#SHIV TO SAVE THE DAY

[ravensmadreads]

OHMYGOD-

Denim on Denim

A Seams x Grays crossover

Summary: Joel tries to get a haircut - but it turns out he can’t do anything in the QZ without getting into a fistfight, and you’re lucky enough to be in the audience.

Warnings: Mildly spicy thoughts, two sexy men fighting, language, reader was a hairdresser prior to the outbreak and has a nickname related to her job, no use of Y/N, no physical descriptions of reader, very lightly edited.

This oneshot can be read independently of the two series, but for the full experience, I recommend reading at least Grays. This is a post-outbreak AU of Grays, and is set before Seams Joel leaves the QZ. Part of the Shiv's salon drabbles.

Word count: 2.7k

Notes: A whole year after my random thoughts about how Joel's hair looks that good in an apocalypse and a random notif on this post that reminded of it, we finally get Joel to Shiv's salon... or do we? 🤷🏻‍♀️ I had a blast writing this oneshot - it's a bit silly, a bit spicy, I hope you enjoy it ❤️

‘Goddamnit.’

Joel swipes viciously at the curl hanging over eyes, like a boxer at a punchbag. Try as he might to slick it back, every time his shovel hits the dirt, the hair uncoils, bouncing obnoxiously in his field of vision.

He needs a fucking haircut. Tess usually does it for him every month or so, but she’s been in a mood - snapping at him, keeping him at arm’s length, she hasn’t even been to his apartment for two whole weeks.

This time of the year is hard for her. He knows all too well that he’s the same every September. They’re in each of their own time loops, a cage within the trappings of the QZ.

‘You look like you need a trim, bro.’

Joel barely glances up. He knows the guy, they share a surname after all. People call him Ben, or Benny, and even an old man like him knows he’s a good-looking son of a bitch.

They work the same shifts sometimes, and he knows Tess has crossed paths with him at the illegal fight nights. Joel has also seen him a few times at the bar, where he’s usually surrounded by even more good-looking motherfuckers.

Joel knows he’s a damn flirt too. He always has pretty words for Tess when he sees her. He’s harmless though, and he supposes that she deserves sweet nothings from at least one Miller since he’s no good at them.

Realising he hasn’t responded, Joel grunts noncommittally, self-consciousness prickling the back of his neck.

‘I know someone, she was a professional hairdresser before all this.’

Joel ignores him and keeps shovelling.

‘If you tell her you know me, she’ll give you a good rate.’

More shovelling.

‘Alright man, my shift’s up. See you ‘round.’

Five steps, and Joel sighs, digging the shovel into the dirt.

‘Wait.’

Joel stands on the doorway, and stares.

There’s an actual backwash in the corner of the dingy living room - well, living space. There are no doors in the tenement apartments.

‘You waiting for it to say hello back, or what?’

His eyes snap to yours, a scowl drawing his brows together.

Not that you look at all intimidated, one eyebrow arched high and an amused smile sitting lopsided on your lips, which he will admit throws him just a bit. He’s not used to having to work for it.

Giving you a tight nod, he takes two steps into the apartment. He recognises the layout, a mirror of his own, which is a few blocks away.

Closing the door with a flourish behind him, you ask brightly, ‘You’re here for a haircut?’

He’s about to answer when something winks at him, and he looks up, momentarily blinded by the reflection of afternoon light in the cracked mirror that hangs over a battered styling station.

Your apartment has windows that don’t look directly onto the next building, and sun floods the space. Even light is a real rarity in the shithole of a QZ, where everything indoors is dingy. He idly wonders if you had to bribe someone -

Distracted, he catches the sliver of a shadow moving from the corner of his eye a split second later than he would if he was on high alert. On reflex, his fingers find the hilt of his knife and he whips it out in a wide arc, swinging to his left where gunmetal catches the afternoon light.

‘Drop it!’ he barks, the same moment as the other man growls, ‘The fuck are you doing in my home with a knife?’

To Joel’s bewilderment, you chuckle somewhere to his right, amused. ‘C’mon guys. Dramatic, much?’

‘He snuck up on me,’ Joel growls defensively.

‘Frankie, put your gun away, dude’s just here for a haircut - I’m assuming anyway, he never did answer my question.’

‘Yes, I’m here for a haircut,’ he snaps, resheathing his knife. ‘Fuck would I be doin’ here if not?’

‘Fuck should I know, dipshit?’ retorts Frankie, tucking his gun in the back of his jeans. ‘You always bring a knife to your haircuts?’

‘D’ya always threaten to shoot paying customers?’

‘No, we definitely do not.’ You step into the space between the two men in case they get snippy with each other again. ‘Who sent you?’

Your customer crosses his arms, and you can’t help noticing the fabric of his shirt stretching across those broad shoulders. ‘Blondie.’

‘Blondie?’ you frown, confused. ‘Oh wait, you mean Ben? I thought I recognised you. I’ve seen you at one of his fights, with your wife? What’s her name now -’

‘Tess,’ he replies, then promptly looks like he wishes he’d stopped himself before he answered. ‘She’s not my -’ he trails off, and it’s clear he doesn’t like how you’re reading him at the moment, grumbling, ‘None of your damn business.’

‘Hey, you watch your mouth around my lady, old man,’ warns Frankie, ratcheting up the tension again.

Squaring his shoulders, the man seems to grow two inches. ‘Or what?’

Suddenly aware of being caught in the crossfire between your protective husband on one side, and this gruff, silvered stranger on the other, heat bubbles unbidden under your skin, the unexpected reaction from your body catching you off guard.

Biting your lower lip, you clear your throat, and somehow you sound steadier than you feel when you dispense the orders. 

‘Ok, this is enough. Frankie, sit down over there,’ you say, pointing him in the direction of the couch on the other side of the room. ‘And you - since you’re Benny’s friend, two ration cards.’

‘’M not his friend,’ he almost spits out that last word, as if it tastes weird.

You give him a pointed look. ‘Three ration cards, then.’

He huffs, and hands you two from his back pocket. ‘Fine, I’m Benny’s friend.’

You grin. ‘If you’re besties, it’s one.’

‘Don’t push it.’

You back off with a chuckle. ‘Fine, not besties. Maybe next time. Now sit.’

Joel does as he’s told, awkwardly, in the styling chair, a relic from the pre-outbreak days. It creaks dangerously under his weight, and it wobbles, slightly off-kilter. The cracked leather is warm from the sun, which seeps into his skin, and he finds himself wondering when was the last time he went to a hair salon.

Sarah used to love cutting his hair. She always made an afternoon out of it on one of his rare days not working overtime, putting the music on, setting up her Barbie mirror on the dining room table, and having him pick out a hairstyle from a magazine (it never looked anywhere near like the photos). She’d even put a disposable raincoat over him like a hairdresser’s cape. She really wasn’t any good, there’s a reason why Tommy didn’t let her anywhere near his curls, but he always wore her handiwork with pride -

So lost in his thoughts, he reacts purely on instinct when, for the first time in decades, fingers other than his own find his hair.

Swivelling around, he’s out of the chair in a split second, fingers wrapped tight around your wrists. You yelp as he pushes you back against the wall, which he sees from the shape of your lips but doesn’t hear over the blood pounding in his ears.

Joel barely holds you there for a second before he’s yanked backwards by a hand on the back of his collar, and he stumbles, crashing into the adjacent wall. He barely misses the fist heading towards his face, ducking just in time to save himself what would undoubtedly have been a broken nose.

He barrels into the younger man with his shoulder, expecting him to tumble back, and is surprised when he doesn’t budge. Joel’s aware he’s got a few years on him, but he more than holds his own against punks that age on the daily. This guy clearly has a background in combat, and it’s taking Joel everything to stay on his feet.

In the meantime, you’re still plastered against the wall, dazed by your customer’s reaction. Heck, you haven’t even gotten his name yet before he literally jumped you. He’s a skittish one, that’s for sure. 

You smile at the memory of Frankie’s first time with you at the salon - he’d give this guy a good run for his money. Lucky for him, you’ve always been good at wrangling the nervous ones.

Speaking of, the two men are now literally wrestling in front of you. If you had to venture a guess by the grays in the hair, you reckon your customer is pushing fifty. He’s built like a fucking tank though, and he’s giving everything he’s got.

So you decide to watch for a little while. Boys will be boys, best leave them to let off some steam. Leaning against the wall, you get comfortable, and you think wistfully to yourself that Ashton would have loved this view.

You’re not sure how you missed that they’re both wearing denim on denim, and you would struggle to pick out which is your husband if not for the hat on his head. Yes, the damn cap survived the apocalypse with him.

They are remarkably similar in build, though your customer seems to stand just a couple of inches taller. His biceps flex and bulge through the shirt sleeves as he scuffles with Frankie, teeth bared; meanwhile, your husband plants his feet, jeans stretched tight over his adorable little ass, trying to hold the man back long enough to throw a punch.

If the room was warm when they were trading barbs, it’s positively sweltering right now.

All you can see are broad shoulders and fabric bursting at the seams, grappling fingers and clenched fists. Back muscles rippling through denim, teasing slivers of skin and soft bellies when shirttails ride up and jeans fall low. The cheerful afternoon sun kisses their skin golden, casting long shadows across the creaking wooden floor.

And they’re not quiet. Throaty grunts as they jostle, panted breath peppered with cusses, fuck’s and sons of bitches as they wrestle for control.

Suddenly, you’re the one who’s out of breath despite not moving a muscle.

As much as you would’ve loved to stand and watch, you can tell both men are starting to get winded. You don’t exactly want the show to end, entertainment is hard to come by in the QZ, let alone of such a visually stimulating variety, in your own living room. But you think you hear the older man wheeze, their shirts are now stained with sweat, and the frantic energy they started with turns heavy with lethargy.

With a rueful sigh, you speak up, ‘Frankie, come on, that’s enough now.’

He growls, ‘No fucking way. He tried to hurt you!’

‘He barely touched me. It was just his PTSD acting out.’

‘I don’t have PTSD,’ the man protests, shooting you a glare before dodging an elbow.

‘There’s no shame in having PTSD,’ you admonish him. ‘Or in getting help.’

