#STRAIGHT UP SHOWIN' HOW MUCH HE READY TO TAKE--

[sharonisthebettercarter]

getting blasted at the ass crack weirdo's hour with billy butcher's spread booty cheeks and stretched out bussy leik--

way to really put the bestest bottom baby boi on display leik that~<3<3<3

[averagewriter-inthedark]

The Cowboy’s Ice Princess ⛸ | Rhett Abbott Headcanon

Link to my Rhett Abbott Masterlist

Takes place in the year 2021 (I know OR came out in 2022, but they more than likely filmed last year so im using that as the timeline). Also content warnings: light mentions of sporting injuries and misogyny/sexism by the press.

Rhett falling love with a Olympic figure skater would look like:

It all began when Rhett was asked by Cecelia to take Amy to her ice skating lessons. First off, the man didn’t even know his niece was enrolled in them. second, where the hell was he supposed to take her? After gaining the information —which was that Amy’s classmate had their birthday party at the ice rink in the city where she immediately fell in love with skating and begged for lessons—Rhett was giving the address and the two were on their way. “We’re gonna be really early, uncle Rhett,” she said when she saw the time, deep down it excited her-knowing that before her lessons were the training hours of a famous skater. Rhett, unaware of what the girl was thinking replied, “well, there ain’t no harm in showin’ up early. Better get you started now.”

When they arrived at the rink they were really early. Like Amy still nearly an hour till her lessons started. Only a few cars were in the parking lot so Rhett suggested they wait in the car until it got closer to the time, but Amy was like “no! Let’s go in! I don’t mind waiting inside.” “Well alright….” Walking toward the facility, Rhett missed how beneath the name of the building it said, “home of Olympic Champion, Y/n L/n.” Inside the lady at the counter smiled at Amy saying, “you’re early today Amy. The ice won’t be ready until they finish up down there, but i can get you your skates and you two can head on over to the bleachers.” Picking up her skates, since Amy didn’t have her own personal ones to bring, she carried them past the concession booth and locker room entrance to the stairs leading to the bleachers where music could be heard through the speakers.

As soon as the rink was visible, blue eyes landed on the figure gliding across the ice like she was a ballerina doing a solo on a the stage. Even from a distance Rhett noticed her beauty, which was only accentuate as she danced across the ice. She was dressed in a black turtleneck and leggings, white skates in her feet and hair slicked back into a tight bun. Rhett was pretty much frozen, captivated by the lone skater who was in her own element, unaware there were onlookers besides her coach who was off to the side. Each spin, each jump, each glide and Rhett felt like he was in a trance—until Any pulled him out by hissing under her breath, “stop being creepy and sit down, uncle Rhett.” When he did Rhett noticed a look of awe in Amy as she watched the skater, leaning in to whisper, “this why you didn’t mind waitin’ in her’ when you still got plenty of time?”

With a grin and not taking her eyes off the skater, Amy began to rant to her uncle, “That’s Y/n L/n—one of the best figure skaters in the world. Some weeks ago some of the girls I do lessons with told me ‘bout her after I asked about the little shrine dedicated to her when you first walk in. You didn’t see it but it’s on the other end of the counter if we would’ve turned right instead of goin’ straight,” Amy paused to watch the woman, Y/n, complete a triple axel, one of the most difficult jumps in the sport. “Anyways, Ruby told me Y/n’s trained at this rink since she was five years old and is one of few people from this city to make it big in the world. She’s competed on the international level since 2010–and went to the Olympics!! Three times!! She’s trainin’ for the 2022 Games in China happenen’ next year. Her trainin’ is right ‘fore my lessons but gramma always brings right on time so I never get to see her unlike some of the other girls. I heard people on tv call her the ‘Ice Princess’ —not ‘cause she’s a great skater, but ‘cause she’s rude to reporters—but some of the girls say she’s very nice and welcomin’ when they’ve gotten a chance to talk to her before class.”

Impressed and captivated by you, Rhett does a google search and finds your career stats. Whistling under his breath, Rhett reads that since your debut at the 2009 U.S Figure Skating Championships at the age of 14, you’ve gone on to become—in your discipline of the women’s singles— a six-time National champion, a four-time World champion, and are currently the reigning Olympic champion of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Rhett also reads you have three World silver medals, are the 2014 Olympic silver medalist & the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist as well as part of the 2014 & 2018 U.S Olympic bronze medal teams. Bringing a total of five Olympic medals in three appearances. Rhett even came across a YouTube compilation titled, ‘Y/n L/n being the Ice Princess & snapping back at reporters for 4 minutes straight.’ Curious, Rhett watches it and all he saw was you acting how anyone would when asked about their weight, diet, personal struggles, and that they were getting old in a sport known for young girls.

What made Rhett’s eyes gouge from his head was when your information read that you were actually from Wabang. “No fucking way,” he muttered just as the music ended. Lifting his head he saw you exhale and skate in the direction of your coach. He couldn’t hear what was being said but soon you were back in the middle of the ice doing spins so fast it made him dizzy. You continued practicing elements of your routine for the remainder of your training. When it came time for you to exit the ice, feeling bold, Amy jumped up and raced to the entrance of the ice to meet you there with Rhett calling out to her. The sound caught your attention, where you smiled at the sight of a little girl beaming up at you with awe in her eyes, “well hello.”

Introducing herself, Amy politely asked for a picture which you happily agreed to just as Rhett approached with an apologetic expression. Immediately you thought he was handsome and looked away when you connected eyes. Gosh they were the most gorgeous shade of blue you’d ever seen. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. We didn’t mean to bother you, Ms. L/n.” You brushed it off saying it was not a problem and you were enjoying Amy’s company, hoping Rhett couldn’t pick up on the fact you found him extremely attractive. Since Rhett had the phone, he quickly snapped some photos of you two before he and Amy thanked you for your time. Amy’s lessons were about to start so you wished good luck and to have fun before heading to the locker room to freshen up and change since you weren’t gonna be back in the rink till later that night.

Rhett could not stop thinking about you after that. Whenever Amy had lessons Rhett would offer to take her, making his mother confused, and, coincidently, would arrive 20-30 minutes before her lessons just to watch you train. Sometimes her friends in the classes were also there, so it worked out cause then they weren’t the only two being lowkey creeps. Finding it amusing—especially when Rhett tried to make it look like he wasn’t completely captivated by you—you’d wave to them and say hello when passing by on your way out. Rhett would tip his hat, giving you a smile that nearly knocked your skates off.

Amy had lessons every Saturday & Sunday afternoon so after a month of admiring each other from a distance, you made the first move by approaching him after changing into your hoodie and jeans, “This seat taken?” “Not at all. Please, be my guest.” You two talked the entire duration of Amy’s lesson. After finding out they were also from Wabang, and Rhett mentioning he read you were from there, you explained to him, “Yeah my ma worked as a nurse here in the city and would bring me everyday while she worked almost a twelve-hour shift. I basically grew up in the rink. My pops was a ranch hand ‘til he hurt his back and homeschooled me so I could skate. I moved closer to here when I turned eighteen—but my folks still live in Wabang and I visit every week.” Rhett then talked about his family’s ranch and bull riding and soon Amy’s lesson ended. While she was getting changed you and Rhett exchanged numbers after the cowboy asked if you wanted to get coffee the next time you were in town.

The feelings between you two bloomed over several weeks of texting, phone calls, and going on dates whenever you were in Wabang or having Rhett travel to the city. One of your dates actually was bringing him onto the ice after the days lessons were done and nobody wad there. That memory would go down as the funniest night of your lives with Rhett losing his balance, bringing you both onto the ice several times because you two were holding hands. “C’mon, cowboy, give me one lap without falling and I may just give you a kiss when the night ends.” Oh you bet your ass he did everything in his power to not fall on that one lap. When it was a success he immediately asked for his payment, and so your first kiss happened right there in the middle of the rink. From that moment on you were his and he was yours

When you came to the ranch Rhett would teach you to rope and ride a horse. His mother nearly had a heart attack when you met for the first time, obviously knowing who you were because she’d seen the shrine dedicated to you and your accomplishments at the rink. She couldn’t believe her son actually was in a relationship with you. Amy was over the moon and happy for her uncle. Royal and Perry were actually impressed but lowkey made bets on how long it would take for Rhett to fuck it up.

Rhett was head over heels for you and made the promise to never let you down. You were his woman and he became your biggest supporter. Even when Amy didn’t have lessons Rhett would come to the rink in his free time to bring you food or sit in on your practice. He saved up money just to travel and watch you compete, spent time on learning the different moves and jumps, and how the scoring works. You’d made it known to him that the upcoming Beijing Games were to be your last if you made the team so Rhett became your personal cheerleader to motivate you to do your best. “Baby, you’re gonna make that team—no doubt ‘bout it. Just keep doin’ what’re doin’ and that gold medal will be yours again. And I’m gonna be cheerin’ you on every step of the way.”

You made Rhett feel things he never thought he would feel. You inspired him, motivated him, was not only his partner but his best friend. With you he never felt like a disappointment. You made him laugh, held him when he cried after a bad day, encouraged him to follow his dreams. Rhett loved you so much he couldn’t picture a life without you. Even when he would rant about how you deserved better than him, you stayed by his side, kissing him breathless to show you were just as crazy about him as he was of you. “I don’t ever wanna hear those words again, Rhett Abbott. I don’t just open heart to anyone. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met, and I love you so much and I’m going to make sure you know that everyday. You’re my cowboy, Rhett Abbott.”

You would attend his rodeos, cheering in the stands which has some of the locals shocked to see you there. Although you no longer lived in Wabang many of the residents knew who you were. Whenever the Olympics came around your picture was on the front page of the newspaper, detailing your accomplishments. Many couldn’t believe one of then had made it to the worlds greatest sporting stage and was recognized as one of the best athletes in their sport. They also couldn’t believe the notorious Rhett Abbott had managed to pull you—confirmed by the dropping of jaws when Rhett swooped you off your feet to kiss you when he finished his ride. He’d been up front with you about his reputation, but you assured him you’d never judge him by his past and as long as he continues to be the man he was to you then you were in for the long haul. “C’mon, cowboy, let’s show ‘em you’re better than what they perceive ya.” With his Stetson on your head, you had to hold back smirking at the disappointed looks from buckle bunnies.

Being a professional athlete working to defend an Olympic title was challenging. There were days you didn’t hit your routine as sharp or fell on a jump. About three month before the trials you lightly sprained your ankle when you landed wrong on your triple axel, putting you off the rink for two weeks for it to heal. During that period your stress and anxiety was high, worried that you were falling off your game and would miss your chance at winning a second gold. 2018 was the best year of your life, winning your first Olympic gold in your third Games. Since then the commentators have put a lot of pressure on you and have go so far as to call you the ‘Ice Princess,’ due to your stone cold attitude at the press when they’ve asked offensive questions you’ve called them out on instead of giving a sugar coated answer to remain polite. Only the media seemed to be your enemy because friends, teammates and even competitors had praised you for standing up to the press.

On those days that were hard Rhett would take you out on a nice date before settling down for the night by cuddling on the coach with the fire going and have a movie on the tv. Rhett would hold you in his arms, running his hands through your hair and murmur words of encouragement. “I know you had a rough day, baby. But just ‘member that each rough day is a sign to do better the next. Tomorrow is a new day. You just gotta rest tonight and put your mind at ease, so let’s talk about anythin’ ‘sides the ice.”

When the trials came for the 2022 Winter Olympic team, you were the #1 overall skater for your discipline securing your spot on the team. You were in tears, hugging your coach as Rhett, his family, and your family cheered in the stands. He even had to wipe his face, overcome with emotion and met you when it concluded with a bouquet of flowers and a passionate kiss. “I’m so proud of you, darlin’. So so proud,” he said in between kisses, “you were incredible—I knew you could do it.” Unfortunately Rhett wouldn’t be joining you in Beijing due to the COVID restrictions set in place, but he promised to be up every morning to watch you skate. It was a tearful goodbye at the airport with Rhett telling you how much he loved you and would miss for the next two and a half weeks, and after several kisses and promises to call everyday he finally let you go so you could get through customs.

Rhett and his family sat down to watch the opening ceremonies of the Games where you led Team USA as their selected flag bearer. You looked so adorable in your outfit that Rhett couldn’t help but take a picture if his tv when the camera panned to you. Not much of a social media person, he did however post it on his story with the caption, “That’s my Ice Princess♥️⛸.” The nickname you once hated ended up being your favorite whenever Rhett called you it. Only he could make you flustered when it rolled off his tongue. He was your cowboy, you were his Ice Princess.

Making through with his promise, Rhett got up at the ass crack of Dawn the days you were set to go on the ice. Qualifications, team finals, short program, free skate, he was on his couch watching it live. When it came back you were the #3 overall qualifier, Rhett was over the moon. Then he and Amy cheered together when the USA claimed the silver metal in the team. He watched you with beaming eyes on the screen medal yourself and hold it up with pride.

On the day of your free skate, the final segment of the women’s signals skate finals, Rhett held his breath and was on the edge of his seat when you stepped on the ice. The last to perform, becoming a two-time Olympic champion would be down to the four minutes ahead if you. All through the routine he felt that familiar skip in his heart like the first time he saw you. You glided across the ice with ease, like a ballerina on stage. Each twirl, each jump was perfection and you hit every single element, finishing the routine with a grin on your face. You knew right then, as did the small crowd of local spectators and members of team USA as well as Rhett and y’all’s families back home. They were already celebrating with Rhett having tears in his eyes the moment your name came up with the overall total next to the #1 spot.

Rhett never thought he’d find love—especially with someone as amazing as you. You were the definition of perfection, the most dedicated, inspiring, beautiful person he’d ever met and everyday he thanked whoever above to allow him the honor of being your cowboy. When the gold medal was placed around your neck, and you announced the closing of a chapter with retiring from the sport of figure skating, Rhett couldn’t wait to be a part of the next chapter. But no matter what you did on or off the rink, you would always be his Ice Princess.

[jamestrmtx]

Fairytale Complex - [Undertale | Sans x Reader]

[Gender Neutral, Frisk's Parent Reader | Slow Burn]

Chapter Sixteen | Dummy! (Part 2 of 3)

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When you're done freshening up, dinner's already underway. The scent of vegetables and broth hits your nose, and the cold temperature left behind by the storm brings forth an additional hint as to what the monster's cooking up for dinner. You try to stay soundless as you sneak off to the kitchen and stand behind him, looking over his shoulder when you make it there.

"I can tell you're here, pal," Sans says, chuckling. 

He turns to you with a spoon held out in his hand. There's a sample of soup on it, waiting to be tested. The scent reminds you of having missed lunch break due to the stormy weather, with the hours it lasted bringing forth your boss's decision to call the rest of your shift off. You were supposed to be at your last meeting by now, but the rain and wind had proven to be superior, canceling all plans. Less work meant less pay, though you try to refrain yourself from worrying too much about that right now. "Taste it." He offers it out to you, still waiting. You, on the other hand, take a while to do anything, overthinking the situation as you then debate on whether to grab the spoon or taste it right off his hand. The first option had the risk of you brushing hands with the monster and spilling the soup in the process, yet tasting it right off his hand was almost unthinkable to do. 

Another thought pops into your mind, and that's whether it was fine to trust the skeleton by tasting the food and giving him the benefit of the doubt about it not being tampered with. Though you knew him for a few months now, it's still impossible not to acknowledge a possibility like that one. If a man you'd known for so many years had ended up leaving you, only to make a scene like yesterday's when trying to get back with you, who's to say a stranger with customs far different from yours wouldn't do something similar -- or worse?

You remind yourself of your main and original task: confronting him and the rest of the monsters over the choices they made back at the Underground, regardless of how charming and kind they were being with you currently. Sans was no less of an exception. This wasn't only for Frisk's safety and their overall state of well-being, but for your reputation as their parent -- and for your peace of mind, too.

You figure you've taken too long based on how the skeleton backs the spoon away.

His grin widens, and he then sips the contents off the spoon, leaving it empty. "I promise it ain't poisoned." He gives his back to you as he goes to wash the spoon, offering it to you after it's been cleaned. "You can taste it now." Sans moves aside, creating space for you to step forward and scoop a bit of the soup still bubbling in the pot.

Just as you're about to eat it though, he says, "I'm not the best cook around, so go ahead and lemme know if it tastes funny." 

A smile forms on your face when you hear that, captivated by the idea of him having no clue how to begin cooking, and even more considering he was at your home instead of his. If it was often difficult for beginners to cook in the familiarity of their own home, you can't imagine how it must feel doing that at another person's place. For a moment, you wish you could've seen him in the process of cooking, an opportunity you'd lost while you went off to shower and change.

When you taste it, what's missing drops into your thoughts; years of having cooked at home reveal the capability of identifying that quickly. You consider the suggestion and confirm what the soup's lacking when you clean up the spoon and take a second sample off the pot. "It's good," you say, setting it aside. "Just needs a bit of salt and more time to stew. The rest is fine."

"Thanks," he replies, hands going back to his pockets. "Paps wants to improve his cooking, so I figured I've gotta better mine some more before I teach 'im anything."

Again, your mind finds itself in a conflict. While it's charmed by the thoughtfulness of that comment, it's also clouded by the morose reminder of why you'd asked him to stay for dinner in the first place. To distract yourself, you add the missing ingredient to the soup and walk with Sans to the couch while it finishes boiling.

It feels strange to sit so far apart from each other, but he doesn't close off the distance, nor do you.

You prop a leg over the other and rest a hand over your knee, bouncing the one on the floor when you lack anything more to say. Your thoughts scramble around as you try to find a way to make the situation less awkward. When you glance back at him, you see it's something he also seems to want to end; your gaze meets with his when you both decide to look at each other's side -- synchronizing.

He shifts closer and you do the same, continuing until your hands touch.

Almost immediately, you pull back, yet your gaze remains locked with his, eyes drifting down to his teeth. Even as he gets nearer, you stay put, lost in your thoughts and the risky scenario unfolding. Your brain and heart scream at you to stop; your body -- conversely -- refuses to move out of its current spot and rebels by inching closer to him, until you're near enough to catch the scent of the only soap brand you often bought for showering: soft-scented, cheap, and antibacterial. It's strange to catch that aroma from someone other than yourself. Frisk preferred using a different kind, making the situation much more intimate than you would like it to feel.

You grab his hand again as he leans into you, only stopping himself when your back presses against the armrest. Then, he pulls his hand back and uses both to hold your shoulders and corner you right into place. Height difference makes it so that his legs stay knelt on the couch while yours hang off it, these tucked aside as you focus on the matter at hand. He brings himself closer as he tries to level out your heights, grip on you staying. The sound of your heart and of the soup simmering by the kitchen are the only two other things to keep your mind occupied from what's happening; anticipation makes your breaths waver.

As if the situation couldn't get tense enough, the door of the living room opens and in barge two people, leaving you in an iced state. 

Rather than Frisk and Toriel, it's Frisk and Jerry who stand at the frame, one casting a look of betrayal at the monster while the other scrutinizes the scene. You try standing up, yet the monster's hands hold you back, body held up over yours -- still cornered. His face reveals nothing but conflict, an expression similar to your state of mind regarding how freely to act with him. 

Jerry leaves without a word and shuts the door too slow for it to even click. Frisk does the rest of the job for him by locking it, checking it again, and saying nothing themselves as they look at you in the eye and sign, "Can we talk later, ren?"

Still in a tough position, you nod once, lacking strength or words to say anything out loud. 

Sans doesn't move even as Frisk disappears into the hallway.

You see his irises falter when you look at him; his gaze isn't fully there. A few drops of sweat are present on his forehead, and you can feel his hands grow colder with each second. "...Are you okay, Sans?" you ask, voice faint. "I, um... I think the soup should be ready now."

You hope that's enough to snap him out of it, only to have that contradicted when his hold on you stays. "I'm sorry, (Y/N)," he mutters, huffing, "I failed you."

Sans moves back while you sit up straight; silence returns. He stands up and goes to turn off the stove, all done within more time than you would expect as he chooses to stay there a few more minutes, staring aimlessly at the kitchen's wares. You rest your hands on your knees, and you wait to see what he does next. There's not much you can do now that you were caught in a moment like that one, and there's no time to beat yourself up over it, either. All you can do's admit your blame where it best seemed fit, and that was in letting your inner voice act before you. You'd given it your strongest efforts to wait until your first year of college to date Jerry, only to then wait until you had a stabler job by your second semester to actually do anything more serious with him, and later waited six more years alone, watching as Frisk grew up in your care for most of the time, only to let your wants show through now of all times.

Excuse through excuse -- be it valid or not -- you'd restricted yourself at every moment you saw possible.

All that, and yet it still felt as if you hadn't done enough.

You wanted to be stronger. 

"Frisk told me 'bout your situation," Sans says, distracting you from your thoughts. "Not whatever happened with Jerry, but the way you see monsters, and well… me, in general." He turns away from the kitchen and sits back down on the couch, looking directly at you, though for wholly different reasons than earlier ago. His hand stays over yours, more comforting than sultry. Were you to know him for any longer, you would've assumed he's holding his soul on his sleeve, yet you remind yourself he's still a stranger. "Maybe this's my habits showin' up, but if I were to judge you based on what they told me, I'd say you're labeling yourself as the bad guy." His fingers intersect with yours, squeezing your palm. "Of all the things I've gotten to learn about you, this's one of the least you should be blamin' yourself for. If anything, you're not exactly the only one responsible for all that's been happenin' right now."

Your breaths grow tighter the longer you keep listening to him. Your heart's racing again, yet it's not the same as before. The monster lets your hand go, continuing with, "I can't tell you just how different we are from each other, and how much I wish I had a fraction the amount of willpower you and your kid have." He sighs; a hint of a smile shows despite the furrow in his gaze. "You've got some things right about me, and one of 'em's havin' chosen to act too late. Being unable to be there for those I care about, more specifically." His nose cavity flares as he lets out a stifled laugh, remorse showing in spite of his best efforts not to let that happen. "I hate who I used to be, and even now, I still feel like I could've done more. I wanna try harder, but I don't have a clue on where to start with that."

Sans tries to stand up, yet fails to. He heaves out a breath as he closes his eye sockets and surrenders himself back on the couch; he rests his elbow over the armrest and lets his chin rest on his hand. After that, he looks back to your side, an apologetic gaze showing as his grin widens and his crease deepens, the way his monster anatomy worked allowing him to further display similar movements to that of a human narrowing their gaze. "Keep taking credit where it's due, (Y/N). And when you've got somethin' you want to improve, try your best to overcome it." He pauses, and the crease in his gaze lessens as he casts a fonder look at you. "Not that you ain't tryin' already. But you're still takin' up too much of the blame, and not realizing when you can be free. It doesn't have to be with me -- or anybody else, for that matter -- but try to live life a lil' more. Don't just dwell on the past and restrain yourself from stuff you want to achieve for yourself. You should live for you, just as you're tryna live for others."

He closes his eye sockets and brings a hand to his face, rubbing his forehead until he lets out a hushed sigh. Then, he opens them and straightens up on his seat, hands resting on his lap. There's a brief pause, broken when he breathes in again, saying, "...So a skeleton and a single parent walk into a bar," he takes another stop, continuing with, "One bares their skin to the bartender, earnest down to the bone," his breath hitches, yet he composes himself quickly, "the other sits back, looks into the past, and then wonders why he's feelin' so lonely."

He huffs and ends it all with a chuckle and an attempt at covering his face away from your sight. You stop him with the brush of a hand, taking his cheekbone when he turns to you. His body's shaking and a few tears escape his sockets, these he tries to wipe with his free hand, only for you to hold him back by doing that yourself. Caught in the moment, you kiss one of them away, the expectance of a salty taste proven wrong as you receive a hint of sweetness instead -- reflecting the memory of your day with him at the pâtisserie. His shoulders shake as he chokes back a sob, breaking down. His hands grab your back, bringing you in for a hug as he seeks more comfort. In that embrace, you can feel how his rib cage rises and falls at quick intervals, slowing down when you hug him back and wait until he breaks it apart.

The wait's as long as you expect it for someone in his state; the weight of his breaths diminish as he calms down and lets you go.

"Sorry about that," he comments, chuckling. "Wasn't really myself for a moment there, huh?"

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[mrs-hollandstan]

Make Me Love You || Frat Boy!Tom [thirteen]

Warnings: drinking, sexual mentions, language, more parental issues, and without giving too much away: hurt, tread lightly for angst throughout

Word Count: 5,430

Author's Note: WELCOME TO ANGSTVILLE! I don't do well with angst but I cried writing it so it'll probably hurt no matter what. Please, I beg of you, the next THREE chapters will be the three weeks of Spring Break and I feel like they'll be the hardest to read, but please stay with me because afterwards I've got a boatload more to get to. Lemme know what you think :)

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School seemed to pick up after Valentine's Day. So much so that there seemed to be a growing gap between you and Tom despite the escapades and sworn love. But you both were in love, there was no denying that and you truly believed that no matter how crazy life got, you seriously couldn't grow too distant. Spring Break was approaching quickly, three weeks of pure bliss to be spent down in Oregon amongst your friends in a warmer part of the country. You often dreamed what you were going to do with Tom who only half listened and agreed to anything and everything, completely missing the frown that covered your face each time. He always had his nose in a book trying to study and he'd only acknowledge your presence when you reached up to run your fingers through his hair.

There was less time to be lovey dovey with midterms around and Tom found himself actually denying you to come around the frat house while he figured out his studying schedules. But once midterms were through, it'd be easy sailing. A frat party to celebrate and Oregon starting Sunday. You couldn't be more excited and Tom couldn't shut up about seeing you in a bikini. The final day of Midterms, you brush open the door of the classroom, allowing Phoebe, Ivey, and Scarlett to walk out before you follow. You clutch the class's textbook to your chest, groaning at the few missed questions on the multiple choice portion before a strong pair of arms wrap around your waist and lift you off your feet. You squeal as Tom grunts in your ear, setting you down after a moment. You turn to him, watching him scrunch his nose,

"Hiya. How was your Midterm?" He poses. You shrug, walking backwards and leaning in to kiss him,

"Sounds like I coulda done better but what's done is done, no going back." He purses his lips and nods,

"I like that response." He mutters. You giggle and nod, turning your back to him and letting him drape his arm over your shoulders, looking to Scarlett when she speaks again,

"Okay but forty four was all of the above right." There's a row of nods and mutters as you all collectively agree. Tom blinks down at the pavement when you lean in to kiss his cheek,

"So the party-"

"Yeah. We... we don't have to go. I mean, we could just stay in and like... watch a movie or something." He says. You click your tongue,

"What? You've been excited for it, why would you not wanna go?" You ask him, lacing your fingers with his over your shoulder. He shrugs, glancing down. You clear your throat,

"Something you wanna talk to me about?" He doesn't make any moves and you slow down, Ivey nodding at you when she glances back and sees the look in your eye. You take Tom's arm from around your shoulders, lacing your fingers with his and walking hand in hand,

"Talk to me. What's going on?" He shakes his head,

"Nothing, it's just my dad again. My mum, I guess is trying to get him to fund me again and it isn't going so well." He says. You sigh,

"Your grades have gotten better. That's good. Like... ya know, before your grades sucked and you needed a lot of my help but now that you're doing your own thing, you're doing good. And whether he sees it or not, that's how it is and I'm proud of you if he isn't." You lecture. He nods, squeezing your hand. You reach up to squeeze his bicep,

"And besides, fuck him. Next week we'll be in Oregon, living it up and I'll wear the hell out of that bathing suit for you."

"It'll only be good if I can peel it off of you every night." He jokes, smiling as you giggle,

"I'll give you all the opportunities in the world to take it off me." You reassure, laying your head against his arm. He leans in to kiss the top of your head. He sighs,

"Think I just need a nap in your bed." He says. You smile and nod,

"I'll let you take a nap babe." He hums, continuing to walk you at your slow pace just for your alone time.

                                 ---

Tom lays in your bed, watching you sort through your outfits for the night, humming as you turn to show him your favorites. His eyes are hooded and he looks sleepy, but his hour and a half nap seemed to do him good. He stands once the clock strikes three thirty,

"Should get the hell out of here. Let you do your thing. I'll see you later." He says, leaning in to kiss you. Your hand lingers around his wrist, pulling him back to you. He smiles, wrapping his arms around you as he leans in to press a more firm kiss to your lips,

"I mean... I don't have to go. I could easily stay and... give you a little preview of Oregon." He mutters, hands sliding down to mold your bottom in his hands. You hum, wrapping your arms around his neck as he leans in to nip and suck at your throat,

"God I can't wait. I'm ready to just chill with you and our little group." You tell him. He hums,

"You're in for it young lady." He mutters. You giggle, pressing your hands to his shoulders,

"Okay... lets not. Maybe it's good to stop here, now." You tell him. He stands straight and huffs,

"You're a cock block. Now I've gotta go home and rub one out." You snort, shoving his shoulders,

"Whatever. Think of Oregon." You tell him. He hums and nods,

"I'm already dreaming of you and Oregon darling." He mutters as he starts from the room,

"Love you!" You call.

"Love you too!" He yells back before the front door closes and Ivey appears,

"You two are adorable. I think that soon enough we'll be attending a beautiful wedding for the two of you." She remarks. You click your tongue,

"Don't get ahead of yourself Ivey. You're first." You tell her, hanging some of your options for the night back up. She leans against the doorframe,

"Really? You'd save that for me?" You nod, glancing up,

"Of course. Heaven forbid I marry a guy after like less than a year and it not work out." You tell her. She nods, looking you over,

"You really do love him too huh?" Sitting at the edge of the bed, you sigh and nod,

"I've never felt this way about anyone but him. I don't know what it is but he and I are just... he's everything right now." You tell her. She smiles,

"Well you two are perfect. I love it and I can't wait to see where the two of you end up in the future." You smile,

"You know what the best part is? We talk about our future family a lot. Like... getting married and having kids. It's something that we dream about when we're alone." You tell her. Her face softens,

"Awwwww, that's so cute! I love that. So have you guys established how many kids you want?" You shrug,

"We've said three or four but you can't always be sure. It'll depend. But yeah... we talk about it a lot." She smiles,

"Adorable. Sometimes Harrison and I do the same. Two little ones. Boys. But anyways, just make sure you at least keep me around forever so I can see those sweet little babies." She remarks. You giggle,

"Deal. Can I borrow those black strappy heels you have?" You ask. She nods, disappearing for a moment before she returns and tosses them at your feet,

"Have fun." She sing-songs as she exits the room again, leaving you to get ready in silence.

When you meet your three roommates in the living room later, Phoebe lets out a wolf whistle as she looks you over,

"Look at you showin off all that leg. I could see you being pinned up against a door later tonight with how sexy you look." You giggle, looking down,

"I think I might upset Tom. I think I'm a few inches taller than he is."

