#OF COURSE I ROLL A 5 AND 6 ONCE I CAN'T DO ANYTHING MORE

[kaxen]

The writing in Citizen Sleeper is such a vibe for stubbornly making the best out of a crap situation.

Screenshot from one of the endings below the cut

[wardenparker]

Bones Full of Words, Epilogue

Javier Peña x plus size reader Co-written with @absurdthirst

“He pleaded so much that he lost his voice. His bones began to fill with words.” ― Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

Javier Peña had no way of knowing for certain the American journalist he sometimes sees sniffing around the embassy for her stories is also getting information about the narcos from the same girls that he is. After Helena is brutalized by sicarios, it is that same journalist who comes to take her away and look after her -- giving Javi reason to pause and reconsider his opinion of the woman he had previously not considered as anything more than eye candy.

He has no idea that once she has walked fully into his life, he will be battling with himself over whether or not he should stop her from walking out it of again.

Rating: M for Mature but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 8.4k Warnings: Cursing, alcohol, food/eating, talk of weight or size, domestic fluff, sass, married flirting, pregnancy, childbirth Summary: Thanksgiving time has come again, but the Peñas are in for more than just a nice meal this year. Notes: It has been such an amazing journey following these two through their love story! We hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have 🧡🧡

Ch 1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3 ~ Ch 4 ~ Ch 5 ~ Ch 6 ~ Ch 7 ~ Ch 8 ~ Ch 9 ~ Ch 10 ~ Ch 11 ~ Ch 12

There is nothing unusal at all about the dog being the first one to spot the car, but you're still slightly startled by the commotion when the hound in the living room starts howling to sound the alarm. After that it's the two kids who come scrambling out of their room and bounding down the stairs screaming "Daddy's home!" as if he had been gone more than just a few hours.

The whole brigade has sounded the alarm, and you can't help but grin.

Hearing the dog barking and the kids scrambling around in the house before he ever even hits the door, Javi is chuckling as he grabs the deli bag and his bag filled with papers he will need to read sometime over the holiday break. “Shit.” He hisses, turning back to the car to grab the drink carrier, knowing you would be disappointed if you didn’t get your root beer.

"Boys, you have to let your Dad into the house!" You call, coming out from the kitchen with a dishrag in hand. You had been chopping enough onions to sink a ship and washing the smell off your hands was extremely necessary.

“It’s okay!” Javi calls out, although it’s a juggling act to keep the drinks from spilling as the two exuberant kids launch themselves at him.

"You're going to fall over, babe." It is okay, though, and you're both laughing even as you reach forward over two young boys, one ambling basset hound, and a seven-month pregnant belly to grab multiple bags from his hands. "How was class?"

Javi snorts. “Half the class didn’t show up.” He chuckles. “I don’t blame them, I wouldn’t show up either.” He admits, knowing he had wished he was home with you and the boys rather than sitting in his lecture hall. “‘Professor Peña, whhhhyyyy do we have to do reading over the break?’” he pitches his voice up and imitates one of his students. “I really don’t give a shit if they read it or not, but they annoyed me so I assigned it.”

“Your reading list always makes for interesting dinner conversations, I’m sure.” There’s a grin on your face when he leans over to kiss you then head to switch gears immediately to catch your younger son as he launches himself into daddy’s arms. “It’s Steve’s book isn’t it?”

“Of course it is.” He flashes you a grin before he turns his attention back to his youngest child. “Were you good for mama today?” He asks, knowing that he is the mirror copy of a young Javier. So the answer is probably no.

“Yeah!” Your youngest affirms his innocence wholeheartedly, but you roll your eyes playfully.

“Come on boys, Daddy brought home lunch for everybody so let’s wash up.” It earns Javi another grateful kiss from you, since tuna sandwiches from the shop over by UGA campus are your new pregnancy craving. A tuna sandwich on their toasted oat bread, loaded with veggies and American cheese, with an ice cold root beer. He’s brought you home that same lunch every day for a week, and today he brought lunch for him and the boys too.

After the capture of the Rodriguez brothers and the take down of the entire Cali Cartel, Javier had been told his services were no longer needed in the DEA. Which was fine with him because he was going to tell them to go fuck themselves. He had thought about going back to Laredo, and you did for a month or so, but then a teaching position for criminal justice and political science became available at a respectable college and he took it. It only took two year for the University of Georgia to recruit him for their staff.

The blue house on the edge of campus with its white-trim windows and fenced-in yard has been your home ever since he took the job. The boys have started their lives here despite your oldest being born just before you left Colombia, and when they begged for a puppy last year it had been a beautiful basset puppy waiting for them under the tree on Christmas morning that really tied the bow on this being home.

“How are you and my baby girl doing?” After setting Oscar down to run after his brother, Javier pulls you by the waist to him, his hand moving to rub your stomach lovingly. He adores when you are pregnant and it’s especially sweet since you decided this was the last baby, and a little girl.

"We are not big fans of onions today." You grimace, knowing that it could be worse but that it feels like it's the only thing you've done all morning since getting the boys settled in their playroom. "But Marco came up wtih a new name he wanted to add to the list." The notepad on the refrigerator is where you keep the ongoing list of baby name ideas, and every once in a while the boys or another family member will contribute an idea as well. It was Chucho who ended up naming Oscar, and your brothers had pitched the name Marco originally. Names have become something of a family effort.

“Oh?” Javi hums, impressed by his excitement for the little sister due in February. “What did he come up with?”

The smirk on your face says you know Javi won't be as excited for long, considering his son's current favorite movie. "He would like to name his baby sister Donkey."

“That fucking movie” Javi closes his eyes and sighs, hating the fact he had taken Marco to see Shrek. Even though he loves it better than any other movie in the world. “Please tell me you didn’t write it down?”

"Oh no, I didn't." Your grin turns shit-eating as you point to the refrigerator where Marco's large, shaky handwriting clearly spells out the word and takes up four times as much room as any other name. "He asked to write it himself."

“Well I hate to burst his bubble…” Javi snorts at the slanted handwriting and the misspelled Donky written on the board. “We will not be naming our baby girl that.”

"Of course not." And that is where your expression turns fond again, shaking your head at your oldest baby but proud of him for wanting to contribute to a big family decision. "But I love that he's thinking about it."

“God.” He snorts, grinning at the antics of his children, but like you, he’s proud of them. “So no onions today, huh? Made you gassy?”

"The smell made me sick first thing," you admit. After washing your hands with the kids, the four of you can sit down at the table to have your lunch. "But I powered through. I don't even want to think about the chaos tomorrow would be if I couldn't make stuffing because of an onion aversion."

“You should have let me handle it when I got home.” He frowns at you, huffing slightly. “I know I can’t cook like you, but I can follow directions passably well.”

"I know you can, babe." The smell of tuna is like a balm over your senses when you unwrap your sandwich and you sigh happily. "But you have to go to the airport tonight to pick up our parents, remember?"

“I can do both.” He knows you want to have the perfect holiday, it’s just how you are. Even the few times you had thrown dinner parties in Colombia, you had wanted everything to be just so. Of course you want a family holiday to be perfect. “Let me help you. I know you’ve got to be tired.”

"I've got a plan." Having the biggest house out of your siblings after everyone had settled down and being the first one with kids has meant that the Peña residence in Athens, Georgia is now family holiday headquarters. While you love it, it is also a lot of work, so you've been working on creating a system. "Once everybody gets here this afternoon there will be plenty of childcare and Michael's wife insisted they're getting pizza and salad for everybody for dinner tonight. Paper plates and plastic cups so we don't make more work for ourselves. At that point there will be lots of helping hands and the work will go a lot faster."

“Beer is in the back of the car.” He had picked that up on the way to the deli you love. Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without some Budweiser while watching the football game. Although he makes sure everything is done and you are sitting beside him before he sits down.

"Perfect. Thank you, cariño." Having a partner for a husband feels like it sets you apart from the other faculty wives that you end up spending time with, but not in ways that you're upset about. While the other ladies are rightfully bitching about how their husbands don't help out around the house or don't do their part with the kids, you tend to just keep your mouth shut. Javier is always there to support you and share the workload, helping to raise the boys as their other parent and not as a third, older child you constantly have to prod at. Right now is a prime example of it, as he gets the boys set up with their shared sandwich so that you can dig in to your lunch right away.

Javi moves to pour the kids juice into their cups. Marco has a Shrek cup and Oscar with his favorite Barney cup and then he cracks open a ginger ale for himself. The days of starting to drink right after coming home are long past him and he doesn’t miss it as much as he might have expected.

"So, Papa's flight lands at 3:00 this afternoon and Grammy's lands at 3:15." You managed to work the flight times out for both of your parents to come in at the best possible time. "Joey and his wife want to rent a car so they'll get down here on their own after they land, and Michael decided to road trip from Chattanooga so they'll probably be in last even though they're aiming for the same time as everyone else." Coordinating the families does take a little work as they grow, but it's work that you're all willing to put in. Especially so all the kids can spend time with their cousins a few times every year and really get to know each other.

“Okay.” He nods and smirks. “I would have driven to Atlanta to pick them up, but I’m happy as hell I don’t have to.” Both his father and your mom opted to fly into the smaller, local airports so they can be with their grandchildren faster.

"It worked out, thank god." The boys are currently engrossed in a conversation about something Saturday-morning-cartoon related that you can't quite catch, so with the first few bites of your sandwich you enjoy the relative peace. They'll be up early tomorrow to see every second of the Macy's parade so any peace you get today is wonderful. "And I am not grappling with your dad's addiction to pecan pie this year. I ordered one from the bakery along with the apple. Homemade pie crust is officially my nemesis."

Javi chuckles and nods. “Good choice” He teases. “Do I need to go brave the stores for anything else?”

"At this point, if we don't have it, it's not ending up on the Thanksgiving table." And that's the final word as far as you're concerned. "The last thing is picking up the pies, and my sisters-in-law already offered to make that trip tonight for us." You smirk, knowing your brothers' soulmates fairly well at this point. It's only been a few years but you're a tight knit family. "If they're willing to do the last errand, I'm not going to begrudge them getting out of the noisy house for a half hour later on."

“Damnit, she figured out why I always make the last run.” Javi grumbles, but he winks at you playfully. He actually enjoys when the house is in chaos and noisy. Far different from his own solitude for so many years. He’s less in his own head these days.

"Big time." You grin at him, stifling your laughter by having another bite of lunch. "You're the one who wanted a big house, babe. The price we pay is being the holiday house."

"I don't mind it." He had insisted the kids all be able to have their own rooms and he had wanted you to have a dedicated office as well as him. That required a big house.

As it does so often with him now, your smile softens at the edges. "I don't either. And it's going to be even nicer not having to bundle three kids into the car or onto a plane a couple of times a year to see family."

"Well, we had already agreed that the kids having their holidays at home was the most important thing." He reminds you. "Luckily our parents agreed and are willing to come to us."

"Marco gave us that privilege," you remind him, glancing over at your boys. "My mother would have flown to Timbuktu to see her first grandbaby."

"That's true." Your mother had been upset when you hadn't wanted her to come to Colombia for the last month of your pregnancy and the birth. She had flown to Texas to meet him as soon as the three of you had returned to the States.

“And honestly I’m glad that we’re close enough for your dad to get here without much trouble.” Chucho is still pretty spry for his age but that doesn’t mean you aren’t grateful for the quick flights between Laredo and Athens.

"I think dad enjoys flirting with the flight attendants." Javi jokes, shooting you a smirk.

“Probably,” you agree, smirking even though you shake your head. Chucho isn’t the kind of guy who would make trouble, so it’s harmless as long as the attendants don’t mind. “Gives the waitresses at his bar a break.”

"He's asked about your mother a lot." He waggles his brows suggestively. "We might have to put bells on our parents at night. Make sure they stay in their rooms."

“Nothing could be weirder.” The look of absolute confusion and discomfort in your face is immediate. “Our family tree does not need to tangle that way.”

He laughs at the abject horror in your eyes and reaches over to squeeze your knee under the table. "I'm teasing, sweetheart." He promises. "Pop asks about your mom, but only in a friendly kind of way." He can't be offended at your reaction, he would have the same kind of instinct if he heard something like that.

“Oh thank god.” You huff, trying to recompose yourself. “I know we live in the south. But we don’t need to be a stereotype.”

He huffs again, amused as you continue to shake your head. "Pop has started seeing another widow, someone from that support group you turned him on to." He had never really thought about his dad needing to talk to other widowers who had lost their soulmates, but you had seen it. Another reason he loves how you have folded into his life so perfectly. You softened his rough edges and noticed the unspoken needs of both of the Peña men.

“Oh good!” That seems to wipe the other thought clean from your mind. “I mean I didn’t show him those groups thinking he’d start dating, just that having some friends who went through what he did would be good for him.”

"Mama wouldn't have wanted him to be alone for the rest of his life." That he knows, having discussed it with her when it had become clear she wasn't beating her cancer. She had known that Javier could and would hold a grudge if he had thought it was disrespectful to her memory. So she had made her wishes clear to her only son. "It is good for him. He said he feels like a kid again."

“I wish we had known before.” Having devoted half your sandwich already, you reach for your soda. “I would’ve have invited her, too. Though in sure she has her own family to see.”

"She is visiting her grandchildren." He nods. "Although pop said he might ask us to come out to Texas this summer to meet her?"

“Absolutely.” That sounds just like your father-in-law. Chucho plans for the long term much better than short term in all areas of his life. “By then our little girl should be okay to travel a bit.”

Javi grins. "I think that was his plan. Show off his newest grandbaby."

“Donkey!” Marco supplies cheerily, having heard his mother say the word girl.

Javi rolls his eyes and sighs heavily while you giggle. "I'm glad you think this is funny." He huffs quietly.

“I have final veto naming rights on anything that comes out of my body,” you remind him with a smug grin. “Of course I think it’s funny.”

"Thank God for that." He rolls his eyes again and gets up when he sees your drink is finished to get you a glass of water.

“You won’t be saying that if I name her something ridiculous in a fit of sleepless silliness.”

"I don't think you want to give our daughter a name that will embarrass her." He points out and licks his lips before voicing something that he's been thinking about since finding out that that baby is a girl. "Is it strange or inappropriate that I was thinking about Helena for a middle name?" He asks softly, watching you to gauge your reaction.

“Oh.” That makes you pause, but when he puts the glass of water down in front of you, you reach for his hand rather than the glass. “I—I actually think that’s so nice,” you admit with tears in your eyes. Though your contact with Helena has waned slightly in the years since she moved to America, you still send each other letters a few times a year to keep up. “Someone we both love dearly…I think that’s a very sweet gesture.”

“I—” he flounders slightly. “She is the reason we found each other.” He murmurs. “The reason we have this life, our children.”

"She is." He is completely correct, and you squeeze his hand tightly for just a brief moment. Now that he's suggested it, there is no other possibility in your mind. "Whatever we pick, it has to go with Helena."

Javi sighs softly, smiling at you before he leans down and presses his lips to yours. “I wasn’t sure how you would like the idea.” He admits. After all, both of you had slept with her, so it could have been a horrible idea in your mind.

"I don't think it's a conventional decision, but we aren't very conventional people." Looking around the table, though, and then back up at him, you shrug. "At least, we didn't used to be."

He chuckles at that and shoots you a grin. “We have slipped into domesticity with surprising ease, haven’t we?” He asks you.

"We really have," you agree, leaning up to kiss him again when the phone on the wall rings.

"You stay there." Javi pulls back and points at you, knowing you would try to heft your pregnant belly out of the chair to rush over to the phone. "I’ll get it." He steps over to the phone and picks it up, reminding himself that he needs to get another cordless phone set so you can just carry one around. It would make it easier and the last one had been broken by the movers. "Peña residence." He answers.

“Hey mijo!” Chucho’s voice is cheery through the cracking connection of the cellphone that Javier had bought him to have while he traveled. “I just boarded and that gorgeous wife of yours said to call before I left Texas.”

“Hey pop.” He twists his body around and winks at you. “Yeah, she worries about you.” He tells his father while watching you. “Didn’t want you to get lost in the airport and miss Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Not a chance.” Chucho chuckles at that. “Tell my grandsons I’ll be there soon, okay?”

“They will be looking forward to it.” He promises and then hangs up the phone after Chucho says goodbye.

“Is Papa here?” Oscar asks hopefully, having heard his father refer to Pop and knowing that holidays mean his favorite family member in the whole world will be coming to play Spacemen with him.

“He will be in just a few hours.” Javi lifts a brow. “If you take a nap, he will be here as soon as you wake up and you will have allllllll the energy to play.” He’s not above making a nap sound like a good thing. Not if it lets you get a nap while he’s gone to pick up the parents.

"All done!" Your youngest announces with an enormous amount of ceremony, pushing away his plate – which actually is empty – and throwing up his hands as it was proof of having finished his lunch.

“Good job, buddy.” Fatherhood has taught Javier a patience he never knew he could have, and he’s been rewarded for it. His boys are already far better than he ever was and he knows they will only become better men than he ever could claim to be.

Getting the boys down for a nap is one of Javier’s best Dad chores, but when he comes back down twenty-five minutes later with the baby monitor in hand you both breathe a sigh of relief. “They missed you this morning,” you tell him, smiling softly over the kitchen clean up. “So did I.”

He hums, knowing that he had missed them too. “Too bad I can’t just lecture from my office.” He shrugs, moving over to where you are rinsing the glasses and softly shooing you out of the way. “Go sit sweetheart.” He huffs. “I know your back is hurting.”

"I won't fight you on that." Your back was a bit of an issue with your second pregnancy so you know Javi is being extra watchful this time around. The balance is good, though. Otherwise you would just go-go-go as much as possible.

“I know you didn’t get any writing done between the kids being out of school and prepping for tomorrow.” He talks as he continues the chore and loads the dishwasher beside the sink. “But how’s the chapter coming along?”

“Honestly I’m a little blocked,” you admit, leaning back in your chair and sighing at the slight relief on your back and belly. “I’m hoping that focusing on family this weekend shakes some words loose.”

“They will come.” He knows that. You are too good of an author for words to fail you. “Anything else you need to prep tonight?” He asks.

“I can wait until more people get here and hand out prep jobs. We like sitting around the table and bitching while we work.” It’s practically a family pastime, if you’re honest. Which is why it’s so fun. “There’s a few things to do but we’ll manage okay.”

“Sooooo.” He closes the door to the dishwasher and stands straight, turning around while he wipes his hands in a dishrag. “What about a nap for mama?”

"Could." You agree, folding your hands under your belly to support the bump. "But Mama missed Daddy and wants to actually see him a little."

He smirks and pushes off the counter to move over and lean down for a kiss. “How about I lay down with you until I need to leave for the airport?” He offers. “I’ll even rub your back.”

"You tryin’ to get me into bed, Peña?" You raise one eyebrow at him and smirk, pointing to your belly. "That's what got us this in the first place."

He smirks again. “Oh I know.” He grunts. “I was there for the whole thing.” You are absolutely irresistible to him when you are pregnant, even more than normal. He loves you carrying his babies. Although, right now he’s simply trying to get you to rest. He worries about you taking on too much this late in the pregnancy.

"Okay, okay." It's not difficult to see the worry in this eyes, and you put up one hand in defeat. "Help me up, love? We can snuggle in bed until it's time for you to leave."

“Okay.” You gave in far too easily, telling him that you are more exhausted than he imagined.

“I’m okay.” At the top of the stairs he is practically cradling you and you kiss his cheek in reassurance. “It’s just third trimester, that’s all.”

“I’m going to worry.” He’s good at that, but the worry over his family is far more meaningful than worrying about sicarios and drug dealers

“I know.” And just the fact of it brings a soft smile to your lips. “I love you, too.”

******

“You look amazing.” Your mother beams at you, eager to see her glowing daughter happy in your last months of pregnancy. “You’re carrying low, I’m so surprised it was a little girl on the ultrasound.” She teases. “What are you going to do if she was hiding a little thingy?” She works as she asks, filling the little tartlets that will be the appetizers first thing.

“We’ll be just as happy to have another boy if it turns out that way.” You promise your mother. While she fills the ham and cheese tarts for the appetizer table, you’re making the stuffing for the mushroom caps, and on your other side your oldest brother is making his jalapeño popper dip.

“Oh I know you will.” She assures you. “Javier is a wonderful father and you make me so proud.” Her voice cracks up a little, looking over into the living room where Chucho is keeping the boys entertained and Javier is diligently cleaning up when one of the boys had broken the rule of ‘no drinks in the living room’ and spilled it on the carpet in his excitement to see his family. “You have an amazing little family.”

“It won’t be so little pretty soon.” Michael’s soulmate, your sister-in-law Maria, reminds the table happily. Being in her first trimester with their first baby, she is sharing in the joy of pregnancy very happily. “Five counts as a big family, I think.”

“Not as big as some, but nowadays some couples are only have one child.” Your mother tuts, as if only having one child is an offense.

"Mom..." You shoot her a warning glance, reminding her silently that Javi is an only child. "All we care about is the kids being healthy and happy. One or two or three... it doesn't matter."

She grimaces and glances towards the living room, remembering that detail. She knows from talking to Chucho, they had wanted a big family. “You are right.” She quickly agrees. “Healthy.”

"Especially since this is the last one." Both of your families know that you're planning on a more permanent form of birth control for your family now. It didn't seem kind or reasonable to let your parents keep wondering if more and more grandkids would keep coming. "The only things I'm birthing after this little girl are books."

“How is your next book coming?” Her eyes widen with anticipation. “When I tell you, the book club is salivating over your last one, I mean they have extended the read.”

"I'm pretty sure your book club are my advanced sales every time," you laugh, grateful to your mother for all of her support in keeping your dreams alive and being just as proud of you as she possibly could be. Your family have really been your biggest cheerleaders. "This one is coming on a little more slowly."

"Pregnancy brain?" Your sister-in-law only half jokes. She's already experiencing some of that for herself.

"Absolutely." More laughter is shared at the table. "Pregnancy brain and being tired all the time."

Chucho ignores your protest and makes it a game, the boys competing for who can make mama the most comfortable.

"I was trying to prevent a fuss." Even though you direct the comment at your husband it seems to fall on deaf ears as everyone moves around again, and your other brother takes over making your mushroom recipe so you can go and lay down. Chucho and the boys have moved the pillows around the couch for you and while Marco is ready to give Mama and Baby Sis cuddles, Oscar has offered up his favorite teddy for your comfort as well. It's moments like those -- the most meaningful gestures from your young kids -- that tell you unquestionably that you and Javier are doing a good job. At their ages your boys have gotten past most struggles with sharing and have instead become compassionate kids who want everyone around them to be happy.

Javi grins as he brings you a Shirley Temple in a cup with a lid and straw. “You think a fuss wasn’t going to be made over you this weekend?” He huffs in amusement.

"I'm not the only pregnant woman in the house," you point out, gesturing toward your sister-in-law who is still sitting at the table.

“But I’m not as pregnant as you are.” She snorts, smirking when you huff. “You can cater to me when I’m about to pop, okay?”

"Thiry-two weeks still has a little way to go," you argue, though you sigh measurably when one of the couch throw pillows hits your back just right. It really is hell on the body to be pregnant, that's for damn sure.

“I hoping for a Christmas baby.” Your mother admits and Javi snorts, shaking his head. “Don’t put that on our baby girl.” He huffs playfully. “She would hate her birthday falling on a holiday where her brothers get gifts too.”

“Healthy and happy.” Michael recites your mantra for you, since you’re a little still trying to get comfortable. “But yeah, Ma. Don’t wish a Christmas birth on your grandkid. That’s hard for anybody.”

Your mother sighs softly and shrugs. “You’re right. I was just thinking about how wonderful the birthday pictures would be.” She admits with a laugh.

