#Sam kiszka au

[geminisecrets]

Soul Meets Body

Warnings:  18+ ONLY! NSFW! Explicit sexual content, coarse language, oral sex, smut, unprotected sex, alcohol, I think that's it???

Word Count: 6.8K

Summary: Just a smutty, wintery, friends to lovers, college Sam AU!

Authors Note: Surprise!!!!! It's Sam instead! We absolutely cannot write the Jake one anymore without hating it all and cringing, but we managed to crank this bad boy out in like 3 days instead so... we hope you like it!

Y’all are super duper fuckin' rad for telling us what you think about our stuff. ☯️

Requests are open :) 

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“You’re such a drag,” Sam slurred, finally letting go of my hand, before shuffling back into the mass of dancing bodies. ‘I don’t dance’ is the understatement of the century. The idea of moving my body like that in front of a mirror, alone, in my room, is enough to make me cringe, let alone on a dance floor at a crowded bar. 

There was no bite in his tone, but I rolled my eyes at him nonetheless. He’s known me long enough to know that it doesn’t matter how many G&Ts I’ve had, I will not be joining him on the dance floor. I stay perched at the high top table we’d been drinking at for hours, now. As I shift my hips, I feel the indent I’ve molded into the velvet cushion. 

What I lack in confidence and a carefree social presence, Sam more than makes up for. It’s been that way since we first became friends. I met him a little over a year ago through our mutual friend, Danny. Dan and I were in the same chem lab during our freshman year and Sam was his roommate. The three of us became fast, easy friends and our individual friends melded effortlessly into our dynamic. 

We find ourselves, now, without those friends for the first time on a Saturday night, maybe ever. Sam and I had hung out alone before, sure. We’d studied together, ran to grab coffee between classes, helped the other stumble back to residence after a night out, but we’d never planned something like this. I don’t know if we ever would, had this opportunity not fallen into our laps. 

“A bar promotion, Sam? Seriously?” I’d asked.

“Come on, I know it’s not really your scene, but it’s December twenty-seventh. Everyone else will be home for Christmas.” He whined, puppy dog eyes in full effect, as he kneeled in front of my chair. 

“Sam–” I started, ready to beg him to stand back up and not make a scene in the middle of the library.”

“Just go with him so he’ll shut up, please,” Danny whispered, nose shoved deep in his textbook. 

“The tickets are free,” Sam continued, folding his hands and placing them neatly on my knees. “That old guy at the radio station gave them to me.” I stayed quiet, eyes searching his as I considered the plea. 

Sam and I would be the only two out of all of our friends to be on campus for Christmas. I hadn’t been on speaking terms with my parents for years and his internship at the local radio station prevented him from taking any time off this season. ‘The newbies get the holiday shifts, sorry, kid,’ they said.  

I knew he was going to win me over eventually. I had absolutely no reason not to say yes. No plans, no family to see, no other friends around. 

“I’ll buy you as many gin and tonics as you can handle,” he finally said, wagging his eyebrows, “maybe more than you can handle, if you’re lucky.” A grin slowly spread across my lips as my eyes squinted at him, really testing the waters to see if he was serious.

“Fine, deal.” I caved. 

“Yes!” He exclaimed a little too loudly for our current setting. Danny shoved his shoulder, nearly toppling him over, as I slapped a hand over his mouth, giggling quietly in the crowded library. 

The more I watch him, now, the more I really do, for once, wish I was the dancing type. He looks so genuinely happy singing along and swaying his hips. Uncoordinated and awkward as he may be, he’s having fun. It isn't until one of the girls next to him turns around to back herself into him that I felt a different feeling entirely. As she swivels her ass back against him, his eyes shoot to mine immediately. 

I wasn’t expecting that. I barely have time to change the look on my face, let alone wrestle with the feeling in my gut before his eyes meet mine. My knee-jerk reaction is to raise my eyebrows at him and smile, giving him a weak thumbs up to show I’m impressed. He laughs, tossing his head back and mocking me with a returned thumbs up. 

I look back down at my phone on the table and contemplate faking an emergency to get some fresh air. When I chance a glance back up at the couple, I regret it immediately. The knot of regret in my belly comes from two distinct places. First, I was seeing something I really didn’t want to see: Sam’s hands wandering low on her hips, his middle finger tugging on her belt loop, pulling her closer to him with the rhythm of the music. Second, I was face to face with exactly the feeling I’d been pushing down since the moment I saw Sam walking toward me with Danny a year and a half ago. 

I’d been trying incredibly hard for months to compartmentalize my feelings for Sam. I knew he was off limits the second Danny had introduced him to me, but as cheesy as it sounds, the heart wants what it wants. I’d forced myself to look the other way when he’d smile at me. I’d told myself the way he touched my side was nothing more than a gesture. I’d pushed down all the butterflies I’d feel when he told me a secret or brushed his hair behind his ear. 

But tonight? There’s no stopping it. It hits me like a brick wall. I’m face to face with the reality that I’ve been falling for him all this time. It’s as I feel my heart rate begin to speed up and my breath come a little less evenly that I know I have to do something. Leaving isn’t an option. Way too obvious and I don't want to ditch him. I go with option two and order myself two more shots and a double gin and tonic. 

With a deep breath and a quick prayer that it wouldn't all come back up, I down the shots and the drink in the span of sixty seconds. After a few deep breaths, I decided to stop ‘being a drag’ as Sam had so eloquently put it. I brush my hair behind my ears and make my way to the dance floor. I keep my phone and glass of, now just ice, in my hand like some sort of security blanket as I weave through the crowd. At first, I was sure I didn’t want Sam to see me; I didn't want him to notice that I had ventured out into the sea of bodies. Of course I don't really know how this kind of thing works. I’m relying completely on the liquid courage to move me. When I assume I’ve made it to the middle of the crowd, I close my eyes and think back to all the cliched instructions I’d heard before. Things like: don’t move to the music, let the music move you. And, pretend no one’s watching. 

The more I feel the alcohol in my bloodstream, the more those cliches start to make sense. I sway there for a few moments, hips feeling the beat, before I feel a body press up against my back. 

“Sorry–” I start, turning around to see who I’d bumped into. 

“You’re good,” a pair of bright blue eyes replies, smiling. “This okay?” he asks, hands moving to my hips as he swayed us along to the song. I nod, a blush rising to my cheeks as he brings my hands up to place them around his neck. He hugs me closer as the song changes to something a little slower, the bass thumping so loudly, I feel it in my tummy. The song is something I’d heard before. A classic, but some modern, bastardized version of it. I smile thinking about how much Sam must be hating it. 

I continue thinking about Sam. As Blue Eyes’ hands creep a little lower on my back, I imagine they’re his. As the bassline in the song begins to build, I run my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and wish it was longer, softer, lighter. When I touch the tip of my nose to his neck, I imagine this is how Sam smells, warm, soft, and a little sweaty, but I press my lips against it anyway. I feel the groan vibrate out of his throat as his hands dare to dip into the back pockets of my jeans. 

My heart begins to race. Muted, thumping, and heavy, I feel it deep in my chest. Longing. Desire. Carnal and raw. I’m starting to understand the appeal of not being a wallflower on nights like tonight. 

“Sam,” I murmur. 

“It’s Ben,” he laughs. I pull back to look at him, humiliation painting my features. “It’s okay,” he says, lips at my ear.

And that’s when I see Sam walking toward me with a surprised smile on his face. He winks at me and backs away, but as soon as he does, I want him closer again. I want him to feel how I felt watching someone else’s hands all over him. The logical side of my brain tells me he won’t care. He doesn’t have feelings for you like that, why would he give a fuck? But, the very drunk, much louder, side of my brain is yelling at me to try anyway. 

With a smile, I look up at Ben and shake my head, “I’m fine!” I assure him. With my hands on his cheeks, I press my lips to his. In the back of my mind, I’m willing Sam to still be standing there. Ben gives into me, holding me tighter as his lips slot into mine. Getting brave, I lick into his mouth. 

“Mmph,” he grimaces, pulling back, “gin.” 

“Do I taste like a pine tree?” I ask, trying to taste my own breath. He chuckles and nods.   

“I hot pine tree, but a very drunk one,” he states. “Where are your friends?” he asks. I look over his shoulder to see Sam standing by the bar, fiddling with his straw, trying to make it look like he’s not watching me. I’m sure he’s imagining this is what it would be like to see a unicorn or, more likely a train wreck. Ben’s line of vision follows mine and when he and Sam make eye contact, Ben nods, signaling Sam to come over. 

What was supposed to be a sexy attempt to make him jealous now makes my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I feel like a kid getting in trouble. Sam sucks the rest of his drink down and abandons it on the bar to stalk toward us, a smug look on his face. 

“Hey,” he says loudly, over the music, “you good?” he asks. I nod. 

“I hope I see you again,” Ben says, kissing me on the cheek before meandering away from us. 

“What was that?” Sam asks. I bury my face in my hands and lean my forehead against Sam’s chest, groaning. 

“I’m so embarrassed,” I mumble. 

“What?” He calls, clearly unable to hear me.

“Can you just dance with me?” I look up at him, asking pathetically. 

He feigns shock and delight, gesturing to himself dramatically. “Moi?” 

I roll my eyes and make an attempt to escape to the bathroom, but he grabs my wrist and stops me. 

“Hey, hey hey,” he chuckles. “I’m teasing. Of course I’ll dance with you.” 

I let him pull me closer. The song changes again to something with a little more soul. Another classic, but this time with much less autotune and unnecessary techno- drum tracks. 

“Finally, someone in this hellhole has taste,” he yells. 

“Enough,” I laugh, hugging my arms around his neck. He reciprocates, holding me closer to him and moving to the beat of the music. I still feel a little stiff, despite the fact that I can barely feel my feet due to the amount of alcohol in my system. 

“You’ve gotta loosen up,” he says into my ear. His hands travel to my hips and he sways them for me. He’s joking at first, dramatically rocking them right to left, but when I pull back to look at him, his eyes are burning holes through mine. “Like this,” he says. He nods his head to the beat, lip caught between his teeth and hands at my hips again, this time taking another step impossibly closer, chest pressing against mine. 

I feel it again. The butterflies, fluttering so rapidly I fear I might vomit them all up. Instead, I close my eyes and focus on the way his hands feel on me. They’re warm and big and they’re slowly digging harder and harder into the skin at my waist. 

He’s signing along now and he takes a big step back, grabbing my hands in his and spins me around so that his chest is pressed to my back. Immediately I feel a shift in the energy between us. Maybe it’s the alcohol or maybe it’s the way I practically feel his heart hammering against my back, but whatever it is gives me the courage to test the waters and press my ass back against him.  

He seems to approve and shows me just that by bringing one hand around to rest over my belly button and the other to brush the hair over my shoulder so he can press his lips to the shell of my ear. 

“There you go,” he coaxes. 

That really is all the encouragement I need to let my hips move on their own accord, grinding against him slowly and as coordinated as I can. It takes all my focus to get the rhythm down, but the way he moves behind me helps me keep time. 

My right hand moves to cover his on my stomach and the left grips his thigh as I brace myself, letting him keep both of us upright. The hand on my stomach bravely slips under the hem of my top, resting just above my belly button. My heart is beating so forcefully that I’m sure he can hear it. I let my head loll back against his shoulder and as I look up at the bright flashy lights in the bar, I begin to feel dizzy. 

“Fuck, Sam,” I say, holding on to his arm a little tighter to keep my balance. I try to communicate that I need to sit down or go home or really be anywhere but here in this hot, crowded, flashy bar. 

“I know,” he says, squeezing at my waist again, misreading my signals entirely, “I’ve wanted this for so long.” My eyes dart open and at this point I’m sure it’s the gin messing with my perception. 

“Yeah?” I ask, standing up a little straighter, turning back around slowly in his arms to face him. 

“Shit, is it okay that I said that?” He asks, eyes searching mine, but his are just as glossy and gazed over. 

“Sam, I think we should go,” I say, convinced that he’s completely delusional and possibly even more fucked up than I am. He cringes visibly and runs his hand through his hair. “Come on.” I take his hand in mine and lead him through the crowd, past the bar and to the coat check. I rummage through my pockets, but realize Sam has our tickets. He reaches past me silently and hands them to the girl behind the counter. In turn, she hands us our coats. We shuffle past the group of people at the door and step out onto the street. 

The second we’re outside, the better I can breathe. The urge to vomit subsides and I can think a little more clearly. 

“Fuck, it’s freezing,” he winces, walking briskly down the sidewalk. It’s clear that denial and avoidance is the route he’s choosing and, truly, I can't blame him, considering that was the game I played with my feelings for him for as long as I’d known him. 

“Let’s Uber, please, my fingers are going to fall off,” I whine. “There’s no chance I’m making it all ten blocks back to my place.” 

“Just stay at mine, it’s only three blocks if you cut through the park,” he slows down slightly, allowing me to catch up. “Plus, nothing sobers you up like the brisk walk back home,” he explains.

“Fine,” I relent, not in the mood to argue, “but if my fingers freeze off from frostbite, you’re going to have to type all my papers next semester.”  

The walk back to his residence is, in fact, brisk. It’s also relatively quiet. Other than a few remarks from both of us about how cold it is and how much we wish we were already inside, it’s silent between us. 

I shiver underneath the awning of his building as he fumbles with this keycard. Finally, he swipes it and we’re inside. I follow him up the familiar path to room three hundred and fifteen. When he unlocks the door, I find Danny’s side of the room completely spotless. Bed made, desk chair pushed in, even his nightstand is tidy and clean. 

Sam’s side, on the other hand, as usual, looks like a bomb went off. There’s laundry littering the desk and unmade bed and open books and vinyl records covering every other surface. 

“Do you want the bathroom first?” He asks, gesturing to the tiny ensuite to the left. 

“No, you can go,” I offer. He doesn't seem to put up much of a fuss and grabs change of clothes before shutting the bathroom door behind him. 

I suddenly feel incredibly vulnerable. The room is dark except for the light from the street lamps shining in between the slats of the large blinds and the small salt lamp on Sam’s nightstand. I hug my coat tighter against me and sit on the edge of Danny’s bed. I do my best not to get lost in my thoughts as I hear the toilet flush and the water run from the sink. 

I hear it over and over as I stare at the mess of sheets and pillows on Sam’s bed. 

“I’ve wanted this for so long.” 

Surely he was just wasted and horny. He would have said that to anything with a pulse at that point. The more I thought about it, the more I could practically feel him, warm and hard against me as he moved his hips against my ass. The click of the bathroom door opening shocks me out of my own head. 

“All yours,” he offers, stepping into the bedroom in nothing but a pair of old boxers. Slut. 

Two could play this game. I hadn’t planned on sleeping over, of course, so I brought nothing with me. I rummaged through Danny’s drawers until I found a baggy t-shirt and take it with me into the tiny bathroom. I haphazardly rub at my face with what I beg, is a clean washcloth and some warm water in a very lame attempt to take my makeup off. Part of me knows I’ll regret even trying in the morning, but two AM me could not care less. I swish a capful of mouthwash around in my mouth and pray that does the trick for the time being. I look around for a brush after I change into the t-shirt, but can’t find one.

When I open the door to the bedroom, it’s a little brighter. Sam had turned on the small lamp on Danny’s nightstand. 

“Brush?” I ask, assuming that between the two of them there had to be one kicking around. 

“Top drawer,” he offers, gesturing to his dresser as he scrolls on his phone from under the covers. I try to ignore the way his eyes peek over the top of the screen and land on my bare thighs. 

I follow his direction and fish out a paddle brush from the drawer. Mindlessly, I brush through my hair and mosey back into the bathroom to drink as much water from the sink as I can before turning off the light and crawling into Danny’s bed. I reach over and click the light off, realizing that, thanks to the walk home and the bastardized nighttime routine, I’m feeling incredibly sober at this point. I thank God that I’m going to bed drunk, but wish I was fucked up enough to be able to pass out easily. I know that’s not going to be the case tonight. 

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Sam finally says. 

“Thanks for asking me,” I reply, stretching my legs in an attempt to get comfortable in the foreign bed. 

It’s quiet. Really quiet. I can’t hear cars or people outside the window. I can’t even hear Sam shuffling in the twin bed next to mine. All I can hear is the faint ringing in my ears and the sound of my own breathing. 

I don’t know what time I eventually fall asleep, but when I wake up, it's the first thing on my mind. Before I even open my eyes, I hear him say, “I’ve wanted this for so long.”  It’s still dark out. I lie still for a few moments in the eerie quietness of the early morning before I can’t take it anymore. 

As quietly as I can, I slip out from underneath the covers, grab my bra and top off the floor and zip my coat up over Danny’s t-shirt. It’s as I’m slipping my shoes on, that I look up to see Sam rolling over. I freeze like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar and hear the low, evenness of his breathing again, insinuating he’s fallen back asleep. 

I allow myself a good ten seconds to take in the sight before me. The only light in the room is emanating from the dim salt lamp on his nightstand. God damn him for looking so soft and perfect in the low, warm, pink light. His hair delicately falls onto his cheek as though it was placed there for a photograph. His bare back rises and falls slowly as he hugs the pillow underneath him. His lips are plump as his cheek, pressed against the pillow, squishes them into a pursed kiss. 

He looks so beautiful, I’m afraid that if I stand there looking at him any longer, I’ll cry. So, instead I click the door open. I think I’m in the clear until I hear him sleepily call my name. Fuck.

“Yeah?” I whisper, turning back to look at him as he squints up at me, the harsh fluorescents from the hallway tarnishing the picture painted by the warm light of the lamp. 

“Where are you going?” He whispers. 

“Um–” I start. 

“You don't have to go,” he grumbles, sitting up. 

“No, Sam it’s okay, go back to–” 

“I can’t go back to sleep thinking you’re leaving because of what I said,” he confesses. He looks so gentle and genuine and docile sitting in the mess and tangle of blankets. I sigh and close the door behind me, accepting that I won’t be escaping easily tonight. 

As I drop my bag back on Danny’s desk chair, Sam turns the other lamp on, illuminating the room further. I can see him more clearly now. I can see the sleep in his eyes, but there’s an urgency behind them, like his mind is far more attentive than his body is at this hour of the night. 

He leans back against the wall, facing Danny’s bed, sheets covering him from the waist down. I can feel his eyes track me as I shrug my coat off, left once again in only Danny’s oversized t-shirt. I crawl into Danny’s bed and mirror his position. Facing him with the covers pulled up around my hips. It’s quiet for a moment, but the silence is saying so much. 

“I thought you were just wasted,” I grin, unable to make eye contact. He breathes a laugh out of his nostrils. 

“I was,” he confesses, “but…I stand by it. I’ve thought about pretty much that exact scenario quite a few times.” I can feel the blush rise to my cheeks as I pull my knees up to my chest and cross my arms over them. I rest my chin on my forearms and look directly at him, hoping that by making myself smaller, I can hide away from the very real panic bustling up my chest. “Please say something, you’re killing me, here,” he laughs uncomfortably. 

“I have too,” I finally admit. His face lights up at that and I feel my heart start to pound. I imagine it keeping time with his, the beats in sync with one another. 

“Yeah?” He smiles. I nod. “Cool.”

“Cool.” I echo. It’s quiet again and I can't help but notice the way he’s shifted in his bed, the blankets falling lower on his torso. 

“I really want to kiss you,” he admits, boldly. “Can I kiss you?” 

I nod again. “Yeah, you can kiss me.” When he doesn't move, I begin to feel dread rise in my throat before he says:

“I wanted to make a move but… you’re gonna have to come to me,” he says. “Don’t think I could, in good conscience, make out with you in Danny’s bed.” I laugh and throw the cover off of my legs, sliding off of the bed and taking the three steps over to Sam’s. He welcomes me by lifting his duvet, making room for me to join him under the covers. 

“Better,” he says, once we’re side by side. His hand reaches out to cup my cheek and he shakes his head and chuckles in disbelief as he leans in to press his lips against mine. 

Everyone always describes magical first kisses with someone as fireworks, but this doesn't feel explosive at all. It’s hot, yes, I’m warm all over, but I’d describe the heat more like lava. It’s slow, languid, all consuming. His hand moves from my cheek, around to the back of my neck, pulling me in closer, guiding me. 

Our kiss breaks with a smacking sound. “Sam?” I murmur. He hums in reply. “What about Danny?” 

“You’re thinking about Danny right now?” He pulls away to look at me, hand still in my hair. I can’t help but laugh, lips hovering over his. 

“I just– I don't want to fuck things up with our friends.” I admit. “Like will things be weird when everyone’s back?” 

A sly smile grows on his lips. “They already know.”

“They– how?” I ask, pulling back to see his face clearly. 

“No, not about– this–” he gestures between us, “but Danny definitely knows how I feel about you.” 

“Oh,” I smile. “Okay, and he wasn’t weird about it?” 

“Who do you think gave me the idea to beg you to go with me tonight?” He asks. That’s all the validation I need before climbing into his lap and kissing him again. The sound that comes from the back of his throat as I straddle his hips is enough to bring me to my knees. His hands grab at my waist as mine tangle in his hair. I can’t help but smile to myself as he sucks my lower lip into his mouth. It was starting to get pathetic, the amount of times I’d dreamt of this moment with Sam. 

The kiss gets heavy fast as I test the waters by ever so slightly swiveling my hips in his lap. His lips move to my neck as his hands on my waist replicate the motion by moving them himself. I can’t contain the huffs of air coming from my open mouth as he controls my hips just like he had when we were dancing at the bar.  

“Oh my God, Sam,” I whisper. He responds by biting into the flesh at the juncture of my neck and shoulder. 

“Lay down for me?” He asks quietly. I obey, climbing off his lap and resting my head on his pillow. 

“This okay?” I ask, lifting the baggy t-shirt up above my belly button, implying that I’m ready to take it off. Sam kneels above me, straddling my hips, looking down at the exposed skin and reaching out to touch. 

“What if I wanna do that part?” he asks. 

“You wanna take my shirt off, Sam?” I tease, returning the smile. He nods, reaching for the hem. 

“Um–” I take his hand in mine, stopping his actions. “Where are your manners?” His lips part like he’s about to speak, but then shut into a sly grin. 

“Well, excuse me.” He puts his hand on his chest, sinking down to sit on my thighs that are spread slightly below him. “Not very polite of me, was it?” He takes my hands in his and lifts them above my head until they’re pinned against the pillow. His lips hover centimeters from mine when he says, “May I, pretty please–”

“–with a cherry on top–” 

“–with a cherry on top, see your beautiful body?” 

“‘Course you can.” I smile, pursing my lips out to reach his. He kisses me back with fervor, hands trailing down my arms and down to my sides, sliding under my shirt. His hands are warm and calloused, but not rough like I’d expect a musician’s to be. He keeps kissing me as his hands explore my torso, finally cupping my breasts. I break the kiss with a gasp as he kneads them roughly, lips moving back to my neck. I hum out my satisfaction as he contrasts the firm grasp he has on me with gentle, wet, sucking kisses to my neck.  

His hands begin their path south as do his lips. I arch my back to accommodate him pulling the t-shirt over my head to toss onto the floor. 

“Perfect,” he mumbles, looking me over and leaning back down to press kisses to my sternum and down to my belly button. The fingers of his left hand move to hook into the waistband of my underwear and I feel panic rise up in me. 

“Wait, wait,” I gasp, grabbing his hand. Sam pulls away to look at me, eyebrows furrowed with concern. “I just… I’ve never…” 

“Oh, shit I’m sorry,” he tries to understand. “Oh, that’s okay, we don’t have to–” He sits up immediately, wiping the spit from his chin and running a hand through his hair. 

“No, no, I’m not, like– I’m not a virgin, I just,” I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing myself for the words that are about to come out of my mouth. “No one’s ever–”

“No one’s ever gone down on you before?” He asks. I shake my head. “Ever?” He clarifies. 

“I mean I guess I don’t blame my boyfriend in highschool and the guy I was seeing last year just said he wasn’t into it,” I shrug. 

“But he probably expected you to blow him, right?” Sam asks, leaning back in toward me, his elbow resting on the bed between my hip and the wall. 

“Yeah, I guess. We didn’t date for that long, though, and–”

Sam interrupts me with a call of my name and then proceeds, “I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do, but,” his eyes wander up and down my body and his hand sneaks below the fabric of my shirt, toying with the elastic of my underwear. “I really want to go down on you.” I feel the heat in my cheeks and I know I must be bright red. 

“You want to?” I question, finding it hard to believe. “I thought guys just put up with doing it. Like it was a chore or something.” The smirk that slowly rises to Sam’s lips will be permanently etched into the fabric of my mind. 

Sam clicks his tongue disappointedly, sitting up to hover over me once again. “You were wasted on such selfish lovers,” he says, lowering his body down on top of mine and kissing the skin just above my breast, his lips trail higher and higher, sucking a line of kisses up to my ear before whispering, “can I show you?” he asks, “can I show you how good it can be? For both of us?”

“Okay.” I breathe, tilting my hips up to grind against his, showing him how much I want just that. He groans into my neck as he grinds his hips down to meet mine. I can feel how hard he is and it makes me dizzy with desire. “Okay I want you to.”

“Promise me,” he confirms. 

“I promise,” I nearly laugh. “Believe me, I want you to.” 

“Okay,” he whispers, kissing my cheek. “Thank you,” another kiss to my jaw, “thank you,” kiss, “thank you,” kiss, until he’s pressing the most gentle pecks to the skin above my belly button. He looks up at me beneath his eyelashes and I can’t quite see him over the swell of my breasts, so I shift up onto my elbows, gaining confidence. 

“You look good between my legs, Kiszka,” I smirk as he, once again, hooks his fingers into the waistband of my underwear and pulls them down my thighs. Gently, he spreads my knees apart and gets down on his stomach between them. The confidence I had built from Sam practically begging to eat me out shrivels and dies the second he’s face to face with the most intimate part of me, but once again dissipates as he presses kisses to the insides of my thighs and pubic bone. 

“You look pretty good from this angle, too.” He says before finally licking one slow stripe up my center. He closes his eyes and I thank God because I’m sure the way I’m practically drooling and sweating watching him do this is the farthest from sexy I could get. Slowly and methodically, he licks up and down my center, getting me used to the feeling of his tongue on the sensitive skin. 

Just when I’ve started to collect my breath, he flattens his tongue and adds more pressure to his licks, flicking his tongue up at the end as he reaches my clit. 

“Oh, fuck,” my hips jump away from the mattress at the feeling of the tip of his tongue teasing me. His right hand moves from where it was at my side to flatten over the skin below my belly button, attempting to hold me still against the bed. 

He surprises me by alternating licks with gentle sucking my clit between his lips. I squirm underneath him, releasing my elbows from underneath me, no longer strong enough to hold myself up when I feel his finger slip between my folds. 

His lips and tongue focus on drawing firm, wet circles around my clit as his finger slowly slides into me. 

“I need you, Sam,” I moan with my face turned to the side, voice muffled into the pillow. “Fuck me. Please.”

“Gonna make you cum first, gorgeous,” he says, “can you do that for me?’ I nod. “Tell me,” he pleads, “tell me you’ll cum for me.”

“I will,” I promise as he adds another finger.

“You will what?” he taunts. 

“I’ll cum, I’ll cum,” I huff as his fingers pick up speed. 

“Cum for who?” He continues his interrogation. 

As I’m about to answer, he curls his fingers upward inside me, causing me to gasp and yell, “you! Fuck, I’m gonna cum for you.”

“Alright, alright, no need to shout,” he grins, using his lips to return to the work he’d started on my clit. 

“Fuck you,” I groan with absolutely no malice, gripping the sheets in my hands as he licks and sucks at me.

I know he can tell I’m close by the way he keeps his pace with his fingers and tongue and I cum around his fingers moments later. 

“Thank you,” I breathe as he kisses my thighs while I come down. “Come here,” I reach out for him. He crawls up beside me and kisses my cheek. I turn my face to the side and catch his lips in a kiss. I move to sit up and he makes room for me to press him back against the foot of the bed, straddling his hips. 

“I don’t think we’re very fairly matched here,” I say looking down at the layer of fabric between us.  

“Allow me,” he says, reaching down to pull his boxer briefs off. 

“Ah, ah, ah–” I stop him. “What if I wanna do that part?” I parrot his sentiment from earlier. He crosses his arms behind his head, fully relaxing into the mess of sheets and pillows underneath him. 