‘Why don’t you give me a hand then?’ he scoffs, tipping his head at Frankie.

‘Yeah, looks like you can use it,’ your husband taunts him.

‘Sure you can’t, asshole? Can’t even take down an old man on your own?’

‘I hope you're hungry, 'cause you're gonna eat your words, asshole -’

Hands on hips, you roll your eyes at the exceedingly average trash talk. ‘You know what? I tried asking nicely - I’m going in.’

It’s a tight squeeze, but somehow, you find a space between the elbows and shoulders and knees, and you wedge yourself in. It’s hot and humid between the two men, who are still trying to get at each other, despite the fact that you now have one hand on each of their chests, trying to pry them apart. Trapped between the two solid walls of chest, their raw strength vibrates through you, through harsh panting breath, the musk of sweat and man, and denim rubs rough on your bare skin where you’re pressed up against them.

It’s not hard to imagine being in this position in an entirely different situation, with the axis tilted, on a softer surface. Heat prickles all over you like needles, and unbeknownst to you, your thighs press together, and your panties start to feel sticky -

‘What the fuck are you doing?’ asks Frankie, incredulous as he looms over you, still grabbing onto the other guy’s shirt.

You bat your eyelashes at him, then crane your neck over your shoulder to wink at the other man. A little spiral of a curl dangles over his eyes as he glares at you, puffs of warm air hitting the shell of your ear. 

Knowing that your best chance of breaking off this nonsense is to wildly offend both men, you purr, ‘Making a delicious sandwich ‘cause I’m famished -’

Frankie flushes bright red instantly, and he roars, ‘Get your filthy hands off my wife, son of a bitch!’

Not that his hands are anywhere near you (a trategy), nonetheless, the man jumps five feet back, as if you burned him. He may deny Tess being his wife, but the look of absolute horror of being accused of touching you speaks volumes.

You can tell he would have doubled over catching his breath, hands on his knees, if not for his pride. Stubbornly, he stands tall, hands on hips, chest heaving.

‘Bit jumpy, are we?’ you quip.

‘You always that handsy?’ he retorts.

‘Can’t help myself with beautiful curls like yours,’ you wink, and your smile widens when he flushes.

Frankie throws up his hands in disbelief. ‘Shiv, I’m standing right here.’

‘You always are,’ you tease, pressing a kiss to his pinched lips. ‘Now, go take a walk, you've made enough of a scene.’

‘I’m not leaving you here with him -’

The older man scoffs. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not interested in your woman.’

You feign indignation. ‘Hey! That’s hurtful.’

‘You should be, jackass!’ Frankie gripes, and promptly looks as confused as the other man at his own pronouncement.

Taking his hand, you pull him towards the door. ‘Go on babe, you were going to have a drink with Pope anyway. I got everything under control.’

‘Alright,’ Frankie relents, but not before he points a menacing finger at your customer. ‘If he tries anything -’

‘I know where the gun is,’ you finish his sentence.

Pressing one final kiss to your lips and throwing a glare over your shoulder, Frankie turns and leaves - and you preen at the knowledge that he trusts you can take care of yourself.

Once the door closes, you smile. ‘So… should we start over?’

 The man snorts. ‘I’d say.’

‘I’m Shiv,’ you say, but you don’t offer him your hand. He doesn’t seem to be the handshaking type.

He picks up on your perception, studying you with curious eyes. ‘Joel.’

Pushing the swivel chair back to the styling station, you gesture at him to retake his seat, and this time, you make sure his eyes are on yours in the mirror while you stand over his shoulder.

‘Hair’s a bit long, huh?’ you remark, eyeing the ringlet over his eyes.

‘It’s drivin’ me nuts,’ he admits.

You hold up your hands this time, giving him plenty of notice. ‘May I?’

He nods, and you start small, wrapping the spiral around your index finger with a grin. ‘I wasn’t just saying it, y’know. You do have beautiful hair.’

He shifts awkwardly, the chair squeaking, obviously uncomfortable with compliments. ‘Dunno. I’m all gray and shit.’

‘As someone wise once said, grays are sexy as fuck,’ you assure him. Running your fingers through his curls, you study the texture critically, noting the blunt ends and uneven thickness. Nothing a professional haircut can’t fix. ‘Trust me, I’m very wise.’

He hums, unconvinced, but you can see the lines around his eyes crease in amusement. ‘If you say so.’

You wink at him in the mirror. ‘When I’m done with you, Tess will have the hardest time keeping her hands to herself.’

‘What makes you think she doesn’t already?’

It takes you a moment to unfreeze, stunned by his retort. At his arched eyebrow, you burst into laughter. ‘You’re a sassy one, aren’t you, Joel?’

He huffs, half-amused, and shakes his head. ‘It’s a haircut, not a miracle.’

You squeeze his shoulder, grinning when he doesn’t jump at the contact. ‘Trust me, I’m just that good at my job.’

More notes: If you enjoyed this oneshot, I wrote a series of drabbles of Shiv giving other Pedro boys haircuts - you can find them in the Grays masterlist 🩶 I may write more for this universe and some point if inspiration strikes again, thank you for reading!

And if you wanted an inspo shot of Joel's hair, here you go ❤️

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

[stardustedknuckles]

The more I think about Essek and Astrid the funnier the implications are. Whatever her relationship now with Caleb, it's apparently not good enough for him to have Jester call her and say hey you got some chucklefucks headed your way, help em out. And sending Essek specifically fucking kills me because. Has Astrid met him as someone close to Caleb. Does she know Bren's boyfriend just showed up and dramatically nuked the both of their magics just for a literal conversation about Aeor. Was the last time she saw him during Naughty Wizard Garden Rehab at the Grove.

The fact that Caleb and Essek knew that talking to Astrid at all would require THIS level of theatrics is honestly a level of top tier wizard bullshit that's been missing from the campaign and the fact that it was SO strong in one single encounter in a porn shop has got me cracking up. Why was she there. It's got to involve Caleb somehow. Did he ask her to show up there? If so, again why not just tell her Bells Hells were coming?

It's so unnecessarily convoluted. The fantasy equivalent of asking a bunch of engineers to solve a simple problem and they make it as complicated as is mortally possible.

[immaterial-pearl]

Id be locked up if being obsessed with underappriciated yuri was a crime.

[eternallovers65]

I love how Matsson keeps this whole "hahaha jokes yeah we are all friends" persona or saying that Shiv is the one that looks the most like Logan because he knows she would like to hear that, so the siblings can think they are better at this than he is when in fact it's Matsson who's been playing them all along

[gregoftom]

oh tom :(

[francisforever2014]

saying that shiv “saved” roman and kendall is quite silly imo. this is shiv fucking roy we’re talking about she doesn’t give af about the cycle as long as it’s benefitting her and she sure af isn’t about being a protector of her brothers when it all comes down to it. if that’s a side effect fine but to act like that was her main motivation… pls

[klina12]

I love when tragedies are like… (in/sp)

[wherewolf]

the responses i’ve seen to shiv’s ending seem very quick to write her off as just another sad victim of the cycle, which isn’t without truth BUT!!! that is not even remotely the summation of shiv’s story.

i don’t think she votes yes to “save kendall” or to try to finally set her brothers free. and i don’t think her main concern was that ken was becoming their dad. she absolutely noticed and didn’t love it, but that was not her motivation in betraying him. she was thinking about herself.

it’s tempting to make a martyr out of her as she is the only female child and we see her suffer the onslaught of misogyny that comes with that. but to make her into a saintlike figure who got beat takes away the power and intelligence behind her decision.

at this point she’s stuck between two non ideal choices, but she recognizes that they have accidentally made her the single most important player in the game. because while she can’t have the outcome she’d prefer, she has the power to decide the fates of everyone else. the written off lone woman now holds in her hands the fate of every man in her life.

so she thinks about the long term benefits of both options and realizes that one side leaves her completely without any leverage.

her brothers have proven to her multiple times in the last few days alone that they will cut her out and walk all over her the first chance they get. siding with them leaves her nothing to bargain with. she would just have to hope that ken would actually take care of her. and that level of vulnerability is not only unacceptable to her, it’s stupid. and shiv fuckin roy is not stupid.

so she thinks about the other side and about what she actually wants for her life. and against her better judgment, it’s becomes unfortunately clear that she wants tom. the way she wants him is not altogether loving or even good but it is necessary to her. she sees relationships as having winners and losers and she chose this man specifically so that she could be confident in her ability to win. except now he’s grown some balls and made himself unavailable to her.

she may not like the way her husband is evolving but she already placed her bets on him, so she’s sure as hell not losing to him now. there’s also a part of her that feels intrigued by this new man she’s married to. it’s interesting to have a sparring partner in him instead of having to looking for excitement outside of their marriage.

so for maybe the first time ever, she processes what tom has said to her and thinks about what he actually wants.

he needs her to prove that she cares. he needs to know that she is capable of sacrifice. if she can’t find it within herself to do this for him, then she will lose him, and by extension, she will lose.

siding with tom gives her the opportunity to once and for all make a grand-stand gesture of love, but more importantly, it creates leverage for her. never again will he be able to hold the moral high ground over her head. never again can he say she doesn’t love him. never again can he call her selfish or uncaring. above all, he can never betray her again, because she just removed all of his moral justification for turning on her. he doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s just taken back all the power in their relationship. just in a more subtle way than she’s used to operating.

and just like that, she has the ceo of a multi billion dollar company in her pocket, while situating herself as the only descendant of logan roy to still be playing the game, having removed her brothers from the equation permanently. she may still be far from the top but she’s creating a path for herself to climb.

so yes, she’ll let tom play king for a day, and she’ll have his baby and say “congratulations,” and play the gracious wife, but tomorrow is a new day with lots of room to maneuver. and when her husband puts out his hand, she’ll place her own on top. but she won’t grasp it because she doesn’t need to.

[dragonnarrative-writes]

Transferrable Skills Part 1

Transferrable Skills Masterlist

Your therapist warned you about superstitious thinking. You've been working on it. In fact, you've been very good at catching it, challenging yourself to relax, and letting things go. Even before this big work trip, you consciously avoided the "unhelpful" rituals and reminded yourself that the little ones were just to make you feel secure, not to actually influence the future across an ocean.