“What if we made a flower wreath for her, Mom?” You offer, setting it as nondenominational but evoking that beautiful celebration that she imagines. “An oval one big enough to lay her in for pictures?”

“That would be lovely!” Her eyes light up at the possibility. “She would look so beautiful.” The baby isn’t bore, but she already knows she will be the prettiest baby. “I loved your baby pictures.”

"And you'll love your granddaughter's too." Even through another wince, you have no problem promising your mother that. She has loved every picture of each of her grandkids and you know the next will be no exception.

Javi doesn’t notice this next pain since he’s walking back into the kitchen, but Chucho does. Glancing at you and then at his watch discreetly. “Boys, I think it’s time for bed.” He announces after a moment. “Do you want to say goodnight to everyone?”

Marco and Oscar go around giving good night hugs and kisses to everyone individually before Chucho volunteers to bring them upstairs and go through their nighttime routine with them. He always brings a new book of kids stories with him whenever he visits and this is no exception, so doubtless he'll read them a brand new bedtime story tonight as well.

Javi fixes everyone else drinks, another Shirley Temple for your sister-in-law and wine for Michael and your mother. He cracks open a beer for himself, but he doesn’t take a drink yet, waiting for his pop to come back downstairs.

When Chucho does finally reappear in the living room, he wipes his hands off in a show of a job well done. "They needed two stories, but they're out now," he tells you and Javi happily.

“That’s good.” Javi hands his father a beer and motions him into the living room. “Go keep your favorite daughter company.” He tells him. “I’ll help finish up the food.”

"I can make a little room," you offer, starting to shift on the couch.

“No, you stay put.” Chucho insists, taking the recliner next to the couch where Javi would normally sit and watch the news. “You need some rest.”

"I was fine all day." A fact which frustrates you to no end. Only starting to feel exhausted and a little unwell after your nap is a nuisance. "This is just a pain in the ass."

You wince again and Chucho hums, glancing down at his watch again. “Each time is different.” He reminds you. “You were so sick with Oscar the first few weeks.”

"This is Marco's fault," you joke, not meaning a word of it. "My first pregnancy was easy right until the end and it made me think more would be the exact same way."

He chuckles as he sets his beer down. “You were floating on air when you were in Colombia. Even with the stress Javi was under.”

"It was our honeymoon phase." As patently absurd as that might sound to anyone else, it's true. You and Javi were as blissful in your actual relationship at that time as any other pair of soulmates could hope to be.

“He has really changed with you in his life.” Chucho admits. “I used to worry about that phone call, you know the one I mean. Knowing how easily Javi would follow someone to hell to do the right thing - in his mind - it was hard to let him live his life.” He smiles. “When you came back to him, he was determined to do things right. To be the best man he could and I think he’s done it. Not that he was ever bad but his rough edges have been smoothed out by you.”

"We did that for each other, really." Reaching over, you set your hand on Chucho's and give his a gentle squeeze. "I needed him to soften and bolster me just as much as he needed me."

He turns his hand and his smile widens when your little grunt of pain comes again. Almost silent if he wasn’t looking for it. “And soon, your family will be complete.” He murmurs.

"Just a few more weeks." Your other hand soothes over your belly, urging this to just go away. If it's the baby being active, you want her to calm down. If its Braxton Hicks contractions, you're just going to have to wait until they pass. Either way you just want to get past it.

“More like a few hours, mija” He chuckles. “You are in labor.”

"It's probably just Braxton Hicks." Saying it out loud, the thought in your head, makes you firm on the point. The best you can do is just shake your head and press on. You've had two babies, already. You would surely know if you were really in labor.

“Pains are about twelve minutes apart.” He tells you, leaning back and smirking and looking very much like his only son.

"Pops." You groan, throwing him a pout. "You've been timing me?"

He snorts. “That’s your gripe right now?” He shakes his head. “You’re perfect for my son. I will say it again.”

"It's just Braxton Hicks. I'm not going to the hospital." The warning in your voice ends up making it rise and three heads whir in your direction.

“You don’t have to go yet.” He promises, reaching out and patting your hand gently.

"Hospital?" Your mother looks up, finding Javi's eyes with worry.

Javi glances over at you and knows what you’ve been trying to deny. “She’s in labor. Has been for a few hours.” He trusts you to know your body, even if you are denying it right now. You might not want to believe it, but you wouldn’t put your baby in any risk.

It’s like hearing it from your husband cracks the dam, and the near-instant spring of tears to your eyes makes your voice waver too. “I can’t be in labor!” You sniffle, dropping your head back on the couch. “It’s Thanksgiving!”

Javi stifles a chuckle and moves over to you from the kitchen, kneeling down beside you and cupping your cheek. “It just means we will have to be extra Thankful this year, sweetheart.”

“But what if she doesn’t like pumpkin pie?” Is, probably, the silliest worry and most ridiculous sentence to ever come out of your mouth, but it’s clear that the extra emotions and hormones and worries flooding through you are in control of your thoughts at the moment.

Everyone starts to chuckle and Javi grins at you. “There’s always pecan pie.” He reminds you, kissing your hand.

“I know how stupid I sound,” you huff, laughing along with them in spite of yourself, and look back at Javi with concern. “She’s early,” you point out, concern lining your eyes. Marco Was born four days after your due date and your labor with Oscar started in the wee hours of the morning on your due date. Early is a new concept for you.

“It’ll be okay, sweetheart.” Even though that worry is one he shares, right now his job is to keep you calm. “Why don’t we go out to the hospital and make sure?”

“I haven’t even packed my hospital bag yet.” He’s right. You know he is. That especially if the baby is going to come early, you should be at the hospital and not take any chances. But you just haven’t gotten yourself ready yet. “I guess it doesn’t matter now?”

“Tell me what you want.” Your mother is abandoning the food and immediately jumping to her feet. “I’ll go pack you a bag.”

You describe the place in your closet that you keep your most comfortable clothes and are specific about the ones you want packed, also asking her to add your slippers and a few hygiene items to your yoga bag.

The onesie you’ll bring your baby girl home in is the same one her brothers were brought home in too, and having goes to get that from the laundry room once you’re on your feet. “Honey?” You stop him in his tracks, but a smile is peaking through your nerves. “Don’t forget to grab the list from the fridge.”

“I won’t forget.” He doesn’t remind you that he’s done this three times now, but he knows you are starting to panic slightly. “I’ll double check it.

“Thank you.” With a heavy sigh and a hiss of pain, you look around at your brother, sisters-in-law, and your father-in-law and half-laugh. “I guess she just really wants to meet everyone.”

“I’ll stay here with the boys.” Chucho tells you, wanting you to feel good about having to leave tonight.

“And we’ll come back first thing in the morning to keep Chucho and the boys company.” Joey promises. With his own soulmate pregnant they had booked a hotel room this year, but nothing will stop them from being on board to keep their nephews busy while Mama welcomes the newest member of the family. “In fact…” He glances at Michael, who nods. “Mickey and I are going to cook dinner. Everything we planned on and have prepped. So tomorrow when the baby’s here we can bring you Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Sounds like we’ve got everything planned.” Chucho chuckles as Javi starts cursing from upstairs. “Let me go help him with your list, mija.”

“Of course.” It wouldn’t do any good to remind them that you can still waddle upstairs — no one in this house would ever let you.

He disappears upstairs and everyone starts to move, getting things together and murmuring about what you might need at the hospital.

It's an hour before Javi is pulling the car up to the emergency room door, and by this point you're past denying that you're in labor. Your mother opted to drive her rental car behind the two of you to be with you in case a second pair of hands is needed, and you're climbing out of the car with Javi's help when she pops up on the sidewalk next to you.

“Let me get the bags.” She insists. “You get her inside, Javier.” He barely resists rolling his eyes and smirks at you slightly. “Sure thing.”

"Inherited trait." You hum under your breath, knowing that both your boys are stubborn as well.

“Don’t I know it.” He huffs, as if he’s not just as stubborn as you, maybe more so. Love and marriage, having children has taught you both to compromise a little more than you would normally, but the only place Javier will never compromise is yours and the boys’ safety and welfare. “I’ve got you.” He holds tight when another contraction hits you and you have to stop walking to concentrate on breathing.

"I can check you in." The nurse at the desk waves to Javier to get his attention.

He cuts his eyes up, his expression not exactly relieved. “Maybe after my wife finishes her contraction.” He snorts.

She smiles, polite and professional, but already has one hand on the phone to call up to Labor and Delivery as soon as she has a patient name. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Only when you sigh softly, the signal that the pain has passed, does Javier even attempt to urge you forward. “Come on sweetheart.” He chuckles. “The sooner we get to a desk, the sooner you get to ride in the wheelchair.”

“Yes please.” It will be a relief to be whisked around the hospital in a wheelchair instead of hobbling around trying to balance between contractions, and you give Javi’s hand a grateful squeeze before letting go to pull your ID and insurance card out of your purse. The nurse at the counter is sweet enough but you’re rather task oriented at the moment.

“I’ll fill out the paperwork.” Javi tells you, taking the clipboard when it’s offered. “You sit down, sweetheart.” He looks up at the nurse. “She’s six and half weeks early right now.”

“I’ll tell the L&D nurse.” Though the desk nurse betrays no concern the speed at which she picks up the phone says otherwise.

“We’ll get you up in the room, and then the doctor will tell you that everything is fine.” Javi reassures you - and himself. Babies come when they want to, not on your schedule. “Maybe you can even have a glass of wine with Thanksgiving dinner.”

“Maybe.” His demeanor being as calm as it is makes you so grateful you could cry again, but a nurse comes over with a wheelchair to get you situated and soon enough your mother is there beside you again. It is going to be alright; you tell yourself over and over. Because you’re taken care of and your little girl will be, too.

Javi is holding your hand. “You want a drink sweetheart?” He knows that if you are having the baby tonight, soon enough they will limit you to ice chips.

“Might as well, while I still can.” You’re thinking the same thing he is, and gratefully accept the water bottle he hands you. “It’ll be ice chips before too long.”

“Yes it will.” He leans in and presses his lips to your hairline. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you, too.” And that, especially right now, is enough to make the difference.

******

You are definitely in labor. Javi holds your hand and reassures you through the pain. The doctor monitoring your progress for hours until suddenly everything speeds up and you are wheeled into the deliver room, Javier smocked up in a gown and gloves. He’s been present for both of the boys’ births and he’s not missing this.

It’s just after midnight when your little girl makes her squalling entrance into this bright new world, shaking her fists and blinking with wonder at all the new things to see and hear and feel.

Like the boys, Javi cuts the umbilical cord and is the first to hold his daughter when the doctor hands her to him, bringing her up to you. “Our little girl.” He chokes out with tears in his eyes from joy and relief that she seems just perfect.

“She’s perfect.” At five pounds and six ounces she’s a little on the small side, but the doctor seems satisfied that she’s healthy and was just determined to arrive early. “She really is perfect.” You have cried at the arrival of each of your babies and have absolutely no impulse to hide it, open shedding tears of joy as your little girl stares with wide eyes up into your face.

“Just like her mama.” Because of the risk of complications, only he has been allowed in the delivery room, giving you three time together. “She’s our perfect little joy.”

“Joy.” Your eyes turn up to his, barely able to tear them away from your daughter except to smile at your husband. Your soulmate. “Joy is a nice name.” But since you try to infuse their family heritage into each of your children’s names, you end up smiling wider. “Alegría. We could call her Allie for short?”

“Alegría Helena Peña.” He tried out the name and smiles softly, reaching out to caress her still wet hair. “It’s perfect”.

"I love you." Three words murmured to your soulmate when you smile up at him again, and repeated to your baby girl when you can't help but look back down at her again. "And I love you, Alegría. We both love you more than you'll ever know."

It wasn't on the list, but you don't care. The overwhelming happiness of this moment being immortalized by your baby girl's name is a perfect homage to all the unplanned things that have lead you to this point. Sometimes the best laid plans go awry, and sometimes that is exactly what fills you with love and happiness right down to your bones.

After a few more minutes, the nurses take Alegría away to do all the tests and clean her up. Javi holds your hand while other nurses help clean up the afterbirth. “It’s a good thing I got your gift early this year.” He chuckles, kissing your lips again. “I’m so damn proud of you, sweetheart.”

"I'm just glad she's healthy." It was your greatest fear and you know it was his too. Being left alone in that quiet hospital room together is almost deafening in an odd reversal of the sensation after so much commotion during Alegría's birth. "No NICU. No scary uncertainty. Just an eager little preemie who wanted to meet her whole family at once."

“Our Thanksgiving baby.” Javi smiles. “Even though her birthday won’t fall on Thanksgiving every year.”

“November 22.” All you know is that is after midnight, so it’s technically Thanksgiving Day now. “Add that to February 3 for Marco and August 15 for Oscar. Thank God they’re all well spaced out so they never have to share.”

“True.” He flashes you a grin. “Although the boys might be jealous when she gets a special dish on Thanksgiving.” He teases.

“Birthday cake is about to become a Peña Thanksgiving tradition,” you joke, knowing it could well become true.

“Baby, thank you.” His hand is holding yours again and he’s looking at you like you’ve hung the moon. Even though you are tired, sweaty and would probably say you look horrible, you are the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen, right after the birth of all three of his children. “This is for you.” He offers, holding out the small velvet box he had shoved in his pocket hours earlier.

"Cariño." He has become a fan of push presents ever since first hearing about them, and while you always insist they aren't necessary when asked, it is a special kind of keepsake to have an item that reminds you of this moment. The first moments are the births of your children have all been special in their own ways, so you don't protest, but accept the box from him with a kiss. "I love you," you murmur against his lips, savoring the sensation before cracking open the box in your hand.

A beautiful three stone diamond ring winks back at you, the three baguette cut stones lying end to end in the beautifully carved band in the same metal as both your engagement band and wedding band. A third piece to complete the set like your complete set of three beautiful children. "It's beautiful."

“I figured it could be worn on the other side of your wedding band.” He explains, playing with the jewelry in question. Luckily your hands had not swollen with pregnancy like they had with Marco. “Your children represented on one side.” He murmurs softly. “And my commitment to you on the other.”

"Happily. Without hesitation." You lean over to kiss him again, wading through this feeling of exhausted euphoria for all that you can.

The doctors finish with Alegría and bring her back over to you, making Javi smile at the image when you greedily pull her close. “Do you want me to go get your mom?” He asks softly.

"Yes, please." Nodding and sniffling happily at having your daughter back in your arms, you tilt your chin up to ask for one more kiss before he goes. The new ring has settled on your finger comfortably but all of your attention is back on your little girl. "She'll text the rest of the family for us. At least the announcement is easy this time."

“No international phone calls.” He snorts, letting his lips linger on yours before he bends down more and kisses his daughter’s head. “I love you, mija.” He whispers softly, just like he had when you were carrying her. His life has been changed completely by you and the kids. For the better in every way. Javier knows joy, knows peace, and he knows that his family is the most important thing he could ever fight for. He had decided that he couldn’t let you walk out of his life a second time, and it was the best decision he had ever made.

------

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[yelenasdiary]

Forbidden || Chapter I - Welcome To Blisswater

Pairing: Yelena Belova x Bishop! Reader.

Summary: Just outside of the small town of Blisswater, lives two young sisters, Kate & Y/n Bishop. It's hard not to know who the Bishops are, Kate is the eldest by a year. She is a beautiful young woman, smart, protective and is known to have a talent in using a bow. Y/n, she is shy but quiet as some would say but nevertheless, she holds her own talents and can often be seen tending to the animals of Bishop Ranch. One evening while Kate is out hunting to make some money, Y/n is surprised with an unwanted guest, Yelena Belova. A bounty Hunter from Drybellow who has taken shelter in the young Bishop's barn after being wounded from a gun fight.

Struggling to keep money following, Y/n has no choice but to take the bounty hunter's offer of $5 a day if she is able to help the woman recover. During Yelena's stay, the two grow closer, a little too close if the wrong pair of eyes were to see them.

| No Warnings, I don’t think? | 3.6K |

Forbidden Masterlist

"I'm leaving Lucky here with you" Kate, my older sister said as she entered the dining room, "I'll be gone for a least two days at the most. Will you be okay to handle things here?" she asked. A few, long months ago, our parents went on a business trip and are yet to return. Kate and I have been left to run the ranch and keep money flowing until they return, although we haven't heard from them, not even a single letter. My worries for them are endless. "Of course, I will be" I smiled before taking a mouthful of the porridge I made for us. 

"Do you need anything from town before I go?" she asked while putting her bowl in the sink for me to wash later, "no, I think we have everything we need. Just be safe, please" I looked to her. "Always, rabbit" she smiled. Kate has always called me rabbit, ever since we were younger. It comes from when my adult teeth were still coming through, they reminded her of a rabbit's front teeth when they would nibble on their food. "I'm just going to go get Arrow saddled up then I'll be on my way" she added before walking out the back door.

I'm used to Kate leaving for a day or two, she goes off hunting for us while I tend to the ranch. We have 3 cows, 5 pigs and 6 sheep! All of which have names of their own, of course. I've been saving some money to buy a couple of chickens so we can have our own fresh eggs. My father said we'd get some but that was before he and mother left on their trip. Today seems like it will be an easy day, feed the animals then off to the general store for my shift. 

"Alright, you know the rules" Kate spoke as she returned from saddling up Arrow, "father's rifle is in the case under your bed and please, don't let any of those wandering men stay too long! You can't trust everybody just because they say they've had a long day" she adds. "Yes, I know! You don't need to remind of that every single time, it was just once. Besides, Mr Lang has some very interesting stories to tell" I replied. I wish Mr Lang would return; his stories were almost unbelievable. 

"I guess I don't need to remind you to get some more coffee and canned peaches after your shift then?" Kate rolled her eyes at me as she tucked a few canned goods into her saddle bag. "You just did" I replied, sarcastically. "Let's go Lucky! We don't want to be late" I patted my right thigh after placing my used bowl in the sink for laters problem. "Hey!" Kate stopped me just as I was leaving the kitchen, "be safe, okay? If you need anything Mr Barnes is only a call away" she reminds me, again! 

We have a bell that Kate brought, it's rather large. I am to ring it if I'm in any trouble and Mr Barnes, the Salon owner, will come over and see what the matter is. Im not exactly sure how he's able to hear the ringing sound from so far away, we've done a couple of test runs and so far I haven't had the need to use it. 

"Yeah yeah, how about you be safe? I can't do everything around here if you go missing too!" I smiled softly at my older sister, she knows I'm joking. If anything were to happen to her, she knows I'd be okay…I guess. 

Lucky follows me around everywhere, especially when Kate goes off on her hunt. He'll come to the general store and wait outside by the door until I've finished my duties. Mr Wilson doesn't mind, he loves Lucky and even asked Aunt May to bake some of her famous cookies that everybody in town loves, she makes a little extra and dog friendly ones for Lucky. Everybody calls her Aunt May, not really sure why though, I think it's because she's such an aunt to everybody. Almost like a grandma that cooks everybody's favorite treats for the tea party.

The walk to town is always peaceful. In the warmer seasons, it can be rather hot but on days like today when the sun is just starting to peek over the mountains from afar, the wind isn't too cold and the birds sing their morning song, it's relaxing and maybe I tend to take smaller steps just to soak up the morning fresh air before I stay inside for most of it. 

"Good morning young Y/n!" A rather tall and very muscular man smiles to me, it's Thor. Nobody actually knows why his name is Thor, considering it's a very unusual name but he's very lovely. "Good morning, Thor! Keeping well I see" I replied with a friendly smile as Lucky and I slowly make our way past the Salon. "Oh, you know me! Can't resist the great liquor that is served here" the most likely drunken man chuckles. It's barely 7am and he is drinking. I guess that's a hobby for most people around here. 

Blisswater isn't a town for much entertainment, you have your basics. The Saloon ran and owned by Mr Barnes, the General store ran and owned by Mr Wilson, the doctors office with the only doctor within miles, Mr Banner. The gunsmith, Mr Barton owns and supplies Kate with discounts on arrows and sometimes ammunition for us. Mr Fury is the towns barber, my father wasn't a fan of him but when he was desperate for a cut, he had no choice but to see him. Then there's Sheriff Rogers, T'Challa the friendly banker, Peter the newspaper boy (by the way, he's love for me isn't exactly a secret!) and Mr Quill is the towns blacksmith. 

So that's all there really is to know about who lives in and around Blisswater, it's a small town. A town where everybody knows everybody, and word travels faster than you can blink! We all look out for each other here and most don't take kindly to newcomers. Sometimes we have outlaw gangs come passing through, they spend the night at the Saloon, get drunk and make a mess of themselves before pushing on by the afternoon. The walk-through town the following morning is usually a sight of Mr Barnes boarding up the windows of the Saloon from their drunken fights. 

The bell rings loudly as I open the door of the general store, and I'm greeted with Mr Wilson's warm and welcoming smile. "Good morning, Mr Wilson!" I smiled. 

"Please, Y/n, call me Sam! I've known you long enough" he chuckles before reaching down behind the counter for the plate of Aunt May's famous cookies. 

"I'm sorry, it's habit! I see Aunt May has come early this morning" I wandered up to the counter taking one delicious treat. "Lucky's biscuits are back here as well; did you bring him this morning?" Mr Wilson, I mean, Sam asked. "Of course! Kate is out today and left him all to me" I took a small bite out of the homemade goodness. "Parents off again?" he questioned, I nodded lightly. I miss them so much. 

"Well, I've got the perfect job to keep your mind distracted. How about you watch the store today?"  

"Alone? Me? Are you sure?" I asked with a mouth full of cookie. 

"Yeah, I have a couple of things that need my urge attention. I wasn't going to open today but I think you're ready for this. What do you say? You can even bring Lucky inside if you want" Sam smiled proudly. I thought about it for a moment while I finished my morning treat, it can't be that hard, right?

"Sure! I can hold the fort as they say" I replied with a smile, wiping the crumbs from my lips with the back of my hand. 

"I'll be back before closing, earlier I can. If you need anything, slip out the back door. I don't need to tell you this, I know" he chuckled, "Bucky will be around if you need anything" he assures me. I guess that's the handy thing about having your store next door to a saloon. "You're starting to sound like Kate!! I'll be fine, I have Lucky! What's the worst that could happen?" I raised a brow. 

"Right" my boss smirked, "well you already know where the stock deliveries are, and you know your main duties. Just don't leave the store unattended" he reminds me, I playfully rolled my eyes at him as he stepped away from the counter. "Stop stressing, Sam, the store will be fine. Go do what it is that you need to do" I hoped the door, patting my thigh for Lucky to enter.

Mr Wilson left as Lucky made himself welcome in the store, I closed the door and treated Lucky to his own biscuit before starting to restock the shelves. 

——

"Good afternoon, Y/n!" A familiar voice sings louder than the bell as the door fly’s open. "Peter! How are you?" I smiled softly as I was greeted with a smile of his own. "Oh you know how it is, busy busy!" He chuckles, "I ran into Mr Wilson earlier, he mentioned you were here alone today so I thought I'd come by and see if you, uh, needed anything" he adds. A hint of red fills his cheeks while his eyes struggle to stay connected to mine. 

It's no secret that young Peter Parker has a crush on me, the entire town knows it. Although he is a very sweet young gentleman, I guess I've just never found myself interested in him in a romantic manner. In fact, I've never really thought about anybody in a romantic manner now to think of it…

"You're very sweet, Peter. Thank you but things are pretty good. I've had no troubles today and please, thank your Aunt May for the cookies and Lucky's treats!"