“By all means,” he smiles up at me. I lean down to kiss his lips as my hands palm the hard bulge between his legs. He moans into my mouth as I squeeze and pump his cock over his underwear before sliding them down his legs. 

My lips press against his cheek, down his neck and back up to his ear. “Are you gonna fuck me, Sam?” I ask, hand reaching back down to palm at his now bare cock. 

“Jesus,” he sighs as I lick the shell of his ear, gaining momentum with my strokes. 

“Hmm?” I press. 

“Yeah,” he says, “yeah I’m gonna fuck you.” I hum approval in his ear as I line myself up over him. 

“Gonna let me ride you?” I ask, teasing the tip against my center. 

“Yeah,” he breathes, “you think you’re ready to go again? Not too sensitive?” he asks, reaching down to brush his finger over my clit. 

“Fuck you,” I flinch at his touch, breath huffing out of me in a laugh. He leans up to kiss me again, sliding his tongue into my mouth and his hand into my hair as I lower down onto him. I stay still for a moment, adjusting to the size of him before lifting up and back down experimentally. 

“Yeah, that’s so good,” he praises. I find a rhythm, bouncing up and down, feeling him slide almost all the way out before going back in again. I brace myself with my hands flat on his chest as he holds my ass in his hands and pumps up into me harder and faster. 

“Oh my God, Sam,” I huff, trying to catch my breath as he hits my g-spot over and over. I reach down between us to circle my clit, chasing the orgasm I can feel building again. When Sam notices, he sits up, causing me to fall onto my back on the bed as he repositions himself and before I have time to think, he’s moving behind me so that we’re both on our sides. 

“C’mere,” he says, taking my knee and lifting it under his forearm, spreading me open once again. “Can you hold your leg open for me?” he asks, pressing kisses to my neck as he repositions himself at my entrance. I agree, taking my leg, as he did, hooking in the crook of my arm. “Perfect, you’re doing so good. You’re perfect.” 

I rest my head down on the pillow as he slips back inside of me, finding that same rhythm, but this time, snaking his hand down under my arm to touch me. I feel his lips at my ear as he rocks his hips against me, dragging his cock in and out and this new angle feels even better. I know I’m not far from another orgasm, and that’s confirmed when Sam’s fingers trace down my stomach and start to circle my clit. 

Our breaths become more and more ragged and desperate as we climb toward release together. 

“I’m gonna cum again, Sam.” I whine, clenching around him and before I know it, that warm, tingly euphoric feeling is washing over me. Sam moans and curses, face buried into my hair as he pulls out and finishes in his hand. 

“Fuck,” he breathes, and it’s quiet for a few moments before he brushes my hair to out of my face and presses soft kisses to the back of my neck. 

“I don’t think I have the energy to change these sheets,” I admit. 

“Oh absolutely not,” he agrees. 

“Don’t tell Danny?” I suggest, motioning to Danny’s bed, implying that it’s a more suitable option for us tonight. 

“Don’t tell Danny.” Sam laughs in agreement. 

Masterlist

Taglist:

@doodle417 @gvfrry @spicedandicedtea @yeehawbesties @samkiszkalover @gretavansteph @saoirsemaeve @mannick @theweightofjake @basiccortez @lallisonl @sammiejane22 @loofypoofy @sammyslappers @gretavanfleas @jakeyboiiiiiii @angelqueen99 @keighoe @myownparadise96 @gretavanbitches @kittykiszka @s0livagant @hallecat17 @aconfusedhippie @katie-gvf @UnfortunatelyKristin @ageoferin @gretavanbestie @jordierama @writingcold @erin-rose-hackl @fuzzybatpersonafan @buttrry @mamalikesgvf

[concreteburialplot]

Wallflower 🌸

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x Fem!Reader

Series Masterlist: Here | Crossposted: ao3 | Word Count: 7.6k

Summary: Overwhelmed at your first college party, you catch the attention of the most popular guy in the room. Not only does he offer a comforting escape from the chaos, but he also provides a place to stay when your roommate kicks you out for a hookup.

Warnings: mutual pining, panic attacks, overstimulation, alcohol consumption, college parties, frat boy!danny lol, minor altercation / brief angry sam, hint of forbidden twin?, weed, one bed trope technically?, very soft, enchanted by TS vibes, eventual smut in future parts, 18+ MDNI

A/N; This is my first fic for gvf, pls be kind 🥲 - this is a work of fiction and does not reflect any members of the band or their real lives/actions/etc. - i hope you like it 🥲💞🌸

It was only your 3rd weekend away at university and your extremely extroverted roommate somehow talked you into a frat party. You followed Katie into a massive, bustling house illuminated only by strobe and neon lights. The air was thick and hazy with cigarette and marijuana smoke, making your nose scrunch up at the pungent smell. 

She pressed a gentle but firm hand on your back and nudged you forward, not realizing until then that you had been frozen in place.

Katie somehow managed to glide through the crowd effortlessly, skillfully maneuvering without bumping into anyone. She even asked someone for directions to the kitchen, to which they eagerly pointed out the way. It was so foreign to you, the concept of speaking to strangers and receiving such kindness in return so quickly. Perhaps it was her brighter face and friendlier persona that made the difference. 

Following the directions from a blonde girl wearing only a bikini, you made your way across the house into a surprisingly spacious kitchen. The room had an unconventional layout, resembling a triangle with an oddly-shaped island at its center. 

There were people scooting around the edges of the crowded kitchen trying to reach the liquor bottles and jell-o shots strewn across the counters. Surrounding the ample island were party goers all engaged in a rowdy conversation. You followed their focus to the one commanding their attention and landed on what could quite possibly be the most beautiful man you’d ever seen. Long brunette hair flowed past his shoulders and had a slight wave that framed his face perfectly. Even in the dim light of the kitchen you could make out the sharpness of his features. The air in your lungs seemed to vanish and your ears tuned out the booming laughter and thumping party music. Your chest swelled with a feeling of rampant heart rate and your stomach dropped into a flurry of butterflies. Suddenly, you felt even smaller and more out of place than you’d ever felt perhaps in your entire life.

Your life-of-the-party, sunshiney roommate wrapped her fingers around your wrist and dragged you to the group of people on the opposite side of the island, next to where the stunning man stood. She made it to a tall male in a t-shirt with cropped sleeves, large enough to show his ribs.

“Danny!” Katie exclaimed, getting his attention.

“Oh hey!” He smiled wide as he turned away from the counter to face her. “You made it!”

“Y/N this is Danny,” She gestured to the boy with dark curly hair that was tucked beneath a backwards cap, “I met him at the bookstore yesterday.”

You wondered what sort of magic Katie possessed that allowed her to make friends everywhere she went.

He kept a kind smile on his lips as he waved to you.

“Hey.” You sheepishly smiled and waved back to him.

Your roommate gestured back to you, “Danny this is Y/N.”

He gave you a soft grin before directing his attention back to your roommate. “Did you ever get your textbook situation figured out?”

The party had only grown more unruly in the short time you’d been there. You slunk into the background of the lively kitchen until your hips met the cold counter. You tugged at the pink top Katie had lent to you in an attempt to cover a bit more of your midsection. Not only had she persuaded you to party tonight, she also convinced you to borrow some of her clothes, since yours were too “casual comfy”. She managed to get you into a baby tee paired with a high-waisted white skirt paired with your usual white Converse. You didn’t necessarily feel exposed or vulnerable in the outfit, it was just not your preferred level of comfort.

Loud cheering rang through the house and even though you could tell it was from a distance, the loud sound still made you wince. Almost immediately afterwards, a clearly wasted man in a tank stop shoved his way past you, pushing you into the granite counter. The encounter caused you to tuck your crossed arms even tighter against your body. 

“Sam,” Danny spoke over the blaring music to the male that was keeping the group laughing to get his attention. “Sam,” He repeats, though the lanky boy was too caught up in whatever conversation he was in to notice. Danny gently tapped his shoulder which finally got the boy to look over at him. “I’m gonna go find Josh.” He nearly yelled over the music and thumbed over his shoulder towards the living room.

“Okay.” The male nodded in acknowledgment.

Just as his gaze fell from his friend, it landed on you. It was clear that he didn’t expect there to be anything to get his attention as he blinked to do a subtle double take. His eyes flickered over to his friends across from the geometric-shaped island. He snapped right back into the flowing banter like a puzzle piece. The ease of how swiftly he melted back into the conversation reminded you a lot of Katie and her magic socializing powers.

While Katie didn’t originally know the people beside you, it only took for her to ask them to pass the tequila for a friendship to be born and for you to have a mixed drink in your hand. You swirled the contents of your plastic red cup, watching as the ice cubes crashed into each other. It felt as though you’d faded into the background and became one with the cabinets and counters. You weren’t anywhere near as outgoing as her and you knew nobody else at the party. It was just you and the shitty alcoholic punch that was quickly getting watered down in your cup.

“Well, you sure look like you’re having fun.” Spoke a voice from beside you. It wasn’t until then that you realized you had zoned out. Your eyes snapped up to the now half-empty kitchen, and you wonder when it was that everyone cleared out, including your roommate. Finally, you followed the voice and trailed your eyes up to find the long-haired boy from before.

Your cheeks heated up and your gaze immediately dropped back down to your cup. “Oh um, yeah.” You forced a quick smile back up at him. “Having a great time.”

He let out a laugh that was more reminiscent of one someone would offer after a witty joke. “Well that was incredibly convincing.” He said sarcastically although his tone was light and playful.

You could feel the redness spreading on your cheeks getting caught in your (quite obvious) lie. “I just don’t know anyone here.” While it was the truth, it wasn’t exactly the whole reason you were miserable. “Except for my roommate, who,” You sighed and motioned towards where she had stood before. “Disappeared on me.” You let your arm fall to your side in utter defeat.

“Well, let’s fix that.” He said, holding out his hand. “Hi, I’m Sam, I’ve also been known to go by Sammy, Sammy Boy, whatever tickles your fancy really.” He grinned, big and wide, and most importantly, kind .

You offered a small, timid smile back before reaching out and slipping your hand into his. “Y/N.”

His smile only grew as he firmly grasped your hand and gave it a good, firm shake. “An honor to make your acquaintance.” 

You couldn’t help but giggle at all his eccentric verbiage. “Nice to meet you too, Sam.”

The alcohol must’ve been hitting your system more than you thought since you probably would’ve barely been able to speak a single word to this man if you had been sober.

“Is this your party?” You asked, trying to cover your bases before talking any more shit about the ensemble.

He laughed hard that time, “Me? In a fraternity? God no.” He shook his head and took a sip of his beer. “It seems like everyone ended up at this party, even you, Wallflower.” He offered a playful smile.

Your cheeks burned hot at the nickname even though it was meant to be comical. “Oh,” You chuckled nervously and your gaze fell back to your red cup. “Parties just aren’t my thing, my roommate just dragged me here.”

“What couldn’t you like about a party like this?” He stepped back and stretched his arms wide. If you weren’t mistaken, his tone sounded half facetious. He smiled then stepped back towards you. “Besides the god-awful music, of course.” He kept his grin as he took a sip from his beer bottle, a lime wedge clunking against the glass walls.

You chuckled at his theatrics, he was quickly becoming one of the most interesting people you’d ever met. “The music isn’t so bad, not really my taste but, it’s not the worst part.” You shrugged. “It’s mainly the people.” Your gaze followed past the boy, through the kitchen arch entrance into the living room where the hoard of college students danced and mingled. “Too many people.” 

“You sound like my brother Jake.” He laughed fondly. “He loves to party, but with the right people. That’s why he’s not up here. My other brother though,” He peeked over his shoulder at the party. “He’s in there somewhere having the time of his life right now.”

“And you?” You questioned, turning your face up to him. “Why aren’t you out there?”

The corners of his mouth turned up like it was the easiest thing in the world, like forming a smile was what he was born to do. “Well, because I’m talking to you, silly.” He stated as if it was obvious.

Heat rushed to your cheeks once more. “Oh, well I don’t wanna keep you from your friends.” You shook your head and tried to keep your eyes on him as you spoke but failed and your gaze fell back to the melting ice in your cup. “I’m sure they’re waiting for you.”

“I’m not in a rush.” He replied simply, keeping his focus earnestly on you. “I’m sure that I’m the last thing on their minds right now.” He joked.

“I suppose you’re probably right.” You chuckled and met his eyes.

Suddenly, a visibly wasted frat boy fashioned in a neon green tank top shoved his way between the both of you. The abrasive action not only shoved Sam backwards but also bumped into your cup splashing a bit of drink onto your shirt. You gasped at the unexpected force then hissed at the coldness now spreading across your skin. 

Sam set his beer down harshly on the island, hard enough for the glass clank to ring through the small space. “What the fuck man?” His tone was irritated but not quite angry yet, until his eyes noticed the blue alcohol bleeding across your baby pink top. 

The boy, who looked like his name was Kyle, drunkenly smirked at the remark, as if irritating Sam seemed like fun to him. “You should be thanking me for getting your girl wet.” 

You’d only known Sam all of maybe 30 minutes but you could tell he wasn’t one to pick fights, however you questioned that truth when you watched his brows lower at the male. He stepped towards him with a strongly pointed finger. “Really bold of you to be so disrespectful to someone who could easily get your ass kicked out of here.”

The boy scoffed at him, “Oh what are you gonna do, ban me from every party?” He asksd as if it’s a joke.

“That exactly.” Sam stated calmly though you could tell it was anger he was suppressing. “I know every fucker in this house, all I’ve gotta do is point you out, and boom,” He shrugged casually. “Say goodbye to every party of the year.”

It was obvious that the boy only half believed him but the threat of being exiled from the campus’ largest and most anticipated parties had his eyes widening. 

“That’s what I thought.” His arm swung towards the kitchen exit. “Now get the fuck out, and don’t let me see you again.”

He nodded quickly and sped out of the kitchen. When Sam’s gaze returned to you it quickly softened and his hands immediately found your arms to comfort you. “I’m so sorry.” He apologized even though it wasn’t his fault. His eyes landed on your chest though you knew it wasn’t disrespectful. “Here.” He swiftly pivoted behind you to snag the roll of paper towels, snapping off a few squares before dampening them in the metal sink beside you. He brought the dampened pieces and went to help clean your shirt but stopped himself before making contact. His chocolatey eyes snapped up to you with a look of apology. “May I?” 

You were stunned by everything that had just occurred so you just nodded. His touches were gentle, patting the colorful stain away. “I’m sorry that happened. I know you just said how you were already overwhelmed with everything.”

You sucked a breath in through your nose trying to steady your breathing, attempting to act normal even though the event overstimulated you enough to border a panic attack. “No it’s okay, I just-“ You closed your eyes and let your chest fall as you exhaled. “This stuff is just, it’s a lot.” You kept your focus off of him feeling somewhat ashamed of it. You’re in college, something so minor at a party shouldn’t bother you, right?

He paused his actions to glance up at you before returning to his work on your shirt. “Don’t apologize. Like I said, my older brother Jake doesn’t like crowds either.” He informed softly, taking extra care to not touch you too much or make you uncomfortable. “I’m used to this.” His shoulders pulled into a shrug. 

“Thanks.” You nodded, grateful for his kindness. You allowed a quiet fall between you as you focused on calming down. After a bit of him going back and forth with new paper towels with little success, you sighed looking down at the vibrant blue splotch. “It’s okay, it doesn’t look like it’s gonna come out.”

The edge of his mouth curved into a slight frown knowing that despite his best efforts, you were right. “I’m sorry.” He added the last used paper towel onto the pile beside you. “Hey, let me at least get you a fresh shirt.”

After cleaning up the mess of paper towels, he led you away from the crowd and upstairs to rows of ample bedrooms. 

“I thought you weren’t a part of this frat?” You asked as he went directly to a specific door. 

“I’m not,” He twisted the doorknob to a surprisingly empty bedroom. The rest of them seemed to be …preoccupied. The room looked like a stereotypical college dorm just in an elaborate fancy house. There were sports posters on each side of the walls above two separate beds, along with soccer and golf gear spread over the floor. It was surprisingly clean but you wondered if that was by design, if it was only clean because they anticipated having company tonight. Without turning the light on, Sam found his way to a wooden dresser and dug through it. You furrowed your brows in confused concern since he just informed you that this was in fact not his room. If you knew him better you’d scold him and ask what he was doing rifling through someone else’s belongings but you held your tongue in favor of curiosity. 

The moonlight peering through the window casted a sparkling light across his features. He seemed to glow, the light loved his smooth tan skin, the sharp edges of his face and the honey in his eyes. It felt wrong to ogle at him like he was some Greek sculpture but you couldn’t help it. He was just so beautiful .

You promptly averted your stare when he finally turned back to you and held out a folded shirt flat on two hands like a gift. “That guy your friend was talking to in the kitchen? That’s my best friend Danny.” He smiled fondly, evidently proud of his friendship. “He does live here and so I end up crashing here all the time so, I have some backup clothes.” He tilted his head to the shirt. “It’s clean, you can borrow it for the night if you want.”

You couldn’t help the small smile that crept up to your lips at his gesture. You gently took the rusty brown shirt and thanked him. He led you to the nearest empty bathroom for you to change.

Being alone in a bathroom at a party tended to be a great place to gauge where your head was at so, when you stood in front of the mirror and assessed yourself you noticed a couple things. You looked absolutely ridiculous with the giant blue splotch across your chest. There was a slight warm redness in your cheeks indicated that you were a little tipsy but not enough to numb your fingers or lips. And finally, a fluttering had made home in your tummy and a smitten grin kept threatening to creep across your lips. You wondered if the pink in your cheeks was truly the alcohol or something else entirely. 

After you changed into the borrowed shirt, you stepped out of the bathroom to find Sam leaning against the stairway railing mindlessly waiting for you. Once his eyes finally landed on you, the edges of his mouth tugging into a smooth and soft smile. “Ah, it looks great on you!” He exclaimed with an arm stretched out to his side before softly landing on your shoulder. 

The warmth in your cheeks worsened at his compliment, which you quickly tried to squash by telling yourself that he’s just being nice. “Thanks.” You replied in a voice smaller than you intended. 

If this had been any other night, with anyone else, you would’ve definitely already been on your way home by now, but you couldn’t possibly cheat yourself out of time with the most interesting person you’d ever met. Even so, the idea of going back to the chaos downstairs wasn’t appealing at all. 

Almost as if he could read your mind, he straightened up a bit like he’d just thought of an idea. “By chance, do you happen to play pool?”

Your brows furrowed and your head tilted slightly like a confused puppy. “Um, a little, a long time ago. I don’t really remember how though.”

His lips tugged into a wide smile. “Perfect! Let me show you something, follow me.”

Now, it wasn’t your brightest moment, letting a random boy at a party lead you downstairs into a basement but for whatever reason you trusted him. He was far too kind to be devious – besides, what sort of sinister person wears a cream-colored knit sweater to a frat party?

You followed him down some carpeted steps into a brick-lined basement. You looked around the room taking it in fully. While it was still busy with people, the atmosphere was much different. The music was softer, and the chatter wasn’t nearly as loud. The room was full of games, from pool tables to air hockey to darts and even some arcade games. It was accompanied by an espresso-colored leather couch and wooden bar stocked with what looked like every bottle of liquor imaginable. The basement was much more your speed than upstairs would ever be.

Sam must’ve noticed your amazement, giving you a tiny smirk. “Much better, isn’t it?”

“Worlds better.” You grinned up at him in gratitude, though a twinkle of fear sparked in your stomach at the thought that he may just leave you there to rejoin his friends upstairs.

That worry melted away when he was instantly greeted by nearly everyone in the room. You were beginning to learn that he had friends everywhere he went. The only one you recognized was Danny from earlier which surprised you since he seemed like the life of the party earlier and it was his party after all. Next to him stood a shorter boy with long brown hair somewhat reminiscent to Sam’s. In opposition to Sam’s sweater, this boy wore a button down held together only by the last two buttons before being tucked into his jeans. Your eyes couldn’t help but follow the long corded, crystal necklace that laid down his exposed chest. When you heard Sam’s voice beginning introductions, you blinked your eyes up to the mystery boy’s face only to find his eyes already on yours with a smirk. Your cheeks burned in hopes that neither of them noticed your wandering eyes. 

“Well you already met Danny, but this is my brother Jake.” Sam grinned introducing him. “Jake this is Y/N, Y/N this is Jake.” He gestured between you both. 

Jake smiled at you but you took note of the corner of his lip curling into another smirk. “Nice to meet you, Y/N.” He pulled the pool stick he was using off the table until he stood it up beside him holding it like a staff. 

“Hey.” Your lips tugged into a tightlipped smile as you tucked a loose piece of hair behind your ear before waving at him. 

Sam then grinned wide and clapped his hands together, startling you a bit. “Okay! Now you said that you don’t know how to play, right?”

“Not really, no.” You shook your head, stepping back to turn towards the vacant pool table parallel to the one Jake and Danny were playing on. Your eyes lingered on the green fabric table top and tugged your bottom lip between your teeth as you realized that you absolutely did not remember how to play. 

Sam noticed your lingering apprehension and placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "Don't worry, it's easy! I'll walk you through it, Wallflower." He said the nickname in a playful manner, poking light fun at your timidness.

Out of the corner of your eye you caught Jake take note of the nickname and it made you wonder why - was it because it was clear why it was your nickname or the fact that Sam had already given you one?

He picked up a pool cue and handed it to you, demonstrating how to hold it properly. "First, you want to get your grip right. Hold it like this," he said, gently taking your hands and positioning them on the cue. His touch was soft but firm, and resembled electricity against your skin.

You tried to mimic his stance, but it felt awkward and unnatural. Sensing your struggle, Sam stepped closer, his chest barely brushing against your back. "Here, let me help you," he murmured, his breath warm against your ear. His hands gently adjusted your grip and guided your arm into the correct position. "Now, keep your eye on the ball you're aiming for."

You nodded, trying to focus despite the buzzing in your stomach. Sam's presence was both comforting and extremely nerve-wracking. "Like this?" you asked, lining up your shot.

"Exactly," he confirmed with a large, prideful smile. "Now, just take a deep breath and strike."

You took a breath, steadying your nerves, and struck the cue ball. It rolled smoothly across the table, colliding with the intended target and sending it into a pocket. Your eyes widened in surprise and delight. "I did it!"

Sam laughed, clearly pleased with your success. "See? I told you it was easy."

As you and Sam continued to play, Jake wandered over, with a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Hey Sam, I got a few pointers to give, don’t you mind?" he asked, already picking up a pool cue before the other answered. 

Sam’s tone and deadpanning glare made it obvious that he was used to but far too old for the competitive big brother behavior. "Alright, Jake, let's see what great pointers you got." Sam rolled his eyes already knowing where this was leading but stepped back with a good-natured chuckle to keep peace. 

Jake sauntered over, exuding a casual confidence with every step. While he and Sam both oozed confidence, they were much different in their own ways. Sam was self-assured in the way he could be the center of attention in any room by being solely his authentic self. Jake’s composed demeanor was different. He didn’t make himself the center of attention in the room, he just was - you’d barely been in the room 60 seconds before he captivated you.

Jake stood beside you, his presence more imposing than Sam's, but there was a playful glint in his eyes. "Alright, Y/N, let's see how you're holding that cue."

You showed him the way Sam had taught you hold, feeling slightly nervous under his intense gaze. He shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Nah, you've got it wrong. Here, let me show you."

He moved behind you, much like Sam had, but his approach was different. Jake's hands were firmer, his touch more assertive. He adjusted your grip with a practiced ease, his fingers lingering on yours for a moment longer than necessary. "You need to be more confident with your shot," he said, his voice low and smooth. "Pool is as much about attitude as it is about skill."

Sam watched from a distance, his expression unreadable. You tried to focus on Jake's instructions, but his proximity was a bit overwhelming. "Like this?" you asked, adjusting your stance under his guidance.

"Exactly," Jake replied, his breath warm against the shell of your ear. The sensation alone had goosebumps erupt across your skin. "Now, don't hesitate. Just go for it."

You struck the cue ball, and it collided with the intended target, sending it into a pocket with a satisfying clink. Jake's grin widened. "See? Not bad at all."

You glanced over at Sam across the room, who surprisingly gave you a thumbs up, his smile genuine despite the shift in dynamic. "Nice shot, Y/N!" he called out.

Jake stepped back, leaning against the table with a satisfied look. "Alright, Sammy boy, she's all yours again," he said with a perpetual smirk and a wink in your direction.

Sam rejoined you, his demeanor as warm and patient as ever towards you but you caught him shooting a slight glare over at Jake. "Great job, Y/N. You did so good!" Even though Jake’s proximity had your heart thumping, you were happy to have Sam’s comforting presence back.

Blood rushed to your cheeks at the compliment, “Thanks.” You replied meekly. Between Sam being well, Sam, and Jake’s oddly competitive behavior, you had to admit that you were a tad overwhelmed with it all. Although, it wasn’t necessarily an entirely bad feeling just, a lot for someone who never went out all that much before. It was a lot and your social battery was quickly depleting.

You ended up finishing your rounds with Sam while Jake and Danny continued to play their own game. Every so often you found yourself peeking over at Jake who was cool and focused with a cigar perched between his fingers. 

Surprisingly, you won your game but wondered if Sam had let you win. Regardless of whether your success was genuine, it filled you with a rush of accomplishment. If the night hadn’t been so long already you might’ve even initiated another game, but the ache of sleep started to weigh heavy on your bones. 

You rounded the table with a smile wider than you’ve had in weeks, thinking that maybe college wouldn’t be as scary as you spent so much time stressing over. 

“Thanks for teaching me.” You used both hands to keep the cue in place while you leaned against it tiredly. 

“Ah, you were a great student.” He waved away your politeness. 

You blinked up at him, finally able to see his face clearly in the better lighting of the basement. He looked even more striking under the warm glow, the soft yellow light highlighting his beautifully sun-kissed skin. His features were defined, with sharp angles and a complexion so smooth it was almost unreal. But the most captivating part of him was undoubtedly his eyes. In that light, they were a mesmerizing shade of dark caramel brown, drawing you in and momentarily distracting you from everything else.

“Oh, um,” Blood rushed to your cheeks, turning them a deep pink. “I don’t think so, but I had a really good time.” For some reason the admission felt vulnerable. 

He smiled, “Well, I’m glad. I did too.”

You glanced over to the circular wall clock to find that it was well past 1 am. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t realize it was so late.” You sighed and met Sam’s gaze again. “I really should get going.”

“Oh,” He faltered a bit, “Did you need a ride? I’m sure I could find someone sober around here.” He twisted his body around to check the room for any candidates. 

You chuckled and shook your head, setting your cue on the pool table. “No it’s fine, I was just gonna walk.” 

“Oh, I can’t let you walk home alone! There’s creeps out there!” 

You mulled it over in your head and while you didn’t want to inconvenience him further, he had a point that hadn’t dawned on you yet. “Well, I wouldn’t wanna bother you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s no bother at all.” He gestured towards the exit upstairs. “You ready?” 

You nodded and followed him up the stairs. Despite it being so late the party still raged on and kept the house chaotically crowded. Before you could really process an escape route, Sam grabbed your hand and began weaving through the crowd. You knew it was just precautionary and in reality it didn’t mean anything, but the action still filled your tummy with rampant butterflies and your chest with rapid thumping. 

Once you were safely on the porch, he released your hand and looked down at you. “You okay?” His brows curved up in concern. 

“Yeah.” You nodded with a small smile. It was almost embarrassing how brave you felt after surviving a rowdy frat party. 

“Okay good.” The smile he gave you was so sincere it almost made your heart ache. “Which way we headin’?” 

“That way.” You pointed to the left where the freshman dorms were located. 

“Cool, I live that way too.” He hopped off the porch while you opted for the three steps down he had skipped. 

You were both grateful and disappointed for the fact of your dorm was rather close to the party. As much as you craved your bed, it meant the end of this night with him would come sooner and you weren’t sure you were ready for that just yet. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way but,” He prefaced a question, “Was that your first college party?” 

A gush of warm August wind washed over you, blowing your hair back. You let out an embarrassed chuckle, “Was it that obvious?” 

He let out a genuine laugh, “Not necessarily.” He lied, his shoulders pulling into a shrug. “Just a hunch.” He teased in a way you could tell wasn’t meant to be malicious. Even though he couldn’t relate, his words somehow sounded completely understanding. 