"I'm very nervous," you had told Señor Snuggly two weeks ago. Your worn out stuffed lizard hadn't said anything back, of course. "That's normal, because it’s an international flight. So I'm going to give you a hug good-bye, and you're gonna stay here to watch the house. I know it's not going to change anything, but I'll feel better knowing you're here."

At the airport, you realized that you had forgotten your toothbrush. It had satisfied the part of your brain that was looking for one (1) thing to go wrong. Superstitious thinking, but the kind that helped you to relax and listen to music until you boarded.

Now, forced to sit on the floor, surrounded by shouting men with guns, your brain is stuck on your lopsided stuffed animal and blue toothbrush. Of all the things that could pop into your head, why those?

You almost let out a nervous giggle at the mental image of Señor Snuggly using your toothbrush as a shiv to save the day. And then the idea of what would happen if you started laughing right now almost startles you into another burst of giggles. You clap your hands over your mouth and curl into yourself a little bit more.

Next to you, your boss throws you a sympathetic look. "You okay?"

"No talking!" The nearest assailant yells in heavily accented English. You're pretty sure the attackers have been speaking Russian, but you could be mistaken. He brandishes his gun. "You want to die?"

"She needs to go to the restroom," your boss answers.

"No, I don't," you protest. You really, really do, and have for the last two hours. But being escorted out of the room alone seems like enough of a Bad Idea that your bladder can wait.

"No, she does not," the man confirms. "Shut up. Do not talk."

You meet your boss's eyes and try to silently convey, Why are you trying to get me killed?

His doughy face says back, I am a white man who goes to the gym once a week, and I really like the John Wick movies. I have delusions of being a hero. If one man takes you to the bathroom I have the mistaken belief that I can overpower two men with guns to save everyone. Also you're a black woman, so don't you have super powers? I believe in you, queen.

You may be projecting.

Ten minutes later, just as you're wondering if you should suggest a group field trip down the hall to the bathrooms, a series of gunshots rings through the building. The energy in the room goes from nervous to frantic in an instant. Your bladder shuts up. The Russian men start shouting and waving their guns, apparently too agitated to speak English. Two hostages start crying because no one else speaks Russian, just English, French and your half-forgotten, informal, Mexican Spanish.

Another three Russians come bursting in the room, snarling something you can’t understand. They grab at a couple of people, force them to stand at gunpoint and gesture to the rest of you. And then everyone is up and kind of moving in the direction of the door. But you can’t get out of the door because they’re blocking it, but they’re really agitated that the room is still full of hostages. And then some people are being pushed back down to the floor. Your boss ends up sitting back down again. A hard hand closes on your arm before you can get down, and you and four others are dragged out.

The leader says, “You all are dignitaries, yes? Your embassies will send money or they will watch you die.”

This is, potentially, the worst possible scenario. None of the five of you are even remotely important, let alone dignitaries. You’re not 100% sure about most of the others, but you’re an aid. An aid to an aid, really. The blonde woman with the remarkably sharp bob is a personal assistant. Today’s conference was about health data management, of all things.

You decide you’re not going to die with a full bladder. You look to the man holding your arm in an iron grip and point to the upcoming door on the right. “Can I please go to the restroom? I’ll be quick.”

He asks the leader something in Russian, and then you’re being shoved through the bathroom door. He doesn’t follow you into the stall, but it’s still so awkward to pee knowing that there’s a man with a gun waiting for you. You’re so glad you aren’t on your period - opening the wrapper on anything right now would feel louder than it has since middle school.

The door to the restroom opens just as the toilet finishes flushing. You hear a scuffle, an aborted shout, and then something heavy hits the floor. You freeze, heart racing. But then there’s no more sound.

You wait for what feels like an hour but must only be a minute before calling, “H-hello?”

You don’t get an answer. Unlocking the door and easing it open, you peek out and stifle a gasp. The man who had escorted you is on the ground, a pool of blood growing around him. His gun is gone.

You’re halfway through washing your hands before you realize you’re on autopilot.

It takes everything in you to fight down the urge to freeze in place and make yourself inch around the body to the door. When you poke your head out, the hall looks so normal that it makes you dizzy for a second. You try to decide what to do through the anxiety fog. You can’t hide in the bathroom with a dead body, and you probably can’t go back to the big room with everyone without getting shot. You have no idea where the other faux-dignitaries were taken. Apparently, there’s at least one person going around killing people in bathrooms.

You try to think of what your therapist would say in this situation. All of the options feel bad, she would say. So you can’t not do anything because it feels bad. Thank the anxiety for trying to keep you safe, then try to pick the least awful course of action.

“Fight, flight, freeze, fawn,” you whisper to yourself. Fighting is right out. “Flight, freeze, fawn.” There’s a body pouring blood right behind you. “Flight, fawn.” No one is around to appease. “Flight.”

Another gunshot and shouting. It sounds like it’s coming from the left, so you head right.

You shuck off your sensible kitten heels and fervently wish your otherwise sensible pantsuit wasn’t pastel purple in this very beige hallway. Not that a thicker-than-European-average black woman mincing around in a Swiss hotel and conference center would be inconspicuous in a black suit, your mind counters itself. You try to force your brain to shut up, with mixed success.

You wander a good five minutes, reminding yourself not to panic at every locked door you try. The halls are so quiet that you half convince yourself that you’ve gotten out of immediate danger. So of course, right as you’re about the round the next corner, one of the Russians appears, reeling backwards. And then he collapses, a knife sticking out of his neck.

You can’t really worry about that, though, because right after him comes one of the largest men you’ve ever seen. He must catch sight of you out of the corner of his eye, because his head snaps to look at you. You barely register the assault rifle in his hands because his eyes bore into you through the top half of a human skull.

Oh, I’m glad I already peed, you think, staring into the eyes of Death.

“Fuckin’ ‘ell,” the man says, growls really. “What are you doing here?”

“I… bathroom? Please don’t kill me. I’ll cooperate.” you squeak out. Oh, fawning! Cool.

“Price, I’ve got one of the hostages,” he says, nonsensically. “I’ve cleared the east wing.”

You jump when his walkie-talkie - of course it’s a walkie-talkie - squawks back an “Affirmative. Status?”

“She’s up and walking,” the man says, not taking his eyes from yours. “Seems uninjured.”

“Stow her somewhere safe.”

“Negative,” Death says. Before you can panic because what the fuck does that mean? he says, “Bringing her back with me.”

“Copy.”

When he takes a step toward you, you stop breathing. Everything in you is screaming RUN and DON’T MOVE at the same time. His second step in your direction results in a full body twitch. You get the impression that the gun is pointed at the ground, but the only thing you can really see is bone white over a black mask and what might be really pretty brown eyes, but the shadow from the overhead light really makes it hard to tell and your vision is going a bit darkaroundtheedgesandohI’mstillnotbreathingthat’snotgreat.

You’re shocked into gasping when a gloved palm touches the side of your face. The rough material helps you settle into your body, just in time to start hyperventilating.

And that’s when things get weird, because Death says, “Easy, lovie. Settle, f’ me, yeah? Deep breaths, like we’ve practiced.”

Your brain latches on to the familiar command to settle before you can even question why it’s familiar. The way the man makes a long, low shushing noise makes you so suddenly weak in the knees that you stagger where you stand.

And then it clicks. Holy shit. You know this voice. You know these commands. You’ve been listening to and learning them at least once a week for the last six months. He doesn’t even sound that different from over the phone or on a video call.

“There you go, that’s good,” Simon, the dominant you’ve been seeing online, tells you through his skull mask. “Keep breathin’. In through the nose, out through the mouth.”

It’s the second time in your life you’ve been surprised out of a panic attack. “W-what the fuck? Si?” you gasp. “What are you doing here? Did you kill that guy?”

“Questions are gonna have to wait,” he says. “Keep breathing. In for four, hold for two. In for two, out for eight. Can you do that?”

“Why are you in Switzerland?”

“Breathe,” he rumbles. “Settle.”

“No,” you hiss, even as your shoulders relax another fraction. The corners of your eyes start prickling with tears.

“This is a double red light situation,” Si says, staring into your eyes. “I know you’re scared, but I’m going to get you out of here. You trust me?”

“You are wearing a skull on your face.”

“And you’re wearing a purple suit,” he answers. “There are people who want to shoot both of us. You get one more outburst, then you’re breathing and following me. Acknowledge.”

What the fuck? “This isn’t a scene!”

His eyes bore into yours. “Might surprise you, but I’m aware. Acknowledge.”

A distant shout makes you flinch. You relent. “Acknowledged. Four in, hold two, two in, out eight. Follow.”

“Good girl,” he says, patting your cheek once. “Stay behind me.”

[latenightdaydreams]

Hello! Can we please get a pt2 for 'I win' ? I really love the story

Also, I had an idea

reader is basically captured by könig right, so how would he punish her when he caught her talking secretly to her superiors to plan an escape (rescue mission for her) or to attack könig

OR

When he caught her after she escaped/ while she was escaping

🫶(love ur works)

I love those ideas! 💖💖

I Win Part 2 (fem)

Part 1, Part 2

MDNI🔞

Master List ✍🏽

>cw: fem/afab, non-con, oral, blood, whipping

1.1k word count

🥇

.

.

You’ve been König’s sex slave for the past month. He keeps you in his dorm, chained to his bed, whenever he leaves the room. Over the weeks, you’ve been able to pick the lock and slip away to use his phone. You learned your team was saved, which was a relief, but now you’re in a rush for your own release.

As it stands, the plan is to use a toothbrush to turn into a shiv so you can attack König in his sleep. Your team will send a small squad of three men to assist me back to base once you’re out. This is all supposed to go down in three days, around 1 am.

König sits in his office, squeezing a stress ball as he reads the transcripts of your conversation back and forth with your team. His tongue tracing over his teeth as he digests reading his own assassination plan. You are daring, he’ll give you that, but stupid too. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cellphone to call Horangi, inform him of your men coming; he will take care of you himself.

Three days pass and König rests in bed, next to you. Once you think he’s asleep, you reach beneath the mattress where you’ve placed your shank. Moving as gently as you can to not wake König, your hand slips under nothing. You push your hand in further. Maybe it slipped back slightly with movement.