"Ehh, he'll get over it." Scarlett mutters as she grabs a jacket,

"Lets get going." Ivey says, checking her phone as she looks up. Soon enough you're filing out into Ivey's car and headed to the frat house. Your excitement bubbles over as you walk up the stairs to the house, brushing inside with the girls in tow. Music already thumps around you and there's a small crowd forming but not the true turnout of the night. Walking further into the living room, Gil greets you with a smile,

"Hey hey hey. You girls look pretty" He chimes. You smile as he leans in for a light hug,

"Hi Gil, thanks." He hums, jutting his chin over his shoulder,

"Lover boy is in the den playing beer pong. There was yelling coming from his room earlier. I think it's his dad again." He tells you in a hushed tone. You give him a tight lipped smile, walking towards the den, leaning against the doorway to watch your dark features boy concentrate on the game in front of him with a furrowed brow. When his opponent makes a direct hit into his cup, he gives a long sigh, picking the ball out and raising the solo cup to his lips. His eyes finally meet yours as he tips the cup back, lingering as he downs the beer in it, setting it back on the table. He picks up the ping pong ball, seemingly ignoring you as he shoots his own shot,

"Hey Y/N." Harrison chimes as he breaks you from your thoughts. You smile down at him,

"Hi Harrison. How's it goin?" He shrugs, glancing back at Tom,

"I'm alright. I've been tryin to calm down Tom. His dad called and they got into an argument and he... he doesn't really talk about it, doesn't want to, but he's tense." He tells you. You give him a sympathetic smile,

"Got it. I need vodka before I throw myself to that wolf." You reply. He smiles, following you into the kitchen and he beelines straight for Ivey. There's a pang of jealousy towards the way he curls himself around her with ease, not a worry in the world about their personal lives, no parental issues. You down a shot of vodka, eyes locked on the two of them as he kisses her cheek, whispering something to her that makes her laugh. You grit your teeth at the burn, downing another before a hand is placed on your hip, making you jump,

"I won at least." Tom says in a raspy voice, sliding the hand around to your lower back. You glance up at him, looking all over his perfect face as he glances around the room at the group of people. You place your hand over his on the counter, rubbing your thumb across his knuckles. It seems to deflate the tension, but not nearly enough. He glances down at you and you smile,

"You okay baby? The boys are worried about yo-" You stop when he holds up a hand, eyes closing,

"Just... I don't wanna talk about it. I'm trying to fucking drink it away." He hisses. You nod, pursing your lips as he pours himself a shot and downs it.  He turns to you, sighing. His eyes follow your face from your own eyes to your lips, leaning in to kiss you softly. You reach up to run your fingers over his cheek, kissing him back. He hums, placating himself behind you when you break apart. He places both hands over your hips and his chest against your back,

"I like your dress though. I'll tell you that much." He admits. You smile and turn your cheek into his,

"Thank you. I wore it for you." You remark. He curls his arms around your waist, your hands coming to rest on the soft skin, rubbing across as he lays his chin over your shoulder,

"Don't quite care for the heels but... I can't be picky." He remarks. You giggle, leaning against the counter. Taking a deep breath, you continue to rub across his arms,

"Maybe later we can sneak away." You tell him. He nods,

"Hopefully." He mutters, squeezing your body. You hum, swaying him softly before he huffs and unwraps himself from around you. He finds a bottle of hard liquor, pouring it into a shot glass and hovering over a second. You glance up, shrugging and watching him pour your shot. You pick it up and down it, cringing softly as he sets the glass down. You reach up, pressing your palm to his cheek and rubbing your thumb across his cheekbone,

"I know you hate talking about it but I wish you would. I don't like seeing you so upset." You admit to him. He scoffs, shaking his head,

"Yeah, you can thank my dad for that one." He mutters downing another shot.

All you want to do is help him but his unwant for comfort if he has to speak about it draws him away. Draws him away from you. He's fading and it scares you. It makes your heart hurt because you love him so much you don't want the heartbreak to take over. All you can do is stare at him, hoping that like every other time he'll snap back to you, he'll talk to you about it and you'll go back to normal. But something inside you, deep down tells you you won't be so lucky. No matter how good things were earlier.

He glances up again, eyes wandering your body. His eyes linger on your face, wander the worry etched into your features and even if you aren't looking at him, he knows it's about him. He reaches out to give a gentle tug at the dress bunched at your ribcage,

"I gotta go take a piss. Come with?" After a moment of staring up into those mysterious, dark eyes, you nod, holding his hand when he takes it and following him up the stairs to the bathroom across from his room. He closes the door behind you, letting you hop up onto the counter as he tends to himself. You play with the hem of your skirt, glancing up when he flushes the toilet and steps in front of you. He washes his hands quickly before he comes to stand between your legs. He rests his hands on your thighs, sliding them up until his fingers rest under the material, a sigh leaving his lips,

"I hate when you look so upset because of me."

"Its not like that Tom. I just... wish you were more apt to talk to me the minute something bothers you. I'm only here to help." You tell him as he nods, letting you finish, but clearly irritated with the idea. He closes his eyes,

"I know, I know. I just... I really just don't want to. Not this close to Spring Break and with this party. I just want to enjoy myself and be done with it." He defends. You nod, rubbing his shoulders,

"I know. I just want you to be completely open with me. I just want..."

"You want what Y/N?" He suddenly asks, venom laced in his words as he straightens himself out his hands leaving your legs. He scoffs,

"What do you want? You want me to lay everything out? Want me to... tell you everything I haven't yet?"

"Tom-"

"What do you want Y/N?"

"Tom!"

"What do you want?!"

"I want something like Harrison and Ivey have!" You yell suddenly. He stares at you, your heart pounding as tears come to your eyes. Your skin burns,

"I want... for us to lean all over each other like we're the only people in the world. I want for you to not have these little depressive bouts hanging over you every time your dad comes around again. I want," tears roll down your cheeks, "I want to be able to have some sort of stability in my life because god knows that I have my own parental issues and I just... I want... stability." You lose your train of thought, staring at the boy across from you who looks angry. He doesn't look sympathetic or affected, just mad. He scoffs again, running his tongue along the point of his teeth, glancing away from you,

"You want what Ivey and Harrison have huh?" He clicks the lock on the door open, cracking the door just a small bit. He grits his teeth, "So why don't you go find a guy that can give you that then eh?" He spits. More tears run down your cheeks,

"Tom-" He yanks the door open, walking a few steps to place himself in the hallway before something seems to strike him and he turns, pointing at you,

"I was wrong about you. You are like every other girl. And I expect that by tomorrow my name'll be drug through the mud so why don't you go do what you girls do best." He adds, further breaking your heart before he walks away, leaving you to stew.

You know that it's the alcohol. Everything happened so fast and arguing with someone under the influence doesn't help anything. If you give him room maybe it'll get better.

By the time you've figured your way back downstairs, your makeup is a mess and your eyes are red but you stand your ground. Your roommates each have a wide eyed look to them as you enter the kitchen, pulling you into a circle and comforting you the best way they can and reassuring you that space will be needed. You silently agree, letting Phoebe make you a screwdriver to calm the churning of your stomach and the nerves that course through you when it comes to what's next in your relationship. Your seemingly perfect relationship that was uprooted with a little parental guidance and some alcohol.

You watch him over the bar connecting the kitchen to the living room, playing pool with some of the boys. Each time he glances up, you look away just in time and he sips his beer. You've lost count of how many he's had and the number from before you arrived is still a mystery which seems to settle your nerves about a full breakup just a little weirdly. The girls distract you with stories and jokes and Phoebe always has her one liners which keep you in a cloud of laughter as you sip from drinks, ignoring the way Harrison has his arm wrapped around Ivey and they make it look so effortless. So perfect.

Another hour and a half ticks by before you steal a peek up, your heart stops with your laughter as your eyes lock on Tom's figure which most definitely isn't alone. His arms are bound tight around a brunette's waist, shoulders bowed to be her height. It would be fine if they weren't smiling at each other like they were the ones together for almost seven months. You can hear Ivey and Phoebe mumble curses to themselves just as he leans in and kisses her so softly it shatters your heart. Tears come to your eyes but you aren't sure if you're heartbroken or angry.

Ivey calls out your name as you storm forward, drink forgotten as you pace towards your... boyfriend? and his new concubine. You shove his shoulders, careening him away from her in his half drunk state, his eyebrows furrowing as he stumbles,

"What the fuck?"

"I could ask you the same thing asshole, what the fuck are you doing?" You holler over the music. He blinks at you,

"What the hell are you on about? I'm just having some fun."

"Yeah, with someone that's most definitely not your girlfriend." You spit back. He scoffs,

"YOU hardly are either. After that shit you pulled in the bathroom our relationship seems like it's on the rocks no? Oh but don't worry darling, if I'm serious I'll make it back to you at some point." He chides, trying to brush past you to get back to her. Your heart literally snaps in your chest at his brush it all off attitude. You smack his shoulder, setting him off his feet again,

"Do you really wanna do this Tom?"

"Y/N, babe, come on, let's go cool off." Phoebe says nonchalantly in an attempt to get you to calm down. You brush her off,

"Do you wanna do this?" You ask again. There's a crowd forming around you now, some friendly faces you recognize but your body is on fire. He jabs a finger in your face, eyes wild and you know in part that it's the alcohol,

"Oy, get the fuck off my back or we're done. I've got a lot going on right now and you know that and right now you're making it worse. So step the fuck off." He growls. You stare up at him, dumbfounded as tears run down your cheeks. You grit your teeth,

"Fine. Fucking fine, we're done." You tell him, tugging on the chain around your neck hard enough to break and tossing it in his face. It falls to the floor at his feet as you storm away from him, the three girls hot on his heels. Harrison turns to look at Tom once he stands straight from picking up your necklace, disappointment etched across every feature as he shakes his head at his best friend and follows you and the girls outside. The air outside is less stuffy but it freezes your cheeks, freezes the tears still clinging to them. Ivey rubs up your arms,

"He's such an ass. How the fuck did I know something like this was going to happen? We should have kept you away from him." She rambles. You lean your head against Phoebe's as she wraps her arms as best she can around you and Ivey. You sniffle as Scarlett steps up before you, arms crossing and Harrison steps up just beside her, hands on his hips,

"He's a div Y/N. I'll kill him when he's sober." Harrison tells you. Just then, that signature blonde hair with those soft green eyes of Gil appears,

"Hey babe, you okay?" You shake your head, tears starting to fall. How could you be so stupid? People had warned that the second he was between your legs it was game over but he seemed so in love with you just hours before. He clicks his tongue, tossing his arm over your shoulder and pulling your head into his chest,

"I'm sorry." He mutters. You heave as he holds you, grimacing at the sound of your cries,

"It's not like we didn't warn you." Scarlett suddenly says. Five pairs of eyes land on hers and you frown,

"Are you... are you defending him?" You ask. She shrugs,

"We told you about Delilah. You knew he wasn't exactly boyfriend material Y/N." She remarks,

"Scarlett," Phoebe mumbled, waiting until she looks up, "seriously not the time."

"What?! I'm just saying that you shouldn't have expected anything more of him! You knew he wasn't all that Y/N. Besides, it's not like kissing is-"

"Do not finish that sentence! If Cole fucking kissed another girl it is most definitely cheating and we'd most definitely kill him." Ivey squawks, eyes wild as Harrison stares at Scarlett with a furrowed brow, looking to you when you let out a whine and practically collapse into Gil's arms,

"I'm not doing this, I wanna go home."

"Yeah, lets go." Ivey says. You shake your head,

"No, I wanna go home." You say. She locks eyes with you before nodding, glancing up what Gil when he speaks,

"I'll take her, just to get her the fuck out of this fucked up situation." He says, digging in his pocket for his keys. He presses a hand to your lower back, walking you towards his car and leaving your normally lively group to talk amongst themselves,

"I'm gonna fucking kill him now." Phoebe finally mutters, starting back into the house, Ivey, Harrison, and Scarlett (no matter how slow) following close behind until she's shoving the small brunette in front of Tom to get the right angle and smack the taste from his mouth. His mouth hangs open as his eyes find hers,

"What the fuck-"

"You just lost the best thing that's ever happened to you asshole." She yells over the music. He looks her over,

"What? She's calming down outside. She'll get over it and we'll be fine." He remarks matter of factly,

"No, she's going back home." She tells him. He purses his lips,

"So... let her." He mutters with a shrug. Phoebe scoffs,

"You just don't get it. With Delilah it was different. She went back home and you were fine because you were her first but you and Y/N are different. She's been there for you. The two of you fucking visited your parents and you love her.  You actually say that to her and mean it. Your family fucking loves her. You're gonna let that go for what? A girl that you can toss aside? A girl that won't make you fucking happy the same way Y/N does? Are you fucking crazy?"

"Apparently." Tom remarks over the music. Phoebe crosses her arms again,

"I don't want to have to apply for another fucking roommate because of you Tom, I really like Y/N and I'll make sure you never fucking see the light of day if you fuck this up." She tells him, her dark brown eyes seemingly darker as she stares at him. He swallows. It never occurred to him what he'd go through if you left. His parents, his family, his friends, they all loved you. They had lives that revolved around you, that involved you. He sighs as he glances down at his feet, guilt coursing through his body immediately. He was extremely rude and he jumped too far, too fast,

"You said she went home?" He asks, pulling  his phone from his pocket. Phoebe places her hands on her hips, nodding,

"Gil took her back to Cole's." She says lowly. He types up a quick message, only to press send and receive the regular "this number is no longer available" message. He quickly looks up, eyes wide in realization and it's as if he's instantly sobered up,

"She blocked my number." He informs. Harrison scoffs,

"Well when you mack on whores I dunno what you expect her to do Thomas."

"She's done Tom. You fucked up. So now you get the necklace, and your quasi happy existence being a douchebag bachelor. Congrats." Phoebe spits, starting to turn. He captures her wrist, turning her back to him,

"I- I... I dunno what I was thinking. You're right and I can't- I can't lose her. Like seriously. With Delilah it was different but this... Phoebe, you aren't the only one that can't lose her. You're fucking right and I'm an idiot." He tells her. She stares up at him,

"Sounds personal. You shoulda thought about that."

"Phoebe I'm serious. Take me to her."

"Uh uh, you are not gonna fuck this up even more." He grits his teeth,

"Please. One night without her will be like torture, I just need to... I just need to try and fix this before she hates me." He practically begs. Phoebe doesn't shut him down instantly, turning to look at the group behind her, more so Ivey and Harrison who both shrug and then Ivey speaks up,

"Who knows what it could do. Maybe... maybe she needs it." She says. Phoebe points at Scarlett when she opens her mouth,

"You don't get a vote for the shit you just pulled." She tells her. Tom frowns,

"What? What happened?"

"Dumbass tried to defend you for cheating. Tried to tell Y/N that we warned her about you." Phoebe tells Tom who looks at Scarlett, staring her down for a moment, but he can't say anything. Phoebe nods,

"Fine. But I'll push you down a flight of stairs if it gets even more fucked." She tells Tom, waving a finger in his face. He nods, following the group of four out to Ivey's car, watching Ivey turn to look between Phoebe and Harrison. Tom stares down at the text he'd sent, remembering everything he'd said to you. All of the things you'd done for him. And with the snap of a finger, he'd gone and fucked it up.

The drive is silent, lonely for Tom. He seriously doesn't think he's been without you for longer than twenty minutes between being together, texting, or on a call. He runs his thumb over the plate with his name inscribed, broken chain still clinging to it and it holds so much love but now it just reminds him of you pulling it off and throwing it at him with that look in your eye. He sighs loudly as he climbs from the car and stares up at Cole's building. The building that now holds a different feeling if he can't get you back. He tucks his hands in his pockets, following the group up into the elevator. Ivey knocks on the door once they're down the hall, Cole opening the door in a few short beats. The look on his face is replaced with such unreadable ones it scares Tom as he looks through the group, those same eyes that you have boring into him,

"Oh... hey guys." He says coolly but it holds a mysterious undertone that sends a chill down Tom's spine,

"Is Y/N here?" Ivey asks. Cole leans against the door, arms crossed as he looks down and Tom's heart stops,

"No she uhh... she packed some of her stuff while I bought her a ticket for New York. She said... she didn't wanna be here." He tells them. Shock courses through the group as he moves to tuck his hands in his pockets and glance down at his feet,

"So... yeah, there's that." He adds. He glances back up as Ivey speaks,

"So what does that mean? I mean... is she like-"

"Well she said she'll be out there for spring break at least but... if she likes it she'll probably stay and just have me send all of her stuff up there." He elaborates, eyes glancing between Harrison, Phoebe and Ivey to keep his cool. There's a collective heartbreak at the thought of you staying in New York. But then Cole's eyes suddenly land on Tom,

"So thanks for that Tom, really appreciate it. I get my sister here finally and it's like I can breathe and after seven months you're chasing her off again." He spits. Tom swallows, glancing up as Scarlett opens her mouth to speak,

"Cole-"

"Oh and you, yeah... we're done."

"What?" She squeaks. Cole nods as Scarlett stares at him wide eyed,

"You defended him and I don't put up with defending blatant cheaters. If that's how you're gonna be then I don't have any time for you anymore." He concludes. He nods as Tom steps forward,

"Where in New York is she going?"

"No, you're not following her out there to fuck it up more. Do you not understand she wants away from you?" Cole bellows, eyes crazier than usual. Tom stares up at him, Cole standing straight,

"If she comes back and she wants to talk, she'll find you, but until then, leave her the fuck alone Tom. You've done enough." He remarks, turning and closing the door in the group's faces. There's silence before Phoebe scoffs and turns to start down the hall, Ivey and Harrison following in the same distraught and slightly angry state leaving Tom and Scarlett to trail after like dogs with their tails between their legs. And all Tom can think about as his heart breaks and he stares down at the necklace in his hand again is how he fucked up royally. And would do anything to get you back. No matter how far and no matter what you force him to do. He'll do it all if it means getting you back. And he'll never let you go again.

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[rottmntquotes]

Petition Episode (Joke Script Part 1)

(Screen opens up on Donnie; He is sitting in his lab, working on his Self-Cleaning Toothpick, and whistling the show’s theme song. A beat or two passes before Leo races into the lab, and the camera focuses on Leo as he scrambles around, constantly falling onto his face. In an attempt to get Leo to leave, Donnie turns in his swivel chair to face Leo.)

Donnie: Leon, what do you want?

Leo: DONNIE! You have to see this!

Donnie: See what, exactly?

(Leo shoves his phone in Donnie’s face, smiling with enough force to split his face in half. With surprise clear on his face, Donnie slowly takes the phone, raising a brow and turning his focus to the commercial playing on the screen.)

Announcer #1: Hello, hello, hello! Are you a bored soul? A lonely pony? A group or duo who has nothing better to do than sit around at home and work on meaningless inventions?

Donnie: Hold on, wha-

Leo: SHhhhHHHhhHHH!

(Donnie glares at Leo briefly, sighing heavily before looking back at the phone screen.)

Announcer #1: If you answered yes to one, two, or all of those questions, then you may be eligible to try out for a new show filmed down here in the Hidden City!

(Donnie’s eyes widen slightly; He looks at Leo, silently asking for an explanation.)

Leo: It’s a commercial Draxum showed me! He managed to pass through a mystic wall that allows me to get news and stuff from the Hidden City!

(Donnie hums, handing the phone to Leo and thinking intensely. Leo waits as patiently as possible, glancing around and reaching for Donnie’s Self-Cleaning Toothpick. Donnie slaps Leo’s hand away, coming to a conclusion.)

Donnie: I assume there is a reason behind you showing me this commercial?

Leo: Yeah there is! (He jumps up onto Donnie’s desktop to sit next to Donnie) I wanna do it!

Donnie: How does that affect me?

Leo: Because I wanna do it with you, doofus! We rarely do anything together anymore!

Donnie: We went to get ice cream together just two days ago.

Leo: Okay, but-

Donnie: And the day before that we played six rounds of cards.

Leo: Don-

Donnie: And two days before that we watched a marathon of your favorite Jupiter Jim movies.

(Leo scoffs, throwing one leg over the other and sighing dramatically.)

Leo: Fine! Be that way! I guess it is too much to ask!

(Donnie lifts a brow, smirking lightly.)

Leo: It’s not like I want to spend more time with my favorite big brother anyways! Oh, woe is me to have my brotherhood left in twain!

Donnie: Are you done?

Leo: Hold up, not yet. (He leaps up to stand on the desktop, leaning back and placing the back of his right hand on his forehead, and pouting) I cannot believe what my life has come to! Whatever shall I do without the love of my entire family?! I feel myself withering away! Oh! Ancestors, is that you?

(Donnie shakes his head, now smiling widely.)

Donnie: Nardo, if I agree to go, will you stop?

(Leo drops his act, nodding rapidly. Donnie sighs, reluctantly agreeing.)

Leo: Heck yeah! Let’s go participate in a Hidden City game!

(The screen switches to the Hidden City, where the boys are following a map given to them by Hueso to find the studio of the game. Leo is constantly making near contact with random Yokai, and Donnie tries his damndest to keep this from happening to his best ability.)

Leo: Okay, acording to the map, the studio should be right-

(A Fox Yokai interrupts Leo with a loud cheer. She is dressed in a red dress with purple highlights, and her tail and head tuft are purple as well. The twins are less than impressed by this look, and show it with their confused/slightly disgusted frowns.)

Donnie: Uhm, can we help you, ma’am?

Fox Yokai: Yes! I am one of the announcers of the game, and you are the last Yokai on the roster!

Donnie: Wait, the last-

(Leo pushes Donnie to the side, knocking Donnie onto the ground unintentionally. Leo then shakes the Yokai’s hand and introduces himself.)

Fox Yokai: Yes, I know who you are, and I also know who your brother is. We will go over the formalities later, for now we must get into the building.

(Leo helps Donnie up, shaking with excitement. Donnie rolls his eyes, placing his right hand on Leo’s head.)

Donnie: I don’t trust this Yokai. She knew too much about us before we even spoke.

Leo: You’re just being paranoid. (He removes Donnie’s hand) No need to be! We’re here together! And we’ve got each other’s backs! Our Twin Trust hasn’t failed us before, after all.

(Donnie grumbles, unable to deny Leo’s claim.)

Leo: C’mooooon, Don! Just this one thing! Then I’ll do whatever you want to do the next time we hang out! I promise!

Donnie: Ugh... fine. But on one condition.

(Leo tilts his head.)

Donnie: You have to assure me that this isn’t like that stupid Maze of Death.

Leo: Don, please. I would know if this was anything like that maze. And, it isn’t. You have my 100% Leo Guarantee!

(Almost instantly, the camera switches over to Raph, Mikey, and Splinter, who are sitting in the living room. All of a sudden, Draxum appears out of nowhere, startling everyone.)

Draxum: JITSU! WHERE IS THE BLUE ONE?!

Splinter: What are you talking about?!

Draxum: I showed your son a commercial of one of the most dangerous Hidden City games in an attempt to get him out of my apartment!

Raph: WHAT?!

Mikey: Barry! How many times have I told you that that’s not an efficient way to get rid of the twins?!

Draxum: I know, I know! But now isn’t the time to worry about that! (Turns To Face Splinter) Your son, depending on when he inevitably left, is about to sign himself up for a Hidden City game that ends in death nearly 97.55% of the time!

(Raph faints, his body thudding so hard that it makes everyone jump. Mikey chuckles nervously, tending to Raph and leaving Splinter and Draxum to talk things out.)

Splinter: What made you think that showing Leonardo such a commercial was a good idea?!

Draxum: He would not stop talking to me! It was the only thing I could show him that kept his interest! When he said he was going to show the purple one and ask if they could go together, I thought he was joking! That’s his thing! It’s was he does!

(Splinter groans, pinching the middle of his snout before sighing heavily and looking back at his sons. Mikey had managed to wake Raph up, and they were now looking straight at their father.)

Splinter: We must go and save your brothers. Goodness knows what they have gotten themselves into.

(The camera switches to the twins, who are standing in the middle of a group of large Yokai. Donnie is visibly worried, his legs are shaking, his hands clenching around his Tech Bō, and his eyes are shifting around to keep track of his surroundings. Leo is visibly excited, he is standing straight, smiling cheek to cheek, and biting his lip to keep from shouting his joy. The group is standing outside a large house, and they are looking at the Fox Yokai, and a brown and white Rabbit Yokai. The Fox Yokai is clearly happy, and the Rabbit Yokai is clearly disinterested in the situation.)

Leo: *Whispering* Are you ready Don?

Donnie: *Whispering Angrily* N-not r-r-really...

Leo: *Whispering* Hey, it’s gonna be okay. I’m here with you, remember? Twin Trust.

(Donnie calms down substantially, sighing ruefully and leaning against Leo.)

Donnie: Remind me never to do stuff like this with you again.

Leo: No.

Donnie: And why not?

Leo: Because you know you have fun bonding with me.

Donnie: Yeah, when I’m not being threatened with death.

(Leo chuckles, giving Donnie a sideways hug. The twins look forward, waiting for the Yokai to begin explaining what is expected of them. Beside the twins, the Yokai around them are getting slightly antsy. Donnie and Leo share a look of uncertainty. Leo seems more put together than Donnie, but neither objects to the idea anymore. Donnie then looks at the ground, thinking to himself.

“This is not going to end well...”)

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

*This was completely experimental, and I’ll keep going based on the feedback I get. Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I think would make a neat episode.

[hellsfanatic]

TW: talks of fights, blood, non-graphic fighting, alcohol

—

“Hey Dal!” Johnny called for me as I walked out of Buck’s. I turned back. His face was bloody and bruised and he had a real bad limp to his walk. My heart dropped, I hadn’t ever seen Johnny this hurt, not even from his old man.

I walked to Johnny so he didn’t have to struggle anymore. “Hey, kid, what happened to ya, man?” I asked, looking at the blood dripping from the cut on his cheek. Gosh, whoever did this was in for a h*ll of a ride when I found them. Maybe they’d end up dead, but I wanted them to suffer more than they made Johnny.

“I don’t know, man,” he murmured. He brought his arm to his cheek, wiping the blood off. I swear I thought he’d faint any second after that. He really did have a nasty cut, real deep into his face, too. “I just,” he paused for a moment, “some d*mned Socs saw me, I think they were dr*nk. They sure acted it if they were. I tried yellin’ for y’all but I guess they shut me up pretty quick huh,” he spoke, almost like he could feel each hit he was remembering again. Maybe he could, because he winced in pain every now and again.

Slinging my arm around his shoulders to keep him up, I said, “C’mon John, let’s get you to my room, we can use one of Tim’s old shirts to clean up that cut. Got any others?” He didn’t say anything, just nodded. Of course there were more, of course. Boy, those Socs sure were building a reputation for themselves, they’d be dead before they knew it. Man, they might as well be dead now, it’d be better for them.

We got to my room, and honestly it was pretty hard. Johnny’s limp didn’t get any better, and gosh, those stairs were anything but fun to help him up. “Kay John, where’s the rest of ‘em?” I asked, pressing a cloth with some alc*hol on it to the cut of his cheek. He flinched, but let me keep going. I know that stuff burns, but I had to do it. Keeping his silence, he pulled off his jacket. His shirt was covered in crimson red blood around a slice in it. It reached from his lower rib to his waist, but it wasn’t too deep.

“The other’s on my leg,” Johnny mumbled.

“I’ll get that one in a second, man. I gotta fix this one up first. Stay right here, ya hear?” I cocked an eyebrow. He nodded. “Good. I’m gonna go ask Buck somethin’. Hold that cloth right there, got it?” I moved my hand from the cloth I was pressing on his cut so he could get a grip on it. “Don’t you go takin’ that thing off. I don’t wanna clean up more blood than I gotta. Keep pushin’ down too.”

Johnny was holding it to the cut like I said, so I left. Everyone downstairs was real loud, especially compared to Johnny. Buck wasn’t dealing with anyone just then, so I pulled him to another room. It was still loud, but this was the best we were going to get. Closets aren’t usually used for partying anyways.

“Whatcha need Dally?” he almost had to shout. At a party this wild, he knew something had to be wrong since I wasn’t out talking to one of the pretty girls at the bar or drinking. Well, I probably wouldn’t have pulled him into a closet if I didn’t need something either.

I looked around the closet, trying to see what he had. “You got any of those bandages, man? I was gonna use a cut up shirt, but I don’t know if that’ll work for this one. It’s uh, it’s a pretty gnarly cut. Right down the side, man. Like that one kid the town over. Rusty? Rusty-James, I think. His was deeper, though. No bones showin’ on this kid, thank God.”

“Bad cut huh? That why you was bringin’ that kid up there? Yeah, man, he looked pretty beat up,” he said, starting to walk out. “Might got some upstairs. I don’t know how much yesterday’s brawl took. They were both pretty messed up. Man, you shoulda seen it. ‘Betcha could’ve won if you were there. They were pretty big guys, though,” he continued, heading up the stairs with me.

We looked over what he had and grabbed the bandages. “I’ll put ‘em back when I get what I need,” I told him, already making my way out the door. I had left Johnny alone longer than I wanted to already, I couldn’t keep using my time like this.

I got back to my room, seeing Johnny resting his head on the wall. Man, he looked like he could see the d*mn Grim Reaper standing in the corner, waiting for the exact moment he was gone. “Hey, John, take that rag off the cut will ya? I got some bandages so you don’t gotta hold that thing there the whole night,” I told him, unraveling the roll. He listened real well, not like it was much to do, but he sure did it. Getting him wrapped up was pretty easy, probably because he didn’t make a huge fuss like a little kid. There were a few hisses of pain when I pulled them too tight, but he tried to keep them back.

“Man, you almost done?” he asked, sounding tired.

“Yeah, Johnny, almost.” I wrapped the bandages around him a couple more times, then backed away. “There. Now don’t go messin’ that up, ya hear?” He just nodded. Not like Johnny would purposely mess it up. I cleaned up the rest of his cuts, which wasn’t that hard. It was pretty bloody, though. That one on his cheek would scar, I knew it. Kind of made him look like a pal I had back in New York, that guy would get in fights even if he knew he’d lose. He just wanted the thrill. Man, he was fun.

Johnny seemed just about ready to fall asleep. If he had the chance I’m sure he would. His eyelids were tugging themselves down and he was leaning his whole body on the wall. I’ll bet limping all the way to Buck’s didn’t exactly boost his energy. I tried to get his attention after a minute or two, but he didn’t even look at me. He must’ve fallen asleep. He was already on the bed, I just laid him down. I wasn’t too thrilled about the blood from his shirt getting on the mattress, but what was I going to do? Put him on the floor? No way.

There wasn’t much to do, so I left. Johnny could stay put until I came back, anyways. He told me a couple things about those Socs, like the car they were in and that one of them had some rings. D*mn, he wouldn’t shut up about those rings. They were the things that cut his cheek. The guy punched him across the face. For rings, they went deep.

The air was cold, it matched the silence of town. There were a couple people, but they weren’t being loud. It was late, too, so most things were closed. That’s probably why it was like that. The corner store’s light was on, brightening up the sidewalk and street. I went in, just to look around. I couldn’t afford jail time when I had to find those guys who got Johnny. I’d go to jail for k*lling them, sure, but not some stupid shoplifting now.

The car.

That was their car. Johnny said it was a blue Mustang. This was a blue Mustang. Those aren’t just everywhere around here. I pushed past the couple looking at magazines together and went straight out the door. I was following that car. I wasn’t stopping until they did and I’d get them. I’d get them real good.