You fidgeted with your fingers since you didn’t have pockets in your borrowed skirt to shove them in. “You see, I have a history of being dragged to parties.” You joked even though you were exaggerating just a bit, only being ‘dragged’ to maybe 2 large high school parties, 3 if you count the one in middle school. You weren’t a stranger to alcohol or partying though, just preferred it in small, controlled settings with people you knew. “Like I said, I just don’t like strangers.”

“Well, strangers aren’t always bad.” He leaned a little in your direction with a raised brow. 

You giggled, “I guess you’re right.” And paused, “Afterall, I met Jake.” You pressed your lips together, trying to stifle a laugh at your own joke. 

He stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look at you with a completely deadpan expression and eyes filled with mock disapproval. The sheer dramatics of his reaction shattered your resolve, and you burst into laughter, throwing your head back.

“Ha-ha. Very funny,” he said, rolling his eyes with exaggerated exasperation, a playful smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m jokinggg!” You defended nudging his shoulder and felt better once his smile returned to his lips. 

You went to follow him once he resumed on the designated path but stopped short. “Hey, actually this is my dorm.”

He spun on his heels crunching the gravelly asphalt beneath his shoes and pointed up to the brick building. “You live in Lakewood Hall?” 

“Yeah?”

“I live in Lakewood too!” He exclaimed in a way you’d never seen someone be so excited over something so mundane. You were certain that he could probably find joy in just about anything life had to offer.

“Really? That’s cool. What floor?” You attempted to remain nonchalant about living in the same dorm as this wonderful man you thought you may never see again.

“3, you?” 

“Wait, same! How have I not seen you around?” You asked then began walking towards the keycard protected door. 

“I don’t know.” He said, “I guess maybe because like I said I spend most of my time at Danny’s?” As he spoke, he slipped his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a keycard. The door's light blinked green, and the lock clicked open, confirming that he did actually live there too.

Once on your floor, you headed to your door and felt your stomach drop when you spotted a dreaded sock on the handle of your door. Katie must’ve ended up with that tall tattooed boy you’d last seen her dancing with. You let out a defeated sigh, not knowing where else to go at this hour. 

Sam laughed and tilted his chin at your door. “Good for your roommate.” 

You shook your head, “Yeah good for her, not for me, I have nowhere to go now and it’s like 2 am.” Both anxiety and anger began to fizz in your chest.

“Hey, it’s no big deal, I’m just down the hall.” He pointed in the opposite direction of your room. “You can come chill with me. If you want.” He made it a point to add the last bit, not wanting to push you but definitely looking to spend more time with you. 

“Oh no, no.” You shook your head vehemently. “I’ve already bothered you enough tonight, I can’t possibly intrude on your bedtime.”

He laughed hard at that one, “It’s no big deal, I’m a night owl.”

“Well, I-”

He rolled his eyes playfully before getting behind you and grasping your shoulders gently pushing you down the hall. “I’m not leaving you out here alone all night.” 

As much as you wanted to protest, just about anything sounded better than sitting alone in the hall for god knows how long. 

Once he opened his door and flicked the light on, your eyes widened. It was so much different than Danny’s - most notably the smell. Before the door was even fully open you were smacked in the face with a mix of patchouli incense and weed, each one trying to cancel the other out. He closed the door behind you as you fully took it all in. Aside from the potent smell the first thing you noticed was the two beds pushed together, a clear indicator that he didn’t have a roommate. Next was the giant earth-toned mandala-patterned tapestry that hung above the beds while the wall across the room from it was covered in vintage records and posters of various artists. Unlike the sports gear in Danny’s room, Sam’s floor was littered with instruments, more than you’d ever seen in one room outside of a school band room. 

“Whoa.” Was all that managed to tumble from your lips. 

“Cool ain’t it?” He stretched his arms out wide with a proud grin. “Got this place all to myself.” 

“Lucky.” You muttered, still a bit salty you weren’t lying in your own bed right now. “You play all of these?” 

“Yup!” He plopped himself on his double bed. “I’d play something for you now, if it wasn’t so cliche.” He joked. 

You wanted to protest but you weren’t about to argue with the keeper of your temporary sanctuary. As you scanned the room once more you noticed a couple things - thumbtacks shoved into every decoration and the bong casually out on his bedside table next to a glass jar full of green. Your brows furrowed, “How do you get away with all this?” 

He shrugged with a cocky smile, “I know people.”

“I wish I knew people.” You replied sarcastically. 

“Well, ya do now.” The edges of his mouth pulled to a soft, kind grin. It was really beautiful the way his features always seemed to light up any time he smiled. 

“You’re right.” You agreed mischievously, walking over to where he sat. “I know Jake.”

His smile fell flat at your joke. “You think you’re so funny huh?”

You giggled, “Yeah, I do.” 

His eyes glanced up at your face and lingered there longer than he intended. Now it was his time to study you - not that he hadn’t already been doing that all night but now that you were alone together and he could properly take you in. He cleared his throat when you tilted your head a bit at his stare. 

“You wanna smoke?” He offered, gesturing to the glass bong that was poorly fashioned to look like a vase. 

You shook your head, “No thanks, I think the alcohol was enough for the night. But you can if you want, I don’t mind.” 

Although it was traditionally his bedtime routine, he didn’t mind skipping that night. “No I’m okay, I was just offerin’.” He tilted his head towards an expansive vinyl shelf. “You wanna pick somethin’ to play?” 

Normally, Sam was a show-and-tell sort of guy but he was interested in what you’d choose. 

You twisted around to the long row of stacked cubicles full of records. As you stepped closer to them and ran your fingers along the spines you noticed they were all weathered with tattered edges. Almost all of the records were older artists, some big names but also some you’d never heard of. You were tempted by the only modern one you spotted being Hozier but it was obvious he wasn’t a fan of newer music and you wondered if this was some sort of test. If it was a lighthearted test, the last thing you wanted to do was seem uncultured by picking the only modern artist you saw. You thought hard about a Fleetwood Mac record but instead, you opted for an Elvis one and spun around to showcase your pick. 

“An Elvis fan? Interesting.” He eyed you curiously. “Wouldn’t have initially pegged you for one. But I’m familiar with those too, Josh is a huge fan of the king.” He chuckled, pushing himself off the thin mattress to set it up on his record player. “May I?” He outstretched his hands to take the record from your grasp.

The truth was that your knowledge on music was quite limited to mostly newer artists, except for the names everyone knows. It made you wonder if there was a world that existed where he’d be the one to help you expand your musical palate. 

You shrugged, “I just like his music.” Then obliged to his request and handed the record over for him to take it gently. 

He carefully removed the black disc from the worn sleeve. “ ‘Aloha from Hawaii’ you know this is a live recording right?” He questioned as he spun the record by the edges with his fingertips.

You playfully rolled your eyes at how naive he assumed you’d be. You stumbled a bit in your turn towards the bed, the alcohol and fatigue starting to weigh you down. Finally, you reached the edge of the bed and plopped down. You watched as he precariously placed the record down and set the needle at its edge. It was a buzz at first before the grand orchestra intro broke through the silence like a punch. “Mhm, I do.” You hummed. “I love old live recordings. I think the banter with the audience is funny. Things were so different then.” 

He let out a small chuckle, “You’re so right actually.” He crossed the room to a mini fridge filled with what you saw a glimpse, just a bunch of drinks. “Water?” He plucked a fresh cold one out of the glaring white interior and held it out for you.

“Yes! Thank you!” You let out an excited sigh of relief as the alcohol and exertion had dried up your mouth. 

You snatched the water from his grasp and cracked it open before taking a greedy gulp. In the moment, that crisp cool water going down your throat felt like heaven. Your finger tapped your phone screen to illuminate it for the time, it was almost 3 am and you had no messages from your roommate. You sighed and flipped the phone upside down. “Nothing from Katie. Looks like I’m locked out of my room for the night. I don’t wanna intrude on whatever… is going on in there.” You’re focused on the water bottle in your hands, crinkling a bit with your fingers. “I can get out of your hair though, try to find a cheap motel or something.” You anxiously fiddled with your thumbs at the mere idea of doing that.

“Don’t worry about it, really. You can crash here, it’s not a problem.” He said, taking a sip of his own water. “You can even have my bed if you want, I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Oh, oh absolutely not!” You protested, using your arm to slice through the air. 

“Then you don’t mind sleeping next to me?” His voice was smoother than silk and it made a buzz fall to your core. You were now regretting your decision to debate his offer. How on earth were you supposed to fall asleep in the same room as him nonetheless beside him. 

“Nope, don’t mind!” Your voice coming out squeakier than expected and it brought warmth to your cheeks. 

His brows furrowed and perked up a bit at your response before following it with a playful smirk, like he had picked up on your nervousness and found it flattering. “Alright then.” 

He pulled open a drawer from his oak dresser and pulled out a stack of clothes before making his way to the small bathroom. When he emerged, his top half was baring his tanned skin while long sweatpants rode low on his exposed hip bones. You couldn’t help your eyes from taking a glance over, then quickly diverting your gaze away to not be caught admiring him.

He tossed his dirty clothes into a half empty hamper and made his way to the bed. He crawled beside you on the other side of the bed, pulling the gray duvet up over his shoulders. Despite he kept his distance, you could still feel the warmth radiating off of him. Against your better judgement, when you finally sunk into the bed you laid facing him since you weren’t ready to knock out just yet. His sheets smelled like cologne, woodsy and herby, similar to the patchouli in the room but with some added notes of bergamot and cedar. 

You tucked your hands flat in a prayer position under your cheek, looking at him. His brown eyes were already on you, a hint of surprise in them at your chosen position to face him.

“Thanks for saving me today.” You said quietly, just then noticing that he’d kept the record playing softly in the background. 

“It’s no big deal, Wallflower.” He matched your gentle tone with a soft smile. As silly as the nickname was, it didn't stop the swelling in your chest and the flutter in your heart. 

“I had a lot of fun tonight.” You added genuinely. Even though you got abandoned at the party and locked out of your dorm, it had been the best night you’d had so far since the semester began. 

He chuckled softly, his eyes flickering to your lips before meeting your gaze again. "We'll have to do it again."

You mirrored his glance for a moment, then smiled up at him. "Yeah, I’d really like that."

A comfortable silence settled between you, filled only by the soft music playing in the background. The warmth of his presence and the cozy scent of his sheets made you feel safe and content.

Between the long night and the calmness he brought, your eyelids grow heavy. As you let your eyes give way to slumber, a smile lingered on your lips, the events of the night replaying in your mind. In this unexpected place and with this unexpected person, you found a sense of comfort you hadn't anticipated. And for the first time since starting college, you felt truly excited about what it might bring.

Next Chapter -> 02 - I Can See You

Taglist; @deathblacksmoke @sacredthefran @measuredingold @persuasivus @broken0mens

A/N; Thank you so much for reading! Lmk how you liked it and if you want a part 2 🫣

[samfkiszka]

Paper Bag: Chapter One

Vampire!Jake Kiszka x F!Reader

Hunger Hurts, and I want him so bad, oh, it kills…

★・・・・・・★

Forced to move back to your father's hometown the summer before your first year at college, you had resided yourself to the fact that the next few months were going to suck.

But that was before you were reacquainted with Danny next door. And before you got a brand new job at a dusty old bookstore run by an eccentric old woman. And before Jake walked into said bookstore, poised to turn your entire world upside down.

Word count: 7,169

Warnings (for this chapter): Light cursing, very vague mentions of a grandparent's passing, maybe some slight spelling errors… (that's literally it)

Chapter 2

Master list

taglist form if you’re interested <3

★・・・・・・★

The incessant whining of a nagging mosquito awakens you from your daydream of sunnier places and brings you back to reality; the reality that you were moving thousands of miles away from your quaint beach town to the vast green that sped past you now. Your father was busy droning on and on about how good this change was going to be. You had to stick your head out the window to stop from losing it inside the interior of his brand new car, a gift from his equally brand new job that had moved him back to his hometown. Sure, you knew deep down you were only going to be there for a summer, and then thankfully it was off to college. Three grueling months of living in this damp swamp that was being passed off as a town. Smacking the side of your neck, you pull your hand back to glance at the gruesome sight. The mosquito twitches involuntarily in your palm, surely a reaction to its untimely and swift death. You could already feel the tingling itch rising up, and by the splatter of blood drying in your hand you knew it was too late. With a sigh, you roll your windows up and turn back your dad who was grinning entirely too much for your liking. 

“Can you at least pretend to be happy about this? I know you’re only going to be here for a few months, but I would appreciate it if you tried.” 

“I just don’t see why you couldn’t have waited until after I moved out,” you grumbled. This had been a source of tension between the two of you for quite a while now. It wasn’t like you were going to make any friends. Without the help of school you were going to be utterly alone for the next summer. You already missed your friends deeply, longing to see them as soon as possible. But unless they could somehow save up enough for the cross country flight, it seemed to you that you were doomed to a summer of absolutely nothing.  

“I know it’s tough. But try to be a little understanding. You used to come here all the time with me to visit Grandma and Grandpa, remember?” He looks away from the road for a second, his face painted with hope. His smile falls when he sees the angry look you’ve been sporting for the entirety of the ride from the airport. “Come on, please, just… cut me some slack. This is going to be great for both of us.” 

You hum in response, not knowing what else to say. He sighs, gripping the steering wheel and clearing his throat as the car pulls into a gravel driveway leading to a house that is simply too big for the two of you. It was the kind of house meant for a much larger family, and in its youth that was exactly what resided between its brick walls. Your father, along with his many siblings, spent their youth terrorizing your poor grandparents until they grew up, leaving them alone. Your grandfather’s bird feeder still inhabits the front porch that you had spent many a summer afternoon occupying. You were certain that the room you had always slept in when you visited, the room that was now expressly yours, would be the exact same as it was in your childhood. Just as this house had seemed untouched by time, as did every neighboring one. 

Your father, obviously attempting to get back on your good side has hauled what little bags you had packed up the porch steps, setting them down to unlock the door. Thanks to his arrival merely a week before yours, mostly everything had been unpacked. You were silently grateful that you would not have to spend days unpacking painful memories. Not that you were in the mood to thank your father for anything in particular right now. All that was left to do was sulk in your new, yet familiar, bedroom. But before you had the chance to angrily stomp up the stairs, the old doorbell that you didn’t even know existed rang out through the house. You peer past the entry way as your dad heaves the heavy oak door open, revealing a slightly familiar face. 

“Hello, Daniel.” Your father welcomes the boy in, seeming exasperated at his appearance. If this Daniel had noticed it, he simply ignored it, grinning ear to ear and surveying the room. 

“Danny,” he corrected swiftly before continuing, “I was just wondering if-” 

As if your father could read minds he waves in your general direction, answering Danny. 

“She’s here. Not in the best of moods, but-” 

“I can hear you.” You interject, striding into the room and taking Danny’s appearance in. He was wearing a shirt that seemed too small for him, and his remedy for this was clearly chopping the sleeves off. He was too tan for the apparent lack of sun in this town, and he took every opportunity to flash his perfect teeth at you. 

“Hey! It’s nice to finally see you again!” He reaches his hand out and you take it hesitantly. His skin is far too warm considering it was barely sixty degrees outside. 

“Again?” 

“You remember the Wagners, don’t you honey?” Your dad casually drops the name as if it would enlighten you any further. It’s not like you had ever spent longer than a week here. Of course you didn’t remember the Wagners. 

“I’m Danny, I live across the street from your grandparents- well, from you guys,” He offered, dropping your hand and casually stuffing his back into the pockets of his shorts, “You used to hang out with my sister when you were younger.” 

You rack your brain, trying to pull up any memory that would help. You get vague flashes of a boy your age, somehow recalling a sister slightly younger than the two of you that you always preferred to play with. 

“Oh!” You gasp, feigning surprise and hoping it satiates both him and your father, “Yes Danny and Josie. Of course I remember you two.” 

“Daniel has been stopping by all week asking when you’d be here,” Your dad mumbles to you, and if this information embarrassed Danny he surely doesn’t let it show.  As if tired of this boy’s presence, your father drifts out of the room leaving just the two of you to talk. 

“Sorry about all that,” you mumble apologetically, “I’ve been in a shitty mood all day, I think I set him off.” 

“No, It’s definitely my fault. I really have been bugging him all week,” Danny laughs so effortlessly that it almost puts you at ease. Maybe you weren't as friendless as you thought you’d be. “Josie went to summer camp this summer and I’ve been insanely bored,” he explains. 

“You didn’t go with her?” 

“Nah, too old. Kinda thought I’d stay here and cause a bunch of trouble,” he laughs easily again, “Plus, I’ve got a summer job down at the golf course. Certified cart boy,” he finished with a sense of unearned pride and you bite back a laugh that was sure to come off as harsh. 

And in all honesty, a summer job didn’t seem like an awful idea. Sure, you knew it was a bad idea to set down roots considering you were leaving soon enough; but, could it really hurt to make a few friends?  To have a reason to get out of the house every day? And it’s not like a little extra cash wouldn’t help. 

“Are they still hiring?” You ask, your voice laced with hope. 

“No,” he frowns, looking sincerely sorry that he won’t be able to offer you a job. “But I heard the bookstore down on Sun Avenue is looking for a cashier, ” He added with another pearly white grin. 

Sun Avenue. How ironic, you think to yourself, mulling over the idea. A bookstore doesn’t sound half bad anyway, in fact it seemed a near perfect fit for you. 

“That would actually be great! Is there a number I could call, or-” 

“No, don’t worry. I know the owner!” He beamed. Of course he knew the owner. Danny seemed like he knew the entire town. “If you want to meet me there tomorrow, I can introduce you to Mrs. Palmer. I’m sure she’ll love you. She’s pretty desperate too, most people leave during the summer. I bet she’d hire you on the spot.” 

“Yeah, trust me, I’d rather spend my summer anywhere but here too.” 

“It’s not all that bad,” he mumbled, a look of hurt crossing over his otherwise overly joyous face, “You can always hang out with me.” 

You felt bad for a moment. For a boy you barely knew you were eager to make him smile and laugh again. It was nice to have someone in your corner despite your unwillingness to be here. 

“That’s true. I’d love to hang out with you. And, yeah I can meet you at the bookstore tomorrow. I really appreciate it,” you reply earnestly, unable to stop the smile that spread across our face mirroring his own. His positive energy was honestly infectious.

“Great! I can meet you there tomorrow around noon!” He beams, bouncing with excitement and making his way to the door. Your dad reemerged from wherever he had been hiding as soon as Danny left. 

“That kid has got to be on something,” he shakes his head, eyeing the door like Danny could bust in at any moment. “Or maybe I’m not used to someone smiling that much.” He nudged your side, attempting to get back in your good graces.  

“Hah hah hah,” you mumble sarcastically, rolling your eyes and beginning your trek upstairs to your room. The door creaks open and you are pleasantly surprised to see your dad had decorated it in an almost identical fashion to your old room. Staring at the posters that adorned the walls, you started to feel like maybe you had never left home at all. The bed was even slightly bigger than your old one, a concession you were pleased to make. Flopping down with a huff, you glare at the ceiling, noticing the glow in the dark stars you had foolishly placed up there one year were still stuck to the ceiling. 

Exhaustion from your early flight washed over you. You were never really a morning person. Fighting the urge to fall asleep you gently lift up, staring out the window at the setting sun. The clouds covered up what could be a beautiful scene, the usual pink and orange hue you were used to back home suddenly replaced by gray and green. You pull the purple curtains closed, grimacing at the ugly hue you had picked out when you were younger. Maybe you’d be able to convince your dad to replace them with newer ones. You were, afterall, displaced and depressed. 

The floorboards were awfully loud as you went from room to room, making a mental map of each one. Your father had left his parents’ room untouched, evident in the fact that your grandmother’s glasses still sat on her nightstand. You smile softly, not lingering too long before you make it to the bathroom to ready yourself for bed. Everything in this house seemed to make unnecessary noises, the knobs on the sink squeaking as you turned them around to allow the water to flow out. After a confusing few moments of trying to find where your father had put everything, you were ready and back in your room. Your bed was a lot more comforting than you recalled, lulling you to sleep quickly. Not even the nervousness of meeting up with Danny could keep you up. Soon enough you were gone, dreaming of home. 

But the good dreams didn’t last as long as you had hoped. What started off as a pleasant image of your old backyard full of friends and sunshine was soon replaced with something much darker. You can’t quite make out the scene, but soon you were thrashing against the covers and slamming a hand to your neck. When you pull it back a speckle of blood is adorning your fingers. You realize with a groan that you had scratched the mosquito bite so hard in your sleep that it had begun to bleed. You had dark blood under your nails and you wince at the faint burning feeling that now plagued your skin. Shaking your head as if it would expel the dream, you lean up to peer at the alarm clock settled on the bedside table. 

Despite your rowdy dreams you had managed to sleep in well past when you had planned to wake up. Massaging your temples you remember your promise the day before to meet Danny at the bookstore. 

Ambling sleepily across the expanse of your new room you tore your curtains open to reveal another gloomy day. Somehow you managed to get ready with clothes scattered around several open suitcases and your vague remembrance of where your dad had put everything from the night before. Traipsing down the stairs, you peer into your dad’s office, mumbling a good morning that he barely acknowledges as he continues to work on something clearly more important. The kitchen is all but barren and you wonder how he had been surviving the week before you got here. You make a mental note to stop at the grocery store after the bookshop, and you leave a note on the fridge for your dad telling him where you were going.

The walk into town is uneventful, but you are shocked that you somehow remember how to get there. It’s like your feet carry themselves, subconsciously remembering this area from when you were younger. Your odd dreams from last night are distant in your mind, and you ignore the nagging thoughts that urge you to go back to it. Soon enough you’re standing outside Palmer’s Books and More!, greeting an always cheerful Danny. He had traded his sleeveless tee for a somewhat more appropriate outfit, one that you soon realized was his work uniform, yet he still sported his pearly white grin. 

“You okay? You look a little tired,” he teases, poking your side and earning a glare from you. 

“Gee, thanks,” you grumble, smoothing out your shirt and suddenly feeling very nervous, “I didn’t sleep great last night. Do I really look that bad?” 

“No! You look great!” He flushed, but came back quickly. “Mrs. Palmer is gonna love you, I swear.” 

You frown, anxiety coursing through your body. He pushes through the door and the two of you are immediately greeted by an older lady, who you assumed to be Mrs. Palmer. She was smaller than the both of you, her stature swallowed by the oversized white sweater she was wearing. Everything else about her seemed too big in comparison to her height. Her glasses covered half her face, magnifying her piercing eyes. She grinned at Danny, eyeing you suspiciously. 

“Hello, Daniel! You brought a visitor?” Everyone in this town was entirely too cheerful for you, you decided. 

“Yes ma’am. This is my friend I was telling you about! The one that just moved here.” 

You don’t have much time to wonder when he had had the time to talk to her about you specifically. You introduce yourself, leaning down to shake her hand. You are thoroughly surprised when she pulls you in for a hug instead, knocking the wind out of you. Danny stifled a giggle and you mentally prepared to kick him as soon as you were out of view from anyone who could chastise you for it. 

“Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to meet you,” she began rambling, “I knew your father when he was just a baby. I went to school with both of your grandparents. Well, it was just a tragedy when they- But, of course… Yes, that is simply the passage of time. I missed your family dearly, I am so pleased that you’re back.” 

Not knowing what to say in response to all that, you simply smile as she pulls back and wipes a lone tear from her eye. 

Was everyone in this town crazy? You wonder, as she leads you and Danny around the store. Despite obviously being here a thousand times before, Danny listened in awe as she explained the history of the store and where everything was located. She never once offered you the job, seemingly operating under the conclusion that you were without a doubt the newest- and only other- employee of her shop. Not that you minded in the slightest; the idea of a formal interview was much more frightening than whatever this was. 

“So… Can you start today?” She asks, wringing her hands together. She had a curious habit of pausing as she spoke, starting sentences and never quite finishing them. 

“Today?” you try to hide the shock in your voice. It’s not like you had planned much today besides restocking the empty kitchen, but you wouldn’t mind the mind numbing tasks. The job didn’t seem very hard, and not a single customer had walked in since you and Danny had begun your little tour. 

She stared up at you hopefully, and you felt your stomach twist. How could you say no? 

“Uh- Yes! Yes, of course, I can start right now!” You try to sound as excited as possible, eyeing Danny nervously as he continues to sport his all too familiar smile. Surely this wasn’t how real jobs operated.

“Amazing!” He clapped his hands together loud enough that you almost jumped, “I’ll come visit you after I get off and we can walk home together.” He bounces out of the store, waving at the both of you. 

Mrs. Palmer vanished for a moment, coming back with a name tag that she had hurriedly scrawled your name on. She explained how the cash register worked,  and although it was very intuitive, you were grateful for the extra explanations. The longer you focused on menial tasks the less time you had to dwell on everything; your new home, your new friend, your strange dreams. Of course as soon as she realized you understood, she vanished once again. 

Your shift passed by slowly, only a handful of people stopping by to purchase new arrivals you had never heard of. A few of them recognized you, reaching across the counter to hug you or shake your hand. You were almost ashamed to admit that you did not know who any of them were. Your theory that everyone who lived here was entirely too gleeful was proven even more correct with each passing hour. Despite the gloomy weather, everyone brought in the same cheery disposition, and as the sun began to set you wondered how you could ever fit in without radiating the same sunshine they all did. The store was mere moments from closing when the door rang once more, causing you to look up from the paperwork Mrs. Palmer had asked you to fill out as part of your unofficial application. 

This customer seemed different from the rest of the earlier visitors. For one, the grin that graced his face was nowhere near as ear splitting as everyone else’s. It was better described as a smug smirk. Secondly, the almost blinding paleness of his skin felt more fitting for this weather than the tan everyone else was sporting. He almost floated around the shelves, and you tried not to stare as his long fingers danced over the books. He chuckled at seemingly nothing, and you shook yourself out of your stupor. You hadn’t meant to look for so long; well, you hadn’t planned on getting caught. Surely, no one could blame you for being unable to pry your eyes off of him. You have never seen someone more beautiful. His long brown hair fell in slight waves past his shoulders, framing his nearly bare chest. He was wearing a black button up, opting to leave only the bottom two buttons fastened. His neck was adorned with several silver necklaces, and despite the setting sun he had a pair of circular black sunglasses covering his eyes; which you were sure were just as gorgeous as the rest of him. His face was nearly indescribable and yet you couldn’t stop yourself from attempting to take in every detail. In fact, every prior thought had left your brain; you were absolutely consumed by this man. You take him in again, trying to drink in every small feature that made him up. You slowly realized he couldn’t be much older than you. Once the haze wore off you were able to digest his almost boyish face. You were just wondering if Danny knew him when you heard him let out a sharp laugh at absolutely nothing. 

The sound jolted you from your thoughts and you suddenly felt the need to pay attention to anything but him. You fix your eyes on the old cash register, pretending to be extremely occupied with the amount of money in it when he suddenly clears his throat. You jump back, wondering how he had made it across the store so quickly when he smirks again. Any other person would have you rolling your eyes at their superior attitude, but something about him made you shrink back. 

“Hello. I was wondering if you had Candide in stock yet?” His voice was sickeningly sweet, as if his tongue was dripping in honey as he spoke. 

“Candide?” 

“You know… Voltaire?” He continues, pulling his sunglasses off to reveal a pair of striking ochre colored eyes. 

“I.. I literally just started today. Um, I could help you look… I-” You stammer out as Mrs. Palmer comes ambling out of her office. 

“Jacob!” She exclaims happily, holding a rather worn book gently in her frail hands. 

He slightly bows to meet her, graciously accepting the book from her and gently tucking it under his arm. 

“Thank you, Evelyn. How much do I owe you?” 

You couldn’t help but huff out in annoyance at his dismissal of you. For some odd reason you felt the need to prove yourself to him. He grins again, letting out a quiet chuckle you were sure Mrs. Palmer didn’t hear. 

“Absolutely nothing!” She waved dismissively, quickly turning back to her office. 

“Don’t be silly!” he called, pulling a black leather wallet out of his pants. He pulled out several bills, pulling her back and slipping them into her palm in a discreet handshake. “I have more money than I need and nothing to do with it.” He smiled sweetly, his pink lips stretching across his rather pale skin. His soft, yet alluring, voice seemed oddly familiar to you. Maybe you had met him before, years ago. It’s not like this was a very large town. Mrs. Palmer flushed, waving him off but still pocketing the cash he had handed to her. She waves a quick goodbye, fluttering back to the office she so enjoyed to disappear to. 