"Oh, you're welcome! You know Aunt May, always baking" Peter chuckles once more. I could sense a hint of nerves in his voice and the redness in his cheeks grew deeper. "Peter, is everything okay? Do you need a drink? Some water?" I asked with a concerned frown. "No, no. I'm more than fine, thank you. It's just, it's getting a bit wild out there and I thought I'd walk you home later when you're finished here. Don't want you getting sick or anything" he gives me another soft smile. 

"It's meant to rain?" My frown only grew bigger as I looked out the window. Dark gray skys covered the town and beyond, distant flashes of lighting lit up the darkness for a moment. Wind blew the dry leafs onto the Main Street, horses stomped their hoofs with every crack of thunder that could be heard from the far, far distance. 

"Well shoot!" I sighed.

"Did Mr Wilson tell you when he'd be back?" Peter asked. 

"Sure hope it is soon, I have the animals I should move into the barn before the storm arrives" 

"It doesn't seem like it is far off. Maybe I could watch the store for you? I wouldn't mind at all" 

"You're very kind, Peter but I'm not sure if Mr Wilson would appreciate me leaving the store in somebody else's hands. I know you wouldn't ruin the place or steal from him but he is trusting me today and I don't want him to think otherwise" I explained as I watched the dark clouds darken, it'll be a big storm by the looks. 

"I'd be more than happy to make sure your stock is in the barn then" he offered, I turned to him and kindly shook my head. "I'm sure Mr Wilson will be back soon. Thank you again Peter, you're very kind. If you don't mind, there's a few things I should really get done before Mr Wilson returns" I smiled softly, hoping not to have hurt the boy's feelings.

"I plan on having supper at the Saloon, if you need me, I'll be there" Peter smiles before leaving the store. 

For the rest of the afternoon, I cleaned the store and did some stock take and made sure the store was exactly how Mr Wilson would like to have it when he returns and just my luck, he returns before the storm hammers down. 

"Y/n, thank you for all your help today!" He walks into the store, placing his hat on the  coat rack. He looked rather dirty; a nice bath would be in order for when he gets home if I didn't know better.

"You're welcome, Mr Wilson! I'm sorry to leave in a rush but I really need to be getting home before the rain starts" I grabbed my things, Lucky following closely behind me. 

"Of course, you best be safe now" 

I rushed out of the store, glad the rain hadn't started pouring down as yet but it was coming. You could smell it, the thunder got louder, the lighting got closer and the wind got stronger. The main street was quiet as people already began to make their way indoors until the storm pushed over. 

"Come on, Lucky! We haven't got much time!" I patted my thigh lightly before Lucky and I began to race home. 

——

The rain soaked the dry ground as expected and Lucky and I were able to get the animals into the barn before it came down heavy. I left a lantern in the barn just so I could keep an eye on it from the house, Kate hates when I do that, says it's a waste of resources but she'll thank me one day for it. 

"How long do you think she'll be this time Lucky?" I looked towards him as we both rested by the fire. He tilts his head at me as if he truly understands what I am saying. We listen to the rain dance on the roof and wind whistle outside while the fire cracks and keeps us warm. It's nights like this that I wish Kate wouldn't go off hunting, it's most lonely at night. But I know we need the money, just until mother and father come home.

"Come Lucky, let's check the barn" I stood up from my mothers rocking chair, and wandered over to the window. A frown creeps upon my brows when I notice the lantern, I left behind earlier in the night was gone. I rushed to my room and grabbed the rifle under my bed, grabbed my father's thick coat, a lantern and headed for the backdoor with Lucky right beside me. It was only a short walk from the house to the barn, but the rain was quick to soak me in its gift to the ranchers. Slowly, I pushed the large wooden door open, my rifle tightly in my grip. Lucky entered first, sniffing the ground for anything that didn't belong while I slowly followed behind him, one foot after another. 

Only a few steps in and I saw the lantern I had left behind, in the corner where Kate's horse would've been stabled. "Come out! I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it!" I called out, keeping my distance. Lucky walked quickly over to the empty stable slot, growling. "I said come out!" I repeated. 

"Don't shoot" a thick Russian accent came from the corner of the barn, "I won't hurt you, just call off the dog, please" the unknown voice added. 

"How can I trust you? You're a stranger in my barn! I have every right to shoot you" 

"Trust me, if I were here to harm you, you'd already be dead"

I took a few small steps closer to them, Lucky stood his ground and continued to growl. I wasn't going to tell him to back off just yet. "What are you doing here? Do you always just welcome yourself into other people's properties like this?" I asked. 

"You ask too many questions" the voice replied, "call the dog off, please" they asked once more. 

"Lucky, back!" I called once I laid my eyes on the intruder. A young woman, maybe no older than me. Blonde hair that was braided and she certainly didn't seem to dress how most women dress. Beside her was her gun belt and holster, her hat placed freely beside them. The woman was covered in blood, her right hand pressed tightly against her left shoulder. "You're hurt" you spoke softly while keeping my rifle pointed at her.

She chewed her bottom lip and nodded, "I'll be gone by morning, I just need a place to stay for the night"  

"How can I trust your word?" I asked. The woman smirked like I had just made a joke, an odd joke if my question was funny to her. 

"I know better than to kill a rich small-town girl" she replies causing me to frown at her words. 

"I am not rich girl. So, if you planned on robbing me later, you would find nothing, I can assure you of that" 

She chuckled, "well, maybe not rich but you are well off than others. Besides, I have no interest in robbing homesteads" 

"You know nothing about me" I snapped, pointing my rifle at her a little higher, aiming for her head. "Get off my property!" I demanded. Lucky growled once more, showing the unknown intruder his sharp canine teeth. 

"Maybe we could come to a deal. It seems money is a touchy subject to you, yes?" The blonde hissed in pain when she moved her right hand even the slightest inch. I didn't reply, my eyes were drawn to the amount of blood her hand was covered in. "I'll pay you" she spoke, gaining my attention once more, "$5 a day. If you help me. I'll give you the first three days right now if I could move my hand but as you can see, if I do that, I will bleed out" she offers. 

"Once I have recovered you will never see of me again, I give you my word" she adds. $5 a day would really help Kate and I and by the looks of her wound, she could be here for weeks. "I know you're thinking about it but I do not have time for you to think" her thick Russian accent brings me out of my thoughts, I nodded as I slowly lowered my rifle. 

"We best get you to the house then" 

----

"I'm sorry if that hurt" I spoke softly to the blonde as I bandaged her up, after pulling the bullet from her wound and cleaning the area with alcohol, she suggested cauterizing the wound with a lit candle. The smell of burning flesh is something I will never forget. "Don't stress, I've experienced worse" she looked to me with a soft smile. 

"How did this happen anyway?" I asked as I started to clean up the mess. I offered the woman my room until she was back on her feet, and I hoped Kate wouldn't have noticed when she came home. 

"Just a little miss understanding with an outlaw. I'm a bounty hunter" she informs me. 

"A bounty hunter? That's a little strange for a woman to be doing"

"Well, sometimes women just do a job better" 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's not often I meet women who aren't following the rules of society" My eyes dropped, I knew my comment offended her. 

"You should travel more; you'd be surprised on what or whom you might come across. What's your name?" She pulled the covers up over her, making herself comfortable on my bed. 

"Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine" I looked to her once more. She chuckled, "I'm Yelena, Yelena Belova. Your turn" she replies. I walked towards the bedroom door, my hands full of rubbish from cleaning her wound, "I'm Y/n, Y/n Bishop. I'll get you some water" 

"Bishop" Yelena repeated, "your father is Derek Bishop?" she questioned. I nodded slowly, "you know him?" I asked. Yelena shook her head, "no, just heard of him in passing. Water would be great, thank you" she watched as I walked out of the room. Her tone made me question if she was telling the truth; did she know my father? Maybe she knew where my parents were?

Lucky followed me to the kitchen, I grabbed two cups of water and returned to my bedroom, placing one glass on the wooden beside table next to my lantern. "You should get some rest; I'll make breakfast in the morning" I looked to Yelena who reached for her coat that sat at the end of the bed. "As promised, the first three days" she says before handing me $15 dollars in 1 ten-dollar bill and a 5 dollar bill. 

"T-thank you" I smiled softly, "do you like coffee? I could make some in the morning" I asked. 

"Never start the day without one" she smiled, "goodnight, Y/n" she added. 

"Goodnight" I walked towards the door, "oh, I hope you don't mind" I turned to face the blonde stranger once more, "I'm going to lock the door, you know…for safety" I added nervously. 

"I thought you would. I understand, I need to gain your trust" she nodded slightly. 

"If you need anything, just call out. I won't be far" 

"Thank you, again" Yelena smiled once more before I closed the door, making sure it was locked before making my way to Kate's room.

Taglist: @madislayyy | @riveramorylunar | @teganmiller | @kyleeservopoulos | @yelenaslyubov | @kacka84 | @lesbiarmy | @meurgen | @caporal-nino | @sl-ut | @scarletwidowblackwitch | @dogtamer415 | @mousetheorist | @flohouse46 | @boredandneedfanfics | @gemz5 | @randomnessbecausewhynot | @unicorniusfallapatorius | 

If you want to be on the taglist for this series, please see the masterlist. It's link at the top of this post.

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 7/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! - tiny bit of smut, Language,

Word Count: 1856

A/N: This is part 6 of “His only exeption”.

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

Ben rolled his eyes in annoyance and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't understand why you were always so curious and always had to know everything.

“I don’t fucking know, okay?”, he grumbled, letting his arms fall to his thighs and looking over at you. “At least not completely. You're not a Supe, that's for sure. However, I can't fucking tell you why you still have my V inside you. I know that I can turn others into Supes if I inject them enough of my blood. Depending on their DNA, they survive and become a Supe or, well, they fucking die. Until yesterday there was no in-between. And the cape-wearing pussy knows that too. I don't know if it's you, me, or both of us", Ben admitted in a relatively calm voice.

As he watched you, try to make sense of the whole thing, his thoughts began to drift too.

“But if I still have Compound V in me, then it must have an effect, right? It can’t flow through my veins without triggering something”, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you licked your lips thoughtfully.

Ben sighed, sliding further onto the bed and leaning his back against the headboard of his bed as he searched for a suitable answer for you.

“Do you feel different? Because you still smell the same. Supes have their own smell that comes from the V. Lightly mint and vanilla. Your heartbeat also stayed the same. Still much slower than mine”, with his arms crossed, he let his gaze wander from your face, down your body, to your chest, where he focused on your blood circulation.

“Not really”, you mumbled. “I feel the same as last week". Your gaze fell on your wrists and your veins there, which were a little bluer than usual under your skin.

“Then nothing happened. For whatever reason, I healed you without turning you into a supe. The V will definitely be gone from your body soon”. His eyes met yours again, causing a tightening feeling in your abdomen. Even though you couldn't tell why, your body reacted intense to the way he was looking at you. Suddenly the air became thicker, hotter. Your head became heavy, leaving only room for one thought: him. It took all of your self-control not to throw yourself at him, to press your lips to his and to press yourself against him so tightly that not even a piece of paper would fit between you. But where did this sudden strong attraction come from? Three days ago you had made a scene at him for daring to kiss you, and now his plum lips were taking over your thoughts. You imagined how they would feel on your skin. What he could do with them.

Breathing slightly heavily, you reflexively pressed your legs together and inhaled sharply as Ben continued to look at you with a smirk on his lips.

"I… don't know… Somehow I still have the feeling that… something is different", you murmur, barely audible.

Of course Ben didn't miss your tension. He knew he couldn't start a relationship with you, that you would never want something like that with him, but if you were sitting on his bed so willing and horny, obviously completely absorbed in his presence, he should at least try to fuck you again.

Once. Just once he wanted to know how you felt. Even if he could just take a quick little slip inside you, it would certainly be better than anything he had ever felt before.

His eyes darkened as he clenched his hands into fists, so tight that his veins stood out even more than usual. A sign of his hopeless attempt to hold on to himself. Not to attack you and scare you off again.

Your eyes darted to his hands, which were resting tensely on his thigh. Ben's breathing became heavier. So much heavier that you could hear it, even with your human hearing.

"C´mere. I’ll see if I can feel anything”, he murmured in a deep voice, waving you over. Without thinking, you scooted closer to Ben until your bent leg touched his on the mattress.

While he grabbed your wrist with one hand, his other hand slowly moved down your upper arm to your wrist where it stopped.

Ben would be lying if he said he didn’t like being so close to you. To feel your warm and soft skin under his rough fingers. Feel the heat you radiated. To hear your nervous, uneven breathing. To smell your… excitement.

His index and middle fingers pressed firmly against your wrist and he focused on the way your blood flowed beneath his fingers. Seconds passed before, without warning, he placed his heavy, large hand on your left breast. His finger touched your nipple, sending heat to your stomach and a blush to your cheeks. This unintentional little touch didn't go unnoticed by Ben, before his hand slid a little higher and rested directly over your heart.

Your heart was pounding like crazy against his huge palm. Ben's eyes were closed so he could concentrate better. He was so much better at it than all the other Supes. He could hear, smell, and feel things that Annie or Butcher wouldn't even begin to notice.

“It would be a lot easier if you would fucking relax”, Ben grumbled, putting a little more pressure on your chest, making you inhale sharply. Of course he knew what was going on with you, but refraining from a little teasing just wasn't in his nature.

“You’re fucking fine”, he removed his hand after a few seconds, opening his eyes and looking at you with an amused look. "All organs are fine, no injuries or abnormalities, well except the V of course and… tell me, dollface", he lifted your chin and narrowed his eyes slightly.

“How can you be so fucking horny and still say no to me?”.

Your breath hitched for a brief moment before you cleared your throat nervously. "I… I'm not".

Eyebrows raised, he leaned against the headboard of his bed and let his gaze wander over your body. “For real (Y/N)? You're so fucking wet, you're dripping”. His voice was at least an octave lower. As quick-witted as you normally were, his boldness caught you by surpriss. “Obviously not because of you”, you hissed slightly hysterically and wanted to get up, but Ben grabbed your forearm.

"Not?", he raised an eyebrow and quickly pulled you onto his lap with a strong tug, that your knees rested on the mattress on either side of his thighs. With his face only inches away, you could feel his hot breath on your lips. A scent of tobacco and vanilla enveloped you, shutting down the rational part of your brain. Ben's bright green eyes locked onto yours, leaving not even a hint of room to look anywhere else. Your heart was about to explode. Again.

“No, not at all”, you breathed, barely louder than a whisper against his lips.

You stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, drowning in each other's presence. But before Ben could even start anything, you grabbed his face and pressed your lips firmly to his.

As your lips met, Ben could feel the softness of your mouth against his own, a sensation that sent a rush of warmth through his entire body. Your breath mingled, creating a delicate dance of shared air between you. He gently parted his lips, inviting you to deepen the kiss, and felt a surge of excitement as you responded in kind. Your hands moved to cradle Ben's face, their touch both tender and electrifying. Your fingers traced the contours of his jawline, sending shivers down his spine, before tangling in his hair, pulling him closer. Ben's heart pounded in his chest, as much as yours, the rhythm echoing in his ears as if it were the only sound in the world. Meanwhile, you were lost in a whirlwind of sensation. The warmth of Ben's lips against yours ignited a fire within, spreading through your veins like wildfire. Every brush of his tongue against yours sent sparks flying. Time seemed to stand still as the two of you kissed, your surroundings fading into obscurity as you both became lost in each other. It was as if the universe had ceased to exist, leaving only the two of you in a bubble of pure bliss. Every touch, every caress spoke volumes, conveying emotions that words could never express.

There was a tenderness in Bens touch that caught you off guard. In that moment of intimacy, you realized just how gentle Ben could be, a side of him that you never have experienced this strong. You had always known Ben as someone who exuded strength and confidence, but now, as you felt the softness of his kiss, you saw a vulnerability in him that you never had imagined. His touch was gentle yet passionate, a delicate balance that spoke volumes. It was as if Ben had unlocked a side of himself that he had kept hidden away, reserved only for someone who truly understood him. And as you melted more and more into his embrace, you couldn't help but marvel at the depth of emotion that flowed between you two.

After a few minutes you could feel Ben's kisses becoming more and more passionate and, above all, more demanding. As he pulled you closer to him with a tight, almost painful grip, you could feel his erection under the thin material of your pants. He pressed rock hard against your wet and hot pussy, you clenched around nothing. You were so damn aroused but as Ben's heavy hands, slowly moving under your shirt and down your back, you got pulled you out of your shared bubble. “B…Ben”, you murmured into his mouth, only receiving a “Mmmm”, muffled by your lips. Your breathing became heavier, signaling Ben that you needed some air, which made him move his lips down your jawline. Between the ecstasy and the nervousness, it was hard for you to think clearly. “Ben… please… I… don’t”, you whispered over and over again between breaths.

And when Ben pulled away, he looked into your eyes that were almost full of fear. "What?", he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

Just as Ben was about to close the mere inch gap between your lips, you grabbed his wrist by your hip and pulled it away. “I… should go”, you whispered, more to yourself than to him. Your voice shook with emotion as you slid off his lap and out of bed quicker than planned.

"Oh come on!", Ben rolled his eyes and raised both arms. Clearly annoyed.

With bright red cheeks, you half turned to him and looked at him apologetically. "It was… stupid of me. I'm sorry", you mumbled before leaving him alone.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

-

Part 8

-

Taglist: @deangirl96, @thatgirljayy, @suckitands33, @deans-spinster-witch @mimaria420 @kaz11283 @uncle-eggy @jackles010378

[itsimaginetime]

ATEEZ : Would you rather (NSFW)

*This is definitely gonna be very Sub!ATEEZ coded cause... It's me... Of course I'm gonna make it Sub!Ateez coded*

Thank you @ja3hwa for tagging me 💗

-> This has been in my drafts for more than a year y'all ☠️☠️☠️ I completely forgot about it, I guess better late than never 🤣<-

1. Make out with Yeosang or dry hump Yunho?

God , making out with Yeosang sounds like a dream. Just imagine him humming and whimpering in his deep as fuck voice , letting out cute little giggles and shyly touching your body ugghh 😵

2. Give Mingi a lap dance or have Wooyoung do a sexy dance for you?

Forever on my Sub!Mingi shit.

I , OF FUCKING COURSE, want to give Mingi a lap dance. He'll be smiling that shy gummy smile of his while being hella flustered and just enjoying the show but at the same time, he'd be so desperate for more , he'd start begging and pleading for you to just touch him or let him touch you, anything really, he just needs you , it's so cute 🥰

3. Tease San under the table at dinner or Jongho tease you under the table?

I just KNOW that San will start mewling like a kitten if you tease him , especially if you keep going for a good minute , he'll just look at you with this pathetic expression that just screams neediness and if there's other people at the dinner with you , they'll think he has a fever due to how red his face will become and how he'll whimper in a way that sounds like he's in pain , while in reality, he's swimming in humiliating pleasure.

4. Give hickeys to Yeosang or get hickeys from Seonghwa?

I would never pass up the opportunity to mark up this beautiful angel. Litter his neck with hickeys while he sits there like a good boy , hear him giggling when the hickeys turn to gentle licks and kisses, and enjoy his gasps when the pace changes to playful yet rougher bites.

5. Praise Hongjoong or receive body worship from Yunho?

I would love to praise Hongjoong, especially when he's working in the studio. Just come up behind him when he lets you hear a demo for a song he made , once the demo is over, launch into a praise attack.

Tell him how talented he is, how he's become such a reliable and capable producer, rapper , singer and songwriter ; tell him how much of an amazing leader he is , how much of a sweet partner he is and watch how he melts more and more with each compliment until he's nothing but a puddle of happiness and warmth , ready to be scooped up into your loving arms and held in your comforting embrace in a domestic cuddling session right there in the studio.

6. Blindfold Mingi or be blindfolded by San?

God pleeeeeeaaaaaseee, I need this princess to be blindfolded and feel so so good 💗 Like he really is the type to lay there and take everything you give him (within his boundaries ofc💖) , only thing you'll hear from him is a bunch of sweet moans and quiet pleas , baby boy doesn't even know what he's asking for , he just wants you 🥴

7. Sexting with Wooyoung or send dirty snaps to Seonghwa?

We all know DAMN WELL that this man likes being degraded and so , why not degrade him through text? Tell him how much of a little whore he is for you, tell him how you know he's squirming in his seat like a bitch in heat just from your texts , call him pathetic and perverted for trying to get you angry so that you can talk down to him etc etc (I mean , Wooyoung always gets what he wants in the end so I guess his plan worked 🤷)

8. Choke Yeosang or be choked by Jongho?

*moans like Wooyoung* Y'all probably saw this coming, huh? I mean, come ooooooon , choking Yeosang? I can't say no to that!!! Seeing him roll his eyes back and let out breathless moans simply from having a hand wrapped around his pretty throat sounds fucking heavenly 🫠

9. Pull Hongjoong's hair or Yunho pull your hair?

I would love to pull Hongjoong's hair and watch as he smiles dazedly up at me 😵‍💫

10. Tie up Wooyoung or Jongho tie you up?

Obviously tie up the biggest brat in history, I mean come on , plus, we all know Wooyoung would fucking love that

11. Beg for Seonghwa or Mingi beg for you?

...deep voice...tall , big man...on his knees... begging... tears in his eyes... slurred words... desperate pleas to cum... Oh fuck-

12. Ride Jongho's thighs or sit on San's face?

Using these two like fuck toys is so mmm. Humping Jongho's thick thighs while he just sits there , wanting, yet being good and taking what he's given. And grinding against San's cute tongue while he mewls and begs for you to smother him and hinder his breathing more.

13. Dirty talk with Seonghwa or Mingi?

My sub!Mingi wired brain is buzzing so hard rn

Mingi's dirty talk would consist of begging, praise , begging... Did I mention begging?

"Please baby, ah , please, feels so good , you fuck me *gasp* so good oh-"

14. Spank Wooyoung or Hongjoong?

Both. Wooyoung cause his bratty , degradation loving ass would melt at that , and Hongjoong cause HAVE YOU SEEN HIS CAKE????????!!!!!!!!

15. Get spanked by Jongho or Yunho?

Neither. I like to do the spanking, not receive it.

16. Deny San his orgasm or Seonghwa deny you yours?

Denying San his orgasm will make him such a sweet , sensitive mewling kitten and that's a sight for sore eyes.

17. Have Yeosang as a master or Hongjoong as a pet?

Mmmm Hongjoong would look so fucking pretty with a collar around his gorgeous neck , on his knees , looking up with his shiny eyes , waiting for praise with a cute blush on his face- 😌

18. Touch yourself and make Yunho watch or Mingi touch himself and make you watch?

Watching Mingi desperately touch himself, whimper in need cause he doesn't wanna cum yet is mmmmmmmmmm-

19. Call Hongjoong 'daddy' or Seonghwa call you 'mommy'?

y'all pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase having Seonghwa call me mommy might cause me to fucking COMBUST!!!!

Like him on his kneees , looking up and whinning out a soft "mommy... please... please fuck me mommy... I need you-" GOD FUCK-🤤🤤🤤

20. Receive aftercare from San or give aftercare to Wooyoung?

I love the idea of taking care of someone after being intimate , so definetely taking care of Wooyoung

21. Skype sex with Hongjoong or phone sex with Yeosang?

I have a thing for Yeosang's voice like COME OOOOON HAVE YOU HEARD THAT DEEP ASS VOICE OF HIS- FUUUUUCK

22. One night stand with Mingi or fwb with Wooyoung?

I don't think I need to explain this one lol , forever a Mingi girl I suppose

23. Studio sex with Hongjoong or practice room sex with Yunho?

Riding Hongjoong in his chair in his studio till he's a whimpering mess is just so hot to me

24. Receive nudes from Seonghwa or a sexy video from San?

A sexy video from San where he's mewling (LIKE A KITTEN!!!) and whimpering while humping a pillow. Yummy.