“Looking for this, Liebling?” König sits up in bed with your homemade shank in his hand, taping it back and forth between his fingers tauntingly.

You slowly turn to face him, your eyes wide with fear as he’s found your weapon. There is nothing to be said as you look at him, dumbfounded. A rush of adrenaline floods your body, triggering your fight or flight. The chain around your ankle stops you from fleeing, so you lunge forward instead.

König effortlessly grabs your fist with one hand as his other wraps around your neck as he slams your body into the bed harshly. The air gets knocked out of you from the impact, his massive body instantly on top of yours. There is a wild look in his eyes as he looks at your face in the dim light of the room.

“Why would you want to hurt me, Schatzi? Have you not been enjoying our time together?” He asks in a mocking tone.

“Fuck you!”

“Watch your fucking tone.” His words pass through his teeth in a low growl. The vibe in the room instantly darkening. “You know I should end you, right? With your own little fucking shank. Just take you out and go find a different whore. Lucky for you, I like you.”

König presses his mouth against you in a harsh kiss, his hand on your neck tightening ever so slightly as he bites your lower lip. A pain groan leaves your mouth as you begin to taste your own blood spilling into your mouth. His mouth trails down, biting your jaw, neck, down to your shoulders. You squirm in an attempt to get away from him, but it’s useless as his heavy 280lb body traps you.

Teeth marks cover your body, crimson red bubbling to the surface. König licks the blood, letting the coppery taste and your pained cries drive his desires. Your body twists as he sinks his teeth into your side. He sits up, looking at your face, bleeding lip and bits on your jaw. His hand on your neck moves to slap your face harshly. No matter how hard you try to remain stoic, he can see the fear in your eyes.

“I’m going to ruin that throat, make sure you can’t call for help again.” König’s voice is low and gruff with a mixture of pleasure and dominance.

König stands for a second to fully undress before yanking your body off the bed and forcing you to your knees. He stands right in front of you, grabbing a fist of hair in his hand. With his other hand he slaps his heavy cock on your busted lip, gazing down with a lustful smile. His full weight on you makes it hard to breathe.

“Open your mouth.”

Not wanting to get hurt any more, you part your lips for him. He quickly shoves his fat cock past them and into your mouth. His hand on the back of your hair pulling your head further down his length. You gag and wince in pain from your lip. His hips buck forward into your mouth as he watches your eyes water, struggling to accept his cock down your throat. Instinctively, your hands move to his thighs in an attempt to push him away, only angering him.

“Hands out, grab the bedsheet.”

You listen to him, stretching your arms out along to bed and grabbing the blanket. König steps even closer, both of his hands moving to grab the side of your face holding you in place. Inch by inch he continues to shove himself deeper. Your knuckles turning white from squeezing the fabric so tightly. His gags you enough to cause you to vomit, but he doesn’t withdraw himself forcing you to keep it in your mouth; the putrid taste only causes you to gag more.

He finally steps back, letting your globs of spit to drop down on your own body. You look into König’s eyes with tears streaming down your face, gasping to steady your breath. He walks away from you to his dresser, grabbing his belt.

“Get up.” His arm wraps around your arm, yanking you up to your feet and pushing you over the bed.

As you rest on your stomach you feel him whip you with the belt. A small whimper leaves your lips, trying to not let it be known how badly he is hurting you. He brings his arm all the way back before slamming down against your ass. Your flesh turning red and bruising already from the sheer force.

“Are you going to try to escape again?”

“No…” Your voice sounds weak.

Your body jumps as he hits you once more. Tears begin to pour from your eyes as you cry quietly. He leans forward and bites your shoulder, causing you to arch your back and let out a pained wail.

“If you try to leave again, I’ll make sure every single moment that you’re awake, you know no peace. You’re mine. Remember that.”

The next morning you sit on the bed with your hands tied behind your back and a gag in your mouth. König comes out of the shower and looks over at you, covered in his bloody bite marks and belt marks on your stomach and thighs. Your eyes are red and puffy from of full night of being whipped and throat fucked. He sits at the edge of the bed and smiles at you, caressing the side of your face with one of his calloused hands. In his other hand he holds his belt.

“Stand up.”

He’s not done punishing you yet.

Part 3

[ohisms]

↪ ᵀᴴᴱ 𝑀𝐼𝐶𝐾 , ꮲꭲ 2 . (  a  series  of  sentence  starters  from  season  1  of fox's sitcom ,  “ the mick ” adjust phrasing as necessary . )

damn , [ name ] , how many cars can one person crash ?

i can't help it — when i'm behind the wheel , i'm a slave to the power of the machine .

other people worked very hard to buy those cars , and now they're mine .

why you gotta put me in a cage ?

i'm not a rat , okay ?

shut up , you don't know what you're talking about .

i am NOT joking , i don't wanna do this .

guys , we don't snitch . that's it , end of story .

will you listen to yourself ?? "jUsT tElL tHe tRuTh"

[ name ] , you snitch you die !

pretty sure that was already there when i walked up .

how is this good news ?

everyone's gonna call me a traitor , like you .

don't worry about it , it was worth it .

what are you doing tomorrow night ?

just say the words , and it can be yours .

oh , it's like that , huh ? fine .

what was that ? i can't hear you ... you can't breathe ?

you better figure something out , 'cause if you don't — i'll have to go public with this .

that's called extortion , stupid !

those guys are just covering their own asses , they don't even like you .

as easily as i can save you in this world , i can destroy you .

if anybody messes with you , let us know - okay ?

with a dong like that , you'd think he'd be happier .

do i look like i'm playing , [ last name ] ?

oh , your breath reeks of booze .

i hope you have a plan .

i was up all night watching prep school movies in preparation .

there are some real evil illuminati-type vibes in here , right ?

there was a time i could see , and i have seen .

oh , i'm just getting warmed up .

we are but food for worms , gentlemen .

whose burrito did i just step in ?

get out of here , the tv's mine .

what did you do to my shirt ??

how would you feel if i ran around stealing your clothes ?

we had to kill him cause he wasn't a team player .

no more special treatment for you .

i grew up in squalor , i am perfectly comfortable in it .

[ name ] , don't you dare !

didn't know you were gonna be so weird about it .

if you decide that you don't want me around , just tell me and i will go .

you're not the only game in town , buddy , okay ?

you don't know who i hang out with .

jealousy is the reason people hate us .

you don't have to worry about labels , just like who you like .

i hope this is some sort of emergency .

you kept me waiting , so i'm gonna get right to it .

don't make this your thing , this is [ name's ] thing .

suing is how rich white people solve their problems .

i wanted to sing and show you there's nothing to be afraid of .

i'm so nervous for you ... i want to throw up and run away .

you could have me escorted out , but you have no security .

ooh , dark scary room ! you know what they call that in prison ? they call that a blind spot . great place to catch a shiv .

what kind of operation are you running here ?

you didn't do anything wrong . i was the problem , not you .

where i'm from , the guest gets the good seat .

i drink , smoke , lie , steal ... i'm drunk right now .

i will ruin him . please don't let me do that .

i'm not the one doing whatever you guys are doing ... what are you doing ?

i'm not judging , at least he's a hot mess .

it's the wolf's job to eat the sheep , so y'know ... this was bound to happen .

i will RUIN you when we get home .

i'll give it back to you in a minute , you're gonna get it back .

the suit you destroyed cost a grand !

come on , [ name ] . i'll help you get settled .

he can't know it was my idea .

she made her mean bed and she can sleep in those scratchy sheets .

woah , tough day at the office ?

what the hell did you just say to me ?

you are right ... no matter what you say about anything .

we do this all the time , but usually there's some art to it .

this is not nearly as fun as i thought it was gonna be .

you're letting a bunch of nerds pick on you with their computers ?

why don't you just systematically destroy her ?

i can see where this is headed , so i'm just gonna hit the road .

she ripped me open , stuffed me full of devastation and then sewed me back up again .

leave me alone , this is all your fault .

why are they yelling ? are they angry cause they're bad musicians ?

i will never understand your generation .

let me have it . how bad is it ?

do you have any idea what i saw in there ?

you should come and check out what's going on outside , cause i think you'll be pleasantly surprised .

i just want us to be friends again .

it would be such a silly waste of time for someone like me to be mad at someone as insignificant as you .

the truth is , i pity you .

when the universe gives you a sign , it's not up to you to ignore it .

[ name ] gave it to me . it means i'm in charge .

i'm not comfortable with the whole arrangement . where's [ name ] ?

this is outrageous ! i'm getting passed over again ?

i don't have a problem , i'm just blowing off some steam .

you wanna get in on this ?

you deserve to take a time out as much as anybody else .

sorry , i didn't realize you were the fun police .

having money has reaaally changed you .

i've lost control ?! oh no , you dumb , dumb idiot . YOU'VE lost control .

that's a gross overreaction .

i will show myself the door in a ... graceful and classy manner .

thanks for sticking around .

look , i realize i did some questionable things in there .

i just felt like the universe was giving me a sign .

i'm the only one worthy of its power !

keep it in your pants and follow my lead .

it's no offense , i just don't know you very well .

let's go over this one more time , just so we're clear .

we've already been over the terms .

what's in it for you ?

i like the element of surprise .

wasn't expecting that . are you okay ?

i saw a burglar , i didn't know what to do ... so i SMOKED his ass !

you SHOT me ! what the hell's the matter with you ?

that gunpowder's like a hundred years old , it probably just broke the skin .

what about the police ? they're expecting a gunshot victim .

guys , we've gotta move this along , okay ?

you got it , i'll get you a pillow .

you're lucky no one was killed .

here's the thing about the bordeaux ... i drank it .

i'm so sorry that you had to keep our mansion warm .

how do you think the police found them ?

if you're done criticizing me , i think i'll head on up to bed .

you want me to do the jobs no one else wants ?

can we pick this up tomorrow ? i was shot , so ... i'm very tired .

it has nothing to do with that . okay ? now please leave .

i wanted to thank you for having my back earlier .

that had nothing to do with you . i was just trying to hurt them .

it's chloroform . i found a recipe online .