It slowed down after not too long in some alleyway. They must’ve seen me or heard my shouting. Three guys got out. The guy from the driver’s side, some preppy guy, had big rings on his left hand. Rings that could definitely cut up someone’s cheek. He took a drink from his flask, tossing it in the car and slamming the door. A dopey grin grew on his lips. Man, I’d knock that right off. It’d be the first thing I’d do.

“Lookie here, boys, we got that kid’s guard dog. Someone’s mad his little friend got beat up,” the first Soc sneered. The other two snickered. “I think Winston here’s lookin’ to match his pal, ain’t he boys?” he said as the three of them took a few steps forward.

That’s all I remember from them. I could maybe recall a couple blurred moments of fighting and them driving off, but I could never give details about it. I guess I had a busted lip and some bloody knuckles to show for it, though. I got away better than the Socs did, they could barely get themselves back in the car. That could’ve been the alc*hol too, though.

I was making my way to Buck’s, which definitely felt longer than normal, probably since I was pretty hurt. I can’t imagine what it was like for Johnny, he was banged up even worse than me. I wonder how long it took him to get to Buck’s. I doubt he’d know the answer if I asked him. He was probably just focused on finding one of us and trying to stop his bleeding.

The noise only got louder as I opened the door, leaving a pounding sensation in my head. It eased as I made my way upstairs, opening the door to the room I was staying in. Johnny was still out, good. He seemed like he could sleep for a good while if I let him. I closed the door, making sure not to let it slam. Doors slamming always scared Johnny.

His bleeding had stopped, but I had a couple cuts I wanted to take care of. For a three on one fight, I’m surprised I only got a few. These might not even scar too bad. Grabbing a new cloth and wiping off the blood that ran from my forehead to my cheek, I looked in the mirror. Man, I did not look too great. My face was pale, my eyes seemed tired, and my hair was in a jumbled mess of blond. One look at me and you’d think I either just got out of a fight or rose from the grave. I mean, I had enough blood on me to match one of those over-exaggerated zombies from a movie.

I heard the sheets move, so I looked back. Johnny was up. “Hey kid, you oughta go back to sleep, I bet you need it,” I told him. He yawned quietly, stopping halfway through and holding his stomach. His eyes squeezed shut for a moment, opening slowly as he pushed himself to sit up straight.

“Nah man, I ain’t gonna be able to sleep much anyways. Dal, you try sleepin’ with a split down the middle of ya,” Johnny groaned. Now that I think of that, it probably hurt real bad even just laying down. He looked at me, freezing up almost immediately. “Gee Dally, what happened to you? I don’t remember hearing a bar brawl downstairs.”

I let out a small laugh. “C’mon John, don’t worry about it. Don’t go worryin’ ‘bout them Socs neither. They ain’t gonna hurt you,” I said, running my fingers through my hair. Strands of hair wrapped around my fingers, some darkened by blood, that were getting pulled out of my scalp.

“Well why wou-” he cut himself off, realization settling on his face. “Dallas tell me you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t go after him man, please,” he said, seeming at least a little worried. “Man they’ll kill you I swear it. Dal they ain’t gonna give up, tell me you didn’t do it.”

I tugged my shirt down at the collar, showing some of the cuts they tried to land on my neck. “Johnny I ain’t gonna lie to ya, I did it.” His expression fell.

“Dally,” he sounded a little annoyed as he tried to get up. He let out a groan of pain, but pushed through and stood. “Dally, that’s probably the dumbest thing you’ve ever done. You do a lot of stupid things Dallas. Think about this. Just for a second, man. Think about it. They’ll– They’ll get a bunch of guys and they’ll hunt you down Dal! They’ll get away with it too! I don’t want ‘em cuttin’ you up like they did me, you savvy?”

I tried to get him to sit back down. “I’ll be fine, kid,” I mumbled, putting my hand on his arm and gently pulling him down. He tried to keep himself up, but gave in after only a few seconds.

“Yeah I know,” he murmured, leaning his back against the wall. “I just, you go gettin’ roughed up like this so much, one of these times you’re gonna get killed Dally. You are.” He seemed genuinely worried, like he actually thought I’d get myself killed. No way, no day. He probably just wasn’t thinking about all the fights I had won. I had a reputation for winning, so if I lost, it wouldn’t be to the extent of death. I guess I couldn’t prove it to him until I died for real, and I still had a good twenty or thirty years before that happened. Yeah, twenty or thirty years.

[dontasktheradiodemon]

Theater #1 (1/1/2021)

Theater #1 (1/1/2021)

Click here if you’re like “What the heck is this about?”

Angel @sluttyspiderpolkacock finds some silks and tries them out, and Kyxs @usedhearts sits down to watch. Happy death day to Kyxs, congrats on not getting spears thrown at you this year.

Angel

Angel passed the grand entrance on the way to seeking company and decided to stop and smell the theatrical roses. Heels echoing the high ceilings, he dragged his sights over the grandeur. This was the scene he loved most, he realized as he cleared the orchestral pit and plopped himself down front and center. To be here, like the starlets of old weilding the attention of every set of senses in the room. Singing, dancing, comedy, burlesque & striptease. Angel hardly got the chance to do these types of performances, to his chagrin.

A deep breath.

Cut short.

From where he sat, he could see some rigging on the ceiling. He scrambled to his feet and rummaged backstage. Most of what he found had alien workings he couldn't even begin to understand, but his tunnel vision ceased as soon as he found what he was looking for. He'd only had the opportunity to try them once or twice, but no one was stopping or micromanaging his skills NOW. Angel dropped his coat off the front of the stage and was flying amongst silken ribbons before he knew it.

Kyxs

A drink on his deathday that wasn't straight from a bottle and didn't burn on the way down, was something that Kyxs had always wanted. Not to mention not having to hide in a bunker while angels thrashed his home up above his head. No panic, no stress, not this year, and he was grateful.

Holding his glass in delicate talons, he wandered the quiet mansion, peeking in doors here and there. This place was so huge, someone could get lost in it easily, and he let himself. At least until he happened upon the theater. Massive, and like he always imagined one of those fancy Parisian opera houses would look, he almost didn't notice who was on the stage.

But then he did, and his attention focused. Of all the gin joints in all the worlds....

He smiled a bit and walked down the main aisle, his hooves clacking on the hard floor. Kyxs wasn't sure if Angel would notice him, he looked pretty into his routine from where the chimera stood, so he didn't speak. He didn't want to break the spell, and so sat himself, front and center, instead. He'd rather let Angel perform to his heart's content and watch, than interrupt him in the middle. That would be rude, after all.

Angel

His senses perked as soon as he heard hooves, but it took a couple high swings before he could see who it was. Mischievous smile gleaming his visage, Angel angled directly above Kyxs and spun into a sudden drop before their face.

" Ya gonna keep creepin' , or ya gonna say hey ~ ? " he teased with a gentle anchoring of his fingertips to his horns, silks twisted about his legs in suspension.

Kyxs

He wasn't expecting such a sudden drop from Angel, and nearly dropped his drink in surprise. His heart hammered in his chest, for a variety of reasons, but he smiled all the same.

"I didn't want to interrupt. You looked very...concentrated on it, I didn't want to say something and ruin it." Kyxs gave a half hearted shrug.

"You're here, though-- on Okkylk, that is. Means you got out, yeah? You didn't arrive with everyone else so I didn't know if..." He shrugged again, looking downright sheepish.

"I'm glad you did, Angel-- get out, that is. I'm glad you're here." And not _there_, his tone implied.

Angel

Angel let himself a little lower so he could more comfortably lounge at their level.

" Get out? It ain't like I was waitin' in line t' get tossed to the EXTERMINATORS, BABE, " he said much too casually, " I pull in too much REVENUE fa THAT ~ "

Angel gave his legs a stretch and folded his hands beneath his chin. He was yet to speak so frankly of the nature of his relationship with his ~~ex~~ EMPLOYER, but it seemed Kyxs was more keen on his moments of slippage than he thought. As far as he need be concerned... _he loved his job._

" I just decided I needed a break an' took it, " he shrugged, then fell from the silks to perch upon the back of the seats before them, audaciously planting a heel above their shoulder. _A change of subject._ " So what brought YOU here? Ya make fast frien's wit' Valera, too ~ ? "

Kyxs

He was ready to comment on all that, but then Angel swapped subjects. Well. Kyxs would let it go, for now, he supposed. He gave a little shrug, taking a sip of his drink, hooves clicking against the ground as he swung his legs a bit.

"Yeah, me and them have been talking a lot. Even helped them chop some stuff for stew a few days ago. They offered me and Alastor a place here, to get away from the Extermination. I wasn't _about_ to pass that up." They laughed softly, thumb tracing the rim of their drink, which they held in both hands.

"Nice to have a Deathday that isn't me cowering in a bunker with Alastor, and the exterminators trashing the station upstairs." He gave a snort and shook his head. "I sure picked a great day to off myself, huh? December 31st. Thought I was being _poetic_, but turns out that was just about the dumbest thing I could've done."

Angel

" Like ya could'a KNOWN the Heaven e'ryone talked up so fuckin' much purged Hell's residents e'ery year... " Angel scoffed as he reached to relieve Kyxs of his drink so he could slip onto his lap, " Don't go sellin yaself SHORT NOW, Da'lin'. Still got ALL ya afterlife t' go an' do ANY amount a DUMB SHIT ~ "

He laughed boistrously, a demonic undertone reverberating throughout the theatre with the hopes he'd drown out the thoughts plaguing his mind.

" I'm TEASIN'... I mean it, though. No point in feelin' sorry fa yaself. Death Day's just like any other day. It don't gotta mean NOTHIN' if ya don't want it to. Shit, give yourself a new one if it bothers ya so much. What's gonna 'appen? Ya go ta HELL? "

Kyxs

Oh, and there's an Angel in his lap. One of his hands curls around his waist, the other rests just above the knee on one of his legs, just on instinct. And then a voice in the back of his head wonders if it's okay for him to do that, to just touch Angel like that. But Angel did....want him to touch, he'd say so, right? But he also didn't want to seem like Angel wasn't welcome to sit on his lap any time of the day or night....

Why was dating so complicated? Kyxs shook his head and focused on what Angel was saying instead.

"Oh, it's less feeling sorry for myself and more that I always wanna go out and be social and, y'know, _have some fun_ on my Deathday and I never get to. So more frustration than anything." He laughed, shrugging a bit, smirking up at Angel.

"Though I'd be bigger in Hell than I was when I first arrived, too. Like somehow my reputation from the living world would follow me. Realized how wrong a lot of my expectations were real fast..."

Angel

" Y'must've killed mostly good people then... " he mused with a slow drag of one pair of arms over the backrests behind him, a second pair up his fluff, " I dunno how many a mine's up in the clouds, BUT... " Angel stretched his neck to make way for a flirtatious boost of volume. It was natural and fun for him, putting on a small private show.

" I dunno, a big... WARM WELCOME might not be what it's all cracked up t' be. Especially if ya gonna be showin' in the middle of a fuckin'... MOB a people ya offed... " He winked nefariously, curl of his back curating a most perfect angle of him from Kyxs's point of view. " I wouldn' bum out over it so much, Toots, ya got y'self under the ranks of one a the Pride Ring's biggest head honchos. It's the next best thing ya could be doin' down 'ere, y'know... "

A wide, playful smirk preceded a theatric flash of his wrists mimicking gunfire. " Before decidin' to OFF 'EM an' take the power fa YASELF ~ "

Kyxs

He snorted a bit. "More like I didn't know them beyond what little casing I did. Did they have kids? Were they rich and/or up their own asses? Were they willing to let me in? That's about it."

His eyes can't help but be drawn to how Angel fluffed and moved. Kyxs definitely wasn't opposed to a private show like this-- In fact, it was more than welcome. Helped make his Deathday pretty good, actually.

At the mention of offing the boss, though, his brow creases, and he shakes his head.

"No, I wouldn't do that to Alastor-- Don't think I _could_ to be honest. He's so powerful. And he's a better boss than most would give him credit for. Though...I definitely understand the sentiment when it comes to other bosses-- or, even, people who aren't bosses but you just don't want to see their dumb, stupid faces anymore..."

His expression darkened and it was _rather obvious_ who he was talking about. Both a certain moth and a certain father and brother that were decidedly non-spidery.

"I hope the Exterminators get all of them. That'd be nice to return home to that news, huh?"

Angel

" They're SINNERS just like any one a us, out here hidin', too. They can go down just as easy wit' the right sinker ~ " Angel scoffed, a cynical curl of a corner of his lips, " Either way, a big chunk of them are gonna be gone, it ain't gonna be you or me... "

Playfully, Angel cupped his fluff and slotted Kyxs drink into his cleavage before grinning widely. " Happy Death Day, Babes ~ " he sang with an inviting wink.

Kyxs

"You're damn right, Angel, you're damn right." He grinned at the offering, leaning close to get his lips on the rim. Kyxs took a sip, giving an over exaggerated 'Ahhh' after.

He smiled, leaning back in his seat a bit, his hands giving Angel's waist and leg a bit of a squeeze. "Thanks, Angel. Best one yet, hands down. In no small part to you."

He took the drink from Angel's fluff, and the held it towards him, offering him a sip of it.

"To many more like it."

Angel

Angel lightly booped the rim of the glass to Kyxs's nose before helping himself to a little bit more than a sip. A lotta bit more. The whole thing. He seemed to think that was the intention, as he wiggled the empty glass with a dramatically disappointed look on his face.

" She's empty... " he sniffed with a wiggle of his hips, " Should we go fill 'er up? Get summa her alien friends ~ ? "

Kyxs

He blinked a bit when booped, and then smiled as he watched Angel drain it. Well, that was okay, there were plenty more where that came from.

"Y'know? I think we should. Just not too many, or Valera might get pissed. I remember them mentioning something about not getting _too_ wasted."

Even though he said that, his hand tightened on Angel's waist, and he leaned up as far as he could to kiss Angel's cheek.

"Alright, let's go, Angelcake."

Angel

_Angelcake._ The name fluttered in his ear on the dusty wings of another voice. Shielding his face with an arm as he turned, Angel flourished a leg over Kyxs's head and rose to his full stature.

" Easy way aroun' that : don't be a fuckin' LIGHTWEIGHT ! " he teased with a dramatic spread of his arms as he took a few steps to the stage to gather his coat. Mass of red and white bundled under his arm and glass in the air, he dragged a hand across Kyxs's shoulders and started for the door.

Kyxs

Kyxs noticed that turn, but didn't catch the expression. The alcohol already buzzing in his veins was distraction enough though, and his mind latched onto Angel's words instead.

"Oh, I've been practicing that skill for fifteen years. Let's do it, babe." He trotted after Angel, catching up with his long strides. Damn all these tall demons and their long legs, giving him a real work out with every stroll!

"Want me to carry the coat, Angel?" He asked, beaming up at him. That's what a gentleman did, right? Carry coats?

Angel

" ALL YOURS, TOOTS ~ " Without hesitation, Angel fluffed it out to its full trailing glory and draped it around Kyxs's shoulders. The second set of sleeves graced the ground and the train splayed more than his entire height behind him. _The picture of regality._

" Drag that bitch all aroun' the estate ~ " he sang with a fix of the collar, " It's all yours fa as long as ya wanna be feelin' like a million bucks ~ "

Kyxs

Well! He wasn't expecting it draped around him, but who was he to complain about a coat this nice. And....familiar....

He inspected it as he trotted, his snake tail coming out from underneath it.

"Hey, uh, Angel? Is this....Valentino's coat?" He let the sleeves flop around a bit, amused by how long they were.

Angel

" _Was,_ " he said with a shrug, " A little partin' gift fa the night. He ain't gettin' it back ~ "

Angel played coy, extending a hand to Kyxs so they could walk out together.

" Nothin' t' worry about. He ain't gonna miss it. "

Kyxs

Kyxs arched a brow, but didn't comment on that. Well! If it wasn't Valentino's _anymore_ then sure, he'd drag it all over the place. It was definitely comfy enough.

He waggled the sleeve until it slipped down enough to reveal his hand and he took Angel's. "I'm swimming in this thing so much I feel like a toddler," He said with a laugh.

Angel

" Better behave, then, 'case bad little boys get _spankin's ~_ " Angel teased with a swing of their joined hands before turning down the hall, " I'd hate fa ya lil' snakey tail - end t' take the fall fa ya bein' _naughty ~_ "

Kyxs

Kyxs laughed, smirking up at Angel. "Do they? Well, maybe I should be naughtier then?"

He winked a green eye at Angel, as his tail came out to give the spider a tongue flick.

Angel

A playful SNAP at the snake before an affectionate nuzzle. " Ya really wanna be beaten half t' double death on ya Death Day? A man afte' my dead, sadistic heart ~ " he teased with a laugh.

Kyxs

"Maybe, if it's you doing the beating." A snicker. "A little treat, just for me."

Angel

" Smart an' resourceful a ya, shackin' up a professional ~ "

Kyxs

He smirked and put the hand still covered in the sleeve up towards his chin. "I am pretty smart. But of course, my boyfriend would have to be equally as smart, to help me figure out that I liked these things." Kyxs winked at Angel.

Angel

Angel couldn't help laughing. That coat was RIDICULOUSLY huge, but he felt a smug sort of pride draping the spoils of his escape over Kyxs's shoulders. He OWED the split - second decision to the people in his life like him. _What it would mean in the long run was still up in the air._

" Tell 'im he ain't so smart fa thinkin' he stands a chance ~ " Angel joked with an arrogant grin, " That if he's REALLY that sma't, he should be watchin' his back an' lookin' both ways b'fore crossin' the street. 'Cause that's just good SENSE. "

Kyxs

Kyxs giggled as well, giddy and light. "Oh, yes, I will! I'll make sure he knows everything. I'll tell him--"

He's cut off as his hoof catches on the edge of the coat, and he's stumbling. Well, it was bound to happen, with how long the coat was, but Kyxs still scrambles to try and catch himself. He even tugs on Angel and his conjoined hands, trying to keep himself upright

Angel

Angel reflexively tightened his grip and rose his hand to keep Kyxs from hitting the floor. A split second of panic, but he was quickly laughing again and dropped to a knee to sweep the chimera into his arms.

" Damn babe, so fuckin' regal ya gotta be carried e'rywhere too, ah ~ ? " he chided playfully with a nuzzle into their mane before continuing down the hall, flutter of white and hearts barely gracing the floors.

Kyxs

His eyes were wide, but once he was in Angel's arms, a deep, rumbling purr started up.

"Oh yeah, absolutely. Gotta be carried by my Prince Charming." He laughed and set his head on Angel's shoulder. "I think we learned an important lesson today: My hooves plus a giant coat isn't a good mix. At least not when I'm walking and trying to keep up with those long legs of yours."

[shaekingshitup]

Shae’s First Date

For anyone who is bored: the most brief (that I can recap because ya girl is a lengthy heaux) summary of my first date goes as follows:

EDIT: THIS SHIT AIN'T BRIEF. SORRY NOT SORRY 🤷🏿‍♀️🤷🏿‍♀️ But I put a TLDR at the end.

I matched with a guy on Bumble who had some cool hobbies and some of which overlapped with mine. We talked daily for almost 2 weeks before we met up in person and the guy was a very big charmer/woo-er. Like if I was messaging this kid I was constantly laughing and smiling

Tbh this was a lil bit of a red flag to me becauae I'm like: "no one is this charming. Something has gotta be up" & I legit came up with a few different scenarios. But I chose to shelf them because people do that to me all the time.

Like I'm just a really loving person and I will gas people up or go out of my way to make them happy if I can and people always want to try me like that can't truly be how/who I am or if I'm doing it it's because I'm trying to get at that person and they are always wrong. All the way from best friends to new acquaintances I really just like when people are happy. I mean the world's shitty already, if I can make your day easier or put smile on your face I'm game!

So we're on the phone one night (stayed up to 3 am sacrificing my sleep talking to this dude 🙄) talking more about who we are as people, what we're looking for in an ideal partner, etc. I told him straight up both via call and via message that honesty is really important to me. I value honesty with myself and also with others.

So also in this late night call things got a lil spicy 🌶 🌶 I was honest and told him that I'm pretty much a blank slate. Never fucked/sucked, etc or had anything like that done to me. He was taken aback like everyone I share this with is. Apparently I'm some sort of unicorn 🦄 out here in these streets to all y'all hoes. He makes a comment about stealing a kiss from me the next night and I said "I might allow it."

But the point is. I told him what it was. I was honest. That's my truth.

I didn't tell him that I'd never been on a date/kissed anyone because he didn't ask. Maybe if I would've said something, things would've been different. But I can't "what if" what's already happened y'all!

SO, day of. We messagin and snapping. I'm allll ready. We're going to a drive in and I'd never been to one before so I'm excited. I'm also just committed to making this a good time because I easily get distracted and often don't stop to take my experiences in to experience them fully. So I said not today!!

I got snacks. All of his favs and some of mine. I brought drinks and a blanket. I looked good.

Like I said in my pre-date post: I didn't have any lofty ideas about this dude being my soul mate or anything but I anticipated a good time.

He picked me up at our designated location. My sister met him and got his license plate; because apparently I had enough sense to realize I didn't know this nigga but not enough sense to later realize I didn't know this nigga.

It wasn't gonna take as long to get to the drive in as originally anticipated. So we went to a local park and sat in the car and talked because the park was PACKED and ya know RONA!

It was somewhat awkward because it was our first time talking face to face. But we found a groove and I'm extroverted af y'all. So, I can get people to have a conversation.

Topics range from our days, music and conspiracy theories which he's really into. What kind? Like: Shakespeare wrote the Bible is one. A lot of people that we know from media aren't really the original ones that we were introduced to is another. Ya know like that Beyoncé is not the real Beyoncé. There's two Trumps. There's two Hilary Clintons etc.

So at this point sensible me is like: this can be the point where you go home girl. You're 5 minutes away from your place. You can just say this ain't workin and cut it short.

OPTIMISTIC/BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT GIVIN/NAIVE SILLY ME IS LIKE: well, I 100% don't agree with anything you're saying just because you're saying it. But ya know, I don't know everything and I'm not in the business of judging people-especially since we just met and I don't want this human to feel uncomfortable. So, okay. I don't agree. But I won't judge. Let's just continue on.

If you haven't guessed by now which me I listened to, you may be just as silly as I am 🙃🙃🙃

But obviously I continued on and that's what I call mistake #1

So we're driving to the drive in. I'm realizing we're kind of different in ways. Most notable is that dude was raised Jehovah's Witnesses and celebrates 0 holidays & I'm in love with Halloween and at least birthdays.

We miss the drive in entrance due to my poor navi skills & he decides to smoke before we pull in. He offers it to me and I accept. This is mistake #2

Ya girl hasn't smoked in 6 years. I tried edibles recently. But that shit ain't the same. I really just feel like I said I wanted to be present and then I smoked and I was tired and everything was kind of dull?

So I'm high and sleepy but still a lil excited because it's my first drive in!! We get there and park and the drive in is really just a giant protection screen we all park in front of. Lmao. 😅 Idk what I was expectin but not that. But it was still cool. It's 10 and this movie still hasn't started because the last one is still showin credits.

Dude says he wants to chill in the back but he's going to the bathroom. I AM SLEEPY. THAT IS WHAT WEED DOES TO ME. Plus I was on the phone til 3 AM. So I'm like imma close my eyes before this thing starts since it's already late.

So while he goes to the bathroom I legit laid down in the back on a pillow because ya girl is a sleepy heaux 😴

He comes back and pits the pillow in his lap and is talking to me because this movie ain't started yet. My eyes are closed but I'm listening and everything and he's massaging my shoulders and whatnot. Eventually advertisements about common courtesy come on and what not. But that's not important and I don't move.

Soo he says something I'M ASSUMING IT WAS ABOUT THE KISS (I don't remember y'all. I'm about to skimp on some of these details because that high was really kickin in and I was feelin foggy.) But, I said "I would allow it." And he kissed me.

It honestly felt anticlimactic as fuck. Yeah my mind is kind of foggy because of the weed so I feel like I wasn't as fully cognizant as I would have been if I was sober minded. But also, it just happened

I'm in my head af. I've never done this and I'm sure I'm shit at it but I'm trying not to be ya know? Dude's tongue is in my mouth. His hand is under my romper.

So, I'm a roll with the punches kind of human and the rest of the film we pretty much are making out (lowkey meh), groping (I hate this word) & watching Deadpool ( for people who needed that detail)

As previously stated, all of this shit is new to me. But, I'm also not a "prude". I chose not to kiss/fuck anyone prior to this because it was what I wanted for a period of time. I couldn't do much in the date department because I was just not approached often or by people I wanted to entertain. But the opportunities for all that physical shit were presented and I chose not to just like I chose to engage in those activities on this date. I'm real big on not judging nor regretting those choices because those were what I wanted at one point and that's it. Soo if you got opinions about what I was out here doin, keep em to yaself.

We ended up making out and I feel like it was cool.. but just not great. We did other shit minus actual fucking. But it all just felt pretty muted to me. Not bad. Not uncomfortable. Just not great and I think in hindsight it was because I a) really didn't know and have an established connection with this dude and b) I was high.

He really wanted me to suck his dick and I was really hesitant to do that. Not even that much because I was checking off a lot of "firsts' or anything like that but because I swore I was gonna be shit at it due to 0 experience and that was what I told him. Like, I wanna be good at shit and also I would like if the person I was hooking up with was actually enjoying being with me ya know? Is that not a thing? Y'all just be out here tryna get ya nut and say fuck it to whomever you with? Lemme be a unicorn then. 🦄

But anyways, I did this and he says like nothing. I'm in my head af trying to recall upon all of my BP smut I've read and trying not to suck at sucking (SO THANKS TO ALL OF Y'ALL WHO BE WRITING SMUT!!). After a few minutes the car turns off and Ryan Reynold's ain't talking anymore. Sooo I take this as a sign that I should stop and tell him as much.

He turns the car back on so we can still hear the movie & I'm pretty much like half watching the movie and talking to him like: "Soooo. I did that and I feel like I was right." To which he responds, "I've had worse," which is like ya know the compliment of the century and the most reassuring feedback you can give someone who is insecure about shit they've never done.

We still ended up making out and I gave him a handjob and finished the movie. I can't recall if it was at this point or when he drove me home but he basically implied that I was a liar and that is the shit that literally makes me wanna go back in time and tell former me to never say yes to a date with this nigga.

He drove me home and I was pretty quiet listening to Ari Lennox (💕) and thinking/processing. He gets to my place and we're talking now that we're parked and tells me that he thought I probably wasn't right about never having sex before. He told me I probably just had sex like 3 years ago and it had been so long that's why I said that and that's why my pussy is so tight.

So, I'm real life hurt. I like to consider myself to be someone who has a good character and I am really big on honesty.

So I asked him why he said that if I told him from jump what it was. He told me that his ex lied a lot and that he just couldn't believe me..

And I know for certain that his assumption was independent of any of my actions. He literally just told me so. He projected his insecurities onto me. But I'm a sensitive ass heaux and that shit still shook me. PBS raised me right. I don't be out here lyin & I don't like when people try to tell me who tf I am.

We pretty much just ended up arguing about the night and he was doing it on purpose because he thinks it's sexy when women are mad. But when I get mad, I get done. If I let enough shit slide and you have the audacity to try and flip my script, I will fucking write you out of it.

Then I looked up at the time and realized I was sitting in this car arguing with nigga for at least 25 minutes. So I was just like: bitch, why are you still here?

I told him straight up that when I got out of that car he could forget about talking to me altogether and he was like: "I'll let you know when I make it home."

I told him he need not bother because apparently I'd finally gained some damn sense. I exited the car. He left. He hit me up when he made it home but I just deleted the app and removed him off of snap because I meant that shit.

TLDR; Went on my first date with a conspiracy theorist I matched with on Bumble and he told me I lied about my lack of sexual history.

[nev3rfound]

two pieces back together : s.r

brief summary: you and steve break up, neither of you really wanted it and are sulking over it all. so, to make things better the avengers try and put you two back together

word count: 1.7k requested: yes - by @lula132 thank you for dropping the request, and sorry it’s taken so long! warnings: swearing, some heartache but mostly fluff

* masterlistin’

* commissions 

Natasha collapses down on the sofa alongside Clint. “Any luck?” He turns to the redhead who shakes her head in response before grabbing a hold of a cushion and releasing a quiet scream. “Well, guess we gotta hope Barnes does better.” Clint mutters under his breath as he pats Natasha’s back lightly, praying someone can make this situation somewhat better. 

Crossing the compound, Bucky sits with Steve on the roof after a quick ten-mile run. Steve pants lightly as he focuses on the evening sky clouding the remainder of the daylight. “Y/n always loved watching the day draw in.” Steve speaks softly, lowering his head as the heartache pulls his heart closer to the ground.

Bucky rolls his eyes. “She’s not dead Steve.” Bucky states and Steve releases a heavy sigh. “She lives in the same building as us, most of the time that is.” 

It doesn't matter what Bucky is saying, all Steve can hear is your soft laughter as you two once sat on the roof. Steve had brought a blanket so you could curl up, looking at the stars until you drifted off in his arms. He wished things didn’t have to be this way, but if he wants to hear your laugh, see you still smile it had to be. 

“-and it wasn’t your fault, you know.” Steve zones back in on Bucky’s one-sided conversation. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Just a matter of wrong place wrong time.” Bucky reminds Steve, but he shakes his head. 

All Steve can see is you stood in the middle of the street, fighting three men off at once. You didn’t need any help, but he was beaming with pride as he watched you momentarily. That was the downfall of it though, as you felt his eyes lingering. You knocked the last man to the ground and turned to walk to Steve only to see his eyes widen with horror as you looked down and saw a knife through your stomach. 

Once you woke up in recovery, Steve hadn’t left your side. You felt at ease seeing his eyes being the first sight you saw but quickly fell as his were bloodshot, heavy with a decision he didn’t want to make. 

You were left in a broken state, emotionally and physically. Steve couldn’t do it to you, he couldn’t continue knowing he caused it. Once you were out of recovery, you refused to leave your room. Steve was seemingly everywhere you went in the compound. It became difficult to not run into him. You tried smiling to him, but he’d shun it down. 

“But I didn’t make it any easier, Buck,” Steve admits, focusing on the gentle expression on his friends face. “I shut her out, refused to let her back in.” 

Bucky sighs. “Why’d you do that, Steve? I know, we all know you are in love with her, and she loves you too.” 

“I can’t let her be at risk because of me, it’s too dangerous.” Steve tries to reason, but he can see Bucky rolling his eyes. “What? What if you had a girl who was constantly at danger and you couldn’t stop it?” 

“I’d fight with her, ‘til the end.” Bucky states, watching as Steve softens and hides his head in his hands. “All you gotta do is talk to her, Steve.” 

It should be that simple. Just talking to you, speaking and explaining everything. But the thought made Steve curl up inside. He didn’t know how to face you, not yet. He knew the wound was still too fresh, that if he saw you he’d cower behind a wall. 

Rising to his feet, Steve stretches out. “I can’t,” He shakes his head and Bucky stands alongside him. “I don’t think I’m ready.” 

Before Bucky can say anything else, Steve walks off back inside the compound without another word being said. “No luck here, Romanoff.” Bucky mutters into his earpiece as he hears a heavy sigh on the other end.

