desperate, wet and messy, and it made Joel’s heart soar inside his chest. His cock was so hard. He could slip it inside you just for a moment, only the tip.

“Please,” you said breathlessly between kisses, “you can fuck me, Joel.”

No, not yet.

With a shake of his head, he came to his senses, “No, angel, this was just f’you.”

Your eyes widened with confusion; a slight frown pulled at your eyebrows as he pulled away. Joel bought himself some time by pulling you closer and wrapping an arm around you, careful not to press his hard cock into your ass.

“There ain’t exactly any condoms out here,” he told you, “It’s just too risky.”

It was a sorry excuse, Joel knew it, and he could tell you did too. His boner rubbing into your ass told you as much. Joel wanted to, he wanted to fuck you, but he just couldn’t, not yet anyway. Not until he knew that it was what you wanted, that he was what you wanted.

A moment went by before he heard you whisper, “You can pull out?”

Joel couldn’t hold back the smile threatening to spill across his face, “I’ve heard that one before, didn’t exactly go to plan.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, turning around in his arms to find his face.

Shit.

“Nothin’,” he shook his head. He didn’t want to think about that right now, didn’t want to feel that grief that’s never gone away, didn’t want it to tear at the happiness he felt in this moment. “It’s just somethin’ from before.”

Your interest seemed to pique at that. You turned around fully in his arms and slung your arm around his broad chest. Your eyes glittered with curiosity, “How was it? Your life before?”

Memories flashed before Joel’s eyes; days of hard work under the Austin sun, drunk laughter at the bar with his brother, pink birthday parties, and singing along to girl groups in the truck.

He held his breath for a moment before he let out a quiet sigh, “Normal, I guess.”

When he looked down at you where you rested your head on his shoulder, it seemed his brief answer had disappointed you, so he decided to elaborate, “I worked too damn much– me ‘nd my lil’ brother we uh, had a business together–”

“Contractors,” you remembered.

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “that’s right.”

“What’s his name?” you asked.

“Who’s name?” Joel frowned.

“Your brother,” you said, the ‘duh’ not spoken out loud, but your tone indicative of it either way.

“Uh, Tommy.”

“Joel and Tommy,” he could hear the smile in your voice. “What’s he like?”

Joel sucked in a breath, “A pain in my ass first of all.”

A playful slap landed on his chest and Joel couldn’t help but smile, “I’m serious.”

Interlocking his fingers with your hand on his chest, Joel opened up to you. “Tommy always wanted to be a hero. He enlisted in the army right outta high school, I was… well, it doesn’t matter– they shipped him off to Iraq a few months later and he…” Joel trailed off, his eyes fixating on a crack in the ceiling.

“What happened when he got back?” you gently asked with a squeeze of his hand.

“Turns out bein’ in the army doesn’t make you feel much like a hero,” Joel sighed, “I watched out for him, kept him outta trouble, made sure he had a steady job.”

“You’re a good brother,” you told him, but Joel felt the opposite.

“I don’t know,” Joel shook his head slightly, “Then the outbreak happens, and Tommy convinces me to join a group makin’ their way up to Boston, which I did, mostly to keep an eye on him, keep him alive. We meet Tess, join a crew ‘nd… did some things I ain’t proud of, but we were survinin’, right?”

You squeezed his hand again, urging him to continue. “Then Tommy meets Marlene. She talks him into joinin’ the Fireflies. Same mistake he made when he was eighteen– wants to save the world. ‘Course, last I heard he quit the Fireflies too. So, now he’s on his own out there.”

“And that’s how you ended up here, looking for him.” You said the words slowly, like you were contemplating each word, “and he’s still out there somewhere.”

A lump of guilt grew in Joel’s throat. Had he abandoned his brother for the safety of your arms? Let Tess die for nothing?

“Yeah,” he swallowed around his guilt, “Last contact I heard from him came from around the Cody tower– in Wyoming.”

“Cody?” you sat up, “That’s not too far from Jackson… maybe that’s where he is? I need to ask Arthur, but there’s no other settlements around here except in Jackson.”

A small glimmer of hope awakened in him, “You sure?”

“Yeah,” you nodded your head, “when spring comes you should go to Jackson with Arthur– maybe he’s there!”

Your enthusiasm was cute; the way you seemed to glow above him. “Maybe,” he hummed, noncommittedly, as he pulled you down to rest against his chest again.

A moment passed in silence before you whispered, “And this Tess… was she your wife?”

“No, she… she was my partner– but she was family.” The words strained in his throat, like they didn’t want to come out, “She’s dead… got bit.”

“I’m sorry, Joel,” you said, your voice gentle as you squeezed him tighter. “I understand… my family–” you cut yourself of, but Joel understood.

Dead.

“Arthur said I wasn’t the first person passin’ through. I’m guessing that was you?”

“Yeah,” you sighed, “I uh, my family and I, we were travelling with a group. It wasn’t very large, but I guess it was big enough to draw attention. One night, uh,” your voice started to tremble, and it broke something in Joel.

“Angel,” he whispered, his hand wrapping tighter around you, “It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“I’m sorry,” you sniffled, “it’s just really hard to talk about.”

“Don’t apologize, I know baby, I know,” Joel soothed before pressing light kisses to the top of your head.

“One night,” you cleared your throat, “We’d camped, had dinner and I… I waited for my parents to fall asleep so I could sneak into the tent of this boy that I liked, Ben. He was the only person my age in our group. I had just turned eighteen and I was in love, I guess.”

You paused, and Joel pressed another kiss to the top of your head. “We were fooling around in his tent when I heard something outside,” you continued, “Ben said I was being paranoid, that I was just afraid to get caught by my parents, but then we heard a gunshot. It was chaos, e-everything, t-they’d killed my family, Ben, e-everyone. I managed to hide behind a tree, my feet were like frozen to the ground, I-I couldn’t run. I saw each and every face of the men who murdered my family. They raided the camp, took e-everything.”

“Angel,” Joel soothed when you started crying, “You’re safe… you’re safe now.”

“I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to get away– I just ran, ran as fast as I could for as long as I could. I’ve never been so cold, or tired or hungry as when I stumbled on this farm. I don’t remember the first days, I was so sick, but Alma and Arthur took care of me– I owe them everything, they saved my life.”

You were full on crying now, and Joel tried his best to calm you. He whispered soothing words in your ear, pressed soft kisses to your skin, and held you in his arm. He let you cry, as he cursed the people who’d done this to you – cursed the world who continued to take, and take, and take.

Joel couldn’t leave you, and maybe deep down he’d know it for a long time. He’d do as you’d suggested and go with Arthur to Jackson come spring, but he was coming back for you.

He wasn’t gonna leave you.

The days came and went and collected into a tranquil rhythm of the cogs in Joel’s routine. He’d wake to the bleeding blade of the sun over the lip of the mountain, or your kisses over his heavy eyelids. After that first night together, you slept in his bed more nights than not, as his bed transformed into a room for just the two of you. A place where Joel didn’t have to think or be anything other than completely himself. A place to laugh and smile, whisper under the bright moon, and hear his name fall from your lips in breathy moans.

Your chest rose and fell in a steady beat, your eyes closed so delicately you looked like a sleeping angel. And you were, his angel. Joel never made a habit of watching you sleep, but sometimes he’d indulge himself in the peacefulness of the hour between night and dusk. By the time the room started to turn blue with the morning light, that’s when Joel missed you too much; wrapping his arms around you with just enough movement to wake you without being blamed.

He’d let you dream for a few moments longer, though. Content to lay in the silence with you before the noise of the day would pull you apart. But the moment of peace could only last for so long, the soft thumps of Alma’s steps down the stairs told Joel it was time to wake up.

Under the crinkling of the sheets, Joel’s hand found the dip in your waist. He was about to kiss you good morning when he heard Alma’s steps come closer and closer. A surge of panic coursed to his chest.

“Joel?” she knocked on his door.

“I ain’t decent yet, Alma,” Joel yelled through the door. The loud bass of his voice made you blink your eyes open, looking up at him with a curious look.

“I’m sorry Joel– I was just letting you know that Arthur isn’t feeling well today.”

Joel sighed. This was the third time in as many weeks Arthur was sick, and now Joel was in for another day alone with the work and the trees.

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll be out in a second.”

“I’m going to get started on breakfast for you, Joel,” she answered.

When Joel had thanked Alma, and her steps had faded away, Joel indulged himself in a morning kiss. The way your lips slotted against his felt like oxygen rebounding his lungs. 

“Again?” you sighed when you broke away from the kiss, your hand found his hair to brush a curl from his face.

“’s the cold I reckon– ‘nd the work… it ain’t exactly easy on the old man.”

You hummed and cupped his chin. “Maybe I should go with you today? Help you out?” you posed.

Joel heard himself chuckle and shook his head, “That ain’t happenin’, angel.”

A gasp left your lips in mock shock, “Why?”

“’Cause the animals would miss you, and I intend on stayin’ on their good side,” he said, a smile hanging off his face.

You narrowed your eyes at him playfully, intent on making him cave, “They’ll be fine.”

Joel only laughed, “You say that ‘nd the next thing I know I got Colonel Eggsworth on my ass.”

“I don’t believe that,” now you were giggling, “Colonel Eggsworth is the nicest rooster we’ve had!”

“I ain’t takin’ any chances, angel,” Joel pecked your lips.

“Coward,” he heard you mumble under your breath as he got out of bed. It made Joel smile, and a warmth gathered around his heart.

Back in the routine, after another quick kiss, you sneakily slipped back into your room to get dressed. While Joel pulled his sweater over his head, he thought about what it meant to wake up each morning with you and feel three words rive at his heart, never having it in him to say them, to let them spill out his mouth.

Maybe saying nothing was honesty’s default. Maybe it was how he could avoid telling you all the stupid things he wanted to say. So, for now he said nothing. Said nothing at the breakfast table. Nothing when you’d helped him saddle up Ingydar. And nothing as you waved him goodbye.

After months working in the woods, Joel did his work on autopilot. He always started with a reconnaissance round, looking for which trees to chop down. Then, with the weight of the axe in his hands, he’d start his work. Now, after they’d brought the horse out, the work was somewhat easier. He still had to chop down the tree, and clean off the branches, but he could move the trunks much easier now with the horse.

The wind howled like a hound, biting at Joel’s cheeks but the sun was out, and Joel didn’t mind. He’d gotten used to the cold by now, and Arthur had taught him quickly how to layer up. The increasing number of knitted pieces of clothing you’d made him also helped.

By the time the sun was at its highest peak, Joel debated going back for lunch. He’d done so every time he was alone out here, and especially after they’d started bringing the horse. The walk back had been cut in half on horseback, maybe even more than half now that he didn’t have to wade through the snow.

Looking back, Joel almost couldn’t see Ingydar where he’d tied him to a tree. He’d gone deeper into the woods than yesterday. Maybe it wasn’t worth it today? He could eat his packed lunch and finish up a little earlier instead.

The days had gotten shorter and shorter, and the hours of daylight had shrunk in the months he and Arthur had been working. But the sun had turned, Joel felt it. It wasn’t much, maybe a half hour or so, but he felt the difference.

He ate his lunch in the company of Ingydar, feeding him some carrots he’d snagged from the basement. He was a good horse, old and tired but hard working. Joel worked until the sun dropped behind the mountain, a shadow coating the world as it grew darker and darker. He needed to get back before it got properly dark. Joel quickly gathered his things, swinging his gun over his shoulders before he was back on horseback.

The horse knew the way back by itself at this point, even in the dark, but something wasn’t right. What was that smell? Small snowflakes started to fall from the sky the closer he got to the edge of the wood, but the smell only grew stronger.

Smoke.

Thoughts tumbled in Joel’s head, small fleets on a stormy sea. With a kick to the sides of Ingydar, they picked up their pace. The muted rhythm of horse hoofs against the packed snow trail, beat along to Joel’s heart.

A cloud of smoke rose up to the sky, dancing through bright yellow and orange flames. Joel couldn’t get there fast enough, pushing Ingydar to the limit as they galloped up the trail to the house. Joel’s heart was in his throat.

What the fuck was happening?

The flames licked at the sky, devouring the house, moaning and kicking like a beast. The heat was unbearable, the light almost blinding. Ingydar neighed loudly as Joel quickly jumped down, not bothering to tie him to something or calm him down. Joel watched the house burn in total disbelief. Frozen to the ground by shock, his heart beating loudly in his ears.

You.