[ name ] , don't come at me with that .

i was gonna do whatever it takes . i'm not a quitter.

i wanna tell you , i really do . but first there's something i need .

oh my god , you're bailing again .

innocent people don't sneak in and out of their own home .

'cause i don't like you , that's why .

i'd rather get mowed down in a hellfire of bullets than listen to you screech .

you don't have to lie . i heard you guys .

how was i supposed to know you were gonna hug me ? i didn't even know you knew how to hug .

[gwaynewantstofuckcriston]

I owe you - Criston Cole x Gwayne Hightower

Explicit, mlm, oral sex, angst, set after 2x03, enemies to lovers, fast burn, open ending.

Criston yanked off his armor, the squire attending him. He was pissed. Beyond pissed. Alicent had sent him her uppity green boy of a brother to babysit him. It wounded him, down deep. He was already stressed beyond relief, and Aegon impulsively appointed Criston as hand. Just the icing on the lemon cake. He sent his squire off with an aggravated hand.

Gwayne was quiet since they’d hidden in the woods, their encampment having to hide under the cover of night, almost getting burnt by Daemon’s spawn on a dragon. The fool was going to a fucking inn. An inn for fucks sake, was he daft or just that self-absorbed?

The beleaguered man couldn’t bring himself to be that angry at Alicent, her control was slipping more and more every day. He thumbed her favor, inhaling it before tucking it away. Criston’s dark eyes cast to his sullied cloak, lips turning down. His thoughts were dark, swirling, and hard to define. It made him angry, full of rage.

Must he be so weak of heart all the time? Failing his duties yet getting promoted to a position he couldn’t possibly execute, but he took it, Criston always took it from the crown he served. His leg was tapping restlessly, hands clenching and unclenching.

Perhaps Alicent was right. They were cursed and doomed. What even was honor or duty these days? He took off his undershirt and pants, washing himself with the small basin of water they collected. No amount of water or scrubbing would scrape the filth from his body.

Common, half-dornish, impulsive, lustful filth.

A ruffling of his tent flaps alarmed him, glaring at the sound, brows furrowed. He called out, “Who the fuck is it? I’m not on watch yet.”

A voice replied, the irritating lofty accent of the Hightower fucker. “I’m merely trying to talk, may I enter?” Criston tugged on his breeches, frowning heavily. He growled, “Come in then.”

Gwayne’s light reddish hair entered, his haughty blue eyes gazing at Criston. He looked like Otto in a way, smug looks and smirks. The Marcher grimaced, demanding, “What? I’m trying to get some rest.”

The lordling gave him a look, eyes looking through him, that same smile he bestowed back in King’s Landing. Like he wanted to eat Criston alive…before flipping on a coin to lob insults. He demanded again, voice lowering, “I asked you a question, Ser. What do you need?”

Gwayne’s smirk faltered, his eyes turning downwards. He murmured, “I came to thank you. For saving my ass. I’d seen my nephew's dragon, but never one trying to kill me.” Criston scoffed, “Be prepared for more.” He paused, leveling the younger knight with a look, “You’re quite green aren’t you? Never seen a battle, flouncing around tourneys. Left alone from your father.”

Gwayne’s fairer skin blushed as he protested, “I’m finely trained, I just didn’t expect that. I’m trying to thank you, not argue!” He frowned, eyes gaining that piercing nature of Alicent. Criston stepped forward, sizing up the slim frame of the man.

Hightower as they come, willowy and graceful. Criston could easily take him down.

He laughed bitterly, “You know nothing of spilling blood. I’ve fought in battles before you touched live steel. Fighting off the Dornish.” Gwayne was a little shorter than Criston, swallowing audibly, blue eyes flickering. He couldn’t focus, eyes darting to the older man’s face and bare chest.

“Where’s my apology then, Hightower? So far you’ve come in and stammered, Alicent has more gall than you.”

Gwayne frowned, eyes narrowing as he slowly stated, “I apologize for suggesting such a foolish thing, leaving us exposed. I owe you a debt, Lord Commander.” Criston gripped his shoulder, smirking, “You’d be best to listen if you wish to keep your pretty face.”

The redhead inhaled sharply, pupils expanding. He breathed, “I see how you’ve bewitched my sister.” Criston raised a brow, gripping harder, “Mind yourself.” Gwayne shivered, mouth falling open, his pink lips wet.

Why did he want to force this pretty boy down? Criston was depraved enough. He shoved down his guilt over Alicent, did she even care? He didn’t know.

His breath deepened, studying the lordling. Gwayne stammered, “I can repay the debt some more, let me, you’re so damn tense.” Cole cocked his head, voice darkening, “How will you do that, Hightower? Rub my shoulders? You’re starting to make me think you frequented those pillow houses for men in Oldtown.”

Gwayne inhaled sharply, placing a calloused hand on Criston’s chest, thumbing his gold necklace, cheeks darkening by the second. He made a soft sound as a tan hand slid to the side of his pulsing throat, thumb swiping up and down his rapid pulse point.

“I- I’ll show you things I know sister dearest doesn’t allow. Keeps you on a tight leash doesn’t she,” Gwayne rasped, desperation lacing his voice. He was panting, licking his lips.

“Don’t speak of her grace, she’s not depraved. Fine, show your skills.”

Criston yanked Gwayne by his silly doublet, shoving his lips against the lordling. He growled into the kiss, seeking that dominance he’d been denied. The redhead moaned, sweeter than he’d expected, arching into Criston’s touch.

It felt different, soft lips and tongues, lacking the plushness of the woman Criston had kissed. Gwayne was eager- hands running through Criston’s chest hair and firm pecs. He let Criston lap and bruisingly kiss him, making more soft moans.

He pulled back to ask, “Do you always moan like a whore?”

“Do you always kiss men like you’re starving for it?”

Criston jerked Gwayne’s head back by his hair, biting and kissing at pale, smooth skin. The lordling whined, hands digging into Criston’s waist. He panted, “Want to suck your cock, let me, let me, when’s the last time you had that? You act like you need to fucking cum.”

Criston smirked at the desperate begging, steady hands unbuttoning that doublet, commenting, “You wore this to a battle. Mayhaps you’d be better as my slut in the tent.” He rumbled with dark laughter as Gwayne gasped, heaving with arousal. His pretty pale chest and slim hips were revealed, flushed too.

Gwayne shrugged it off, falling to his knees as Criston backed onto his cot, thickened thighs spread wide, his swollen cock protruding through the pale fabric. Criston watched him with a pensive expression, eyes lingering on swollen lips and the pretty boy’s deft hands, long elegant fingers undoing his pants.

Gwayne mumbled, “Fuck- can’t believe I’m doing this. You’re inside my damn sister on the daily. But she’s not here is she?” Criston felt guilt, growling, “Get to it, I’d rather not dwell on that.” His hand thumbed at Gwayne’s lips, sliding a thick thumb across his wet lips.

Criston hissed as he was eased out of his breeches, throbbing prick thick and heavy. He knew he was a mouthful, long ago before he was bedding prim nobles. Gwayne wanted it, drooling spit on the tip of Criston’s dark cock.

He spat into his lithe hand, wrapping it around the girth, lashes fluttering as he blabbed, “You’re a thick one.” Criston breathed through his nose, shuddering when a hot, wet mouth enveloped his recently neglected prick. He let his head fall back, moaning lowly, hand gripping reddish waves.

The younger Hightower was eager, hollowing his cheeks and bobbing eagerly, hand moving in tandem as he sloppily drooled more. Criston shivered again, tightening his grip, moaning again. Fuck this was delicious. Bastard had a mouth on him.

Gwayne slipped his other hand down to the cup and squeezed gently at his sack, a thumb sliding across the seam, Criston gasping in surprise. The lordling smirked, flicking his tongue playfully, pulling the skin back as he lathered attention on the cockhead.

“Ahh- fuck- you’re wicked,” Criston breathed, pathetically trying to control his voice, finding it to pitch up as his ecstasy increased. His thighs were twitching, belly tight. Gwayne merely moaned like a slut, the vibrations sending the older knight reeling again. Gwayne’s blue eyes watched him, teary and pretty, lashes wet and clumped.

He swallowed down more of Criston’s cock, slick, slick drool sliding down to coat his sensitive balls. Gwayne merely thumbed and rubbed gently, Criston losing his edge, scrunching his face closed, mouth wide open.

He leaned back, overwhelmed, elbows feebly keeping the marcher upright as his current nuisance was eagerly shoving cock down his throat and whining like he was going to come. Criston’s back was arching as he panted, moans slipping from his wet lips.

He wanted to kiss more and was already thinking of fucking the pretty slip between his thighs into the ground.

“I- I’m close, Gwayne I’m close,” he warned, voice tight and eyes watering, hand pulling some.

The redhead eyed him again, eyes conveying for Criston to shut up. He sped his movement up, the noises obscene. Choked whimpering spilled from Gwayne’s stretched lips. His throat was wet and tight, flexing and swallowing. The lithe hand caressing Criston’s balls shifted, two of his long fingers sliding back.

The marcher looked at him wildly, Gwayne shaking his head, raising a brow. That little fox was NOT getting his hand near his ass. Maybe. Criston eased back, huffing again as his body was trembling, muscles drawing tight as ecstasy flowed through his tired body.

Curious fingers pressed upwards, into the soft spot behind his sack. Criston seized with a grunt, biting his lip as he swallowed down a pathetic noise, tiny whines leaving his lips. It was emasculating at how he was reduced to feminine trembling and spread thighs, the orgasm forcing him into submission. He pumped his thick load down the man’s throat, Gwayne swallowing eagerly, greedy with it.

He lathered attention until the marcher gasped, “Ah, no more, you’ve paid your debt, gods.”

Gwayne pulled off with a wet pop, grinning with swollen wet lips, lapping some spit from the corner of his mouth. He moaned, “Cat’s out the bag I guess, I like sucking cock. I like sucking yours, Lord Commander.” He patted Criston’s thigh, smug with his talented efforts.

The Lord Commander was exhausted, eyes lidded as he regarded Gwayne. He yawned, “Quite the cocksucker, with and without one in your mouth. What was that shite you pulled on me at the end?”