“Guess it’s time for plan F.” She tells him, and Bucky heads inside to help put the final preparations on plan F. 

*

Holding your walking stick you head down the steps to the new training room. It’s still being finalised, but Natasha suggested it’d be a good place to try and work on some muscle therapy as no one else would be around.

Letting out a soft sigh, you wince as you force the door open. “Okay Nat, gimme your worst.” You joke lightly, lifting your head up and stopping in your tracks as the door closes behind you. 

Steve turns around, his large stature faltering as his eyes lock with yours. “Y/n?” Steve questions softly, looking at you as you remain unimpressed.

“No, no.” You shake your head as you turn around and pull on the door, only to find it not opening. “Why won’t you open, stupid shit!” You yell, hearing Steve mutter something behind you. “Oh piss off Steve, you and your stupid language rule.” 

Keeping your eyes focused on the door, behind you Steve looks straight at the ceiling, wishing he could see anyone else. “This your idea, Tony?” Steve calls out into the open space filled with a few pieces of gym equipment, mostly untouched and still in boxes of packaging. 

“Look, we’re tired of you two not being in the same room as one another. We’re not saying get back together we-”

The sound of muffled voices cuts Tony off. “That is exactly what we’re saying, Tony.” Natasha states bluntly. “Just talk it out, and we can’t see you down there, so no funny business alright.” She laughs lightly, wishing she could see the looks on your faces. 

Before either of you can object, the speakers cut out as you return to the faint silence. “Great.” You mutter under your breath with a heavy sigh as you slide down against the door with a slight wince.

Steve turns, looking concerned as you clench your jaw. He steps closer, but you hold a hand out telling him to take another step.

“I’m fine, Steve.” You state. “I don’t need your help now, I needed it when it happened alright.” You remind him, and Steve nods knowing his disfavoured actions are yet to be forgotten. 

“Can I at least talk?” Steve weakly questions, something he never anticipated having to do around you. 

Prior to everything, you brought out the side of Steve that was dormant. You told him to say what he needed to say whenever. He was no longer afraid of admitting the truth, even if it was a tad harsh at times. 

You glance up at his tired blue eyes and nod weakly. “Floors all yours, Cap.” 

Cap. The first of many nicknames you gave him, albeit now it sounds taunting and less playful. Hate is spewed into it rather than love.

Clearing his throat, Steve turned his eyes down to the floor just seeing your feet poking out. “I’m sorry.”

“Okay.” You reply, resting your hands on your lap as you bring your legs closer to your chest as the stick sits by your side. “I get that, but it wasn’t your fault you know?” You remind him once again, the one thing you kept telling him as you sat in a hospital bed with tears in your eyes.

“But it was,” Steve tries to reason once more. “if I hadn’t distracted you, you wouldn’t have nearly died.” 

You shake your head to him. “Steve, we nearly die on every mission. Whether you were there or not, we are always putting our lives at risk for a bigger cause. If I died on that mission, no one would be to blame besides the people who did it. Not you, not me, not Tony or Fury.” Leaning against the wall you grab the stick, forcing yourself to stand upright. “You can’t spend the rest of your life avoiding me because you feel guilty for something you didn’t cause.” 

Steve locks his eyes on yours, seeing the truth embedded as your words echo in the space. Deep down he knows it’s true, but the guilt, the sight he saw is still gnawing away at his mind. “But what if it happens again and I can’t save you?” 

Taking a step forward, you lean heavily on your stick. “Then that’s life, Steve.” You tell him softly, resting your hand on his cheek. “Hey,” You whisper, watching as he focuses on you. “I’m okay you know?” 

“Kinda hard to believe that when you’re using a walking stick, doll.” Steve jokes, something you missed hearing. 

He watches as a smile ghosts your lips for a split second. “Why’d you break my heart, Steve?” 

The question he’s been avoiding for weeks by keeping out of your way. He didn’t want to see the aftermath, no matter how much he regretted it. 

“The thought of losing you was too much to bear.” He starts, feeling your hand slip from his cheek. “I thought, if I stopped seeing you, if anything happened to either of us it would hurt less.” Steve scoffs at his own statement. “But I was stupid to think I could do that, all I’ve thought about is you for weeks. How much I miss waking up next to you, seeing you smile, hearing you laugh or kick ass in training. I’ve missed everything.” 

You laugh lightly to yourself. “Sure have a funny way of showin’ it.” You mutter to him, raising an eyebrow as his furrow together. 

“I’m still learning, Y/n.” Steve admits to you, his vulnerability evident in his tone as you turn your back on him. “Please, just, let me try.” His voice is soft as he pleads to you, wishing you would turn around and face him.

Holding your head high, you bite your tongue. “One more chance, Steve.” You turn to face him, holding your stick up against his chest. “And if you fuck up, I’m done.” You tell him sternly, watching as a smile plays on his lips.

“Language, Y/n.” He jokes, pulling you close into him, something he’s missed doing. 

“Steady, Cap.” You tell him with a small laugh as he softens his grip on you. “Better.” You smile as you lean closer against him, missing him deep down as he holds you close.

Natasha leans back in her chair, crossing her arms as she looks to Tony, Clint and Bucky. “Told you plan F would work.” She says proudly before exiting the room, leaving all three men slightly stunned. 

[trashcanband4]

Father Daughter Duo Ch. 10

Chapter Title: Sorting Things Out. Warnings: None that I can think of. Pairing: DarylxOc. Word Count: 4,749.

I once again shot straight up in bed gasping for air and my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my head. After I caught my breath and convinced myself I was safe I looked around me to see that Daryl was still asleep. I couldn’t help but smile at how he looked. His normally side swept hair was sticking up in all directions making him look like a country version of Edward Cullen. I held back the laugh that threatened to escape me at the thought and turned to press my face into my pillow and pulled the covers over me. I figured if Daryl wasn’t awake that no one else would be either and I could use the peace and quiet after the events of the previous morning.

I was glad that Tomas didn’t try to kiss me. When I thought about all the forced kisses that I had received it made my stomach churn. I heard some one stirring down stairs and was about to get up when I heard Daryl grunt as he started waking up. So without thinking about it I turned onto my side facing him and watched as he slowly woke up. He groaned a few more times before he finally stretched and opened his eyes squinting from the bright sun. “Morning.” I greeted him and he looked over at me as if he had forgotten that I moved out here. He sat up and swiped his hand over his head a few times making his hair go into its usual style before he sleepily returned the greeting. “Wish it was that easy to fix my hair.” I commented as I sat up and started rubbing at the sleep in my eyes. “Mine looks like shit no matter what I do to it.” I started digging though my clothes and pulled out some worn jeans and a black t-shirt.

“Na, bed head looks good on ya.” The simple compliment brought a small blush to my cheeks as I stood up and laughed it off.

“Gee thanks. I could say the same about you.” I said before disappeared into my cell and changed. When I came out he was putting on his vest. I stopped in the doorway and ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to tame the wild waves. I grabbed the leather bracelet off of my bed and clasped it over the longer cut before I wrapped a clean piece of cloth over the other wrist. I was sitting on my bed tying my converse when a something occurred to me. “Hey um, thanks for showin’ me how to shoot yesterday.” All he did was grunt in acknowledgement before he disappeared down the stares. Well he can’t say I didn’t try to be nice.

When I got to the holding room I noticed that there weren’t very many people up. It was just Daryl, Rick, T Dog and Lori sitting around in the holding room. There were bags from the cafeteria sitting on the table so I started looking at them for something to cook for breakfast. I found a bag of oatmeal and grabbed a oversized bottle of water off of the table and looked around the room. “I’m assuming no one cares if I cook breakfast?” I asked and Lori answered.

“Depends, do you know how to cook?” Was she serious?

“It’s been just me and my father for the past three months. I think I’ve figured it out.” I said not being able to help my sarcasm at the stupid question. Rick stepped up and headed over to the door.

“Yeah go for it.” I walked over to the door and he opened it up for me. “But your father still doesn’t want you left alone around dangerous stuff so some one will have to go with you.” He said and I looked around the room letting my eyes land on T Dog.

“Would you mind?” I asked and he shook his head before he stood and came over to the door with me. “Don’t understand why I need a freaking babysitter. I’m not goin’ to pull anything.” I said as we walked across the yard to the smoldering fire from the night before.

“Well if anyone has to baby sit you I’m glad you chose me for the job.” He was flirting with me and I didn’t like it, but at least he wasn’t shoving me to the ground and just taking what he wanted. He wasn’t being overly disgusting in the ways he was flirting with me.

“Well, I’m trying to stay away from Daryl and I don’t really care for Rick and Lori, so you were the logical choice.” I answered letting him know I didn’t choose him simply because I wanted to be alone with him, because that wasn’t the case. He frowned a bit at the statement, but it didn’t completely dampen his spirits. Because he kept talking to me as I started the fire back up, pored some of the water into the pot and put in on the makeshift grill to boil.

“So why don’t you like Rick and Lori?” he asked and I sat on an ice chest that served as a chair near the fire. “Okay, Lori I can understand, she can be kinda…”

“Bitchy?” I finished for him and he smirked at me like he couldn’t believe I had said that.

“Yeah something like that. But Rick is nice enough.”

“It’s not that I don’t like him.” I said with a glance up at T then back down at my work. “I don’t know, he seems like he’s dealing with some stuff and I don’t think spending time with the mentally unstable woman of the group will help him much.” I said as I salted the water.

T laughed. “You’re not mentally unstable.” I glanced up at him then back down at the pot of water that was about to start boiling. “You’re just going through some stuff.”

“That’s nice of you to say,” I poured some oatmeal into the pot, “but we both know it’s not true. I’ll never be normal again.” After staring at the bland oatmeal for a few minutes I got an idea. “Hey, I think I saw some wild berries growing on the fence line the other day. Do you mind keeping this stirred while I go pick some?”

He agreed and when I got back people had started making their way outside. We all started talking about music while the others slowly came into the conversation as we waited for the food to be ready. We all talked about random things as we ate. I got a few good comments on my addition to the oatmeal, but none from Lori, good or bad. Soon everyone was done and they all went back inside to do their own things.

I was standing at one of the discarded metal tables stacking the dishes and rinsing out two plastic totes to wash them in when Daryl walked up with the water that I had put on the fire to warm up and poured it into the clean tub. “The cook don’t clean where I come from.” He commented and I tried to stay as far away from him as possible as I added soap to it and started putting in dishes.

“Really and where would that be?” I asked in an attempt to get to know him better. He filled the second tub with water and rinsed the dish that I handed to him.

“Georgia.” He replied and I looked at him. “In the mountains.” I handed him another dish. “What about you and you’re dad?”

“Texas.” I answered and Daryl raised his brows. “I know. We’re a long way from home. I had an uncle and some friends that lived up this way.” I said with a shrug. “We made it to his house, but it was empty.”

Daryl just smiled as he rinsed another dish that I handed him. “No bodies?” He asked and I shook my head. “That’s a good sign. Mean’s they might’ve got out in time.”

“Or it could mean that they got bit and wandered out of the house.” I retorted and handed him the last clean dish.

“Were you always such a pessimist?” He asked as he rinsed the dish and set it off to the side.

I frowned as I grabbed the bucket “No, actually.” I dumped the sudsy, dirty water on the ground. “Not until here recently.”

“Oh.” He dumped the bucket of rinsing water out.

“Yeah.” I frowned.

“Well I still say your uncle could still be alive.” Daryl said as we headed toward the building. “Look on the greener side or whatever.”

“The greener side of what? The walker covered mountain?” I popped off with a smirk as I pulled the door to the holding room open.

Daryl just laughed and my smile widened liking that I made him laugh. But my smile shrunk when I saw Lori glare at me. ‘what did I do to bust her bubble?’ I thought to myself but ignored it.

I had just sat down at one of the tables next to T Dog when we heard a loud bang on the door that led to the other cell blocks. We all looked around at each other before Rick told us to go to the cell area. He and Daryl stayed behind as we all went into the main room and closed the door behind us. I watched through the door as Axel and Oscar came into the room. Oscar was limping and had a bloody nose while Axel was bleeding from his mouth and had a black eye.

They were trying to say that Tomas beat the shit out of them then took off. They asked simply for some medical supplies for their wounds. But Rick turned them down telling them that we didn’t have any to spare. “Please you have to believe us.” Axel pleaded with what sounded like a half country half gangster accent if that makes any since. “I’m not a bad person. I just like my pharmaceuticals is all.” He said with pleading eyes. With him being from the same group as Tomas I should have felt that he and Oscar should be banished from the prison and made to go through everything that we had in the past months. But as I looked at Axels eyes I realized that this man was nothing like Tomas. He had kind naturally smiling eyes that projected everything that was going through his head. He didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve; he wore it in his eyes.

After coming to the conclusion that Axel wasn’t a bad man I looked at Oscar. His face was hard as stone and he never said a word unless it was to tell the ever rambling Axel to shut up. His eyes were as hard as his face, but I couldn’t find anything terrible in them either. But I couldn’t forget that these men were in here for a reason. They were not to be trusted. The two had requested to stay here in case Tomas came back to finish them off, but Rick, thankfully, refused. Eventually Hershel came in and he checked them for injuries. They had no broken bones, just a missing tooth and a sprained ankle, so they were sent on their way and the gate was locked behind them. A small part of me was relieved that Tomas was gone, but another part of me realized that he could easily get his hand on another set of keys, break in here and take what he wanted in the first place.

I was in the holding room putting the dishes back into the picnic basket that they came out of when Lori walked in and stood at the other side of the table across from me. “I know what you’re doing and I can assure you it’s not going to work.” I stopped what I was doing and looked up at her.

“I think I know what you think I’m trying to do, but please flatter me. What do you think I’m trying to do?” I asked crossing my arms over my chest and she just looked at me with a hand on her stomach.

“You’re playing with people’s heads. T-Dog and Daryl. You flirt with them constantly. Your daddy can’t protect you so you’re playing Daryl and T-Dog, Making them chase after you like puppies. It’s pathetic.” She said flatly and I just shook my head flabbergasted.

“What?” I asked looking at her like she was crazy. “You’re insane.”

“Oh really?” She asked. “I’m not the one lying through my teeth to get people to feel sorry for me.”

I saw red. “Why don’t you focus on your own problems instead of judging other people for theirs?” I asked as I slammed my hands down on the table and leaned across it to glare at her. “Why don’t you actually focus on you husband and son for a change.”

“Don’t even bring my marriage and parenting into this. I am a good wife and a good mother.”

“Really? Where’s Carl at right now?” I asked as I stood up straight and crossed my arms back over my chest.

“He’s organizing the food.” She said as if she really believed it and her eyes got big when I shook my head.

“Nope. He snuck out earlier.” I said in explanation and her mouth fell open.

“And you didn’t try to stop him!?” she asked walking around the table. Her yelling brought others into the room and Rick asked what was going on although I’m sure he had a good idea of what was happening.

“He’s not my responsibility.” I said with a shrug and finished putting the dishes up.

“Which way did he go? Rick, Carl ran off we have to go find him.” She said panicked and he looked at me and asked which way he went. I was about to tell them when I heard the bang of a door being closed come from the cell block. They all ran to the room and I followed them to see Carl walking in with a bag in his hand and a smile on his face. Lori hugged him happy that he was alive.

“Check it out.” He said holding out the bag to her and she started pulling out medical supplies. “There wasn’t much left, but I cleaned it out.” He said with a smile on his face that only faded to a grimace when Lori started going off on him.

“You went by yourself, are you crazy? You could have gotten bit.”

“People get hurt every day we need this stuff so I went and got it.” He said in his defense but she didn’t ease up.

“Carl did you just hear yourself. People get hurt everyday and that’s with everyone around them.”

“It’s not a big deal. I only killed two walkers and we needed the supplies.” He raised his voice a little and she scoffed at him.

“And I appreciate that but-”

“Then get off my back!” Carl yelled at her and Beth stepped in telling him that Lori was his mother and that he couldn’t talk to her like that.

“Listen I think it’s great that you want to help,-” He stormed off before she could finish her sentence and she turned to me looking like she had so much to say but she knew that this wasn’t the right place or time.

That one event changed everyone’s moods and the rest of the day was spent in silence as we all did different boring chores around the prison until supper time rolled around and we all gathered around the fire. Lori sat by Rick and Carl.

The sun was still up as we waited for Daryl to finish skinning his kill and get it ready to cook. Seeing the meat and remembering how bland it usually was made me remember that I had a bottle of Creole seasoning in the bottom of the bag we had all of our cooking stuff in so I went into the prison to get it. Beth came with me because I still wasn’t allowed to be alone even tough I hadn’t done anything stupid in a while. Beth looked at me funny when I shook it to make sure it wasn’t clumpy. “What? You people need to learn to season your food.” I explained and she just shook her head.

When we got back to the fire I tossed the can to Lori who was preparing the meal and gave me a questioning look. “Rub it on the meat before you put it on the pit.” I explained and she set it down on the ground. I sat down between my father and Daryl and watched her put more wood onto the fire. She picked up a piece of the meat out of the bowl and was about to poor the seasoning on it when I spoke up. “Don’t put too much. That stuff’s really spicy.” I said and she shot me a look. She pored the seasoning on a piece of meat the size of a chicken strip and I involuntarily made a sound of disapproval because she had done the opposite of what I had just said and put too much. She glanced up at me then back to the meat. “It’s easier to control how much to put on it if put some of it in the palm of your hand then sprinkle it on the meat with your fingers.” I explained.

She let out an aggravated breath. “Do you want to do this?” she asked raising her voice in irritation and everyone sitting around the fire turned their attention to us. “Seriously, if you think you can do a better job than I can then here, be my guest.” she held the bowl of meat and seasoning over to me. I was stunned that she was talking to me like that in front of everyone, but the shock was quickly replaced with anger.

“Fine.” I said glaring at her challengingly. “I will.” I stood up and took the bowl from her and she moved to sit back near Rick and Carl. Once she sat down she continued to glare at me, but Rick leaned over and said something to her that I couldn’t make out and she stopped. I looked away to see people looking at me. My dad had a small smirk on his face and made a motion for me to continue cooking. So I did. I seasoned all the meat and put it on the pit then sat down giving it time to cook on that side before I needed to flip it over and let the other side cook.

When it was done I dished it up into plates and walked around handing them to everyone. Most people’s faces were indifferent, but Daryl gave me a small smile and a thank you, as did my dad. Everyone started eating in silence and Lori tried to hide the fact that she liked my cooking. T-Dog was the first person to tell me that it was really good and Beth said that it was way better than the unseasoned stuff that was usually cooked then gave Lori an apologetic look. Then everyone else voiced their positive opinions and Daryl said that I should be the cook from now on. Lori huffed out a breath and crossed her arms over her chest looking like a pouting little kid.

“Oh slow yer roll olive oil. Not yer fault ya can’t cook.” He said with a smile in her direction before he turned his smile to me where I sat between him and my father. I just smiled back and continued eating my food. Once everyone was done we all just sat around enjoying the cool breeze that was blowing. My father suggested that I sing something but I refused and this time he let me. When the conversation slowed down I excused myself, put my bowl in the tub to be washed in the morning and started walking to the prison.

Of coarse someone had to come with me so this time Daryl was the one that followed me in as I made my way to the prison by moonlight. When we got inside he turned on a flashlight so that we could see our way to the stairs. He let me walk up first and I tried to convince myself that he wasn’t looking at my butt as he walked up behind me. When he got to his bed he turned off the flashlight and lit a small oil lamp that was next to his bed. I sat down on my bed and started taking off my shoes and was setting them at the foot of it when I looked up and noticed him looking at my bracelet for the millionth time that day. “Why do you keep looking at my wrist?” I asked and he shrugged.

“Just wonderin’ why yer wearin’ my brother’s bracelet.” he answered and my eyes widened as I asked him what he was talking about. “That’s my brother bracelet.” He said once again but I still didn’t understand.

“This isn’t your brothers. I found it at a house that my dad and I stopped at one night.” I explained.

“It’s his.” He paused and ran his hand through his hair messing it up. “He made it himself.” He explained and I looked at the bracelet in the moonlight. “If it’s his, and I’m pretty sure it is, his initials will be stamped on the inside.” I turned my back to Daryl and undid the snaps of the bracelet. There it was plain as day. Imprinted with black ink in the middle of the inside of the bracelet were the letters M.D. I turned back around and tossed it to him. Our expressions remained blank as he picked it up and looked at it. “Told you.” He said smugly and tossed it back at me.

I picked it up from where it landed at my feet and tossed it back to him. “I don’t want it.” He picked it up from where it landed on his bed and tossed it aside not really caring where it landed.

“So, when did you and T-Dog  become a thing?”

I somehow managed to choke on my own  spit before I pressed my fingertips to my neck and crooked “What?”

He smirked at my reaction. “He was the first person to compliment your cooking. He’s a picky eater and I caught him giving you googoo eyes a lot.”

I groaned and headed to my old cell to change. “I thought I had made it clear to him that we were just friends.” I said before I pulled a clean shirt over my head. “he’s cool and all but I’m not into him that way ”

“He thinks ya don’t like him cause he’s black.” He said with a laugh and I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I pulled on a pair of athletic shorts.

“I’ve told him I don’t have a preference,” I walked out onto the perch, “though my father would probably kill me if I did like Tee back.” I put my dirty clothes in a pile near my shoes and sat down on my bed.

“I’ll never understand men. I sighed as I flipped back my covers. “I mean, do all of you think with your dicks or what?”

Daryl chuckled. “Yeah, pretty much.” I was surprised he actually answered.

I found myself scooting away from him, remembering that he was also a man. “Good to know.” I drawed and pulled the covers up over my torso.

“Na, ya ain’t gotta worry about any of us.” Daryl assured you and you let go of the covers. “T’s a good guy.”

“I know…” I groaned and pressed my face I to my pillow. I couldn’t help but think about the alarming number of men that had come on to me since the turn. How many men had forced themselves on me. Out of all of the men I had met, Daryl seemed to be one of the few trustworthy ones. Eventually I pulled my face out of my pillow to see that Daryl was laying in bed and had turned the lamp down so that it was barely burning. I could tell that he wasn’t asleep from his light breathing. “Hey Daryl?” I asked and he hummed groggily letting me know he was listening. “Why do men target me?” his back was to me so I couldn’t see his face and I expected him to turn over and face me but he didn’t. “I mean, do I come off as some easy slut or something?” I was thinking about just letting it drop when he didn’t answer me.

He hadn’t moved a muscle since I started talking and I couldn’t even hear him breathing. He sounded pretty sleepy when he hummed earlier so I just figured he had fallen asleep and hadn’t even heard my questions. So I turned away from him and was about to fall asleep when I heard his gruff voice float over to me. “Yer pretty.”

I snorted. “Yeah, like I believe that.” I heard the rustling of him turning over so I did the same. I propped my head up on my hand and he simply had his propped up on a folded pillow that was tucked under his arm. We both had our blankets pulled up to our necks.

“You’re just being modest, right?”

“No, I really don’t think I’m pretty.” I said with a disgusted look on my face.

“But you are.” He argued and something about the way he said it almost made me believe it.

“I will never understand what's so pretty about me." I said as the lantern flame burned out. He never said anything so I was about to turn back over when he spoke up.

“Your eyes.” He paused and I could have sworn that he sounded bashful underneath the hard gruffness of his voice. “Your hair’s nice too.” He added quietly.

I didn’t believe him. I still wouldn’t except that as a valid answer as to why every man I came near thought he could just take what he wanted from me. “I’m pretty. So what. Beth and Maggie are pretty but I didn’t see Tomas go after them.” I said realizing as I said it that it was true.

“Maggie has Glenn and never leaves his side. And Beth has her dad at her side.” He said, but that still didn’t explain why Tomas didn’t go after Beth. She seemed to be meeker than me.

“So, I have my dad just like Beth does.” I said defending myself.

“Yeah, but you don’t let strangers know that he is your dad. If they did they wouldn’t mess with you.”

“It was quiet for a minute as we both thought about what he said.

"Now that I think about it you don’t even act like Sean is your dad when other people are around.” He said. I didn’t know what to think about how this conversation was turning out.

“Okay, so your saying that if I make myself look ugly,” I paused and added “Even though I already am.” Under my breath. “And spend more time with my dad and let people know that I have a man to protect me that people will leave me alone?” I asked.

“Yeah I guess that’s what I’m sayin’.” He said before he let out a big yawn and turned onto his back. About that time I heard the squeak of the doors opening and the murmuring of the others talking. I assumed that meant that mine and Daryl’s conversation would be over.

“Thanks” I said loud enough for only him to hear.

“For what?” he asked tiredly making me realize that it was probably really late.

“Not trying to get in my pants I guess, and for giving me advice.”

“No problem.” He said and he let out a sigh. “But you might want to work on not showing weakness like that. Other people ain’t as nice as me.” He said then followed it up with the rustling of his bed as he turned over and got comfortable. “Night.” He said and I turned over making myself comfortable.

“Night.” I said before I drifted off to sleep.

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[fallen029]

Untitled Miraxus AU

You guys tell me before I go any further with this; do you want more of it? AU isn’t usually my taste, but I was playing around with something today, but I dunno if anyone wants it. 

Laxus yawned some as he awoke, eyes bleary and a bit out of sorts. It wasn’t unusual for him to wake up in, well, unusual situations. He wasn’t exactly the most...straight and narrow guy around. He could find himself in some seedy situations, sure. He traveled a lot, for business, and found himself rather committed to being, well, uncommitted. If the situation arose, while he was out far from home, to partake in, well, just about anything, then he was all for it.

But that was the thing. He wasn’t far from home. Or at least he hadn’t remembered being so. In fact, he knew he had to be. He’d come home specifically to see his grandfather. Gramps. And the old man at the bar he owned, but then didn’t even show up. The old coot. But Gramps had apparently told the bartender that Laxus could drink his fill, to make up for the mix up, and that’s what he spent his night doing.

Drinking up at the old bar, Fairy Tail, while flicking through his phone, hoping that one of his friends were hanging about and could join him. But Freed and Bickslow were swamped with their own jobs and Evergreen seemed to be avoiding Laxus, as of late. He was sure it was his own fault, but couldn’t recall doing anything explicitly horrible to the woman, so he chalked it up to nothing.

Yep.

Nothing.

That’s what he declared it when any of his typical associates were upset with him. Laxus saw himself as a big, important man. Perhaps a bit conceited, it didn’t help that he was the creator of one of the hottest gadgets of the past half decade. His brand of headphones, Slayers, were putting the Dreyar name on the map. More than his old man, inventor of fuck all, or Gramps, the biggest boozer that frequented his own bar, Fairy Tail, ever had done. Laxus Dreyar was quickly becoming a name synonymous with quality and as his tiny company was expanding into further advancements in technological entertainment.

So no, Laxus didn’t see himself as having to apologize for slights. Ever, really, but especially now. He was an important man with important plans and fuck anyone who tried to get in the way of them.

But anyways, he could recall, at least, being a bit miffed at the three of them, his closest friends since childhood, for not returning his calls. Just quick texts form Freed and Bickslow explaining that they couldn’t afford to go out during the middle of the work week and drink until they passed out. Nothing from Ever. But it’s not like he really wanted to hang around her anyways. So there.

That meant he was flying solo though, that night at Fairy Tail. And, like ti seemed to be recently, the bar was pretty much dead. A dinky little nothing tavern, it did relaly good business some years back. Laxus remembered when he as a boy, sneaking drinks while his grandfather and father squabbled a new this or new that that Ivan, his father, had tried to introduce at the bar. His old man, heh, he’s where Laxus got it. Always tinkerin’ with somethin’. But Gramps, he used to be much more serious about the bar, it’s upkeep and all.

Somethin’ changed though. When he and Ivan had that falling out. Makarov, his grandfather, started drinkin’ heavily and, by the time Laxus took off for college, the man was just a shell. A shell with a not so profitable business any longer.

Laxus figured that’s what his grandfather wanted to talk to him about. Needed a loan or something or other. It would be humiliating for the old man to ask such a thing of his grandson, the younger man knew, and figured he’d drank too much in preparation.

Which was fine.

Laxus wasn’t quite in the mood to tell the old geezer flat out to buzz off.

So he drank his fill of the failing bar, planning on paying his tab regardless of the man’s instructions, with only the bartender as company. Well, there were a few other patrons, but they all seemed lost in their own worlds, scattered across the tiny building, and it was best to just speak to her anyways. The bartender. Mirajane.

Laxus figured he knew her pretty well.

They’d gone to school together. At least partially. He didn’t recall knowing her before high school, but couldn’t quite remember when she turned up there either. She just...was one day and they hardly ran in the same circles anyways. She knew Freed more than she knew him, honestly. But right out of high school, she’d conned the old man into hiring her own as bar staff, and, well, while Laxus went away for college, she stayed. When he dropped out to invest all his time and effort into his company, she was still there, the head bartender now. And here he was, back in town as a local success story, while she watched the bar crumble around her.

He didn’t blame the woman for slinging back a few beers of her own.

Laxus never knew Mirajane was so...funny. And maybe she wasn’t. Maybe it was the intoxication, on his end or hers. But did she always look that nice? No. No way. But her bangs were down today and he liked that, a lot. She looked less like a woman in her twenties trying to pretend to be younger, and more like a woman, a real woman, a serious woman, and there was something dark. In her typically warm, blue eyes. Cold now. It felt like.

And when they tripped over their feet out of the bar that night...when they tripped over their feet into her bed last night…

“Fuck,” Laxus remarked as he laid there, a pounding in his head, turning his head not to look at the bartender beside him. No. She was nowhere to be found. Instead, it had been the opening of her bedroom door no doubt that awoke him and, as he blinked now, he was looking into some pretty similar blue eyes. But they belonged to someone younger. Much younger.

“I thought,” the little girl standing at the side of the bed, staring at him with with heavy interest, “you were dead. I’s gonna go get my brother. To take bets, but… You’re not dead? Are you?”

Laxus felt even more confused, but still only shook his head a bit at the question, thinking that maybe, if he just answered, he could wake up. Because this was a dream, right? Pale, white haired child? Bright blue eyes? Sounded like a fucking nightmare.

“No,” he got out, but his throat protested and fuck, why had he drank so much.

The little girl looked about ready to pose another question, but didn’t seem to have the chance as there was a shout then, from the other room. A woman. Mirajane.

“Lisanna!” came a yell and the little girl’s interest was drained immediately as she looked stricken, almost, before running from the bedroom. At least Laxus thought that she’d left. It felt like he just blinked and boom; she was gone. Had she ever been there?

Where even was there?

He could hear Mirajane now though, or at least he thought it was her, berating the child no doubt somewhere else, and since when she she have a fucking kid? And that kid was, at least, like...well, Laxus didn’t know nay kids, but certain a good median kid age. So what? Eight? Nine? Ten? What did eleven-year-olds look like? What had he looked like at eleven? Ten? Nine? Eight?

“You have to get out of here.”

She was popping into the bedroom to berate him then, Mira was, walking at a brisk pace into the room with a dark glint in her eyes. As Laxus only laid there, nude it felt like, beneath a thick quilt, she went around the room, gathering up his clothes before unceremoniously throwing them at his face. Laxus was just thankful it was his fluffy coat that covered his face and not his gross boxers.