Yet, Jacob stayed put, only turning to you once you both heard the slam of the office door. 

“I don’t think I know you,” He whispers, his boots making quiet clicking noises on the linoleum floor. 

“I… Well my dad and I, we just moved back here. Um, I used to come here every once in a while though. My grandparents live here, or they did before-” you cut yourself off, feeling like you were telling him entirely too much.

“Hmm.” He hums as he flips through his recent purchase. He was much too nonchalant for your liking. Usually, you would prefer this kind of behavior, especially after spending a day interacting with some of the most cheerful people you had ever met. But you wanted, no you needed, him to like you. “And, you are…?” He inquires, and you quickly respond with your name. 

“And you’re Jacob.” You posit. 

“Mhm. Just Jake is fine.” 

Jake didn’t seem as fitting as Jacob, which truthfully didn’t seem to fit him very well either. He seemed like he belonged in a century much earlier than this one. The way he spoke, the way he held himself, he just simply did not seem real. 

“You’re not walking home alone tonight are you?” He wondered aloud, barely addressing you, and you immediately felt defensive. 

“No, my friend is walking me back.” 

“Good. You have no idea what kind of… monsters are lurking these streets,” He leans across the counter slightly, his face inches from yours. The teasing lilt in his voice only served to intrigue you more.

As if you summoned him Danny comes sauntering in, his usual grin fading as soon as he spots Jake. Jake had pulled back the second the bell attached to the door rang, and he turned gracefully on his heel. 

“Ah, Wagner. Nice to see you again,” Jake’s smug smirk was back, and Danny grimaced at his words. 

“Kiszka,” he grumbles, skirting past Jake. Jake glides out, and Danny follows him with his eyes until he is fully out of the store. “God, that guy gives me the creeps.” He shivered to emphasize his point.

“You know him?” you ask as you gather your things, shooting a quick goodbye to Mrs. Palmer. 

“I know of him. He moved here like two years ago with his brothers. They’re all really weird. Their younger brother went to school with us but he never really bonded with anyone. They kind of all just stick to themselves. Well, Jake goes out and about a lot, mostly at night,” He begins, holding the door open for you as you both start down the sidewalk and towards your houses. He glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot before continuing, “I kind of feel bad for them. No parents, no other family, just each other. But, they’re kind of… freaky,” he whispered the last word and you giggled at his reluctance to speak freely. 

“Don’t laugh! I swear, that guy is everywhere.” He glanced around him as if to emphasize his point.

“If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were scared Daniel.” You tease him, nudging his side. But he didn’t laugh back. 

“I'm serious. I’d stay away from that guy, there’s something super off about him.” 

“He seemed okay to me.” You shrug, more intrigued than put off. “What do you mean they have no family?” 

“I don’t know a ton about the story, just what I heard from around. But… I think their mom and dad died a few years back. Maybe a car accident or something? And as soon as Jake was old enough he adopted Sam, even though they aren’t much older than him. I’m not sure how it works honestly. They live in this huge house just outside of town. No clue how they afford it, none of them work,” he scoffed, obviously annoyed by their mere presence in his town. 

You hummed, taking in all that Danny had said. And yet all you could think about were his striking eyes… and how beautiful his face was. You didn’t really care if Danny thought he was dangerous. From what you learned, he seemed like he had been through a lot, especially for someone so young. 

“I know I can’t control you, but just be careful, okay? He really gives me the willies.” 

You had arrived at your front door. The glow from the porch light illuminated his face, which was creased with worry. 

“The willies? I can protect myself, I promise.” You take his hand and wrap your pink around his, “Pinky promise,” you emphasize. 

He smiled softly again, squeezing your finger and reluctantly letting your hand go. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Can’t let you walk to work alone.” 

“Not with all those monsters, huh?” You tease. 

“Yeah, yeah. No monsters. See ya,” he calls, already heading over to his house. 

“Night, Danny.”  

With a sigh you heave open the heavy front door, waving goodnight to your father who was so entrenched with work he was barely able to acknowledge you. Trudging up the creaky stairs, you wondered how so much had changed in the span of twenty-four hours. With the prospect of a biweekly paycheck and a slightly overbearing new friend, living in this sunless town seemed slightly more bearable. Not to mention your meeting of a rather… interesting stranger. You tried to push all thoughts of Jake out of your brain, to absolutely no avail. Something about him invaded all your senses from the moment he stepped into that damn bookstore. 

You fall onto your bed rather ungracefully, shoving your face into your pillow and groaning. Barely a day in this town and you’ve already developed a slightly unhinged and rather unhealthy obsession with a stranger you barely just met. Part of you hoped that he would be a regular customer, and from his interaction with Mrs. Palmer, you were sure he would be. You’d be sure not to mention your secret hope to Danny, considering his reaction to the very short interaction he shared with Jake. Danny’s odd prejudice aside, he hadn’t said anything truly worrying about the man. 

You slept peacefully that night, no more strangely vivid dreams to plague your mind. In fact, when you woke up you had absolutely no memory of dreaming at all. 

Work was agonizingly slow the next morning. Even the walk to the store with Danny was surprisingly uneventful. It didn’t help that the entire day you had been hoping to catch a glimpse of Jake. Even just his passing silhouette in the street would ease the slight ache in your chest. You weren’t one to obsess like this, especially not over a man you didn’t know. But you longed to get to know him, to learn what made him so intoxicatingly alluring,

And to your surprise, and satisfaction, he did show. In fact, an entire week passed and he visited every single night you occupied the space behind the register. 

Nothing out of the ordinary happened. He would come in, speak to you softly, purchase a worn book, and leave the store as soon as Danny popped back in to escort you home. You had grown increasingly fond of this routine. Deep down, you assumed this is all you were going to get from him anyway. 

That was until Saturday night.

Of course, he caught you entirely off guard when he arrived. He glided in gracefully, once more at night, all while you were absentmindedly stocking a dusty front shelf. He cleared his throat calmly when you failed to notice his arrival, and you nearly jumped ten feet in the air at the abruptness of it all. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you,”  He murmured casually, his voice just as velvety as you remembered. 

“No, it’s okay. I’m pretty easily startled,” You chuckle nervously, wiping your hands on your pants and turning to give him your entire attention. “Can I help you with anything?” You try to ignore the slight shaking in your voice as you fail to look him fully in the eyes. 

He had opted to forgo the pair of glasses he usually wore when you crossed paths, leaving his extremely vibrant eyes on full display. Once again he was wearing an almost completely unbuttoned shirt, allowing you to take in the expanse of his bare chest. He was close enough now that the barrier of  the front counter was gone that you could make out the dangly pendants that decorated his neck in extreme detail. 

“Maybe,” he mused, a pleasant look washing over his features, “I’m looking for another book.” 

“Yeah, most people who come in are looking for books,” you try to tease, failing to do so when your voice shakes slightly. “Anything in particular?”

“No. If I'm being quite honest I came in here to see you again,” he professed, grabbing a book and flipping through the pages before sliding it back into its proper position. “I seem to have failed to come up with a good enough lie in time though… I had more than enough time to.” 

“Honesty is usually the best policy.” You steady yourself, trying to ignore the quickening pace of your heart at his admission. He smiles widely, and you wondered if he could somehow hear the palpitations. 

“Usually. Sometimes it’s much more appealing to lie,” He paused for a moment, seeming pensieve, “I wouldn’t mind rereading something by Camus.” 

“You’re really into French literature, huh?” You ask, leading him down to the aisle where you were sure to find something by his requested author. “You know, most people come in here looking for a good romance novel. Maybe a really bad mystery. You might be the only person who’s ever seen this part of the store.” 

“I find that most people here don’t look that deeply.” 

You wondered if this had something to do with how people thought of him. Throughout your morning walks with Danny you had come to learn that he wasn’t the only person in the town that harbored negative feelings towards the elusive Kiszka brothers. You still couldn’t quite understand why. He seemed more than perfectly fine to you. 

“Ah…” he whispered, pulling a battered copy of The Stranger off the shelves. He blew the dust off the cover and turned it over in his hands. “I always enjoyed Camus' perspective on life.” 

“Really? So, ‘life has no meaning and death is the only certainty in life?’” 

“I said I enjoyed his viewpoints, not that I agreed with them. I simply find them entertaining. Death is never guaranteed, and life certainly isn’t without purpose.”

“So what do you suppose is the purpose of life?” You continue, choosing to ignore his claim that death isn’t everyone’s promised ending. 

“Isn't it all about creating your own purpose?” he observed, finally looking back up at you. He studied your face for a moment, and you felt overwhelmed by the sudden attention. You thought, for just a mere moment, that his eyes flickered down to your lips before they skirted back up to your eyes. You shied away from his eye contact, coughing nervously and turning back to face the shelf. 

“Very philosophical Jacob.” 

“Jake,” he corrected. 

The two of you stood in silence for a beat, and you were completely unsure of what to say next. You had glossed over his profession of coming in to simply see you, and now you wished you hadn’t. On a better day, with someone who was easier to talk to, you would have teased him. Maybe even mustered up the courage to flirt with him. But something about Jake terrified you.

He cleared his throat again, and you were pleased to find him looking ever so slightly nervous himself. 

“I was… I was wondering if you would like to go out with me one night.” The words lacked his usual self assuredness, which shocked you slightly. 

You tried to stop your jaw from completely detaching from your skull. Surely you had gone so far past the point of delusion that you were now hallucinating- rather vividly, you might add- that Jake was… asking you out. He seemed to grow impatient and slightly frustrated with your lack of a response, and yet he composed himself better than you could dream of. 

“Go out? Me?” You mentally punch yourself for not being able to come up with a better response. Your desperate need to make him like you only grew stronger with each interaction. You wondered if he knew how he affected you, and by the way you could barely look at him you were sure he did. 

“Preferably. I’d hoped I made that clear,” he laughed, and your heart skipped a beat. You wondered if his was pounding quite as hard as yours. He smirked again at absolutely nothing. 

“Um,” it was like you had forgotten every word in the English language. This was so thoroughly unlike you. Usually you had more than enough to say. 

Say something! Anything! 

Your brain was positively screaming at you in a voice that surely didn’t belong to you. 

“Yes. I would love to,” you say definitively, unsure how you had even gathered the ability to speak when he was staring at you so intensely. 

“‘Perfect. Tonight?” His tone was eager and you wanted to soak in the hopeful look that knitted his brows together. 

“I- Danny. Danny’s already walking me home tonight…” 

Goddamn Danny. 

As if on cue, he sauntered through the door of the building. He was less than pleased with Jake’s nightly visits, and he didn’t bother to hide it. He was never anything less than frustratingly punctual to interrupt your conversations. It seemed his slight distaste surrounding him had grown to near hatred. He always seemed to grimace when you brought him up, despite your attempts to not sound too interested when you spoke his name. 

“I’m sure he won’t mind walking home alone without you for just one night.” Jake’s usual velvety voice was back in your ear. 

You began to say something before Danny had fully made his way to where you and Jake were standing. You instinctively stepped away from Jake, not really understanding why. Danny’s usual grin slowly faded into a scowl, and you wished you could understand why he harbored such a strange resentment for him. 

“C’mon, I wanna get home soon. I think it’s about to start raining,” Danny mumbles, reaching for your arm. He was staring daggers at Jake while he spoke. 

“Wait- Just one second Danny,” you give him a sympathetic look, hoping he can sense that you need a moment alone. He grumbles under his breath and steps away, just enough that you can still see his tense shoulders as he leans against a wall opposite you and Jake. 

“I’m sorry, he’s just…” you pause, searching for the right words, “How about tomorrow night? I’m off, you can pick me up at home?” You suggested, worried he would hate the idea. 

“Of course.” He smiled as you rushed to the front, scribbling your address down on a scrap of receipt paper. 

“Beautiful,” he says, staring down at the smeared red ink, “I’ll see you at 6.” 

That’s all he leaves you with as he walks out of the store, not bothering to bid Danny a passing glance. You suddenly feel like you’re going to pass out as Danny turns to face you, the anger on his face replaced with a pleased look. He was always happy to see you. He gives you a moment to gather your things and you walk in silence for a while. You can tell he’s itching to say something by the way he’s bouncing around and refusing to meet your face. 

“Danny, if you don’t spit it out I’m going to go crazy,” you eventually announce, surprising so much so that he stops in his tracks. 

“I just… wanted to know what you guys were talking about is all.” 

He sounded like a dejected child, and any other night you would have laughed at his immature tone. But tonight your nerves were entirely too ramped up to indulge his antics. 

“He kind of asked me out,” you state matter of factly. 

“Kind of?” 

“Okay, not kind of. He’s- he’s taking me ... somewhere tomorrow night.” You winced, scared that he would… Well, you couldn’t imagine him angry. But you were more than aware that he didn’t like Jake, and he certainly wouldn’t enjoy you going on a date with him. 

To your surprise, he didn’t say anything. This was more than shocking considering he had spent the past few nights on a nonstop tangent about the Kiszka family. You learned about the three brothers: Jacob, Joshua, and Samuel. You learned about the big house that was occupied on the outskirts of town, the big house that no one had ever really visited. For someone who seemingly couldn’t stand the family, Danny knew quite a bit about them. You figured it was unfair that you knew so much about Jake, regardless of how true it was, when he knew nothing about you. You supposed that would be amended tomorrow night, though. 

Danny told you about the youngest, Sam, and how he had excelled in school. According to him, Sam was smart enough to be accepted into any Ivy League college. And yet, he stayed in this little town that had nothing to offer. You found that endearing, though you were sure not to reveal that insight to Danny. He never shared a single piece of information that would allow you to understand why he distrusted them, and you had begun to wonder if he ever had a real reason. 

And despite all this, he stayed silent. You had spent those earlier nights wishing he would shut up about Jake, and now you found yourself silently begging him to say something again. Even if he screamed, cursed you out, begged you not to go out with him. 

Why do you care so much? The little voice from earlier whispered in your head. You didn’t have an answer. 

Danny walked in stunned silence until he stopped at the last lamppost before reaching both of your houses. When he finally spoke it startled you. 

“I told you I have no control over you. It would be insane of me to want that. Look, I really just want you to be happy. And… I don’t really hate the guy. Just freaks me out a little. That’s it. Seriously.” Though he didn’t sound like he actually believed the words coming out of his mouth. 

“Thank you,” you start, shifting on your feet as you whisper, “I mean it. I know it’s stupid but… you're my only friend here. I wouldn’t wanna piss you off or anything.” You try to laugh but it catches in your throat. Why do you care so much? This time it was your voice screaming at you. “If it makes you feel any better it’s not gonna be anything serious. I'm only here for the summer,” you reminded him, much to his dismay. 

“Yeah. I know. Only for the summer. G’night sunshine,” he breathed softly as he led you to your door. 

You watched him make his way into his own home, but you stayed glued to the porch long past his departure. Staring at the cloudy sky that was beginning to pour down, you were able to make out one star that was shining a lot brighter than the others. You were too old to believe that wishing on a star would do anything, but that wasn’t going to stop you. You pushed down the embarrassed version of yourself that was screaming at you to not believe in something that foolish, and you silently mouth a single wish before heading inside and collapsing in bed.

[seenoversundown]

For Death Or Glory : Chapter Twenty-One

Jake Kiszka x Charlotte (Fem OC)

Warnings: 18+ Smut! (sexy warnings will be last so you can skip if you want! read otherwise 🫶🏻) An Emergency Meeting, Pining, Yearning, Fluff, Romantic themes, (Jake is a whole sweetheart, we know this) Some light teasing, Discussions of Sex, 'Captain' is brought up, some brotherly banter, light mention of alcohol (it's still in the bar but not aggressively?)

Smut Warnings: Oral (M Receiving) Fingering (F Receiving) Unprotected Sex (P in V- you get the drill & wrap it up at home folks!) there's like a subtle moment that gives cockwarming so, there's that.

Word Count: 6.4k

Summary: Jake has a bit of a moment over his feelings about Charlotte and decides to reach out to the only people he knows will be helpful.

Author's Note: I know I say this every week- but wow, I love them. A very sweet chapter for some very sweet babies. I hope that this fuels your dreams a little more with the two of them. I know we're all waiting for the actual confession but, hopefully this can hold you over until they figure themselves out. 🥰

Jackie And Wilson - Hozier "I need to be youthfully felt, cause God, I never felt young- She's gonna save me, call me baby, run her hands through my hair."

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“I’ll see you later, right?”

Her smile beamed at me, her hands pressed against my chest, and she giggled, “Yes, babe. I promise.” 

“Okay, okay, I’ll let you go then,” I tell her, moving my hand to hold her jaw. “Actually–  wait, one more.” I pull her in, keeping the kiss for as long as I can. 

“Baby,” she laughs against my lips, her hands tapping me as I pepper her face with little pecks. Anything to hear her laugh. “Okay, okay, okay!” Her hands grabbed my face and pushed me away, but the way she was looking at me made my insides want to explode. 

She sits in the driver’s seat, looks back up at me, and cuts me off before I can even spit out anything. “Yes, I’ll text you when I get there.” 

“Drive safe, Hun,” telling her as I push her door shut. I was slowly wandering back to the bar, just scrolling through emails and hearing the chime ring, when I pulled the door open. 

Tossing my phone onto the counter and going to the back room to grab a few things, I hear the back door open. 

“Goodmorning!” Josh’s voice sings into the hallway. 

Walking out to find him, an arm full of beer, I see him making his rounds throughout the tables. 

“Well, good morning to you too,” I chuckle, watching him fight with one of the chairs as the feet are puzzled in with the table leg. 

I’m stocking beer and checking to see what else we need when I feel his presence behind me. 

“How’s Charlotte?” he asks, and I can hear the smirk on his face. I should have known that it would come up; I’ve been distracted lately, so we’ve not had a chance to discuss it. 

“Uh, she’s good,” I let out timidly. He’s aware of the agreement she and I made originally, but I haven’t really said much about how I’m feeling to him yet. “How’s Quinn?” 

“They’re great—,” he says. “You’ve been spending a lot of time together, huh?” 

Shit. I glance over at him, fighting the urge to smile, humming, “mhm.”

Grabbing a towel and starting to wipe down the bar top, I feel him grab my shoulder, making me look at him. 

“I haven’t seen you this happy in a while,” he pauses for a second. “It's refreshing.”

I guess I hadn’t realized that my mood, in general, was different.  The smile creeps onto my face as we look at each other, “It really is.” 

“Are you still just ‘friends’?” He asks, adding the quotes for emphasis. 

I nod reluctantly, “Mhm.” 

“You know, you’re lying to yourselves, right?” He laughs loudly. 

Yeah, but I don’t want to scare her away. 

I look over at him, “I’m just letting her call the shots, and if she doesn’t want to claim it’s something else, then..” 

“Oh, you lovesick little puppy,” his head falls to the side as he looks at me. “She’ll come around. From what Quinn’s said, she definitely enjoys you.” 

My heart shakes at the thought; I really hope she does. 

The door chimes as a supplier walks in, distracting us finally from my weird love life situation. But just because Josh and I stopped talking does not mean my brain did. 

What if she doesn’t come around? Maybe she really is just in it for the sex while she’s here? There’s literally no way that she needs to be still training Mel at this point.. Josh was done in like two days when I had him take the certification. Oh..oh my god? Wait– it’s an online thing, why is she..? My thoughts run rampant with what ifs and why’s, making my hands shake as I sign for the delivery that just came in. I need to figure out how she’s feeling, but I can’t do this with Josh. The idea hits me.  

Me: hi so I need some … help.

I text into a group chat, hoping that they’ll be receptive and not make it worse. 

Quinn: are you okay??? 

Willa: 👀 what kind

Mel: oh??

Me: just girl related help and I can’t ask my brothers. 

Me: will you come get coffee to make this easier? 

Quinn: I THOUGHT THE DAY WOULD NEVER COME

Mel: I just have to drop Iris off real quick

Willa: OMG SAY LESS 

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I wait out front of the coffee shop down the street until I see them coming up. 

“You didn’t have to wait for us,” Willa says as they get closer. 

I prop open the door for them, gesturing for them to go first, “Oh, I don’t mind.”

I followed them all up to the counter and gave them a second to look at the menu before asking, “Do you know what you want?”

A resounding ‘yes’ came from them, so I walked up, ordering first, and then nodded to the rest of them. They ordered whatever they wanted one by one, and I quickly handed my card over to cover it. Listening to all three of them quietly yell at me for paying, but knowing they are taking time out of their day to come listen to my woes, it’s the least I can do. 

They all let out a ‘thank you’ of some sort as the girl handed my card back to me. 

Once everyone was situated and we found a comfortable spot, they just stared at me, waiting. 

“Alright, kid, spill,” Quinn pipes up as they go to sip on their drink. 

“Well… I sort of don’t know what to do about Charlotte,” I admit. The nerves hit me immediately when it came out. 

Quinn quickly asks, “What do you mean?” There’s no way they don’t know.  

“Uhh.. I just.. she and I have been… um,” I hesitate to say it, but Willa cuts me off before I can. 

“Been what? Spit it out!”

I can feel the heat in my face, asking, “You guys really don’t know?” 

I watch as they all look at each other, but nobody is really reacting. How? 

“There’s no way you don’t,” I mumble as I side-eye them.  

Quinn caves first, “Okay, yes, we know.” 

“But, tell us how you feel, though!” Mel chimes in right away. Oh, that’s a loaded thing to ask. 

“I mean, she’s incredible,” I start, but I can’t stop. “She’s so sweet, even if it took a little while to open up. She’s secretly so funny and nerdy, and my god, she’s beautiful. I just–” 

Willa stopped me mid-thought with a loud “OH.” They all glance at each other again; I hate this. “We knew you two were sleeping together, but–”  

My face is absolutely bright red at this point, and I reluctantly ask, “I’m assuming she’s told you about that, then?” 

“Nothing.. Crazy..” Quinn’s voice trailed off, glancing over to Willa. 

She chimes in with, “Obviously just the normal stuff..” passing the look over to Mel. 

“Girls have to share stories sometimes, you know?”  

My hands run through my hair as I watch them beat around the bush about it, letting a small ‘oh no’ slip out. 

Quinn quietly says, “Don’t get too stressed about it, Captain.” They’re hitting me with a wink after they say it. FUCK. I hide my face in my hands for a second, listening to the three of them giggle at my pain. 

I can’t stop the “Well, shit” from coming out. I should have known. Quinn naturally would hang onto that just to torture me. 

“All outstanding reviews, though. Don’t worry,” Willa says, her eyebrows raised as she sips on her coffee.  

My head whips up to look at her, “Really..?”

She nods quickly, as do the other two. 

“What does she– no, that’s not important,” I stop myself from getting distracted.  “I just don’t know.. how she feels, and it makes me feel a little insane.” 

“Wait, what else are you feeling?”

“Yeah, give us more details.” 

I sighed before starting, “She just makes everything better. She pushed me not to check my phone when we went to Salem so I could enjoy the day off, and it was.. great. She can distract me enough from everything else going on that I forget about being stressed out. I’ve never slept better than when she stays the night with me. I mean, I just..” 

“Oh,” Quinn lets out, looking at the other two. Mel’s hand flew up to cover her mouth, and Willa’s shit-eating grin was plastered across her face. Oh god, that’s not good. 

“What?” I ask, knowing I might regret that.

“Jake…” Willa starts before whispering, “You love her.” 

My hand finds comfort on the back of my neck, and the blood rushes back into my face when I stumble over my words, “I.. haha.. Um..”

Quinn laughed, “Oh, I might cry.”  

“Don’t- if you start, I will too,” Willa joins in.  

“I just don’t want to mess up whatever’s going on, and I want to figure out how she feels because I don’t know if I fucked up by letting myself fall for her,” I admit.  

Mel finally chimes in, “Jake- you didn’t fuck up. You can’t control who you fall in love with.”

In love. 

“There’s no way that she isn’t at least on kind of the same page as you,” Willa immediately tried to help, which naturally was followed up quickly by her counterpart. 

“We see how the two of you interact. Even if she isn’t maybe as far down the rabbit hole as you, she’s at least sitting on the edge of it blushing and kicking her feet,” Quinn says. God, they really do spend too much time around Josh.  

“Okay. I think I’ve just been too in my head about it. I also hadn’t really processed the feeling, but then the other night, I don’t know what was different,” I can’t stop letting out little truths. 

“It’s okay to be scared, Jake,” Quinn says quietly, rubbing my arm. 

I shake my head subtly, “I know, and I just-” Mel’s voice playing in my head again, in love. 

Mel speaks up before I start to spiral, “If she doesn’t feel the same way about you, she’s dumb as hell.” 

“Honestly!” Willa chimes in quickly. “And Jake, just because she isn’t outwardly saying how she feels about you doesn’t mean it isn’t in there.”

They’re all right. It’s normal to be scared. There’s a chance she feels the same way. I can’t control it. 

“Thank you,” I let out quietly.

Quinn speaking up again, “Do you feel better?” 

I nod before sipping on my coffee again, unable to fight the urge any longer and asking, “So.. what did she say about me?” My eyebrow raises, looking amidst the three of them. I’m still a man at the end of the day, and knowing she told them about our sex life.. I need to know. 

They all laugh at the question, but naturally, Willa is the first to say something. 

“I didn’t think you had it in you,” she says, making us all laugh. “You’re so quiet and unsuspecting; when she told us I almost didn’t buy that it was you.”

I can feel the heat rushing back into my face, almost regretting the decision to ask, but it’s interesting to hear what she would have said to them. 

“Also– is it just ‘captain’ or does she call you other things too?” Quinn asks. 

I about choke when I hear it, quietly saying, “I’m not going to answer that.” I scratch the back of my head as I’m trying to avoid eye contact. 

The three of them almost scream at the response. No, maybe I do regret asking. 

“I mean, she must also be something if it’s bringing that out of you,” Mel says, wide-eyed 

I shake my head at the statement, “You have no idea.” Thinking of the fact she initiates a lot of what we do, the way she just takes control, she’s comfortable being in charge or letting me throw her around. “If you thought, I was deceiving, holy shit.” 

“Stop!”

“No?!”

“I’m so serious, she’s..” I pause, not really even sure what word to use. My eyes just go wide trying to come up with a good word. 

“That good huh?” Quinn taunts, making me laugh. I lean back into my chair, covering my face, why am I embarrassed? It’s not that big of a deal. 

A collective ‘OOOOO’ from the peanut gallery makes me laugh harder, knowing that they’re eating this up. I am grateful to have a handful of people in my life that I can at least bring this up to; there’s no way I could have had this conversation with the boys. 

“Okay, okay, that’s enough torture for today,” I try to cut them off. We all sit there for a little bit longer, just talking about the plans for Thursday, since basically all of us will be with my parents anyway. Danny usually joins us at some point because my mom loves him like her own, so I’m sure Mel and Iris will be hanging out with us, too. Which is completely fine and I’m not at all jealous. It’ll be nice to spend the day with everyone and not be at the bar, I hope. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

After we all left the emergency meeting, I came back to help Josh out for a bit and make sure everything was put away and written down. It distracted me for a bit but, once I was almost done, it hit me. She hasn’t said anything. I tap my phone and see my lock screen empty. Glancing around the bar, I’ll just make sure she’s good; I toss my phone into my pocket and then find Josh to let him know. 

The cold air hits me as I walk out into the alley behind the bar, pulling my phone out and tapping on her name to call her. I know she’s realistically okay, but it doesn’t stop me from feeling nervous. 

“Hi,” her sweet voice rings through my phone. 

The instant relief of hearing her– indescribable. 

“Hey, you. How are you?” 

“I’m good? Why are you-” she starts to ask, but then a little gasp leaves her. “Oh my god, I didn’t realize how late it was.”  I can’t help but laugh at her being shocked. “Hey! Don’t laugh at me! I was working and apparently was very focused on it.”   

I choke back another laugh at her scolding me, “I’m sorry, honey.” 

“You don’t sound sorry,” She mumbles; I can see the scowl she probably has on her face in my head.                  

Dramatically holding over my heart for the effect and pulling out my English accent to really drive it home, “Oh! I am so so sorry, my dear Charlotte. I would never laugh at you for such a responsible and honorable act!” My heart swells at her laugh; I want to listen to that forever.  

“Okay, now I believe you,” she giggles. “I can leave in a few minutes to come back.”

The bar isn’t that busy since it’s .. Sunday.. Josh probably wants the money anyway. 