Gwayne leaned forward placing his arms on the older man’s legs. He smirked, haughtily humming, “Such a pity. Stuck to doing whatever your master tells you. It’s a good spot in your ass, makes a man twice your size squeal like a maiden.”

“Now, does Otto know your predilections?”

Gwayne shrugged, “He was away, focused on my sister getting on the rotted King’s lap. I grew up without stress or constant eyes, doing as I pleased. You’d benefit. Already more relaxed out here. Besides dragons and a war.”

Criston felt his chest tighten at the hard truth. The Red Keep was a prison, coated in gleaming paint. He grumbled, “You come?” Criston felt lethargic, lazily beckoning the knight.

“No, was pretty close,” he breathlessly laughed.

Gwayne crawled upwards, Criston watching him with a strange expression as the younger sat atop his thighs. Gwayne remained silent for once, blue meeting black. His hand slowly pulled at the strings on his breeches, waiting for a rebuttal.

“Don’t come on me. Take care of yourself, too pretty not to watch.”

Gwayne retorted, “Pull my cock or finger myself, my lord?” He grinned at the aghast look on Criston’s face, eyes wide, brows firmly set in surprise. He stammered, “I- just do what you want, make it quick.”

The lordling searched around, looking for some sort of grease or oil. He found a small jar of scented oil, raising a brow, teasing, “Did you nick this off my sister?” Criston smacked his thigh, frowning.

Gwayne poured a bit into his hand, setting the little jar back down. He slathered his pink cock, already ruddy and flushed from arousal, lips lax at the pleasure. Criston nipped his lip, taking in the sight. He growled, “Be a bit quieter, will you?”

Gwayne nodded, fisting himself rapidly, breath coming fast and hard. He whimpered softly, squirming as his hand teased the underside of the tip. The Hightower lad’s other hand slid back, massaging that spot he spoke of, lashes fluttering as he moaned helplessly, sweating.

The marcher couldn’t help but be enamored. Those damn siblings would kill him. Kill him. If the war didn’t first. He placed a hand on Gwayne’s slim thigh, gripping the meager flesh on the inside.

“Fuck- please- good,” Hightower panted.

Criston gripped his slim hip, eyes boring into blue, murmuring, “You’re shameless.”

Gwayne frantically looked for his tunic, grabbing it as he whimpered and shook, riding his fingers instead of working his cock before covering his prick with green. Criston smirked, the knight falling apart, thin chest heaving as he whimpered, shaking from head to toe as he emptied into the tunic.

The younger fell to his side, panting as he rolled on his back, Criston smirking, pleased with the submissive nature of Gwayne. He looked over, rumbling, “Consider this debt nonsense over. I’m expecting I’ll save your ass soon.”

Gwayne laughed breathlessly, eyes warm. He replied, “Eh, you’ll be seeking me out. Let me gather myself for a moment, don’t want to look too much of a mess.” He snorted, eyes on his soiled tunic.

Criston felt too tired to kick out the lad, eyes closing. He hummed, “Sure. Let me sleep and be gone in the morn, we have more to travel before sunrise.” He shoved the smaller man aside, rolling onto his side. The redhead smirked, moving over, stretching in satisfaction.

[senselessviolets]

being roman roy’s personal assistant (and his obsession) would include…

Rating M

WARNINGS:

Language, sexual tension, degradation, power imbalance, Roman being Roman weird.

Author's Notes:

Pretty self-explanatory. No uses of Y/N. Some brief RomanGerri. Very much inspired by @nanabrainrot's fic series with Pervert!Roman because it's divineeee. Highly recommend it!!

Roman never saw himself as the type to have an assistant. In fact, he was the only one of the Roy siblings to not have one. Kendall, of course, had Jess, Shiv had Sarah, and even though Connor never liked to bring it up out of fear of making him seem less earnest and hardworking to his supporters, he too had a “yes man” managing his personal affairs for him. 

It was following the Hungary company retreat that Gerri offered to set Roman up with an assistant. She knew of a trusted agency that would be able to help him narrow down candidates and find a person best suited for his needs. 

That person just so happened to be you. 

Roman absolutely wolf-whistled at the picture attached to your portfolio when thumbing through the candidates he was matched with through the agency. Gerri made him promise not to make any untoward or inappropriate comments to you during your interview for the job. Roman saw it as a ‘woman thing’ but Gerri being legal counsel saw it as a nightmare waiting to happen.

Upon meeting with you and the hiring manager, Roman scoured the internet for any information on you. Even though all of the important need-to-know info could be found on your resume or your fucking LinkedIn profile—that wasn’t enough for him. 

He tore through all of your public social media accounts, saving any particularly flattering images of you (swimsuit pictures, nightclub outings, etc.) and examining them throughout the day.

Suffice it to say, you got the job.

At first, Roman doesn’t know what to make of you. He sits you at a small desk on the opposite side of his own in his office.

Personality and demeanor-wise you’re in line with what he had wanted. Physically, he was already well-acquainted with your curves and the way certain types of clothes clung to your body. 

In the long stretches of silence of you two working in the same room, he imagined briefly what you looked like underneath your clothes. 

At home when it was just him and his right hand, he imagined what it’d be like to tear them off and leave them in tatters on the floor.

The better you get to know each other, the bigger his private album devoted to images of you grows.

Roman starts to pry into your personal life, asking if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Then he makes random passes at you throughout the day. Having worked with a wide array of smarmy, gross men in the past—you were hardly phased. Because a part of you sees through the facade. You know he just wants to rile you up—to get a reaction out of you.

You realize after a while that he wants you to be repulsed by him. 

This incites something within you.

Roman starts dragging you to one-on-ones with investors and having you sit in on board meetings, much to the annoyance of many.

Shiv tells you (jokingly) to run before you wind up being chased down the hallways with a chainsaw. 

While waiting together outside of a rather important meeting with many high-level executives, Greg informs you of a rumor that Roman has a dick pic circulating the office. But that in particular—he had meant to send it to you. 

You don’t know how to feel.  

These forced attendances at random meetings turn into becoming his designated armpiece for public events and parties. 

At one of them, Stewy taunts Roman, saying you’re not the only woman he pays to touch him. 

You laugh loudly at this joke which surprises them both. You crack a few of your own at Roman’s expense. Some are based on fiction, the others in fact. The shame floods his cheeks but the way he grips tighter at your waist tells you to keep going. To get meaner. So you do. You get a lot meaner.

Roman’s jaw clenches for a moment. Then his lips part. You convince yourself it's just a buzz from the drinks you’ve just had; that you did not just shit-talk your boss into arousal. 

But the clumsy way Roman adjusts his stance, the subtle outline of something forming at the front of his pants, and how he excuses himself to the bathroom says otherwise.

The text you receive moments later from his number confirms this; “You know what you did, you fucking bitch.”.

It’s your direct reply to that message though that makes his breath hitch; 

“Show me then, you sick fuck.”

{ Feedback is welcome! }

Follow me on twt: @endlessviolets

<3

[cloud-based-and-rainpilled]

Tom won’t have the option to ‘choose’ anything lmao he’s left in the dust baybeeee 😎

greg is going to ask tom to come with him

tom is going to have to choose between shiv and greg

[lovers-tucked-into-a-quiet-cafe]

141 & Rabbit Headcanons [IKYLHT]

Series Masterlist | Prev: Personnel Files | Next: Chapter One

Please Note: This is my attempt at a spoiler-free introduction to the characters and their dynamics. This is meant to be read before the first chapter, and thus must be vague at points. THIS DOES CONTAIN SOME MW3 SPOILERS

-

141 + Rabbit Dynamics:

Soap:

Rabbit's ride or die right here, twin flame type of energy

First person she actually enjoyed the company of at the UK base while on assignment alongside the rest of the Demon Dogs

Subsequently the first to worm his way into her heart- sinks his hooks into her side and refuses to leave (not to worry, you'd have to pry her off of him, anyways)

Runs into her coming out of the mess hall, sees 'Highwater' stitched into her uniform and realizes this was the soldier Sparks had told him about

Oh yeah, that month long prank war with Shane 'Shitbag' Sparks (yes, she'd come up with that one herself) that the rest of the Demon Dogs decided to join in on? He made sure to tell Soap, because why not recruit the demolitions expert in his task of torturing his sister-in-arms?

Soap immediately decides on implementing her rename. 'Oh, you already have a callsign that half the base refers to you by? One that acknowledges your military expertise and the nine grueling years you've dedicated to the service? That's weird, cuz your name is Rabbit now and that's that' type mentality

She knew the reference immediately, hands twitching with the urge to unsheathe her spare knife because there was only one person that'd broadcast the story

Goddammit, Sparks, I will shiv you

"Excuse me? Where'd you hear that from, Sergeant?"

"A good friend never tells. I could always think of calling you somethin' worse?"