“Now,” the woman insisted as he only sat up sluggishly.

“You gotta give me a minute,” he groaned. “I-”

“You don’t have,” she compalined, “a minute.”

“Look, your fucking kid already saw me, so I really don’t think you’re getting out of this one squeaky clean.”

“What?”

“You want me out ‘cause some man’s showin’ up, eh? Your husband?” Laxus stretched then, as he sat on the bed still, hoping it helped the banging in his head. Nope. Still there. Blinking as his crumpled clothes all tumbled off him and onto the quilt, he said, “I dunno how you’re gonna get outta this one, to be honest.”

“She’s my little sister, for one, you moron. And there’s someone coming, but believe me, they’re not my… I’m not married.” She’d been speed cleaning, it seemed like, picking up the random thing on the floor of her bedroom here or there, but stopped suddenly to make a face over at the blond man as she said, “And how many married women are you sleeping with that you’re so cavalier about it?”

“Would you be more impressed by a high or low number?”

“I’m not impressed by- And do not lay back down. You have to get out. Now.”

“What is your prob-”

“I made a fucking mistake, okay?” She was back to cleaning. “I...shouldn’t have brought you here. But I just got a call that the social worker is stopping by for a new check in and I’m just freaking out because you’re here, for one thing, and-”

“I don’t blame ya,” Laxus told her as, finally, he moved to tumble out of the bed. “I’d smack that kid around too. Like a fucking ghost or something. Just popped up and-”

“What? Get out.”

“I’m tryin’,” he complained as she was glaring at him now, apparently not appreciating his humor. Most women didn’t, once they sobered up. As his hand came up to his head, he only groaned. “What the fuck did we drink last night?”

“Too much,” was all she remarked and, well, yeah, probably.

“Big sis,” came a call from somewhere else in the house, but it wasn’t the little girl. No. It was a strange voice, one Laxus probably hadn’t heard since he was about eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. What did a thirteen year old sound like? That. A strange combination of falling in and out of a deepness not yet ready to be wielded. “I think they’re here.”

“Shit,” Mira was cursing under her breath though, loudly, she called out, “Alright, Elfman. Just let them in for me, okay?”

She was disappearing then though, Mirajane was, but not out the door that led into the hallway. Rather another one, an adjoining bathroom it seemed like. Before she did though, she did glare over at Laxus as she hissed, “Get dressed. Now.”

And well, gosh, it wasn’t like he wasn’t trying.

He was, thankfully anyways, in the short few seconds before she came out of the bathroom looking a bit better. She’d splashed water on her face or something, straightened her top. Ran a comb through her hair, maybe. Something. But she didn’t even speak to Laxus then as she was rushing right back out of her bedroom just about the same time there was a knock at the door and that voice again, the boy, Elfman was it, greeting whoever he opened the door for.

Laxus thought that maybe it was best if he just hid out in the bedroom, honestly. Not only because he had no idea what was going on, but also because, well, he also didn’t give a fuck. At all. He had a meeting in the afternoon, a conference call, really, and he really needed to get to that. Not deal with whatever...this was.

It was as he was spinning about though, in the room, making himself more ill honestly in an attempt to find some sort of clock, that he started to take notice of them. The little picture frames adoring the woman’s nightstand and dresser. He could see her, the creepy little girl, and what he assumed to be the boy in some, but in most they were with others. Older people. A big, burly man and a tiny woman, with silver hair and the bluest of eyes.

Their parents, no doubt.

And he felt a bit like a creeper, maybe, or at least felt himself blush some as he found lying in front of a picture of just the parents, on the dresser, two separate little funeral programs, each with a face of the corresponding parent on them, the dates only separated by a year or so. He recognized the year on his first one easily, because he saw it so much, as all kids would during their high school days. Their graduation year.

Oh.

The next was the following year and-

Oh.

Oh.

He sighed some, Laxus did, not ready for more headaches, and he was kind of annoyed at Mirajane, for dragging him into all of this, but at the same time, he ego allowed him no other option than to go out there and fix things for her.

After slipping on some shades he found in his coat pocket (it made him look like a douche, maybe, being in doors, but hid just how hungover he was, at least somewhat, hopefully), he strode out into the hallway and promptly ran smack into this stupid little table out there, with a vase, which almost fell and broke. So now, with something of an entrance, he found all eyes on him when he came limping into the living room, where Mirajane was glaring at him with blazing eyes, no doubt having hoped to keep him hidden away, the little girl was giggle into her palms, the older boy was, well, staring in a bit of shock, maybe at him, while a slight woman with a sharp gaze only eyed him from behind her glasses before jotting something else down on a pad of paper she clutched tightly in one hand.

“Uh, good...morning,” he decided, eyes finally finding a damn clock, there, a bit one, hanging on a wall. Striding across the living room, he held out a hand to the woman who, tentatively taking it, only continued to eye him up and down. “Laxus Dreyar. You might know me from the insanely popular and all the rage Slayer headphones? Completely wire free, studio level quality? Here’s my card.”

But as he pulled it with ease from his pocket, the woman only withdrew her hand, not taking it.

“You didn’t inform me of an updated living situation,” the woman remarked simply to Mirajane with, making a face, only took to nodding.

“I was going to, but-”

“He doesn’t live-” the little girl, Lisanna, started, but Mirajane threw a hand over her hand, feigning it as a hug, maybe, as she turned her eyes with something of adoration, maybe, but there was that dark glint there, again, in them as well, onto her little sister.

To the woman though, Mira only said, “She was going to say he doesn’t really live here. He’s a business man, you know. Like he said. He travels.”

“A,” Elfman echoed as his gaze had turned to a glare, over at where Laxus stood, “lot.”

“A strange man then?” the woman countered, but Mira was quick to shake her head.

“N-No! Not at all. He...we...”

“We dated,” Laxus lied easily. He was a businessman, as he loved to say. Lying was second nature. “In high school. For a long time. And rekindled. Just recently. These kids. I’m hardly a stranger. Was over every day, when they were growing up. Me and Lasagna.”

“Lisanna,” Mira whispered with a defeated sigh.

“Lisanna?” he repeated, for some reason more receptive of what he’d said, as at least it was a word. A weird word, for a name, but at least a recognizable one. Still, at the bartender’s nod, he looked at the social worker. “Lisanna.”

“Uh-huh,” the woman sighed, going back to her pad of paper. Around it, she questioned, “I take it my concerns last visit have been addressed? Yes?”

“Yes,” Mirajane said with a sharp nod. “Lisanna has been going to school every single day. Don’t you, sweetheart?”

She’d have loved to responded, little Lisanna would have, but her sister was still clasping a hand over her mouth and, well, the best she could do was nod. It’s what Mirajane wanted, anyways, probably.

“And Elfman,” Mirajane kept right up, “has been doing wonderfully in therapy. Really opened up. Haven’t you? Elf?”

“Yeah.” The boy was still busy glaring at Laxus though. “Opened up.”

“And the issues,” the woman was saying then, “that you were having with the kitchen?”

“All fixed. Wanna check?” Releasing Lisanna, Mirajane turned to walk the woman through the house. “It was a bit of a hassle, with the pipes being so old, but I got it all fixed up and I’ve been really keeping an eye on making sure the cleaning gets done...”

As she disappeared with the woman into the kitchen, this left Laxus alone with the glaring boy and giggly girl who, free from her sister, just took to spinning around a bit as she stared up at the man.

“Who are you?” Elfman asked rather darkly as he took a few steps towards the man, voice soft as not to be overheard. “You said your name is Dreyar, but-”

“Elf! Can you come here?” Mirajane was calling from the kitchen then. “Please?”

Of course. Whatever his sister wanted. But as the teen slank off, Laxus found himself alone with the creepy girl again which, ugh.

“So you live here now, huh?” she giggled as he only scowled.

“And you go to school, huh?” he retorted right back, but the girl only stopped her spinning, a bit wobbly at first from this, to address the question at hand. She didn’t recognize it as a rhetorical retort and instead thought he was waiting for such.

“I always went to school,” she retorted with a roll of her eyes. “But sometimes, after Elf would walk me to the corner- Cause his school’s on a different street, so he goes to the corner and then says, ‘Bye, little sis’ and I say, ‘Bye, big bro’- But after he’d get to the corner, then I’d run into my friend Natsu and, cause, well, Natsu don’t gotta go to school, like me, ‘cause he’s home-schooled by his dad- His dad’s a dragon, too, kinda-”

“Okay, okay. Stop talking to me.”

“You asked.”

“It was my,” he replied, “mistake.”

But no the worst one. No. Certainly, the worst one was ever walking into the Strauss house.

Mirajane’s voice overtook them again, however, as she was coming out of the kitchen with her younger brother and the social worker, leading them right over to the hallway, though she did make some glaring eyes at Laxus as she went. As if any of this was his fault.

“Are you really dating my sister?” Lisanna asked finally, staring up at him with the same interest she’d found him there, upon arriving home from her sleepover, there in her sister’s bed. “Mr. Slayer?”

“It’s,” he grumbled, “Dreyar. My company is called Slayer.”

“That’s a dumb name.”

“You’re named after a pasta.”

“I am not!”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I’m not!”

She she kicked him then, in his shin, quite hard, causing Laxus to growl while she only stuck her tongue out and oh, Mirajane was back.

“Lisanna!” she hissed as she came rushing over, the social worker and their brother not far behind. As she came to snatch the girl away from the man, she only made something of a face at the other woman as she said, “Kids, you know?”

Laxus sure didn’t, as he resisted the urge to reach down and rub at his shin. The woman didn’t seem to either as she only made one last note in her report before informing Mirajane that she’d be getting in touch with her in the next few days. Laxus tried to shake her hand again, give her a card, but the woman only hurried out the door and, well, then it was just the four of them.

There was an awkward tension hanging about in the air and Laxus felt like he was the odd person out. Mainly because, well, he kind of was.

“Who is he, Mira?” Elfman asked his sister, but she was very busy scolding Lisanna who was arguing her case quite plainly that she was not named after a delicious noodle, but rather a beautiful princess, maybe, probably. There were a bunch of princess, at least, throughout all of time, and she always guessed that at least one had to share her name. Right?

Right?

“Don’t matter.” Laxus had walked over to the window, waiting until the slight woman’s car had pulled away before announcing this. “I’m outta here.”

“Good,” Mirajane retorted, hardly even glancing over at him, “riddance.”

And he felt much the same. It’s not like the pair had been friends or anything. And, at most, she’d been the moron to have a man over while she was going through...whatever she was going through. If she wanted to be pissy at him, that was fine.

Wasn’t like they’d be seeing much of one another, he figured.

[h-styles-babes]

SIX

Despite the air conditioning that kept the house cool against the muggy heat of the day, the vents pumping air into the studio didn’t seem to work quite as well as everywhere else. While Sia typically liked to wear something cozy and relaxed while she was sat down at the board and recording with an artist, it was far too hot to be in her joggers and a tee. Instead, she stayed in the cut off shorts and cropped halter top she’d been wearing throughout the rest of the day. She’d gone into town earlier on one of the bikes in order to get herself a smoothie, brining back one for Alex, since he’d so kindly asked. Carrying two cups on her ride back hadn’t been the most easy thing she’d done, but she’d done it without any mishaps.

When she arrived back at the house, there were four extra people milling about, as well as some fancy-looking cameras that probably cost more than Sia would make this year. She’d nearly forgotten Jeff’s warning that there would probably be a camera crew following the recording process, since Ben Winston wanted to document the whole thing for a short film. Sia knew Ben really well, considering she’d been just as acquainted with him as Harry had while they were still together. Ben was one of the few famous people in Harry’s life that she actually liked, because he was so much of an older brother and best friend to Harry. So seeing him hanging out and laughing with Alex brightened her mood, but also put a bit of a damper on it when she realized she hadn’t seen him since she and Harry had ended things. Which, of course, put a sour twinge to her mood.

“Ah, Sia! You’re back,“ Alex acknowledged, watching her set down her bag and push her sunglasses off her nose and up onto her head. “Thanks, hon,” he mumbled as Sia handed him his smoothie. “This is Ben Winston, the director and producer that’s working to film this whole thing.”

“We’re familiar,” Sia mumbled, glancing over at Ben as she took a sip of her own drink. The sweet strawberries and tangy kiwis suddenly tasted like ash in her mouth. She rued the day Harry Styles’ fuck up tainted every aspect of her life.

“Sia, yeh look good,” Ben acknowledged, not hesitating to pull her into a hug. Sia couldn’t help but wrap her free arm around Ben’s waist and grip onto his t-shirt. His hugs were nearly as comforting as Harry’s once were. He smelled just like he always had, and she found comfort in the slow rising and lowering of his chest as he breathed.

“How yeh doin’, Ben? How’s Mer?”

“Pregnant,” he chuckled. Sia’s face lit up with the news, congratulating him. “She’s due in December.”

“Oh, god. How excitin’!” Sia cheered, forgetting her much-wanted smoothie on the counter. She pulled Ben into another, more enthusiastic hug. “You’re gonna be a dad! Holy shit!”

She honestly couldn’t believe it, but it was something that she could see Ben was going to be good at. He’d always been the responsible, sensible—yet fun and easy-going—one in their little gaggle of friends. She could see him smashing it as a father, and she was honestly so excited for them. Meredith was going to make a great mother, as well. She’d always been one of the people Sia turned to when she needed comfort and some sound advice.

The announcement of the pregnancy also sent a twinge through Sia, but she pushed it away and focused in on her excitement instead. This was a good thing for some of the most generous, lovely people she knew in the business. They deserved the best wishes when it came to the rest of the pregnancy and their impending parenthood.

“I know, crazy, right?” Ben chuckled, returning her embrace. “Figure I’ve gotten enough practice with Harry over the last few years, though.”

The joke made Sia want to laugh and cry at the same time. There was an instant flash of nostalgia and longing for the way that her and Harry used to be. They were the couple that was always having fun and being the most true to themselves they could possibly be. Harry had always told her that she kept him grounded when it would have been so easy to let the lifestyle he found himself in carry him away and make him someone he wasn’t. But she was always there to make sure he didn’t grow up faster than necessary, and she was a lot of the reason why he was able to still be obnoxious and goofy when he was a teenager, instead of the sophisticated adult everyone always expected him to be.

“He’s definitely a handful sometimes,” Sia agreed, instead of letting herself get choked up with emotion.

Ben’s shoulders sagged a bit and his smile turned somber. “We miss you, Sia. He misses you.”

Sia’s lip curled. “He’s sure got a funny way of showin’ it. Somehow, hands on the arse and tongue in the mouth of some wannabe model don’t really scream ‘I miss yeh, Sia.’ Call me crazy.”

Ben pouted. “That’s not fair.”

“Save it, Ben,” she snapped. “He’s a grown man. He doesn’t need you or anyone else explainin’ his actions.”

Alex cleared his throat awkwardly. “I’m not sure what’s going on, really, but I just got a text from Harry saying he’s ready whenever we are.”

Both Ben and Sia sighed in unison, releasing the tension that had built around them. Leave it to Harry Styles to create an awkward standoff between his ex-girlfriend and one of the only men in his friend group that she actually liked. This was not the way she wanted this whole thing to go.

As Alex walked away, Sia turned to Ben. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at yeh. Harry’s still just a sore subject, yeh know?”

“I know, babe,” Ben agreed, reaching out to rub a comforting hand along her shoulder. “I promise not to butt in anymore. Let’s go make the lad more money, shall we?”

Sia barked out a laugh as she followed Ben into the studio.

~*~*~*~

After what everyone could deem a successful first day of recording—Sia had avoided being snippy with or yelling at Harry, and Harry didn’t address her unless absolutely necessary—, Sia crashed into bed, not to be woken until nearly eight the next morning. There was the soft sound of Fleetwood Mac coming from the kitchen, and Sia followed it out, padding with bare feet on the hardwood floors.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw Mitch standing at the stove, what smelled like eggs and sausage sizzling in a pan. There was also fresh coffee in the pot, a bottle of creamer and a jar of sugar already sat out beside it.

“Mornin’ Mitch,” Sia greeted, heading straight for the coffee.

She pulled down a mug as the man responded in kind, glancing over his shoulder at her and blushing slightly when he saw that she was only wearing very snug sleep shorts and a t-shirt that was cut down the sides, exposing part of the side of her breast. Mitch was sure the display wasn’t purposeful, but he still looked away quickly to avoid being caught staring. Both out of respect to Sia and to whatever weird relationship Harry and Sia had. He didn’t know any of the details, except for what Sia had told him about knowing Harry for awhile, and the weird dynamic they had in the studio the day before. It hadn’t hindered the recording process at all, but the tension between the two was palpable, and only Ben seemed to be privy to it. Mitch was curious, but he was never going to ask outright. He figured someone would clue him in eventually, but if not, he’d just brush aside his curiosity.

Sia took a seat at the bar stool across from where Mitch was making his breakfast. “How’s it goin’, Mitchell?” she asked, taking a sip of her coffee. “Enjoyin’ recordin’ yet?”

“I just have to play a guitar all day,” he shrugged, flipping his omelet so that it folded in half. “What’s there not to like? And everyone’s nice.”

“Well, we try,” Sia chuckled. “Don’t wanna scare away the newbies.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“I’m fresh out of uni, so only about a year. I’ve been working for Jeff since March, though. How long have yeh been playin’?”

“Pretty much since I could hold a guitar.”

And that’s how Mitch and Sia started off their friendship. They talked through Mitch giving the omelet he already made to Sia, who protested until Mitch just set it in front of her and proceeded to make another one for himself. They talked about their experiences in the music industry thus far and how they were liking it in Jamaica so far. Mitch mentioned not having been around the island much yet, and Sia offered to take him around, since she had had the extra days to explore a bit. They spent the morning joking and telling stories over their breakfasts, greeting everyone else when they woke and started filling out the house.

Harry was the last in the kitchen, but it was obvious he’d been up much longer. He looked freshly showered, and Sia was sure he’d been out for a run earlier in the morning, possibly also a work out. Harry tried to start his days off with a run and a work out. It’d been his thing since he was about eighteen years old. It was a way that he was able to keep a sort of routine while he’d travelled so much. Looks like some things never changed.

“Mornin’ everyone,” he greeted chirpily. Everyone greeted him just as happily, and Sia forced a smile on her face, more for everyone else’s sake than her own. She didn’t want anyone else to be privy to the weird tension that lingered between her and Harry. Whether or not they were aware of their past relationship—not including Ben—, none of them seemed to be the wiser about the fiery end to their relationship, and she’d like to keep it that way.

The rest of the morning goes smoothly, and they all have plans to be back in the studio by eleven, so everyone goes about their morning routines before reconvening in the studio. Ellen called Sia just a half hour before she’s due back in the studio. It was the mid-afternoon in London, so Sia wasn’t surprised by the time of the call. She was sure her friend was either on a break from work or had headed in early. She did that sometimes, seeing as her work could be done just as well at home as in the office. Being an assistant editor had its perks sometimes, she supposed.

Ellen and Sia hadn’t spoken since the day Sia had arrived on the island. Between being surprised by Harry’s appearance in her life—yet again—and being busy with the actual job she was sent there to do, she hadn’t had much time to vent to her best friend. So the call was very welcome, and she let out the biggest sigh as soon as she answered.

“El, yeh won’t believe my fuckin’ luck!” she groaned.

“Well, hello to you, too, Anastasia dear,” Ellen joked, a tutting to her voice.

“Yes, hello, Ellen love. Good afternoon.”

“Good morning. Now, tell me about your fuckin’ luck.”

“Guess who’s the mysterious artist that I’ve got to be working with for the next several weeks? And yeh can’t tell anybody when I tell yeh, ‘cause I don’t think I’m supposed to be lettin’ this out.”

“Who the fuck am I gonna tell? Dear Mrs. Jones, the seventy year old that I work for, who listens to Dolly Parton every damn minute of the day? Or my mostly male colleagues that look like they strictly listen to fifties classics or classical music?” El scoffed.

“Point taken,” Sia agreed. “Anyway! Do yeh want to know?”

“Of course I want to know, yeh donut! Tell me! I’m dying from curiosity—oi! Wanker! Fuckin’ watch where you’re goin’, will yeh? Jesus.” Sia couldn’t help but chuckle at her obvious tirade against someone that probably nearly ran into her on the sidewalk or something. “Nobody fuckin’ pays attention to pedestrians here, I swear. Anyway! Tell me, Sia!”

“It’s Harry,” Sia blurted, unable to keep it under wraps any longer. She needed her best friend to sympathize with her and to be able to vent to her and just let it all out. She’d been going a bit stir crazy having to keep all her emotions toward being around Harry to herself. While she could vent a bit to Ben, there was always the possibility that it would get back to Harry. And though Harry had to know about how she felt toward him, he didn’t need to know it in detail when they were both working towards avoiding to each other as much as possible.

“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding,” Ellen gawped. “I was just jokin’ about that. I didn’t know I was gonna jinx it!”

“I know. I couldn’t believe it, either,” Sia agreed with a deep sigh. “I came back to the house after going into town, and none other than Harry fucking Styles was stood in the living room, only in a towel, fresh from the shower!”

“He’s still attractive, isn’t he?” El cringed.

“He is! The fuckin’ wanker. Even more so since he’s all filled out from workin’ on that bloody movie. Can’t fuckin’ stand it.” Sia really was upset about how good the man looked. It was like he was trying to make her so turned on that it was upsetting her. Because despite how much animosity Sia still had toward him for what he did to her, she couldn’t deny that he was still the most attractive man she’d ever laid eyes on. That innate part of her that found Harry to be absolutely stunning paid no mind to the other part of her that rationally knew that she shouldn’t be attracted to him anymore. And that part of her was a bitch.

“How’s it goin’ so far?” Ellen asked, genuinely concerned that Sia had possibly shouted at him in front of the others already. She may dislike Harry, but she’d positively hate it if she ever embarrassed either of them in front of work associates like that.

“Alright,” Sia said, shrugging, even though El couldn’t see it. She almost wished they were FaceTiming. “He tried talkin’ to me when we first ran into each other, but I couldn’t really stand it. We’re steering clear of each other aside from when we’re workin’. It’s only day two of recordin’, so time will tell.”

“I believe in yeh,” El said with a definitive nod. “Just get through these few weeks, get your name on that album, and get the hell out of Dodge. You’ll thank yourself for it in the end.”

“I know. I’m just gonna stay out of his way as much as possible, and hopefully he extends the same courtesy from now on.”

“That’s all we can hope for. Make him a kick arse album and be done with him. I can hear how stressed out yeh are already.”

“I think I spotted a grey after my shower yesterday,” Sia joked.

“Shut up,” El laughed. “Call me tomorrow before yeh start recordin’. I expect daily updates from now on.”

“Promise. Talk to yeh later, babes.”

“Bye bye, love.”

[txladyj-blog]

Chapter 13 - This Time Around

A Daryl Dixon x OFC collaboration written by @xmistressmistrustx​ by request of @txladyj-blog​

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character

Tags: Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Awkwardness, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Crush, Fluff and Humor, Angst and Humor, Mild Smut, Strong Language, Eventual Sex, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Canon Divergence, Some Canon Scenes and Dialogue

Chapters 20/?

She could see the light of the moon reflected in his eyes as she stared at him on the porch of his house. It was the middle of the night and she should have been asleep in her fairground fortress but instead, she was standing before Daryl wishing the fury was not fixed on his face as stubbornly as it appeared. Her heart was hammering and her palms were clammy inside her gloves.

“What the hell did you just say?!” He demanded.

Her throat dried up and her words came out as a mere croak, she couldn’t speak properly, couldn’t think straight. He wasn’t asking her to repeat herself, he’d heard her perfectly well, his question was one of disbelief if anything else.

“It-it’s me…Jess.” She whispered. She slowly removed her hood and lowered her mask, finally revealing her face and stepping closer, further into the light from the living room window.

Daryl’s face only grew angrier and more twisted with hurt and betrayal and Jess felt as though her stomach were harboring bricks. She wanted to backtrack, to tell him that it was all some elaborate hoax but that would have made him equally as irate. He inched closer to her, squinting and letting his eyes drag down her body and back up to her nervous face. She swallowed hard.

“What the fuck?!” He spat “All this time…all this time?”

“Yes.” She uttered.

“How could you do this to me?” He asked quietly at first, but with every word, the volume of his voice increased as did Jess’s anxiety “Huh? You think you can just come clean n’ I’ll just forgive ya for bein’ a fuckin’ liar?! Just like that?!”

“I-”

“You bailed! You bailed on me, on all of us and now I find out you’ve been walkin’ ‘round here in this damn Halloween costume the whole time!”

Jess tried to speak, tried to reason with him and explain that she hadn’t planned any of it. She hadn’t planned to find him in the woods with follow him to Terminus, she hadn’t planned to arrange to bring them back here and she also hadn’t planned to be unable to stay away from him. She needed to keep one eye on him, because she still cared about him. So many things to say emerged at a small whimper as tears stung her eyes.

“We were ‘sposed to be friends, Jess.” He stated, now with a calmer rage than before. “But you ain’t no friend of mine. Not after ya left n’ then lied to me when we had a chance to go back to how we were.”

“You’re not innocent either.” She tried. “Please, just let me explain.” She begged.

“Ain’t nothin’ for ya to explain. When ya took me for a damn fool, ya only proved you’re more stupid than ya thought I was. Stay the hell away from me.”

With that, he flung the door open and Jess winced when it was slammed in her face, leaving her alone on the front porch. A loud sob wracked her body, her shoulders sagged and her knees gave way, her body thudding onto the wooden surface. Her hands covered her face, tears pooling around her fingers before racing down her hands, more and more of them pouring from her eyes while her mind flashed back to the Quarry. He threw her a pack of Pens from the RV. He taught her to kill a Walker. He implied her cared about her when she asked him why. With every memory came yet more salty tears and somehow, she wasn’t on the porch anymore. She was thrashing about in icy water, her arms flailing around her and trying to gain some traction to keep her head above the surface. On the shore she could see Daryl, still and watching her. Beside him were baskets of clothes for washing and beating against the rocks. There was a slope, an RV parked at the top. Her lungs filled with water when she began to tire, splutters and coughs did little to alleviate the pressure in her chest.

“D-Daryl” She gasped.

But she was sinking, the Quarry was gone and so was Daryl all that was left was the bottomless blackness and tremendous fear as the last breath of air left her lips.

* * * * * * 

Jess jolted up from her pillow, her hair stuck to her sweat covered face and her chest rising and falling rapidly. She scanned the room in a panic, her hands shooting out and grasping at the sheets either side of her legs. They were real, it was all real and she was alive. She’d been dreaming. Just a dream. Her skin was burning with the adrenaline that was charging through her veins but also from the heat of the room which was acting like an oven. She figured it was considerably later than she usually woke and the sun was much higher in the sky. She raked her fingers through her hair, removing the strands stuck to her face with perspiration.

“Oh, hot damn.” She panted “It’s hotter than a preacher’s knee in here.”

The Morning light slithered through the gaps in the boards on the windows. The sun was unforgiving from mid-morning until well into the afternoon and she preferred to have been out and well into hunting by now. If it hadn’t been for Rick’s group showing up and Daryl walking back into her life, Jess would have gone back to the boat to spend the summer there. A vacation she thought she deserved but would now not be able to take. She sat herself up in bed and picked up a knife from the wooden, vegetable crate nightstand and turned it over in her hands, admiring the glint of the metal when the sunlight hit it. The knife Daryl gave her at the quarry. The knife she used for her first Walker kill. It held so much sentiment, so many memories and with those, a sense of desperate despair for something she lost but never really had in the first place.

She hardly ever used the knife anymore. It lived in her utility belt but was rarely brought out into the light of day unless she had no other choice. She leaned across her bed, dropping it onto her pile of clothes. She would wear it that day, the same as every other. But this time it would feel like it was burning a hole in her belt. It could be the crux, the thing that could spur her on to tell Daryl the truth. Or so she hoped. But if she decided against it, she didn’t have to use it. Her dream had set her back and made her doubt her intentions. There was every possibility that Daryl would react in the worst possible way and a niggling voice at the back of her mind told her that she deserved no less, that it would be a disaster and she was better off sneaking off into the shadows and staying out of his way. In her subconscious, she clearly thought that his anger would be justified and she was on the path to losing him forever.

But the idea of telling him the truth wouldn’t leave her mind, even as she went about her morning, getting dressed and making black coffee. She needed more powdered milk. Maybe she would see Daryl if she went to the pantry, maybe she wouldn’t. Should she seek him out, or leave things to fate? Fate hadn’t always been kind to her but surely, she’d earned a break.

* * * * * 

As luck (or fate) would have it, Jess came across Daryl on her morning hunt. She caught sight of one, toned, bare arm through the trees and crept forwards until she could see him sitting on the floor with his back against a fallen trunk, a cigarette resting between his lips while his hands checked over his crossbow. It was starkly obvious he felt more comfortable outside the walls and he appeared pensive, deep in thought, maybe even sorrowful. She stepped out of her hiding place and he quickly raised his crossbow, the mechanism inside clicking with the movement. Jess held up her empty hands in surrender.

No one spoke as she stood over him but eyes were connected and she liked that he no longer become as hostile towards her, despite her sometimes standoffish attitude. She hadn’t had a weapon pointed in her direction by him for some time and concluded that was a triumph in itself. He got up and dusted his jeans down before collecting his crossbow.

“Mornin’.” he grumbled.

He shot her an uneasy look, as if he didn’t know what to say, his greeting rendered a lie by the tone of his voice. While he wasn’t hostile as such, she could tell that he was put out by her mere presence and that she still annoyed him. She gathered she’d intruded into what was his thinking time. He turned his back, dirty angel wings ready to vanish into the trees.

“Morning. How’s the hunt?” She asked.

“How’s it look to you, Robin Hood?” He snapped, stopping and standing sideways. “Every time I turn around, ya there. Can’t even think without you showin’ up. You keep to the left side; I’ll keep to the right.” He finished his cigarette and flicked it into the undergrowth.

Jess flapped her arms by her sides. It seemed on that particular morning he was still hostile and it was apparent that she could never actually be sure which Daryl she would get on any given day.

“You and Merle are two peas in a pod” She sighed under her breath as she whirled around and made tracks to the ‘left side’ of Alexandria, her ‘side’ that meant he wouldn’t have to see or speak to her while they hunted. At least she would be able to keep an eye out for Enid and maybe even Carl if he was still chasing girls through the woods. It looked as though her knife would stay in its sheath for another day, Daryl’s mood was not one she wanted to worsen and she was more than aware that her revelation might do just that.

“The hell did you just say?”

His voice shot through her head like a bullet and after an initial split second of wondering what he was referring to, her legs suddenly felt like jelly and her stomach filled with bile. It was the same question from her dream…and she had just mentioned his brother’s name. Something she never would have known if she really was a stranger to him.

SHIT.

Her eyes focused on the muddy ground before her, the faded footprints from Daryl’s boots where he’d trudged through earlier than she’d arrived. Her vision lifted to the dense trees ahead and her eyelids slowly closed. She tried to take a breath but her entire chest began to shake, the simple act of an inhalation was now ten times more difficult than usual. She was drowning, just like in her dream.