“I can come to you,” I ramble out quickly. She always comes here, and it’s the least I can do. 

She’s quiet for a second, “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” I tell her. “You drive here enough. Just send me the address.” 

Her voice gets small when she says, “Okay.” 

“Do you want me to bring you anything? Do you need food?” 

“No, I’m okay,” She tells me through a little laugh.  “Just bring yourself; that’s enough.” 

My chest feels weird when she says it, I’m enough. I hate that she makes me so nervous. I stumble over my words, “Uh, I can do that, definitely.” 

“I’d hope so,” she laughs. “Let me know when you’re about to leave?” 

“Of course.”

“Good.” 

We both pause, and the silence feels deafening. The urge to let it out, I love you, is so strong, but I choke it back.  

Opening the back door to the bar, I clear my throat semi-uncomfortably, “I’ll be there soon.” 

“Okay,” her voice is soft. “Drive safe.”

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

I quickly find my way back behind the bar, standing close to Josh when I ask, “Hey, you’re fine closing tonight, right?”

“That is what I’m scheduled for,” he chuckles to himself.  “Do you have plans?” 

“I may have made some.. Like two minutes ago,” I tell him quietly, rubbing the back of my neck. He knows me a little too well. 

“Yes, I can close the bar,” he says, turning to look at me.  “Go get laid!” 

I laugh and shove his shoulder gently, “That’s not why I’m going!” 

“Are you trying to tell me it isn’t going to happen?” His eyebrow may as well be touching his hairline with how high it’s raised. 

I hesitate for far too long, he’s right. Finally letting out, “..Touche. Have a good night.” Patting his shoulder a few times before saying, “Love you bub! Thank you!” and scurrying down the hall, pulling my phone out to let her know. 

Me: I’m on my way

Charlotte: okay drive safe baby 

The drive isn’t terribly long but, long enough for my mind to wander. They have to be right. There’s no way that we’ve hung out and spent so much time together, that she doesn’t at least have some feelings for me. The visual of her smiling at me in Salem as we went to take a picture together sits in my mind. She looked so happy, her hand gently sitting on my stomach, the way she looked at my lips to get me to fully smile for her. Maybe I am lovesick, Jesus christ. 

The way she’s started just calling me pet names rather than ‘Jacob’ all the time, makes my stomach turn. Always calling me ‘baby’ and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of hearing it. Anything if it keeps her around. 

I run my hand over my face, looking down at my phone, seeing I only have a few minutes left. I turn the volume up on my music to try and just focus on driving for a second before I let her infiltrate my every thought again.  ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

As I pull into her driveway, I see her standing outside at the top of the steps. The grin was already plastered on my face as I quickly parked. 

“Hiii,” her sweet voice rings quietly as I walk up to her. Her arms stretch out as I get closer, leaning into me before I can climb the three steps to meet her. She wraps her arms around my neck in a hug, snuggling her face into me immediately. 

“Why are you out here?” I mumble into her. 

Her voice was muffled when she said, “I missed you.” 

“Ohhh,” I coo. “Honey, I missed you all day.” 

It feels ridiculous to say that it’s the truth, but it is. I’ve been so spoiled with her presence so much the last week that spending any amount of time away from her feels like torture. Lifting her off the step, she wraps her legs around me with a slight giggle in my ear. I tighten my arms around her; nothing feels close enough. 

She leans back, looking down at me, her sweet little smile as she stares at me. Beautiful girl, I could stare at you forever. Taking a few steps up before mumbling, “Let’s get you inside. It’s too cold for this.” 

She walks me through to the living room, where her laptop is still open on the coffee table. Crawling back into her spot, she pats the cushion next to her for me. 

“I’m sorry. I just have a few more things I wanted to try and finish,” she tells me, sounding guilty for working. “It shouldn’t take that long.” 

“You watch me work almost daily,” I laugh out. “Do what you need to; I’m happy to just keep you company.” 

She spends a few minutes just clicking on different things and then copying and pasting things into emails before I finally break the silence between us. 

“Okay, it is a little weird to watch you work like this,” I whisper as I watch her speedily reply to an email. My arm stretched behind her on the couch; I couldn’t stop myself from fiddling with some of her hair. Though it’s odd to see her so focused on her work, I could absolutely just sit here in comfortable silence with her. 

Her soft laugh as she looked over at me, “It's a little less exciting than your job.” 

“I can make it more exciting,” I tell her. It benefits me, too. Her eyebrow raises while she looks at me. 

“How are you doing that?” 

I can’t fight the smirk, “How many more emails do you have?” 

She scrolls through quickly and looks back over at me, “Only three.” 

I reach over, pulling her face to me. I pressed my lips into her bottom one, pulling it back slightly before going back in for another kiss. 

“I’ll give you another one once you’re done with another email,” I whisper against her lips, feeling her smile. 

I watch her frantically open another email, her eyes scanning it at a ridiculous pace. I relax into the couch more, watching whatever movie she has on the TV. 

Did I selfishly decide to play this little game with her? Maybe. But also, she seemed disappointed that she had to work, so at least if I do this maybe she won’t feel like I’m upset with her. 

It only takes a few minutes before her little voice chimes, “Done!” She turns to face me, this time her hands reaching out for me. She pulls herself closer, planting herself against me. 

The way she’s always kissing my top lip makes my head spin. Her mouth moved against mine slowly, fighting every urge to deepen the kiss. She still has more to respond to. 

I pull back, kissing the tip of her nose. Her eyes are still shut, and I swear I can’t breathe. The visual of her eyelashes against her cheeks, the little trail of freckles over her nose, those lips. 

“Two more?” 

She nods quickly, and we repeat the process. I watch her, typing at the speed of light until she looks over at me, ready for her reward. Letting the kiss last longer since she only has one email left. 

Once she starts writing the last email, I lay back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She has to feel similarly about me, right? She wouldn’t be so okay with this if she didn’t. My thoughts run rampant until I hear the sound of her computer shutting. 

Before I can sit up, she’s crawling over me, lowering herself to kiss me a few times. She giggles in between, making my heart rattle against my chest. 

“You have all my attention now,” she murmurs against me. “Actually, let me grab you a drink.” Climbing off of me, she disappears into the kitchen. 

I look over to see a book on the coffee table with a bookmark hanging out of it. Reaching over and grabbing it, I look at the back cover. 

Friends with benefits is written right into the description. My face heats up at the thought of her reading this and realizing that it was an option. I carefully open it to see where she is in the book without moving the bookmark. My eyes go wide when I skim through a paragraph. 

‘The headboard slams against the wall, matching the rhythm of his—‘ 

The sound of her fridge shutting startled me; I closed the book and slid it back onto the table. Oh my god. No wonder she’s a little spitfire in bed if that’s what she’s reading. She was worried about me, but good god— I feel like I’m the one who should be scared. 

“All I really have is water; I hope that’s okay,” her voice gets louder as she comes back. I sit up, watching her set it on a coaster beside her book. I just nod as she plops down next to me. She quickly pulls me closer to her, which gives me a better idea. 

I pat her leg a couple of times, “Lift up for me?” As she does, I slide my hands underneath her, holding her up as I move into her spot, bringing her back down onto my lap; she curls herself into me right away. Smiling against me and pressing little kisses into the side of my neck. 

“You’re so warm,” she mumbles. Nerves will do that. 

I grab the throw blanket next to me, pulling it over us, “There you go. Trap all the heat in there for you.” 

“You’re so nice.”

“So I’ve heard,” I giggle, raising an eyebrow at her. 

She pushes my chest lightly, “You can’t use that against me!” 

“I’m just stating what I was told,” I laugh out. 

She tries to pout but is failing miserably when she says, “I didn’t know what else to say! Plus, you are way too sweet to me.” 

What are the other reasons, then? If that was just the one she wanted to admit.

“Well,” I start. “Are there other things you would’ve said?” 

Her face turned a little pink at the question, pulling her bottom lip in slightly with her teeth. “Maybe,” she lets out. 

“Anything you want to tell me?” 

“It could be partly because I think you’re sooo..” her voice trails off. “Handsome.” Her giggle after tells me that isn’t the word she wanted to use. 

“Oh, is that right?” 

“God, yes,” she breathes out. “Everything about you— your outfits, your hair, your hands.. you’re soo.. mmm.” 

My head falls back onto the couch as I laugh at her, can’t say I’ve had someone spiral like that before over me. Lingering on the fact she mentioned my hands, I can’t help myself, “So.. my hands really do it for you, huh?” 

Her face is bright red at this point. “I mean, I just-“

Gently, I grab her chin, making her face towards me, and press a kiss against her pouty lips. “I think it’s cute.” 

“Good, because I’ve been staring at them since we met.” 

That must be why her eyes light up when I wear rings. 

“Anything else you wanna share? Or was that tortuous enough?” I ask. 

“Mmmmm,” she hums. “I can’t give away all my secrets at once.”

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

We lay there watching whatever Hallmark Christmas movie is on, slowly sinking into the couch. I can feel her drifting off, her breathing slower as she does, but flinching and waking herself up. 

“Do you want to go to bed, hun?” I whisper, not to scare her more. 

She just nods, moving the blanket off of her and getting up. She looks back at me, reaching her hands out towards me. 

“Will you stay?” her tired voice melts my heart. 

I kiss the back of her hands before looking up at her, “Of course I will.” 

She pulls me along to her room, flipping the lights off as we pass the switches. Watching her slide her leggings off, crawling into bed in just her sweatshirt and thong. Jesus Christ. 

I text Josh to let him know that I won’t be home before setting my phone on her dresser and starting to undo my belt when I feel that I have an audience. I glance through my eyebrows as she’s watching me from the bed. 

“Take it off, baby,” she quietly cheers, letting out a small ‘woooo!’ I try to fight the smile but can’t when she’s acting like that. I slide my pants down, folding them and setting them with my phone, but as I’m facing away from her, she pipes up again, “There it is.”

I whip my head around to her, wiggling her eyebrows at me. Her giggle rings through the room when I slide into the bed with her. 

“You are a monster when you’re tired, huh?” 

She scoots herself close to me, her hands sliding up my chest, her eyes hardly open as she looks at me, “I’m sorry, you’re hot, okay?” 

I’ve never had someone compliment me as much as she does. 

I let out a quiet ‘mmm,’ pulling her into me. Every night, I fall asleep with her, which only makes my feelings for her worse. It’s hard not to fall for her when she attaches herself to me, kissing every inch of skin she can get to. I’ve never felt this kind of love before if that’s even what this is.  ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The feeling of her turning over wakes me up, but I’m certainly not upset by it. My hand sneaks around her waist, pulling her against me, sliding my leg between hers and letting my hand slide down her leg and bring it back up to her hip. 

“Mmm, hi baby,” she mumbles, turning her head to try and look at me. 

I lean forward, kissing her cheek and letting out a small ‘hi honey’ before stretching to give her a small kiss. Her hand reaches up, holding the side of my face, letting her thumb rub against me gently. She presses her ass into me a little more, wiggling slightly. 

I run my hand up her stomach, sneaking it underneath her sweatshirt and lightly running my thumb over her piercing, grazing her nipple slowly. It’ll always be hot that she has them pierced. Moving my hand, cupping her breast, and letting my thumb repeat the process until she lets out a quiet ‘mmm.’

Her hand moves from my face, and she snakes it behind her to slide down my stomach and into my boxers. She wraps her hand around me, slowly stroking as I’m lazily pressing kisses into her neck, just enjoying the feeling. 

I move my hand to her hip, letting my hand trail over the round of her ass. Sliding the fabric to the side, my middle and ring fingers slip into her, matching the speed of her hand. Her face turns towards me again, so I push myself onto my elbow to hover over her a bit. Our lips moved against each other slowly, feeling her breath, listening to the mix of how wet she was and the quiet whimpers she was letting out into my mouth. 

I feel her pushing on the waistband of my boxers, and I carefully lift myself so she can push them down. Her fingers tapped my wrist and then pulled my hand away from her gently before she brought her hand back to my cock, lining me up with her. I move my hips forward a little, pushing into her. She lets out an ‘Oh’  as my hips make contact with her ass, and I just sit there for a second, enjoying the warmth, feeling so close to her. 

She starts grinding herself against me, still at a crawling pace; nothing about this sex has been rushed. Her hand found the back of my neck, pulling me back in, leaving kiss after kiss on each other, our tongues dancing between us, anything to feel as close as possible while my hips lazily thrust into her. 

I lift her leg, draping it over my hips as I slide my hand down between her legs. Letting my hand just hold over her for a moment before lightly adding pressure to her clit. My hand tiredly rubbed against her, not wanting to rush anything. The way she moans into my mouth would make my knees weak. 

“Baaaby,”  she moans against me. “You’re so good.” 

My heart pounds as she tells me, and I can’t contain the quiet moan that falls out at her praise. 

“My sweet boy,” she says, moving hair out of my face for me. She mumbles, “You’re so beautiful.”  

My breath catches as she says it, never having anticipated having someone call me that. Someone who looks like her, no less. I stare into her eyes for a second, even if it feels like hours, until it finally slips out, “Oh, honey.”  Her lips pressed into mine, her tired smile making my heart throb. I love you, is all that I want to tell her. Endlessly, over and over, until I’m blue in the face. 

Our hips start to move a little quicker against each other, so I let my hand move faster against her clit, pulling a string of moans out of her. Her back arches as I thrust into her, watching her eyes flutter shut at the feeling. I press my arm against her, sliding myself underneath her more so she’s lying on top of me, her head landing perfectly on my shoulder. 

I turn, letting my lips graze the shell of her ear, “Does that feel good, hun?”

She just nods in response as my hips are thrusting up into her. 

“Mm mm, use your words,” I hum out. 

“Yes, baby.”

The pet name made me smile against her. I could feel the way my voice was affecting her, which made me want to keep going. 

“We’re all alone, Char,” I start. “You can let it all out.” She immediately groans, her hips shifting, meeting my thrusts. “Do you need more?” 

She whimpers, “Please.” 

“Sit up for me,” I tell her, helping her get there with my free hand. I nudge her arm before telling her, “Touch yourself.” Her hand slides down, taking the place of where mine had been. I grip her hips before thrusting up into her, listening to the moans that are falling out of her. 

“Oh my god, babe,” she lets out. “I’m so close, Jake, please.” Her head falls back as she moans my name, making my hips move faster into her. The sweet sounds of her moans as she gets closer and closer to her orgasm only encourage me to try harder. 

“Come on, honey. Let me have it,” I tell her, lowering my voice. I can feel her tense up before she lets out any sounds. Her shoulders go forward as her petite frame shakes on top of me; my name litters the air as she rides out her orgasm. 

She climbs off of me, getting comfortable next to me again, leaning up, pressing a slow kiss against my lips. She curls herself up, laying her head against my hip and wrapping her hand around me again. Feeling her head shift, her lips wrap around the tip of my cock, letting her tongue swirl around me for a second. She moves a little further down, still stroking me with one hand and barely bobbing her head, but god, everything she’s doing feels incredible. 

My hand rests on her ass, lightly grabbing it when she moves her head more. Her hand starts moving a bit quicker, and I can feel it building up. She slides more of me into her mouth, letting her lips drag up the length of me. 

“Oh god.” fell out of me; my hand gripped her tighter, which made her moan around my cock. The vibration from it made my head spin, and my whole body started to feel warm. “Char, don’t stop.”

She takes me fully into her mouth, bobbing her head a few times before I was gripping onto anything I could. Her lips slowly made their way up, and then pressed a small kiss against my stomach before looking up at me with a smile. 

She slips back into bed after cleaning herself up and curls back up into me. 

“3 a.m. sex was worth it,” she giggles. 

Brushing loose hairs out of her face, I look at her, “Well, you started it, so I would hope.” 

“Hey! You were into it,” she whisper-yells at me. 

I choke back a laugh before saying, “A beautiful girl basically asking me to rail her? Yeah, like I'm gonna turn that down.”

“JACOB!” 

I can’t fight the laugh when I ask, “What?” 

“You started off so cute, and then Jesus Christ,” she laughs. “Also- I hardly think that counts as getting railed.” 

She giggles against my lips, pressing a few kisses into me. “I rode your ass, if anything,” she taunts me quietly. 

“Hey now, I was still doing things,” I tried to defend myself. 

“Yes, you were, and you did a good job, baby.” 

A smug little smile grows on my face, mumbling, “Thank you.”

“You’re allowed to be a pillow princess sometimes,” she whispers. 

I bark out a laugh, “Oh my god. I know you like being in charge anyway; don’t act like you're mad about it.” 

“It is cute when you beg me,” her eyebrows pop up a few times. 

I let out a sigh, “Annnnnd, we’re done. Okay, good night!” I pull the blanket over her, blocking her face from seeing me. Thank god it’s dark because I can feel how red my face probably is. 

“BABE,” she laughs out, pulling the blanket away from her face. “Ohhhh, is someone embarrassed?” teasing me once she gets a good look at me. 

My eyebrows pull together as I shake my head, “Absolutely not.” 

“Good, because I think it’s sexy that you’re comfortable with that stuff.” 

Oh? I didn’t know that was something that would help, but I’ll take that win. 

“I’m glad you think so,” I tell her. 

She just nods, “Mhm. I feel like most men are too shy or uncomfortable to let their guard down on things. It’s nice that you don’t seem to mind.”

“Helps that you’re hot when you’re bossing me around so,” I tease. She pushes my chest as she laughs at me. 

We lay there for a while longer, just talking about whatever came to her mind, even if I was fighting sleep the entire time. I’d listen to her talk forever if she’d let me.  Eventually, she drifted off to sleep, tucking her face into me as she did. I could feel her breath get slower against my skin. I kiss the top of her head before resting my cheek against her. 

God, I love you.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Chapter Twenty

FDOG Master Post | Masterlist | Playlist

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Venus & Asmodeus Masterpost

Pairing: Jake au x female! reader, Danny au x female! reader

Word Count: 8k

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WARNINGS!: 18+ content!!! MINORS DNI!!! Demon/ vampire/ other worldly being shit…so there’s going to be blood…lots of blood, gore, violence, rituals, blood rituals, blood drinking, blood offerings, death, devil worship and all of that. -Alcohol, smoking, drug use, cursing, adult dancer/ dancing content (stripping)

-Smut Including: M dom & F sub. Kissing, making out, touching, degradation, dirty talk, praise kink, biting, blood, period sex, edging, choking, threesomes + orgies, hair pulling, fingering, oral (m + f) unprotected sex, spanking, impact play, pain kink, knife kink, spitting, angst, voyueirsm, jealousy

Chapter List:

Prologue

Chapter One

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[ourtearsofrain]

Chapter 21- Leave Me Baby, I'm Too Far Gone to Save

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka

Genre: angst, slight hurt/comfort, fluff

Word Count: just under 2.9k

Warnings: AU typical events/threats/violence, description of fight/killing and wounds, thoughts of unaliving self

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Danny

Friday, July 22nd

It had been four days since Danny’s run-in with Teff, and he had spent those four days right by Sam’s side. As Sam’s fear of losing him became more and more obvious to Danny, how could he leave him, even for just a moment? He didn’t mind, they had been the four most quiet days of his life since his name was pulled. He didn’t argue when Sam insisted on staying hidden where they were, even if it meant that their food options were reduced to the small rabbits and squirrels that wandered into their clearing. He didn’t say anything when Sam didn’t move the pelts to separate their sleeping spots again as they found themselves wrapped in the other’s embrace every night. And he had absolutely no complaints when Sam would strip down to his underwear each night even though they had washed their clothes, only doing the same as he tried to keep his gaze away from the other man.

But Danny knew their peace would come to an end sooner or later. He had kept track of every tribute death in his mind, each cannon fire crossing out another name on his list. Three more cannons had sounded over their last few days there, and he knew that the only tributes left were him, Sam, and Hazel. He also knew that she would track them down. But Danny didn’t have the heart to tell Sam, knowing that they both needed those last few days of peace. As the days went on, however, he couldn’t shake this feeling gnawing at his insides that they were running out of time. If they didn’t leave soon, Hazel was bound to show up.

I’ve put it off for long enough, I need to tell him today. “Sammy, we uh… we need to talk.”

“About what? What’s wrong?” Panic overtakes Sam’s face as his worries visibly consume him, his eyes wide and wild as they lock on Danny’s.

“We need to leave, find another place to hide.”

“What? Why? It’s perfect here, we’re safe here.”

“It’s just down to you, me, and Hazel.” Danny blurts the words out, his fear spiking as he waits for Sam’s reaction. “All the other tributes are dead. We’re the only ones left, and I think she knows that too. She’s bound to come looking for us. And she knows about this place, it’s just a matter of time before she shows up.”

“I hate that you’re right.” Sam’s voice is quiet, as if he had been having the same feelings as Danny the entire time. “Where will we go?”

“I- I don’t know. We can look for new hiding places, I’ll carry you up a tree again if I have to; I just know we can’t stay here.”

“Ok.”

“Really?” I had expected him to put up more of a fight.

“Yes. I trust you.” Danny’s heart soars at his words despite the grim situation, hope flaring in his chest momentarily. “Let’s get packed up. Here, take my jacket.” Sam sheds his windbreaker, leaving him in his white t-shirt, now stained shades of brown and red from their time in the arena. “Yours is all slashed up.”

“Thanks.” They say nothing more as they pack their small camp up separately, Danny’s thoughts spiraling as he goes through the motions. What happens when Hazel’s gone? When it’s just him and I. Will he try to kill me? I can’t- I can’t kill him, but they’ll only allow one victor. Only one of us is leaving this arena alive, and I did the stupidest thing I could have done. I told myself I would never let myself love someone in here. I’ve always known there was only one victor. Did I learn nothing from Daphne? But with her, it was different. I knew deep down she wouldn’t make it through this, I just wanted her to last as long as possible, clinging onto some small hope that she could make it. But Sam, he’s- it’s different. He can take care of himself, he could win. And I don’t know what to do if he tries.

“You ok?” Sam taps Danny’s shoulder lightly, pulling him out of his daze as he realizes he had been staring off into empty space for at least a minute.

“Yeah, fine. Just trying to plan where to go.” Liar. Why can’t you tell him what’s really going on? “I’m ready.”

“Got a plan yet?”

“Nope, still working that one out.” He trusts you, and you lie to his face. What’s wrong with you? As they begin to walk through the dense forest, Danny hopes that Sam didn’t notice he was aimlessly wandering, praying that they would stumble upon something as he tries to give himself more time to figure out what to do if the victor came down to one of them.

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“We’re almost back to fire, and I don’t know if I want to go back there again.” A look of distaste passes over Sam’s face, and Danny couldn’t blame him as the memories of their time in that section flood his mind. I’m surprised he hasn’t said anything sooner, we have been walking for a few hours without me saying anything about where we’re headed. At least we haven’t found Hazel yet.

“Do you want to go deeper into the arena or towards the cornucopia?”

“Cornucopia. It might have some resources we can grab.”

Panic flares in Danny’s chest at the suggestion, causing him to catch his wrist as Sam tries to walk towards the center of the arena. “Wait, it could be a trap. Hazel could be waiting for us there, it isn’t safe.”

“Danny, please. I promise you, she isn’t that smart. It’ll just be a quick run and then we can find somewhere to stay for the night.”

Despite his worst fears flashing in his mind, yelling at him to stay as far away from the cornucopia as possible, he gives in. He had spent enough time with Sam to know how stubborn he was. “Fine. But only for a quick run, and one of us is the lookout. Deal?”

“Deal.” Taking a deep breath, Danny starts towards the center of the arena, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind. Sam knows her better than I do, if he says she isn’t that smart, I trust him. Neither say anything more as they walk, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of Hazel as they silently make their way through the forest. As they reach the edge of the clearing the cornucopia was on, Danny’s stomach twists, panic suddenly overtaking him.

“Keep watch for me.”

“Sam, I really don’t think this is a good-” Sam bolts across the clearing before he can finish his sentence, getting a few seconds lead as Danny tries to process his actions before running after him. “Sam! Shit! Sam please, we can still go back.” Danny’s heart pounds in his chest as they make it to the top of the hill, allowing himself a few moments to catch his breath as they duck into the safety of the structure. Setting in immediately, Sam begins scouring what little supplies were left, shoving anything he thought would be useful into his bag as Danny joins him, doing the same.

“Ready? I can’t fit any more.”

“Let’s just go.” Breaking into a sprint, Danny feels hope flare in his chest as Sam matches his pace beside him. We’re almost to the trees again, it’s ok, we can make it. Just as they reach the tree line, Danny hears a sharp whistle as an obsidian dagger flies past his face, nicking his ear before embedding into a tree trunk. Shit. Hazel. “Don’t look back, just keep going.” His heart twists at his choice of words, knowing that the last person he said them to had died only minutes later.

He doesn’t look back when he hears footsteps heavy behind him, another dagger embedding itself into a tree beside him as he ran, his steps unfaltering as his heartbeat pounds in his ears. Another flash flies past his head, and he can’t help but feel slightly amused. Throwing knives are supposed to be her specialty, yet she can’t hit me or a tree near me? The feeling vanishes as he realizes her target; that knife hadn’t been for him, it had been for Sam. And it had lodged itself into the back of his right thigh. Danny screeches to a halt as Sam cries out in pain, quickly collapsing onto the ground. We can’t outrun her, not like this. Within seconds, he pulls the bow off his back, nocking an arrow and pointing it towards the sound of Hazel chasing after them as she stumbles into view.

The second she sees that he had chosen to fight, she ducks as he releases his arrow, narrowly avoiding it as she dives into the vines below them. Nocking another arrow, panic fills him as he realizes it was the last in his quiver. He had one more shot, he needed to make it count. Before he can shoot, Hazel recovers, raising her throwing knife as she stares at him with wild eyes.

“You release that arrow and I throw this. And believe me, my aim is more accurate when you aren’t running. You want to risk dying if you kill me?” Fuck. What the fuck do I do now? “That’s your last arrow, and this is my last knife. It seems we have a predicament here.”

As they stare down the other, neither notice Sam pull the knife from his leg, moving to stand as best he could beside Danny, waiting for one of them to make the first move.

“You know, I am surprised to see you. Then again, I knew Sam wouldn’t get rid of his little toy until he needed to.” Rage fills Danny at her words, his mind blanking as his fingers relax. The second he lets the arrow loose, he regrets it, the glint of her blade arcing towards him immediately after the fletching leaves his fingers. Closing his eyes, he waits for the hit. But it doesn’t come, not even as he hears his arrow make contact, Hazel dropping to the ground quickly before a cannon booms in the distance. He opens his eyes again, confusion filling him as he begins to search around him for her knife, hoping her throw hadn’t been as accurate as she thought.

“Did she miss?” Once again, hope flares in his chest before he remembers he still didn’t know what to do now that it was just the two of them. Just as he begins to force himself to think of options, he sees Sam turn around slowly, standing more in front of Danny than he had remembered. Horror fills him as he sees the handle of the dagger sticking out of his lower chest, the blade embedded into him in the center of his abdomen as the fabric of his shirt surrounding it quickly turns red. “No.”

Sam tries to take a step towards Danny, only collapsing into his arms as Danny tries to sit, pulling him into his lap. “No. No, no, no. This can’t- you didn’t-” Danny’s tears trail down his cheeks as his gaze goes between Sam’s face and the handle, trying to come up with any solution he could think of. “Why did you do that?”

“I couldn’t let you die.”

“But now you will, idiot! Why did you step in front of me?!” Danny grabs his bag desperately, shifting through the contents with one hand as the other comes up to rest around the blade, applying as much pressure as he can.

“Danny. Danny stop, there’s none left.” Fuck him for knowing exactly what I was looking for, of course he’d know, Danny.

“I- why did you waste it on me? You- you said they’d send us another sponsor gift.”

“I don’t want it anymore.”

“What?”

“We’re the last tributes, they won’t send us any more gifts to spare my life. You’re gonna win. You can go home. I- I didn’t know what I was going to do when it was just us two left. I couldn’t kill you. Now I don’t have to choose.” Sam pulls the blade from his chest before Danny can try to stop him, his features twisting in pain.

“SAM WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT OUT, YOU’LL BLEED OUT FASTER! Did they teach you nothing in those fancy survival schools?!” Danny’s hand presses down on the wound as hard as he can, his blood warm against his palm as it flows from his injury quickly. Oh god, what do I do now? It won’t stop bleeding. I can’t- I can’t lose him.

“I know. They aren’t going to help us, not now. I just don’t want to die slowly. You’re the victor.”