"Call me something worse and I'll have you written up for disrespecting a superior officer"

"Understood, Rabbit" said with a fucking grin

Despite being the one to rename her, literally never uses her callsign once he declares them best friends

Calls her Bunny or Bun, which surprisingly did help his efforts in gaining her [platonic] love and affection

Spent damn near every waking moment with her, which unsurprisingly did help his efforts in gaining her [romantic] love and affection

Sparring? Let me wrap your hands

Going out? Here, I'll zip your coat

Smoking? C'mon Bun, tell me what's bothering you, I can help

It was the little, everyday acts of love kindness from Soap that had her hooked on the feeling of being in his presence

So you can imagine how devastating it'd felt for the both of them when the special unit had been called back to the states

Even with promises to call and text and facetime, the feeling of his heart sinking to his stomach made him realize there were feelings he harbored towards Rabbit that went beyond the typical bond between soldiers

But orders are orders, and he'd been sure to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek before ushering her up the ramp and onto the heli waiting to rip her away from him

Not that either admitted it to the other at the time, but they'd both been teased to no end about their 'special friendship' by the rest of their units, cheeks warming yet refusing to deny the accusations

Like true friends, though, they did kept their promise

If it wasn't hours of texting it was calls, only skipping days when on mission but always sure to inform the other of their departure beforehand

It was hard most days. Seeing the other come back from days or even weeks of no-contact with new cuts and bruises

It was especially hard, though, after Verdansk

Soap had beaten himself up pretty hard after the whole ordeal with Makarov- the guilt of not being able to save those people in the airport, the shame of losing his cool in front of his superiors, the regret of not just avenging those people by shooting the man and facing the consequences later- he'd talked through his entire range of emotions with her despite the distance

Then, because the universe always yearned for cruelty, she got the assignment

Covert operation

Ciudad Victoria

Two days, wheels up at 0400

Now her home base had been Pendleton since basic, and if there's one thing the San Diego base requires, it's soldiers willing to cross the border and sweat their asses off for hours on end scouting some target for shit pay and no reward

She'd done it before, six months turned into twelve turned into eighteen until eventually she'd been volunteering to go, years under her belt and quickly moving up the ranks, Mexico now a second home in her mind. Anything to get away from that place

But Victoria? That was a city she'd only seen on mission reports, only heard of by way of interrogation

But orders are orders, and he'd been sure to tell her he'd miss her before ushering her to dump her phone in her locker and get onto the heli waiting to rip her away from him again

Soap didn't get a call for quite a while after that

His first contact, actually, hadn't even been Rabbit

It was Sparks

Locker pried open with permission from Griggs (not that he waited even a second to be granted it), he'd charged her phone and called the one person he thought deserved to know

"MacTavish? It's Sparks. Highwater, she's... she's MIA. Entire task force was found slaughtered. An ambush, I think. We don't- we're not entirely sure yet. Griggs can't get a straight answer. The whole things fucked, we can't- the area's got it's own governing body. They haven't... they've searched but they haven't found a body. We're not calling it until they do. I'm sorry, kid."

Two months

Two months Soap cried until his lungs spasmed

Two months Soap cried until his head ached and eyes burned

Two months Soap cried to his mother about the woman he loved

Two months until he got the call that damn near restarted his heart

"Soap? Soap, we found her. We have her, she's being taken to medical. We found her, kid."

Johnny's not sure he remembers a time he'd cried harder. He'd like to say it was when Sparks had first called him, but even then, he held onto some hope she'd made it out 'like you always do'

That'd been their promise to each other, and he vividly recalls telling Price that as he sobbed over the man's shoulder in relief

She'd been put on medical leave, forced to wave goodbye to her family as they flew off to Urzikstan without her

It was at that point- hearing her cry over the phone about how useless she'd felt being left behind, how she'd failed the only family that had ever truly cared about her- that he realized a trip to the states was in dire need

Entered the U.S. friends, exited the U.S. partners

Johnny's a man that focuses on the positives

He doesn't talk about those two months. Not to his therapist, not to his ma, not to Price

He focuses on the fact that his torment is over, he focuses on the woman laying her head on his shoulder and tapping her boot against his on the shaky helicarrier

Because that's all that matters to him. The little moments between missions where they can focus on something other than saving the world for a moment

It's a type of love, a type of dynamic the man had never experienced before

'Intimate' is the best word to describe it

Will 'accidentally' detonate an old grenade taken into the training grounds to 'see if it still worked', just to see the other's eyes light up in a sort of pyromaniac excitement

Will also take up an entire couch quietly lounging, arms wrapped around each other under a shared blanket because 'it's a low energy type of day'

It's all or nothing- completely feral, unhinged 'I'll request the jailcell across from you' behavior or soft, domestic bliss

No words need be exchanged for that energy to shift- just a subtle glance and soft smile, a type of telepathy easily mastered after four years of being together

And Johnny wouldn't have it any other way

Ghost:

Initially doesn't even want to address her by Rabbit

He couldn't take the callsign seriously, especially after realizing this was the woman Soap had been babbling about in Verdansk

He knew more about her personal life than he did her military career, and he'd read her file back to front twice. Well, what hadn't been redacted, anyways

Decides he'll stick to Gun, as requested, but only when necessary. Better than Rabbit, at least

But after Soap's little confession while her comms are down in Las Almas? Now Gun just won't do. Decides to stick with Darling until he's figured out a better one. Knows she won't mind, anyways

Calls her Lovie a small handful of times, blink and you'll miss it, and it's only in a NSFW context ;) soft!dom Ghost supremacy

Settles on Tapeti once the dust settles and he knows he's wormed his way into her heart the same way Soap had

They're close in a way he can't say about anyone else

Does he love his team? Of course

Would he lay his life down for any one of them the second the opportunity presented itself? Also yes

But there's something about shared trauma that bonds the soul

Neither talk about it much

It's honestly easier to use Soap as the go-between on a lot of things

She's already told him, already bared her soul for him to see in that deserted apartment, and Simon's grateful Johnny omits certain heart wrenching details when he runs his hands over her scarred back, runs his hands over the raised tattoos that cover the remnants of Victoria

He doesn't yearn to know the specifics, most days he's not sure he wants to know at all

He'd made peace with his demons a long time ago, had to in order to survive, but he knew it wouldn't be so easy forgiving what'd been done to her

It wasn't hard to infer, anyway

They have a calendar, a pocket sized one with a little magnet attached that hangs on their fridge

It was Ghost's idea, after one of those days when the shakes were debilitating and she couldn't keep her food down

He'd set the container of soup from the deli across their flat on the counter, pulling Soap away from her curled up side and showing him the dollar store purchase

He didn't explain, just scribbled out a few dates and passed the calendar over

So Johnny took the pen and started scratching out days

He didn't explain all of them, only murmured the easy ones like 'her mother's birthday' or 'her comrades death date' or 'Victoria'

There's a deeper understanding there, between the three of them, and if there's one thing Simon can attest to while stomping out the butt of his cigarette onto Grave's false tombstone, it's his appreciation for the man's betrayal in Las Almas that lead him into the couple's outstretched arms

Gaz:

Best boy, here

The baby of the group, a few years younger than Rabbit who shares a birthyear with Soap

Uses that to his advantage

Calls her Officer Hopps on more than one occasion, not afraid to more commonly shorten it down to just 'Hopps'

Always in a playful loving manner, not that it matters when Rabbit's glare quickly follows

Also thinks it's funny to call her 'Gunnery Hopps' when in the presence of other soldiers, tries to play it off as a genuine tongue slip despite his wide grin proving otherwise

Again, uses his baby privilege to his advantage, whipping out the puppy eyes and small kisses that has Rabbit's glare melting into a soft smile

Typically sticks with Love- partially because he's a true Birmingham boy and the term of endearment comes naturally to him- mainly because it keeps her wound around his finger

Starts a fight by betting Price 20 quid he could cut a chunk out of Soap's mohawk? He's running to hide behind her, basking in her warmth and sticking a tongue out at Johnny over her shoulder

Smug as all hell, knows he's been deemed the favorite and is sure to remind the other men of it constantly

He'll tell them it's 'just because she loves me more, mate' but they all know the real reason

It's his calm, level-headed personality and natural ability to lead that endears him to her so easily

She never questions his judgement because what he lacks in years he makes up for in everything else by tenfold

And he looks up to Rabbit immensely- he may not initially know the finer details of her military experience, just general war stories Sparks and the rest of the Demon Dogs had told him in Urzikstan when she'd been out on medical leave, but he does know what being a 0251 MOS entails, knows he'll never come across a better Gunnery Sergeant even if he retires at 80

Aims to become a GySgt after seeing her serve as their unit's operations chief, working with superior officers on training, operations, and tactical advising

Asks a million questions and- though he'd never admit it- keeps a log of their answers in his notes app. He's just organized like that

She noticed anyways, what with his trusting nature and big heart (he gladly passed over his phone passcode within the first week of them being official), and it was actually that notes app list of all the little throw away tidbits about her role on the team that led her to write his letter of recommendation

That’s just the dynamic they have, they bring out the best in each other in every way, even when they don’t think it’s possible given the circumstances

He's only two years younger, and yet he feels so lacking in experience when they're thrown into red-stained chairs with threadbare bags over their heads

"You been tortured before, Gaz?"

"No."

"That's good. Let's keep it that way. Stay quiet and keep your eyes forward."

He remembers blanching at her nonchalant tone, the way she talked as if she'd done this a hundred times before.

She has, he realizes, and he feels a sort of naive embarrassment wash over him when he really thinks about it

Interrogation and Debrief Specialist, he thought, you don't earn that title by just sitting and reading about it

He didn't have much time to sit and process that thought before the men were reentering the dark room

He's unable to fathom how she'd kept her breathing so calm, refrained from letting out a single yell or grunt or sniffle until the men had slammed the metal door on their exit

It was hard for him, returning to base after what had transpired

It didn't sit right with him- the fact that he'd allowed himself to sit there and let the woman he'd been falling in love with be beaten within an inch of her life

But she'd comforted him, face swollen and leg wrapped, knocking her boot into his with a smile

He'd knocked his boot back into hers, and decided from there on out she'd know exactly how much she meant to him

Price:

The only member of the 141 to actually refer to her by her callsign. Captain's professionalism and all that.