25. Cowgirl position with Jongho or doggystyle position with Yeosang?

Bouncing on Jongho's thighs. That's it , that's my reason.

26. Hot tub sex with Mingi or shower sex with Yunho?

Water is a horrible lubricant but I don't care , I'll make it work somehow lol , I just need to see Mingi fucked out in a hot tub

27. Giving oral to Yeosang or receiving oral from San?

San. Whimpering. Against. My. Clit. Like. A. Desperate. Kitten. Need I say more?

28. Seonghwa cum in your mouth or Wooyoung cum on your face?

The thought of Seonghwa's thighs shaking as he pants and whines while being sucked dry mmmmmmm

29. Car sex with San or sex under the stars with Yeosang?

I just know Yeosang would look ethereal under the night sky

30. Take Mingi's virginity or Yunho takes yours?

Quick , everyone! Act surprised!

Goodness, I could write a whole fic about taking Mingi's virginity, it's just so-

31. Library sex with Wooyoung or movie theater handjob with Yeosang?

What a sight it would be to watch Yeosang trying to hold back his cute noises while at the back of a movie theater getting the best handjob of his life

32. Lazy morning sex with Yunho or late night sex with Jongho?

Jongho would be so tired yet so horny, he'd want to fuck you and make you feel good but he physical can't move so he'll let you take the wheel and melt his brain, make him forget everything other than your name

33. Wear a collar for Seonghwa or San wear a collar for you?

THE KITTEN SAN AGENDAAAA 🫠🫠🫠

34. Rough sex with Hongjoong or romantic sex with Jongho?

I just know romantic sex with Jongho would be so heartwarming ❤️

35. Receiving anal from Seonghwa or giving anal to Mingi?

Of course, I want to peg Mingi. Next question.

36. Suck Yunho's fingers or San suck your fingers?

San's cute eyes shimmering as he looks up at you, mouth full of your fingers as he humps the ground in desperation, wanting more of you, ready to beg for hours on end if he needs to. Ugh such a good boy. A kitten. A KITTEN- *gets dragged off stage*

37. Wall sex with Jongho or mirror sex with Wooyoung?

I want to worship his beautiful body an make him see just how stunning he is

38. Hongjoong finger you or giving Yeosang a handjob?

The brain rot is insane 😔. Yeosang receiving a handjob and being unable to control his reactions is making me feral!!!

39. Overstimulate Mingi or be overstimulated by Wooyoung?

Those gorgeous eyes filled with tears, those plush lips trembling, those stunning thighs shaking uncontrollably, his dick twitching in pain and pleasure, his sweet deep voice reaching higher octaves as he whines for you to stop only to immediately follow it up by begging you to continue; unable to choose whether he wants the pain to stop or for you to continue your sweet torture-

40. Woosan threesome or Seongjoong threesome?

Fucking a brat and an obedient boy at the same time sounds lovely 😌

©@itsimaginetime (DO NOT REPOST! DO NOT TRANSLATE!)

[highonakuweeds]

Who Says Money Can't Buy Happiness? (Pt 3)

Sylus/right hand man!reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | ao3

Summary: The aftermath of last night had left you absolutely in shambles, though you would never let anyone know. You expected Sylus to talk about it more, spark something more, but no. Instead, he talks about a certain MC...

You just had the best sleep of your life. You woke up, flushed, yes, but you also had nicer skin, the silk pajamas you had on were smoothly gliding along you, tickling you in the process. And you woke up… early for once. Since you got used to Sylus’ schedule of things (which made it significantly harder for you to wake up for your “day job”), you always had to begrudgingly force yourself to wake up. But for the first time in forever, you felt energized, just like how a person is supposed to be after sleeping.

Wait, you don’t remember changing into pajamas last night. Nor removing your makeup. And wait, when did you turn on your vinyl player—

Oh.

…OH DEAR GOD—

Your face immediately heated up when you remembered the events of last night. You also clearly remembered passing out after… the best fucking orgasm of your life—Jesus Christ, where did Sylus learn how to please you that well?

Rushes of memories coursed through your brain as a replay of Sylus’ voice echoed. “Use me,” he whispered in your ear, making your heart jump. Ugh, it’s too early in the morning for this.

You sat up on your bed and checked the clock; you had a good amount of time before you needed to go to the Hunter’s Association. With a very, very red face, you sat on the side of your bed, taking deep breaths as you calmed yourself. “Don’t worry,” you whispered to yourself. “It didn’t mean anything.” 

But, fuck, the look in his eyes when you moaned, or his easy compliance when you grabbed his hair to ride his face. All of that stuck with you. By all means, you aren’t a virgin, but no man had ever made you cum that hard and that quickly. So embarrassingly quickly….

You squealed, patting your cheeks to snap you out of it. Could you blame yourself? You had the leader of Onichynus eating you out ! Normally, you were unphased by the borderline-romantic gestures he would do to you, but were you really wrong for thinking otherwise after he’d seen you literally bare ? He changed your damn clothes for you, for God’s sake!

“‘It would be rude of me to not accept it, right?’” You mocked, standing up to turn off the vinyl player. Your voice was significantly lower than your usual and you honestly surprised yourself as well when you noticed just how well you did a Sylus impression. “‘Want a view, don’t you’? I will shove a shovel up your ass.” You grumbled to yourself, cursing your boss quietly as you sat down on your vanity to brush away your bedhead.

—--

Sylus did not sleep at all last night. Well, when has he ever?

But it seemed like no matter what he tried, whether it be going through the agenda for the day or rummaging through his vinyls, he couldn’t get your pretty little moans out of his mind. And no matter what he drank, what he ate afterwards, he couldn’t get the taste of you off his tongue.

Not like he wanted it to fade, though. Sylus wanted to give into vices and sin, indulge in gluttony for once. And it’s not like you didn’t give into your own, either; you were as greedy as they come.

Sylus’ jaw tightened when he realized he was getting distracted. A certain little hunter was going to be paying him a visit today, and he was going to make sure she resonates with him.

Ah, he knew. Since you also worked in the same workplace as her, he could ask you about her.

—--

You went out of your room, your hair away from your face as you walked towards the kitchen. There, you found your boss, head rolled up as he silently slept. You snorted at his vulnerable state before glancing at the chef, who just raised his brows, a playful smirk on his face as he glanced at your boss. 

You huffed, pouting at his implications. A slight glint from the light caught your eye, and you grimaced when you saw caviar and oysters on the ready for Sylus to eat when he woke up. Sure they were expensive, but it was too salty for you. Too… ocean…y? Is that even a word?

Fortunately for you, though, the chef knew you well; you were well acquainted with him due to your frequent midnight meals. He just stifled his laughter, putting on a big smile as he brought out a lighter meal, something more in your comfort zone. The ingredients in it were still a higher quality of it (hence making it more expensive nonetheless), but it was way better than pretentious rich food.

You squealed softly at it before whispering a small, “thank you” at the chef, to which he bowed. Silently, you walked towards your room once more—or maybe you should try the balcony; you could finally finish that book you were meaning to read—

“(Nickname)?” Sylus’ voice made you jump, almost making you drop your plate. Every morning, he sounded lower and gravelly than usual, and you never thought anything about it until you thought about what it would sound like if you woke him up on your knees and sucking his co—

“Sylus! Hi, hello.” You turned on your heels, grasping your breakfast plate with two, very shaky hands. Your boss’ eyes glanced down at them, confusion and intrigue flashing on his face for a split second. The chef placed his breakfast (or lunch? You don’t know when he woke up) and resumed to his spot behind the counter, idly checking everything. And just when you were about to race towards the balcony,

“Eat with me.” 

You froze, wincing at the three-worded sentence before turning with your heels, walking stiffly towards him. Sylus pretended not to notice, the only thing evident that he did was a small smirk on his face. You sat down with an awkward smile before digging into your food; you weren’t sure for Sylus, but you were hungry as hell.

So you two sat there in comfortable (awkward?) silence, the only noise filling up the air being the scraping of utensils on plates. And just when you were about to bring up what happened last night, Sylus’ voice interrupted you.

“What information is there about a certain MC ?” He didn’t even look up at you as he spoke, and you just huffed, pushing around some of the more decorative pieces of your breakfast. Even in simplicity, the chef couldn’t say no to some random herbs to spice up the aesthetics. Here you thought he was going to talk about how he ate you out last night, but nooo. Of course it was business immediately.

Eh, what did you expect?

You rolled your eyes, grumbling something about “talking about work while there’s breakfast in front of us” before tapping your wrist, an organized info sheet about an MC popping up immediately. Suddenly, you knit your brows together, recognizing the woman in the picture provided. “I know her; she’s from my sector.” You narrowed your eyes at Sylus, clearly suspicious. “...Why do you need to know about her?”

He just smirked at you, finally looking up from his food, a brow raised. Ah, he’s expecting you to dig for it. With a grunt, you closed your eyes. Instead of darkness, however, you found yourself looking through endless amounts of strings of possible answers until you found one. You opened your eyes groggily as you grimaced, feeling a headache coming on. The Hunter’s Association surely knows how to keep their secrets confidential. But not confidential enough.

“She’s going to the Nest tonight.” You hummed, impressed, also realizing she most probably won’t be at work today, then. Placing your inner wrist on the table, your eyes stuck to a spot behind Sylus as you figured everything out. “Huh, she has a good chance of coming here, too.” A surge of protectiveness and skepticism rushed through you as your eyes darted towards your boss, jaw tightening. “What are you planning on doing with her?”

He just tilted his head, a pointer finger finding its way to his temple. A habit you’ve seen so much you know when he would do it. “So you can see the future now? What an ability you have, hmm?”

You laughed humorlessly before pushing your food away, no longer having an appetite. “She’s one of my friends’ friends, okay? Don’t break her. And answer my question, Sylus.” You picked your plate from the table to place it on the counter near the sink. He leaned back with a scoff, amused brow raised. “Who are you to boss me around?”

You locked eyes with him with an uninterested glare, and he just sighed deeply. “I’m just planning on having a little chat with her. Are you happy now?” 

With a scrunch of your nose, you dumped the extra food into a small take-out container, making a small high-pitched hum to show your unenthusiasm. “I still don’t believe you.”

Your breath hitched the moment you felt arms wrapped around your waist, hot breath meeting the skin of your neck. You prayed the Sylus couldn’t see just how red your ears were getting despite your face’s expression remaining that of indifference. “Oh, so you’re jealous.” He muttered into your ear, smirking when he saw your ears. Fuck.

You scoffed, slipping from his grip easily and slapping his ass. Sylus scoffed at your action, turning back at you before letting a smirk grow on his face, realizing you had his wallet. “Sure. Whatever rocks your boat. Now, after work, I’m going to be doing a bit of shopping with Tara, and I wanna spoil her, so I’ll see you in a bit.”

He rolled his eyes, placing a hand on his hip as you walked towards your room to get ready for work. “You have to be present when she comes here.”

She? Tara? You tilted your head in confusion before coming to the understanding that he was talking about MC. There was a certain sharp feeling in your stomach whenever he mentioned her name, but maybe it was just because you had just eaten and you were scared for her life. 

—--

“Here you go, baby,” you muttered at the small puppy you had been feeding your leftovers, placing the tupperware on the floor for him to enjoy. He barked out at you before digging into the food, and you couldn’t help but smile. 

You heard a familiar voice call your name over, and you turned to look at who. Ah, Tara. You joined her going inside of the Hunter’s Association as she blabbered about the latest gossip she was somehow able to acquire in the span of just a day or two. How she was able to do so, you weren’t quite sure.

“Oh, and you know MC, right? One of my other friends?” You tensed at the name, remembering the morning before you had to go to work before nodding, hoping that Tara didn’t see the tension under your skin. Thankfully, she didn’t since she began to ramble on about how MC was going to go on a business trip for a while, complaining and whining about how the workload will be piling up now that she would be gone. You just snorted at her antics, not really minding the extra work. Jenna wasn’t a monster; she was probably going to raise your pay a bit more for compensation.

Speaking of Jenna, you were greeted by your day job boss, who was teasing Tara about her complaining. It didn’t take long for your friend to start apologizing profusely.

Sometimes, you wondered what would’ve happened if you just came to the Hunter’s Association immediately, or if you just stayed at Sylus’ side as promised. But no, you were a greedy little thing, and you wanted a bit of hard-earned money and not just what Sylus had given you. Plus having someone inside of the most prestigious association for wanderers would be easier for you to gather information and report back to Sylus. 

It’s always Sylus, Sylus, Sylus. You need to have a life outside of that man.

As Jenna left, you grabbed Tara’s arm excitedly, a greedy gleam in your eyes. “Are we still up for shopping later?” You asked her, trying your best not to sound too eager.

Air passed through your friend’s lips before she laughed. “Of course!”

—--

“Are you sure I could get this?” Tara asked, her voice high-pitched with elation. Beside her was the vintage Serpentine Duo bag from Bulgari and a sales associate trying her best not to let Tara brandish the bag itself. You nodded, grinning with your arms crossed. You walked towards the woman near the bag and asked her just how much it was. And just when she was about to answer you out loud, you pursed your lips, a clear smirk on them before you told her to whisper it to you.

When she whispered the answer to you, you hummed, surprised. “It’s actually cheaper than I expected it to be…” You muttered, before beaming at Tara. “Go ahead; I’ll take care of the payment.”

In just a blink of an eye, Tara was crushing you with her embrace, and you struggled to find oxygen. You shot a glance at the saleswoman then at the bag, indicating to her to get it fixed up. She did so immediately, leaving you with your friend.

Fortunately for you and your airway, Tara let go, still looking like she was about to burst with joy. She took multiple deep breaths to calm herself down, which made you snort. “So,” she said before exhaling deeply one last time. “Why are you spoiling me all of a sudden? Not that you don’t regularly, but this is Bulgari ! My mother could only dream of having a bag like the one you just bought me.” Her grin turned into a smirk, and swiftly, she was behind you, both hands on each shoulder respectively. “Do you have a sugar daddy?”

Ah, the most prevailing question that she teases you about endlessly. You would always joke about money being your boyfriend, and very shortly after would spoil your friends until they were drowning in expensive gifts. 

You just sighed, smiling. But just as you were about to answer her and deny it one more time, your phone pinged, its vibrations startling you. Ah, crap, did you forget to mute your phone? Wait no, you clearly remembered turning it off before going to the Hunter’s Association. There’s only one person you have sounds on for.

You grimaced, glancing at the time before picking up the call. “Yes, I know; I’ll be there in a minute.” You whispered, making Tara raise a brow skeptically.

“I need you here, (Nickname); it better be in just a minute.” Sylus’ voice, though your phone was on its lowest volume, rang in your ears. You rolled your eyes, passing air through your lips. “Whatever. You’ll see me.”

“I’ll see you.”

You ended the call with an annoyed huff, nodding in acknowledgement at the saleswoman as she gave the bag to your friend. You were quick to drag her out of the Bulgari store, however, which made her yelp in surprise. Tara snapped out of it, though, when she processed what was happening.

“Was that your sugar daddy?” 

“TARA!”

—--

The doors opened with a loud crack as you rushed into the living room, sighing in relief when you noticed your signature hood hanging on one of the chairs. To your left was Sylus whose brow was raised due to the commotion you caused, and to your right were the twins, who were both waving at you.

With an exhausted smile, you waved at them back, legs aching from running. “You ran.” It wasn’t a question; Sylus knew that you always took his calls seriously no matter how you retaliated. 

You pressed your lips into a thin line—a pathetic excuse of a smile—before grabbing your hood and pulling it on yourself. Before you were even in the room, you made sure that you covered your forearm to hand in bandages other than a small slit showing the faint glow of your inner wrist. You always thought taking even more precautions in hiding your identity was even better than just carelessly throwing on your hood.

“So, she’s here already?” You glanced at your wrist, the glow flickering slightly. 

Sylus shook his head, the smirk that never seemed to fade growing. “No, not yet. I’ll personally make sure she comes here.”

At that, your head whipped towards him, clear concern written all over your face. “Are you sure? I mean, you have Luke and Kieran—”

“—who will be going with me. The reason why I needed you here so urgently is because you’ll take charge until I come back.”

You snorted at that. “So what am I, a house sitter—and he’s gone.” 

—--

You sat and waited for two hours. Two. Whole Hours. It’s like Sylus didn’t even value your own time! With a groan, you racked your brain for another tune to hum; you were running out by the minute. Luckily, a familiar 6’2 man with a… certain knocked out person behind him came bursting through the door. You gaped at the sight of our own colleague, eyes darting towards your boss in disbelief. 

“What did you do to her!?” You rushed towards her, but he placed a hand in front of you, telling you to stop. Having no choice, you obeyed; you hated the times where he actually felt like a ruthless boss. So much more boring than the usual teasing.

Sylus plopped MC’s body onto the middle of the floor before taking a seat calmly, indicating you to stand by his side by a swipe of two fingers. With a grumble, you did as he “said” and walked towards your original spot. At this point, you were surprised that the floor hadn’t worn out from under it after all those years of standing there.

It took not that long for MC to wake up, and when she did, you quickly pulled your hood down, hiding some of the sympathy you were feeling for the poor girl. Seriously, what did Sylus want from her? 

You saw her glance at you, at the moment you noticed it, you made a big show of gathering intel from your wrist (as if you didn’t know anything about her). Unease settled in your stomach when you new information popped up; her Aether core was something similar to Sylus’, which was why he needed her in the first place. With a cock of your head towards your boss, you crossed your arms, loose sleeves revealing more of your bandaged arms.

Sylus looked at you with no trace of a smirk on his face, but unadulterated seriousness. Not towards you though, but towards the woman trembling and kneeling in front of the both of you.

“You…” MC’s voice was raw and rough, as if it took her an endless amount of strength to speak alone. It probably did.

You prevented yourself from taking any course of action, knowing that in this state, you cannot defy Sylus one bit. It was part of your deal with him, after all. And you’d rather kill yourself than get killed by a man like him.

“So, you do remember me.” Sylus responded with a raise of his brow, using his Evol to force MC to kneel in front of him, and with two fingers, he lifted her chin up. You took a deep breath; you can sit through this. You’ve sat through worse before.

But it was different now that you know her.

MC’s face contorted in confusion and fear, though it was masked by a face of indignation. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve only met you today.”

Sylus hummed lowly, shaking his head slightly before gripping her chin tightly. MC sucked in a breath before exhaling sharply. “Resonate with me.”

Your head sharply turned towards him. They couldn’t do that; from the conclusions you drew earlier, it would be too powerful for them to resonate so suddenly. And given just how terrified your colleague was of him, it would be near impossible. 

You made sure your voice was lower than your true voice. “Sir, are you sure—” 

“Did I tell you to speak?” His voice was sharp in comparison to how he usually talked to you, making you draw back into your indifferent expression, bowing your head slightly in apology. Damnit.

Sylus’ hand dipped lower to her hand and forcibly made their hands intertwined with each other, making the same sharp twist in your stomach appear once more. You gritted your teeth, taking a shaky yet quiet breath to compose yourself. You watched as he attempted to resonate with her, but to no avail. 

“A shame.” He muttered, though even with it, his voice commanded the room with ease. From your limited vision, you could see MC clearly fighting something in her head, and the groans and grunts you were hearing from her weren’t contradicting your small theory, either.

Like you said, it was near impossible for them to resonate.

Silence engulfed the room before Sylus exhaled sharply. “We’ll do this again tomorrow. If you can’t resonate with me by then, you won’t be having any dinner.”

“What!?”

Sylus’ Evol snuck around her mouth and neck, causing her difficulty to breathe, and it was only then did you actually interfere. You knew he would never actually kill her, but it was already enough torture as is.

“Sylus.” Your changed voice boomed all around the room. And in the last moments of MC’s consciousness, she saw the man suffocating and choking her obey you, as if his name was enough for him to understand. 

Her limbs grew limp the moment Sylus let go, and you took a deep sigh. “You didn’t have to go that far.” You whispered as you slung her across your shoulders, one shoulder slotted between her legs and the other supporting her chest, making sure all the blood in her body wouldn’t accumulate in her head and make her even more unconscious.

Sylus didn’t respond to you, and the only thing he gave you was a small huff and a twitch of his brow. Without anything left to say or do, he stood up from his throne, walking towards the big doors in which he came from. You grit your teeth, walking towards the hidden side door of the room with a passed out MC on your shoulders.

—--

“Luke, Kieran, see to it that this girl still eats something when she wakes up. I don’t think she’ll be able to survive having this weak of an immune system without any sustenance.” You told the two henchmen as you placed MC on a small bed somewhere deep in Sylus’ base. They nodded hesitantly before leaving the room, and you sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed as you stared at the colleague you weren’t quite affiliated with, but knew due to mutual friends. From her breathing, you could tell just how close she was to actually dying, which made your nose scrunch in concern for her and anger for your boss.

Jesus, he didn’t have to go that far. He could’ve asked you to befriend her, then you’d introduce her to him, then the whole resonate thing probably would’ve been easier for the both of them.

No, MC would’ve gone to the N109 Zone nevertheless; it was inevitable.

Just as you were about to leave, you heard the shifting of clothes, making you pull your hood down to cover your eyes, leaving a shadow to cover the rest of your face. 

The next thing you heard was a small voice. “Who are you?”

Well, you couldn’t disclose that information, duh. So, you went with something… Sylus themed. If Luke and Kieran means light-bringer and little dark one (respectively), of course you’d have to go for something within that range.

“...Call me Nyx for now.” You flashed her a smile, lowering your voice to match what she heard in the throne room.

MC’s brows furrowed, her body tense. She was clearly agitated, and you had no right to tell her that she shouldn’t be. Though you could barely see with the hood over your eyes, you were able to get a glimpse of her silhouette shifting on the small bed you put her on. “Where am I?”

“You ask a lot of questions,” you muttered, pursing your lips. “To save our time, I’ll answer all of them. I can’t tell where you are nor can I tell you where Sylus is, though rest assured we are still in the N109 Zone. Sylus told us that you shouldn’t be fed, however I had told them to give you a little something to keep your spark alive. Oh, and the two people you saw with masks were Sylus’ henchmen, Luke and Kieran. You’ll be… seeing them more often.”

The information processed in MC’s head, making her lay her head down on the headboard. “So, you have the same power as Sylus in this place?”

You furrowed your brows, your full attention piqued now. Crossing your arms, you shook your head. “No. What gave you that idea?”

“Well, you were able to counter the command of Sylus by telling ‘them’ to give me food. So, I assume you do…?”

You opened your mouth to speak before closing it again. How do you explain the complicated stand you have in the N109 Zone? Yes, you were below Sylus in terms of the hierarchy, but if you were reasonable enough, he would allow you to give your own commands—even if it countered his—towards his men.

“It’s complicated. But all I can say is that I do not. Just as he is Luke and Kieran’s boss, he is also mine.”

You could feel the mistrust of MC filling the entire atmosphere, and you sighed, dropping your head down low before sitting down on the edge of the bed. She flinched, hand quickly going towards her holster, only to find it empty. Despite your eyes being covered, you deadpanned at her. “Of course we’re going to be taking your guns; can’t have you shooting the entire place up. Listen, uhm,” you patted your thighs awkwardly, sighing. “All I can tell you is that I will make sure you don’t die here; it’s a very shitty place to live your last moments in, believe me. And that, you’ll be able to do it.”

MC tilted her head. “...Do what?”

You just smiled. Your words could mean anything, honestly. From the resonance to winning Sylus over (as must as the latter hurt you). So, to fit into the mysterious aura of being Sylus’ right hand woman, you merely shrugged. “You’ll see for yourself.”

Mm, vague. Perfect.

And with that, you left, giving MC a bunch of unanswered questions in her mind. 