Where were you? You had to been able to get out somehow, right? Why was everything so quiet?

Something caught his eye then, only a few steps from the porch stairs. His feet carried him without a second thought. Arthur was clad in only his pajamas and his robe. He must’ve been forced out of bed. The snow around him was stained crimson from where the life had spilled out of him.

Joel’s first thought was that he was dead, but then Arthur’s eyes flickered open to find Joel’s. The snow creaking under Joel’s shoes must’ve pulled him from his slowed death.

“Joel?” he croaked, blood spilling from his mouth.

“Don’t try ‘nd speak.” Joel’s voice came out colder than he’d expected. This couldn’t be real. Falling to his knees, Joel worked quickly, placing Arthur’s head gently in his lap as he found the source of the bleeding.

The blood oozed from a hole in his stomach. A bullet wound, most definitely. Joel put as much pressure on it as he could manage. His mittens drank the blood greedily, saturated by red. It just kept coming, the warmth coating his fingers.

What the fuck had happened?

Under him Arthur coughed, spilling more blood down his chin, coating his white beard in red. “Listen…”

Joel shook his head. This couldn’t be happening. This was just a bad dream. If he could just open his eyes, he’d be back in bed with you. He just needed to open his eyes.

“She’s alive,” Arthur managed to say, “They took her alive. Raiders–” another cough, “Broke in. Alma dead.”

The panic in Arthur’s face was almost too much for Joel to watch. His breath was heavy, breathing through this new information as his head spun with questions. Arthur’s eyes glazed over, and Joel knew there wasn’t enough time.

“Where is she?” he hurried, his hand lightly tapping Arthur on his cheek. He just needed to stay alive a little longer.

“Woods.” Was the only word Arthur could manage, as he used the last of his strength to point south.

An awful stench mixed with the smoke, and Joel knew Arthur was gonna die. His body couldn’t control itself anymore, ridding itself of the last of pieces of life. There was nothing beautiful about it. Nothing peaceful or dignified. Not how an old man like Arthur should leave this world.

Joel grabbed Arthur’s hand, it was clammy and cold, but it was the least he could do – Arthur wasn’t gonna die alone. He tried to think of something to say, anything at all, but the words died on his tongue.

“Alma…” Arthur whispered with his last breath, and Arthur’s hand went slack in his hand.

An eerie silence fell over the farm, safe from the fire crackling and moaning. Emotions raged inside Joel, fighting to bubble to the top. Anger, confusion, guilt, grief. A loud crack could be heard, like glass shattering, and it pulled Joel from his shock. He gently laid Arthur down on the ground, before he managed to rise on unsteady feet.

A loud noise started ringing in his ears, and Joel’s breath started coming out in an uneven pace. Shit. Joel tied a fist over his chest, his body tilting forward as he tried to catch his breath over the panic tying up his throat. He took a few shuffling steps before he hurled, gall burning his tastebuds as Joel vomited on the ground.

When he’d thrown up all there was in his stomach, Joel groaned. He ripped off the bloody mittens as quickly as he could, his hands digging into the white snow to wash his mouth of the bitter taste.

Joel burned inside and outside. Standing so close to the house, the heat was unbearable. Everything was unbearable. Sarah was dead, Tess was dead, Alma was dead, and Arthur was dead.

Could he take anymore grief? Joel wondered. How much grief was a man supposed to endure in a lifetime? None of this was fair.

Had he just gone back to the house for lunch, they’d all be alive. Had he not dragged her across the country to find his stupid brother, she’d still be alive. Had he not told that soldier she was hurt, she’d still be alive.

As he stared into the raging fire, Joel felt his own anger simmer to the surface. It pushed away all the grief, and the guilt, and sharpened his senses, made him laser focused. His arms and legs moved by their own accord, tugging the shotgun from his shoulder, before he started moving in the direction Arthur had pointed.

They were gonna pay for this. They’d made his world go up in flames and struck the match on their own life in return.

As Joel vanished into the night, he left a piece of himself behind. He was going to find you. He was going to hold you and kiss you again. Nothing or no one could come in the way of that.

Nothing could come in the way of Joel.

i hope someone liked this? i'm very curious about what your thoughts for the last part will be, so if you have them please leave a comment, reply or an ask. they are always super welcomed, and they make me super happy <3 other than that thank you for reading!!

next part -> here!

© shellshocklove, 2024 i do not give any permission to repost, translate, feed to AI or redistribute any of my writing, with or without credit!

[ariestrxsh]

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⚠️ content warning: ⚠️ smut, sneaking around, risky, oral, teasing, degradation, humiliation, edging, orgasm denial, shower sex, creampie, roughdom!matt, brattamer!matt, bratty!reader, enemies to lovers

📝 author's note: 📝 this is part of a series, and here are parts one, two, and three. it's not necessary to read the other parts, but it makes the story better and adds to the dynamic between the characters. 💖 there will be more parts to this.

✍️ Summary: ✍️ You and Matt continue sneaking around right under his brothers' noses despite the fact that the two of you hate each other.

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hatef--k part four

I threw my clothes and my vibrator into my big tote bag, along with a phone charger and some snacks from my pantry. I was still in shock that Matt had seen me packing my favorite sex toy and then relentlessly teased me with it. And the bastard didn't even let me cum.

I angrily stomped to his car and resentfully got into it. I could feel every bump as we drove over it, every vibration from the way the tires hit the pavement beneath us, and it was pure torture as I sat there, unfinished.

"You know, I should tell Nick your water is back on, and you lied to him," Matt broke the silence, clicking his tongue at me and shaking his head. "You won't," I called his bluff. "Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?" He narrowed his eyes. "Because you love it when I prance around your house half-naked and tease you until you can't take it anymore. You want me to stay with you guys longer," I told him, reading him like a book. He didn't say anything, but he shot a smile that confirmed my suspicion. All doms are the same. Most of their threats that don't benefit them are empty.

We pulled into the driveway, and as we walked into the house, Matt shut the door in my face again. I rolled my eyes, stopping it with my hand. I set my tote bag down next to the couch in the living room, and when Matt and I stepped into the kitchen, we were greeted by Chris who was home attempting to make pancakes, but instead of flipping them with a spatula, he was flipping them into the air and trying to catch them in the frying pan. "Chris! You're making breakfast for four people. We don't have pancakes to waste," Nick scolded him, pointing the spatula at him.

"Good to see you guys survived the night alone together. I thought, for sure, based on how pissed Matt was about you staying here, he was gonna choke you out or something," Chris joked, cracking open an egg into a bowl. "Yeah, he tried, but he was too much of a bitch to finish the job," I smirked at Matt.

"Do either of you want coffee?" Nick offered, holding up a french press. "Yes, please," Matt and I both responded in unison, but we both shot each other a glare, resenting the other for answering the same way. Nick poured us each a cup of coffee, and we all fixed our plates and sat around the kitchen table together. "You guys really are the nice ones. Thank you so much for making breakfast for us," I said. It was a compliment to Nick and Chris, but even more than that, it was a slight towards Matt. I was still very angry about the sex toy incident.

"Of course. Anytime. You're our guest," Nick replied. "So what did you guys do last night when you had the house to yourselves?" Chris said before taking a bite of his hashbrowns. Matt and I shot each other a glance. "I watched The Bachelorette," I told them, taking a sip of my coffee. "And I played video games in my room," Matt said without looking up from his food. "You mean, you guys sat on opposite sides of the house.. and ignored each other?" Nick questioned, looking skeptically at us. "I find that hard to believe because any time you two are in the same vicinity, you pick on each other," Nick said with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, well when I went to shower.." I started to say, but then I stopped myself. Matt delivered a swift kick under the table and hit me in the shin. "Oh, just for that, I'm telling them," I looked towards Matt and then I turned to his brothers, "Matt thought it would be funny to take my towel amd hide it while I was showering." I took a sip of my coffee and looked back over at Matt, who was looking at me like he wanted to kill me. Please punish me for that one later, I silently begged him with my eyes.

"Matt! What the fuck?" Nick asked with a look of disgust. "Bro, that's weird," Chris shook his head. I secretly liked embarrassing Matt in front of his brothers and getting them both on my side. It was as harmless as Matt taking my towel and my clothes, right? "It's fine. He gave it right back to me," I told them, smiling and taking a bite of my eggs.

We continued to eat our breakfast, and once we were done, Chris volunteered Matt and me to clean up since he and Nick made breakfast. I was happy to oblige, considering the boys were being so kind and letting me stay with them, and Matt begrudgingly agreed. "Plus, it'll give you guys more alone time together, so you can hopefully overcome your differences," Nick chuckled. Little did he know, the only time Matt and I could ever overcome our differences was long enough to fuck each other's brains out. Chris and Nick both headed upstairs, leaving Matt and me in the kitchen by ourselves.

Matt immediately backed me up against the counter and got into my face. "You like making me look like a fucking perv in front of my brothers, huh?" He growled quietly next to my ear, while he started to take his hand and press it against my mound. "You are a perv," I shot back. "Yeah, but you fucking love it," Matt gruffly said, applying more pressure. I could feel the edge of the counter digging into my back as Matt fondled me. I could feel myself growing weak.

"Let's get these off of you, you little whore," Matt grumbled while he started to pull down my pants. I was still wet from the vibrator incident earlier. He picked me up by my waist and set me on the counter. I felt the cold, hard granite underneath me as he placed me. He looked up intently into my eyes as he got down onto his knees, wrapped his strong arms around my thighs, and held them apart further.

I watched in anticipation as he flattened his tongue and started tickling my clit with it. I tried to seem like I wasn't dying for it, but I couldn't keep my equanimity. My moans got away from me with every stroke of his remarkable tongue. His soft lips engulfed me, and he hummed against my favorite nerve endings while I watched his eyes roll back as he savored my taste. I secretly loved the way he ate pussy, like he wanted it, like he needed it. "Mmmm. You're such a naughty girl. You're loving this, aren't you?" He said, his lips vibrating against my sex. "Not as much as you," I joked. He started to gently nibble on my clit, and I started tugging on his hair. My legs locked around his head as he worked wonders with his mouth below my waist.

"You like it when I eat you while my brothers are upstairs? They could come down any minute and catch us," he muffled against my pussy. All I could do was nod and bite my lip as I tried to suppress the sounds I so desperately wanted to let loose. "Slut. I bet if Nick and Chris walked down here right now and saw what we were doing, you'd squirt all over my tongue, wouldn't you, used up little whore," he smirked. And he was right. The idea of being caught was enticing. I felt like I was at the edge of more than just the countertop, but before I could enjoy the sensation and fully sink into it, Matt was pulling away.

"No, no, no," I whined, gripping his locks of hair. "Please don't do this to me again," I begged him, chasing the feeling of his tongue, desperate for sweet release. He looked up at me, taunting me. "Not after you were such a bad girl for tattling on me to Nick and Chris," he grinned menacingly. His mouth glistened from nearly devouring me. "I'll do anything," I pleaded. "Yeah, anything but behave," he scolded me, bringing himself to his feet and wiping his face.

"You can finish cleaning the kitchen. I'm gonna go play video games," he replied, handing me back my pants. "The fuck I am. You're not gonna help me clean?" I angrily shot back. "No, and if you tell Nick or Chris that I didn't help you, I'll make sure they accidentally stumble upon your vibrator while you're here," Matt sneered. "Fuck you, asshole," I said under my breath as Matt was walking away. He immediately turned back around and brutally grabbed me by the neck. "Keep going and I won't let you cum tonight either," he snarled.

"And clean your pussy juice off the counter. People cook there," he said to me as he released me from his intense grip and disappeared out of the room. I quickly put my underwear and pants back on and finished cleaning the rest of the kitchen.

"So, how was cleaning the kitchen with Matt? Did you guys bond?" Nick sat down on the couch next to me several hours later while I was curled up scrolling on my phone. "Yeah, something like that," I blankly answered. "What's wrong? I can tell something is up with you," Nick replied. Oh, you know, Nick, your brother just keeps edging me and then ruining my climax. That's what's wrong. But of course, I couldn't say that, so I settled for a dramatic sigh and instead said, "You know, I'm just getting impatient with this whole water situation. You guys are really great for letting me stay here. I just can't help but feel like I'm intruding on your space."

"We want you here, silly. Even if your water weren't out, we'd probably still be hanging out with you," Nick reassured me. And it made me feel bad about lying in the first place. We sat next to eachother, laughing at memes until the sun started to set.