“No.” Danny shakes his head roughly, his tears turning into sobs as he sees Sam’s own tears spill over onto his cheeks. “No, I don’t want to win, not without you.” The flash of the dagger beside him grabs his attention. He knew what he had to do. He had to save Sam. Just as he grabs the blade to bring it to his throat, Sam stops him, despair crossing his face as he tries to keep his eyes open.

“No. You can’t, Danny.”

“If I die, they’ll help you, they need a victor. I- I can save you.”

“You already have. Josie needs you.”

“But I need you.” His words appear to hit Sam like a train, his expression twisting into a mix of happiness and pain before he brings his hand up to the back of Danny’s neck, pulling him down until their lips connect. All previous thoughts leave his mind as surprise overtakes him, momentarily forgetting all his worries as he melts against Sam’s lips. He doesn’t want it to end, but eventually Sam collapses back into his lap, smiling wide as his tears roll down his cheeks.

“I didn’t want to die without doing that at least once.”

“You- you idiot. I can’t let you go, not now. I can’t lose you, I need you. I need you outside of this goddamn arena because I- I love you.”

“I love you too.” A pained smile passes over Sam’s face before his expression drops, more tears brewing in his eyes as he reaches for Danny’s hand, his voice breaking as he speaks. “I need you to do one last thing for me.”

“Anything.”

Sam glances down at the dagger Danny still had in his hand, pulling the blade towards his neck. “Make it quick?”

No. No. Never. “No, Sam. Anything but that. Please- please anything but that.”

“Please.”

“No. I- I can’t. Don’t ask me to do this, Sammy.”

“Do you love me?”

“Yes. I- I just told you I did.”

“Then you’ll do this for me. Please. I don’t want to hurt anymore. I don’t- I don’t want anyone else to do it.”

“No, there has to be another way.” Danny looks up to the sky, turning to his last resort as he prays anyone in The Garden will hear his pleas. “PLEASE HELP HIM! PLEASE, HE NEEDS MEDICAL ATTNTION! LET HIM LIVE! TAKE ME INSTEAD!”

“Danny. Danny. Danny!” Finally raising his voice, Sam captures his attention, Danny’s heart breaking at how calm he looked. “There’s no other way.”

“No. I refuse to accept it. There’s always another way.”

“There isn’t.” Sam’s voice breaks, dropping his tone as his eyes stay locked on Danny’s. “There isn’t. Tell my brothers, tell Jake that I’m sorry, that it wasn’t their fault.”

“Tell them yourself. I’m not leaving this arena without you.”

“Danny, please. It’s over.” Despair fills him as Danny tries to come up with any more ideas. They had no medicine, and The Garden would never send them anything. And on top of that, Sam had already accepted his fate. He wouldn’t try to change it. I can’t- I can’t lose him. I need him.

“Please, Sammy.” He didn’t even know to who or what he was begging for, his mind looping the same thoughts over and over.

“Thank you, for everything.” Danny leans into his touch as Sam raises his hand to cradle his cheek, letting himself close his eyes as he tries to focus on his touch alone. His mind circles solutions, his hopes only dropping more and more as he finds none.

Sam’s hand leaves his skin, causing Danny’s eyes to fly open. He can’t even begin to process his feelings as he sees Sam unconscious in his lap, his chest barely rising and falling until Danny can’t tell if he was still breathing or not. “Sam? Sam. Sam, please! Please don’t do this to me!” He receives no response as he shakes the other man, terror clawing at his body and mind as he begins to beg. “Come back to me! Please, don’t fucking leave me! Sam, I need you! I need you.”

His words are the only thing he can hear as he waits for a cannon to boom, his forehead dropping to rest on Sam’s as he rocks them back and forth, his tears dropping onto his cheeks as he prays that Sam would fly awake any minute, just as he had. “Please. Please, I need you.”

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A/N: I would say I'm sorry but we all know I'm really not

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Taglist: @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @milojames16 @gretnavannfleet @aioba1503-sdm @sanguinebats @cheersdannyx2 @musicislove3389 @holdingup-fallingsky @hailthegodsong @freyjalw @currentlyfangirling10 @Maddie-Rae

[sacredjake]

Carpe Noctem

pairing: Jake Kiszka x Siren!Reader

warnings: MDNI 18+!!! blood, death, killing, angst, cursing, supernatural elements, brief mention of weapons and minor assault, guilt, talk of dying, smut, fluff, soulmate au

word count: 13.8k

This fic will display themes of death and killing, and i will do my best to tag every warning, but if i miss one please, please, please bring it to my attention.

As Nympha Legatus of your pod you must do what it takes to complete the duty bestowed upon you and your sisters. Even if it means killing the man you love. Will fate continue to haunt you or will you give in to what you truly desire?

a/n: this fic has been almost a month in the making and even longer in the brainstorming stage and i am so excited to share it with everyone! thank you @malany-gvf for always helping me talk out the ideas i have. huge, massive thank you to @gold-mines-melting for giving endless feedback, support and suggestions and taking time to read this and edit it. i appreciate and love you both so much, thank you from the bottom of my heart <33333

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Light from the full moon overhead illuminated your already glistening skin every so often as clouds passed by. The silver rays that shone upon you reflected a scene like the ocean you had emerged from, like moonlight glittering off the waves. The night was misty, rain falling lightly as your pod walked through the streets towards the closest club or bar. Forgoing the need for a coat, raindrops dotted the exposed areas and rolled off seamlessly disguising the naturally dewy texture of your skin. 

The rain was purposeful, a product of your magic to blend in better with the humans. If not for that you would look even more out of place with the way your skin looked wet even when dry. It was also a way to ensure everyone was hydrated and avoided drying out. While a quarter of you would not return tonight, at least it would not be from lack of water. 

Scuffing from shoes on gravel and rocks being kicked were the only sounds echoing through the dark streets. Some of your sisters were still getting their bearings, it being their first night on legs and all, stumbles were to be expected. Wearing shoes was a major adjustment, but to fit in, shoes were a necessity. 

Oh how you missed the days when the humans walked around barefoot. Things were so much simpler then. Before him. 

You shook the memory out of your head before it snowballed any further. Now was not the time for that. Focus. 

Red light caught your eye as it reflected off puddles and the shiny black gravel. Your eyes followed the trail, landing on multiple different neon signs lighting up the club your pod approached. Like you had expected there to be, a long line formed outside the bar of humans waiting to get inside. At the front stood a tall, large man wearing a tight black shirt and jeans with his arms crossed looking over the line. 

Sarenya stopped beside you, and your sisters who followed closely behind mirrored both your actions. She turned to face the pod as you eyed the bouncer a bit longer, sizing him up. When she began to speak you turned around and met the faintly glowing eyes of your younger sisters. 

Another distinguishing trait that showed you were not human. 

Nymph’s eyes were usually different from the humans’. The color of one’s eyes determined their age and their status. While a siren’s eyes were green in the early stages of their life, red during their middle age and silver in their later years, a mermaid’s eyes were blue, purple and then gold in their respective life stages. The commonality between the two? Every nymph’s iris sparkled. No, not like that disgusting glitter humans loved so much that stuck to everything. Within each iris lay a million tiny flecks of their color in a lighter shade, reflective and bright. And definitely not human. 

And yes, mermaids and sirens were both sea nymphs. Humans always tried to make different categories for everything they knew little about, but it was not that complex. Although the technical terms back home were oceanids and naiads, you had learned long ago that people on land had left their original names behind. It didn’t matter much to you honestly, you were all children of the sea, and there wasn’t much difference between a mermaid and a siren anyways beside your eye color and abilities. 

Everyone knew sirens had beautiful voices, but this was merely an amplification of their compulsion. While sirens couldn’t compel any other sea nymph, it worked on every other living being. But that’s just the most well known ability. Sirens can also manipulate water, and alter the way something may appear to others. Illusion was the most useful ability a siren could use on a night like tonight.

A mermaid’s abilities were different of course. While sirens could manipulate water, mermaids could control the state of water turning it from liquid to gas to solid. Hence the rain, a combination of both your powers working together. Their most useful power for tonight, however, was their ability to control the emotions of others. 

“Alright, we have a few fleshlings with us tonight so we’re going to go over how this works.” Sarenya addressed the pod since she was tonight’s leader. “Use your abilities, rule number one. We are here for one purpose and we must do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. Rule number two, do not leave any damning evidence behind. We do not need a repeat of 1986 where a scale was left behind for a human to find and cause a frenzy. Rule number three, the humans can be quite attractive, but do not forget that they are not one of us. They are food, not mates. Kill them and move on. Fail and you will die. We can not survive on land.” 

At the end of her rules she caught your eye, speaking the last one almost directly to you. Like a reminder. As if you needed one. It made your chest hurt, your heart being squeezed torturously by an invisible vice. 

She was right though. You only got one night on land, one night to quench the insatiable thirst and gather enough blood for the members of your pod who were not allowed to join the hunt. 

Sea nymphs didn’t rely on blood to survive, it’s not the main source of food. Proteins and sea veggies like kelp and seaweed were a big part of an everyday diet. But human blood was a delicacy, and the key to immortality for a nymph. Just a drop of their blood, and a few ingredients, and you had the key to another ten years of youth. 

“We only have nine hours until sunrise. I do not care what you do in that time as long as all of your vials are full when you return and you follow those rules. Remember, when the sun comes up this is finished. If you do not make it back to the ocean by then… Well you get it by now.” For a mermaid Sarenya was quite blunt and cold, but when so many of your sisters fail to return over the years you kind of have to be. 

“Fleshlings stick by me until I say otherwise, everyone else, you know what to do.” Her golden eyes landed on yours once more with a reassuring glint to them before she strode off towards the bouncer, fleshlings in tow.

The two of you had been overseeing your pod’s hunt since 1693 when you were both promoted to Nympha Legatus, or Nymph Lieutenant. Rising in rank isn’t an easy thing to do, and it was rarely heard of especially since they usually lived forever, but that was an unusual circumstance. The hunt had started out as it usually did with the Nympha Legatus, Nymerian and Tessaya, leading your pod on the shore before breaking off for the night. As the night progressed things went horribly wrong. It had been a year since anyone had been on land and no one was aware of the witch mania that had overtaken the town of Salem. Along with a few others, Nymerian and Tessaya were captured, accused of being witches and thrown in jail to which they never made it back to the sea. Upon returning to the Nympha Ducem, Nymph Commander, you and Sarenya were the only two old enough within the pod to assume the position which required one mermaid and one siren. Since then she has been by your side through everything. You looked out for one another and always made sure the other made it back to the sea even if they had wavering thoughts. 

“Alright everyone, you heard Sarenya, you do what you need to and get back to the beach before sunrise. This isn’t your first Hunt. You know what to expect and how to handle it and we expect you to do just that. Enjoy yourselves, but don’t return home empty handed. Good luck…” Your silver eyes flitted to each of theirs briefly before continuing on the last note before separating. 

“Carpe Noctem.” Their voices mingled with your own as they recited the phrase with you. Sharing smiles, you and the pod turned towards the bar and made your way to the big guy in front of the door. 

Convincing him to let you in was easy. There was no need to use compulsion on him, your beauty taking care of that all on its own. When he asked for an I.D. however, you knew you had to turn it on. Pretending to look for the nonexistent item you pat down your pockets before giving him a sad, doe-eyed look. 

“Oh no… It seems like I left it at home. If I tell you a secret will you let me in?” You could feel the power roll off your tongue, sweet and thick like honey coating each word. The bouncer’s eyes glazed over and he leaned forwards at your request. 

“You don’t need to see my I.D. or any of the girls behind me. You know us.” He straightened back up, his eyes still in a haze. 

“Oh I didn’t realize that was you! Go on in ladies, I don’t need an I.D. for my best girls.” 

There was muttering from the line of humans behind you. Most of them were women expressing their displeasure and jealousy and some were men who were fawning over you and your sisters. Human men were so simple, each one of them the same as the last, year after year. All but one had ever shown you any difference. 

The bouncer opened the door and stepped aside letting you walk past him into the crowded bar. Cigarette smoke lingered in the air and blurred your vision slightly as you push through people to find an empty spot to sit. In your experience the hunt always worked better when you let the humans come to you. It was nice to sit and enjoy your time on land, appreciating the music, observing the humans and their strange behaviors, and savoring the cocktails they made. There was work to be done, sure, but you had the time. 

After an hour had come and gone of observing and accepting drinks from different men you had found yourself in conversation with one. And by Zeus was he the most obnoxious human you had ever met. Ethan, or so you think you heard right, went on and on and on about how much money his family had and how nice his house was and how he just got back from Italy- blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Pfft. Italy, big freaking whoop you had been there more times than you could count, and you really could not give less of a fuck about his money either. So trivial. 

Ethan, or was it Evan, who cares honestly he was about to be dead, kept talking even though you had zoned out long ago. For the last few minutes while what’s his face rambled on you were thinking how exactly you wanted to end his life. Would you promise him sex if he walked out of the club with you only to die in the alley? Or would you use your illusion and kill him right here without anyone noticing? You could also ask him to show you his ‘sick new lambo’ and bleed him dry all over the white leather seats he was raving about. New ideas kept popping into your head, each one better than the last, but your train of thought came to a screeching halt when you caught his eyes. 

He looked the same as he did every damn time. Long, slightly wavy chestnut brown hair, a soft yet strong jawline, plush soft lips, and gentle brown eyes lined with subtle dark circles underneath. No matter how many times you saw him he always seemed to steal the air from your lungs. 

Once his eyes were set on you they didn’t move. It was like he was trying to piece together where he recognized you from although you knew he never would. Your eyes bore into his own taking you back to when you first met. 

June 1713

Dover, England

Twenty years. It had only been twenty years since you were appointed Nympha Legatus which seems like a long time, but in the life of an immortal that’s nothing. Barely scratching the surface. 

The first ten years were rough. You and Sarenya had lost every single fleshling each year, none of them returning to the sea. Some were killed in random accidents, and the others just never made it back. On the eleventh year the first fleshling from your pod survived, finally giving you both hope that maybe you could do this. Maybe everything would be okay. Each year after more and more survived until only one or two didn’t return. That in itself was a success. 

Sarenya led the speech this year warning your sisters about pirates in the area, and human officers in the streets. Men were not so kind to women, especially pirates, and on land nymphs were at their most vulnerable, the Nympha Ducem deeming it illegal to use your abilities during the hunt in fear of causing suspicion amongst the humans. Deciding to hunt in a well populated port was dangerous, but it also offered a safety that desolate towns could not. More people meant you were less likely to be looked upon for being strangers, the sea was close by and there was safety in large crowds. 

“Carpe Noctem.” Everyone spoke the phrase in unison just as they had for centuries before, beginning the hunt. 

You wandered the streets for some time before finding a small pub to begin your night. Drunk men were always easy prey. But they were also unpredictable. A man who went by Billy had approached you shortly after entering the rickety establishment and offered his rum to you. The rum should have been the first indicator of who you were dealing with. The cutlass at his hip should’ve been the second. 

Between sips of the dark liquor and hollow flirting you had ended up in a back alley with Billy trying to execute your plan for killing him. You had sorely underestimated how aware, sober and strong he was. When he caught on that you were not going to do him any sexual favors the cutlass at his hip had been drawn to your neck with his other forearm laid across your chest, pressing your back into the rough brick. You squeezed your eyes shut and waited for whatever Billy was about to do, but nothing happened. 

The pressure against your chest lifted, and the cold metal of the blade at your throat was gone. When you opened your eyes Billy stood in front of you, his hands up in defense, shock and terror written all over his face, dagger pressed to his jugular. 

“Drop the cutlass. Now.” A male voice spoke from behind him, commanding but smooth. Billy did as the disembodied voice said, the sword clattering loudly, the metal banging and scraping against gravel. 

“Apologize to the lady.” 

“I- I‘m sorry miss. Won’t ha- happen again.” Billy stuttered, his legs shaking and hands trembling in the air. 

“Leave and don’t come back. If I see your face in Dover again I can’t promise I’ll be as kind a second time.” 

The man behind your attacker lifted the blade off his throat, nicking the skin ever so slightly drawing the smallest amount of blood. Finally free, Billy bolted down the street not staying to try and fight. You swore you saw his brown trousers darken as he ran away, streams of piss flowing down his legs. Coward. 

When the man straightened up from retrieving the cutlass off the ground you were able to see his face. His brown wavy hair was illuminated by moonlight, plush lips upturned at the corners into a gentle smile, and brown eyes twinkling in the silver beams from above. He was the most gorgeous human you had ever seen. 

His smile dropped a fraction when you made no movement, continuing to stare at him with wide eyes. He took a step back thinking he must have frightened you even more and mentally cursed himself. Instead you took a step forward wanting to not be any further from him than you already were. 

“It was not my intention to frighten you, my lady.” He hung his head in disappointment and shame, unable to meet your eyes again. 

“You did not frighten me, sir. I am just in awe of your beauty.” 

You wanted nothing more than to reach out for him. To touch him, and feel his smooth skin under your fingers. You kept your hands to yourself begrudgingly. 

The man’s head snapped up so quickly it looked like it hurt. Brown eyes were back on your own, a pink tint flushed onto his cheeks. 

“My beauty?” It was incredulous to him that a woman so fair, so breathtaking, was in awe of his beauty. 

“Yes.” You took another step closer to him as you spoke. 

“The most devine creature I have ever seen is calling me beautiful.” 

Your entire body froze. Every muscle and ligament locked in place and rigid. Creature. Did he know what you were? 

“Creature?” The word rolled off your tongue with disgust. A word you had always despised. 

“Well you certainly can not be human and possess the features of a goddess.” 

Just as your body had locked up in mere seconds, it relaxed hearing that what he had called you was a compliment. This was the first time you had actually liked the word creature. It was filled with endearment not disgust. 

“What is your name?” 

“Jacob.” 

“Thank you for stepping in, Jacob. I can only imagine what could have occurred had you not. Would you allow me to buy you a pint as a show of my appreciation and gratitude?” 

“Only if you’ll stay and enjoy one with me.” He beamed brighter than the moon overhead, eyes and smile wide. 

“I shall join you then.” 

The two of you walked down the cobblestone street back towards the small ale house you had come from with Billy. He had asked your name in which you told him earning yet another compliment. 

“A name just as beautiful as the woman who bears it.” 

You couldn’t describe what he was making you feel. There was never another time during your long life that you had ever felt so giddy and nervous around a human. Jacob was something special indeed. 

Time was lost on you once the two of you entered the pub and sat to enjoy a drink. Various conversations about either of you followed naturally, careful to think about your answers. You were not like him after all and one wrong thing could raise questions. 

“That’s a pretty blade.” You pointed to the dagger Jacob had set on the table, it had been the same one held to Billy’s neck. The weapon was fairly simple, a straight cross-guard that downturned slightly at the end and thinned out, the grip looked to be wrapped in leather leading to a round pommel with an atocha coin in the middle. 

“Thank you, I actually made it. I’m a silversmith.” 

Jacob was quite talented. Every piece of weaponry aside from Billy’s he had made himself. A few of the patrons in the tavern had also been carrying around his creations, all of them beautiful. He had taught himself how to fight with a sword, and how to play the guitar. He was the most intriguing human you had ever met. 

And yet he would die that night by your hand. 

Things had finally been going right for your pod in the last nine years, and you had almost thrown all of it down a trench because of some human. Wasting the night away talking to a human because he saved your life? Because he was a wonder to look at? No, that was not important. What was important was gathering the blood you needed and getting home. You had a mission. 

At least that’s what you told yourself when you drained the blood from Jacob, unable to stop. What you had to remind yourself when you saw his body limp and lifeless at your hands. It was what played in a loop in your head any time you thought of how you would never see his beauty again, how you would never admire another human in that way again. 

But you were wrong. Fate was cruel and twisted. 

You finally tore your eyes away from his and turned back to whatever his name was. He will come just as he always did, but this time you will be prepared. Finally taking a breath from speaking, Erik allowed for a lull in the conversation giving the opportunity for you to suggest the two of you find somewhere more private. Of course he was more than happy to oblige. Naïve human. 

Once Edwin was taken care of and you had your vile of blood, you cleaned the mess in the dirty alleyway as best as you could. The door you walked out of had been propped open from the cardboard box you wedged in the doorframe and you slipped back inside easily. Women filled the tiny bathroom, drunk and stumbling as you cleaned yourself up making sure there was no evidence left behind. Satisfied, you left the bathroom and made your way back to where you had been originally sitting. 

You sat there for some time watching the humans dance, talk and laugh trying to keep your eyes off of him. A truly fruitless distraction, your eyes trained on his form unable to look away. A part of you knew that you had to cherish this before it was too late. Not knowing how much time would pass before you did see him again. 

After what seemed like hours, although you’re sure it could’ve only been thirty minutes, he pushed off the table he was leaning against and made his way over to you. Trying to seem like you had not been staring at him all night, your eyes wandered elsewhere looking for anything remotely interesting. It wasn’t until he was basically right in front of you that you allowed your eyes to shift onto him. He stared down at you, the corners of his lips pulled into the smallest smile. 

“Alright if I join you?” His hand was outstretched, palm facing upwards and motioning to the empty seat next to you. 

“Not at all.” You smiled back at him and scooted over slightly on the small cushioned bench to make more room. 

“I wasn’t going to come over here since you were with someone earlier, but it appears that he left.” 

“Yeah,” You chuckled, “Honestly I’m glad I was able to ditch him. He was a bore. Had I known you’d come over sooner I would’ve gotten rid of him a long time ago.” 

“Is that so?” His eyebrows raised, the smile on his face only growing in size. You hummed a short “Mmm,” your eyes meeting his for the first time since he sat down.  

“I’m Jake by the way.” 

Jake extended his hand out to you and you took it, shaking his hand with a firm, but still soft grip. Neither of you could keep your eyes off the other. 

“Y/n.” 

“Fitting. A name just as beautiful as the woman bearing it.” You could feel your heart skip before it sank. You knew he would say it, but that didn’t make the pain any easier. He dropped your hand and lifted his glass up to his lips taking a sip. 

“Not much of a dancer I presume?” 

April 1865

Boston, Massachusetts  

People were everywhere. In the streets, in the bars, cheering, drinking, celebrating. The perfect time to begin the hunt. 

After separating from the pod you found yourself observing the humans while they celebrated victory. The civil war had just ended and their side won. It was fascinating to watch them dance and sing and drink to their hearts desire without any care in the world. 

So caught up in watching the humans, you hadn’t even noticed him in the crowd. But he had noticed you, of course he had. Not only were you the only person in all of Boston to not be celebrating in some way, but you were also stunning. 

“Not much of a dancer I presume?” 

The accent was much different, but the voice was the same. Your head snapped to where he was standing just left of you, shock wracking your entire body. How was it possible? He was dead. You had killed him over a hundred years ago. 

“Um… Uh- n-no. Not really.” You stumbled through the shock that had taken hold of you, mind racing. 

“I see… C’mon,” He held his hand out to you as an offering. When you didn’t take it he whispered, “If you don’t celebrate in some way they might think you’re a sympathizer. Take my hand.” 

You did as he asked and slid your hand into his. He pulled you up from the stoop you were occupying and led you into the street with all the other humans. Musicians were playing loudly out in the open, the songs always fast and upbeat keeping everyone moving. He dropped your hand once comfortable with where you were standing and began a dance you had never seen before. When you didn’t move an inch he stopped. 

“Do you not know how it goes?” 

“No.” Your teeth sunk into your bottom lip as you shook your head. 

“I’ll teach you. Follow my lead.” 

“Okay…” 

“Jacob. You can call me Jacob.” 

Song after song, dance after dance, Jacob leads you into each one. He taught you all the steps, keeping patience the entire time which would not have been an easy thing to do. While you were no fleshling, you definitely looked like it was your first time on legs with how uncoordinated you were. 

You talked as you danced the night away. Jacob was just as intriguing the second time you met him as he was the first. He was the same man you had met in 1713, but more modernized. Everything about him drew you in. 

Eventually the music died, the streets cleared and it was just you and Jacob left out in the night. The two of you were sitting on the steps of his porch talking under the stars and enjoying each other's company. At some point you were no longer looking at the empty street or the starry night sky, but looking at one another instead. Jacob’s eyes traversed every part of your face like he was trying to memorize even the smallest details. After a few moments of this he sighed dreamily. 

“May I kiss you?” 

“You want to kiss me?” 

“More than anything.” 

“Then yes, Jacob, you may.” 

You had kissed plenty of humans in your lifetime, none of them ever meaning anything significant. But when Jacob’s lips touched yours for the first time you had finally realized why humans liked to do this. Your entire body felt… alive. The feeling was the strangest, yet most blissful experience that you wished would never end. When he pulled away from you sadness ran through every fiber of your being, instantly missing the warmth of his soft lips.  

You would never forget the way Jacob looked at you after the kiss. His eyes were soft, a gentle smile gracing his pretty face, every bit of him glowing with something other than the light from the moon. You would’ve done anything to see him like this for the rest of your life. To feel like he had just made you feel for eternity. 

When the blissful haze cleared however, the longing vanished and panic quickly set in. What was he doing to you? This wasn’t right. You have a purpose and it is not to fall in love with a human. Get it together. Do your duty. 

Every other thought bounced back and forth, your heart and brain fighting for dominance. Your heart told you to let him live, you didn’t need to kill him, but your brain knew better. You needed to do it or you would come back year after year just to see him. Risk the safety of you and the pod for a human you could never be with. 

You had to kill him. 

“Thank you for tonight Jacob.” 

“The pleasure was all mine.” 

He had insisted on walking you home to which you didn’t fight. If he walked you home you could lead him to a quiet place to take his life. Maybe even somewhere beautiful. Jacob deserved more than to just be drained and dumped in some filthy alley. 

When he took you through the public garden you knew that was the place. So you led him down close to the pond underneath a willow tree, rays of light breaking through the wispy leaves that lay in drooping branches.

“Jacob?” You turned to him and gently grabbed both his hands. 

“Hmm?” 

“Kiss me again… Please?” There was the possibility that he would not come back like he had this time. A possibility that you would never feel his lips on yours again and you needed to experience it one last time. 

“Okay.” It was soft and breathy, and had the night been any more lively you weren’t sure you would’ve heard it. 

Jacob did as you asked, his lips pressed to yours like they had the first time. Tingles rolled through your body from head to toe crashing over you like waves. When you thought he would pull away and end the kiss he did something that surprised you. His tongue swept across your lower lip sending new vibrations along your spine, your body shivering slightly. Your own mouth acted without volition and opened against his lips. 

The feeling of his tongue gliding along yours like velvet was euphoric. Noises bubbled from your throat in sighs of pleasure to be swallowed by Jacob. His hands gripped your waist, fingertips pressing into the meat with desperate longing. You liked the way his hands felt on you, almost as intoxicating as his mouth. 

The kiss calmed and turned into short, slow kisses until your foreheads were resting against one another. You watched both of your chests rise and fall rapidly as you tried to regain your breath and slow your racing hearts. Neither of you said a word, just simply enjoying the moment. 

Do it now. Get it over with, the longer you delay the worse it’ll be. Do it. 

“May the flames of our souls dance together endlessly, Jacob.” You didn’t dare look at his face when you spoke your last words to him knowing you wouldn’t have it in you to do what needed to be done. 

As your teeth sank into the delicate skin of his neck you prayed for it to be over quickly. Each desperate gasp of breath was a stab to your already fragile heart, and you were thankful you couldn’t see his face. 

When he finally fell unconscious you filled the vile with his blood quickly before returning to finish what you started. Each pull of your mouth was a physical battle within yourself knowing that if you left now, before it was too late, he’d live. You could save him if you stopped. But that wasn’t an option anymore. You had to see it through. 

You laid him down gently beneath the willow, teardrops dotting his skin, and cried harder at the sight of them. Had you been crying the whole time, you weren’t sure, but deep down you knew you had been. Brushing his hair from his face you looked at him one last time and pressed a shaky kiss to his forehead. 

You had never run faster or sobbed harder in your life than you had that night.

“Something like that. I’m not one for this type of dancing or music if I’m honest.” You shrugged looking out at the people jumping and grinding to the music the DJ played. 

“I’m not either, but my younger brothers wanted to check it out so I appeased them,” His eyes were trained on the crowd as he spoke, “I was starting to regret coming, and was just telling my brother I was going to leave.” 