—--

The next day, Sylus had called MC back for another attempt at resonance, however you didn’t stay by his side this time. You were at the opposite wing of the base, preparing a little snack for yourself to fuel your mind for the upcoming research your boss had told you to do. Luckily, Luke and Kieran were by your side as they had agreed to be a listener to your mumbles in order for you to not forget anything.

You sat down on the edge of the large couch, crossing your legs as you placed a sleek laptop and your plate of snacks on the table. Shrugging your silk jacket over your shoulders, your hands idly played with the same fabric of your shorts. “Okay, so, the thing with resonance between these two is that it’s completely risky, right? Well, the only way Sylus can actually have a chance in this little plan of his—which he never told me about, by the way; it’s very insulting—is if, and only if, he stops being an ass towards her. He needs to lower his pride.”

Luke snorted at your words, reaching across the table to nonverbally ask if he could get a piece of your food. You nodded absentmindedly, not looking at him as you typed something down on the laptop. Having multiple paragraphs running through your mind sometimes made you forget your actual train of thought, so Sylus had gifted this laptop which only he and you had access to to help you with it. “If Boss heard you, he would’ve killed you.”

His brother hummed, lounging on the couch until his head reached your shoulder and his legs laid across Luke’s lap. “I don’t know, Boss seems to favor (Name).”

You rolled your eyes at what Kieran had said, trying to ignore the reddening of your ears. “Please. His new toy is MC; I probably would’ve gotten killed.”

“Sure.” The both of them had replied, making you knit your brows together as you looked at them. “Luke, weren’t you just saying that Sylus would’ve killed me?”

“Changed my mind; he definitely favors you.”

You rolled your eyes, scoffing. “Whatever.”

Your idle chatter with the two men got cut short the moment you got a ping from Sylus on your computer, telling you to come pick MC up. You clicked your tongue, standing up. You ignored Kieran’s yelp as his head fell onto the couch as you shook your head. “He’s being too harsh with her.” You muttered to yourself, sprinting towards the throne room once more.

What really ticked you off was the last time your boss had tried to resonate with MC.

Even with the secret food and water you were giving her, she was clearly still so weak, though that fire in her never faded. So imagine your surprise when she was forced by Sylus to kill him. 

Your mask of indifference and stone broke the moment blood splattered on your cheek and hood. Normally, you were accustomed to it, with it happening so many times before. However, this wasn’t just anyone’s blood, no, this was Sylus’. 

Your eyes widened in horror as Sylus threw the gun away, and your throat closed up the moment you saw MC desperately trying to “save” Sylus, despite her not realizing that he just. Could not. Die. 

But to inflict that kind of trauma onto somebody you knew…

The blood dissipated from where MC held his heart, and the wound in it disappeared, too. The shock and panic of it all, however, led MC to pass out once more. Mix that with the sheer fatigue of the past couple days, and you weren’t even sure if you could keep your promise to her of making sure she doesn’t die here.

You were quick to catch her and sling her arm around your neck, and just as Sylus was about to stand up, you pulled your hood down and slapped him as hard as you could across the cheek. He didn’t react, only stared at where his head was facing from the blow. Though through your boss’ peripheral vision, he could see the pure anger in your stare. “Never do that to any of my friends again,” you whispered, but it was loud enough.

“She isn’t your friend.” He growled in response.

“A friend of a friend is , Sylus.” You raised your voice slightly, holding MC closer to you. “She hasn’t done anything to deserve this.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You heard her, right? How she ‘doesn’t remember’ you.” Sylus finally looked at you, his gaze cold, though you didn’t let the sign of angst in his eyes go unnoticed. “I don’t know what happened before, but she’s more than changed, Sylus. Accept that.” You took a deep breath, shaking your head. “When she wakes up, be kinder. Consider where she’s coming from.”

And with that, you left the throne room, not looking back once. Though whether it was to make him contemplate his actions or for you to hide your tears, you weren’t sure.

—--

You stormed into your room the moment you placed MC on her bed, a much better bed than the initial one she was in. She was finally placed in a room much closer to the surface, which should hopefully put her more at ease the moment she wakes up.

If she wakes up.

You clicked your tongue as you shed your hood, sitting down on your bed with shaky hands. From your position, you glanced at the full body mirror just beside your bed. Sylus’ blood was still on you.

You may have overreacted, maybe, but that horrid sinking feeling in your stomach prevented you from thinking rationally. 

You were going to honest, the reason why you’d done that wasn’t just because of what he did to MC. It was the sheer lack of care that Sylus had for his own life and lack of care that you had seen. Yes, you knew he couldn’t be killed, but it still felt like he could. Just for a split second, you cared for Sylus , not your boss .

Your mind drifted towards a couple nights before, making you grit your teeth and tick your head sharply once. How had he gotten so obsessed with a different woman just a couple hours after he’d done something so… intimate to you? After he had expressed care, not the kind of care that a boss would have to his subordinates, but the kind of care that a lover would have to his significant other.

Ugh, you felt so selfish.

Well, he did say he was just going to help you. So that you wouldn’t get hurt. Feel any more pain.

If that was so, then how come he’d forced someone to place a gun against his chest? How come he’d forced MC to pull the trigger? If he truly didn’t want you to feel any pain, then he’d know just how much care you had for him and wouldn’t have done that at all.

Multiple thoughts ran through your head, and it wasn’t long until you were crying again. The tears mixed with the blood on your face, and stained your clothes as they dripped down. The metallic scent filled your nostrils, forcing you to stand up and finally take that hot shower you needed to relax your mind.

When you get out of your shower, sighing at the feeling of fresh, clean skin, it was only then did you notice a pretty bouquet of your favorite flowers on top of your nightstand. Your heart skipped at it, and it was embarrassing how quick you were to read the note beside it.

You sighed sharply when you realized it was from Aries. In all honesty, you’d totally forgotten about him. I haven’t heard from you in a while, it read in his pretty handwriting. Here’s some flowers to calm you down if you’re having a stressful week. You mentioned these to be your favorite, right? 

Your eyes stung once more at the message. It actually felt quite nice having someone other than Sylus give you flowers. Whenever your boss would give you flowers, it would probably just be to make sure that you don’t develop a random hatred for him. But this somehow felt… different. 

You slept with a smile on your face, though memories of hours before still plagued your mind.

—--

How did your slap hurt more than a gunshot to his heart?

That was what Sylus wondered, holding his cheek in his room. Even after he’d freshened up, he could still feel that sting of your hand, and for some reason it hurt more than anything else he’d ever experienced.

He knew that you wanted him to apologize to both you and MC, but he wasn’t going to do that; what was he going to apologize for towards any of you? He did what he had to do.

…

Granted, he may have overreacted. And granted, he did see pain covered by the anger in your glare. 

He was the one shot; why were you the one that looked so hurt?

He’ll just… make up for it tomorrow somehow.

[potchi-fics]

Sundo | part two of 8 ball

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sundô. imagine being so tired from studying, from using your brain so much that you just feel like collapsing. but you remember that at the end of the day, someone's waiting-- waiting for you. a simple gesture yet it makes you feel so many things all at once: happiness, excitement, comfort... and wonder.

NOTE: sundo means to fetch someone from somewhere.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

Y/n leans back on the chair she has been sitting on for hours now. she checks her phone and she sees that it's 5:59 pm. she got too busy with academic work, she always wants to finish her projects as soon as possible because she doesn't like procrastinating.

she sighs through her nose, holding the bridge of her nose, she's so tired. even her ears hurt from the hours of wearing her headphones.

and of course, her friends are studying alongside with her... but they all fell asleep. thankfully, though, they got their work done.

"wake up," she gently shakes Aiki, who whined and shooed her away. she moved on to Monika who woke up with just a nudge. "Noze, it's almost time to go home."

"god," Noze cracks her back, "my whole body hurts. good thing we don't have any classes for two days."

"you're goddamn right about that. somebody wake Aiki up." Monika groans out in defeat.

Y/n tries again, "Aiks, c'mon, it's time to go home."

the three struggled to contain their laughter once they see Aiki's state: drool all over her cheek and table, and the thousand-yard stare.

"aw gross, wipe your face, Aiks." Noze hands her wet wipes.

Y/n struggled even more when Monika showed her the picture she took of Aiki when she woke her up. she looks like a toddler who just woke up.

"is it time to go home? what time is it?" Aiki groggily asks.

she was about to tell her when something caught her eye; a text message from Bada. it read:

"what time's ur dismissal?"

it was sent four minutes ago. she texts back:

"6:30, whyy?"

she didn't get to put down her phone because it buzzed. it's a reply from her:

"i'll come and fetch u. where r u?"

Y/n's weirdly excited about this? and also a tiny bit nervous? nevertheless, she replied:

"library with my friendsss."

and she waits. she can't even stay still, and the other notice it.

"jesus, can you stop with the pen clicking?" Monika complains.

Y/n mutters out a soft sorry.

Noze looks at her with a funny expression, "who were you texting?"

a beat passes before she says Bada's name.

the trio have their what-the-hell faces on. before she could defend herself, they already started teasing her relentlessly; saying things like she's excited to see Bada, or that they were gonna go on a date.

"guys," she starts, "it's not a date and why would i be nervous? it's Bada." she rolls her eyes. "i could squeeze that punk easily."

but she is nervous. she doesn't know why. is it because of what happened at that billiards place? why did she even do that in the first place.

time seems to really pass by because six-thirty comes and they start tidying their place. making silent conversation. they come out of the library and see someone squatted down.

it's her.

Y/n thinks-- god, she's so handsome and pretty, she's not even doing anything. she malfunctions because she did not just think that? that is so not Y/n coded of her, she adds.

her friend's loud voice caught their attention, "hey, Bada!"

"yo," Bada stands up, looking at Y/n. "are you guys done? can i steal her away from you now?"

Y/n could only roll her eyes, "what do you mean by steal me away? as if i would let myself be taken."

"so grumpy," Bada tease, "careful now, you look like that one angry bird."

"well, in that case, i'm a pretty angry bird." she retaliates.

her enemy pats her head, "sure, sure.. let's go. bye guys!"

the trio shakes their head, even walking, the two seems to fight. they witness how Bada tries to carry Y/n's things but she wouldn't let her. however, eventually, Y/n gives in and gives Bada her things.

bada opens her car door for Y/n, receiving a soft thank you from the girl. she puts the things in the backseat and finally enters the drivers seat.

"you hungry?" she asks.

Y/n nods, too tired to talk. she closes her eyes and feel the car start up, she assumes that Bada knows a place.

during the car ride, comfortable silence envelops the pair. it continues that way not until she feels a hand on her thigh. Y/n opens her eyes and her gaze fell on the hand that is on her thigh.

Bada couldn't resist-- she caresses her thigh, rubbing circles on it, even slightly moving it up. she notices that the girl's breath is uneven. she thinks about removing it when a hand stops her.

the tension, even before what happened at the pool table, got so much thicker. it's so thick that they feel like suffocating.

sadly, they arrive at the place they're gonna eat at.

"c'mon, we're here." Bada parks the car.

they both thought the same thing: pussy blocker.

they go in the restaurant and order, wherein Bada insists that she treats her. of course, Y/n tries to pay for her own food but Bada is stubborn gal.

they take a sit once they get their order and start eating. surprisingly, their conversation is easy-going.

"so, what made you fetch me today? missed me that much?" Y/n asks with her mouth full of food.

Bada chuckles at the cute sight, "you're delusional. i just wanted to annoy you."

"oh, trust me," she answers in a grumble, "you're annoying me so much."

"is that why we're enemies?" Bada cackles out. "'cus i'm annoying? you didn't find me annoying back in middle school, though."

yes. they're childhood friends- err, childhood enemies. they're one of those typical rivals where they grew up together. they just haven't told anyone, but not because they don't want to, but because it wasn't just brought up until now.

she pouts out, "i wouldn't say enemies.. but yeah."

a loud laughs emits from the person in front of her again, can't believe the reason.

"stop laughing," Y/n gigges, "it's not funny. i'm just glad i don't have any classes, i'm so tired. and hungry."

Bada watches her with a smile, even though the girl in front of her is stuffing her face with food-- Bada still thinks that she's beautiful.

"stop ogling at me, i know i'm pretty and all," she flutters her eyelashes at her, "are you falling in love with me?"

"you sound so stupid." this time, it was Bada's turn to roll her eyes. "say, you wanna come over to my house after this?"

Y/n makes a playful shock face, "oh my? and you say you're not falling in love with me? but yes."

Bada feels like she's on cloud nine. what is wrong with her?

they finish their meal and she checks the time. it's seven-forty. they exit the place and Y/n complains about being so bloated now. to which Bada teased her by saying that she's always bloated.

banter ensues, even all the way to Bada's house, they're still bickering like children.

time check: eight-twenty-three.

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

should i make the next part smut? or continue with fluff

૮₍ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ₎ა

[transvampireboyfriend]

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5 - part 6 - part 7 - part 8

When they get to the lake an hour later, Eddie is the first to come spilling out of Steve's car.

He walks several paces away from it, tuning out the post-drive chatter of his friends, his arms stretching above his head as he walks closer to the lake, stopping a few feet away from its shore.

Eddie inhales deeply, enjoying the fresh air and admiring the sunrays twinkling on the water. He can feel them on his bare arms too.

So.

Maybe the world won't end because he said a bit too much about how good he thinks Steve Harrington is.

Steve came out to them last year, on a sunny afternoon when they'd all been lazing around, reading magazines on Steve's living room after spending all day in his pool. Nancy and Eddie were arguing about how hot some actor was.

Eddie can't remember who it was now, but what he does remember is Steve casually saying "I can settle this argument, lemme see", and crawling on all fours to where Eddie and Nancy were laying practically on top of each other.

They must have worn the same perplexed expression when Steve declared "He's hot", because he then took a look at both of them and shrugged, said "I like both. I like whoever" and that had been that.

So Eddie knows Steve would not make a big deal over him basically saying he finds Steve attractive, but he's still worried, because their sexualities don't automatically mean Steve will like him like that and Eddie would never assume that, but now Steve might think he did.

He looked uncomfortable in the car and it's the only explanation Eddie can come up with.

And Steve's never been particularly receptive of Eddie's gestures, Eddie tried flirting a few weeks after Steve came out and Steve froze, whenever Eddie pays him a compliment Steve gets a little weird like he did in the car, Eddie's tried asking him to do stuff together like go on a hike, or Eddie teaching Steve to play guitar or he's even asked him to dance but Steve almost always backs down when the activity involves touching Eddie.

And it's fine. Eddie can understand, he's not everyone's type, it's cool. He just wishes he could shake the attraction off, but so far he's had no luck. If anything he only feels more attracted to Steve with every day they spend together.

And Eddie doesn't want to make him uncomfortable.

So Eddie needs to be careful not to let it show too much, because then Steve would feel forced to verbally reject him and Eddie just knows that Steve would hate that, not to mention he would be devastated himself.

Steve can't know.

After all Eddie said in the car, he'd been thinking maybe it had been a terrible idea to come along on a week long trip to a remote cabin with Steve. He'd already shown too much of his hand by gushing about him to everyone who would listen, Eddie spent the whole trip kicking himself over it.

But, as a dragonfly circles him, Eddie thinks of his friends, and he decides he can be an adult about this. He'll clear things up and apologize if Steve's still uncomfortable and they'll have a normal week.

This is meant to be fun and he always does have fun with his friends, Steve included. He always has fun with Steve especially, and he won't let his dumb feelings ruin that.

Eddie listens to quick steps coming up behind him and then a small but firm hand slaps his back.

"Are you alright?" asks Nancy, coming to stand next to him.

Eddie scoffs, doesn't turn to look at her.

" 'Course I am," he supplies "why wouldn't I be?"

Nancy gives him a withering look.

She was the first to find out about his crush, already knowing Eddie so well within a couple of weeks of their friendship.

Eddie fondly rolls his eyes, finally looking at her.

"I'm fine." he assures her "It's fine."

He offers her a smile and turns back to the lake.

Nancy gives him a once over before she wraps her arm around his waist.

Eddie sighs into the touch, her warmth comforting even in the mid day heat.

"Don't lose my fucking scrunchie" she threatens.

Eddie chuckles "I promise I won't" he lies, probably.

"Stop making promises you can't keep." Nancy shoots, untangling from Eddie's side "We should get you your own."

"Maybe I could make some!" Eddie suggests, "To replace the ones I've lost,"

"How did we switch from you buying them to this?" Nancy asks, her mouth tilting into an amused smirk.

"Oh come on, this way is more fun!" Eddie protests, almost stomping his foot in his excitement.

"You don't know how to sew" Nancy reminds him.

"Do too!" he protests, thinking of his many customized jackets and jeans. Though, he'd never made something so delicate as Nancy's pretty hair accessories.

"And Buckley said she'd teach me!" Eddie concedes.

That startles a laugh out of Nancy, "Yeah, I'd like to see how that goes" she says.

"Oh, I bet you would" Eddie shoots back winking at her. He gets shoved for it.

"Shut up." Nancy demands, giggling.

As their laughter dies down and Eddie straightens up, Nancy turns to the lake.

"It's so pretty here" she comments, looking out at the forest tree line beyond the water.

"Sure is" Eddie agrees, watching birds fly by.

After a while Nancy slips her hand in his and interlaces their fingers.

"C'mon," she says "we're the designated lunch ladies"

"Oh?" Eddie asks, following as she tugs him along.

"Yup! Steve and Jonathan are unpacking and Rob and Argyle called dish duty"

"Thank god for that," Eddie quips

Nancy laughs "That's exactly what I thought"

part 3

[mt-musings]

The Last Silverboughs

Halsin struggles to put his past to rest, but it's haunting him in more ways than he realizes. He'd thought his time in the Underdark was long behind him, an unpleasant pitfall of youthful hubris, but remnants of his captivity remain, the youngest of which unwittingly stumbles to his rescue.

Lythra can't stop running from her past--hasn't, since she managed to make it out of the Underdark. She has no love for Menzoberranzan, or her House, or anything she left behind in the dark. Or nearly anything.

Still, she'd rather die than return--a prospect all the more likely with a tadpole jammed behind her eye. But perhaps, with the help of a renown druidic healer, she can go back to what remains of her half-life in the sun.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

Read on AO3

Lythra watched Astarion pointedly file his nails off to the side while their crew caught their breath. They’d managed to steal the barrel of runepowder along with a smaller vial, though not without a fight, and that wasn’t counting the one they’d had to reach her hiding spot. Course, they couldn’t take too much time to dally, considering Nere was suffocating in poison. 

She really would love to just leave him to it, but that would mean letting the duegar torture and kill the deep gnomes, and that just didn’t sit well with her. Still, Nere wasn’t popular, and they’s have at least some help riddling him with holes.

A pompous little drow wizard, just like Kel.

She still didn’t know if he’d lived, hadn’t decided if she wanted him to have. She hated him but—she didn’t know. Some part of her wondered if maybe he could be reasoned with, could learn not to be such an absolute asswipe. If he could only just be her brother and not her rival, not her tormentor. 

“So, I suppose Nere is next, then,” Gale said from where he sat leaning against one of the crumbling walls, drawing her from her thoughts.

“I still don’t understand why we’re breaking him out just to kill him. Seems like a waste of time, to be honest,” Astarion said without looking up from his nails.

“Because they’ll kill the gnomes, Fangs,” Karlach shot back.

“Why should we care about some stupid gnomes? It’s their fault they were dumb enough to get caught.”

“Think of it as an opportunity to try duegar blood,” Lythra replied. Astarion made a face.

“I bet it’s mostly beer. Ack! Disgusting.”

“We’ll have to be clever about it, considering the open pits of lava. Gale, we’ll need you for crowd control, Karlach, you’ll need to occupy the bruisers and Astarion—just find somewhere out of sight and start picking them off.”

“What about you, short sack?” Karlach asked.

“I’m going to blitz Nere. He’ll come out monologuing—it’s what they do, they can’t help it. So he comes out, orally masturbating at us and then BAM! Susy to the sternum,” she said, flipping the sussar dagger in her hand with a flourish. “Should fuck him up pretty badly and if he doesn’t die, then he’ll have to work through some…performance issues.”

“That is…certainly a way of phrasing that,” Gale said, shaking his head. 

“Well, we better be getting on with it, before he does suffocate,” she said, getting up.

“Here’s hoping!” Astarion replied, crossing both his fingers. Lythra just rolled her eyes as he jumped lightly to his feet, staring her down as he slipped her nail file into his pocket. 

He sauntered by, trailing his fingers across her cheek as he went.  Her heart fluttered in her chest and she looked away.

“Keep it in your pants, Fangs,” Karlach called after him, laughing. Lythra just took a breath, shaking her head. Gale gave her a look, one she didn’t care to decipher. 

She was too focused on the task at hand, with what may as well serve as the prelude to her reunion with Kelennar, once she returned to the Gate. 

~~~

“You positively reek of blood, my dear,” Astarion said, coming to stand by her side at the edge of the cavern where they’d pitched camp. She didn’t seem to hear him, or perhaps she was ignoring him, her gaze far away. He couldn’t help but notice the way her hands shook, even though they’d returned to camp nearly an hour ago.

She’d never been one to get up close and personal in a fight, much more comfortable striking foes down form the shadows. But this time—this time she’d rushed ahead with reckless abandon that had give even Karlach pause. He’d never seen her behave so viciously, something that he’d watched with a sick sort of delight at the time, though now the delight had faded to something he’d nearly call worry. 

Ridiculous, he thought to himself. Why should he worry, when she’d survived just fine? He should be elated, if anything, that his chosen ally had more skill than he’d known before, that she was still full of useful surprises. 

“Sweetness—“ he began, hoping to lead her back to camp, to where Shadowheart or Halsin could see to her obvious injuries. Instead she spat something out in what he assumed to be drow and set off into the blackness. He watched her go, disappearing too easily into the shadows of the cavern and shook his head. 

Sometimes he regretted allying himself to such an enigma. He still didn’t know why her blood seemed to thrum with such alluring darkness. As if they didn’t have enough secrets with Shadowheart’s mysterious artifact and Gale’s ticking magical time bomb in his chest. 

He turned back towards camp with a sigh. If she wanted to run off into the cavernous Underdark with nary a word, that was her prerogative, and he wasn’t about to tear off after her. 

“Where did the tiny one go?” Karlach asked as he returned, he just shrugged, rather than voicing his annoyance. After all, it hadn’t been the first time she’d run off since they’d begun their trek to the hidden path to Moonrise Towers. He caught Halsin staring at him as he dropped down next to the fire, judgement clear in the set of his brows before the druid set off in the direction Astarion had just come from. 

Off to play hero, he was sure. 

Maybe that’s what she wanted, someone to tear after her, to wheedle out whatever it was that had been eating at her since they’d begun their journey underground. He watched the druid disappear, an acidic note settling in his throat. 

Perhaps he should have been the one to follow—

No. To the hells with whatever wretched recklessness had possessed her, if she wanted him to know she would tell him, he wouldn’t lower himself to chasing and begging.

He’d leave that for the damn druid. 

He couldn’t deny the fact that it was clear the druid had taken an interest in his little morsel, that his eyes lingered longer than they should. He’d thought his interest would fade, once the veneer of rescuer wore off and he realized that she wasn’t nearly as heroic as he thought, but, if anything, he’d just inserted himself more. 

Still, he would lose. Astarion could hear her heart whenever he got close, could hear it thunder beneath her ribs at his mere proximity. It never did anything of the sort around the druid. 

And yet, she ignored him, ignored his every attempt at flirting and romance. She wanted him, he knew it, he could hear it, he could smell it, he could taste it when he drank from her, and yet she kept her distance.

She couldn’t still be sore with him for the party. 

He’d just been rude. He was always rude, and she usually laughed! And she’d just thrown him off, with the whole infernal-rune-revelation. 

Perhaps she thought this was punishing him. It would be a rather effective one, if his advances were driven by actual lust and not survival.

As it was, it was merely annoying. 