"It's getting late. I'm gonna start getting ready for bed," I relayed to Nick. We stood up and hugged each other. I thanked him again for his kindness, and he thanked me for my company. "By the way, I'm sleeping down here on the couch tonight. You can have my bed again," Nick offered. I couldn't let him. Not when I knew I'd be sneaking into Matt's room and falling asleep next to him anyway. "Nick, you're too sweet. But really, I think we should make Matt sleep down here and I can take his bed. Payback for him being a dick last night," I gave Nick a really sincere face. "That's a great idea actually," Nick's face lit up. "Don't worry, I'll tell him," I smiled.

I made my way to the bathroom with my towel, my clothes, and my vibrator. I started running the shower and once the water was hot enough to get in, I stood beneath the stream of warmth, vibrator in hand. Overcome by the incredible feeling of finally releasing pressure that had build up all day, I didn't even hear Matt come in until he was pulling back the curtain. My eyes shot open and I scrambled to shut off my toy.

"Awh. Trying to finish without me?" Matt chuckled, standing in front of me completely naked. "What are you doing?" I whispered to Matt, covering myself with the shower curtain. Bastard ruined my orgasm again. "I came to shower with you," he smiled. He got in and immediately pushed me up against the shower wall. "I think I've been keeping you waiting long enough," he gruffed into my ear as he propped my left leg onto the side of the tub.

He lined up his hardening cock with my entrance and inserted it in a brutal manner. I let out a small yelp as I felt him start violently bucking his hips. "Take my cock, you little whore," he rasped while my walls stretched around him. He grabbed onto my hair and yanked it hard while his cock grew to its full potential.

"Hey, sorry to bother you while you're showering, but did you see Matt anywhere before you got in?" Nick asked poking his head in through the bathroom door. "No, I didn't," I responded, biting my lip to hold back another satisfied sound and trying not to blow our little secret behind the shower curtain. "Have you noticed he's been acting strange lately?" Nick pondered out loud while Matt pounded into me from behind. "Stranger than normal? Kid's a freak," I snarked, and Matt started to fuck me harder for the jab I made at him to Nick, and he held his hand over my mouth to shut me up.

"Yeah, I've noticed he's been kind of distant from Chris and me, and he's been even meaner to you than normal. I just worry he may be going through something," Nick responded sounding worried. Oh, he's going through something alright, I thought to myself as Matt bottomed out in me, thrusting against my gspot with incredible force.

"If you see him, will you let him know I'm looking for him?" Nick asked, but while Nick said this Matt was whispering into my ear quietly enough for only me to hear, "Cum on my cock, you naughty fucking whore," while he released his hand from my mouth so I could respond to Nick. "Yes, Matt," I slipped up. My eyes widened when I realized my error. "Did you just call me Matt?" Nick inquired, chuckling. "Sorry, Nick. I mispoke," I held myself together long enough to correct my mistake.

Just then, Matt reached up and covered my mouth with his palm again, grabbing me even more roughly than before while we came in tandem, both our orgasms tearing through us silently. My eyes rolled back, and it took everything in my power to not scream Matt's name while I throbbed around him. Matt's cock twitched, depositing his seed inside of me while Nick stood in the doorway telling me to enjoy my shower and giving me shit for calling him the wrong name. When we heard the door shut and Nick leave, Matt chuckled and said, "You're so hot for finishing on my cock while Nick was in the room. You're such a naughty girl."

"You're hot for making me wait so long for that. By the way, Nick and I talked about it. I'm taking your room tonight. Have fun sleeping on the couch," you smirked back at him breathlessly while the two of you finished your shower.

taglist: @sturniolo-girl @st9niolos @theyluvme-2315 @luvs4matt @ribread03 @slutforsturnioloss @thepubeburgler @schlutt4matty @valkatriee @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @witchofthehour @alexisxena

part five posted here 💖

[the-isekai-ninja]

Waking up in the middle of the night with the need to use the bathroom is extremely difficult when Kakashi is around.

It's 4AM and you've woken up with an extreme need to pee, but your boyfriend is wrapped perfectly around you. Your head is tucked into his neck and his face is nuzzled into your hair. His arms are wrapped tightly around your lower back with one hand under your shirt, holding you in place. Your legs are entwined together and Kakashi looks completely at peace. You have never been more comfortable in your life but your bladder is crying for the toilet so you reserve yourself to fate and squirm free.

You quickly get up and stumble into the adjoining bathroom, not even bothering to turn the lights on and leaving the door slightly cracked to avoid making too much noise.

You're sitting on the toilet trying not to fall asleep when you just barely manage to hear a high pitched whine. At first you think it's a pipe you'll need to get Kakashi to fix but then you hear it again, a little louder this time. It's coming from behind the door to the bathroom and you can just barely manage to hear a strangled ‘wwiiii-’.

You almost don't believe what you're hearing but you hear it again as you're washing your hands, this time confirming what you heard.

“Wiiifffeeeee……”

You make your way back towards your bed to see Kakashi, eyes still closed but hands swiping your side of the bed trying to find you.

You feel your heart try to leap out of its chest from how cute the action is. It's not something you would expect to see from Kakashi but as your relationship progresses you're learning there's a lot of things he's only okay showing you.

You slip back under the covers and he's quick to wrap around you again, a leg being thrown over both of yours and arms tugging you into his chest. He stuffs his face back into your hair and places kisses on the top of your head.

You giggle as you snuggle into him. 

“Thought you left me…”

You're suddenly extremely awake at the mumbled confession. You wrap your arms around him and squeeze hard, “I just had to pee. I'd never leave you.”

“Mmm…love you.” He whispers into your hair, sleep still heavy in his voice.

Before you can respond his breathing steadies and you can tell he's back to sleep.

You tuck yourself into him before falling back asleep too.

In the morning, as you and Kakashi make breakfast, a thought crosses your mind. You look at Kakashi intently as he's frying your eggs.

“Last night. Did you call me your wife?”

Kakashi's grip on the pan falters and he almost knocks it off the stove. He stares at you with wide eyes, blush running up to his ears.

He turns away from you, trying to to recover, “I have no idea what you're talking about. Must have been a dream.”

[5starluvr]

Sweet mornings

Paring:Hwang hyunjin x Reader

Genre: fluff,fluff and more fluff

A/n:A post to remind everyone that I exist😪

You crack eggs into a sizzling pan, the familiar rhythm of the morning a comforting constant. Sunlight streams through the kitchen window, painting golden stripes across the countertop as the scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the air. Humming along to the quiet melody playing from your phone, you're lost in the routine when suddenly, strong arms wrap around your waist.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Hyunjin murmurs behind you, his voice a low rumble tickling your ear. He nuzzles his cheek against your shoulder, his scent of mint shampoo and laundry detergent a welcome contrast to the frying bacon.

You yelp, startled, but a smile tugs at your lips despite the initial scare. "Hyunjin! Don't sneak up on me like that," you swat him playfully. "Almost gave me a heart attack."

"But how else am I supposed to get my morning cuddle?" he whines, exaggerating a pout.

You roll your eyes playfully. "Fine, fine. Your cuddle privileges are reinstated."

He tightens his hold, pressing a light kiss to your exposed shoulder. "Mmm, breakfast smells amazing. What are you making, Chef Y/N?"

"Just your usual," you reply, expertly flipping the bacon with a spatula. "Scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. You know, the survival essentials."

Hyunjin chuckles. "Survival essentials, huh? That toast better not resemble charcoal again." He playfully pokes a finger at your back, earning a light swat with the spatula.

"Hey! I've improved!" you protest, your cheeks warm with laughter. "Besides, who cares if it's a little burnt when you have this amazing breakfast chef right here?"

Hyunjin spins you around in his arms, trapping you between him and the counter. He leans down, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Alright, Chef. How about I sweeten the deal for some extra crispy toast?"

Your heart hammers in your chest. "Oh yeah? And how exactly do you propose to do that?"

Hyunjin's lips curve into a sly grin. "Just one taste," he whispers, leaning impossibly close.

Before you can respond, he captures your lips in a soft kiss, the taste of coffee and sleep lingering between you. He pulls away, his eyes locked with yours. "Deal?"

[olsenmyolsen]

Chapter Twenty: Eavesdropping Before Breakfast

The Farmer's Daughter - (A WandaNat Story)

Masterlist . Tag list: @xenaizogie

Summary: Laura and Natasha talk while Wanda listens in before Natasha burns breakfast.

Word Count: 2.1K

Content: Soft Natasha, Soft Wanda, Girlfriends, Feelings, Laura Barton and Kids, Domestic moments. They're so cute!!!

The next morning, Wanda awoke to the bed feeling colder than usual.

She slowly rose her sleepy head off her pillow and moved her arm to where Natasha should've been. "Nat?" Wanda's groggy voice escaped her mouth as she turned around to look for the redhead. However, her search came up empty.

It wasn't until Wanda rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and the sound of a frying pan hitting the kitchen floor did she figure out where Natasha scurried off too.

"Nice going. Are you trying to wake everyone up?" Laura playfully scolded Natasha, who slapped her arm before picking up and wiping down the pan. "God, watching you hold a pan is worse than driving that god-awful bike for the first time," Laura commented as she watched Natasha react to the kitchenware like it was alien technology.

Now give Natasha a knife and a can of food, and she could deliver a meal.

Natasha rolled her eyes. "You know I don't cook." She set the pan down and grabbed some fresh eggs off the kitchen island. "Plus, I still have that bike, and I look pretty badass on it." Natasha smiled because she knew she looked good in it. "Also, just because you're a mom doesn't mean I forgot when you used to have a bike, too."

Laura sneered as she lifted up her mug of coffee to her lips.

"Does Wanda like the bike?"

Wandaheard as she quietly stopped in the middle of the stairs. She was intrigued. A little easedrop never hurt anyone. Right? Wanda pushed her hair behind her ears and sat down on the hardwood step, prepared to listen in.

"Yeah," Natasha responded before grabbing more ingredients for a special breakfast. "She loves it. Except..." Natasha chuckled slightly. "Except every time we go out with it, someone always brings it back home. It's like a running joke that we don't want." Laura hummed as she took another sip. "Have you met her friends?"

Natasha brought her eyes to Laura. "Oh, I see we're doing the I wanna know everything game." Laura set her mug down and gestured with her arms. "Duh! Natasha, I haven't seen you for a long time, and when I do, you bring someone with you. That's big!"

Natasha's face turned slightly red with a smile as she thought about Wanda and their conversation last night.

"You're right," Natasha said. "I have met her friends, by the way. They're pretty great."

Wanda would have to remember about drunk karaoke and show Laura all the videos.

"And they like you?" Laura said as if they wouldn't like Natasha making the redhead drop her mouth in offense. "Wow, Laura!" The mom shook her head. "Oh please, you know what I meant." Natasha cracked eggs into one pan and started a batter for French toast in another.

"Yes, they love me! Even her brother likes me! Mom, too!" Natasha said with pride. Wanda smiles on the staircase. Her Mother adored Natasha. "Wow!" Laura said before folding her arms on the kitchen island. "Take it the father doesn't know?"

Natasha shook her head. Laura nodded. "It's not like you guys are official yet." Natasha pulled her lips into her mouth and eyed Laura.

"Shut up!" Laura exclaimed when she saw Natasha's face. Natasha shrugged with a grin. "I asked her last night!"

Laura clapped her hands together and got up from the stool to hug Natasha. The redhead kept her hands on the spatula she was using. "Oh, Natasha is finally growing up!" Laura said as she playfully squeezed Natasha's cheeks. "Alright. Alright." Natasha rolled her eyes and focused on the food in front of her. Laura laughed and leaned back against the counter next to Natasha.

"Are you happy?" Laura questioned.

Natasha didn't waste a second before her eyes found Lauras. "I haven't been this happy in a long time." Laura could see and feel Natasha's raw honesty.

It was amazing to see.

Wanda smiled wide. She hadn't been this happy in a long time either.

"What are you doing?" Wanda wiped her head around to see Lila standing at the top of the steps, rubbing her tiny eyes. Wanda put her index finger to her mouth and gestured for Lila to quietly step down to her. Lila smiled and joined Wanda before brining her mouth near Wanda's ear and whispering. "What are you doing?" Wanda cupped her hand and whispered back to Lila. "Spying on Natasha and your mom."

There was no point in lying.

"Why?" Lila asked, and Wanda thought about the answer. "Because they were talking about me." Lila went wide-eyed and nodded. "Mom calls that gossip." Wanda held in her laughter. "Does your mom gossip a lot?" Wanda asked, a little curious. Lila shrugged. "Mainly with dad."