“Hey!” he shouted. “I’m talkin’ to you! How d'ya know my brother's name?!”

It wasn’t a dream. It was a premonition.

Inch by inch, her body rotated and she found herself faced with a furious and baffled expression that made her panic. He’d closed some of the distance between them, now nearer to her than she’d expected. She searched the corners of her mind to try and come up with a way to deal with the situation in the calm and collection manner she’d become accustomed to. Time passed, she didn’t know how much but Daryl was appearing increasingly annoyed at her lack of response and she concluded that ultimately, the only way out of this was to come clean and to do it with some semblance of confidence. She gradually swept her long coat to one side, revealing her knife holster on her belt. Her fingers plucked the fastening open and she took hold of the blade, flinching when Daryl’s crossbow swept up and he aimed at her head. Jess’s brain went into overdrive.

Say you just knew his brother from somewhere. No, that won’t work. He will want to know how you know it’s Merle. You can’t tell more lies. More lies mean falling deeper and deeper into this deception and it will only get worse. But he’s going to hate you. Not that he cares about you anyway. Or, does he? Do you care about him? Of course, you do, or you’d be at the boat right now. You have no choice. You’re backed into a corner. Do it. Tell him.

She held up her free hand, signaling that she meant no harm and that he should let her continue. Evidently, there was still little trust between them because Daryl lowered the weapon but didn’t disarm himself completely. His finger was still planted firmly on the trigger as he held the bow at his side.

She slid the blade from the leather and her fingers clasped the cool metal of the sharp edge. Holding it aloft, she felt her eyes begin to sting.

“Do- do you remember this?” She asked with a croak. Any attempt to appear composed and confident was fading and fast. What she felt inside was a world away from the boldness with which she wanted to present herself. Below the surface, she was a scared little girl about to confess to the biggest lie she’d ever told to a person that had become important to her regardless of him treating her heart as though it was as empty and worthless as yesterdays can of beans. Whatever her reasons for such a deception, her dream had been a warning of the chance that Daryl would never forgive her.

His brow furrowed as his eyes zoned in on the knife’s handle. He instantly recognized it. Jess could tell, it was written all over his face when it crumpled and he blinked a few times like the sight would morph and change and it’d all be a big mistake.

“I told you an old friend taught me how to fight. He meant a lot to me.” She confessed.

She reached up and pulled her mask away before pushing her hood down. The sunlight hit her hair like a heater, the rays gracing her face and lighting up her skin. It was the first time she’d revealed her true self to anyone since she’d arrived, aside from when Carl had guessed and even then, she kept her disguise in place. It had to be Daryl. He had to be the first to see the face behind the mask because she wanted him to.

She could see the penny drop as he recognized her, his body recoiling in defense and his mouth dropping open.

“Hi” She uttered. “Stinky.”

Her voice was carried on the breeze and now he could hear her as clear as the day. It was Jess’s voice. The woman stood before him wearing elaborate, modified and impressive body armor, the woman who was abrupt, harsh and unapproachable, the mystery woman that he couldn’t get out of his head… was Jess, all along. He’d thought about her every day since she left. Even all those months later she still occupied his musings and he had no idea that she was right in front of him since he left Terminus.

“J-Jess?” He croaked

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Fuck.” He spat upon the exhalation of a breath of disbelief “Fuck.”

Jess swallowed hard when it occurred to her that his reaction was the one that she’d expected the least. She re-holstered the knife that had started it all. The first weapon she’d acquired in the apocalypse and the one that got her through the woods and on her way to her city apartment. The knife he’d given her and made her keep. He blinked rapidly through bloodshot eyes and began to scan the ground, stepping one way, then the other before stopping altogether. Jess held her breath.

Oh, lord.

He ran at her, crashing into her body and forcing her to take a stabilizing step back. A cloud of dust kicked up from the ground where his boots had skidded along the dirt. She thought she felt the exact moment when her heart snapped into two, useless pieces; it was when he whimpered against her shoulder and held onto her so tightly it was as if he was convinced that she would dissipate into nothing in his arms. Initially, she froze and her whole body turned to stone. But the more he clung to her the more her arms lifted slowly and she wrapped her fingers around his shoulder and bicep. Touching him for the first time.

“I thought…” she heard him breathe jaggedly “… thought you were dead”

Unable to speak, she said nothing but felt everything so vividly, the guilt was choking her. She closed her eyes, pushing tears from under the lids. They streamed down her face. She kept telling herself that he led her on and hurt her and that he was lying to her the whole time at the quarry, but it did nothing to quell the biting regret she endured for leaving it this long to reveal who she was.

“Ohmygod” he rasped into the shoulder of her coat. His grip on her was so tight she could feel the desperation seeping from his body into hers.

His fingers were holding her hair in a fist where it pooled in her hood and he was doing the same with a handful of fabric from the back of her coat with his other hand. He had her in a vice like, white knuckle grasp and in that moment, she didn’t want to be anywhere else.

He dropped his arms, lifting his head and looked right at her, tears staining his own cheeks as he furiously bit down on his lower lip. She heard his breath catch in his throat and he stepped back, then forward again and rested his head on her shoulder. She reached up, threading her hands into his hair on either side of his head as she watched his body convulse with each breath. She had never touched him this much before, never felt his arms around her and never been able to get so close. It didn’t feel alien, like it was an out of place or new experience. It felt right. As if it was the right thing to do.

Suddenly he tore away from her, wiping at his eyes with the backs of his hands. Seeing him cry was like taking a razor to her own throat, unbearable guilt and pain raged in her chest.

Stop crying. Please. I wasn’t expecting this. I can’t take it.

His back was facing her and she quickly rid her face of her own tears with the back of her glove. She waited without a word for him to pull himself together, because as something clicked in her head, she realized she knew exactly what he was doing. She prepared herself for the point where relief turned to rage.

“You been lyin’ to me all this time” she heard him mumble before he tilted his head to the sun, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “So, you just bail with no goodbye, then show up over a year later with this cloak n’ dagger shit n’ ya don’t think that maybe I’d wanna know it was you?!”

“I’m telling you now.” She uttered.

“I been here for six fuckin’ weeks, Jess!” He shouted, whirling around and glaring at her with a fury she had anticipated with dread. Jess wasn’t even worried about the potential danger from nearby Walkers attracted to the noise, figuring that Daryl would probably welcome it as a way of venting some of his frustration. She could also use an outlet of some kind. “You been talkin’ to me as if ya don’t even know me! You think I’m some kinda fuckin’ idiot?! Huh?!” He yelled.

“No” she shook her head. “That’s not what-”

“-Ya owe me an explanation here, this is fucked, Jess. It’s fucked!”

“I don’t owe you shit” she hissed out of nowhere. Her own anger was now presenting itself and her defenses were well and truly up. In her dream, she’d done nothing but let him vent in front of her as the Quarry camp Jess would have done. But she’d changed, evolved and built herself up along with constructing her own kingdom and methods of surviving.  

Daryl scoffed and shook his head at her, unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing. The sweet girl from the quarry camp was right there in front of him. The girl he’d thought about every day since she left. The girl he tried to find on two occasions. She was there, only she wasn’t. Not really.

“Who the hell are you? You ain’t the Jess I used to know” he spat.

“I guess all the bullshit just made me stronger.” She mumbled, the confidence she’d tried to display at the start now creeping back. “I didn’t mean to deceive you like I did.” She began to move off, away from him, mapping her escape. “I’d appreciate it if you let me tell the others, in my own time”  

“Fine. I’ll keep your secret. But I deserve to know what the hell happened with us n’ why ya just left me” He demanded.

Jess raised both eyebrows and blinked slowly at the prospect of explaining everything to him. Figuring that if he didn’t already know what he’d done, she wasn’t about to spell it out to him.

“There was no ‘us’ and I didn’t leave you, there was nothing for me to leave.” She reminded him.

“We were ‘sposed to be friends.” He pointed out

“No, we weren’t.” came her stern correction.

She swiped at another stray tear, lifted her hood and mask and removed herself from the situation, leaving Daryl with his rage in the woods.

He didn’t return to Alexandria until dusk that day, staying out in the wilderness to gather his thoughts which were marred with questions and confusion. He couldn’t make sense of any of it. She was the only person that he ever felt a connection to, he still didn’t know the reason why but the fact that she’d been running through his mind for so long, even during her absence proved that she meant something to him. Now, she was different. Her eyes were the same and so was her voice but her body had changed, she was stronger, leaner, more agile. He wondered when her soul had changed, why he was no longer important to her. If he even mattered to her in the first place.

* * * * * 

When the sun was going down, a single flare floated up into the sky, leaving a thin trail of red smoke behind it. Jess heard the crack from inside her diner abode where she had spent the day raging at herself for being unable to stop crying and thinking of nothing but Daryl. How she’d hurt him. How he’d hurt her. She supposed they were even, if it worked that way. She didn’t want to think about how stoic she’d have to seem when she next saw him, especially if it involved other people.

The noise startled her. Loud, almost like a gunshot but right above the building. She checked through the gap between the board and window frame, nothing. A regular, early evening rustling of the trees and a darkening of the woods beyond the fairground. She padded across the room, her bare feet sinking into the thick rug and unlatched the many locks on the door. She ducked her head out of the doorway, squinting up at the sky.

What the hell is…?

Her shoulders tensed and she breathed a deep breath. Alexandria was in trouble.

It wasn’t until the carnage was over that Jess found out what happened behind the walls. Someone had died in their home, turned and managed to break free, infecting everyone they came across and spreading death faster than anyone could have predicted.

Barreling through the gates, she took in the scene before her. To her left, Deanna and some of Rick’s group were ushering the townsfolk into the church to keep them together and safe. People were screaming and crying, holding onto their families tightly and shielding their eyes from the dead people wandering the street. To her right, Abraham was slashing his way through three Walkers with nothing but a metal pipe and a cigar clenched between his teeth. Ahead of her, Rick and Michonne were working together to kill everything dead that emerged from between the houses. Glenn was behind them, tackling his own assailant. At the opposite end of the street, Jess could see Carol, checking the houses for anyone hiding and shining a flashlight through windows. She sprinted ahead, passing Rick and giving him a quick nod with her bow aimed and ready in her hands. She slowed and took heed of the numbers around her. Three with Abraham, three emerging from each side with Michonne and Rick, one with Glenn, none with Carol. Deciding to sweep the perimeter, she ducked down a walkway at the side of Ricks home. Wishing the light was better, she crept along in pursuit of a snarling noise and when the smell hit her, her throat tensed. It was close. She backed against the house, edging closer to the corner where the Walker was dwelling. As she flung herself around the corner and went to release her arrow, she was beaten to it by a bolt flying in her direction. It hit the dead female with a splat and floored her instantly.

Daryl was striding at her, grabbing her arm and bundling her back around the corner. His fingers dug into her arm which would have caused a certain amount of pain had she not been clad in Kevlar.

“You OK?” He asked.

“I’m fine. I just got here. How many more are there?” She said, peering up at him in the shadows over her mask.

“You shouldn’t be here. Go stay with the others in the church.” He ordered, quickly craning his neck around the corner of the building and checking the coast was clear.

“Oh. I see. Now you know who I am, I must need saving. Just like before.” She remarked.

“What? No. It’s just…we got this. You don’t need to be here.” He reasoned.

Jess stared at him, unable to fathom how she automatically had to be vulnerable and in peril because she was the fat nerd from the quarry camp. He’d seen her fight, he’d seen the change in her, yet he had dropped into protective mode nevertheless.

“How noble of you. Protecting the poor, incapable nerd.” She spat.

“What?” He asked. Not only because he didn’t hear her, but also because his attention wasn’t on her, it was on Carol, Rick and Michonne in the street, putting down the last of the Walkers.

“You didn’t hear me? I said fuck you.” Jess proclaimed. She ripped her arm from his grip before charging off and following the dark path around the wall.

Having to stop and calm herself after her confrontation with Daryl, she sank against the side of Deanna’s house and tilted her head up to the sky, closing her eyes and attempting to regain some control over her breathing. She knew she’d overreacted as soon as her heart rate began to settle and her body loosened up. But she still couldn’t believe how he’d jumped straight into protective mode when he’d seen, first hand how she could handle herself. It was like he still saw her as the old Jess. The ‘Little, fat chick’ as Merle had named her.

She was shoved off balance, saved only by her leg stomping on the grass and preventing her from plummeting to the floor. Hands grappled with her body, clawing feverishly with bloodied teeth gnashing at her throat. Her hands quickly raised, grabbing the dead man’s throat and pushing him back with all her might but the warmth in his skin told her he was recently deceased and therefore, stronger than some of the other Walkers. She recognized the crazed face and the cloudy eyes that gawped at her with such hunger. It was the man that lived next door to Aaron and Eric. He had two teenage sons. Having to think quickly, she heaved at his throat with all her might, letting out a loud grunt. He stumbled back long enough for her to snatch the knife Daryl gave her from her belt and slam it into his temple. The noise was sickening, an almighty crack that echoed from the towns walls and the side of the house. The man slumped forwards, pinning her to the wooden slats of the wall and dribbling blood down her clothes. But Jess didn’t care, she tugged the knife out and stayed there with the Walker laying on her, her knife at her side, pooling blood on the floor while her chest rose and fell and her forehead glistened with sweat.

When Alexandria finally became quiet again and Rick was sure there were no stragglers, he re-grouped everyone outside his house. Daryl stood beside Carol and flickered his eyes up to where Jess stood, thinking she wouldn’t notice his subtle observations. But she felt every glimpse like it was a sledgehammer. She knew he’d picked up on the blood on her clothes and hands due to a lack of gloves. Jess remained indifferent and on the sidelines, she was neither a part of Rick’s group or Alexandria’s. She marched to her own band now but decided to stick around and see if she could be of any more help.

Surprising everyone by not being present in the church with everyone else, Carl ran up to his father from inside the house and flung his arms around him. Jess wondered how Rick kept his temper with such a spirited and adventurous son to keep safe as well as a baby.

First I find him outside the walls and now he’s not even in the church. Like hollerin' down a well telling this kid what to do. Jess thought.

“I’ve asked Deanna to keep everyone on lockdown until we can move some of the bodies.” Rick announced after briefly scolding his son for disobeying him.

Carl caught Jess’s eye and mouthed something to her. She knew what it was, there was no mistaking it. 

‘Tell them. Please.’

Keeping up an act was already becoming exhausting and emotionally taxing and that was without Carl’s stubborn streak. Daryl also knew now and that meant her anonymous days were numbered. She hated the thought of no longer being a silhouette without an identity, it was what had kept her alive for so long and allowed her to throw away her old misgivings and fears and become a survivor. She could stitch her own wounds and alone, by herself and in the kingdom she created for herself.

The universe had a funny way of putting things in her path. First, it was dead people that got back up again. Then, it was Daryl. After that, it was the desire and drive to be alone and work hard to better herself. Alexandria was next and it paved the way to her letting a select few people back into her cold and lonely life. Daryl appeared again after that and it just had to mean something. But he’d not shown up alone. The group of people around her turned up again too. Some of them were gone, replaced by new people but every one of them was undoubtedly loyal to the core.

Daryl agreed to keep her secret, to let her carry on living as she was. But he was right, she’d lied to him and after over a year of being alone, she knew she was no longer going to be able to deliver the apology he deserved. Instead, she would cease trying to say the words and use her actions to free him from the constraints of secrets and lies.

Her gaze lingered on Carl’s pleading face and try as she might, she could not ignore him.

She said nothing as she pulled her mask from her face and pushed her hood back.

Daryl was the first to notice her during one of his secret glances. He did a double take and realized that she wasn’t going to make him bear the burden of keeping such a huge secret from the people he cared about. Everyone was about to find out the truth and she felt her stomach grow heavy when he shoots her the most heartbreaking, confused and relieved look. She didn’t know if she could take seeing him cry again and so, hoped with everything she had that he would not do so in front of everyone else.

I wish you never left.

Carol’s eyes swept around the group, eventually landing on Jess. For a moment, she blinked and leaned to the side for a better view before her eyes grew wide and her hands flew up to her face.

“No…it can’t be.” She gasped

Faces turned to her, all of them, all at once. She felt like she was on a stage under spotlights, totally naked and being made to sing the national anthem. Not a shadow any longer, her name was being muttered between everyone.

“Jess?! Is that you?” Carol asked.

“Hi Carol.” Jess whispered.

“Oh my god!” She cried, slapping Daryl’s arm. “Daryl, It’s Jess!”

Daryl’s head was low, his eyes moving from the floor to her face intermittently. His expression was downcast but she could see a glimmer of gratitude when he looked at her.

“I know” He mumbled.

“Wait, you know?” Carol questioned.

“Found out this mornin’.” He told her.

Carol set off, weaving around Michonne and Rick, gently placing her hands on either side of Jess’s face. Her skin burned from the touch as if she was a demon being held by a priest. Physical contact was not something she was used to and she was still reeling from Daryl’s desperate and intense hug in the woods from hours before.

“Oh, Jess.” Carol says “look at you, you’re so different. So…so different.”

Jess didn’t speak, offering only a small smile before she shied away and stepped out of Carol’s embrace. Rick slowly walked around them, rubbing his chin and staring at her in disbelief.

“Hi, Sheriff.” She smiled at him.

“It was you, you helped us get out of Terminus. Helped with the dogs on the road. Got Aaron to bring us here?” He asked.

Jess nodded still feeling like a performing monkey and wanting to shrink away into the darkness and run back to her solitary home at the fairground. But she couldn’t get away, especially when Rick wrapped her in his arms, kissed the top of her head and held her there. She wanted to scream at the contact but appreciated his reason for doing so.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” He uttered before releasing her. “My son, my daughter, all of us. We’re safer because of you.” She could feel her cheeks still burning and wondered if she was blushing or just extremely uncomfortable.

“I couldn’t just leave y’all out there.” She mumbled quietly.

The others presented their own greetings but kept their distance, having never met her officially before and Jess was grateful that she didn’t have to hug anyone else. Everyone swapped glances and Carol took a quick look over her shoulder at Daryl, who was looking at Jess with glassy eyes. He swiped at his nose with the back of his hand and turned on his heels, crashing into the house behind them and slamming the door in a mirror image of his exit in her dream.

“Where have you been?” Glenn wanted to know.

“Around.” She replied, her eyes briefly registering Carl, who was beaming at her from the steps of the front porch. Rick followed her gaze, noting the unsaid message that had passed between them.

Are you satisfied now, kid?!

“Did you know about this?” Rick asked Carl.

Carl shrugged “maybe.”

“Um…” Jess began after clearing her throat. “It wasn’t my intention to deceive anyone. I just want to be left alone. Regardless of how we know each other, the same rule applies. No one is to go near my property without my permission.” She said to Rick, who by now was hanging on every word and was totally shocked at the change in her. “If there’s any more trouble, you can signal me with a flare, just like tonight. They’re kept in the armory. Aside from that, I’d appreciate it if you all just… kept your distance and refrained from discussing my true identity with anyone else. The people here don’t know my name, where I’m from or anything about me. I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Of course.” Rick agreed. “Thank you for your help tonight.”

“No problem. I’ll come back in the morning and help get rid of the bodies. Looks like hell with everyone out to lunch in here” She said, motioning to two lifeless Walkers at the side of the road. Then, she calmly walked away, raising her hood again and positioning her mask over her mouth.

* * * * * 

Inside the house, Carol found Daryl in the kitchen, braced against the kitchen counter at the sink with his head low and his hair obscuring his face. She sighed at the sight. Daryl rarely opened up to anyone and when he did, it was always her, the two of them having shared similar backgrounds and understanding what it was like to fight, even before the world went away. Carol understood his inner conflict like no one else and as a result, knew how to handle him when he was showing signs of lashing out or distancing himself from everyone.

His hasty and dramatic departure had been witnessed by the rest of the group and they all knew without having to be told that Carol would be the one to deal with the simmering archer. She moved further into the room, taking a glass from the cupboard and approaching him, reaching around him to access the tap. He moved off like an angry animal that was being disturbed in its lair. Carol filled the glass and brought it to her lips, grateful for the luxury of having running water after such a chaotic evening.  She could see he was reeling despite already having found out about Jess that morning. She observed him wander the length of the kitchen island before he stopped and met her eye. She offered him a sympathetic look.

“Quite the bombshell.” She pointed out.

“Yep.” He grunted, crossing his big arms over his chest.

“Especially for you. Are you alright? She wanted to know.

He didn’t know the answer to her question. He wasn’t sure if he was ‘alright’ or not. His head was still spinning and his chest was still tight, the confusion was still present and only worsened by her decision to tell the others the truth. He expected to have to carry the burden of such a huge secret for much longer and on the one hand he was grateful to her for him not having to endure it. But, on the other, he was furious at being lied to.

“I dunno.” He admitted honestly.

Carol took another sip from her glass and climbed up onto a stool at the island. She delicately placed the glass on the surface and kept her fingertips poised around it.

“Talk to me. Tell me how you feel.” She urged with the knowledge that unless she asked him directly, he was unlikely to disclose much at all. Since the beginning, there was no doubt that he was more forthcoming with his feelings, but he was still very much a closed book and unless he was encouraged in the right way, he would only retreat into himself until he boiled over at someone unsuspecting and undeserving.

“I’m pissed. I’m real fuckin’ pissed.” He confessed.

To her surprise, he also settled on a stool opposite her and leaned his elbows on the marble countertop with his hands clasped together. It was almost like he was telling her that he didn’t want to discuss it, but he needed to.

“Understandable.” She replied.

“But I’m happy she’s alive.” He continued “Seein’ her again…the way she is. It’s weird. She ain’t the same.”

Carol half smiled at his obvious observation of Jess’s evolution and his complete ignorance of his own. He had matured, developed a better handle on his temper, used his logic and intuition to help Rick make some tough decisions and earned the respect and trust of everyone in the group. She was proud of his journey and wished he could see it as she did.

“Neither are you. Neither are any of us.” She reminded him.

“You saw her.” He argued with the flick of one hand “She’s got Jess’s face but that’s it.”

“You don’t know that, Daryl. She’s protecting herself. She’s been doing that for a long time without us now. She might come around if you talk to her.” She suggested with a strong desire to see him try and build a bridge between them. It was no secret that he was devastated when Jess left the Quarry, his pain and determination to find her was plain for all to see and if there was even just a small chance that they could mend their tattered friendships, then she thought it was well worth it.

“Doubt it. She fuckin’ hates me” He scoffed.

“What? I’m sure that’s not true.” She expressed

“She lied to me for weeks, Carol. Weeks. She could have told me who she was. Instead, she acted like I was some stranger.”

His behavior was now considerably more subdued and his aggression was now translating to a sadness that Carol couldn’t stand to see. During a long pause in conversation which was more a chance for the both of them to collect their thoughts than anything else, Carol remembered the incident in the woods when Jess found herself at the end of a gun held by Daryl.

“No wonder she was so calm when you pointed that gun at her.” She mentioned.

“What d’ya mean?”

“She knows you. She knew you wouldn’t just shoot her like that. Not without a reason.” She concluded.

Daryl reached into his jeans pocket and retrieved his lighter. It clicked and clinked as he turned it over between his fingers, lighting it over and over as he attempted to clear his head. Carol watched on, growing slightly concerned when he began to run his fingers through the flames and letting them linger there a little too long.

“Daryl” She scolded lightly. His eyes shot up to hers and he flicked the lighter closed, enclosing it in his fist.

“Wish she never left” He muttered.

Carol proceeded with caution, now he was really talking and such an event couldn’t be forced or it would never present itself again. The conversation would be over and any chance she had at getting him to expel his real feelings would be long gone.

“Daryl, you know better than most that in his world, we adapt or we die. You and I adapted. Jess adapted, very well by what I can see. Give it time. Be patient. What is it that you want to say to her? What do you want her to know?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged.

“I do.” She smiled bravely, all the while hoping deep down that he would trust her enough to answer her. He peered at her through his hair, his eyes questioning exactly what she thought she knew, but she kept quiet and patiently sipped her drink.

“I dunno if I did somethin’…or didn't do somethin’ when I was ‘sposed to” He said, his voice barely a whisper. When she looked back at him, his eyes were cast down at the countertop between his forearms. “Liked havin’ her around, y’know? She just…made stuff easier. I aint no idiot, I know I was a shitty friend. But I thought about her every day since she bailed.”

There it was, what Carol had been waiting for. It wasn’t the precise words she knew he really meant, but it was as close as he was going to get and she had enough to work with.

“That girl meant something to you. We all saw how badly you took it when she left. You could have died looking for her. I might even be as bold as to suggest that you had feelings for her. Feelings that went beyond friendship and you just didn’t know it at the time. I think…” She trailed off, gauging his reaction which so far, was still collected and subdued. “…I think you should tell her that you missed her.”

“That ain’t gonna happen.” He quickly dismissed. A feat too tall for his withdrawn and quiet personality.

“It will. Like I said, give it time.” She remarked with a knowing smile. As he observed her confidence in her beliefs, the corner of his mouth quirked up at the thought of her always being right and how she reveled in it.

“Whatever.”

* * * * * 

Jess made herself scarce from Alexandria for the next two days after offering to fetch some supplies from the nearest town which boasted a large gardening store. She borrowed a truck and found that once she’d filled it with everything on Deanna's list, she had little desire to return anytime soon. She settled down on a luxurious, swinging chair with deep padding and enough room for her to stretch her legs and gently swayed from side to side, watching the high, industrial ceiling swing from left to right. Aside from two Walkers outside in the lot, the entire store was empty and the silence was only broken by the subtle squeak of the chair’s hinges.

The group knowing who she was did nothing to calm the rampant inferno of confusion that seemed to grow with each though of Daryl that passed through her mind and she was still conflicted, torn between hearing his side and ignoring him altogether. The look in his eyes, his intense embrace and the soul shattering whimper against her shoulder was urging her to try talking to him, but she didn’t know if there was a point or if she would ever be able to forgive him for proving her insecurities to be correct. She wasn’t anything to anyone, she was just a girl.

It was dark when she woke, her bones weary with the heaviness of sleeping during the day. She groaned and rubbed her eyes as she sat up. Her backpack contained items she wouldn’t be without no matter what the circumstances, one of those items was a flashlight. She quickly found it in the pitch-black bag and clicked it on, shining it around her, over the shelves and into the gaps between aisles. Luckily, she still appeared to be alone.

She got to her feet, flung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the smashed bottom pane in the main door. Ducking outside into the lot, she noticed the numbers of walkers had increased to around a dozen. She stilled before any of them saw her and slowly crept towards the waiting truck which was around 500 yards to her left.

Walkers acted like dominoes, when one noticed movement the rest tended to follow with a knock-on effect that could be catastrophic. The nearest walker to Jess, only a few feet away reached out and took hold of her backpack, slinging her backwards and colliding her with the asphalt. Her flashlight skittered over the ground and adrenaline shot through her. She quickly grabbed her knife from her belt as the Walker loomed over her, blobs of sticky, lumpy blood precariously hanging from its festering mouth like fruit from a tree. One of which dropped with a splat onto her forehead. She jabbed the blade at the Walkers head only to find that it appeared to dodge out of the way. It’s growls and bubbling throat and chest made her stomach flip and she rolled over, breaking free of its bony fingers on her shoulder and managing to scurry up onto one knee. It surged at her, snapping its jaws and dislodging a front tooth which rolled out and tinkled on the ground beside Jess’s knee.

“Ew” she breathed as she readied her knife again. With all her might she plunged the blade into its skull, surprised at how spongy it was. This one had to have been dead for a while, the longer they wandered around as corpses, the softer their bones became until eventually their limbs gave out and they had no choice but to crawl. The Walker dropped to reveal five more that were closing in on her. She scrambled backwards, the heels of her boots propelling her across two spaces of the lot.

Shit. Ohshitohshitohshit.

She leapt up and scooped up her flashlight just in time to avoid the grasp of more undead fingers while she dashed to the truck, throwing open the door and climbing inside, finally able to put a barrier between her and the Dead ones.

Jess could handle herself but being in such close proximity to walking mounds of rotten flesh still gave her chills. Especially when she considered that they used to be just like her. With working lungs and hearts and brains. With families and friends and lovers. Ok, maybe not exactly like her but five out of six wasn’t bad. It was sad, but it also made her nauseous and she was certain that if she was ever cursed with the trauma of being bitten, she would sooner shoot herself in the head than become one of them.

She started the truck to the sound of the Walkers hammering on the glass and groaning at her. She put the vehicle in gear, flipped them the bird and raced off into the night.

* * * * * 

Not a lot of things were convenient in the apocalypse. Food was scarce, as were weapons, ammo and medicine. The seasons were harsh and Walkers roamed all of the potentially fruitful spots for supplies. Humans were becoming more depraved and even more dangerous than the dead and those that failed to evolve with the harsh changes of the world, perished. No, nothing was convenient, except Daryl being on gate duty just as Jess rolled through in her truck filled with gardening supplies.

Two days had passed and he’d not seen a hint of her since she’d revealed her identity to the group. Carol’s words stayed with him, her suggestion that he should try and talk to her, give it time and she might come around. He was mad at her, there was no question about that. But, more than anything, he just wanted some answers.

He closed the gate behind her as she climbed from the truck, her mask and hood were up but he could make out blood smeared on her face and his chest swelled with concern. Now he knew who she was, he couldn’t help but care no matter how much he didn’t want to.

“Hey.” He called out as he approached her. She leaned against the closed door of the truck and fiddled with her gloves, tugging them off and stuffing them in her pocket. He noticed in the light of the solar bulbs that lined the street that the knife he’d given her was also coated in dark blood and had stained her tight, faded, black jeans. She looked up at him over her hood, her blue eyes meeting his. “Y’alright?” He asked as he motioned to the smeared blood on her forehead.

“Yeah. Just Walkers.” She dismissed casually.

He nodded, temporarily glancing at the ground while he thought out how out of the blue his questions might sound. But she was there, in front of him in the middle of the night with no one else around. If he was going to ask, now was as good a time as any.

“Where ya been, Jess?”

“At the Garden store a few miles west.” She mumbled back. He didn’t notice until he raised his vision but she was checking over a list in her hand.

“I mean before. When ya bailed.” He corrected.

Jess’s eyes lifted and she side glanced at him, looking him up and down and wondering why he’d decided to ask her such questions there and then.

“Around” she replied, the same, standard answer she’d offered the others. She pushed herself from the trucks door and wandered around the side, rummaging through the full flatbed and checking things against the list.

“Why won’t ya talk to me? Ain’t seen ya in, what…over a year?” He asked sadly. His voice sent guilt through her heart like a spear and she fought not to cry again.

“Eighteen months” she corrected. “And I don’t know what you want me to say.” She turned to head back to the truck cab but he stepped in, blocking her path. She huffed in irritation and stared at the toes of her boots.

“Get out of my way.” She uttered.

“Take the mask off.” He requested. “Please.”

“No.” She refused.

“Ain’t nobody here. Just you n’ me. Take the mask off. Just for a minute.”