Throws it out the window the second he deems necessary- which is quite often- resorts to Sweetheart

He knows more about her than anyone else, Johnny the only exception, and that isn't something he takes lightly

He'd read the reports. The redacted ones. He knew what happened after Victoria, he'd been the one to okay her transfer, to accept doing a favor for the Demon Dogs after their good work in Urzikstan and promising he'd 'keep an eye on her'

He understands the vulnerability in that fact, and is sure to do everything in his power to prove to her he's someone she can trust, even after she's told him time and time again he's done more than enough to prove his loyalty

Fortunately, years of hearing about each other via Soap and the Demon Dogs proved useful once they'd finally met at the top of that wall guarding Alejandro's base, easily falling into a sort of mutual understanding of each other

It helped that he was a natural patriarch, the glue holding the team together, ensuring they worked as a well oiled machine both on and off base

Soap vouched for Price and that was all the convincing Rabbit needed. So when Price vouched for Ghost and Gaz? It felt instinctual to trust the men wholeheartedly

Scary as it was initially, Price just knew. Simple as that, he knew what the team needed and exactly how to go about it, and she trusted that

He was arguably the most experienced in navigating trauma, and that definitely lent a hand to the comfortability of the team

He’s perfected the art of understanding each of the members of the task force and it’s something Rabbit didn’t realize she yearned for until she had it

He’s become the physical embodiment of her safe space in a way she never thought was possible. She breathes easier when he’s in eyesight, the tension drops from her shoulders when he’s near

Despite being one who only rarely accepted physical affection from anyone other than Soap, Rabbit named Price 'Seat of the Year', and that's meant quite literally

Cuddles are mandatory team bonding. He doesn't make the rules (yes he does)

Arguably the most giving partner on the face of the planet

Is happy to lean back in his chair and cut off the blood supply to his legs if it means Rabbit is soothed by the way his hands run over her arms and scratch at her scalp, perched on his lap and quickly drifting off to sleep as he presses light kisses onto the junction between her neck and shoulder

His brain is constantly alerting his body of his need to protect and provide. It'd still happen even if he'd never approved her transfer, that's just the kind of man he is, but he wouldn't have been nearly as emboldened without her there

Gaz yawns in the midst of completing a mission report? He's already tossing the man over his shoulder and forcing him to rest for once

Soap lets out the quietest sigh of pain when that one muscle in his shoulder starts twinging again? He's already pushing the man to sit and rounding the couch to dig his strong hands into the stubborn muscle

Ghost's stomach lets out singular growl? Guess that stack of paperwork can be finished tomorrow, it's now his personal mission to ensure the man has eaten a nutritious meal that checks off every micro and macro nutrient possibly needed to ensure health and prosperity in that beefy body

Perfectly content to love and love and love for absolutely nothing in return besides seeing his team happy and healthy

Unbeknownst to him, he very quickly charms his way into her heart with his thick thighs caring nature, dilf energy warm smiles, and ofc the boonie hat

-

General Character Headcanons:

Rabbit:

-As mentioned in the Personnel Files, Rabbit is a Gunnery Sergeant and a 0251 MOS [Interrogator/Debrief Specialist]

-Gunnery Sergeant is her rank- serving as her unit's operations chief, working with superior officers on training, operations, and tactical advising

-0251 is her job code [MOS]. 0251 specifically means being an Interrogator/Debriefer in the US Marine Corps. This job involves collecting information/intelligence from human sources by means of interrogation, debriefing, and screening. Typical duties are the screening and interrogation of enemy POWs, line crossers, refugees, and other displaced persons, exploiting foreign language documents, and participating in noncombatant evacuation operations

-A common requirement for this job is being at the very least bilingual, and it's canon here that Rabbit speaks Spanish alongside English. With that said, many apologies to those reading this that speak Spanish because I'm using translation websites (yes I disappoint my Mexican grandparents every day)

-Rabbit is a Demon Dog, but was not in Urzikstan due to medical leave. She has direct permission from the US Marine Corps, SAS, and Price to be stationed in the UK base 'on loan' as a Demon Dog since they are part of the Coalition, led by the CIA's best Station Chief Kate Laswell :D

-Again, as shown in the Personnel Files, Rabbit does not have many character descriptors listed. I'm trying my best to make her as inclusive as I possibly can while still flushing out her character. I don't like the self-insert '[h/c] [e/c]' format, so I just avoid it all together

-Rabbit is an only child

-Also it's not really about Rabbit per say but in my story Griggs is a Captain. He leads the Demon Dogs and therefore holds a higher rank that Rabbit. It makes sense to me in this story that he'd be of similar age and rank as Price

Soap:

-I’ve seen a few people say based on his accent Soap is likely from Glasgow but unfortunately I’ve only been to Edinburgh so we’re using our creative liberty here and saying that's where he's from plz and thank u <3

-Johnny is the baby of the family with 3 older sisters. His poor mother was pregnant for damn near four years straight

-He's close with his entire family, but especially his mother and youngest sister

-Also I'm not killing him in this story. I wrote a good portion of it pre-MW3 and that campaign sucked so I'm ignoring it :)

Ghost:

-Simon is from Manchester. Yeah yeah yeah ik there’s a whole thing ab his accent and yada ya but my first London pub-watch rugby game was Leeds vs Wigan, so we’re sticking with canon here

-Wigan is in Greater Manchester so I like the headcanon that Ghost’s father was a ManUnited football fan so teen!Simon said ‘oh fuck that’ and instead chose to take the 45 minute train to go watch rugby in another city

-I'm basing a lot of his character off of both the comics and game, however there is one thing to note. In the comics, 'Sparks' is one of the soldiers that assists in getting Simon's family killed. This is not the same Sparks I refer to in this story. Shane Sparks is a Demon Dog, and I'm writing in his character for specific plot devices. He'll likely be completely OC since I just grabbed his basic profile off the character wiki.

Gaz:

-Haven’t heard any confirmation on where Gaz is from but my love Elliot Knight is from Birmingham so ding ding ding, we have a winner

-Only child, the absolute pride and joy of his parent's life. He's a total mama's boy and it was largely her good morals and outlook on life that steered him in the direction of wanting to better the world

Price:

-Liverpool. Again, I’m not sure if there’s confirmation as to where Price is from but my love ( yes I can have two >:| ) Barry Sloane is from Livahpewl soooooo

-Semi-sad headcanon for Price here. Idk why but I feel a strong pull to the idea that his parents have passed, despite him only being 36 in my story, putting them somewhere in their 60's

-On a happier note, I also like the idea that John is an older brother, so we're going with that

-

<3

[blushstories]

mini-fic !! jackson has its own problems, sometimes. (this is a rogue idea, like comes from a random dream weird)

joel miller’s first impression of you isn’t ideal. you’ve been on your own for months now, the only partner you’ve had during this shitshow long gone. he went on a supply run one day and never came back — you assumed he had been swarmed by infected, but didn’t mourn him. you’d known him for a month and he was the most uptight, manipulative, misogynistic idiot you’d ever met. you’d been pleasantly surprised to find that you fare better on your own, finding the high ground and preferring to snipe with your bow or shiv with your flipknife.

somehow, youve ended up near what used to be a small town, the stores’ windows boarded up with rotting wooden planks. the nails were on the outside, though. these were to keep infected in. the further you walk, the thinner the rows of houses grow, and you see a mighty fence grow bigger on the horizon. you wonder for too long, feeling the zip of something fly past your ear. the bang echoes through the sky moments later. your hands fly up, “don’t shoot! don’t-“ you shout loudly to the sniper, a sour taste in your mouth that you could’ve been snuffed out two seconds ago. you freeze, not wanting to make a wrong move but hoping mercy still existed these days.

there’s silence, nothing but your own shaky breaths. then dusty footsteps approach behind you and something icy cool is pressed to the skin at the back of your neck.

“jesse.” a gruff voice murmurs behind you, and someone gently but firmly grabs your wrists, using a ziptie to keep them behind your back. you don’t say anything, afraid that you’ll get a bullet through your head. the cool pressure disappears and someone grips your bicep firmly, dragging you in the direction of the looming fenced area. the man isn’t old, his hair, scraped into a low ponytail, makes him seem quite young. the other man with jet black hair has said nothing. a pistol in the hand closest to you, half heartedly aimed in your direction.

“tommy, don’t you think—“ he seems hesitant, uncomfortable.

“save it, i’m not in charge.”

you’re pulled through the gates, watched by crowds of people who whispered among themselves. there were children here, families. the warmth in your heart feels foreign at the idea that people were living like this; safely, with love.

through winding streets the two men direct you into a small house, one that certainly hasn’t been lived in, and by the washed away bloodstains on the floorboards, you don’t think you will be for very long. there’s a chair in the middle of a very neglected living room, where you are pushed to sit down.

the man with the ponytail squats in front of you, sighing. his rifle is slung over his shoulder and he runs a hand over his mouth. “look,” he says. “we don’t want to do this. on a normal day, we’d have introduced ourselves out there, asked if you needed a place for the night, yknow—“ low voices sound out from behind the door, and the man frowns. “i’m tommy. that’s jesse. we’ll—“ the door flies open, bouncing sharply off of the wall behind it. tommy stands up, backing away from you.

and your jaw drops. your partner, the one you thought had died, saunters in, followed slowly by another man with dark hair, a plaid shirt, and a cracked watch sitting on his wrist. he glares into the back of the prior man’s head, but your nerves are burning and rage bubbles in your throat.

“you weasel! you good for nothing, son of a bitch!” his smirk only riles you up more, as he slowly crouches in front of you. the other three men in the room share a look with each other.

“well, i’m surprised to see you’ve survived this long without me,” he says, voice dripping with arrogance.

“i was doing better without you, asshole. you left me for dead!” you say. the black haired man clears his throat. john rolls his eyes and then glares at you.

“john. you did what?” he asks, voice low. an unspoken threat leaks through his words. you see jesse’s grip tighten on his pistol.

“john! oh, i’d forgotten your name. feel sorry for the people whose lives youve forced yourself into.” you say. the man who just spoke glances at you, eyes narrow.

“john.”

“alright! i did. couldn’t stand it anymore. found you lot, and you all believed me! amazing what people let you do once you say you’re ex-military.” he steps around you, wraps a fist in your hair and yanks your head back. something cool rests on your throat. a knife. you only just glimpse the black haired man’s hand disappear behind his back.

“so all those people you said to interrogate…” jesse says.

“just felt like it. as i do now,” he grits, knife dragging against the left of your neck. “especially—“ you feel the wet splatter against your cheek before the bang hits your ears. you don’t move, eyes locking with the man in front of you, who has smoke coming out of his pistol. the tie is cut from behind you and you launch yourself away from the chair. john lies lifeless behind the chair.

“joel!” tommy says, surprised. jesse slips his knife back into his belt. ‘joel’ ignores him, his hand warm on your upper arm as he hauls you up.

“been wantin’ to do that for too long.” joel murmurs. “you alright, now?” he asks, ducking into your eyeline. you nod, sniffing and wiping your cheek with the back of your hand. smudges of red come away with it, and you take a moment to process. but it’s the apocalypse, you process this stuff every day. and he was an asshole, so you say, “yeah. good riddance,” turn around, and leave the house.

sure, joel’s first impression of you was a hothead that got herself into difficult situations. but your impression of joel was that he was someone who could do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. you didn’t want to find out what he was capable of.