Wanda nodded before rising from the staircase. The sound of Laura and Natasha switching topics had happened.

"Well, let's go, kiddo. I think Auntie Natasha is making breakfast."

"Uh oh," Lila said, making Wanda laugh as they descended the stairs.

In the kitchen, Laura and Natasha turned their heads just as Wanda and Lila came into view. "Well, look who's up!" Laura said as she passed by Natasha with a smirk before picking up her child. "You never get up this early!" Laura questioned her daughter. "I heard a loud banging noise and talking."

Natasha smiled sheepishly at Wanda, who joined her at the stove. "Hi," Wanda whispered. "Hi," Natasha whispered back. "Did the pan wake you up, too?" Wanda shook her head. "Your absence did."

"Oh my gosh, you guys are a couple for two minutes, and it's so gross," Laura said while covering Lila's face, who couldn't stop laughing at her mother's silly actions. "Momma, stop!" Lila giggled, but Laura pulled her away. "Let's go wake up your brother and maybe think about ways to nicely tell Atunie Nat about how she doesn't have to cook for us."

"I heard that!" Natasha said while Wanda watched her with her bottom lip between her teeth. "You were supposed to!" Laura replied before she and Lila were up the stairs. Natasha rolled her eyes before turning to Wanda. "What?" The redhead asked with a soft tone in her voice. "You're just cute," Wanda replied. "Oh gosh, we are that gross couple." She added on but laughed as Natasha pulled her closer until their lips touched.

"Natasha?"

Natasha hummed as she slowly pulled away.

"What's burning?" Natasha's eyes became the size of plates as she turned around to see the wooden spatula had burn marks due to the stovetop. Natasha immediately threw it into the kitchen sink before running water over it.

Wanda watched how out of place Natasha looked and decided to take over the cooking duties.

"Oh god, should I throw it out?" Natasha held up the burnt spatula to Wanda, who laughed. "I think-" "Is something burning?" Laura called down from the top of the stairs.

"Don't worry, Laura, I got it!" Wanda yelled back. Covering for Natasha. Laura trusted Wanda a hell of a lot more than Natasha when it came to food.

Or not burning down houses.

Natasha stood beside her girlfriend with the wooden spatula in her hand, still waiting for an answer. "Wash it off and give it to me. I'll handle it."

Natasha didn't look too sure, but Wanda seemed very nonchalant about it as her attention moved to the French toast and eggs.

So Natasha did as she was told.

A minute later, Wanda added sausage to a griddle she somehow conjured up when Natasha looked away.

Natasha knew she herself was terrible at cooking, but watching how Wanda glided in a kitchen she had never used before and how easy it looked made Natasha feel like she would never truly understand the joys of making your own food unless it was an orange packet of noodles. Or a peanut butter sandwich.

And yes, Wanda helped her mother make pies and cakes or the occasional traditional Sokovian meal. But Natasha had truly never seen Wanda more in her element.

Other than the bedroom. ;)

"What's with the look?" Wanda asked without even turning around to Natasha. That freaked out the former soldier. Natasha straightened up and leaned over the kitchen island. "I'm looking atthe magic happening before my eyes." Wanda rolled her green ones. "Magic, huh?" She asked as she looked over her shoulder at the redhead.

Natasha nodded. "You're so natural it's like you're on autopilot," Wanda raised an eyebrow but smiled as she lifted the burnt spatula and pointed it at Natasha. "You're bordering on the line of a "joke" I don't think you want to make." Natasha looked at Wanda, confused, before it clicked. "Oh my gosh, no, I would never say that!" Wanda laughed loudly as she moved some sausages onto a plate.

"What would you never say?" Laura asked as she and the two kids entered the kitchen. Lila immediately ran to Wanda's side—Cooper to Natasha.

"Natasha thinks I belong in the kitchen!" Wanda spoke without much of a tease to her voice. Laura quickly flicked the back of Natasha's head as Lila spun her head around with shock all over it. "Auntie Nat!" Natasha was flummoxed and couldn't pick up her mouth quick enough. Wanda really sold her down the river, even if this isn't what she meant.

But Wanda knew it and winked at her girlfriend.

Laura quietly chuckled to herself as Cooper shook his head.

"I did not say that-" "She also brunt your spatula." Wanda raised it up to Laura. "Oh my gosh! Wanda, stop!" Natasha whined at the consistent betrayal. "I didn't say those things!"

"Did you burn the spatula?" Laura asked curiously as Natasha threw her head down. "Wanda!!!" Natasha was exhausted, and the day hadn't even started yet.

"Okay. Okay." Wanda said as she clicked off the stove and let Lila scramble some leftover eggs. "Natasha just complimented me on how well I do in a kitchen environment. I bake pies and cakes back home." Wanda explained. "And yes, Natasha accidentally burnt the spatula."

Laura looked between the two women. "Keep the spatula." She then pointed at Natasha. "How about you step away before you burn anything else and start preparing the table." Natasha hung her shoulders in defeat before grabbing Cooper to help her.

Laura meanwhile moved towards Wanda and Lila. "Helping with the eggs, sweetie?" She asked her daughter, who nodded. "Wanda was saying maybe we could make a cake later." Wanda looked at Laura. "It was just a thought. We don't have to." She was giving Laura a chance to say no, but Laura smiled at Wanda and Lila. "I think you and Wanda will have a great time doing that." She pinched her daughter's cheeks, making the small child giggle.

Wanda then helped Lila move some food to another plate for the table before they started working on the French toast.

Lila happily carried the plates and bowls of food over before grabbing out the fruit with the help of Natasha.

Laura looked over Wanda as she moved closer. "You heard, didn't you." Wanda turned her head. "Heard what?" Laura smirked and turned back to make sure Natasha wasn't listening. Her eyes went back to Wanda's. "She's never been this way about anyone else. I'm sure you know that."

Wanda nodded lightly. "We've talked." Laura nodded as well. "Clint and I are the closest thing she's got to a real family anymore. So I'm obliged to say this, Wanda." She smiles at the younger woman. "Before having kids, I was also in a branch of the military, so If anything happens to Natasha's heart, you won't be dealing with Clint."

Wanda stared directly into Laura's eyes. She had never been threatened like this before, but she nodded weakly. "I-I understand. But trust me..." She swallowed heavily. "I have no intention of hurting her. I care for her too much. She's my girlfriend. I-" Wanda stopped herself, but Laura could see how she had fallen.

"I know. But like I told you, it's an obligation." Laura then smiled and helped Wanda with the remainder of breakfast as if nothing had changed.

As Wanda sat at the dining room table next to Natasha she grabbed her girlfriend's hand and held it. Natasha squeezed it back with a smile before they got caught up talking to the kids about the plans for today.

First on the agenda was Lila giving Wanda some pigtails.

Hours later Natasha can't help but think that this is the hardest she's ever smiled.

The redhead knew she was in love and that she wasn't as scared about the future with Wanda as she had been in previous days.

But now Natasha knew she had to tell one person.

Erik Lehnsherr.

dividers by @/benkeibear

[dandyghest]

okey dokey, a couple people showed interest in this so here is one of the recipes i've been making while poor and fatigued: i call it "ginger bacon ramen" but it's not actually ramen LOL

i make everything single-serving so adjust my directions as needed!

time needed: approximately 10-15 mins, you could probably do this even faster if you're using multiple hotplates/stove elements. most of the time is spent waiting for things to boil or cook so you can sit for most of it!

ingredients: one egg (or 2), bacon (2 slices, more or less), instant noodle package (i usually use Mr Noodles beef flavour just bc its whats available and least expensive but do whatever u want), ginger (root or powder, either works just fine), garlic (I usually use a jar of minced garlic you can buy in the store but you can also cut up your own garlic if you're cool like that) optional: soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, spinach, bell pepper, whatever else you'd want to add

other supplies: one pot, one pan, one hotplate of some kind, water, a heat-safe surface that is not your hotplate for placing your pot/pan onto (and a peeler + grater for ginger root if you're using root rather than powder) (and a knife and cutting board if you're mincing your own garlic)

directions (for ONE hotplate. if you have a stove then read it over and combine some of the steps since you're fancy and have multiple stovetop elements to use LOL) (I am adding a lot of detail in case people are not very familiar with kitchens or certain cooking instructions):

Cook bacon on the pan (fry on medium heat, flipping the piece(s) over with a spatula often so it cooks evenly and doesn't burn). Set pan with bacon aside for now. (I like to open the instant noodle package while the bacon is cooking so that I have it ready for the next step. Set aside the flavour packet as we will be using that unless you don't want to lol)

Use your pot to boil noodles according to directions on package. This usually takes a couple mins for the pot to boil and then a minute or two for the noodles to cook. Drain noodles (I just hold the pot lid over the top of the pot with a tiny crack/opening at the bottom edge for water to drain into the sink), and then flop the noodles into the pan with the bacon.

Now use the pot to boil your egg to your liking (how I do it: put egg in pot, fill with water until water covers egg, put pot on hotplate to boil, let the egg boil for a minute or two and then turn the heat off but keep the lid on the pot so it'll keep cooking for a bit more). Set pot to the side and bring your pan back into action. (If you are using ginger root then peel it while egg is cooking so it's ready to grate in next step. If you're using garlic cloves, make sure you peel and mince the garlic before you start the next step.)

(READ NEXT STEP BEFORE STARTING THIS ONE) With the pan back on the stove, you can either keep your cooked bacon in the pan or set it into your bowl that you'll be eating out of, whatever feels right to you. Fry the noodles in the bacon grease for a bit (medium heat), adding sesame oil if there isn't enough bacon grease in the pan.

Add in the garlic and ginger and a bit of the flavour packet as you fry up the noodles in the pan (toasted sesame seeds are also a fun option, and I've even added some diced bell pepper to the pan before! go crazy go stupid with it). How much do you add of everything? As much as you'd like, according to your own tastes! I usually add ... maybe a teaspoon or two of minced garlic, about half the flavour packet, and then a half a teaspoon or a whole teaspoon of ginger depending on if I'm using root or powder (use more powder than root) - I never measure this so I don't actually know the measurements and these are my rough estimates LOL. You can also add in a bit of soy sauce if you want but it's already pretty salty, even for a salt fiend (<- has POTS) like me.

Once you feel like everything is fried to your liking (this takes usually only a minute or two in my experience), transfer everything in the pan into your eating bowl.

Drain the pot with the hardboiled egg and peel the egg, then add that to your eating bowl as well.

You're done! Hurray!

[childside]

Ok ok ok I'm in the mood for angsty Tommy back story astksjqldjll (I'm sorry for grammar :' (

--

It's Wednesday morning, finally he and Buck get their day off together. He's halfway go to the kitchen where he could smells buck's cooking with softly music from the Bluetooth speaker. He watches Buck busy with frying pan, toaster, ane other kitchen appliances. He smiles until he's close enough to listen to the music and Buck's singing the chorus.

"Just the two of us, we can make it if we try, just the two of us~"

And Tommy can feel his heart cracked.

-

One day when Tommy was 10yo, he just got back from school, his abusive dad at work and his drunk mum sleep on the sofa with the radio on, not too loud but just normal volume where he can hear it from the kitchen.

He know best that if he wake up his mom and ask for lunch she would bee pissed and hit him and just shouting at him. So he tried to to find anything edible from the fridge or the shelf. Got some leftovers bread and a half empty peanut butter jar. He usually get used to eat anything from the fridge when his mom drunk like today, but sometimes he just want a warm meal, as simple as Mac n cheese, pancakes, bacon, omelette or proper sandwich. And today is the day where he feel gloomy enough to eat his bread and peanut butter, he wanted to cry but he hold it as much as he could.

Not until he find Ginger the cat enter the kitchen from the back door. Ginger used to be his family pet, his grandma give it for Christmas few years ago. He loved Ginger, but when his family started to crumbling apart, with his drunk mom and abusive dad, they abandoned Ginger too. No one care enough to feed it or just play with it. Except Tommy. But as he getting older, he need to let Ginger free. Ginger can at least have a chance of getting food from neighbors or trash can outside. Tommy know it's dangerous but it's better for Ginger. So he let it free. But somehow Ginger keep coming back. It doesn't ask for food or stay long. Just checking in the house and greet Tommy, usually in the kitchen or Ginger climb Tommy's bed and snuggle just for a few hours before it go back outside again.