He needed to see her, needed to be able to see that it really was Jess he was talking to because everything about her screamed that she’d discarded her old life and personality entirely. Little did he know that she was still there, deep down, terrified of exposure and rejection. She agreed that he deserved an explanation, she just wasn’t sure if she was up to offering one at that point. She needed space and time to think things over and decide what she wanted. Being forced to communicate was only making her more anxious. But what she could do, was afford him this one small request. She moved her mask down to her neck and peered up at him. His face seemed to soften at the sight of her own and she saw his shoulders drop.

“Why’d you go?” He croaked.

It was akin to the moment he’d whimpered against her shoulder. Emotional, sincere and hurt. She wasn’t expecting it and it hit her like a train. She needed to leave before she broke down and she resented him for it. For a year and a half she’d learned to stop crying, that crying got a person nowhere when she had no choice but to suck it up and carry on and in the last week all she’d done was cry. That was Daryl’s fault.

“I can’t talk about this right now.” She whispered.

“But you will, right?” He asked

“I don’t know.” She pulled her mask back up. “Please, step aside.”

“Jess-“

“-Get out of my fucking way.” She spat, her eyes filling with anger.

Shocked and frustrated, he simply moved to one side and let her storm past him and get back into the truck where she held back tears until she was far enough along the road and around a corner to let them escape.

* * * * * 

When morning came around once more, Jess walked through the gate carrying a plethora of small animals and the key for the truck she’d borrowed the day before. After dropping the animals off at the pantry, she made tracks to Deanna's front steps where, to her surprise she found Carol sitting at the porch table with a plate of cookies on the surface in front of her. Jess paused when she noticed her, mid way up the steps and awkwardly positioned before she carried on and slowed when she reached the door. Carol’s face was displaying a bright smile as she slid the plate from the table and held it out.

“Cookie?”

Jess hadn’t seen a decent looking cookie in a very long time and her stomach, although reasonably full from breakfast, vibrated slightly at the thought. She almost accepted before she remembered that enjoying that simple pleasure would mean removal of her mask and the potential for passers by to see her.

Clever. She thought. But not clever enough.

“No, thank you.” She politely declined. “What are you doing here?”

“Just got out of a very nice meeting with Deanna. She told me to come and go as I please, so I’m doing just that. Care to join me?” She said breezily.

Her manner was a little too happy for Jess’s liking and she immediately became suspicious of some kind of trap.

“I can’t. I have shit to-“

“Oh, just sit down, Jessica.” Carol scolded through her teeth.

Feeling like a child that had thrown a tantrum and been told off using her full first name, Jess sheepishly sank down into a chair. Even though curiosity had killed the cat, it had got the better of her this time. Across the street, Daryl approached Rick who was busy hauling fertilizer around the vegetable patch. Jess looked up and clocked his presence, quickly diverting her eyes and licking her lips at the plate of cookies instead. They appeared tinted red and purple and she wondered what could possibly be in them to turn them that color. Berries of some kind?

Cherry, maybe? Mmm, Cherries.

“He said you won’t talk to him.” Carol blurted out but with a quiet confidence that snapped Jess out of her food daydream.

OK, we’re really going to sit here and talk about this?!

“I don’t have anything to say to him.” She retorted.

“Jess, you were best friends.” Carol reminded her which only served to prod at her temper and she sprang up from her seat, slapping a hand on the glass tabletop.

“Were we?!” She hissed, “Where was he when I needed him? Hmm?”

Carol was taken aback but such an aggressive turn in Jess, but wasn’t afraid. She’d evolved just as much as the woman before her and was sure that if pushed she could be just as cold and distant herself.

“He’s different now. Just like you. It’s like he was a child before… now, he’s a man.” She noticed Jess glance over her shoulder at Daryl, who was now helping rick by carrying a heavy bag of soil over his shoulder. When she moved her gaze back to the porch, her eyes fell back onto the table and to the plate of cookies. “Give him a chance. You’ll see he’s changed. Please.” Carol added.

“It’s complicated. You don’t know anything about it. I appreciate what you’re trying to do but you’re wasting your time. It’s not just black and white and I’ve worked hard to keep my life as simple and pain free as possible and what have you put in those cookies to make them go that color?”

Carol was confused, her train of thought thrown off with Jess’s bizarre question.

“Uh… beets.” She stammered.

“Huh. Beets. Right.” Jess replied. She reached out, took a cookie and in a split second she had vanished into Deanna's house.  

Standing in the empty hallway with her back to the front door, she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She knew in her heart that she had to face him at some point. They were practically neighbors with her fairground abode less than a mile away and their similar skills meaning they were bound to be put together for hunting, supply runs and the like by Deanna. Jess didn’t really know what to do past hiding in her home and burying her head in the sand, but she was smart enough to accept that civility might be the least that could be expected of her. She had no plans to pick up a friendship ever again, her solitary lifestyle proving more than ideal both for her physical safety and her emotional stability. But the sting of loneliness succeeded in distracting her during dark, cold nights and every single time she thought of Daryl. Maybe if she just spoke to him and tried to clear the air, things would be easier overall.

* * * * * 

Daryl had just passed Judith back to her father after a brief spell of her sitting on his knee and looking utterly compelled by everything he said to her. He told her about his first truck, how his brother had taught him to fish and drink shooters for hours in bars. He told her that one day, if Rick would let him, he’d teach her to fish too. He figured that hunting information was a little too much for a soul so young and figured he would leave it until she was at least old enough to hold a crossbow without falling over before he taught her how to kill a deer.

It was becoming a nightly habit. He would sit quietly with Judith and think about the day. Sometimes he’d read to her, sometimes he’d just talk quietly. He knew it was more than he would ever say to any adults, but Judith didn’t judge or answer back. She listened with such interest that he sometimes wondered if she would remember what he told her when she grew up. He liked having a kid around. Carl was getting older and more independent, thinking he knew everything yet still being vulnerable enough to need looking after. He was at an age where he could easily repeat things he heard, but Judith didn’t.

He lit a cigarette and reclined in the squeaky chair and watched the smoke expelled from his lungs billowing up into the night. The stars were out, bright and twinkling. If it wasn’t for the snarling beyond the walls from the nightly encroachment of Walkers, it would have been a peaceful and visually appealing night.

He was halfway through his smoke when movement in the night caught his eye and he did a double take at Jess, who stood at the bottom of the porch stairs with her hood and mask up. Her eyes glistened under the light of the single bulb which flowed above the door. She seemed to manifest out of nowhere and by that point, he’d figured that it was one of her most honed skills. She was silent as the night, until she wasn’t and that was only when it suited her.

“Hi” She said quietly at the same time as fiddling with her fingers and dropping her gaze.

“Hey.” He grunted.

Daryl wondered what she was even doing in the same proximity as him, but he wasn’t about to ask. He considered Carol’s advice once more and decided he may as well give in to his curiosity and see what she was doing at the foot of the steps to his house after dark.

“Do you have a minute?” She asked.

“What’s it look like?” He snapped without thinking. When the words left his lips, he immediately regretted the tone, hearing it laced with anger and bitterness. “I mean, I ain’t exactly busy. Have a seat.” He corrected his inconvenienced emphasis and nudged his head up at the empty seat across the table from him.

She hesitated, one foot on a journey to accept his invitation and the other rooted to the ground. Telling herself she wouldn’t have to stay long anyway, she accepted and slipped into the seat.

“There’s something I should tell you.” She started. His eyes lifted from the now almost finished cigarette between his fingers. “I found Merle in Atlanta.”

He glared at her. She wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. His brother told him where she was. His message through Michonne urged Daryl to go to the City and find Jess. It said more than that too, but he was not about to let on that Merle had given away anything other than her location.

“I know.” He responded bluntly.

“He found you,” she stated with a nod of understanding.

“Yeah. He found me.” He echoed.

Merle obvious absence spoke volumes, as did Daryl’s downcast expression at the mere mention of his brother’s name. He wasn’t there for the same reason some of the others from the Quarry were absent.

“I’m sorry, about whatever happened to him.” She offered sincerely.

“Don’t be. Ain't your fault” he told her. He stubbed out his smoke in a glass dish in the centre of the table. His snappy demeanour apparently vanishing as fast as the smoke in the air.

She felt the need to explain how she’d found him, for some reason thinking that information volunteered would somehow make things easier for him. It was still there, she still cared about him.

“I found him in a camping store in the city. Almost bled out. Delirious.” She began “Took him in and stitched him up. He always said he would leave when he could, to find you. He wasn’t the best house guest and he certainly had no manners.”

He raised an eyebrow before sucking his bottom lip into his mouth and nibbling on it.

“Ya didn’t have to help him.”

“Couldn’t just walk away and let him die.” She admitted. “I knew how much he meant to you.”

The last part of her sentence was unintentional and she’d aimed to think it instead of actually say it. But there it was, as plain as day. If he didn’t know she cared about him before, he certainly did now.

“Thank you” He expressed as he tried to make eye contact. Jess avoided his attempt and swallowed hard, staring down into her lap.

“No problem.” She whispered.

A long silence proceeded to engulf them both in an almost unbearable awkwardness that felt like a lifetime when it was merely a few minutes. Jess remembered the days when they could sit side by side in quiet understanding without having to fill the gaps with unnecessary chit chat. So unbearable was it that Jess was seconds away from springing up from her seat and leaving.  

“He told me where to find ya.” Daryl informed her.

“Huh. Of course, he did.” Jess scoffed knowingly.

“Said I should go after ya. I found your apartment. Why the city?” He wanted to know.

She realized there and then that he went out of his way to track her down in the city from Merles information. She knew he might, but knowing he actually did still surprised her and made her question everything she thought to be true. It was months between Merle leaving and Jess abandoning her apartment, even longer since she left the quarry camp. She couldn’t be sure if he got her note or not, but he was definitely looking for her after a considerable amount of time had passed.

“Um, well… all the people left, so it belongs to the Walkers now. Learn how to deal with them, use them to your advantage and the city is your oyster. Everybody leaves so suddenly; it means there’s supplies everywhere. Eventually, a group came through that I didn’t like the look of, so I left and stayed in the woods. Lived on a boat for a while. Then, I found the fairground.”

It was the most she’d said to him since she appeared in his life again and the sound of her voice through her mask was so different it was like talking to a stranger. She’d not only felt the need to hide her voice, she was also hiding her personality, her sense of humor and the essence of who she really was. That was, if there was anything left.

“You can fight now. How’d ya get so good?” He asked.

She wasn’t expecting to still be sitting with him at all, let alone having to answer questions. But he was probing for a good reason, she was aware that he was interested in her time away and how far she’d come. She just didn’t think he cared enough to ask about it.

“I can fight Walkers.” She corrected, making him aware that she wasn’t proficient in the art of grappling with live humans. “It was me and them, for a long time. A city full of wandering corpses makes for great practice. Then there’s the hunting and general survival skills I knew I had to have if I were ever forced to move out of Atlanta. There’s a lot of reading material in abandoned bookstores. I learned a lot while I was there.” She explained, hazarding a small glimpse of him and seeing his eyes dragging over her clothing and weapons.

“Turned up lookin like Rambo too.” he mentioned.

Now, she looked at him properly, their eyes meeting across her mask. He hadn’t changed much, not that she could see. He was more mature, more grounded but still Daryl. Still with the same sense of toeing the line and making fun of her. She found herself trying not to laugh, holding back a huge part of herself that just rushed out when she saw the corner of his mouth quirk up.

“Can kick your ass like Rambo if you don’t find someone more feminine to liken me to.” She quipped.

His lips curled further into a smile and behind her mask, Jess fought not to mirror him.

“Still got ya attitude” he pointed out.

It was news to her. Apparently, she did and he was the one to bring it out in her

“You still have yours too.” She shot back as she got up and walked back to the steps, her heavy boots clunked along the wooden flooring and she struck quite the intimidating figure, but Daryl knew the girl inside and he hoped that some semblance of her was still there.

“Goodnight” she uttered as she descended the steps and walked off into the darkness.

“Night, Jess.”

Now, he could use her name. The girl under the disguise.  

* * * * * 

Glenn perched on the trucks hood, picking berries from a tree branch and shoving them into his mouth. He wasn’t taking a risk, Daryl had been forthcoming with ensuring the group only ate what he said was safe, and everything in moderation. Jess leaned against the wheel arch with a map open in her hands after traipsing through an entire town looking for Veterinary Hospital that didn’t seem to exist. Their fruitless trip so far had been nothing but a major inconvenience.

“You sure you saw it?” She pressed as she craned her back at him and held a hand above her eyes to shield them from the sun.

“A hundred percent. I just can’t remember where.” Glenn confessed as he threw the last of the berries into his mouth and threw the stick away.

“Helpful.” Jess murmured. “I’ve never ventured out this way before. Too many people, not enough animals.”

Glenn squinted down at her as she flapped the map in her hands, straightening its corners.

“People?” He asked

“Undesirables.” She murmured. “We have to be careful.”

“Oh. Sure.”

She circled an area of the map with her finger, mainly to herself and only half interested in Glenn’s attention. “Should check here. It’s the only area we haven’t covered in a five-mile radius. It’s got to be there.”

Glenn agreed and began checking over his gun, making sure it was fully loaded. Jess turned her body and leaned her elbows on the hood, re-strapping her gloves and pushing her hood down for the time being. With it only being the two of them, her worries about revealing herself were now non-existent and Glenn knowledge of who she was had given her a huge sense of relief. Being able to go on a run without the worry of him figuring her out was a new and enjoyable kind of peace.

“Where did y’all go? When you left the Quarry?” she asked out of the blue.

He hesitated before answering her, the answer backing up in mind as he rifled through all the things that they’d been through since the Quarry, the people they’d lost and the terrible ways they’d died. It wasn’t easy and sometimes he wondered how they’d got so far but over time and through their shared trauma, they’d become a family. He’d become something else too, one half of a pair with Maggie. The woman of his dreams and he couldn’t help but smile when he remembered how she’d propositioned him in the middle of an abandoned store and ever since their relationship had grown into something he never would have anticipated.

“We tried the CDC. That was a disaster.” He said “One guy left and he blew himself and the building to pieces. Then we stayed on the Greene’s farm. Maggie’s dad owned it. Herd came through, pushed us out of there. Then, we ended up at a prison. We were there for a while. Until some psycho came along and tried to take the place. A lot of people died. We all got split up and that’s how we were reunited…in the worst way, at Terminus.”

Jess held his gaze for a few moments as she contemplated how their numbered had depleted but were replaced by new faces and yet they were still such a tight-knit group. She figured they had Rick to thank for that after witnessing the way he led his people through the gate of Alexandria for the first time with Daryl at his side.

“You guys have been through a lot” She stated.  

“Guess we have, Yeah.” He agreed thoughtfully. “But then again, everybody has, right? You have too.”

Jess didn’t think she’d fought anywhere near the kinds of battles Rick’s group appeared to have survived. She wasn’t without her own difficult memories, but most of those consisted of being alone and having to adapt to fighting Walkers and avoiding detection by other survivors. She’d faced more of an internal war than a physical one, born out of using stealth and cunning to avoid having to engage in actual fighting any more than was necessary. When she did kill the living, it was inevitable and got shoved to one side to enable her to carry on with life at the end of the world.

“Not really.” She disagreed “Keeping out of sight was how I lasted this long. Can’t be robbed, raped or killed if nobody knows you exist.”

“What if you’re discovered by chance?” Glenn argued.

She met his eye, a knowing look exchanged between the two of them. It didn’t need to be voiced that both of them were forced to do things they would never be proud of.

“Then you do what you have to do” She uttered.

Glenn nodded sadly before attempting a risky move.

“Why did you run? From the Quarry” he questioned.

She knew she would face such a question from nearly all of them at some point, her assumption was that it would be Daryl that was the first to ask had been correct, but Glenn being next happened a little quicker than she thought. What she hadn’t quite decided on, was how she was going to answer it. Should she be completely honest, or sugar coat the truth and skirt around the real reasons? She felt overwhelmed, pushed out, betrayed and like she was a mere burden that would never fit in.

“A lot of reasons.” She mumbled. “I ran away to save myself. I needed to lose who I was”

A spell of silence passed between them as Glenn tried to make sense of her response. Jess could feel his disagreement as if it were a weight on her shoulders. He shuffled closer on the hood and slid his gun back into its holster. A loud sigh was followed by a quick scan of the area they were parked in. All still quiet and safe enough.

“The people you loved that are gone…they helped to make you who you are. If you lose that, you lose the last bit of them that’s still around inside, who you are is gone…but so are they.” He told her, feeling her eyes locked on him, her brow furrowed as if surprised by his sudden philosophical take on things. “It’s how you lose people all over again, even after they’re gone. You honor them by carrying on, because they don’t get to”

The conversation was veering into a territory that Jess was no longer comfortable with. She didn’t want to be forced to stare her decisions in the face and dissect her train of thought and reasons for arriving at them. While she couldn’t say that Glenn was wrong, the idea that she’d lost everyone she’d loved for good due to her own actions wasn’t one she wanted to entertain. They were still there, in her heart, in her soul. Or were they?

“So, Carol got split from everyone else?” She queried, shamelessly changing the subject.

“Actually no. She was already on the outside on her own for a while. I’ll let Rick or Carol explain it themselves one day. Along with everything else that happened at the prison. But let’s just say we really appreciate what you two did. That place… was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” He mused, the flicker of fear in his eyes evident upon his reminiscence of his time at Terminus.  “I couldn’t stand the thought of Maggie dying in that hell hole. I’m glad it was me they almost killed. She didn’t deserve to go through that.” He added.

Jess said nothing, too wrapped up in the thought of being so in love and attached to someone that you would die to save their life. It was a completely alien concept to her, except for the likes of her family, she wasn’t sure there would ever be anyone else she would risk her life for. Then, she remembered the time she spent following Daryl through the woods with a group of men she didn’t trust one, single ounce, the people she murdered inside Terminus and the ferocity of her rage which she used to demand his whereabouts. She refused to leave until she knew he was safe and then it occurred to her; she would have died at Terminus. She would have died for Daryl.

“Where’d you get all the gear? The body armor. Looks like high-grade stuff.” Glenn interrupted, scattering her revelatory thoughts.

“Uh…” She grunted, having to take a deep breath and ignore the fact that she’d just discovered the actual extent of her fondness for the man that broke her heart. “Mostly dead Cops and Soldiers. Needed a little cleaning up here and there. Found some stuff in gun stores too, most were picked clean but one or two had the good stuff strapped to the dead owners”

“Nice. It looks good.” He smiled.

“Thanks, but It’s not about how it looks. It’s got to be practical. I can move around and none of it makes a sound. So, I can hunt and travel undetected and still remain nothing but a shaded movement in somebody’s peripheral vision. If anything bites me, it’s got to have pretty sharp teeth to break the barrier too.” She informed him with a certain degree of pride in herself. It was trial and error, endless days testing fabric and different levels of armor using sharp objects and creeping around groups of Walkers.

“We could really use this kind of thing for runs. Think you could find more?” he asked

“Probably.” She shrugged. “One thing at a time though. Let’s get this equipment first.”

He slithered down from the hood and slapped the surface with a grin as he rounded the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. Jess settled beside him and frowned when he pressed ‘play’ on the CD player. Music filled the cab and she rolled her eyes, looking out at the rapidly passing houses on the side of the street.

* * * * * 

Despite their conversation on the porch of his house, Daryl’s efforts to engage Jess in any more conversation in the coming days fell victim to her insistence to be left alone. He grew more and more frustrated with every instance that he witnessed her chatting away carelessly to others. She still laughed with Abraham and even joined him on gate duty. Aaron was treated to discussions while sat on the wall outside of the armory and even Glenn earned himself an enthusiastic handshake and some kind of mocking dig that couldn’t be heard upon returning from a run with her one evening. It seemed everyone else but Daryl was allowed to be around her and it angered him so much that one night, he decided that he needed to do something about it.

After seeing her playfully slap Abraham’s big arm as they spoke at the side of the road, she bid him farewell and ambled slowly to the gate, nodding at the guard. It was early evening and the sun was going down, the time of year dictating that one minute it was light and the next, flashlights were needed to light the way and the rapid change was almost unnoticeable. The sky glowed with pinks and purples and small birds were still singing in the trees when Daryl dashed out of the gap in the gate and surged after Jess.

She walked slowly, adjusting her bow on her back and calmly glancing around at her surroundings. She liked this time of the day, much like the early morning’s it always seemed to be peaceful and still no matter what horrors were unfolding across the world. It was a nice escape, even if it was only temporary. Her boots crunched over the dirt and she began to hum tunefully to herself. A Beatles song.

“Jess”

Daryl’s voice shot out of the serenity like an arrow and shattered her illusions of an enjoyable walk back to her home. She huffed, her jaw clenching and her body turning to him slowly.

“What do you want, Daryl? Just leave me alone.” She sighed.

His trespassing into her alone time was akin to him walking right into the fairground and making himself at home in her eyes. She had admitted who she was and now she just wanted to be allowed to observe things from the fence without getting involved with anyone or anything that would mean anchoring herself emotionally. But Daryl quite obviously had other ideas and wasn’t satisfied with her terms.

“Why you gotta be such a bitch, huh?!” He snapped.

She shifted her weight and crossed her arms, looking him dead in the eye.

We’re name-calling. Mature. There’s the old Daryl.

“I am being perfectly fucking civil.” She replied mockingly, a sarcastic smile emerging on her lips behind her mask. It occurred to Daryl that if he couldn’t see her face, he couldn’t judge her reactions to be truthful.

“Take it off.” He demanded, gesturing with a hand to her face.

“No.” She refused.

“Take the mask off.” He tried once more.

“Why?” She asked.

“You n’ I, we’re gonna have a conversation and I ain’t talkin’ to no mask. Don’t make me take it off myself ‘cause I will n’ you know it”

Aggression and testing her resolve were fast becoming the only way he could get through to her and get her to comply and he wondered when she developed such a strong will and courage to rival his own. If he was honest with himself, her bravery impressed him regardless of it being so far from the Jess he used to know. She needed it to stay alive and it seemed to be serving her well, even though it meant they locked horns.

Jess gave in and opted to endure whatever he wanted to talk about mainly because she wanted it over with, but also because there was a different side to her story that she was interested in hearing. She flicked her mask down with one swift movement while the rest of her body stood completely rigid and angry. Her vision was narrowed, her eyes dark and unimpressed.

“What the hell happened to you? We were friends and now ya won’t even look at me.” He asked.

She moved closer, standing inches from his face and not showing an ounce of fear. She was defensive but challenging and he wanted to step back and observe this drastic change in her properly. She was no longer a shrinking violet, her confidence in the face of confrontation had come out of nowhere. The Jess from before would have said her piece but backed right off. This woman had a grudge and Daryl knew now that he was at the center of it.

Jess spoke clearly and deliberately her eyes not wavering from his for even a second.

“I was ‘just a girl’. I didn't mean shit to you’. Isn’t that right, Daryl?” She hissed

A flashback hit him like a bus. He was standing with Merle on the slope to the water back at the Quarry. It was dark, he could hear the waves lapping against the shore. Merle was mocking him for catching feelings. He rubbished his claims with a single sentence. One that unbeknownst to him at the time, Jess heard every word and it changed everything. Destroyed something good, something meaningful. Something he missed everyday.

She heard me. Shit. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean what I said.

He stepped away from her, sighing loudly and rubbing his eyes with his thumb and finger on one hand. Jess seethed in front of him, her hurt and pain now simmering just under the surface after the words being repeated for the first time. It all came rushing back, all the old feelings of being rejected and lied to.

“That’s what this is about?” He asked quietly.  

“Don’t you dare trivialize it.” She warned with a slight tremor in her voice. Her emotions were boiling over and cracks in her defenses were beginning to show.

“I’m ain’t…. I’m-I’m not” he quickly assured her, lifting one hand and showing her his palm in surrender.

She felt as though she would burst with all the things she wanted him to know. She wanted him to feel the betrayal and sadness she’d endured for himself, to have to live with it festering in the back of his mind like she had. Her bottom lip quivered and she sucked in a sharp breath.

“You broke my goddamn heart.” She whispered shakily.

Both of them froze at the sound of her admission. It wasn’t exactly something she wanted him to know but there it was anyway, the truth about how she felt, floating in the air between them. The air left Daryl’s lungs and his shoulders lowered. He dropped his vision, unable to look at the broken expression on her features.

She couldn’t hide it any longer, a single, salty tear flittered down her cheek and she whirled around, striding into what was now a thick darkness lit only by the moon. She was shrouded in black, protected by the night but the emotional exposure was kicking her anxiety into gear and meant she had to depart, to run away and go back to where she felt safe. She knew the way to the fairground even if she was blinded by the lack of light. It was like someone clicked their fingers and she was teleported to her destination, the route to her home a complete blur of tears and sniffles. She fumbled with the chain and lock on the gate, pausing to click on a hanging, LED light that bumped against the fence post. Her heart jumped in her chest when a hand wrapped around her wrist and she flinched away, seeing that Daryl had somehow followed her without her noticing. So wrapped up had she been in her own tears, that she’d made it home without a single care for the dangers that might be surrounding her.

“Wait. Please.” He requested, stepping under the light on the fence.

In her other hand, she still grasped the lock on the gate. It rattled when she let go and swallowed hard.  

“I didn’t mean what I said to him.” He said sincerely. “Ya know what he was like. I just wanted to shut him up”

She licked her lips, tasting the tang of her tears and roughly wiped at her face with the sleeve of her jacket.

“You didn’t defend me either.” She told him. Her voice was now akin to a pathetic whimper and she detested the sound of her own vulnerability. “If we were supposed to be friends, if I actually meant anything to you, you would have stood up for me when that fucking airhead started reading my journal. Because we both know I was not in a position to do that myself. I needed you and you walked away.”

He nodded in understanding and Jess thought he might have been expecting to hear such a thing.

“I know. M’sorry.” He said, stepping closer to her. She backed up.

“Right. Sure.” Came her sarcastic reply, her walls still raised and Daryl’s apology doing little to knock them down. It was going to take a lot for her to trust anyone again, let alone him.

She struggled with the lock, finally releasing it and noisily hauling the gate open. She stepped inside and slammed it, clicking the lock back into place and walking away. To her surprise, it began to rain. Small raindrops splattering long the path and gently playing a rhythm on the top of her hood.

“I let ‘em die.” He called out. “Both of em.”

She halted and peered over her shoulder at him, his fingers were threaded through the fence. To his credit, she couldn’t deny that he was trying more than she ever would have guessed. His determination to pursue her and make her listen was obvious. She knew exactly who he was referring to.

“How many people you killed, Jess?” he questioned.

She lowered her head and took a deep breath, not wanting to answer the question. It wasn’t something she thought should be a part of regular conversation unless absolutely necessary. Taking another human beings’ life was no menial task, nor was it something to be discarded like it didn’t matter. It was a huge deal, especially to Jess. But she kept the details and numbers locked away where they couldn’t play on her conscience too much.

“Wouldn’t be alive right now if ya hadn’t killed somebody and I know you must have put down a lot of them assholes at Terminus.” He reasoned, still gripping the fence and refusing to budge.

“Then there’s your answer.” She grunted. “A lot”

“Yeah. Me too. Those two girls? They were the first.” He revealed.

She needed to hear it. They were dead, that much didn’t need to be explained. But she wanted to know the how’s and why’s. She slowly wandered back to the gate.

“Merle told me you almost shot Sarah in the face.” She mumbled.

“Yeah. I really wanted to” he huffed “But… there was kids watchin’, y’know? Before that, before ya left, I took her to the woods and threatened to slit her throat if she bothered ya again. Didn’t know that, did ya?”  

She didn’t know, she had no idea but managed to keep her shock well hidden. Her eyes only flickering up to his.

“In the end…I watched ‘em get bit and I did nothin’ ‘cause I fuckin’ hated what they did to you. I know I was a shitty friend. But I wasn’t lyin’ when I said I just don’t have friends. I always been kind of a loner ‘cept for when I was with Merle.”

“You were ashamed of me.” She pointed out

“What?! That’s bullshit.” He exclaimed in disbelief.

She stepped closer to where he stood beyond the fence, the light illuminating them both from above enough for them to be able to read each other’s expressions.

“As soon as people started making fun of you being around me, you closed up like a clam and treated me like I was some kind of fly that just followed you around. God forbid you’d be seen with… what was it that Merle called me? Oh, that’s right, the ‘little, fat chick!’.” She explained with regret.

“Oh, c’mon, Jess!” He cried, frustration etched onto his features as he leaned closer to the fence, urging her to believe him.

“Tell me I’m wrong!” She shot back, silencing him. “Right. Because I’m not, am I?!”

He suddenly slammed both of his hands against the metal links on the barrier between them, sending a shockwave along the structure. Jess jumped slightly and moved back.

“Two weeks!” He yelled with no regard for the danger he might be attracting from the woods “I looked for you for two god damn weeks and they all wanted to move on n’ forget ya like ya never mattered!” His breathing had changed and she noticed that he was almost panting, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “WELL, YA MATTERED TO ME!” He yelled at her with another slam of his hands. She merely blinked but could feel the heaviness of tears building behind her eyes again. “I told ‘em, I said I wasn’t doing shit for none of ‘em until I found you.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a brown, crumpled piece of paper, unfolding it and slapping it against the fence. “Instead, I found your stupid note and I fuckin’ kept it! So, don’t you dare tell me I was ashamed of you!”

She cursed herself internally for being unable to quash the need to cry. She hadn’t cried in over a year, having learned to push her emotions away and carry on. Now, she’d hardly stopped and she hated every single second. His confession regarding her note and his actions after her departure had changed everything. She was wrong. She had been wrong for so long. He did care about her after all and it was like they’d swapped roles. He didn’t know how to show it at the time. Now, she had more in common with him than ever. He had opened up to her and shown her a side to him that she didn’t know was there. He’d more than proved he cared and she felt more guilty than ever. It was too much to take in, to be able to stand before him and keep composed and so she quickly vanished into the Diner, leaving him standing alone in the rain with her creased note clutched in his hand.  

* * * * * 

Eric and Aaron's place was the perfect show home, straight out of an interior decorating convention and cleaner than a surgical suite. Jess was often reluctant to touch anything for fear of leaving a fingermark and being banished. Eric and Aaron didn’t mind, of course, having welcomes Jess into their home with open arms and not once mentioning any house rules or cleanliness standards to be followed. She used the place like a hotel but was always grateful for their hospitality and the free rein to come and go as she pleased. She was also pretty sure that no other residents of Alexandria made spaghetti quite like them.

She stayed at the Diner for the next two days, eventually emerging and resuming her hunting and clearing duties only to find that Daryl had covered for her in both areas. The walls were clear and there was meat in the pantry. Feeling useless and still lumbered with emotions, she threw Daryl a split-second peep where he stood by the armory and raced to the other side of the street, letting herself into Aaron and Eric’s living room and slumping down onto their couch. Aaron ticked off a crossword in a wildly outdated newspaper on the opposite couch and peered at her over the broadsheet, observing her troubled body language; fiddling hands and constant sighing. She presented in such a way that he had never seen from her before. She was anxious.

He lowered the paper and zoned in on the only visible and readable part of her, her eyes. Stunned by what he was witnessing, he gradually discarded his newspaper and crept closer to her, eventually sitting on the coffee table in front of her. She looked up and he could practically feel the sadness seeping from her pores.