You peeled your eyes away from the people dancing on the floor and looked at Jake. He did the same, turning his focus back to you. 

“Oh really? What made you change your mind?” 

“Well I saw the most gorgeous woman looking like she’d rather be anywhere but here.” A cheeky smile formed on his lips. You’d forgotten how smooth he always was, your own lips breaking into a small smile. 

“Would you wanna get out of here?” 

“And go where?” 

“I know a place.” Jake stood from his spot on the bench and set his drink on the table. When he turned to you he had his arm extended for you to take. His face gave a look of ‘what do you say?’ 

“Better be a good place.” You smiled and took his hand letting him lead you out of the noisy club. When the two of you stepped outside onto the street his hand dropped yours, the warmth he brought quickly dissipating. The action made you sad, wanting nothing more than to touch him again. 

You weren’t sure where he was taking you, but you trusted him and let him lead you down the wet streets. The two of you talked, and just as you had expected he was the same as each time before just with slight differences. He was a musician now, self made of course, and in a band with his brothers. It was almost relieving to hear that there was finally a version of him in which he played music. You knew he was destined for this profession, his love and devotion for the art always remaining throughout the decades. 

Eventually you came to the entrance of a park shrouded with hundreds of trees and flowers. He continued to walk down the pathway, a destination clear in mind. You couldn’t help but look in awe at the breathtaking scenery around you, all the trees and flowers, the moonlight bouncing off the large pond that sat in the middle of the park. You wondered what it might look like in the daytime. 

Since you had left the club there had not been a moment of silence. Comfortable, casual conversation flowed easily between you, talking about anything and everything you could think of. Jake was well read in human history and literature, things you knew much about having lived through most of them. While you only came upon the shore for one night each year you liked to keep tabs on what was happening with the humans as it usually impacted the lives of the nymphs greatly. Especially as technology advanced. 

The two of you came to a bench surrounded by large drooping trees that overlooked the pond, and your chest tightened. The scene before you looked strikingly similar to the public garden in Boston where you had taken Jake’s life almost two hundred years ago. Images of his lifeless state came flooding back to you, tears pricking your eyes. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, willing the tears back down. When you opened your eyes again and looked at the trees more closely you breathed a small sigh of relief. They were not willows, but instead oak trees covered in spanish moss that were still living. And they were hauntingly beautiful.

“I like to come here at night when I’m stuck on a melody or riff I can’t quite work out. There’s something about this place that’s so peaceful and reminiscent. Which sounds ridiculous since I don't even know what I could possibly reminisce about in a place like this.” He sat on the bench and looked out over the water as he spoke, like he truly was thinking back to something. You tried to deny that maybe in some way he remembered that night in Boston as you sat beside him. It was easier to lie to yourself than accept that old pieces of his lives that involved you lingered.

The night had grown somewhat cold and a chill ran through your body as wind swept through the trees. Jake noticed the way your arms wrapped tightly around your body and wordlessly took off his light jacket, placing it around your shoulders. 

“Thank you, but you didn’t-“ 

“I wanted to.” 

The skin of your cheeks burned, heat creeping along your face and down your neck. You were thankful for the thickly coated trees overhead as they blocked out most of the moonlight and hid your growing blush. With the wind dying, you could smell his natural musk that wafted from the jacket, woodsy and clean like driftwood that sat on the beach. The smell flooded your senses, reminding you of the last time you had seen him. 

September 1923

Charleston, South Carolina 

Prohibition made hunting harder. Without the effect of alcohol humans tended not to hang around in large groups and were more difficult to subdue, but thankfully speakeasies existed. Sure finding a human who knew where one was could be a challenge, but once you did find one who could point you in the right direction they would do so of their own free will. 

Bourbon and Branch was where you had found yourself this night for the hunt. The darkly lit underground club was congested with smoke from cigarettes and cigars, the sound of jazz filled the space. There couldn't have been a better place to prey on humans and you certainly took advantage of it, your body count for the evening rising higher and higher. Were you out of control? No, not yet, but hey it was the roaring twenties, everyone was on the verge of losing what little grip they had on self control. It didn’t help that you had been nursing your self loathing and pain since 1865.

Every waking moment that fateful night played on a loop in your mind. Over and over. You would do anything to get through the day without thinking about him, and human blood helped take your mind off of everything. The more you drank, the better you felt, the less you thought of him, but the more you drank, the more you pushed yourself further to the edge. You were quickly becoming a liability to the pod with each hunt that took place. It’s not that you didn’t care that you were endangering the pod, you just couldn’t see past your own misery to realize that what you were doing was dangerous.

You had lost track of just how many bodies you had left in the alley behind the speakeasy that night. It was nearing double digits, but you didn’t care and instead headed back inside the small club to find your next meal. When you slipped back inside though the image of the next human you had intended on targeting vanished instantly. 

Sitting in a booth with a drink in hand looking at home was the man who haunted you. His eyes seemed to be scanning the room, like he was looking for something in particular when they landed on you. You didn’t dare take your eyes off of him, fearing that maybe the blood had gotten to your head. You watched as he said something to one of the men who sat by his side, identical to him in some ways, before sliding out of the booth and walking towards you. Not once did his eyes leave yours. 

It felt like catching up with an old friend in some weird way. You know the person down to their core, but aspects of their life have changed, and small parts of them have too. Most of the night was spent in the Bourbon and Branch just talking with Jacob and getting to know what he was like in this life. There were plenty of smiles, laughs and flirting, and you were floating on air. And when he kissed you that night it was as if no time had passed, like you were back in 1865 sitting on his porch steps under the stars. 

When the bar had finally closed for the night, neither of you could bring yourselves to say goodbye. Jacob invited you back to his house with his brothers and their partners as a proper way to wind down after a night out. More secret booze and music. The lot of you danced and drank for what seemed like hours before everyone either left or went to bed leaving you and Jacob out to enjoy the night alone. The two of you talked and talked until talking led to gentle touches, those touches turned to kissing, and the kissing led to something you had never done.  

While painful at first, the feeling that came after was truly unlike anything you had ever experienced. Nothing would compare to the overwhelming euphoria you and Jacob had shared that night. Images of him above you, bare and glistening with sweat while his light brown eyes bore into your own were seared in your brain. The scent of driftwood and sea salt was all around you, enveloping you wholly. His whispers of praise, encouragement, and adoration echoed forever in your head. How beautiful you were and how good you felt. How utterly perfect you were. If you thought you liked the way his hands felt on you once long ago, you loved how they felt on you tonight. You loved the pleasure he could bring you with just a drag of his finger, and how gentle he was. So gentle like he was afraid he would break you. When you reached your peak you felt nothing but pure pleasure, every thought and memory erased from your mind that wasn’t him. He invaded every part of your being.

Afterwards the two of you laid in his bed, bare and pressed against one another. No words were spoken, but none needed to be. You were both content to exist in the moment listening to each breath the other took while his fingers traced mindless shapes and paths across your skin. The only noise that could be heard was Jacob humming softly, a tune that had no real body like it was something he made up as it came to him. 

When he finally fell asleep you slipped out from underneath his arm carefully to not wake him and redressed. You had decided you would not repeat history this time. You wouldn’t be the cause of his death, you couldn’t do it again. You knew had you taken his life a third time you would come apart at the seams completely. While you were unsure if he would ever come back to you since you had let him live, it was a chance you were willing to take. For one last time you admired him in the faint glow of the candles by his bed, and this time as you looked upon him you didn’t have to tell yourself he was sleeping. 

“May the flames of our souls dance together endlessly, my love.” Your hand caressed his cheek and you bent down to place a gentle kiss to his forehead before you made your exit. You had barely made it to the ocean when the sun rose that morning, your first true close call. To you though it was well worth it.

“So you’re in a band? Do you enjoy it?” You pulled his jacket tighter around your frame hoping to trap in more heat and cocoon yourself in his smell. 

“I love it. It’s been my dream for so long to be a musician and I don’t think I would trade anything in the world for it.” When he spoke you could feel the excitement pour off of him. He truly loved what he was doing and that made you happy- knowing that he was happy. 

“I’m sure it's not easy though being in a band with your brothers.”

“Everyone thinks that, but it’s not always difficult. Sure tempers fly, and things get smashed or broken, but nothing will ever come between us that we can’t overcome. We’re family, we’ll always have each other’s backs.” 

You could understand where he was coming from. Your pod was your family, each member was a sister to you biological or not, and the hunt was your job. Things get dicey every now and then, but for the most part you just tried to do what was best for your family and looked out for one another.

Another hour had passed just sitting under the trees talking about everything and nothing at all. It had taken all the strength you had to not shiver uncontrollably from head to toe till now, Jake’s jacket not doing much anymore. You were positively freezing. The cold finally won, and violent shakes wracked your body. 

“I have this beautiful hand-made dagger from the 1700s, absolutely exquis-“ His sentence stopped abruptly on the count of way your body jolted continuously and he began to rub his hands up and down the length of your biceps, “C’mon let’s get you somewhere warm, you’re shaking like a leaf.” 

Jake stood from the bench, his hands falling away from your arms for a moment to help you stand. When the two of you began to walk he was next to you, his arm wrapped around the back of your body so both of his hands were back on your upper arms. The friction from his hands did heat your body slightly, but not enough to subdue the intense shivering. 

“My place isn’t far from here, is that alright?” When you turned to answer him you came practically nose to nose with him. He was so close that the only thing you could see in front of you were his honey brown irises. 

“Um, yeah that’s fine. How far away are we?”  

“About seven minutes, think you’ll make it that far?” The smallest hint of a smile drew the corner of his mouth upwards, his top lip curling the tiniest bit. 

While you didn’t spend most of your time around humans you knew when one was making a joke. Or in this case, poking fun at you. Instead of finding it offensive the jest was rather endearing. Nonetheless you rolled your eyes playfully.

“Yes I can make it that far.” You finally willed yourself to look away from his mesmerizing face and stare out ahead of you. A part of you feared that if you didn’t look away now, you never would. 

Shortly after leaving the park you had stopped shivering and Jake’s hands stopped their vigorous movements on your arms to rest at his sides. It seemed silly, but you mourned his touch as soon as it left your body and you decided to ask him about the dagger from earlier to distract yourself. 

“You were telling me earlier about a dagger that you have?” 

“Oh yeah, I forgot I was nerding out a little.” A breathy laugh escaped from between his lips. It was more of a huff of air than an actual laugh. His focus was on his boots as he walked beside you on the concrete sidewalk. 

“Tell me about it? I would love to know more.” 

“Yeah, uh,” He looked up to you with an expression that looked something similar to disbelief mixed with excitement. “It’s a beautiful handcrafted dagger from the early 18th century I believe. It’s a family heirloom, been passed down to the Kiszka men when they turn twenty-five. That’s how old my ancestor was when he made it.” 

His hands waved about and fidgeted as he spoke like it was something he did out of nervous habit, but you think he just liked to keep his hands busy. You knew exactly which blade he had been referring to, there was no doubt in your mind. The weapon had to be the same blade used to strike fear into the heart of Billy back in Dover, England. The same blade which you complimented later on in the night. 

“This is me.” Jake stopped in front of a large house, very modern and elegant looking, but simple, and dug his keys out from the depths of his pockets. While he fidgeted with the keys you took the opportunity to slide the vial of blood you had collected from earlied out of your pocket and drop it gently in one of his bushes by door to grab in the morning.

He opened the door and walked inside, holding the door open for you to follow behind him. As soon as you stepped through the threshold of his home, warmth flooded over your entire body.

Jake’s home on the inside reflected the outside, modern and sleek, but it still had a cozy and comfortable element to it. In a way it somewhat reminded you of his home in the 1920’s. 

You followed him deeper into the house through a hallway that led into a living room and kitchen. The areas were separated by a black granite bar top that had bar stools lined along the wall facing into the kitchen. Jake walked around the bar into the kitchen and you decided to stay on the other side, standing next to a stool. He looked at you from the other side, his hands on top of the black surface and his upper body leaning towards you.

“Would you like anything to drink? Water, tea, booze?” 

“Hmm, tea sounds quite nice. Would you by any chance happen to have any peppermint tea?” 

“As a matter of fact, I do.” He smiled at you fondly before turning around and walking to a cabinet on the wall behind him. He opened the cabinet and pulled two mugs off the shelf before closing it and opening another one to rummage through it. When he found the proper tea he filled the kettle up with water and set it on the stove to bring to a boil. 

“You can sit, you know, make yourself comfortable.” He was facing you now, back pressed against the island in the center of the kitchen, his hands resting on the countertop behind him and his legs cross at the ankle. You knew with the tone of his voice and the soft smile on his face that he was just trying to make you feel more welcome.

“Thank you, although I’m content standing for now.” You smiled back at him gently with your upper body leaned into the cool black stone. Jake only offered an amused hum in response, continuing to stare at you with fond eyes. 

“What?”

“Nothing… You’re just so beautiful,” His focus shifted to the ground and he shook his head, a giddy smile still splayed across his lips. “When I saw you at the club tonight I almost couldn’t muster up the courage to speak to you, and now you’re in my house and I’m making tea for you, and…” He looked up from the ground and met your eyes again. “You’re just so beautiful.” 

You pushed off of the counter and made your way into the kitchen where he was standing. Neither of you looked away from the other the closer you got. 

“I think,” You stopped in front of him and lightly draped your arms around his shoulders. His hands lifted from the countertop behind him and rested on your hips. “That you are quite beautiful.” 

He was quiet for a moment, your compliment stunning him. He continued to stare at you in wonder and your eyes stayed locked on his.

“Me? Beautiful?” 

“Breathtaking.”

His hand left your waist, his palm coming to rest on your jaw with his thumb splayed across your cheek, and his fingers laid against your neck just under your ear. 

“C’mere.”

Jake pulled you closer to him, his fingers curling gently around the back of your neck, his lips pressing to yours. Just like each time before your skin felt tingly, spreading from your head all the way down your toes. You could feel his lips still curled upwards into the smile he was wearing as he kissed you. After a beat or two he pulled away from you. 

The second his lips lifted from your own you felt the immediate longing of wanting to feel their warmth and softness again. It felt like sand slipping through your fingers. 

However, his mouth was back on yours continuously pressing quick, tender kisses upon your lips over and over. With each time he pulled away, the amount of time between the kisses grew shorter like he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from you entirely. Not only did they become shorter, but they quickly became more heated and needy. Jake’s tongue ran the length of your bottom lip and you welcomed it happily, parting your lips with a low hum. You didn’t fight him for dominance and instead let his tongue explore your mouth as he pleased. The tip of his tongue teased the roof of your mouth slowly from the back to the front before he met your lips again and his tongue brushed against your own. 

He walked forward a few steps and used the hand placed on your hip to turn the two of you in an one-eighty, and then walked you backwards. Your back pressed into the edge of the island countertop, Jake’s chest and hips pressed flush against your own, his hand moving to tangle into the soft tresses of your hair. Everything he did was gentle, careful not to push too far. Even with his body pressed into yours there was no overwhelming force. 

Your hands wound into his hair, pulling him impossibly closer to you and earning a groan from Jake in return. He grabbed both your hips in his hands and grinded his growing erection into your core. You couldn’t help the way your head lulled back, breaking the kiss. Taking advantage of your exposed neck, he trailed kisses down the column of the soft skin. His mouth worked slowly, dragging out each open mouthed, hot kiss with his tongue licking over the area before moving to place the next one.

“Jake.” His name rolled off your tongue in a whisper, broken and whiny. You hadn’t meant to say his name out loud, but the reaction you pulled from him was worth it. The tips of his fingers dug into your hips harder and vibrations rumbled from his mouth through your neck with the low moan he released. 

“Sounds so pretty when you say it like that, darling.” His teeth scraped across your skin with the next kiss just barely applying any pressure. 

“Fuck, Jake.” 

His teeth grazed the delicate skin once again, adding in another roll of his hips into yours. He was much harder now and the friction he supplied was making your head dizzy. You wanted more of him, so much more of him. In the background you could hear the kettle whistle loudly on the stove signifying it was ready. 

“Water’s ready for tea.” Jake’s voice was low and husky while still moving his mouth down your throat. 

“Forget the tea. I need you, please.” Your hand traveled between your bodies to palm his clothed length. His lips finally ceased their assault, his forehead resting on your clavicle with a sharp breath pulled into his lungs.

“Oh darling,” He lifted his head from your chest to look into your eyes. There was a fire in his eyes this time that you had never seen before, dark and swirling beneath the surface. “Have me you shall.” 

He stepped away from you and grabbed your hand, pulling you behind him. He walked over to the stove quickly turning off the burner and setting the kettle aside. Once the fire hazard was taken care of he pulled you into him again and reconnected your lips. You were walking backwards, unsure of where exactly he was directing the two of you, but you couldn’t care less. Your fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt popping them open one by one. In return, Jake was working to unbutton your pants. When the last button was undone on his shirt you pushed the light material away from his shoulders and let your hands roam his warm skin. He was solid under your hands, yet still delicate. You loved the way his chest and stomach felt, obsessed with how sturdy and soft he was at the same time. 

He moved on to your shirt once the button on your pants was undone and the zipper had been pulled down. You could feel the material slipping lower on your hips ever so slightly with each step you took. Jake pulled your shirt up over your head by the hem and dropped it to the floor, and you took one more step backwards before your back hit what you assumed was a door. His hand flew out and twisted the knob opening the door. He continued to walk you backwards into his room until the back of your knees came into contact with his bed. 

You let out a shocked gasp, your knees buckling underneath you and falling rather ungracefully onto the bed while pulling Jake with you. He was able to stop himself from crushing you fully, his arms on either side of your head. When the initial surprise subsided the two of you broke into a fit of giggles unable to contain them. 

“Sorry, I should’ve stopped.” He pushed himself up from the bed to stand still chuckling slightly.

“It’s okay.” One last giggle escaped from your lips as he made to stand. He was wedged between your legs while he looked down at you. 

The look in his eyes from before had returned, quickly stirring the heat in your core again. While you were still wearing your bottoms, the top you had been wearing was long gone revealing your bare chest to him for the first time. He leaned forward and placed his hands on both sides of your hips. His fingers gripped the tops of the waistbands on your pants and underwear. 

“Can I?” There was a gruff tone to his voice now when he spoke. 

“Please.” 

Jake didn’t waste anymore time and tugged the clothing from your body. There was no rush, taking his time undressing your lower half, and you propped yourself up on your elbows to have a better view of him. He dropped your bottoms to the ground and stood up straight to have a better view of your naked body. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more stunning.” His eyes trailed along your body, drinking in every inch. You sat up fully, your face level with his toned abdomen and your hands toying with the waistband of his trousers. 

“I have.” 

The sight of you below him made his dick twitch. You were looking up at him almost innocently with your hands and mouth mere inches away from his aching cock. The very thought of having your mouth so close to him made him almost cum right there. 

You started to undo the button and fly on his pants while placing sweet kisses to his stomach just above his navel, never breaking eye contact. Once the button was taken care of and you moved onto the zipper you trailed the light kisses lower and lower until your bottom lip brushed the top of his underwear. You drew your lips from the heated skin of his torso and hooked your fingers into his pants like he had just done to you. 

“May I?” You were still so close to him that your breath fanned over his skin and sent shivers through his body. 

“Oh god, yes.” The words were filled with air and flew out in a hushed whisper. 

You pulled the fabric down his legs taking the boxers down with his pants. His hardened length sprang free, the tip slapping his lower belly gently. You were mesmerized with how gorgeous every part of him was, and while it had been over a hundred years since you had seen him bare, he was the same as before. When you got the top of his pants past his sturdy thighs they dropped freely the rest of the way down his legs. 

Jake stepped out of the trousers carefully before bending down to cup your cheek and bring his lips back to yours. He laid you back slowly as he kissed you, kneeling on the bed with one knee between your legs. His other hand rested on your hip and pressed into you guiding you to move further up the bed. 

Satisfied with where you were, Jake laid into you more fully. His forearm was braced into the mattress next to your head, his chest brushing yours with each heaving breath, and his heavy cock nestled in the crevice where your thigh met your groin. 

His fingers skirted from your hip down the outside of your thigh just barely touching the heated skin. With the same pressure his hand crossed over the top of your thigh and slowly inched its way up to your core. Every touch his fingers made on your skin left behind a trail of raised skin in their wake. A breathy moan was pulled from your lips as he ran his middle and index fingers up your slit slowly. 

“Fuck, you’re so wet.” Jake groaned against your lips. 

Your hips bucked into his hand involuntarily as his fingers swept over your clit for the first time. You writhed under his touch earning a smile from his lips that you could feel against your own before he began kissing his way down your neck towards your chest. Even as he moved down your body you could still feel the smile he wore. His fingers swirled your clit in tight, slow, figure eights while his tongue gave an experimental flick to your perked nipple. Your back arched from the bed, pushing your chest into him silently begging for more. He loved how responsive you were, and you could tell. Each time you reacted to his touches, you felt his hard length twitch and pulse against your hip. 

His lips wrapped around your nipple fully, sucking and licking the bud, earning the sweetest sounds from your open mouth. Not once did his fingers stop moving against your clit and you were quickly being brought to the edge of ecstasy. He pulled his mouth from your breast with a soft pop and kissed lower down your belly. A soft giggle bubbled in your throat as his lips passed over a sensitive area of your stomach, his lips tickling you. He huffed a laugh at the way your muscles contracted and you squirmed under his touch only making the tickling sensation worse. 

“Sorry.” He laughed with you, his eyes catching yours. 

“S’okay.” 

You reach a hand down into his hair encouraging him to continue where he left off. Jake did as you implied and kissed further down your abdomen to your core, looping his arms around your hips and thighs. He kept eye contact as he placed one last kiss to your center right on your clit. When his tongue licked a stripe through your folds his eyes fluttered shut. He hummed against your soaked heat, the vibrations flowing through your entire body. Your fingers wound tighter into his hair and your hips begged for him to be closer. 

He slid his tongue back up your slit, collecting your arousal and wrapped his lips around your clit once at the top. He sucked the sensitive bundle into his mouth, flicking his tongue against it rapidly. Your entire body felt like it was on fire and your head was becoming more fuzzy with each roll of the wet, velvet muscle. Whines and moans of pleasure rolled out from your throat, his name mixed in along with them sweetly. Just when you were about to be sent over the edge you pulled his mouth from your core and back up to your own. His chest and torso were pressed to yours, now propped up on his knees between your spread legs. 

You could taste yourself on his lips and tongue. Sweet with a hint of saltiness. Like watermelon lightly sprinkled with salt on a summer’s day. You wanted more.

“Jake, please,” You whispered against his lips between feverish kisses trying desperately to get the words out. “I need you. I need all of you. Please, please.” 

“Say it again.” His hand pressed down between your sticky bodies, gripping his length.

“I need all of you.” 

“Say my name again.” He ran his swollen head through your wet lips, and coated himself in your slick. 

“Please Jake.” He pressed into you slowly, the tip just inside as you spoke his name causing it to hitch in your throat. Your walls fluttered around him trying desperately to adjust to his size while he continued to push the rest of the way inside you. Your arms wrapped around the underside of his arms holding him close to you with your hands resting on the tops of his shoulders. The sound of his heavy breaths cascaded into your ear, his head dropped with his chin resting on your shoulder between your cheek and his hand. 

“Oh fuck, you’re so tight.” He took a few ragged breaths. “Are you alright if I move?”

“Yeah, I-I’m okay.” Your voice cracked in a whisper already sounding fucked out.  

Jake withdrew his hips from yours slowly, his thick length gliding out easily until just the tip of his head remained inside at your entrance. He pushed back in faster than before, but still at a steady pace. His other hand that was placed next to your head shifted so that he was cradling your head in his hand and gently pushing your opposite cheek into his. 

With each push and pull of his hips to yours, both of your breathing became heavier, filled with moans and whispers of praise. He brushed your cervix upon every re-entry and grazed a spot that made your entire body explode in pleasure. 

There was no doubt how good he was making you feel, and while you knew you were making him feel the same pleasures, you wanted to physically be responsible. 

“Jake.” You tapped his shoulder lightly to get his attention. He quickly stopped all movement and lifted his face, looking at you with worry etched onto his features. 

“Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” 

Your heart practically melted at his sincerity, and you couldn’t help but smile up at him. Worry changed to confusion at the sight of you smiling.

“Yes, I’m okay. I just, um,” You weren’t sure how to tell him exactly what you wanted. Mainly because you didn’t know what exactly it was that you wanted. “I want to… You’re just making me feel so good, and I… I want to make you feel good.” 

“Baby,” A breathy chuckle left his lips, and his head fell, shaking lightly, “You’re already making me feel good. So unbelievably good.” He looked back up at you, the corner of his mouth pulled upwards showing off the smallest portion of his top teeth. 

“I just want to… actively make you feel good.” You tried to reiterate to him what you meant. 

“Are you trying to tell me that you want to be on top?” 

You nodded your head slowly and watched the adoring smile on his face grow. Without much warning, his arm hooked around the back of your knee securing it closer to his body as he started to roll onto his back. He was seated fully inside you as he changed your positions, making you feel much more full once you were sat on him completely. 

You wiggled your arms out from under his shoulders and sat up using his chest to stabilize yourself. He looked even more gorgeous below you than above with his skin shiny from sweat and his hair falling in waves around where his head rested. You stared at him for a moment longer taking in the way he looked and feeling how firm his chest and tummy felt. 

You also weren’t sure what you were supposed to do, so you were sort of stalling. 

“I, um, I’ve never really done this before…” Your gaze fell to watch your fingers dance along his tanned, smooth skin. 

Jake didn’t respond. Instead his hands found your waist and gave you a reassuring squeeze making you look back to his face. 

“I’ll show you.” 

His hands lifted your hips ever so slightly before angling them forward gently. He continued to guide you upwards at this angle until you reached the end of his length. Just before he slipped out completely, you rolled your hips backwards again with the guidance of his hands and took him down to his base. He repeated the motion a few times to help you get a feel for it, each time speeding up just a little. 

“If something feels good, follow it. Don’t think too much about what you want to do. Just let your body be the guide.” Not once did his hands stop guiding you while he spoke.

You started to take more control by lifting your hips on your own and changing the angle to take him down deeper. His hands stayed on your hips with his fingers extending to your ass. The more comfortable you got, the more you rolled your hips and sped up causing Jake’s fingertips to dig into the meat of your backside. 

“That’s it. Doing so good.” 

You did what he told you and just let your body do what it wanted to naturally. Carefully, you leaned back placing your hands on the outsides of his shins and kept moving your hips forward. With the new angle you could feel a searing hot tightness form in your lower belly with each thrust. You could see his cock, glistening in your juices, disappear in and out of you which only spurred you on more. You looked up to Jake to see him watching you slide along his length, his lips parted and his chest heaving. He caught your eyes and his hands traveled up your back. 

“C’mere.” 

He pulled you back to him, his lips crashing into yours and his hips bucking up into you. A loud moan ripped from your throat and was sent straight into his mouth. You could do nothing for a moment, but lay on top of him and let his hips do all the work, his thrusts disabling your mind and body. When you did finally push back onto him, his breath hitched before a deep groan tore from his chest and his hands gripped you harder. It took you a few tries to find the right rhythm, but after a few moments his hips were thrusting up to meet your own on their descent. Curses and praises tumbled freely from him, air filled and raspy. The movements were perfectly timed and you could feel yourself on the edge of the cliff once again. His kisses became sloppy, filled mostly with grunts and breathy moans against your lips. 

“I’m close. A-are you, shit, are you almost there?” He sighed, his breath fanning over your face.

“Yeah, I’m- I’m about to- Oh fuck, Jake.” Your orgasm hit you before you could even finish your sentence. Intense pleasure ignited every inch of your body as your muscles contracted, squeezing his cock like a vice. His name slipped off your tongue over and over as he helped you ride out the high while chasing his own. 

It was his name falling from your lips continuously like a mantra while you came that had him reaching his own climax. Soft whimpers, moans and gasps spilling from his lips and swirled around your head. He pulled you into his chest further, hugging you tight to his chest and kissed you harder until his hips slowed to a stop inside you. 

Neither of you made to move for a few minutes, both of you entirely spent. Your entire body weight was being supported by him as you laid on top of his chest and stomach trying to come down. Jake was the first to move. He helped you up and gently guided you to lay on your back before making his way off the bed with a promise to return. When he came back he was holding a wet cloth and a glass of water. He cleaned your mixed release up from between your legs tenderly, and then disposed of the cloth in his dirty laundry basket. You gulped down the water while you waited for him to return again. A few moments later he came back and crawled back into his bed laying next to you. As soon as Jake laid down you started to get out of his bed to leave for the night needing to return back to the sea. 