So when Ginger find Tommy sit on the kitchen floor eating his "sandwich", Ginger get closer and Tommy hug it tightly. The radio play a song Just The Two Of Us, a romantic song about lovers, but Tommy doesn't understand about it yet, doesn't care about the whole lyric, but all he could hear is "just the two of us, we can make it if we try, just the two of us.." and his can't hold his tears any longer. He sobs quietly while hugging Ginger. He keep saying "Just the two of us Ginger. We can make it if we try" in his head. Ginger stay with him in the kitchen for few more hours.

Unfortunately, when his parents divorced and he needs to move with his mom, of course he needs to left Ginger. The day when they're ready to move, Ginger show up and he hold Ginger tightly. He cried. No more "the two of us". He would fight the world alone from now. And Ginger would go to adventure alone without place to coming back. Tommy cried so hard and his mom have to force him to get in the car. He left Ginger. He feels guilty. He left Ginger. But over the year he learned that life must go on.

----

"Just the two of us, we can make-" Evan mid singing stop when he turn around to the kitchen aisle to get spoon and see Tommy, standing still, while tears streaming down his eyes. Tommy cover his face and crying uncontrollably, for the first time in forever. Evan turn off the stove and hold Tommy quickly. Tommy's board shoulders shaking as he melt down on the kitchen floors, and he feels like he's back to his old kitchen, eating leftovers bread and scrapped the almost empty peanut butter jar, with Ginger on his lap.

Tommy still crying but he's aware that Evan's here, together with him on kitchen floor, holding him tightly. The kitchen smells delicious, he can smells bacon and eggs, he can smells Evan's coffee and his own hot chamomile tea. He's with Evan. He's not alone. He has the love of his life to get through the day forever, hopefully. He realizes that his life is so much better than he was long time ago.

Evan's take care of him calmly until he's stop crying. Instead of asking or panicking, he ask,

"what do you need Tommy? What can I help?"

Tommy shake his head and get up to open the fridge. Evan follow him. He looking at the fridge and take a jar of peanut butter. It's still almost full. He remembers they bought it last week while grocery shopping.

"Do you want peanut butter toast for breakfast?"

Tommy just look at Evan's blue eyes and hug him tightly, while holding peanut butter jar in his right palm. "No, I would love to eat your cooking. Thank you Evan. Thank you. I love you."

Evan kind of confused but he hold Tommy back, understand that Tommy will talk about this later.

"I love you too."

[second-axis-point]

Joel’s husband taking the reigns for the first time in a while but a nice twist. The reader and Joel are on a nice day out, spending some time together in the little town, and it’s full of hand holding, kissing, food, and Joel being taken care of for a change. The reader takes Joel into their room in Jackson. His husband wears a cowboy hat Joel adores and rides Joel. When I tell you RIDES, and then after, Joel gets to ride his husband but his husband is still in “control”, gripping Joel’s ass and making him feel good. And for aftercare, just Joel and his husband in the shower together, sitting on the shower floor, Joel leaning into his husband. Kisses are shared and Joel’s husband says how much he loves Joel.

I promise you I don’t have a controlling kink, I just wanna take care of Joel while driving him cock crazy

Pairing: Joel Miller x Male!Reader

Warnings: 18+ please

Content: Fluff, Smut, Aftercare, More Fluff

Word Count: 2.4k

HUSBAND JOEL FOR THE WIN! This one is going to be way longer than usual just because there's so much detail, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Thank you so much for being specific and for the request! 💙

A Day Off

You slowly came back to consciousness, back aching and neck cracking uncomfortably. You roll onto your back and reach over to the other side of the bed. Your hand meets Joel's warm back. He was still fast asleep. You lean in to place a light kiss on his spine before sitting up and getting out of bed. You trudge to the bathroom to brush your teeth and shave. You get dressed in your usual flannel and jeans and walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. The sky was still dark so you decided to make breakfast since you were already there.

You start with making coffee, throwing the empty bag away with a huff. You made a mental note to remind yourself to get more. You grab the pack of bacon from the back of the fridge and a few eggs from the top shelf. It still amazes you how life in Jackson was almost as it was before the outbreak. You grab your slightly dented skillet and an old frying pan and set it on top of the oven. You light the stove and tear open the pack of fresh bacon. You toss it in the pan and let it cook while you crack the eggs and whisk the yolks.

As you took the bacon from the skillet you noticed that the sun was just starting to come up. Joel would be up soon. You place the dirty skillet to the side and bring the frying pan into flame. You butter the pan and start on the scrambled eggs. As you finished with them you noted the smell of coffee in the air and the shuffle you heard coming from the bedroom. Joel was up. You grabbed mugs and plates and set them out on the counter. When you moved back to the kitchen to grab the rest of the food, you heard Joel pad behind you. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pressed his face into your neck.

“Mornin’ sweetheart.”

You say as you offer a piece of bacon to the man wrapped around you. He took it from your hand like a dog before releasing you and grabbing the mugs. You put bacon and eggs on both plates and walked to the table. Joel walked in a second later with the mugs of coffee and sat down next to you. The two of you ate and talked about what you might be assigned today before Tommy shoved open the front door and walked into the house.

“Thanks for knockin’”

You joke. He gives you a grin and reaches for a piece of bacon on Joel's plate. Joel swats his hand away before he could get some. You point to the kitchen and watch as Tommy jogs out of sight, presumingly stealing the rest of your breakfast.

“What are you doin’ here besides raiding our kitchen?”

You ask over your shoulder. Tommy walks back in and puts a hand on Joel’s shoulder as he stuffs his face with the rest of the bacon.

“I came here to tell you two lovebirds have the day off. Ellies spending the day with Maria so you have the day to yourselves.”

You look at Joel with surprise. Tommy stays for a few minutes but eventually turns to leave. You wave and get up to grab your and Joel’s plate while he grabs the empty mugs. The two of you wash up together and Joel goes back to the bedroom to get dressed himself. You grab your jackets and hand one to him before you walk out into the crisp early morning air. Joel’s hand slips into yours as you walk down the street.

“So what’s first darlin’?”

You ask, your breath visible in the wind. He looked around before settling on one of the shops just across the road. You follow his gaze and tug him across the street. You hadn’t been settled in Jackson for long so all the little stores were new to you and Joel. You walk in to see a bunch of little trinkets and toys lined up on the shelves. You were looking for something that Ellie would like when Joel came up with two hats in hand. He put one on your head and the other on his. You laughed at the goofy smile that he had on his face before grabbing a rocket ship toy off the shelf and walking to the shopkeeper. 

You paid for the hats and toy and walked back out onto the street. Joel once again put his hand in yours while you continued down the street. Joel stopped and stepped in front of you, grabbing both of your hands and kissing you on the forehead. Your hats shift sideways, making you laugh. Joel pays no mind and continues peppering your face. He kisses your nose, then both of your cheeks, then your chin, and finally you lips. With practised ease you kiss back, moving your hands to rest on the sides of his face. He pulls back and rests his forehead against yours.

“What’s next?”

The two of you spent the next few hours wandering around Jackson, looking at the livestock looking in the shops before ending up in the bar. You sit next to each other and wait to ask for drinks, you and Joel’s intertwined hands resting on your knee. You slip into comfortable conversation in the midst of the crowded bar. It was only about midday but the building was surprisingly packed. You order and enjoy your drinks, still idly chatting with your husband.

You leave the bar and start heading back to your shared house. Joel had filled the quiet moments with compliments and kisses. It was the most you’ve had in a while. You got to the house, taking off your jacket and hanging it back up. You watch Joel do the same before he locks the front door. You look at him curiously. His chocolate eyes had a darker tint to them. You knew what he was thinking before he even said anything. You give him a wicked grin and step closer. You put your hands on his chest and lean in close. You reach a hand up to take off your hat but Joel stops you.

“The hats stay on for now.”

He told you, moving your hand to his shoulder. You grab the collar of his shirt and pull him in. Your lips meet and your whole body heats up. Joel grabs at your hips but before things could progress any further, you pull away and start to push him towards the bedroom. You shove Joel onto the bed and close the door. He scoots back to the headboard, sitting himself up against it, and watches you crawl up the bed and into his lap.

He puts his hands on your waist and you move yours up from his shoulders to the sides of his face. You lean in again and kiss him with passion, accidentally knocking off both of your hats. Neither of you pay any attention, too caught up in eachother. He licks the bottom of your lip, asking for permission. You groan as you open your mouth and allow his tongue to explore. You start to fight for dominance but allow Joel to win. You slowly grind your hips and Joel’s grip tightens. He moans but stops you from moving. He pulls away and starts to unbutton your flannel. You help him by just pulling it over your head, his hands wandering over your exposed skin. You quickly unbutton your jeans and kick them off awkwardly along with your socks. Joel does the same, leaving the both of you in just your tented boxers. You sat back in his lap and ran your hands over his chest.

“You wanna keep goin’?”

You ask Joel just in case. He nods frantically and you reach into the bedside drawer for the lube. You slick your fingers and reach behind you, sliping your digits in and out of your ass. Your head drops down and your breath hitches. Joel watches you prepare yourself as he palms himself through his boxers. You groan as you pull your hand away and yank down Joel’s underwear. You start kissing down his torso, nipping at the skin every now and then, until you reach his throbbing dick. Joel tosses his head back when you wrap your lips around the head of his cock. He lets out an obscene moan when you take him fully into your mouth. You start bobbing your head, swirling your tongue around the tip with every pass.

Joel tries to buck up into your mouth but you pin his hips to the bed. He tries to say something but it's mostly incoherent babble. You loved when Joel got like this. Squirming and moaning under your touch. You pull off and take him in your hand, slicking the rest of his cock before moving back up and align yourself with him. You take it slow, making sure you don’t hurt yourself. You fully seat yourself in his lap and bury your head into his neck. You hug your arms around his shoulders and wait for yourself to adjust to him. 

Joel doesn't force you to move, letting you take it at your own pace, but you do feel him getting antsy after a few moments. You suddenly roll your hips causing Joel to gasp. His grip moves from your thighs back to your hips. Joel snaps his hips and you moan. He apologises but you cut him off by raising up off of his cock almost completely and dropping back down.

You start at a slow rhythm. Joel moans into your ear and you feel your climax building. You reach one hand down to start jerking yourself off but he grabs your wrist. You drone in disappointment and release yourself. Joel doesn't give you time to complain before he wraps his own fingers around you, stroking in time with your rhythm. You feel your release build more and more as you ride him. You cry out to warn Joel.

“Joel, I'm so-close. Please-”

Joel stills his hand and stops your hips. He pulls out and you whimper as your orgasm slips away.

“Hold on, hold on baby, I want to try something different.”

You lean back to look at him, his cheeks are flushed and he looks sort of embarrassed. You follow his lead as he flips the two of you. You rested back against the headboard while he sat in your lap. Oh.

“You sure?”

He nods and reaches for the lube. You watch as he stretches himself just as you did before. It was the hottest thing you’ve ever witnessed. He didn’t quite meet your eyes, too shy to look at you. You grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at you. You lean closer to kiss him. He tilts his head to deepen the kiss and whines when you pull away.

“You think you're ready?”

You ask him before he pulls his hand back and nods. He slicks your cock with the excess lube on his hand and lines himself with your tip. He pushes in and stops. He squints his eyes as he adjusts. You put your hands on his thighs, reassuring him.

“It’s okay sweetheart, take your time.”

He takes a breath and continues until you are fully sheathed inside him. He was quicker to adjust than you were. He only raises up about half way before coming back down, setting a slow and shallow pace. He puts a hand on your chest to stabilise himself. His lazy rhythm was driving you insane. You grab onto him and scoot further down the bed. You hold him up a bit before you start thrusting into him. Joel moans, low and deep in his throat. His nails dig into your chest as you relentlessly drive into him. You moved a hand from his ass to his neglected cock and jerk in time with your thrusts. Joel’s moans get louder and he starts meeting you halfway. He rises and pushes back down, forcing you deeper inside him.

You feel your climax building once again. White hot heat rising in your stomach. The sight of Joel with his eyes half lidded and his mouth half agape could’ve made you cum right then and there. But you hold back, wanting Joel to finish first. By the look of him, you knew you wouldn’t have to hold out much longer. His whimpers were becoming more high pitched and his bounces became a bit sloppy. It only took a few more thrust for Joel to still his hips and throw his head back.

He came onto your hand and chest and clenched around you, causing you to cum as well. You felt the hot liquid around your cock as you filled Joel. He whimpered and slumped forward but you barely noticed, too preoccupied with your own climax. Once you came back down you wrapped your arms around him. Joel whined as you carefully pulled out. You shushed him and rubbed his back, waiting for him to come around as well.