“OK…I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry.” He whispered.

“It’s a rare occurrence.” She sniffed. “Not happened in over a year. Now it’s like a fucking floodgate that I can’t close.” She stated plainly. While her eyes were watering, her breathing hadn’t changed, creating a strange and blank air around her.  It was a very odd sight for Aaron to comprehend.

“Are you here because you want to talk about it?” He pressed with a genuine desire to help. He wanted her to say yes and tried to urge her by shifting closer and waiting patiently.

“I don’t know.” She said under her breath.

“Look, I know you don’t trust anyone. But you’ve been staying in this house on and off for weeks now. You and I, we get along well. You can tell me, maybe I can help.” He tried.

Apparently, all Jess needed was a friendly face that wasn’t connected to Daryl to expel the contents of her mind to. She spent the next hour telling Aaron everything, right from the Quarry and up until that very day. She explained how her and Daryl used to be good friends and were torn apart by a number of factors, namely his mixed signals and her overthinking. At the suggestion from Aaron that her self-esteem played a part in it, a further door was opened in her head; he was completely right and it made her feel even more guilty for harboring such a huge grudge for so long. She expressed a need to make things right, but not to get too close and Aaron agreed, stating that while he thought it a good idea for now, she would not be wrong to let her guard down and give him another chance. Throughout their conversation, she cried more than once and was comforted by understanding and empathy. But when he reached out to hold her hand, she snatched it away and recoiled in discomfort. Aaron knew then not to push her too much, her refusal to remove her mask was also another telling factor that while she trusted him enough to accept his help, her face would remain behind a disguise that she used as a safety net.

“Sorry. I don’t do so well with the touching thing”. She told him.

It was the first time she’d trusted anyone with anything since Daryl at the quarry. She trusted him with her life and was left feeling like he’d lied to her. She hoped Aaron would not do the same and that his advice would help to mend the broken shards of what was left of her shattered friendship and she and Daryl could at least speak to each other without the past looming over them.

“What are you going to do?” Aaron asked.

“I have an idea. But I’m not sure it’ll work.” She replied.

NEXT CHAPTER

---  tagging as requested ---

@lilred254​

[dngrdyke]

May The Best Bitch Win Part 2

"Let's go, bitches!" Dyke whooped. "Last one to the Hub has to clean up after the party!"

Poison rallied the engine. "I can't wait to beat your ass twice!"

Dee said nothing, and instead sped off without warning, making Faggot yelp and grab her waist tight.

A vague "motherfucker!" was heard and soon the Trans AM was catching up on her right. On her left, Ghoul and Cola were keeping pace, seemingly effortlessly.

Assholes.

The convoy made it to the Hub just as another gang pulled up. Dyke skidded to a stop in front of the leader of the pack, followed closely by Ghoul. Poison rocked up a split second behind and climbed out.

"I wanna rematch! You've less mass so you go faster!"

"I have better mass," she grinned, kicking down the stand and flicking her hair out of her face.

"Why'd I join a posse with a bike," Faggot mumbled as he climbed off shakily. Dyke killed the engine.

"The Fabulous Killjoys, huh?" one of the other gang scoffed. "Seems like a buncha kids to me."

"And who the fuck are you then?" Poison asked, coming over to stand beside Dyke with a hand on his hip.

"The Angels of Road Slaughter. I'm Roadkill. This is my second, Rock Machine. You gotta be Party Poison, or is it bootyshorts there beside ya?"

"The name's Dyke. Pretty sweet ride ya got there, Roadkill. What is it, a Chopper?"

"Yeah, got her from some Blind warehouse a while back. You don't have a bad bike yourself."

"Power cruiser, baby. I'm gonna smoke all you bitches outta here."

"Nobody's smokin' me out unless it's your little friend there," Roadkill said and winked at Poison.

"I think that's enough conversation for one day," Doctor D said, materialising out of nowhere. "At least while your old man is listening. The afterparty is a different story. Don't gotta pay attention to no-one at a party."

Dyke glanced at Poison, who was looking anywhere but at Roadkill, who was looking directly at Poison. You coulda cut the tension with a knife.

"Oh, hey, D, you'll never believe what happened earlier," Dyke said, seizing her chance to escape the awkward situation unfolding before her. "C'mon, let's get a soda and I'll tell you. Ya still got orange?"

He took the hint. "Sure do, DB. Come on in. I got a tape just about to hit replay so you can pick the next one."

He turned himself around and went back inside. Dyke took Faggot's arm and squeezed gently. He glanced at her and nodded.

"Jet, you wanna go over your battle plan?"

"I- yeah, good call." He silently thanked whatever god there was.

"I'm coming too!"

"Yeah, same here!"

Kobra and Ghoul followed, with Cola shaking his head and coming in the rear, saying nothing.

"Y'know, Roadie, a soda sounds pretty good right now," Rock Machine said. The rest of the gang murmured their agreement.

"Fine. We'll get some soda then. See ya later, prettyboy. You're gonna eat ass on the track."

Dyke bit her lip as she walked away, trying hard not to laugh. Doctor D looked back at her with a glint in his eye.

Poison ran up and draped his arms around Dyke and Jet. "Those are some hardass motherfuckers."

Dee snorted but covered it up with a cough. It was a talent of hers.

"Anyway, DB- you said you had some crazy story to tell us."

"That I do, Doctor D, that I do." She ducked out of Poison's grasp and lead the group walking backwards. "So I was headin' out to the Rendezvous- thanks for those supplies, Cola- and I saw these two assholes without any masks on takin' the kidneys outta some Drac. Y'all know I hate Blind as much as the next person, but you just gotta show some respect, ya know? Anyways, I pulled my guns on 'em and told 'em if they didn't scoot asap I'd shoot. They left together on a bike but they kept the kidneys for some reason. Dicks." Dyke turned back around and smacked her face into the beads that hung over D's doorway. She moved them out of her face and went straight to the kitchen- the only place with a working refrigerator. She took out an orange soda and cracked it open. Everyone else just stood, watching her.

"What? Somethin' on my face?"

"Dyke... Like, no offence or whatever, but how in the hell are you still alive?" Faggot asked. His eyes were huge, as if her head would explode at any second.

"DB my good friend, I'd bet my left arm that you just had a clap with Scarlet Ripper and the Mongoose," D said, running a hand through his hair.

"Those freaky-ass motherfuckers you were talkin' about earlier? Then why ain't I dead?"

"You musta got lucky," he sighed. "I gotta go tell the world to start showin' up. You gonna choose a tape?"

She chugged her soda and tossed the can into the trash. "I nearly died today. Of course I'm gonna choose the fuckin' tape."

"And it's Doctor Death-Defying back at you desert-dwellers with a whole new tape. But first, a drag race update from our very own DB."

Dyke's eyes widened and D motioned to the mic. Go crazy, he mouthed.

She grinned.

"Well hello there, desert kings, queens and everything in between. Tonight's gonna be a clear night with a high chance of road dust. Anyone willing to eat my shorts in the drag race better hurry up and get here, else someone'll take your spot. So far we have tension brewing 'tween the Killjoy squads and the Angels' racers. Who knows what's gonna happen next? Not me, but 'til then, here's Quiet Riot to keep ya kickin'."

D loaded the tape and set it playing.

"Not too bad for a first-timer."

She shrugged. "Sometimes you want the attention. I'm gonna go take a smoke break, see who else is here. We should get goin' soon."

Outside, the Angels were milling around on their bikes with some sodas.

"Hey! Dyke, wasn't it?" Roadkill jogged over to her.

"That's me," she said lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag. "You need somethin'?"

He scratched the top of his greasy, black hair. Roadkill sure lived up to his name.

"Party Poison he, uh... he knows I was just dicking around, right? Well, kinda, anyway. Mostly."

"Probably. He's not pissed or anything, if that's what you're worried about. He just hasn't had anyone 'cept the mirror flirt with him in a while."

"Ah," he said and nodded, then "can I bum a smoke?"

She said nothing, but instead drew out the pack and offered it to him.

"Hey, thanks. You know you look like him though, right?"

"Long story. Might tell you one day."

"Hey, Dee! Doc says we're ready to go!" Faggot yelled out a window.

"You two gonna come out and watch?"

Dee knew from experience that he had the Girl scooped up in his arms and was making faces at her.

"Be right there. Oh, and Jet says to meet him out back with the bike."

She stubbed out the cigarette under her foot. "You comin' to the afterparty?"

"Wouldn't miss it, DB."

Jet was standing with his arms crossed when Dyke rounded the corner, pushing the bike.

"Poison wanted me to ask you if Roadkill was being serious. He said he has a nice butt."

"Kinda serious. He would. It could happen."

"God-fucking-damn it."

"Racers!" the crackly sound of Doctor D's PA system came towards them. "If your bedazzled ass isn't at the starting line, go put it there or get it kicked out."

"My ass isn't even bedazzled..."

"C'mon, Jet. We got a race to win."

They took their places at the starting line, Jet with his lanky frame scrunched up behind Dee. She had the motor running and her legs on either side of the bike for balance. Doc had better start the party soon, she thought.

She scanned the crowds lining the track and saw Faggot with the Girl on his shoulders. He grinned and waved, then took the Girl's hand and waved with that.

She smiled.

"Alright racers, I want a nice clean match. No bashing, slashing or body flashing, ya hear? And that includes you audience members, too. We don't care how well God has made you- this is a road race. Save it for the afterparty! But I think that's all an old man like me's gotta say so... On your marks!"

Dyke snapped back into reality and tensed her legs. A few of the racers revved their engines. Road Kill caught her eye and winked.

"Get set!"

She flexed her fingers and tightened her grip on the handlebars. For her, driving gloves weren't just a fashion statement.

A foghorn sounded and Dyke kicked off. "Heads down, elbows tucked in, DB and Jet Star take an early lead," the Doc's voice came over the roar of engines. "But look's like Party Poison and the Kobra Kid are close behind. Damn! Road Kill and Rock Machine leading by a hair."

"We need more speed!" Jet shouted in her ear.

"No fuckin' shit!" She sped up, taking back her spot. No way was she losing to some short, ratty-ass clown. Or Poison either, for that matter.

"Nice view, Dyke! You steal Poison's ass, too?"

"Jet, honey?"

"Yeah?"

"You remind me to break his nose at the afterparty."

"Sure thing, Dee."

She pressed harder on the accelerator. "C'mon. Please. Carla, if you can hear me..." she mumbled.

The bike, against all odds, against all the laws of physics, went just that much faster.

"Holy shit!" Jet shouted. "Dee, we- Dee! We're gonna die!"

"No way, Jet Star! We're gonna win!"

They could still hear Doctor D's voice narrating the race, but quieter now as they sped further away. "And that's DB with Jet still in the lead! I didn't know her bike could even go that fast- but don't tell her that, else I'll lose the use of my remaining working limbs."

"We almost there, Jet?"

Dyke was trying to focus on keeping the bike going as fast as possible. Sure, she had here eyes on the road, but it was a kind of tunnel vision. She didn't care about anything that wasn't directly in front of her.

"Not sure... maybe- yes! I can see someone with a flag!"

Dee whooped. The engine whined.

"Shit, will we make it?"

"If we believe, Jet! Just pray and don't stop 'til we cross that line!"

Sure enough, Jet started to mumble something. Whether he was praying or cursing her, Dyke didn't know.

She couldn't speak Spanish.

She saw Road Kill out of the corner of her eye and her face hardened. They were so close. She could almost taste it.

A rush of colour. The flag was waved. They did it. They did it!

She screamed. "Jet! Jet! We did it! WE DID IT!" She gently lifted the accelerator and braked hard to skid to a stop. Down went the kickstand.

"Did we do it?" she asked doubtfully, looking between Jet's face and the person with the flag.

"Only one way to find out, Dee. We gotta wait for the rest of 'em."

The Trans Am and Road Kill's Chopper had come in neck and neck, while someone riding solo came in just before them. The only people the two had been keeping an eye on were Road Kill and Poison. Other than that- who knew?

The crowd at the starting line started to make their way to the finish. Some people had spread out along the track, but most had stayed at the start where they could see everything that was going on.

"Alright, alright, simmer down you folks."

Doctor D spoke through a megaphone. Where the hell was he getting all this stuff?

"After careful consultation with our flagboy V, it would appear that Dyke and Jet Star have stolen the scene and come in first place!" There was a mix of cheering and groaning from the crowd as accessories were exchanged. Faggot ran up with the girl on his hip and threw an arm around Dee.

"I knew you could do it, you old bitch!"

"Hey! Poison's older than I am!"

"Dee! Dee!" the Girl giggled, clapping.

"Now that first place is settled, in second place we have Maximum Voltage, riding solo."

The crowd clapped half-heartedly. Nobody knew who this Max guy was.

"Wait... Maximu-?" Dee started. She was cut off by the Doc shushing the crowd again. The flagboy whispered in his ear.

"And in an exciting turn of events, in third place is Party Poison and the Kobra Kid tied with Road Kill and Rock Machine!"

More accessories were exchanged. Dyke was even sure she saw masks being swapped.

"Yeah, yeah, all prizes will come in due time, but for now I think we all just need to party."

Dee and Jet were swarmed with people congratulating them, and all thoughts of Maximum Voltage were pushed from her mind.

"We did it, Dee. I can't believe we actually did it!"

"Fuck, me neither! Hey- careful, these pins are sharp. To the afterparty!"

[imagineclaireandjamie]

Come Hell or Helwater - Part Eight

Claire comes back to the past with Brianna and arrives at Helwater looking for Jamie—but must confront the Dunsanys first.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven

Claire tried to wait up until Jamie came to bed but he’d sat near the fire trying to read. She didn’t want to push him to talk if he wasn’t ready, but she watched his attention drift, over and over again, to the fire in the hearth. Instead, she warned him about what staring like that would do to his eyesight and he brought his attention back to the page without saying a word. Checking on Brianna first, Claire finally gave up and crawled beneath the covers.

When he did finally come to bed, his restlessness woke her and kept her from more than dozing for near an hour before she rolled toward him to confront him.

“Out with it.”

Jamie sighed. “It’s just… I cannae help but wonder if Brianna… if this is where she truly wants to be.”

“Well, I can tell you right now it’s not where she wants to be,” Claire said as gently as her tired and filterless brain would allow. “She wants to be back in the place and the time that was home to her for so long.”

“Ye think she wants to go back to the way things were before she kent the truth about me,” Jamie guessed with aching resignation.

Claire rested her head on his shoulder and slipped her arms around him, holding him and comforting him. “Yes, but I don’t think it’s anything to do with you. Not really. She’s growing up and she’s having a difficult time of it right now. When you were her age, I’m sure there were times when you wished you could go back to how things were when you were younger—when everything seemed clearer and made more sense.”

He relaxed a little in her arms—not much, but a fraction that was just perceptible.

“I dinna ken how to feel myself these days,” he confessed. “I dinna like to see her suffer—and I hate feelin’ sae helpless to do anythin’ about it…”

“But?” Claire prompted.

“But I’m no sorry she’s here, nor that she kens the truth.”

“The truth about you or the truth about Frank?” Claire mused with a hint of her own pain.

“No that he deserves it but if it meant she wasna hurtin’ so, I’d as soon she didna ken the sort of man he turned out to be,” Jamie muttered, holding Claire tighter. “I’m sorry I ever sent ye back and trusted ye to him. He didna deserve either of ye.”

“And now he has neither of us. And, with time, Bree will heal. Time and love.” Claire pressed a kiss to Jamie’s neck and moved her hands down his back, a maneuver that forced him to move his own arms and hands further down along her body. His fingers began to absentmindedly massage the flesh of her arse.

“What am I supposed to say to her?” Jamie asked in a whisper of doubts. “It’s no an easy life she’ll have in this time, to say nothin’ of this place. I cannae leave when I want, nor go where I wish… Ye cannae even use your proper names on my account.”

“Time and love,” Claire repeated. “You’ll figure it out. I’m still figuring it out. But you said once that what we don’t know we’ll learn together.”

Jamie’s mouth ticked up at the corner briefly but then his expression softened and saddened. Claire watched him swallow with difficulty.

“I cannae help but worry that one day she’ll decide she’s had enough of bein’ here and she’ll go back,” Jamie murmured. “After wishin’ ye both here for so long… it doesna seem possible it’ll last.”

“Then stop thinking about it,” Claire whispered, pressing herself against him. “Stop thinking period. You need to relax or you’ll never sleep tonight. But… if you’re not going to be sleeping… I can think of a few things you can do instead of thinking.”

Jamie grinned and rolled onto his back, pulling her along with him so her weight kept him grounded and her thighs fell open on either side of his, rucking up her shift so the soft silk of her brushed against him.

“Ye’re volunteering to do my thinkin’ for me?” he teased.

“I have no qualms telling you exactly what to do,” she replied, her breath tickling his ear.

His fingers dug more purposefully into her buttocks as he began sliding her up into a better position. Her hair brushed his face as she leaned down to kiss him.

There was no thinking when she kissed him like that. There was consciousness of anything except that what he tasted was unequivocally her, the warmth and weight in his arms was her, the scent climbing up his nostrils was them.

Because he wasn’t thinking, he didn’t place the sudden pounding that he heard.

But Claire did.

She froze, her head whipping up to look at their closed bedroom door. She scrambled off of him and grabbed at the blanket to cover him while she threw her shawl around her shoulders and listened.

Another pounding, this time at their door.

Claire eased it open and he noticed the flash of Brianna’s hair as she poked her head in.

Jamie’s head was beginning to clear and thought return as Claire opened the door wider and spoke to someone else on the other side. Her tone was reassuring but also serious, her subsequent movements organized and practiced.

“What’s happenin’?” he asked, sitting up and blinking. “Who is it?”

“Lady Isobel’s come to fetch me to the house,” Claire explained as she skipped her stays and various other support garments, going straight for her outer skirt and a bodice. “She says something’s happened to her sister but she’s not sure what—only that there’s blood and it needs to be kept quiet.”

Jamie was out of bed and across at Claire’s side, helping her find her things in the darkened room.

“Do ye need me to come wi’ ye? Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Stay with Bree,” Claire requested, reaching up to cup his cheek in her palm, run her thumb lightly over his cheekbone. “And get some sleep. I’ll be back before dawn.”

She slipped out to the main room of their cottage and Jamie followed her. He gave Isobel a nod before realizing he shouldn’t be standing before her in just his shirt. But the lass was too dazed and worried to even notice. She watched Claire grab her cloak and throw it over herself and the medical pack she carried then slip into her shoes.

“Lead the way,” Claire instructed, snapping Isobel into action and following her into the night.

Brianna stood at the door for a moment watching them go while Jamie shuffled into his discarded pair of breeks. He went to stand behind Brianna, looking out into the dark though he could no longer make out the shapes of either Claire or Isobel and it was only the night sounds of the yard and the horses in the nearby stables that reached his ear.

“Ye dinna seem surprised by Miss Isobel showin’ up in the night,” Jamie remarked.

Brianna looked up at him for a moment then pulled back toward him so she could close the door and head back to bed.

“I wasn’t expecting her,” Brianna said. “But I’ve seen Mama leave to help someone sick plenty of times.” Jamie stayed where he was but turned to watch her climb onto her cot and wriggle back beneath the blankets. “Daddy used to try to unplug the upstairs telephone so it wouldn’t wake me up but Mama complained that even if she woke up when the one downstairs rang, she couldn’t use the phone upstairs if it wasn’t plugged in and that it defeated the purpose.”

“Did it bother ye that she would go like that?”

Brianna shrugged. “I sometimes wished I could go with her. Especially…” But Brianna shook her head. “Nevermind. Goodnight.” She rolled over to face the wall, pulling the blankets up around her shoulders.

Jamie slipped over to her cot and sat on the floor beside it, not wanting to unsettle her by taking a seat right next to her.

“I always wish to go wi’ her,” he confessed. “I wish to see her safe to the sickbed and for her to have my help if she needs it—though, there are many cases where she’s said I’d be a hindrance more’n a help.” Brianna rolled onto her back again and turned her face toward him. “It’s the not knowin’ when she’ll be back tha’s always been hardest. At night like this, wi’ the way Miss Isobel was lookin’—all scared and like somethin’ terrible’s happened—tha’s when it’s hardest.”

“It was usually accidents if she got called in the night. Or something bad happened to a patient she operated on earlier in the day. When I got older, those were the worst. I could tell when she answered the phone and they said why they needed her. She had a special look when it was someone she’d already treated… kinda sad and… like maybe she worried she’d done something wrong,” Brianna shared.

Jamie nodded. “It’s no easy for her here when she kens she could do better—do more—were she still in yer time.”

It was Brianna’s turn to nod.

“I ken it’s no easy for you either,” Jamie said quietly. Brianna’s eyes darted to his but she relaxed when he smiled at her. “I’m glad ye’re here. The waitin’s easier when ye’ve company beside ye.”

She smiled at him. “You’re not gonna tell me to go back to bed?”

“No. We can just sit here if ye like. Or I can fetch the book and we can read a bit more—see if that puts us to sleep.”

“Won’t Mama mind if we read ahead without her?”

Jamie’s knees cracked when he pushed himself back to his feet so he could grab the book from its shelf and light a candle. “I dinna think so, but we could start a new one just the two of us, if ye’d prefer. We can see how far we get before we fall asleep or yer mam comes back.”

“I bet we can get through twenty pages,” Brianna said, propping herself up in the bed and yawning.

Jamie pulled up a chair and handed Brianna the candle to keep steady while he opened the new book to begin.

“Let’s aim for ten to start and see how we do. Now, do ye ken the tale of Don Quixote?”

[z0mbi3b0ng]

i want to know more about chris and lewis like details about their relationship aahh is that vague... im not sure what to ask i dont know much about them yet thats WHY i wanna know shit 🤔

HEHE uh well here’s a master post which kind of explains a little about how they met and how they started their friendship, all of that good beginning stuff. i’m not sure if you’ve read it but here’s a link

BUT! i can tell u a few major details about their relationship and if u have any more questions just feel free to ASK!! i will happily answer (: 

so in case this has not yet been figured out, chris is the top and lewis is the bottom.... THATS JUST THE NUMBER ONE and it had to be said. 

in the beginning of their romantic relationship, after lewis sucks him off without knowing in mouths edge, chris will Not stop coming to see him. he visits him every day after that, checking up on him, asking him if he’s alright, if he’s hungry, because mind you AT THE TIME lewis is homeless and he just stays in motels whenever he gets the chance. lewis gets mistreated and used by grown-ass men all the time with his job and chris tries to lighten up the situation by joking with him and attempting to make him feel better, inviting him over to his house so he can sleep in an actual bed. and finally, after like six attempts lewis agrees! because hell yeah he wants a nice bed to sleep in. it’s kind of hard to explain how lewis feels about chris while they separate after middle school and everything that happens to lewis happens. he kind of loathes him in a way, because lewis thought so highly of him back when they were kids. chris was a prime picture of what lewis wanted to be as a boy, free and willful, and seeing him drugged out of his mind and high all the time with bruises everywhere looking like complete shite makes lewis angry. it makes him feel like chris is throwing his life away and that he’s taking what he has for advantage. in a way he’s right. but chris has bad coping mechanisms and he can’t help that he is the way that he is. after his parents' divorce shit just kind of got bad. he was alone with yafir, his father, more and it was hard not seeing his mom- who is his rock and is his Home- and being stuck with his abusive homophobic father. they’d get in arguments and fights all the time, and chris would always lay in his bed and write in his journal ranting about wanting to die and how he just wants to see that blonde-headed kid again, how he wants to see lewis and to feel his eyes on him and to feel that warmth that he’d feel electrify his entire body back in middle school, he wants and misses the first boy he ever fell in love with. so when they see each other again for the first time in mouths edge and chris is blasted out of his mind after just having gotten in a physical fight with his father, lewis can’t even tell that it’s chris. it’d been so long anyway, about seven to eight years, and when he sees the dude walking toward him ready to pay for services he obliges because it’s his job. but midway through the service, chris notices. he notices it’s lewis and damn if he’s not gonna say his name and attempt to see if lewis knows who he is. lewis refuses and tells chris not to call him that, because nobody calls him that and nobody has for a while. lewis went by Lory in mouths edge. but hearing chris say that was an instant give away. OF COURSE lewis knew who the hell chris was, and he was sucking his dick in the middle of a dark alley against a brick wall????? it was all so fucking panic-inducing and lewis quickly finished chris off before getting up and walking away because that was all he owed him. but OF COURSE, chris doesn’t give up that easily, and he bugs him, asks him all these questions. “Why are you here? prostituting? what happened?” and “Are you okay? do you have a place to stay? are you hungry?” and this begins chris’s everyday visits and thus begins how they start hanging out more and more and slowly start to rekindle their relationship as it blooms a little rosebud in the middle of both their hearts (: 

lewis stays at chris’s house and chris gives him the bed at first, making himself sleep on the floor. it’s all innocent and chris wants to make sure lewis is the most comfortable. especially at this time because lewis is fragile. but soon lewis invites chris up to the bed and they’ll lay beside each other like pin-straight needles, arms at their sides and legs together, eyes up at the ceiling. 

when they share their very first kiss, it’s weird. chris goes in first of course, eager and lips puckering, waiting, his chest buzzing and his hands slightly shaking because this ought to be the best fucking moment of his life, but when he goes to connect to lewis’s lips, it’s cold. his lips are cold and soft, not eager, not excited....not kissing back. and this upsets and confuses chris and he asks lewis why, but lewis can’t respond because he doesn’t know why, he doesn’t know how to tell chris why. “I liked it,” would be all he said and chris would stare at him with his big eyes and scrunch his brows because it was obvious that lewis didn’t. and he was confused. see, lewis’s thing is that all his entire life he’s been used and has been ‘programmed’ in a way that he believes he’s meant to be used and that it’s his job to give pleasures to others, that he’s expected to just sit there and let others do onto him whatever their hearts desire so he accepts it, whether he likes it or not. but he can’t explain all of that to chris just because of a kiss, and HELL lewis doesn’t even understand it himself he just IS that way. chris doesn’t EVER push him though, and he doesn’t make him do things, he’s very patient and kind with him. he’s not stupid and can sense that there’s something wrong that will take time to make itself right and not even wholly so. so he waits. and waits and waits. 

their first actual kiss takes place a good couple of months after that. there’s a moment shared between them that chris could have easily leaned in to kiss lewis during, but he doesn’t and it leaves lewis grasping for it for the rest of the day. he goes to work and can’t stop thinking about it. MIND YOU ALL THIS TIME IN BETWEEN THOSE MONTHS have been so tension-filled with small moments here and there, but this one moment was it, this was when chris was gonna kiss him. and then he DOESNT??? lewis is left PRETTY flabbergasted. but hes working at the junkyard with cody and he’s thinking about it, how close they were and how chris smelt like honey and lavender, how his lips looked soft and warm and how their shoulders were brushing the closer that they got. he thought about how his lips would taste and how they had both just eaten one of chris’s favorite snacks, those little Debbie cinnamon rolls, and he wondered if they’d taste like that. meanwhile, chris was fucking shitting himself. his face was entirely hot and in his head he was screaming “GO! DO IT! KISS HIM!” but then it was all “NO DONT DO IT! WAIT! DOES HE WANT TO?” and then again with the “HOLY SHIT WE’RE FUCKING CLOSE I CAN SMELL HIM HE SMELLS LIKE SWEET TAFFY THATS BEEN BATHING IN SUNLIGHT AND HIS LIPS LOOK LIKE FRESHLY BLOOMED SUMMER PEACHES THAT CAN JUST BE SUCKED RIGHT UP, SUPPLE AND GONE.” but of course chris DOESNT kiss him because hes an idiot and he insists he drives lewis to work because he’ll be late if they dont leave then!! and so he does. and lewis goes to work. and then chris sits back home in his room on his bed and kicks himself in the ass because YEAH HE SHOULDVE FUCKING KISSED HIM! and so GET THIS, he grabs his skateboard and BOARDS all the way to the junkyard where lewis is and he sees him as he skates up, hauling some sort of metal, and he kicks his board up and catches it with his hand and he walks over to him, and lewis looks at him slightly surprised and smiles and chris is close within seconds, and lewis whispers a soft “Hi,” and chris instantly hits him with the “can I kiss you?” and LEWIS NODS AND THEN THEY FUCKING KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSS!!! can you believe it they fucking kiss and it’s everything both of them could have ever wanted. it’s WARM and SOFT and it’s invigorating and ELECTRIFYING and it lasts a good TEN SECONDS before they pull away and smile all goofy at each other (: HEHEHEHEEHEH god i love that first real kiss man i could talk about it all day. 

uhhhh anyway enough detailed backstory. here are some minor details abt their relationship together: 

-chris is very into PDA and always has his hands on lewis, whether its on his lower back with his thumb brushing his skin softly or straight up on his thigh. and when their chillin in bens man cave with everyone, lewis will sit in chris’s lap on a beanbag together (: 

-CHRIS is very INSECURE and will easily get upset when someone that he feels in any way is better than him gets all up on lewis.... he’s very sensitive. when mikael hugs lewis for a little too long or when ben kisses lewis’s cheek in an obvious brotherly way, chris can’t help but to get slightly jealous because he’s an insecure piece of poop ): 

-lewis likes to stare at and touch chris’s ASS! and chris likes to do the same to lewis BUT THATS OBVIOUS. chris’ll be working on his board on the floor in a squat position and his crack’ll be showin a little bit and lewis’ll be like big eyes emoji 

-mikael is pretty much a voyer and loves to watch chris and lewis makeout UDYGUGDYUFHLF chris and lewis make out alllllll the time it’s one of their most favorite things to do hehe (: they’ll be chillin in the back on one of the beanbags while everyone else is up by the tv playin pong and they’ll be kissin. mikael’ll look back and grin and nod his head and be all. “damn that’s hot. love you guys keep it up” DKGKUDGYLD it’s stupid he’s dumb 

-lewis is very afraid of yafir! whenever lewis is over at chris’s he tries his best to stay up in chris’s room no matter what because going downstairs when yafir is home is very scary ): but when yafir leaves, chris and lewis’ll do tons of shit downstairs (: like cook together and shit in yafirs office 

-ok but i havent talked about chris’s momma a lot but. his mom is literally an angel. melanie is a very very sweet woman who loves her son with her entire heart. chris is her everything, chris is her sweet handsome boy ): and by god when she meets lewis she is in love.....lewis is her BAAAAABY!!! melanie is a huge kid person, she works at a daycare hehe (: she likes to wear long flowery skirts and soft flowy blouses or shirts and shes a huge hippie. she smokes weed with chris a lot. she collects rocks and stones and gems and believes in their healing and health powers. shes very aura and chakra oriented, is very good at telling peoples vibes and thats where chris gets it from. shes very beautiful too... her and yafir together were a very very beautiful couple :/ thats why chris looks like handsome squidward

KHFGBLUHDLFH OKAY IM DONE IM SORRY THIS IS SO FUCKING MUCH i cant help myself. i love you anon please ask me more stuff if you want to know anything else!! i have a LOT more that i can talk about hehe. this is just a pinch of chris and lewis :/