~~~

Halsin found Lythra not too far away, in a small hollow. She’d tucked herself in a corner, facing the entrance, though her eyes were far away. There was blood splattered up to her elbows, blood splattering across nearly every inch of her armor, which was worse for wear. Her eyes flicked up to his face as he approached, slowly and deliberately, like he would an injured animal. 

“Is something wrong, back at camp?” She asked, brows furrowed. 

“No. I just wanted to check on you. Gale said it was a trying battle. 

“It was fine. Duegar tried to double-cross us, but that’s practically expected, and we still got paid. Should only be another day or two before we ascend for the Shadowlands, just a few loose ends folks want to wrap up.” 

Halsin only half listened, stepping forward to gently take hold of her left arm. She winced slightly, though she tried to hide it. There was a great slash through the bicep of her armor, the wound still sluggishly bleeding. 

“I thought Shadowheart fixed you all up after you returned?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing—“

“I’m a fairly good judge of what is fine to be left to heal naturally and what requires intervention,” he said, and pushed up her sleeve. She was so young and stubborn—it made his heart ache. 

It would cost her, if left unchecked. It had certainly cost him.

He froze, staring at the mess of bruises and lacerations that covered her skin—weeks worth, in various stages of healing, though none as far along as they should be. 

“These wounds—they should have healed weeks ago,” Halsin said, glancing up to try and catch her eyes, though she expertly avoided his piercing stare. The lacerations still oozed, grit mashed into seemingly every one. He ran a thumb over a particularly deep one on her arm, carefully prying away the dirt—it was hot to the touch, clearly infected. She yanked her arm away.

“Little one—“

“Don’t, Halsin.”

“I will not be silent on this.”

“You know nothing of it.”

“Then enlighten me, child,” he replied, voice rumbling with a barely repressed rage. Rage that she would allow herself to suffer so, that she wouldn’t come to him when she’d been hurt. Her lip trembled, even as she glared back. Then she looked away without saying anything. 

“These need to be washed out and treated. Now.”

“I don’t—“

“This is not a discussion any longer. Stay here, and I will see that you don’t collapse from sepsis before we even reach Moonrise.”

He stalked off to grab his healing kit, trying to repress the anger roiling in his chest. He wasn’t angry at her, after all, not really, not when her behavior spoke so clearly of something larger going on, something terrible afflicted on her. Still, if only she would take hold of the hand he was so desperately holding out to her, if she would allow herself the barest of care—

“The armor needs to come off. Now. I won’t ask again.” 

She stared at him for a long moment before complying, though she struggled to lift her left arm high enough to undo the buckles. He sighed before undoing them himself, pulling off her shredded clothes until she was left in nothing more than blood splattered small clothes and he could finally see the extent of what she’d been hiding.

It was the most skin Halsin had ever seen her bear and it made him pause, not for the fact that she was close to naked, but for the scars that covered every inch of her newly revealed skin. They were vicious things, though the majority didn’t look like injuries gained while fighting, instead seeming almost surgical in nature. 

Certainly the thickest ones on her chest that looked to be the Y of an autopsy incision.

Her ribs were covered in black bruises, a bite on her shoulder infected and weeping puss. The cuts on her arms were truly the least of it all, the wounds that had demanded treatment crudely sewn together. 

“Silvanus, give me strength,” he said, waving his hand over a clean bowl and filling it with fresh water. He began carefully cleaning each of the wounds before healing them in silence, jaw clenched. 

She flinched every time he healed her, every muscle in her body taught. 

It was a while before he looked up to find her eyes firmly shut, tears dripping silently down her cheeks. 

“I hate it down here,” she said finally, in barely a whisper. 

“Then why are you inflicting another misery on yourself?”

She didn’t answer, though her face crumpled. He sighed, smoothing her hair back from her face. He handed her a fresh shirt from the trunk which he knew would be far too big, but was clean and comfortable, and passed her his waterskin. She took a few sips, furiously wiping away the tears on her face. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, barely more than a whisper as she handed it back. 

“I know. Go get some sleep. I’ll wake you for supper.”

“I’m fine, I don’t—“

“You need rest. We need you at your best if we’re to make it to Moonrise, and for that you need to sleep.”