“Holy shit.”

You hear Joel mumble into the crook of your neck. You smile and sit up.

“How was it?”

You ask him genuinely. Joel’s face was flushed and he had a slight sheen on his forehead.

“Amazing.”

He answered simply.

“We should probably shower before any of this dries.”

He motions down to your stomach. You nod and move to the end of your bed. You surprise Joel by moving your hands under his thighs and carrying him to the bathroom. He clings to you before you let him stand just outside. Thank god your shower could fit two people. You warmed up the water and signalled for Joel to get in. You washed the night's activities off of you and Joel did the same. He sat down on the tiled floor, his legs a bit too wobbly to stand for long periods of time. You sat down next to him and leaned his head onto your shoulder.

“You’re the best husband a man could ask for, you know that?”

You said simply. Joel picked his head up to look at you with his signature puppy dog eyes. You smile at him and he leans in again. Only this time the kiss wasn’t heated. It was filled with love. You were so happy that you had him. Joel was happy that he had you. The two of you towelled off and got dressed before you made dinner together.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

A small snippet from Chapter 3 (Bardie Girl) of my big chapter fic "A Winsome Witch And A Happy Human" (Fic is very canon divergent).

Commission cover art here.

Cover art poll here.

Chapter titles here.

A fun piece.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Synopsis

(They'll be no more sneak peeks for the chapter after this. My next goal going forward is to get chapter 3 out! <3 Enjoy! ❤️)

Once upon a time, in a fantastical fantasy realm that was akin to a small girl's dream, there lived a princess.

One glorious afternoon, as the gentle glow of the sun shone brightly in the mesmerizing blue sky, a single cottage castle could be seen standing tall in the center of the forest.

A pair of bluebirds then fly upward into view from below, holding a white banner between their beaks that reads 'Princess Clara's Castle' for a moment before taking off, a trail of clear magic dust fluttering behind them.

The castle resembled a standard cottage home, with white and grey stones used for its exterior construction, but what differentiated it from others was its royal structure.

Inside, Princess Clara slept soundly beneath the comfort of her soft and woolly comforter, dreaming a lovely dream as a cozy smile rested upon her soft and tender face.

While the princess continues to sleep, her bedroom door creaks open as a small group of critters from the forest enter inside.

These cute critters consisted of birds, rabbits, deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and raccoons.

The fauna were her companions and inhabited the castle with her.

As the diverse group of animals crowd together closely around Princess Clara's bedside, a doe lightly nuzzles her cheek with her nose in an attempt to gently wake her.

As the princess slowly opens her eyes, she gets a glimpse of her friends surrounding her bed and lets out the gentlest of laughs.

"Good morning, everyone," she softly greets with a yawn and stretches as she turns to look at the time on her handmade wooden wall clock.

"Well, afternoon," Princess Clara corrects herself with a sheepish smile on her face, rubbing the back of her head with one hand.

Although the princess didn't mean to be such a sleepyhead, she could never resist the temptations of her warm bed.

"Who's hungry?" she asked her animal friends, putting aside her embarrassment for now.

"I'll make up for sleeping in so late with some brunch. How does that sound?"

The offer caused the eyes of the critters to light up with joy as they accepted with nods, causing Princess Clara to giggle in her hand as she sat up.

"Then it's settled," she said, stepping out of bed and dancing across her floorboards on her tippy toes toward her closet while she hummed a merry tune.

Princess Clara's feathery companions tweeted the catchy melody of the song with her, their voices harmonizing beautifully.

Two of them flew over to open her closet door for her, helping the princess slip into one of her favorite house dresses while tossing her nightgown into the hamper.

Now dressed for the day, Princess Clara dips and twirls out of her room and into the kitchen, her forest friends happily following behind her.

...

"Hmm," Princess Clara hummed to herself in thought, tapping her chin with her index finger as she stood in front of her dainty stove, a frying pan sitting on top, as fresh veggies and oil sat on her counter.

Her animal friends, also in the kitchen, were eating their feed of mixed berries that she had prepared for them and placed in pretty porcelain bowls.

"What goes good with fresh veggies?" she whispered.

Tweet, tweet!

Shifting her sights to her open window sill, Princess Clara spots the pair of bluebirds who were holding her banner in the beginning, fluttering over with eggs well wrapped in silk.

The eggs are gently placed on the counter alongside the veggies and oil as the birds took their place on her window sill.

"Oh, eggs! Of course!" Princess Clara exclaims excitedly, finding the answer to her question as she cracks a smile, just like she was planning on cracking those eggs.

"Thank you," the princess told the two birds, who both received gentle rubs to the skin behind their beaks from her as they happily chirped.

With a gentle clearing of her throat, Princess Clara gracefully twirls in place, placing a hand on her chest, and begins to sing lyrics to a theme.

While singing, the princess twirls for a second time, holding out her index finger for one of the bluebirds.

One decides to flap over and step onto it, joining Princess Clara for a lovely duet.

As the caroling continues, the two take turns.

When Princess Clara hits a high note, she allows the bluebird to do the same.

The princess keeps hitting higher and higher notes, and the bluebird struggles to keep up with her.

As the theme comes to a close, Princess Clara hits an ear-piercing high note that causes the bluebird to gradually bloat up and explode.

The princess's eyes widen in shock at this as her animal companions who had witnessed the small explosion gasp.

Horrified looks filled the room.

...

"... And there!" Princess Clara said, carefully slipping the small sweater she had knitted with the assistance of her animal friends onto the bluebird who had previously exploded and was now featherless.

The sweater fit like a glove and had a few of his feathers nicely glued on to it.

When the bluebird gazed down at his new outfit, he instantly let out a chirp in delight, hopping in place.

"Yay! He likes it!" Princess Clara cheered brightly, her animal friends joining her.

Placing her index finger under the bluebird's foot, the princess lifts gently as the bird steps onto her finger and proceeds to perch.

She starts to rub her cheek against the side of his face, causing him to chirp softly at the affection.

"I'm so sorry about that," Princess Clara whispered, soft sincerity weaving through her voice.

She believed that his feathers would eventually return over time.

[pearlypairings]

Hi babe happy birthday!! For the cute birthday scenarios, how about hellcheer and one baking a surprise cake for the other?

eddie x chrissy || fun, fluff, goofy mistakes || 959 words

A/N: you've been so patient rosey, to be last but not least :) hope you enjoy the fluffy cake disaster that only a ADHD/distracted Eddie could make enjoyable <3 thank you for this one! ending on a high note:)

previous prompt

A scoop of powdery white mystery rested lazily atop the magazine cut-out on the counter. Eddie couldn’t remember if he’d scooped the flour or the baking powder and smelling it gave him no further clue. He slipped the recipe out from underneath to reexamine the ingredient list. “Son,” Uncle Wayne mused, approaching from the trailer’s quaint living space to haunt over the haphazard piles of ingredients and bowls and spoons. “Wouldn’t everyone be happier if you just bought the damn thing? Leave baking to the professionals. I can’t remember a Munson ever baking a cake, not even Great Grandma Gin.”

“Exactly, Chrissy won’t expect it.” Eddie picked up the scoop and poured it confidently (still wondering how bad the mess-up would be if he switched ingredients on accident) into the big mixing bowl amidst other dry ingredients. “You know how she is, always one step ahead. I never get to really surprise her. It’s about time that I give her a real shock.” Wayne shook his head, peering into the metal bowl with skepticism before taking stock of the cracked egg shells and milk carton close by. “Your girl is more likely to get the shock of food poisoning, but don’t mind me. I’ve just got her health more on my mind than your grand ideas.” “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll be sure not to save you a slice after your shift.” Eddie waved him away, his eyes glued to the numbers on the recipe instructions. With a shrug, he tossed the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and took their trusty, chipped wooden spoon off the sidelines. Sure, the recipe called for a mixer, but a little elbow grease and their lucky spoon had to wind up with the same outcome. His uncle stayed away from the kitchen while Eddie finished up. He’d had to borrow a cake pan from little Red and her mom down the way and promised to return it the way he found it—washed with maybe a few extra burnt bits stuck on the bottom. The Munson’s oven was more of a holding bay than an operational cooking appliance, so he cleared out the old frying pans and boxes of cereal too big for the cabinets before he clicked it on and set it to the proper temperature of 375 degrees…or was it supposed to be 325? Whatever, it’s hot enough at least. At any rate, the batter was to the brim of the pan when he slid it onto the rack like a brain surgeon who’d pivoted his career to expert baker. He saluted the oven, fully trusting it would honor its commitment to cooking the hell out of Chrissy’s cake. When enough time had passed (vibes were essential to this part, he thought a timer was a bit much), the dingy dishtowels were his gauntlets—primed and prepared to face the flaming hot metal inside.

Upon first glance, there may have been some spillage over the sides when it rose; he forgot about the whole “cake rising” part. And shit, sure, the edges looked darker (a rich toasty black-brown) than he expected, but the frosting would solve all of that, he assured himself as he placed the pan on the stovetop to cool. That much he remembered from little Red’s mother’s parting advice. By the time he’d finished swirling the last swatch of frosting, Chrissy would be here any minute. Wayne had already left for his shift at the plant and for that miracle, he was glad. Eddie would have never heard the end of his digs while they waited for her arrival, if he had seen the cake. Hell, his uncle probably would have gone out and bought a replacement cake for her. His disaster of a birthday cake had more potholes than the Forest Hills trailer park and more cracks than old Harry’s truck windshield. The only thing holding it up was his overabundance of frosting gluing pieces together and poorly filling the divots, lumps, and bumps across the top. A whole army of swirly, wax candles didn’t help his case much, but those were the finishing touches he needed for the surprise to feel complete. There were a couple of taps on the trailer door, and her familiar voice greeted him affectionately beyond the screen. Chrissy let herself in, wearing the prettiest white blouse he’d ever seen, probably a well-deserved birthday splurge from the mall. He called her over to the kitchen, stepping out to showcase his Frankenstein creation. “What are you doing in the—” Chrissy’s eyes froze on the deflated, over-iced cake. Her soft features exploded in glorious shock, and with a squeal, she rushed the last few steps and jumped into his arms. “That’s mine, right? You made that for me?” “I did, pretty girl.” He kissed her, hoping he still tasted like vanilla from all the frosting he’d been sampling. “Surprised?” “I can’t wait to try it!” She nodded, nuzzling into his neck and squeezing her arms tighter around him.  “Let’s light the candles first.” Eddie touched her feet back down onto the floor, looking between her pretty smile and the funky cake. He pulled open the drawer to get his lighter, shuffling a few items around to find the shiny black box while his back was turned. “You might wanna wish for a better tasting cake, just as a warning.” And before he had time to react, Chrissy had scooped a healthy finger-full of icing and slathered it down Eddie’s nose with a devious cackle. She retreated without hesitation, ducking behind Uncle Wayne’s favorite chair and hiding from the fistful of cake he carried behind his back. Her laugh was uncontrollable. Eddie had the biggest grin on his face. Sometimes cakes were really sweet. Sometimes cakes were made for throwing. Sometimes surprises went sideways in the best way. He wanted to record that laugh forever.

[plantsarepeopletoo]

Only Friends Music EP5 (part 1/2)

The Extra Hour

Another installment of the Only friends music series. The details continue to be amazing, all praise Jojo. 

Quick recap, music is used in three different ways:

Just background music (Background) - It’s important and creates an atmosphere, like using Disco Frog for Mew and Cheum’s chat at the bar. These I will not use unless I see a theme or something important later.

Playing with Music (Playful) - It’s like body language, the music will pause, start up, move along faster or slower. It's intentionally moving with what is happening on screen.

Verbal/Vocal - Music that is telling us things. It could be songs that have names that seem important or have lyrics that may or may not be in the show. If there are lyrics I will include them, but will specify if they are in OF, and where they start and stop.

Master List here, in my pinned post. These will be long and split into parts, mostly because of lyrics and Music players. Written after EP6 came out, so some EP6 spoilers.

Thank you @rocketturtle4 and @shouldiusemyname for help editing and song lyrics.

[1/4]

Song: Happiest I’ve Ever Been by Big Girl Scene: Ray and Sand are domestic in the kitchen Type: Vocal

Lyrics not in the show (transcribed by me):

And I haven’t cut my hair since I walked through the door It's never been quite this long before Taking some time to get all settled in And I’m the happiest I've ever been I never thought that I’d move out of town There’s something about this place that holds me down Made some mistakes but I can start again And I’m the happiest I’ve ever been I’m grateful to know you So grateful to show you All the things that I’ve been holding deep within Love is complicated That times I feel frustrated But I know that in the end Our love will win And I’m the happiest I’ve ever been I never thought that dreams could really come true I never thought I’d ever find someone like you We lose our way but always lean back in And I’m the happiest I’ve ever been (x3)

This song starts as Sand cracks an egg into a frying pan and makes breakfast, an act of service and time for Ray. In the voice over, Sand had just described how his most precious thing is time, it keeps running like an hourglass, but Ray gives him one more turn. Now, he’s choosing to give that time to Ray by making breakfast. Today, Ray isn't an intruder demanding precious time from a reluctant Sand. Today, Sand is happily giving Ray his time.

Two important themes in this song are resilience and connection. Ray’s need for connection was front and center in the last episode, when we saw Mew and Ray’s past. Last episode Sand and Ray started to build their connection, their relationship, but it's foundation is built on sand, and once it rains and the waters rise, the house will fall. This unsteadiness will continue to be a theme this episode.

The second theme of the song is resilience. Love and relationships can and will be tough, but the song seems to allude to the fact that if they can find their way back together, then their love could survive.

Song: Tell Me Something New (Tigerblood Jewel Remix) by Wellness Scene: Kitchen sex Type: Vocal

Lyrics not in show:

I waited for someone to save I wanna tell you something new You drove us both into a wall I drive away into the night  And I, contemplate for a while (Chorus) Don’t you think it would be for the best If I packed my stuff and leave sooner than this Don’t you think it would’ve been for the best If I packed my stuff and leave sooner than this Don’t you wish I would’ve been someone else I wanna fill your gaps without making a mess And you, won’t you tell me something new I wanna tell you something new I wish you all the best I can But I stop myself for a while I’m sayin things I don’t believe The panic’s rising up in me And you, why won’t you tell me something new (Chorus)x2

Last episode we touched on the song, Almost the Same. “Without the words, feelings unheard, can be just as sincere. Something’s not right.” Their relationship isn’t quite right yet, they have not fixed their root problems, in this case, Mew and Ray’s past. Sand is unwilling to touch the subject of Mew, while Ray is unwilling to touch the subject of who they are to each other, because they fear their budding relationship will crumble around them.

Tell Me Something New is a prophetic song for the end of Ep5 and 6 from Sand’s point of view. Sand took his time to save Ray, only to find out that Ray really did have a past with “The glasses boy”. He thinks that Ray is using him to fill the gaps left by Mew. After they drive into that wall, Sand thinks that maybe it was all a waste of time and they’re unable to make a connection again and really Talk about it. If they had talked, and told each other “something new” before the end of this episode, they might have been strong enough to withstand Boston.

I’m sayin things I don’t believe The panic’s rising up in me And you, why won’t you tell me something new

Later, they will be hurting, and Sand will protect himself by saying things he doesn't believe. But, for now, we get something nice.

Song: I Wanna Get High On You by Elwin Scene: Top and Mew go on a bike date Type: Vocal

Lyrics in the show:

Feelin’ in my bones I can feel it in my veins Hands in the sky I can feel the winds of change You live and you learn And I hope I’ve seen enough To make something right And make up for what I’ve lost I was down but things are looking up I wanna get high…

Lyrics continue, not in show:

(I wanna get high) on you Caught by surprise by you Want you to make my heart feel As much as I know it should I wanna get high on you …. Things turned around Didn’t ever think they could I’m done with the bad I need a little bit of good Set out in the world Like everything is new Stepped on a path That lead straight to you I was down but things are looking up (chorus)

If this is from Top’s perspective then it's telling how he's replacing the high from drugs and the pleasure from being a playboy with the high he gets from being with Mew.

Top’s song, Lonely Party from EP1, talks about needing someone to find him a soul and a purpose in life, that he’s lonely even though he’s surrounded by people. Here with Mew, he’s feeling free, feeling different with Mew. It might not be love, but for now he wants to keep Mew around while experiencing this high. Mew is introducing him to a fulfilling high, the likes of which he has never experienced before, and all the more fragile for it, whether or not Top knows it.

If viewed from Mew’s perspective, he thinks he’s learned enough to go forward. That he’s ready to try to fall in love, ready to feel that new high.

Either way, they’re asking the other to make them feel something more, “make my heart feel as much as I know it should”. From Mew, he knows of love from books, as for Top, we do know it has been a while since he’s even cared about another person’s pleasure in bed. So they both seem to be chasing a high that they believe the other can give.

Song: Next Station by I’MIN Scene: Top and Mew continue their biking date after sitting for a while Type: Vocal

No Lyrics heard in the show, translation by google translate:

Verse 1: The emotions mixed in the sighs Just as when we meet and intersect, we become lost, I can't figure out what to do And on the passing road, for a short and long time Even though everything around me has changed The destination is always the same Pre-chorus: Maybe you can feel the pressure that I been living on I can say that it’s been on my mind but I’m moving along Chorus: The emotions mixed in the sighs actually Just like you can't figure out where to go when you meet and cross paths, Just like you can't figure out where to go Maybe one day, maybe one day it’ll feel alright Verse 2: chasing something that disappeared As you go, before you know it With a nonchalant expression I walked for a while Like a handle stuck on a train Like those worn out chairs Sometimes I want to stay still for a while Pre-chorus: Maybe you can feel the pressure that I been living on I can say that it’s been on my mind but i’m moving along Chorus and Outro: In the passing light Among the scattered people Behind the approaching expressions Maybe one day, Maybe one day it’ll feel alright (X2)

Thanks to I'MIN for responding to me on Instagram for the lyrics!

Music starts after Top says “I am happy! As long as he doesn’t mess with me” and they get up to continue to bike. Music stops as Mew gets hit and his glasses break. Beginning the metaphor of Mew’s “sight” being taken away. Top could be feeling pressure from everyone but Mew to be perfect and a stereotypical ‘top’, and here he can try for a day where it feels alright.

Song: Falling Through Scene: Sand refuses to drive with Ray/The motorcycle ride Type: Vocal, Playful

Lyrics heard in show: 

Some day you’ll rise And come into a field of view Be visible to a few

Lyrics not in show:

Some day you’ll rise You said that an angel will illuminate the sky But my reflection is slowly fading out In the vision of you and I I’m missing every moment with you And I’ll be waiting  Waiting here for you I feel this is too good to be true But times are changing I’m falling, falling through Summer moved on I followed every trace of you Grasping every mem’ of you You said you were sorry but I know you had to leave And maybe that’s why I’ve been fading out At least that’s how I feel I’m missing every moment with you And I’ll be waiting  Waiting here for you I feel this is too good to be true But times are changing I’m falling, falling through Some day you’ll rise and some day you’ll see That I’ve been waiting, I’m waiting here I’m waiting here for you Some day you’ll rise  And come into the field of view Be visible to a few Some day you’ll rise 

This song plays twice. The first time is after Sand says “I don’t trust you with my life” which does hurt Ray. The moment passes quickly, but Ray sees that Sand doesn’t think of him as someone who can be trusted, an emergency contact.

Ray doesn't want to be a burden, he's got a car, air conditioning, why not use it and use him to go places? Ray is used to using his house, money, alcohol, as incentive to get people to be with him, like when he was trying to get Sand and the girl Sand was with to come keep him company. Or the song (Stay) True from EP3 when Sand and Ray make out in the car.

I've got camels and candy I can be your daddy … I've got cigarettes and brandy Which could come in handy If you just help me loosen up my hand grenade’s fuse

Ray's whining might seem like he's unwilling to go on the bike, but I wonder if it's because he wants to be useful. If Sand takes away his usefulness, what value does he have? Meanwhile, Sand might actually have only wanted to show Ray how his life is.

The guitar starts to play as Ray agrees to go with Sand. Another song, La Chapelle Dormant, plays while Ray and Sand tease each other for a moment. Falling Through starts properly as they drive off.

"Some day you’ll rise" the imagery of the sun rising brings to mind Ray. Specifically, Ray rising out of the darkness of his depression or rising above where he thinks he is, a burden on society, someone who only knows how to spend money, to be who he wants to be.

Ray wants to be a good friend, a dependable person, a happy person with true connections with the people around him. Ray wants to be an emergency contact. This faux date gives Ray a glimpse of a day where his money or material possessions are not the priority or his appeal. Sand is showing him that Ray can have fun, be valuable just as himself.

(Or it could be hinting at the song "Burst to life" in EP6, the song that plays while he's taring into everyone at the bar. But more on that in EP6. )

Even while they’re having fun together, the music tells us how they are still on unsteady ground in an undefined relationship, Sand waiting for it all to fall through and he’ll fade. The line, “I feel this is too good to be true” calls back to the song, The Happiest I’ve Ever Been earlier in the show:

I never thought that dreams could really come true I never thought I’d ever find someone like you

Both songs are optimistic, both songs have faith in love getting them through to the bad times, getting them through the night.

[2/4]

Song: Faster Car by Loving Caliber Scene: Top fixes Mew’s glasses in the café Type: Vocal

Song plays very very quietly in the background and the lyrics sound very muffled, which adds to the ambience of the cafe scene.

Lyrics “heard” in show:

I've been feeling so small Watch the clock ticking off the wall But tonight I'm letting it go Spend my coin for show I'm gonna be myself Or I could be someone else No one's stopping me now I'm gonna skip my breaks I'm gonna make mistakes I just wanna feel alive It's just what I do when I'm out so Try not to hold me down Feel alive when I'm in this town Look at those beautiful stars I wanna drive a faster car Nothing can break me No, no, nothing can break me Try not to hold me down Feel alive when I'm in this town Look at those beautiful stars I wanna take a trip to Mars Nothing can break me, No, no, nothing can break me Look at those beautiful stars I wanna drive a faster car Lay my troubles to rest Blow the smoke through my cigarette City lights looking fine And I know that this is my time now I'm gonna be myself Or I could be someone else No one's stopping me now I'm gonna skip my breaks I'm gonna make mistakes I just wanna feel alive It's just what I do when I'm out so

Song starts with the scene, Top is fixing Mew’s glasses. Mew’s blind now, his way of “reading” is gone, and he’s relying on Top to fix it. In this episode we're seeing Mew letting off the brakes, ready to go faster in this relationship.

The line, “I’m gonna make mistakes” and the earlier song I Wanna Get High On You, saying “You live and you learn, And I hope I’ve seen enough” are interesting because one is accepting that mistakes are going to happen, but the other almost mirrors Mew’s surety that he knows how to read people.

From Top’s point of view, he could be himself, or he could be what Mew wants him to be. Going back to Lonely Party from EP1 again with the lyric “You gotta help me find a soul”, Top seems to be only known for being Top-tier, and with Mew he doesn’t need to be that, but he does need to be what Mew wants. So even now it feels like he may not be his real (sober) self. Though what his real self looks like is debatable, on one hand, Top seems to be a critique of “tops” in the BL genre. He’s rich, handsome, strong, experienced and possessive. On the other, he seems to have a hard time saying no to pleasure, given how hard it is for him to say no to Boston in the earlier episodes. An earlier theory discussed with friends was the idea that Top was so numb from drugs that he just let things happen to him. Whether or not this is true, he still seems disconnected from himself. It will be interesting to see how his character arc and background unfolds in the second half of the series.

Song: So Perfect by Lindsey Abraham Scene: Top and Mew at the cafe, talking about glasses  Type: Vocal 

Top says, “I like you better looking like a nerd.” and the song starts when Mew retorts “Whatever happened to worrying about my eyesight?” and the music pauses while Top explains that he does want Mew to see him clearly, but the glasses make Mew look both cute and sexy. The song continues playing as Mew blushes. Top is saying all the “perfect” things to make Mew feel good, while nudging Mew to do something he wants Mew to do.

Song: Minimal Meaning by Marten Moses Scene: Top pays and Mew feels insecure Type: Verbal

Mew notices something a little off with the waiter when he hands off the check, and abruptly feels insecure. He rubs his arm in a self soothing gesture as Top pays the bill, seemingly unaware of what Mew is thinking. Is Mew looking for meaning when there is none? Either way the music conveys Mew’s feeling of unease.  