Halsin expected her to argue more, but instead she just nodded, hanging her head, returning wordlessly back to camp. 

~~~

He found her curled up later, at the farthest end of camp, away from all the others, using her backpack as a pillow and covered in only a thin blanket. He had an extra, in his tent, warm and woolen. He went back to retrieve it, setting it next to her before he sat crosslegged next to her. 

She was the only one of their number that didn’t have a tent.

He woke her gently, handing her a bowl of hearty stew. She blearily took it, thanking him while avoiding his gaze. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked, noting the small amount of color that seemed to return to her cheeks with a few hours of sleep and a bit of food. She nodded, keeping her eyes glued to the bowl.

“Better. Thank you.”

“You must tell me, when you are hurt. I know it is…a liability, in the Underdark, to admit pain, or ill. But it is more dangerous to allow yourself to allow yourself to be weakened by your injuries and not tell anyone when you need aid.”

Lythra seemed to shrink back, eyes still glued on her meal, though she’d stopped eating it when he spoke. Her shoulders curved inward, back hunched, almost as if she were expecting a blow. 

“I need you to tell me when you are hurt. I know that you are not used to relying on others, and I am not trying to treat you as a child.”

“But I am acting as one. That is what you are trying to say but not, right? That this sort of petulance is reserved for children.”

Halsin huffed a laugh, despite himself. “I believe this to be something more than simple juvenile petulance, and I am an ear, should you wish to talk about it. I understand what it is like to be alone, as a youngling. I lost my own family long ago, when I had not yet reached my first century.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, the words simple, but they carried a weight of understanding, a weight matched behind her eyes as she finally looked up at him, if only for a second. He gave her a small smile. 

“It has been a long time. Still, should you wish for counsel—I am not looking to undermine, only aid.”

She nodded. “I—I appreciate your kindness. And—and your insistence. I…dislike magical healing. But—but you are right. It is not tactically sound to allow myself to fight at such a disadvantage. I—thank you.”

Halsin furrowed his brow at her stilted apology. It was genuine enough, but she’d been overly specific in which words she chose.

Not that he expected one stern talking-to to fix what was clearly a lifetime’s worth of cruelty and conditioning. To inflict such suffering on a child—his insides boiled at the thought. 

“How—how does your shoulder feel?” He asked, tempering his fury so as not to scare her. She rolled it, making a face.

“Stiff. It’s fine though.”

“There’s scar tissue that needs to be broken up. It won’t be pleasant, but it will help. It’d be best to wait a few days, though.”

She just nodded, dropping her eyes to the ground once more. He reached out despite himself and laid his hand on her cheek. 

“I can make you a draft, for tonight, for dreamless sleep, if you’d like.”

She nodded without looking at him. He took a deep breath before standing and making his way back to his tent. He caught Scratch as he bounded around, chasing after Lotha. 

“Friend!” he greeted, tongue lolling out to the side. Halsin reached down to pet him.

“Lythra could use some time with her furry friends tonight, I think.”

“Is she alright?”

“She will be. But perhaps a cuddle will help.”

“I’ll tell Lotha,” Scratch said, bounding away. Halsin smiled before turning to make the draft.

“So, how is our fearless leader? Better, after your vigorous tending?” Astarion asked, sidling up near-silently to peer at what he was doing. Halsin ignored his salacious tone. He was very obviously looking for a rise out of him because he saw him as a rival to whatever machinations he’d set on Lythra. 

“She is,” he said mildly, watching Astarion’s eyes narrow slightly before he forced a smile. 

“Well, that’s good to hear. Can’t have the poor thing collapsing in the Grymforge.”

“Certainly not,” he said, turning back to his work. Astarion stared, jaw tight. 

“Did you need anything else?”Halsin asked pleasantly. Astarion just gave him a dirty look.

“Certainly not,” he spat and turned on his heel. Halsin sighed and finished the draft. He brought it to Lythra, smiling at the sight of Scratch and Lotha curled next to her. 

“Thank you,” she said, accepting the cup. 

“Of course,” he said, watching as she drank it in an impressive two gulps. She paused, before handing him back the cup.

“It’s sweet.”

“I added a bit of honey to cut down the bitterness.”

“And it really—I won’t dream?” She asked. He shook his head. 

“It’ll work in a half hour or so. Do you wish for me to stay until you fall asleep?”

“You don’t have to.”

“I know. But I will, if you wish. It is not an imposition.”

“If—if you don’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t have suggested it if I did, little one.”

He stayed with her, until her eyelids fluttered shut, telling her stories about the animals in the Grove, or ones he’d met on his travels. She’d been very interested to hear about the giant ice spiders he’d met in his youth, eyes lighting up with wonder when he spoke of them being as large as a horse. 

He stayed a while after, running his hand through Scratch’s fur as she slept, her brow uncreased for the first time since he’d met her. He unfolded the wool blanket before he left, making she she was tucked in and warm. She pulled the blanket closer in her sleep pressing her face to Scratch’s fur. 

He left her in the care of her furry friends, still reeling about just how much—and how little—he’d learned about the young woman who’d saved him. 

[echoedcrosshairs]

Those Who Fight Together - part 5

Summary: Undescribed Jedi female continued story with The Bad Batch in 3rd person 🖤Smut with a Plot series🖤

Warning: NSFW, Crude language, Multi Partners, Echo’s doubt & self esteem issues, PiV Creampie, Toys, Cybernetics

Word Count: 4.3k

18+ NSFW NO MINORS

Part 4 Part 6

Story Master List

Your heart was finally starting to calm down, a cool sweat had danced across your body and your mind kept trailing to Crosshair, the tiny emotion that broke through. It was still rough yet tender, you don't expect that man to know what gentle is even if it smacked him across the face. You ran your fingers across the pillow, the smell of him lingered. It was calming, all of them smell so unique you could tell who was who just but the smell. You closed your eyes and wondering what you got yourself into, if it was worth the trouble it was going to cause and it definitely was going to cause a lot. The door opened and you peered over to see who it was, Tech who obviously was very flustered came walking over finicking with his goggles before kneeling front of you. Red hot embarrassment flashed across your face remembering all of the marks Crosshair left on you.

His fingers grazed near the marks on your neck watching you wince, "Those are very painful," letting his voice not show anything.

"He needed to it get it out of his system," you said wondering if it was more then that, a warning.

"I'm surprised you weren't intruded upon, a handful of Regs were taking about the noises coming out of this room. Do you need medical attention?" He said pulling his fingers away from you.

"A shower, and maybe a few patches but I might leave one of them."

"Why?"

"Because I do belong you boys, it would be fair if each of you left one."

Techs eyebrow shot up, "I'm not sure if that would be the best for Crosshair, as much as I enjoy it."

"You think these were meant for you all to see?" You said feeling the hesitation rolling off of him.

"It would align with his trail of thinking."

Echo walked it, wandering what was taking Tech so long. He found Tech bent over you, blocking his view.

"It looks like you got into a fight with a Quarren and lost," his eyes opened and his mouth turned down, "there is no way we're smuggling her out of this room looking like that."

"We're not, but you are. Perhaps even if a Reg saw you together they would pick on you less," doing his best to be optimistic, Tech fully agreed with that statement.

"Fine, they're still in the mess. Keep them busy, can't be in two places at once," Echo uttered shaking his head.

Echo noticed her wincing went to sat up and put her legs over the edge of the bed, noticing the bruises on the delicate parts of her body. Frustration coursed through his hardware. Crosshair had crossed a line, he was going to good piece of his mind later because being rough was one thing but this looked like torture.

"Your head is loud" You mumbled at him trying to distract him from whatever was troubling him.

"Crosshair held this back?" Gesturing to the sight of you, "What if he wanted another couple days, you would be in the tank again."

"Echo, I'm okay."

"He just crossed a line."

You kissed him catching him off guard, "I am okay," you said each word staring into those big gold eyes which he only had.

"Let's get you to the shower then I'll apply the patches," he said helping you up with your legs still partially wobbly under you, your arm up around his neck and his hand clutching your waist for dear life.

Of course Troopers were passing by, gawking at him and the blush over both of our faces. Echo's fingers dug a little more into you continuing forward.

"What's a girl like that doing with him?" "She looks like she had a good time" "Do you think his brothers joined him?" "They've been in the mess." "Damn, maybe when he's done I could have some fun with that."

The Bad had their own private showers around the corner, given they were one of the only squads that were actual base was on Kamino. Echo helped you into the shower and was trying to leave when you asked him to stay. He blinked but obligated staying on the outskirts of the wall trying to stare at your form as you undressed. You wagged your hips a little bit as a tease before hoping in the showering. Making sure to bend over to scrub foot to hip before standing up to finish washing your sore neck and shoulders. You turned out the water ringing your hair out the best you could before grabbing the towel Echo was holding for you.

"You know your head is very loud right," you joked patting off.

"You have no idea" he huffed turning his face away.

You finished drying off and putting on a pair of blacks that covered most of the bruises except for the dark one under your ear. You did a playful little spin for him, which got a little grin out of him. Walking back to the barracks the stares were lighter but the warmth still spread across your cross but when you looked at Echos his was only more sunken in.

"Hey, I like you the way you are Echo."

"Back when I was a reg, I would have believed it."

You pushed him up against the wall in perfect view of everyone, your hand flat against his chest "Listen here, most of these boys haven't even faced real combat. You are a WAR HERO, Echo. Their opinions shouldn't matter. You lived through hell's I couldn't imagine and came out still wanting to be a Trooper, choosing to serve in a suicide squad to protect the Republic and your brothers from having to do it. You got that Trooper?" you said letting your hand into a finger  digging into his chest.

"Yes, General," he said with a small smile.

You kissed his cheek, "Good. Now I'm starving."

Instead of getting changed into regular attire, you stayed in the blacks even when Echo tried to drag you back into the barracks to change because everyone was staring. You jumped out the way of his bear tackle, bouncing back and forth down the wall waiting for him to catch up. He muttered something about be a dead man before catching up.

"Feel better?" You asked smiling.

"Do you really think that highly of me?" He asked quietly.

"I do now it's just a matter of getting you to think that."

You watched Crosshair's eyes squint as you entered the mess, staring you up and down. Wrecker whistled. Hunter growled at a comment a reg said walking by and poor Tech was to engrossed in whatever he was reading to look up until Wrecker smacked him in the back of the head to get his attention. His jaw dropped as he fixed his twisted googled.

"Echo, I don't think is what I meant by Regs would pick on you less."

"She insisted."

"If their going to stare, it might as well be me instead of you guys."

"That is actually logical, I'm impressed."

"I didn't think she could get any hotter," Wrecker said staring.

"You have no idea," Hunter leered.

"Why are you wearing that?" Crosshair gritted out.

"Because of that," you smiled walking over to grab food.

"Succubus," he muttered.

You can tell all of them were watching as you swayed passed. Most of the Regs eyes were on you too.

"You know you're going to get someone in trouble for wearing that?" Wolffe said sneaking up on you.

You jumped a little, "I think you may get in trouble if you keep staring."

"Oh they already want to get a piece of me."

"What did you do?"

"I may have told them."

"You are sooo a dead man," you laughed, remember on the names slipped out after the fight.

"Might be a better option compared to Crosshair's glare," he said looking at him and then back at you, "Everyone has also heard about last night. You might want to head out soon to avoid the backlash."

"Me? Back down from a fight?-"

"-For their sake."

"Fine, well eat and head out. Thank you Wolffe."

"Just watching out for my pack, good luck out there."

You relayed the message back to the boys once you got to the table, opting to take the food to go instead. Echo and Wrecker stayed closer to you think time basically dancing a crossed your heels like two coiled snakes waiting to strike. The boys packed up their essentials and quickly restocked the armory. Still lounging in the blacks laying on your bed in the Marauder, Echo walked in rubbing his neck nervously staring at you.

"Can we talk for a minute?" He asked.

"What's on your mind?"

"You know I can't— well you know," he said waving his hand to his lower half.

"I know, I read your schematics before Cody introduced us."

"And you still like me?" He puzzled.

You pulled towards him towards you using the force, shocking his as you traced your fingers around this head implants down to his waist ones. You heard his breathing speed up which caused you to stop not knowing if it was torturing him.

"Even if you don't have a functional cock in that way, can you still...?"

"Yeah," he said this time more intensely rubbing his neck, "it just takes awhile."

"See there's options if it's something you really want too but we don't need too."

"Are you sure?"

"Echo-"

"I'm just messing with you, Mesh'la."

"How long exactly..?" You asked, the term of endearment making you pulsate.

"About an hour, usually" He paused to whispering something disgustingly delicious.

"You might be dirtier then your brothers."

"I could tell you stories."

"How about we make some stories," you said tugging the black shirt over your head.

Echo let out a yearning groan looking at you, everything he's ever wanted and more. He wished he still had both of both hands and lower extremities, his mind was absolutely filthy. He looked at the marks on you, before putting his own directly on the other side so they would match. He smiled knowing how annoyed someone was going to be but didn't care. His fingers danced up and down your spine letting his fingers find your hair playing with it.

He got distracted learning your body as much as it felt good you wanted time making him feel good about himself. You let your hands work his up shirt, letting your fingers trace trade around the mechanical ports stimulating his cyber connections. You brought his shirt letting the pale skin and bringing your mouth trade about the ports, causing him to let out a heavy groan. Every touch caused electrical signal to scatter along his body. You enjoyed watching his body twitch at the touches.

He pulled you up from his torso, moving you back back on the bed hot mouthed kissing you as he brought your hand to the back of his head. He moaned into your mouth shuttering.  You stroked under the implant faster. His breathing quickening and wild.

"I don't think it's going to take an hour," he said putting spreading your legs a little further apart for his hand.

He brought his fingers to the little spongy knot inside of you stroking and letting his thumb rub circle your clitoris. His strokes in you desperate to make you feel good, he noticed the change in your anatomy the slight pink swell being more noticeable.

"You really must really like my touch," he said removing his hand pulling down your pants down to your knees, moving down to taste you, "I think you'll like this more."

His fingers rushed back into you, stroking endlessly as he sucked on you and rested his other arm between your stomach and belly button applying pressure. His fingers were coated in your warm lubricant squishing down on him like your heart beat. You moaned his name pressing your head further down into the pillow your hips pushing more of yourself into his mouth. Your eyes half closed with lust as you looked down see what an orgasm for him looked like, full body twitching with his eyes shut and his hand clapped down on you stroking harder. He sucked harder on you pressing his tongue harder against you. You pulsated harder waiting for the release to come but Echo came again first, this time his body tightening down causing him to shrink down on himself. You squirmed on his face, moaning. No man had paid this amount attention to you, worshipped you this much paying attention to every single stroke and movement seeing how you reacted to every slight variation. After you came again, Echo carefully removed himself from you trying not to making the spasming worse or painful. He looked at the mild sweat beading across you, accomplishment coating his features as you twitched as he licked his satisfied fingers.

"Thank you," he said smiling.

"For what?"

"Making me still feel like a man who can still please."

You cupped his face with your hands, "You're a very very very handsome man who can make women melt."

"Woman, there's only one I'm interested in," He pulled himself up looking down at you, bright irises staring down at you, "You really are one of kind. Now do you want someone to take you while I play with you or do you need a break?"

"You weren't joking," your eyes widen him.

"Like I said I could tell your stories," he said stroking your face, "Who are you going to choose? Although you look like you could used some rest" He mused, curiously.

"I think I rather play with you again, but I think if I had to choose it would have been Tech or Hunter if that soothes your curiosity."

He stood to peel off his blacks, his confidence falling at his lack of self esteem. Even if it's been awhile since being trapped on Skako Minor his ribs still stuck out with his core still mildly concaved. He was thankful that Tech was mechanically inclined modifying his cyber connections so they were no longer bulky and protruding, every modification making him feel a step closer to his old self.

Your hands travelled along him seeing the extensive reconstruction they did of his body, the holes on his hips and back the reconstruction from the hips down. It was mostly accurate except for his genitals should have been when you noticed it he uncomfortably shifted. It wasn't a thing a lot of people knew about or understood.

"How does it work?" You asked sitting up.

"Like a normal persons but I don't need to eat or drink as often, it works it's way through and this long ovular port in the center opens to... empty waste," he said shifting again.

"Hey it's nothing to embarrassed of," you smiled grabbing his hips pulling him closer to you, "It doesn't bug me," noticing the uneasiness rolling off of himself.

"Just never thought human...-" he paused to look down at himself with a raised eyebrow, "-cyborg relationship could work."

"You are more then a cyborg, Echo. Now are you gonna get back to kissing me or let your self consciousness win?"

He laid back on the bed with you, "You can't be real," he whispered.

You started playing with his connections watching the stimulus distract him, a small moan escaped him. You moved on top of him straddling him. His hand found your breast, cupping it and slightly tugging at your nipple while you returned the favor with the mark on him.

"For having a cybernetic respiratory system, you're bad at controlling your breathing."

"What can I say? I'm defective," he chuckled while smiling at you, genuine confidence showing.

Tech looked at the empty copilot seat wondering where Echo was, even when he wasn't on shift he usually sat up here and kept him company even when it annoyed him. Tech set the ship on autopilot and went looking, which didn't take long to figure out it. He stood in front of the door listening a second to long when the door opened. He stared wide eye at the scene in front of him.

"I didn't even know THAT was possible," he said staring at Echo who was knuckles deep with a massive grin, "Being more machine then man, I mean."

"Either shut up and get in here and help or close the door."

His curiosity got the best of him, although he didn't want to intrude on a personal moment but give it was Echo's invitation he didn't think that was a problem. He looked down seeing the deep scarlet covering your face.

"Are you sure?" He said adjusting his googles looking down at you.

"We can try it," your voice betraying your embarrassment.

Echo was still under you with Tech behind you, playing with your thighs. Being between two hot men was every woman's fantasy but it seemed like an embarrassing nightmare.

Echo removed his fingers noticing how more wet you got, "You are drenched."

"This idea is still questionable but hopefully pleasurable,” taking off a glove to inspect where he would be going, he looked down to find your own wetness coating around your lips and even slightly down your inner thigh, “will be pleasurable,” he corrected.

Echo cupped your face with one hand, “Just enjoy it.”

Tech slowly sheathed himself into you his hands spreading you apart “Fark,” he moaned as soon as he was fully inserted himself.

He had to brace himself for a movement before moving, you were tight against him like you were subconsciously trying to hold onto him, keeping him pulled in. His first thrust are slow and long trying to gauge the speed he go with out incident. Without meaning to Tech lets out a sinfully delish moan of your name but be able to control picking up the speed. Tech abruptly grabbed your hips tilting them forward and causing your back to arch.

“F-a-r-k,” you gasped every letter as you felt the tip of his dick pound against the magic spot of nerves.

“That face your making is so hot,” Echo said rubbing his thumb across your bottom lip noticing the small amount of drool trying to escape, “He’s pounding you just right isn’t he?” He whispered.

You nodded not feeling you should speak, your hands tighten against the back of Echos implant. He lustfully groaned at the contact. Echo���s hand as at the back of your neck, trying to beg to be put how of stimulation misery. Doing your best to hold back an orgasm you stroked him harder moving around all of the easiest accessible implants. He grabbed your hand spotting you, panting and his eyes fluttering. You understood the message to stop to just enjoy yourself.

“May I?” Tech asked barely holding himself back from emptying himself into you.

“Please, please,” the moan was pitiful and full of desire but it still embarrassed you burying your face into Echos chest.

You convulsed around his cock causing him to still, your name falling from his lips and his hand grabbed as big of a handful of your love handles as he could. His cock pulsed in you spewing his warm cum into you, he was still gently thrusting letting his sweat drip off his forehead onto your back. You clenched around him, rocking yourself back on him causing his vision to cut out slightly. He adjusted grabbing one of the many rolled up towels he hide under the bed, he pulled his softening shaft out of you patting himself dry and putting the towel inbetween your legs so you wouldn’t leak every where. Echo still hadn’t quiet recovered, he was excessively tired he stayed his back but moved himself closer the the edge of the bed so you and Tech could have room. You let one hand lay on Echo’s chest and the other was in Tech’s hair, Echo’s hand laid over yours and Tech’s arm went around your waist pulling you tightly against him. Your core to you’re toes tingled with warmth.

“That was-“ Tech started.

“fun-?” Echo finished.

“Erotic?” You added.

“Yes.”

You’re core ached, hoping it will cool down but it still hurt but both of them looked like they needed to go in a tank for a bit. Tech did his best to composed himself quickly because he was technically on duty.

“Do you need anything” he asked getting up.

“No I’m okay. Where are we going?”

“It’s a waste of our skill set but we’re on our way to recover some herbs for medical uses the Kaminoans wanted to study. I need to get back to the helm,” he said getting up and fixing his armor.

“I would be willing to do this again,” he said guarding his voice from the odd sensation in his chest, it was warm but also empty.

“Tech… It’s going okay,” you mumbled, “you just have to acknowledge it before it’ll feel better.”

“Rest.”

“What was that about?” Echo asked.

“Tech has some feelings he has to deal with.”

“Did I ruin something-“

“No no not at all but keep looking at me like that and I might make you ruin me.. again.”

“I might anyway,” Echo said putting himself over you.

“Insatiable aren’t you?” You teased making your boobs jiggle a little bit to get his attention.

“It’s been about four complete orbitals.”

“You poor-poor man,” you smiled stroking the sides of his face, tracing the sharp sunken cheek bones and sharp jaw bone.

Echo always had this grumpiness about him, but it was different now his attitude lighter and more jovial. It made you wonder if this is a slice of who he use to be. Tech stuck his head back in, tossed a sealed box Echo who almost dropped it.

“It might be… uncomfortable but I’d been working on it for sometime. I want an analysis afterwards,” he shut the door and set the manual lock button.

You said up to look at the box, there was several tubes that looked like they would fit his ports, “What is that what I think it is?”

“Yeah… a black market retrofitted luxury-bot upgraded play part.”

“Echo you can just say cyber dick” you start uncomfortably laughing staring at it and the amount of wires, “Do you want to try it?”

Echo looked down at him and that at the art, anxiety riddling him again. What if it doesn’t work? What if it works and it breaks? What if it hurts you? He took a breath trying to push the thoughts aside and nodded. He very carefully started attaching it, feeling his programming starting to probe and testing the software with no sign of rejection. Half way having it attached it touching it slightly to gauge the feeling. It didn’t feel much different but the more he attached the port the more he felt. After connecting all six ports to him self, he barely put a finger on it before removing his hand and gritting his teeth.

“Are you okay Echo?” You asked panicking.

“Just need to turn it down,” he said trying to adjust the sensitivity levels on it, “because that was why to much,” he said touching it again, having it be a lot more tolerable.

He groaned at the sensation, feeling it through his thighs and hips. It wasn’t quiet how it use to feel, but it was definitely still an improvement. He touched it again, it was still a little much but it was on the lowest setting he could find. You place your hand around it, it was definitely hard with minimal padding but the blissful look on his face said it was worth it. You kissed his lilac lips, bringing your hand to his extension gently stroking it. He was very vocal about his pleasure, but reached for your hand, not exactly stopping you but but slowing it way down.

“It’s still really intense isn’t it?”

“It feels good, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“I know it’s not-“

You cut him by sitting on him taking all of it at once, using your heels to bounce your self on it.

“Farking Sith’s hell” he groaned trying to keep his eyes on you, to see every bounce, jiggle and face you made.

You stopped to flex your cervix muscles to pulsated on him, it hurt a little to press down but the way his back pressed in the bed “Now let’s see how many times I can make you cum before you tap out,” you purred starting to bounce on him again.

“I thought I was pent up,” Crosshair said sitting upfront with Tech getting up as far away any from the moaning as possible.

“Given Echo’s ordeal, I am not surprised and I think the four of us will be here for while. Although I am fascinated by the concept that the damage he received didn’t destroy that area of basic human need and the fact his retained most of his deviant nature from when he was a reg.”

“I don’t want to know how you know that,” Crosshair muttered.

“Do you know that if it was at least safe to give it to him?” Hunter asked, doing his best to hide his jealousy.

“I’m proud of him,” Wrecker said crossing his arms.

“I did run diagnostics on the original software myself, deemed it inefficient and rewrote the code for it. I would say the design of the program is sound, however I can not speak of the shape or how hard it is. Their is a slim chance of anything going wrong.”

“TECH, it’s Echo.”

[christiansorrell]

Play-By-Blog #18: The Isle by Luke Gearing

Welcome to my ongoing play-by-blog of The Isle by Luke Gearing! We are playing this adventure with its original system, The Vanilla Game (adjusted somewhat to fit the format). You can check out the Play-By-Blog Repository to get all caught up if you wish.

How Play-By-Blog works:

I write up the situation, NPCs, and more, just like a DM.

You vote in the poll to help decide the character's course of action.

I roll the dice, resolve actions, and write them up next week.

So on and so forth for the rest of the adventure!

Notation:

[Text in brackets is out-of-character/GM text!] "Non-italicized quotes denote text from the original adventure!" "Italicized quotations denotes NPC dialogue."

Our character: Medon Girou - Magic Cutpurse

Our maps: The Isle, The Dungeon (so far)

[You can use the links above to find Medon's Character Sheet and map of the Isle and the so far uncovered portions below the surface. On the Dungeon map, you are currently in Floor 2, in Room 12.]

Now, back to the adventure!

You pull your katana from your side and slash down at the eel closest to your feet. [Attack Roll (d20): 5 - Between your AV of 11 and the Eel's AC of 2 - Hit!, Damage Roll (d6): 1!] You connect, but only just slashing lightly across the side of its head as you quickly step back away from the water.

The eel attempts to wriggle forward and reach you with its teeth-filled jaws. [Due to the difficulty of the eel to attack and fight outside of water, you will get a +5 to AC. Attack Roll (d20): 10 - Between its AV of 11 and your AC of 5 - Hit!, Damage roll (d6): 2!] The creature wriggles forward, as if it has been a long, long time since it has had anything at all to each and will do anything to keep you from escaping, and bites into your calf. Blood trickles down over your boots and into the nearby water.

The two remaining eels, tasting blood, attempt to reach out and attack you in the same manner as the first. [Attack Rolls (d20 - both eels): 4 and 20 - the first is under your AC and the second is over the eel's AV - Miss!] They snap out at you but are unable to carry themselves far enough out of the water.

You bring the katana down once more on the first eel. [Attack Roll (d20): 6 - Between your AV of 11 and the Eel's AC of 2 - Hit!, Damage Roll (d6): 4!] In a single swift motion, you sever the eel's head entirely from its body. [50 XP gained!]

Despite the death of the eel, the others press on, driven solely by their hunger. [Morale Roll (brave): 9, 4 - Under their ST of 6 - They keep fighting!]

They ignore the body of the first eel, crawling over it, and lash out towards you. [Attack Rolls (d20 - both eels): 6 and 1 - the first is over your AC and below the eel's AV and the second is under your AC - Hit and Miss! Damage Roll (d6): 6!] The second eel digs its teeth deeply into your thigh and pulls down, slashing at your flesh as it goes. [You are now at 0 Grit (your first line of defense which can be quickly recovered during rest) and just 5 Flesh (your lasting hit points).]

You took the first eel out easily enough. You and your katana can certainly do the job, but as the pain shoots up your body from your leg, you can't help but feel like you are closer to death than you may think. They are close enough on you now that you know turning to run would ensure they would bite at you, at least one time each, but a single strong bite from them could bring you down... [Mechanically, each eel would get a Free Attack if you do anything but attack back during your round (this means casting a spell, running, etc.). Still, it may be worth the chance, but then again both eels are also bested by you with a single, strong attack each.]

[This is tough choice! Either way could go quite bad or quite good. I'll leave the decision in your hands! See you next week! - Christian]

PBB #19 is up now!

[ratedfleur]

I'm the anon who sent the jealous haohao in action, And yesss please! anything will do basta ma witness lang ang isa g selosong hao 🤭 emsss.

Also can I be 🐈‍⬛ anon?

series of scenarios where pogi is nagseselos.

🚫: drinking & implied harassment

🗒️: i hope this makes up for seloso!hao hihi and of course you could be 🐈‍⬛ anon!

scenario 1 )

— the moment his eyes lied upon you and jace, one of hao's enemies on campus for allegedly stealing his spot on the basketball team, hao immediately made a bee line towards you both, standing right behind you as his eyes struck lasers towards jace who rolled his eyes at him before quickly bidding his goodbyes with you.

scenario 2 )

— at first, hao heard his rival, valentino, from a different university, talking to someone behind him, he couldn't exactly hear who was val was talking to not until hao started looking for you amidst the crowd, not until he turned around and saw you standing right in front of val.

hao's eyes turned into slits before he went over to you, arm wrapping around your shoulder before you slightly jumped but relaxed once you recognized the person's scent.

hao simply raised his eyebrows at val before the latter raised his hands in defense.

"my bad, didn't know alyx was your property." "i was telling you that—“ "fuck off, valentino." hao spoke before he took you away from valentino who rolled his eyes before walking off.

scenario 3 )

— hao wasn't even jealous, he was rather upset he saw you smiling after shit talking that person with him.

"i thought we didn't like them, ganda." he'd say with a pout.

scenario 4 )

— "dude, get your hands off of me." you said while trying to get the guy's arm off of you. as usual, you were at a bar to cool off after the midterms.

the guy drunkenly laughed and kept his arm off of you and drank some more before trying to get you to drink with him.

"bro, fuck off." hao suddenly said from behind you, making you and the guy turn your head to face him. with that, hao quickly pulled your hand and made you stand behind him.

"bakit? shawty mo ba 'yan? pa-share naman bro." the drunk guy says while oogling his eyes at you before hao pushed him by his shoulders, "zhang!" you shrieked before pulling him away from the guy.

the guy was relatively shorter than hao, making it easier for the athlete to take him down if he wanted to.

"zhang, 'wag kang gumawa ng eskandalo dito." you scolded whilst pulling him away from the scene, making him trail behind you like a sad puppy.

"you nearly got harrassed, quervo—" "eh ano naman? kaya ko—" "gusto kita, i can't let that happen when i'm right there."

scenario 5 )

"nagseselos ako kasi—" hao said before a hiccup interrupted his own words, making him cover his mouth like a child who let out a secret.

"kasi?" you asked while taking the glass that's filled to the brim with gin before switching it out with a glass of water, making hao down the contents, thinking it was water.

“kasi.. kasi gusto kita tapos hindi mo ko pinapansin, sana mapansin mo how much i’m trying to do an effort to show you na gusto kita.” hao says like an honest child, blinking his eyes at you innocently like he didn’t just let a bomb explode.

scenario 6 )

"bakit ka ba nagseselos ha? ni-hindi mo nga malinaw kung ano ba talaga nararamdaman mo—" you told him, exasperated over hao's sudden actions earlier when he suddenly held onto your hand when you were conversing with a guy who he knew had the hots for you.

this had hao pondering whether he hasn't been showing his feelings to you despite liking you. "gusto kita, don't you get it? matagal na, hindi mo lang nakikita." he told you before you just kept walking, leaving him behind.

this has him shaking his head before he ran after you, grabbing your hand to pull you to him before he leaned in and stole a kiss from you. hao lets his lips linger on yours for a few seconds before he pulled away, "okay na?" he asked before you rolled your eyes and pulled your hand away before you left him again.

hao laughs and calls out to you, "pasalamat kang i like you and your topak!" he says while you flashed your middle finger at him as you kept walking while hao still kept laughing as he caught up to you.

[b5popup]

FAQ

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I don't like my prompts. Can I get new ones? You are permitted one re-roll with no guarantee the prompts from your first set won't also show up in your second set. But there are 2000 prompts, so it is fairly unlikely. You cannot see the list of prompts beforehand to exclude some. You are permitted to reinterpret the prompts extremely liberally with maximum creativity and it's not necessary that it be obvious how you got from the initial prompt to final execution. And lastly, if you don't like one prompt, there are still 29 remaining.

I like this prompt but it doesn't fit these particular characters... can I be flexible about the order of my list? Sorry, no can do. The list binds you, so select your characters wisely! You can, however, rework which character is which. E.g., "6 asks 8 to dance", and 6 = Lyta Alexander where 8 = Londo Mollari, you can write Londo asking Lyta to dance.

How many prompts can I use per fanwork? The rule is one prompt per fanwork, and once you use that prompt, you can't reuse it for the other fanworks remaining to win. So to win with two 1000-word fics, you must use two different prompts. (You are always free to incorporate more if you want! This is your world, you can do anything you want in here! 🎨️) To win with twenty 100-word drabbles, you must use twenty out of the thirty prompts, and it's one prompt per drabble. To win with the 5k fic, you need to incorporate five separate prompts.

Can I use OCs/self-inserts? You sure can! This can be an all-OC list if you wish. However, 'Reader' as a character will only be available for one character slot - you will need to pick 7 others.

I need an extension! There are no extensions. You must finish and post your work by Sept 30 at 23:59 (UTC) to be eligible for the win. We'll still reblog it later when you finish it! You just won't get the shiny badge and the bragging rights. 😞️