Song: Sunset beach by White Bones Scene: Boston notices Nick’s change in appearance. Type: Background

The song is funky which is a departure from Nick and Boston’s normal genre. This genre shift paired with the piano chords of the song Strong Bonds that play while they’re in the pool hints at Boston’s feelings for Nick might be stronger than he’s willing to admit. Strong Bonds pauses while Nick asks about Boston’s other partners and continues as Boston talks to Nick about being recorded by Gap. The music builds as Nick tells Boston it serves him right, and Boston kisses Nick playfully. Boston goes on to talk about not sleeping around, how it feels empty lately. Boston might not be realizing his bond with Nick is making that feel empty. This is the first time Boston has talked to Nick without Nick having to sulk first. 

Song: With You It’s Different by Blue Topaz (again) Scene: Boston and Nick in the Pool Type: Vocal

Starts to play when Boston says “There’s only you” and they kiss. Last time this played was with Top and Mew in the shower, Top saying he cares about Mew’s pleasure.

With You It’s Different, Nick is different for Boston, he feels safe, accepting of Boston’s worst sides, and Boston can be affectionate. There is a bond, but Boston is unable to or unwilling to put words to what he actually wants Nick to be since he’s assuming he’s moving to NYC after college.

Song: Minimal Meaning by Marten Moses (again) Scene: Top looking at Boston in the pool Type: Vocal

The same song that plays in the café while Mew is insecure about the waiter and Top. Here it starts when Top sees Boston with Nick, mirroring his unease about what Boston might be planning with getting close to Nick. 

Continue to EP5 part two

Master List

[justcallmefox89]

Cinderfella's Adventures in Cordonia - Chapter Twenty - One

An AU of The Royal Romance with a male MC and a bisexual prince.

Masterlist

Callum makes a request.

“Callum?”

“Hm?”  I don’t look up from the herbs I’m chopping, afraid that once I quit moving I’ll start spiraling after that argument with Pops and my grandda.  So for now I focus on a task I know I can handle; feeding my men.

Drake takes a tentative step into my kitchen, Liam right at his heels.  “You doing ok?”

“Yeah,” I answer absently, setting aside my knife and turning to remove a few strips of bacon from a frying pan and setting them on a folded paper towel. 

“Hey… talk to me.”  Drake steps closer, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.  Liam stands to the side awkwardly, a yearning look on his face, but he ultimately remains at distance. 

I sag against Drake, soaking in his warmth and the comforting scent of his cologne.  “I’ll be fine, love.  It’s just been a long fucking night,” I mumbled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

He snorts out a small laugh and tightens his hold on me.  “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry,” I reply, lightly slapping his ass.  “You’ll be punished later.”

Drake shivers, but the subtle press of his groin into my thigh lets me know he isn’t totally opposed to the idea.  Liam clears his throat softly, interrupting us before my teasing can begin in earnest.

I sigh and gently push Drake towards a seat at my kitchen island.  “Sit down you two and I’ll get you something to eat.”

“We’re not - ” Drake begins, only to be interrupted by an unholy growl from Liam’s stomach.

“That’s what I thought.”  I smirk at the pair.  “Now sit.”

**********************************************************

Liam sits silently on a stool next to an equally quiet Drake, watching Callum butter two small ramekins before deftly cracking three eggs in each, then topping the eggs with a splash of cream and a generous sprinkle of a creamy, herbed cheese.  He places lids on the ramekins and gently sets them in a large casserole dish half full of warm water, then places the entire thing in the oven. 

“So…”  Callum draws out the word as he places several thick pieces of buttered bread into a toaster oven.  “I’m willing to go back to Cordonia with you.”

Drake straightens up, a tentative smile on his face.  “You are?”

Callum reaches into his refrigerator, removing a large contained of cut fruit and a pitcher of orange juice.  “For a few weeks anyway.”

Liam frowns, accepting the glass of juice Callum hands him with a small nod of thanks.  “Have you changed your stance on my… previous offer?”

“No,” Callum says simply, passing a second glass of juice over to Drake.  He moves fluidly through the kitchen, dishing out portions of cut cantaloupe onto two small plates, crumbling the cooked bacon into a bowl, setting various pots of jams and marmalades in front of the waiting men.  “I was serious when I said it was either Madeline or me.”

Liam tamps down the anger that threatens to flare up.  “Then why bother returning to Cordonia?”

“For Drake, you massively egotistical asshole,” Callum snaps.  “Mine isn’t the only heart you’re breaking by marrying Madeline.”

The king winces, glancing over at his best friend and former lover guiltily.  “I didn’t mean to imply - ”

“I know,” Drake interrupts quietly, toying with his glass of juice.  “It’s fine.”

“No it isn’t!” Callum growls, glaring at Liam.  “Why do you let him treat you like - ”

“Callum, stop…” Drake pleads, fatigue written in every line on his face.  “Just let it go.”

Callum opens his mouth again, clearly ready to argue the point, but eventually relents.  He rolls his eyes and gives Liam one last glare for good measure.  “This conversation isn’t over, Your Majesty.”

“Looking forward to it, Mr. MacKenzie.”

“You shouldn’t be.”

Callum turns his back on them, opening the oven with more force than is strictly necessary.  Soon he’s setting steaming ramekins before Liam and Drake.  Callum tops the shirred eggs with finely chopped herbs and a sprinkle of crushed bacon.  He pushes the plates of toast and cantaloupe closer to the pair.

“Go ahead and eat,” he urges.

Despite his annoyance Liam eagerly tucks into the impromptu breakfast, his eyes rolling back in his head as the flavors of the creamy, cheesy eggs combine with the freshness of the herbs and the saltiness of the bacon and explode across his tongue.  Drake lets out a pleased moan next to him, verbalizing Liam’s thoughts.

“Aren’t you going to eat anything?” Drake mumbles through a mouthful of melon.

Callum hums in acknowledgement, pulling a container of cottage cheese from the refrigerator.  As Liam eats he watches as Callum carefully measure one cup of cottage cheese and top with an equally precise half a cup of cantaloupe and begins to eat.  The Callum he remembers would have already been on his second dish of eggs. 

Liam narrows his eyes, carefully studying Callum as the other man leans against the countertop and slowly eats his meager breakfast.  Caught up in all the other drama of the night, Liam hadn’t really taken in Callum’s appearance and what he sees now shocks him.  Callum’s once robust frame is now far leaner than Liam remembers, replaced by smooth, lithe lines of muscle that have clearly been hewn by many hours in the gym.  He wrinkles his nose, Callum’s new diet making slightly more sense.  The shorter haircut just emphasizes the sharp lines of his cheekbones and jaw, making his face look nearly gaunt in the soft light of the kitchen.  Previously unseen dark circles rim Callum’s eyes, the green of his eyes even more vibrant against their bruising.

Callum sighs and sets his spoon in his now empty bowl.  “I meant it when I said I’ll go back to Cordonia for a few weeks.  But if I do this I want Drake to do something for me.”

Liam glances at Drake to see if he knows what’s going on.  His best friend looks equally confused.  His eyes flick back to Callum, curious as to what his request will be.

“Drake, I want you to consider moving to New York after Liam’s wedding.  To moving in with me.  To being with me.  Only me,” Callum says calmly, speaking to Drake but staring directly at Liam.

[gag-me-munson]

Shelter me

(PT. ||) (Catch up here)

Pairing: Eddie x Fem!Reader

Warnings: A bit of self harm mentions, abuse is also semi-mentioned but that's about it for this chapter. Kind of a filler chapter as well, but hey.

"Eddie, I know that's not you cooking." Wayne mumbles to himself as he exits his bedroom to find you in the kitchen in front of the stove. He stops in his tracks and watches as you continue to fry bacon, jumping back when the grease splatters onto your skin, cursing under your breath.

"Oh," you sputter and drop a piece of the crispy pork onto a plate, "Good morning... Eddie told me you liked eggs but the bacon is getting ready to expire, so I hope you don't mind. There's, uhm, there's also coffee ready as well." You smile and gesture to the steaming pot.

Lighting his morning smoke, Wayne chuckles and moves around you for a cup, filling it with simple, plain black coffee before sitting down at the table. "Thank you," he states and the ashes his cigarette, "How did you sleep? I notice you made Eddie sleep here on the couch." He laughs under his breath, both of you trying to keep quiet to allow his nephew to continue snoozing.

"I didn't mean to put either of you out," you laugh lightly and shrug, grabbing a bowl to crack and mix the eggs into. You take salt and pepper and a dash of almost expired milk into the bowl and whisk while you talk, "I appreciate you letting me stay... I know I'll need to go home eventually-"

"Young lady," Wayne holds a hand up and stubs out his butt, "You're not going back there while I'm around. Nope. No sir." He grunts as he stands and goes to refill his mug. "What do I have to do to keep you away? To keep you, well, safe?"

You, meanwhile, pour the egg mixture into the hot pan and scramble the eggs to doneness, placing them on a separate plate while you think. Eventually you shrug and point to an empty plate, "breakfast is served."

Wayne goes about getting his bread toasted before filling his plate with the food you provide, thanking you while doing so before grabbing a fork and settling down.

"I smell bacon." Eddie groans himself awake and sits up, running a hand through his tangled mop, yawning loudly. He stretches before standing up and grinning at you before heading to the small bathroom.

"I guess," you begin through a small mouthful of eggs, "I guess there is no saving me. What can you do that the cops can't, after all?" A small sniffle and Wayne looks up from his breakfast and sighs.

"I can keep you. Here with us. We don't have a lot, but then again," he gestures, "it doesn't seem like you're used to a lot. I'll talk to him, at least."

Fear rumbles through your belly and you almost spit up your eggs, "Please... Please don't. I can do this. I can-"

"Handle yourself?" Eddie finishes the sentence as he pulls a fresh shirt over his upper half. "Yeah... been there before." He moves by you gently to fill his own plate before settling in beside his uncle, "what's the worst that could happen?"

You gulp loudly then and drop your fork onto the plate in a clatter, "the worst?" And you bring a hand to your throat, remembering.

"You little whore!" He spits into your face and lifts you off of the ground with seemingly gentle ease. Hand around your throat, he grips tighter, eyes searing, "who was it you were sneaking around with this time? Who?!"

Coughing the thought away you shake your head, "I don't want to talk about it. Wayne, I can be out of your hair today while-"

"You two just... just stay out of trouble and take care while I think, okay?" He nods and finishes his breakfast in one more swift bite. "Just... stay low while I'm away, deal?"

Both you and Eddie nod as Wayne leaves to his room to dress for work. You look at each other sheepishly before you take Eddie's empty plate and put it into the sink, "If I stay again, I'll do those soon."

"You think dishes are that important? When," he sighs loudly, placing his hands onto his face and rubbing it roughly, "when are you ever going to realize that you are important? Not chores. Not pleasing the men in your life. You."

"Okay, I'm off. Behave, stay low and most importantly," Wayne points at you and glances down, "make sure those arms of yours are taken care of. Peroxide and Neosporin. Bye." With that he smiles at you and waves at the pair in front of him before exiting the trailer.

Looking down to your cut and scarred arms, you wish for longer sleeves and rub them quickly. Eddie takes note of this sudden and shy change, reaches for your hand and kisses the top of it.

"Shall we do that first?" He asks softly and you nod.

The bathroom is almost like the one in your trailer, but you note it's cleaner and better kept. Almost like the people here actually want to live, thrive on something instead of just surviving. Eddie busies himself in getting the products and cotton balls while you sit on the toilet and take one.

The work you both set about doing is tedious but welcomed after never taking care of yourself before like this. It was... well, usually cut and go, harsh as that sounded in your mind.

"I never wanted to start this, ya know..." you murmur and dab some more Neosporin onto a particularly nasty wound. "It just sorta happened one day and I felt... so much relief, so much control."

Eddie clears his throat and shakes his head, hair wildly flowing around him, "I can't imagine anyone wants to do this. But... I get it. I can understand needing control." He sighs and leans to rest his back on the wall, watching you finish up.

"You do?"

He nods and gives you a grin, "I do... but let's make a promise today, alright? No more of this. None of it. Promise me whenever you feel like you're in danger... you run, escape however you need to and I'll be here, always." With that he holds a pinky out to you and this, finally, brings a laugh from you.

Locking your pinky with his, you make the promise and then Eddie stands up and dusts his pants off, "let's get outta here for a while, huh? I have a meeting tonight, come along."

Standing now you grab Eddie's hand and thank him for being so understanding, for not turning you away.

"For you?" He smiles and squeezes your hand back, "anytime."

And butterflies float and fly in your stomach for the first time you can ever recall.