[fandoms-in-law]

Stories Chapter 9 - final chaper

chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 chapter 4 chapter 5 chapter 6 chapter 7 chapter 8

Summary: The redecorating is done, and all that's left is getting used to it. So Steve arranges a movie night for everyone

Authors comment: I had so much fun writing this and cannot thank everyone enough for all the support you've given me.

/\/\

 According to Eddie all the kids were thinking about now was how Steve had decorated other bits of the house and if he'd let them see it all at some point. That, at least, was the reason Steve gave for arranging a family movie night with everyone invited, from all the members of Hellfire, to Joyce, Hopper and Murray and even Argyle if he managed to get back to Hawkins for it. 

It wasn't a lie, just not the full reason because the bigger motivation was that Steve had finally got the carpet changed, and the furniture switched out with the old things put in storage. He was hoping not to store all of it for long, and was going to offer to the adults and young adults of the group that they should have a look through and decide if any of them want some of it. As long as the kids didn't steam-roll the evening he'd make the suggestion while everyone is together.

"There's no mural?" Dustin asked, staring around the living room as if one would appear on the walls. "I was sure that you'd have asked for one in here since you got one in the dining room along with that painting." 

Steve huffed a laugh, "Good observation Dustin. Thanks for a quieter reaction though. Did any of you actually think of films you want to watch or was everyone focused on how I've changed the living room?"

"We can watch films whenever. You'll surprise us with redecorating only this once. Of course that's what we want to judge." Mike stated as if expecting anything else was stupid. "But at least you kept the TV. That would have been a waste to get rid of."

Max scoffed form where she'd pulled El and Lucas down onto one of the massive cushions slightly shaped to be sofa like. "And you're not even judging it right. Like the mix up of these cushions and proper sofas is so weird. Couldn't just pick one type, could you?"

"So you want us to throw these out, right?" Steve countered, not even needing to glance at Robin for them both to grab an end of the cushion the trip were on and start pulling it towards the door.

He got squeals of laughter before Lucas and El were taking Max's words back for her. "Guess I'll have to keep it then."

...

Steve smirked when he saw Hopper quietly stepping away from the noise of his living room when they were between films and Robin was corralling the kids into actually making a decision on the next one.

"You finding parenting them all a bit hard." He asked, following and a teasing tone in his voice.

"Not sure how you manage it, even with all the energy of youth to help you." Hop grumbled, grabbing one of the beers he'd brought over.

Steve shrugged, "It's a gift."

"By the way, you had any luck getting hold of Owens?" The chief asked, keeping an eye on the door in a clear desire to not be interrupted asking about it.

"I think the number is either disconnected or he's got a way to block our numbers cause I can't get through." He answered, disgruntled. "But I'm still ready to put it right using that page to claim the money off Mr Harrington if you and Joyce will let me."

"Just call him the asshole. People round town are already calling you 'that young Mr Harrington' sometimes like this is some Austin nonsense. And no, we're not letting you risk him trying to fight back if he's not realised what he signed. You just got your place safe and made it a home." Hopper insisted.

"Then at least go through the furniture I'm getting rid of and take some of it, even if it's just to sell on. I bet a fancy bed could do wonders for your back." Steve segued easily. He'd hoped he could do something like that just to make Hopper more likely to accept.

There was still a moment where he was stared at as if Hopper knew what he'd tried to do and was trying to decide if he should reject the offer just in principle. "I'm paying you something for anything I decide to take. Don't care if you don't think you need it or shouldn't ask for it, and God knows I'm not going to get close to however much the asshole paid for the stuff, but you're taking something." Hopper sighed after a moment. 

"I'm offering to just give it to you though." Steve protested, but stopped at the flat look he was given.

"And I'm saying you shouldn't just give this stuff away. At least tell me you're going to properly sell the rest of it."

He was nodding before the sentence was finished. "I've gone to the auction house in Indie to get them to resell it. Plus Robin is scheming to get Hawkins High kids informed of this to see if some of the furniture gets brought back."

It was clear Hopper was going to say something more but both men picked up some call saying they couldn't explore. "Guess there's still some curiosity among the brats for all they hated not getting lifts from you."

…

Robin and Eddie were laughing on each others shoulders when they re-entered the living room, near the other door to the room.

From the look of Dustin and Lucas it was clear they were the ones to stop the laughing pair, which honestly made Steve start laughing too.

"It wouldn't be exploring when they were my main help in getting everything done,but how about I give everyone a tour, settle your curiosity before we eat and the next film is put on?" Steve decided. 

"Two rules: Judgement is okay, telling Steve what he should have done when it's really just your preference is not. Go through the shelves or cupboards and be sent back here. If that's not enough to stop snooping we can take tips from 'Charlie and the Chocolate factory'. Consequences are exaggerated and plausibly deadly." Robin cut in, grinning at the noises of complaints nobody actually voiced.

"No deadly or plausibly so consequences, including no throwing my kids in the pool." Steve countered, snapping his fingers back at her before leading the way upstairs. "I will let you see my room. Will's mural deserves to be shown off, but no brats are allowed in without supervision."

"Come on Steve. It fits with how they're acting." Robin goaded, still laughing as they all followed behind him. 

…

“Hang on a second. That's freaking metal!” Gareth stated, one of the last of the group to enter Steve's room and now frozen staring at the mural Will had painted covering the wall behind the door. “How do you dress all prep and pretentious, when you want something so – so metal on your walls? I thought Eddie convinced you to do it for the dining room, but here? What?”

The other elder Hellfire guys had pushed forwards while Gareth spoke to see and were nodding along with his words. The kids instead just stared at them for a moment, before Dustin scoffed. “I told you, Steve is metal. He's like awesome. Why does no-one believe me when I'm always right?”

“Ego check.” The groan came from Steve, leaning in the door frame before he shrugged at the other teens. “And this is what I'm used to wearing. That's what I keep ending up doing and we all protect each other. It's just life, with a twist Will gave it to make it look cooler.”

Eddie snickered, nodding at his friends, “And I am trying to convince him to have a makeover, try out a better style. It's slow work though.”

“One group of big changes at a time, Eds. Let's get used to the house being redecorated before redecorating me.” Steve countered, nudging him.

Gareth was still looking from Steve to the mural, before finally deciding, “You had better include trying out DnD at some point. If even half of what the shitheads say, and that mural shows, is in you then you'd be a great player.”

“Don't encourage them trying to make me join.” Steve groaned over a chorus of agreement from the kids to the words.

...

Since they'd actually changed the furniture of Steve's room, he'd spent a month sleeping in the guest bedroom. He liked it in his room during the day but adjusting to having all his things around him openly felt terrifying, even more so after he decided the shelves were a good place for his notebooks of stories.

The thought remained in his head that his parents would see and destroy everything was too ingrained in Steve to simply be shaken off. If he wasn't staring at it while trying to sleep it was easier to believe he was as safe from his parents as everyone was finally beginning to believe they were safe from the Upside down and government torture.

Robin and Eddie still haven't been allowed to look in the notebooks since the kids found them. They hadn't asked, nor really pished him to share his storytelling. The most that had been done was Eddie asking him for ideas on where he could take campaigns next and that Steve was happy to offer suggestions for. He'd never gotten in trouble for helping someone else share a story so it was safe to do.

Eddie begged for a sleepover after everyone had headed home from the movie night. He dragged Steve into his room as soon as he agreed, insisting they go to sleep cuddling on the bed, atop the covers since Steve didn't let go long enough after being pulled in for them to be pulled over after getting permission to cuddle.

It's that night that he finally starts to relax. He had spent the evening here with his family and their friends all around him, and even people he was still getting to know felt safe enough to comment and invite him into things, most people wouldn't imagine he'd enjoy.

With Eddie there now, his room must seem alive and welcoming to his friends, that meant it could be his now. He had his own space that he could decide when to share it and other people actually wanted to help him.

That meant some of his stories happy endings were real and as much as he denied it, wanting to believe in happily ever after but struggling to was the precise reason why he never shared them or tried to join in with others.

This felt a lot like a happy ever until the next change and Steve was happy with that. His friends would be with him through whatever came next regardless.

"Can you read me a story?" He asks, not trying to escape Eddie's arms until he pulled back to look for a book.

Eddie wouldn't find any, but that was fine cause Steve was already reaching for the notebook he wanted.

"Sure Stevie, anything particu-" It was clear when Eddie recognised what he was doing. "Are you sure?"

"We've got a happy ending so I want to hear about my friends getting one too." He shrugged, silently asking that there isn't a big deal made out of this.

Nothing is as the notebook is taken from his hand, Eddie flipping through the pages to a bookmark he'd watched Steve replace while moving his things onto the shelves. 

[droptoeholdyourhorses]

Thankfully I got to Wembley and back without running into any issues with the trains. Even just getting on at the station, I saw four other people wearing wrestling shirts and that number gradually increased the closer it got to London. The whole day had a similar atmosphere to when I attended WrestleMania 31. Wrestling. Fans. Everywhere.

I was up in the nosebleeds so not the best of views, having to rely on the screen above the ring for most of the night. The atmosphere more than made up for it. Although I am jealous of my work mate who also attended, had floor seats, and can be seen multiple times in the crowd throughout the show.

Ticketmaster told me the doors opened at 3:30, that Zero Hour would start at 5, and the main show would start at 6. Thank goodness I was in my seat by 4:15 because otherwise I would have missed Powerhouse Hobbs and Miro who were in the ring at 4:30. Imagine still being in line at the merch stand instead. Side note - I thought WWE replica titles were pricey going for £300 to £450. AEW replicas start at £650 and go up to £850.

From where I was sat, I had no clue it was Anthony Ogogo with Paul Wight and Grado. Genuinely thought it was Wardlow at first. Mercedes got a good reaction the first time she was shown but got a better pop the second time once more fans had filled in and the main show was underway.

I saw Aussie Open compete at NJPW Royal Quest in August 2019 and I didn't think much of them at the time. Fair play to the lads, they've had a hell of a few years since. Would have hoped for them to hold onto the ROH tag titles for longer. Don't think they'll be complaining about opening All In against the hottest act in the company though.

Not much reaction to this match in my section, although people were glad to see HOOK get the win. Jack Perry doing Rolling Thunder on top of the limo was also impressive. I do wonder how a casual fan checking out the show would react to Perry's comment about the limo having real glass.

"Well, duh, what else would it be?"

Every time I have seen Samoa Joe live, he's gotten a positive reaction whether playing face or heel. CM Punk was met with a mixed response, although I couldn't see anyone that didn't sing along with Cult of Personality. I understand the logic of "I'm gonna take your Real World Championship simply so you can't have it." I don't understand the logic of AEW promoting matches for a fake title. Will Thunder Rosa declare herself the Real Women's Champion when she returns? If this does end up being Punk's swansong, there are worse ways to go. From an on-screen perspective at least.

Omega, Ibushi, and Page losing was not popular with the live crowd, getting some "bull plop" chants. I wasn't that fussed personally, think it makes sense for Takeshita to keep building momentum ahead of the singles with Kenny. The six-man tag was fine for what it was but I wouldn't say there was anything particularly memorable here either.

Ahead of their usual Superkick Party theme, the Young Bucks had a short "Another One Bites The Dust" parody "A Superkick Knocks You Out". It wouldn't be the last time an act on the show would shoehorn in a Queen song. Both teams put on a solid match as you'd expected, definitely picking up the pace as it went on. Surprised that FTR retained given Cash's recent issues. Wembley was most respectful of the manner, singing "Wheeler's Got a Gun" to the tune of "Give It Up".

I like Eddie Kingston. I like Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends. I like the Blackpool Combat Club. It's a shame I was limited as to how much I got to see of them. And that's not because of the cheap seats. Stadium Stampede was always going to be a hard watch live with ten different guys in four or five different places at once. It felt like Eddie was gone for most of the match. Penta's transformation from El Zero Miedo to Oscuro did not come across well live either. Was mostly met by confusion and laughter. Massive reactions for Orange and of course SUE! Great to see Cassidy, Trent and Chuck get the win on such a big stage.

Remember the band Queen? Saraya sure does. Remember Queen Elizabeth II? Toni Storm sure does. Remember great women's wrestling? Tony Khan might be forgetting it. This match suffered from its placement on the card and there wasn't much crowd noise for it, at least where I was sat. Toni Storm accidentally decking Saraya's mum drew an "ooooooo" and Saraya got a good pop for the win.

I've now seen Sting wrestle for four different promotions - WWA, TNA, WWE, and AEW. It's amazing that he's still going at 64 and having such a great run to boot. Massive reaction for his old WCW theme Seek and Destroy too.

I saw a Casket match between Mr. Anderson and Bully Ray at a TNA show in 2014. Except they had a cheap wooden casket that looked like it would fall apart any second. I think the four guys in this would have preferred it, given how often each did a spot directly onto the coffin itself. Everyone delivered in this one.

Before making his proper entrance, Chris Jericho decided to mimic Freddie Mercury. Can't think why. Judas is a catchy song and having 80,000+ singing it all at once was immense. I know people wanted to see Will Ospreay against someone else, such as a third match with Kenny Omega, but I was hyped for this one. Always been a Jericho fan, one of the first wrestlers I remember seeing when I started watching in 2001. Ospreay is tremendous and I had only seen him live in a throwaway tag match previously. These two knocked it out of the park and this was probably my match of the night.

As soon as I got to Wembley Stadium and found my spot in the massive queue, there were already people singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". There were tributes to Bray Wyatt throughout the night and it reached its most poignant during House of Black's entrance.

Quite a contrast then when The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn won, leading to the World's Largest Scissoring.

Oh boy, this was a divisive one live. Some people around me loved it and were thrilled that friendship won out the night, some people thought the match had too much comedy and needed one guy betraying the other. One guy in my section would not stop shouting for Adam Cole to take his shirt off and take it seriously. I liked it for the most part. Wasn't a fan of the false double pin, even with the immediate restart. Glad that Better Than You Bay Bay is still going. Hope All Out doesn't undo it immediately.

Overall, I had a great time at All In and very much hope I can go again in 2024. Would have liked to attend with someone rather than be on my own, but did get to meet up with my work mate for a burger after the show. I also got to see Cash Wheeler, Sonjay Dutt, Wheeler Yuta and SUE! in passing too. Fun times all round... was absolutely exhausted after. Luckily, there's no more London shows this year...

At least, I'm not currently planning to go to Royal Quest III anyhow.

[2nd2ndalto]

When I Get Home to You

Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Younger-Nico isn’t sure how long he and Hazel have been “gone” once they return to their spots on the couch, but when they do, Will has the baby asleep on one shoulder, his husband cuddled into the other. That’s not the only reason younger-Nico feels the need to move but nevertheless, he just can't quite bear to be around so many people for any longer, and when he asks if it’s okay for him to walk the dog, Will agrees immediately.

By the time he and Sticks return to the little house with the lush garden, the sun is setting, casting the leafy vines around the front door in reddish light and shadow. The house smells warm and welcoming as they step inside.

No one seems to hear Nico at the front door, but there’s a clatter and a shout from the kitchen, and as Nico enters, it’s to the sound of both men laughing; older-Nico bent over clutching his stomach, Will’s hand on his back. Younger-Nico can’t help the feeling he’s intruding, but both men turn towards him at the same time, grinning.

“Oh, perfect!” Will exclaims, (a phrase Nico can’t ever remember being greeted with) “you’re just in time for dinner. Sit.”

Nico is even hungrier than he thought he was, and all three are quiet as they begin their meal. After a few minutes he thinks to say, “sorry for taking off earlier. I just... needed some space."

The longer he’s here, the more it’s like a tangible ache, not being able to disappear into the shadows. But he’s scared that if he did, he’d wind up somewhere or some-when far worse.

“No, don’t apologize, it’s fine,” Will assures him, adding more pasta to his plate without being asked, apparently dissatisfied with the amount Nico had served himself. “There were a lot of people to meet today.” Will glances at his husband, laughter in his eyes. “Nico’s still not really a people person.”

Older-Nico rolls his eyes. “I’m perfectly fine. It’s just that you and Sticks are usually enough people for me.”

Will snorts.

“What? You should both be honoured to be my preferred company.”

Will tosses a crouton at him. His husband grins and dodges, and Sticks leaps up seemingly from nowhere to snag it. Younger-Nico laughs, and both men smile at him in surprise.

“Um… did I miss anything? After I left?”

Will sets his fork down, considering. “Yeah, a bit.” He glances at his husband, who nods, his mouth full. “We might have figured out the glitch, as Hazel called it.”

“Mmm,” his older self agrees, taking a sip of water. “Hazel and I took a poke through my memories of that day - they’re not as fresh as yours - but you remember the strixes near DOA?”

Younger-Nico nods.

“You shadow-travelled away from them and tried to head to Connecticut to enter the Underworld there instead, right? In my memory, I killed the strixes and went into the Underworld through the main entrance.” He shrugs. “Hazel says the variation might not have made a difference under normal circumstances, but because these time monsters are around… it might have drawn their attention, and then the one that you killed at the university? It pulled you off course.”

“Wow,” Nico says, frowning. “Way off course, though.”

His older self nods. “Hazel’s hoping it was just a conglomeration of weird circumstances - these unusual monsters combined with a significant event and a particularly powerful demigod… plus the shadow-travel, which is already messing with time a little on a good day.”

“And so…?” Younger-Nico sits back.

“So that’s all we know for now,” Will says. “Hazel will be in touch as soon as she can tell us more. Soon, I’m sure.” And when younger-Nico doesn’t answer, twisting his napkin between his fingers and staring into the middle distance, Will hisses teasingly, “keep eating,” and Nico can’t help smiling. His older self rolls his eyes, shaking his head when Will isn’t looking.

And yeah, it’s still weird - to see his older self moving so easily within someone else’s orbit, sharing careless touches and easy jokes. But he watches the man out of the corner of his eye and older-him looks peaceful. Happy. Younger-Nico is surprised to realize there’s a small, hopeful part of himself that’s begun to ache at the idea that someday, somewhere, there will be someone to laugh over dinner preparations with. A home, and someone to come home to.

“By the way,” older-Nico says, when the three of them have mostly finished their meal, “Percy texted me earlier. He says Cam won’t stop talking about you. His brother and sister are jealous they didn’t get to meet you today.” He grins at his younger self.

“He’s a really sweet kid,” Younger-Nico smiles. “Hey,” he continues after a moment, remembering, “Cam mentioned something about having two dads?”

“Oh,” his older self blinks. “Yeah. So, Percy and Annabeth have always wanted kids, but like all of us, they’d had kind of traumatic childhoods fighting wars and whatnot. Even with two demigod parents, there’s a chance your kid will still have powers, monsters will still come after them, they’ll have to go to Camp to stay safe…” the man pauses to snag a crouton off Will’s plate and Will bats his hand away.

“Percy and Annabeth just decided it was too much of a risk. They didn’t want their kids to have to go through that if they could avoid it. So what, maybe eight years ago?” older-Nico glances at his husband, who nods. “They started fostering. And they fostered this sibling group - there were just two of them at the time, now there are three - and after a couple of years they adopted them officially. It’s an open adoption though, hence the two dads. The kids still see their bio parents fairly regularly.”

“That sounds complicated,” younger-Nico frowns.

“Yeah, maybe. Sometimes.” his older self nods. “But hey - more adults in your life who care about you? You can’t really argue with that. And for Percy and Annabeth, the extra complication was worth it.”

“I don’t think I want kids,” Nico says, pushing what’s left of his salad to the side of his plate.

Will and his husband glance at each other.

“Do - do I?” he blinks at his older self.

The man smiles. “Well. Will and I both love kids. We talked about having our own years ago. Back then, the monsters were more of a concern for us. They don’t bother us as much anymore. At the time, we decided we couldn’t live with putting kids at risk.”

“And now?

Will laughs. “Maybe now we’re too comfortable. We’ve got lots of kids in our lives, anyway. Percy’s kids, now Hazel’s daughter. My demigod and mortal siblings have lots of kids. We’re kind of enjoying being the fun uncles.”

“And we have Sticks,” Older-Nico adds, scratching her head, which is resting in his lap.

“Yeah, we have Sticks,” Will grins.

“Hey, have you met Cerberus yet?” older-Nico asks his younger self.

“Yeah,” Nico feels his face break into a smile.

“What a sweetheart,” his older self grins.

Will rolls his eyes. “Only the two of you would be fawning over the guardian beast of the Underworld.”

___

Hours later, Nico is lying wide awake in the spare room, gazing at the ceiling as the occasional light from a passing car flashes across the walls. He’d been completely exhausted by nine pm, relieved to retreat to the peace and quiet of this room and fall into bed. But now it’s not long past midnight and his mind is buzzing again. It makes sense, he reasons. But it’s not helping with sleep.

The bed is perfectly comfortable, the house exactly the right temperature, but gods it’s been just over 24 hours that he’s been here and the stillness is already making him itchy. The past couple of years have taught him that too much stillness means too much time to think. And thinking is too much.

After another twenty minutes tossing and turning, Nico pads quietly out of the room. The night is clear and the moon is bright, illuminating his path down the hallway. He hesitates, wondering if he should retrieve his boots from the front door and go for a walk.

Just then, he hears Sticks haul herself up and shake. The noise of her tags jingling seems ear-splitting in the silent house. The dog click-clacks into the hallway, trotting straight past Nico and forcefully nosing the other bedroom door open. The door flies wide, squeaking on its hinges, and Nico freezes. Sticks leaps up onto the bed, where Nico can just make out the forms of the two men sleeping side by side, Will’s arm draped over his older self, his face pressed to the back of Nico’s neck. Before he can think better of it, younger-Nico sends a sleeping charm their way, and hurries out into the back yard.

____

Older-Nico pushes the back door open, stepping out into the moonlight-laced back yard. The night air is fresh and alerting, the grass cool under his feet. He pads barefoot across the grass to the fire pit, where a small blaze sends flickering light across the form of his younger self, sitting on the ground with his knees drawn up, sword lying next to him. Sticks puts on a burst of speed, stopping abruptly in front of the boy and rolling onto her back at his feet.

“Hey,” Nico greets the kid. “Nice fire.”

“Hope that’s okay. It was a little cold,” the boy comments, glancing up.

“Yeah, of course.” Nico sits down, closing his eyes to the warmth of the fire on his face.

“I couldn’t sleep. Sorry if I woke you,” his younger self says.

Nico raises an eyebrow. “Actually, it was your sleeping charm that woke me,” and the boy’s eyes go wide.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he stammers. “Just - the dog pushed your door open when I got up and I didn’t want to disturb you-”

Nico shakes his head, smiling, “no, no worries. I figured it was something like that.” And the boy’s shoulders visibly relax. “The charm probably worked just fine on Will. It’s just that I’m always… more aware. When I’m asleep. So it got my attention.”

The boy nods. “Right, of course.”

There’s a long pause wherein they both gaze into the crackling fire, the boy absentmindedly scratching the dog at his feet.

“Everyone here…” he begins after a while. “Everyone here just seems to… trust me.”

Older-Nico shrugs. “Well. Everyone here already knows you,” he says gently. “They know you’re trustworthy.”

The boy exhales slowly, staring into the flames. “Are you trying to tell me that I need to let people know me, if I want to be trusted?” he asks bleakly.

Older-Nico shakes his head. “Nah. I mean, that’s probably true, but I’m not trying to tell you anything. I’m still figuring it out myself, to be honest.”

“And I won’t be able to remember any of this anyway, will I?” the boy glances at him. And he doesn’t look sad. Just resigned.

Nico swallows. “I figured you might have already thought of that. Or did Hazel say something?”

“No,” the boy sighs. “But it just makes sense, right? You don’t remember any of this from your past. If I know too much about what comes next, I might mess everything up.”

“Yeah. Sorry,” Nico murmurs. “I mean - I don’t know how you feel about remembering any of this… but I’m sorry you have to lose more memories. It’s not fair.”

“It’s fine. I get it. I don’t have to bathe in the Lethe again do I?” The boy wrinkles his nose.

Nico shakes his head. “Oh, no. That would be overkill. You just need to forget a couple of days. Hazel can take care of that pretty easily. It’s a lot… gentler.”

The boy nods thoughtfully. He pokes at the fire with his sword, adjusting a log. “I wouldn’t… I mean. I wouldn’t mind remembering some of this.” He glances up at his older self tentatively.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s… it’s all a lot to take in, but… it’s not… bad.”

Nico shrugs, smiling. “Yeah, that’s my take on it.”

The boy pokes at the fire again, and sparks fly into the night sky. “I… I never imagined any of this for myself,” he says softly.

“Yeah, I remember,” Older-Nico agrees. There was never the time or the space to imagine anything like this at twelve. He probably wouldn’t have felt he deserved it if there had been.

“And so what… what do you think?” He’s not sure why he’s nervous to hear the boy’s answer. He’s pretty pleased with the way his life has turned out.

The boy gives a small smile. “Yeah, it’s good.” He pauses. “You have a great dog.”

Nico grins. “Yeah, definitely. I mean… Will’s pretty okay too. He grows on you.”

“He’s really nice,” the boy says shyly. “It’s… peaceful here,” he adds after a moment.

Nico raises an eyebrow. “Why do I get the feeling you mean boring?”

The boy smiles wider now. “Maybe a little. Not in a bad way.”

Nico laughs. “I guess we were ready for some peace. It feels like it was a long time coming. Honestly it’s… it’s a pretty full life. I don’t really have any complaints. But it’s a far cry from what’s going on with you right now.”

The boy nods and there’s silence, apart from the crackling of the fire.

“So you’re from 2009. September?” Older-Nico muses after a while.

“Yeah.”

“So right after the Battle of Manhattan, then.”

“Yeah. Dunked Percy in the Styx. Dad helped me raise an army of skeletons. Percy and Annabeth just started dating,” the boy shrugs.

“Right, that,” Nico wrinkles his nose, staring into the fire. It had felt like the end of the world at the time. Despite the fact that he’d just pulled of the impressive feat of convincing his father to assist in the battle. Despite the fact he’d just helped save the world. “But then… you stayed at Camp for a few weeks, right?”

“Yeah,” the boy shifts awkwardly, frowns. “There’s a Hades cabin now. I don’t know, though. It was pretty obvious that one wanted me there. I left not long before I ended up here.”

Older-Nico considers. “Well. I know what you mean. But that’s also not entirely true - that no one wanted you there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that - back in September 2009… well. There’s a certain blonde medic who just spent the last month developing a pretty big crush on you,” Nico grins at him.

The boy’s brow furrows, and then - “oh.” His eyes go wide.

The man shrugs. “You won’t find out about it for at least another year… but yeah.” He’s really smiling now.

The boy shakes his head, a bashful smile starting to pull at his lips. “Are you sure? Like, now?”

His older self laughs. “Yeah, pretty sure. I mean, you can go ask our husband if you don’t believe me.” He tips his head in the direction of the house.

The boy drops his face into his hands. “Gods. Husband.” He laughs.

“Weird, right? He’ll say you were being dense.”

After a long moment the boy raises his head, still looking a little embarrassed. But maybe… hopeful? “The two of you have been together all that time? Since… 2010?”

Nico raises his eyebrows as if the idea surprises him, too. “Yeah, more or less. Like… gods, almost 25 years. You know,” he shrugs, smiling a bit bashfully, “soulmate shit.”

“You believe in that?”

Older-Nico shrugs. “I don’t know, really. But if I did… he’s mine,” he says simply. “And, you know. It’s not like having Will around has solved all my problems. Like I said before, there are still hard times. You still… are who you are. You still go through some stuff that really sucks. But… it’s pretty great to have someone to share it with.” His voice sounds a little rough now, and he takes a moment to breathe.

“Do you still do… demigod stuff?” The boy asks after a pause. “Or do you have… a job?”

It must be disconcerting, Nico thinks. Back at eleven, twelve, thirteen… demigod stuff was all he did. There wasn’t really any choice in the matter, nor much time to consider that there might be a life beyond that. Beyond surviving.

“Yeah, we still do demigod stuff. And job stuff too.” He smiles at his younger self. He hopes he’s not just imagining that the boy looks a bit more relaxed now that he did this morning. A bit more thoughtful, a bit less wretched. “Will and I both teach at the university where you ran into him, actually. And we usually help out with training at one Camp or the other during the summer. Will - well, obviously he still uses his healing powers. I run some errands for Dad once in a while.”

The boy’s eyebrows rise. “And how’s… that?”

Nico laughs. “It’s okay, honestly. We have a decent relationship now.” As bizarre as that probably sounds. “Honestly I expected him to call me up more often than he does. He wants me to be happy, though. Live a somewhat normal life.”

The boy blinks. “Really? Did he actually say that?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t believe it either. And then I figured it was probably mostly just talk. But it seems like he meant it. As godly parents go, he’s… not bad. He actually comes up here every so often - Persephone gets an itch to do some gardening and complain about the way we’re watering the plants… and she brings Hades along. We all hang out, have dinner. Sit around the fire pit.”

The boy laughs in surprise, maybe at the truly bizarre image of the Lord of the Underworld roasting marshmallows in Nico’s back yard.

Nico smiles in response. “I know, it really is something.” He shakes his head. “He kept asking about grandchildren for a while after we got married -”

“Oh, wow,” the boy interjects.

“- yeah, but I think he’s given up now,” Nico laughs. “He and Sticks like each other, though.”

“And… W-Will?” the boy asks tentatively after a moment.

“Yeah,” Nico nods. “Will too. Will and Dad get along just fine.”

The boy looks down at his feet. “So then he’s okay with…”

“Yeah,” Nico says gently. “He’s okay with it.” Then he snorts. “I mean honestly, he kidnapped his wife. I’m not really too invested in his opinions on my romantic relationships.”

The boy laughs. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I mean… I am glad, though. That they get along.”

The two sit in silence for a moment, and… it’s nice. Talking to his younger self. Incredibly bizarre, but somehow he’s already getting used to it. He’ll miss the kid when he’s gone. Nico leans over to reach for a branch on the ground and tosses it into the fire. The flames are starting to die down.

“Hey,” he says after a long moment. “I know right now it… it seems like the whole… our… your… back in your time…” He stops, trying to piece together what he actually wants to say. Which words are the right ones. He glances up at his younger self, but the boy looks just as confused as he feels, and maybe a little like he might think his older self is losing his grip. They gaze at each other for a long moment until suddenly it feels like too long and gods, Nico is starting to panic and he really needs to say something-

“You…” he finally chokes out in desperation. “You know that I’m… gay.”

They stare at each other a moment longer, frozen, eyes wide. The boy’s mouth twitches and for a horrible second Nico thinks he’s going to cry. But then he laughs. His nose scrunches and his mouth splits into a wide grin and he’s laughing, hard enough that he can’t catch his breath. “Yeah, I know,” he gasps, doubled over.

And then Nico’s laughing too, because gods what a stupid thing to say. And because it’s a beautiful thing, watching this kid laugh, bright and aching.

“Was it-” Older-Nico gasps out, “was it the husband that gave it away?” and the kid laughs even harder.

Sticks lets out an annoyed grunt from where she’d dozed off between their feet, pulls herself up and shakes. The two sons of Hades’ laughter fades to an occasional gasp or choke, both of them wiping at their eyes in the dying firelight.

“Fucking hell,” Nico groans, scrubbing his hands over his face. “That’s not actually what I meant to say - well, sort of, but that’s not how I meant to say it.”

His younger self gives him a true, honest smile, and Nico’s pretty sure it’s the best thing he’s seen all week.

“What I meant, I think,” Nico pauses, trying to assemble his thoughts. Gods, he’s over-tired and this has been the stupidest 24 hours. “I know that all - you know, your… sexu - your orientation… gods.” He buries his face in his hands. He’s almost forty fucking years old. Surely he should be able to talk about this.

“Okay, yeah?” his younger self sounds equally embarrassed, and that helps a bit.

Nico takes a deep breath. “Sorry. I know that right now, it’s…” he gestures vaguely. “It’s… It feels like a lot. Right? And with… you know. Percy. It all seems like the end of the fucking world. But I promise it’s really not. It’s just like… a blip. In the bigger picture. I think that’s what I wanted to say. Maybe,” he finishes weakly. He seriously considers throwing himself into the remains of the fire. Or maybe shadow-travelling back to bed. That’d probably be rude, though.

His younger self lets out an embarrassed laugh. “Yeah. Okay. Noted.”

Nico swallows, summoning a bit more coherence. “Sometimes it seems like all you want is Percy, right? But I promise you don’t. He’s just some dude with a cool sword and pretty eyes.”

The boy laughs shyly.

Nico shakes his head. “Stupid Percy.”

“Stupid Percy,” the boy agrees tentatively after a moment.

“See? Doesn’t that feel better?” Older-Nico grins. No offense to Percy. He’s pretty sure Percy would be on board.

“But… he was really nice today,” the boy allows. “Or yesterday, I guess.”

“Oh sure, now he’s nice,” Nico grumbles.

The fire’s burned down to embers now, although the full moon still bathes the backyard in cool, ghostly light. It’s really late now, and Nico can feel it in the itching in his eyes and the ache in his bones.

“About Hazel…” the boy begins after a moment. “I meet her soon, she said.”

Nico nods. “Mmm. Yeah. Like I said before, it’s… kind of a long story.” He leans back, stretches. For a moment he thinks longingly of his warm bed, the warm man waiting there, ready to pull Nico sleepily back into his arms.

But instead he says, “it’s getting kind of cool out here… but if you want to talk more, we could go inside?”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” the boy says shyly. “I mean… I thought… since I won’t remember any of this…”

“You can ask me anything?” Nico smiles.

“Would that be okay?”

“Absolutely.”