“Hey, you don’t have to go. You can stay- If you want to, I mean-” He fumbled over his words trying to get across what he wanted to say properly. You couldn’t get over how cute he looked, his cheeks getting pink from being flustered. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I would like for you to stay.” 

“I can stay for a little bit longer.” 

You smiled at him softly and eased back into the bed beside him. He pulled you closer to him and wrapped his arm around your shoulder. You rested your head on his chest, his skin warming your cheek, and laid your arm across his stomach. The two of you stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms until you drifted off to sleep, the slow rise and fall of his chest soothing you. Just before sleep took you under you heard him mutter something in his sleepy haze. 

“I’ve waited for you.” You could barely register what he said, already half asleep and in a dreamy haze yourself. 

A faint yellow glow woke you from your dreamless sleep. Sunlight beamed into your eyes when you finally got up the courage to pry them open, and your heart sank to your stomach. It was daytime and you hadn’t made it back to the ocean. You frantically threw the covers off of your still naked body, jolting Jake awake in the process. You began searching all around the room for your clothes having no luck in locating a single item of clothing. Jake’s hand around your wrist finally stopped you. You hadn’t realized that he had been talking to you the entire time.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” His eyes searched your face, his soft voice trying to calm you down while his thumb rubbed circles on your wrist.

“I can’t find any of my clothes, and I have to leave. I can’t believe I missed sunrise, I-” You stopped talking immediately, the words dying in your throat. You had missed sunrise, by hours, and yet you were still alive. How the hell were you still alive? 

You felt disoriented and nauseous, the edges of your vision blurring and your hearing starting to muffle. The pounding of your heartbeat thundered in your ears completely blocked out whatever Jake had said to you. Your mind raced trying to make sense of what was happening. There was only one possibility that could explain it. 

“It was all a lie…” You muttered to yourself still in shock, forgetting that Jake was still there. 

“What was a lie?”

“Um,” You shook your head, trying desperately to clear the fog from your mind. When you shifted your focus back onto his face, you instantly felt at ease. The nausea subsided, and your hearing came back in full. The black edges around your vision faded away allowing you to focus on his face, seeing clearly the lines of worry between his furrowed brows. 

“Nothing. I- I think I was having a bad dream… I’m okay now.” 

“Are you sure? You had me stressed out there for a second.” His thumb was still rubbing against your skin in soothing motions. 

“Yeah, I’m good now.” You gave him a reassuring smile and tried your best to make him believe it.

It was the truth though. You felt better and it was because of him. With just a look of his face you knew this was your destiny all along. For centuries you pondered over why the universe had always brought him back to you, and now you knew. You were always meant to be with Jake. 

“Okay, good… So you don’t have any plans for today?” 

“No, I have nothing planned.” He smiled at you then, and you had never felt better in your entire life. 

“Would you wanna grab some breakfast then? I’d like to spend more time with you.” 

“I would absolutely love that.” 

———————————————————————

Your bare feet sunk into the warm, white sand with each step you took along the beach. Carrying your shoes in one hand and the other intertwined with Jake’s you looked out to the open water of the sea. The sun was setting over the water creating beautiful orange glitters across the top of the small waves. While the blinding light burned your eyes you couldn’t turn away. Sunset was your favorite time of day and the scenic view of your old home had you somewhat reminiscent. 

Roughly eight months had passed since the night of the hunt. In that time you’ve been adjusting to living life as a human which was quite different than living as a nymph. The biggest adjustment was probably the loss of your powers. Or getting a job, that was pretty difficult. Throughout the whole process Jake was there though. The two of you had started dating and eventually you had to come clean about your true nature, especially when you didn’t understand the simple things that came with human life. Cell phones, bills, cars, rent, social media. It was all very foreign to you and Jake never understood. 

When you did finally tell him about being a nymph and coming from the sea he truly didn’t believe you. He thought you had made the whole thing up which you understood. After a while and some very confusing conversations about the aforementioned topics, he finally believed that you were not originally human. The most convincing aspect for him were your eyes. You were able to hide them for a few months before your powers faded completely, but when your abilities were gone he finally was able to see your glittery silver irises. Now though, your eyes too have since faded and changed color allowing you to look fully human. 

He asked a lot of questions, all of which you welcomed and answered freely. You decided to omit the whole truth from him when it came to your previous meetings in his previous lives. How were you supposed to admit to the man you love that you had killed him not once, but twice centuries ago? He knew your paths had crossed before and in a few instances the two of you had become close in a sense, but you mostly told him how and where you met unless he asked for specific details. When he learned that the two of you had had sex before in the 1920s his only response was, ‘I was better this time.’ Mostly he would ask which version of him you liked better.

As you continued to look out at the sea you thought of Sarenya and your sisters. You wondered who would’ve taken your place as Nympha Legatus and where they would be this time around. Ciree would make a great siren leader if she could focus on- 

“You’re doing it again.” Your thoughts faded away as Jake spoke beside you, squeezing your hand gently. Instantly you knew what he was referring to, you gazed down at your feet that we’re almost touching the water now. Every time the two of you walked along the beach you would absentmindedly walk towards the water until the salty liquid lapped at your toes or Jake made you aware. Usually he would say nothing and just watch in amusement while you led him closer.  

“Sorry.” You laughed under your breath and turned to face him. He was smiling warmly at you, his honey brown eyes sparkling in the orange hue of the sun. 

“Nothing to be sorry about…” You both started walking down the shore again still hand in hand letting comfortable silence take over. Your thoughts continued to wander, thinking about what life would be like for your pod now. 

“Do you miss it? Your old life and your sisters?” 

This was the first time he had asked you if you missed any part of what you used to be. You were sure he never asked because he didn’t want to make you upset. While it didn’t make you upset, you did think about it for a moment before responding. 

“Sometimes... I miss Sarenya mostly. I mean she was my best friend and sister and she probably thinks I’m dead, so it makes me sad to think she’s grieving me and that I probably won’t see her again.” He nodded in response, showing that he could understand what you meant, your arms swaying between your bodies while you walked.

“But I’m happy here. I think this was always supposed to be my destiny… to be human and be with you. Live our lives with one another and grow old together. Even if I could go back somehow I wouldn’t because this feels right. This is right, and I don’t ever want to not be with you. I’d rather have this lifetime and the afterlife with you and remain human than have only fleeting moments together and be a nymph.” 

He was beaming at you now with a smile that could only be described as soft, warm and giddy. The amount of love in his eyes as he looked at you was unmistakable and you were happily drowning in it, letting it lay like a heavy blanket over your entire body. Jake used the hold he had on your hand to swing you forward in front of him and maneuver your body to where he twirled you around a few times before bringing you into his chest tightly and pressed his lips to yours sweetly. He shifted his weight from foot to foot creating a small swaying motion as he held and kissed you.

“May the flames of our souls dance endlessly together, my love.” He repeated the phrase you had spoken to him years and years ago against your lips, smiling the whole way through it against your own smiling lips.

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[hearts-hunger]

Chapter One: A Flash of Steel and Silver {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You've been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy's most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Chapter Word Count: 4.7k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, harassment, historically accurate misogyny

A/N: My sweethearts! This is my very first time doing an au like this, and I'm very excited to share it with you. I have no concrete plans for this series, and no update schedule - I'm just seeing where the wind takes me on this one. I know it's different from my other fics, but I really hope you like it! ♡

Pirates. 

The word alone struck fear into the hearts of the people of Sapphire Bay, sending them inside to lock their doors and close the window shutters with a firm crack. Those devils marked by the branding iron were hated and feared, considered with a mix of awe and horror and morbid curiosity. To meet one meant certain death; for the superstitious, even to speak of one meant the calling down of hell’s rapacious wrath upon the new world’s fragile kingdom of islands. Everywhere, in hushed voices and cautious glances at the western horizon, people dreaded the coming of those demons. Pirates.

You had learned to fear them just as much as anyone, the threat of them always lingering in the back of your mind, but there was an insatiable curiosity that held you captive any time you so much as heard them mentioned. Your late father, the former governor of Sapphire Bay, had spoken of them often; you’d grown up on snatches of conversations heard from the other side of his study door, tales of murder and thievery and drunken escapades, stories of freedom and bravery and adventure.

Those stories had continued to fascinate you even as you became a woman, and you were more interested in them now than you had been as a child. Lucky, then, that you’d been betrothed to Commander Kit Drake of the battleship Black Smoke; his own closed-door conferences about the pirates that roamed the seas provided an endless diversion to your hungry imagination.

Hearing those stories was perhaps the only lucky thing about your betrothal, and you reminded yourself to try and think of other silver linings as your lady’s maid dressed you for dinner at the Commodore’s estate. 

“He’ll tell me how beautiful I look,” you said to yourself, touching light fingers to your lightly rouged lips. “Surely he will.”

“Indeed he will, miss,” your lady’s maid said as she styled your hair. “You’ll be the jewel of the bay this evening, all sparkling in the candlelight.”

You met her eyes in the mirror. “Thank you, Tabby. You’re very kind.”

She smiled. “Have you decided what necklace and earrings you’ll be wearing tonight, miss?”

You brushed a hand over your deep blue bodice. “I suppose the sapphires would be best, wouldn’t they?”

“As you say, miss. Commander Drake will surely be pleased to see you wearing his gift.”

Tabby finished your hair, a relatively understated crown of curls, and spangled you with trinkets from your jewelry box that could have fed and housed a family for several months. You touched a hand to the blue gem that rested in a swath of silver, the centerpiece of the heavy necklace that felt more like a collar for a dog than a gift of love from your fiancé. 

“There you are, miss,” Tabby said when you were ready. “I’ll tell the footman to bring the carriage ‘round.”

The Commodore’s estate was right on the bay, a sprawling mansion that put even your father’s estate to shame in sheer grandiosity. Several carriages stopped outside the main doors, ladies in fine dresses and men in naval uniform stepping out to join the group that filed into the golden, candlelit hall inside. Your attention was drawn to the sea as you waited, watching the way the moonlight dashed itself to bits across the glittering surface of the water.

“My dear. You finally made it.”

You looked over from the bay to the door of your carriage. “Kit.”

A frown tugged at your fiancé’s expression. “You mustn’t call me that here, dearest, you know that. Commander Drake or ‘sir’ will suffice.”

You flushed, wishing you’d remembered that rule. “Of course, sir.”

You accepted his hand when he offered it to you, and you looked up at him with girlish eagerness to see if he’d comment on your appearance.

“I wore the jewels you gave me at our engagement,” you said quietly.

He gave you a distracted glance. “Oh. Yes, I suppose you did.”

“Do you... do you like them?” you asked, crestfallen.

He breathed a short sigh. “They’re lovely, my dear. Let’s not tarry, shall we? I’m afraid you’ve already made us late.”

He offered his arm, and you hung off of it as a good young lady should. Your head turned back to the sea, just for a moment, and you thought you caught a glimpse of a shooting star reflected on the waves.

“We’ve got to double our presence on the coasts of the southern isles. We’ll rout them simply by being there in force. They wouldn’t dare to try and attack any of the ports there if we made our presence more obvious.”

You took a sip of wine and tried to look bored, knowing that the quickest way to get navy men to stop talking of pirates was for a lady to show an interest in their conversation. If they didn’t consider you too delicate or stupid for that kind of talk, they’d fear for some kind of longing to spark within you, the same kind they allowed to rage unchecked as they sailed on their mighty seafaring vessels.

“No corsair in these waters is a match for any of our fleet,” Kit argued. He gesticulated and narrowly missed your wine glass as you set it down. “I say with conviction, gentlemen, that there is no need to add even a single ship to those we already have out of port.”

“Maybe they’re not a match for your ship, Commander,” said a lady on the opposite end of the table. You glanced over with mild panic, wishing you could tell her merely to listen, but the gentlemen she was interrupting didn’t seem to mind.

“I’ve heard you gentlemen say the Black Smoke is the fastest ship in the Royal Navy,” she said, and there was a flirtatious intonation to her voice that drew the men in like moths to the flame. “However, I’ve also heard it said that there is a pirate galleon in our waters that can match it for speed.”

“Name the ship,” a lieutenant challenged.

The lady smiled. “Starcatcher.”

The name caused a flutter of excitement to stir in your breast. Starcatcher. It certainly sounded like a fast ship, and no vessel in the Royal Navy had such a wonderful name.

“Nonsense,” Kit said, waving her remark aside even as he trained his attention on the coy curve of her mouth. “The Starcatcher is a myth told to frighten new deck hands. No such ship exists.”

“No?” the lady asked with an elegant lift of her brow. “And what of its sister ship, the Indigo Streak? Some men say it can disappear into thin air.”

“Some men are fools,” Kit said, and his smirk betrayed his arrogance. “No doubt you’ve heard these same men claim to have seen the witches that serve as the figureheads of each ship.”

“They’re not witches,” another man protested. “I’ve heard they’re meant to be Nike and Themis, goddesses of victory and justice.”

Kit scoffed. “Victory and justice, indeed. Even if these ships did exist, what victory and justice could be won outside the King’s authority?”

“Pirates don’t consider the King’s authority legitimate, though, do they?”

All gazes swung to you, and you felt a wash of embarrassment follow the heady flush of having impetuously offered your own opinion. Kit’s face went pink with anger.

“What a pirate thinks of the King’s authority means little,” he said sharply. He took your hand under the table and gave it an uncomfortable squeeze, leaning close. “And what a woman thinks of it means even less, my dear, so I suggest you keep such foolish thoughts to yourself.”

He released your hand with disdain, and you shied away from him as far as you could. You understood perfectly well why the lady with the deep red lips was allowed to speak and you were not; her comments were meant to incite men to braggadocio and pride, and yours only called into question their self-assurance. You would not speak merely to stroke a man’s ego, pirate or King’s man or anyone in between; most at the table considered it better, in that event, for you to keep your mouth shut entirely.

You took another long drink of wine and tried to keep your hands from shaking. Of a sudden, everything was overwhelming; the sound of tittering laughter and silver forks against china dishes, the smell of dozens of different perfumes, the heat of the candles that cast flickering beams onto jewels and gold buttons and silver sword handles. You felt pressed in on all sides with an extravagant meal you couldn’t hope to finish in front of you, men to the right and left of you, servants behind you to tend to your every need should you so much as wave an indolent hand. 

You took a deep breath, as deep as you could with your stays laced as tightly as they were, and dug into the reserve of feminine gentility and self-control that had been trained into you since birth.

“Commander,” you said quietly, touching your hand to his sleeve. He ignored you, and desperation clawed at you.

“Sir,” you said in a pleading whisper.

With a frustrated huff, he turned away from his companions and met your eyes. “What is it?”

“I beg your pardon,” you said. “I — I suddenly feel quite ill. My head, it’s...”

He snapped his fingers, and a footman came to his side to await his instruction in perfect silence.

“Attend the lady,” he said, gesturing to you with impatience and contempt. “She’s taken ill, apparently.”

The footman bowed his head. “M’lord.” He pulled your chair out and gave you his hand; you took it, offering a feeble excuse to those few who noticed your departure and cared to comment.

“Shall I show you to one of the guest chambers, m’lady?” the footman asked when you were safely outside the dining hall.

You shook your head. “No, thank you. I wonder... could you help me find the gardens? I would be so grateful for a breath of fresh air.”

“Very good, m’lady,” was the man’s response. He escorted you to the gardens. “Shall I ring for a lady’s maid to accompany you?”

“That won’t be necessary,” you said. “Thank you for your help, sir.”

He bowed. “M’lady.”

A bit of the peace you so dearly needed was found out in the garden, and you wandered in the cool darkness of the shrubs and trees blossoming with flowers of every hue. You took a deep breath of the warm night air as you walked over the cobblestones, closing your eyes for a moment to drink in the quiet of birdsong and the ever-present hush of waves upon the shore. You longed to go down to the water, if only for a moment; what relief it would bring to feel the cool waves lapping at your ankles, to feel the salty breeze skim over your cheek with all the tenderness of a lover’s hand. You opened your eyes and felt its dark, silver-scaled presence call you like a mother to a child, begging you to leave the world you knew behind.

“Foolishness,” you whispered, pressing your hand against the merciless shackle of sapphire and silver that hung about your neck. You could never leave. You would be here, always, looking out upon the water, wearing its color on your breast, never quite close enough to touch.

You heard your name called from a direction opposite the ocean. Footsteps sounded behind you, and you did not allow yourself to breathe the sigh that waited ever-ready at your lips.

“I only needed some air, Commander,” you said without turning to him. “I’ll be well enough to join the ladies in the parlor after dinner.”

Without warning, Kit grabbed your wrist in a punishing grip and spun you towards him.

“Turn to me when I call you,” he said in a low, dangerous voice. “Do not presume to speak to me with an air of indifference.”

Your blood ran cold at the anger in his face. “I didn’t — I wasn’t trying to — ”

“I knew you weren’t ill,” he said, squeezing your wrist tighter. “You left because you wanted to shame me, didn’t you? Or perhaps because you were petulant about my correction?”

“No,” you said weakly, trying to tug your hand from his grip. “Please, Kit, you’re hurting me.”

He took your jaw in his other hand and squeezed it. “I told you not to call me that. Do you mean to respect me at all tonight? Or shall I have to teach you a lesson in obedience?”

You paled. You tried to find your voice to try and calm him, to apologize, but another man’s voice broke in before you could.

“Take your hands off the lady.”

Kit released your jaw, more out of surprise than any desire to obey. You tried to pull out of his grip, but he held fast to your wrist.

“Who spoke?” Kit asked into the darkness of the garden. “Show your face.”

“Take your hands off the lady, as I said,” the man repeated. “I’ve got a pistol aimed straight for your heart, Commander, and I assure I won’t miss.”

Kit’s face flushed an angry red. To your surprise and relief, he let you go, and you put a few steps of distance between you.

“How dare you speak to me in such a way?” Kit thundered. “I demand that you to come into the light and show yourself.”

No sooner had he spoken than a man sauntered out of the shadows of a copse of palm trees, a flintlock pistol held in an almost lazy manner in Kit’s direction. The hilt of a cutlass on his hip caught the light of the moon.

“You demand it, aye?” the man asked. His long hair was dark, his frame lean and hard-muscled; he was practically indecent, his cotton shirt unbuttoned to reveal a collection of necklaces that rested against his tanned chest. You blushed and averted your eyes when he looked at you.

“Makes you wonder,” he continued conversationally, turning his attention back to your fiancé. “Perhaps your King ought to call you Demander rather than Commander.”

Kit put his hand to the hilt of his saber. “What are you, boy?” he said derisively. “Beggar? Thief? Be on your way before I arrest you for harassing an officer.”

The man’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile as he returned his pistol to its holster at his waist. 

“Go ahead, Commander. Though I doubt if you’ll find there’s any jailhouse to throw me in by the time you do.”

Kit looked the man over in confusion and absolute fury. He opened his mouth to speak, but an explosion from the outskirts of town effectively cut across him.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Kit raged. He looked to see the billow of smoke from the direction of the jailhouse, then whipped his head back to look at the man.

“You’re a fool to attempt a prison break,” he said. “There’s plenty of brigs in the fleet to throw you and your worthless comrades in once we collect all of you.”

Kit drew his sword, and the man had drawn his and disarmed Kit in a flash of steel and silver quicker than you could see it. Kit’s sword clattered across the cobblestones and skidded to a halt at the man’s feet.

“I’d be careful who you draw your sword against tonight, Commander,” the man said. He kicked the saber back towards Kit. “You won’t find my men as forgiving as I am.”

“Your men?” Kit blustered, shame and fury mottling his face. “Who the devil do you think you are?”

A cocky smile lit the man’s face, and you found it somewhat maddening and almost alluring. Confidence radiated from him like warmth from the sun, and you watched in fascination as he took a step closer to Kit.

“You don’t know me?” he asked. He lifted his sleeve; just above the white bracelet he wore was the scarred mark of a pirate.

“You gave me this, Commander Drake,” the man said. “Though I suppose you were only a lieutenant back then, weren’t you?”

“Scum,” Kit spat. “I should have known. I’ve branded enough of your kind that you all run together into one wretched mass.”

“I see,” the man said. He sheathed his cutlass again even as Kit bent to retrieve his, seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of a duel. He tilted his head towards the Commodore’s house.

“In that case,” he said airily, “I’d love to be the one to tell you that the wretched mass is running together in your Commodore’s estate as we speak. Taking your jewels, your gold, your spit-polished swords that have yet to taste blood. It’s only a matter of time before they interrupt your little dinner party, I fear.”

As if on cue, pandemonium erupted from inside the house. Doors burst open, sending a flood of screaming party guests outside with pirates right on their heels, each of them armed to the teeth and crowing with delight.

“Filthy pirate!” Kit howled. “I’ll have you and every one of your men hanged for this!”

“Oh, Commander,” the man said with a winning smile. “You’ll make me blush with that kind of talk.”

Bang. A bullet whipped past the three of you, slamming into the trunk of a palm tree and sending out a shower of splintered wood. You flinched and raised your arms to shield yourself.

“Aye, watch yourself,” the pirate called to whoever had fired. He sounded only mildly annoyed rather than fearful for his life, and you wondered if it was bravery or stupidity that made him so calm.

Suddenly, Kit grabbed your arm and snatched you close to him. For the second time that night, he held you in an iron grip, and there was little you could do to fight him off.

“You’ll tell your men to let me go,” Kit said, panic crawling into his voice. “You’ll order them not to shoot me, because if they do, they’ll hurt the lady.”

You startled at the knowledge that your fiancé was using you as a human shield, offering you as a bargaining chip to a pirate. You tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he held you fast.

The pirate scowled. “Coward,” he spat. “What sort of man are you, Commander?”

“One not condemned to death,” Kit said, a maniacal glee in his voice. “Not tonight.”

He started to drag you with him as he made his way out of the garden, heading with slow steps towards the docks rather than the house where screams and gunfire still rang through the air. You kicked and clawed, begging him to let you go, terrified that a bullet meant for him would kill you too.

“Let me go, Kit!” you pleaded, tears streaming down your cheeks. “You worthless coward, let me go!”

“Silence yourself!” he hissed in your ear. “Once we’re well away from this, we’ll both be safe.”

He clapped a hand over your mouth, and it only made your panic and anger worse. You had to get free of him — he was squeezing you so tightly, you couldn’t breathe — 

In a last, desperate attempt at freedom, you bit down, hard, on the soft junction between his thumb and first finger. He bellowed in pain and released you.

“Bitch!” he howled, backhanding you across the face. The force of it made you dizzy, and his signet ring cut your cheek; you stumbled backwards, falling in a tangle of blue skirts to the unforgiving stone walkway.

“Right, that’s it.”

You heard the pirate’s voice as if from somewhere far away. You looked up with a bleary gaze; he stood next to you, his pistol held aloft and pointed right at Kit.

“No!” you shrieked.

You grabbed at his leg to try and stop him, somehow, blind devotion for Kit urging your forward. The pirate didn’t even seem to notice you, and your whole body flinched at the sound of gunfire. You squeezed your eyes shut even as sobs wracked your body.

“Come on, lass.”

You felt the pirate's callused hands reach to help you up, and you reacted in terror-stricken instinct.

“Don’t hurt me!” you begged, trying to get out of his reach, woozy with fear and pain. “Please, don’t hurt me. Let me go. I won’t tell anyone you killed him, I promise.”

“I didn’t kill him,” he said harshly. “Quit fighting, lass. I won’t hurt you, but you have to come with me.”

You looked up at him, and his face was blurry through your tears. “But you’re a pirate.”

“Aye,” he agreed. “And your only chance of making it out of here alive.”

He offered you his hand, and you didn’t see any other choice but to take it. His grip was strong and steady, firm enough to help you but gentle enough to keep from hurting.

“Attagirl,” he said when you were standing. “Steady, now. Can you walk?”

“Yes,” you breathed. For some reason, you didn’t let go of his hand. “Where are we going?”

He nodded towards the bay. “My ship. You’ll stay there until all this settles down, and then I’ll take you back home.” 

Shattering glass brought your attention to the house momentarily; a raging fire billowed out of the broken window, sending great clouds of smoke up towards the sky.

“Unless you live here,” the pirate said. “In which case, you’ll have to find other arrangements.”

You could do nothing but stare at him for a moment, bewildered and dazed. “But... why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?”

He looked over your shoulder towards Kit, who lay groaning and weak in the grass with a bullet wound to the shoulder. His expression held nothing but disgust and contempt for your fiancé.

“I don’t like to see a lady mistreated,” he said. He gave your hand a gentle tug. “Come on. This way.”

You followed after him, helpless not to, feeling outside of yourself as you tried to think past the pain in your jaw and the overwhelming fear that still held you captive. He led you through the garden and down to the Commodore’s private docks where a skiff was waiting.

“Wait.” You stopped and tugged on his hand, and he turned to face you.

“What is it?” he asked, a touch of urgency to his voice. 

You looked to the skiff and then back to him. “How — ” You swallowed nervously. “How do I know you won’t hurt me?”

He looked a little lost for a response. “I don’t know, lass. I believe you’ll just have to trust me.”

“Trust a pirate?” you asked, choking a little on the words.

He gave you a grim half-smile. “Could be worse.”

“How on earth could it be worse?”

He didn’t answer you, distracted by the sight of several more skiffs approaching the docks. You followed his gaze and saw they were coming from two huge galleons further out in the bay.

“Heavens,” you breathed. You didn’t know how you could have missed them, but they suddenly loomed like two great monsters on the surface of the water.

He pulled you towards the boat. “Come on, lass,” he urged. “The second wave’s coming in soon, and they don’t mind me as well as I’d wish them to. I’d rather you not be out here when they come.”

You met his gaze. “Second wave? There’s more of you?”

He huffed a short, mirthless laugh and ushered you into the skiff with little grace. Your became hopelessly tangled in your skirts and sat uncomfortably on the opposite side from him.

“You may wish to take off some of those cumbersome overskirts, lassie,” he said, taking the oars and rowing you out to the giant ships. “You’ll get them caught in something and get hurt.”

You blushed vividly. “Take off my skirts?” you repeated, incredulous and mortified at the idea, though you noticed you didn’t sense any salacious undercurrent to his suggestion. “I certainly will not. Just because you run around in a state of undress does not mean I will.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

You sat in silence as you came ever nearer to the twin galleons, feeling a caving pressure in your chest as they loomed closer. You looked around for something, anything, to distract you; against your better judgment, your gaze landed on the movement of your pirate rescuer’s strong arms with each pull of the oars.

You looked away, chastising yourself for such foolishness in the face of everything else that had happened.

When you reached the closer ship, you looked up at the cargo net that hung over the side with more than a little trepidation. How were you ever going to climb it in your dress?

Your pirate — when had you started to think of him as your pirate? — gave a theatrical gesture to the net. “Ladies first.”

You huffed, feeling anger at your situation start to override any other emotion. All you’d wanted tonight was to have a nice, unexciting dinner, and yet here you were, standing before a pirate and about to board his ship in the middle of the night.

“Very well,” you said tartly, dredging up some reserve of courage and feistiness from whatever was left in the hollow of your chest. With some difficulty, you reached under the waist of your blue overskirt and untied the two underskirts and hoop skirt underneath. He had the decency to avert his gaze, at least, but your face was still hot with embarrassment as you shimmied out of them and slipped off your uncomfortable shoes.

When all that was left to cover your undergarments was your overskirt and bodice, you stepped in your stocking-feet onto the first loop of rope on the cargo net.

“Mind your gaze, pirate,” you said, managing with a fair bit of exertion to climb the net. He scaled it with you, quick and nimble, and gave you a grin when he reached your perch.

“Pirate sounds such a dirty word when you say it,” he said, and there was a teasing lilt to his voice that gave you the strangest fluttering sensation in your chest. “You’d better just call me Jake.”

Oh, but you didn’t like knowing his name. Not one bit.

“Fine,” you said, tearing your gaze from his. “Mind your gaze, Jake.”

He grinned. “Only if you mind yours, lass.” He stepped up another rung and climbed the rest of the way with ease. You gave a dejected sigh and continued your laborious ascent to the railing of the ship.

When you reached the top of the net, Jake was waiting for you. He offered you a hand up, and it was only with his help that you managed to get aboard without falling on your face.

You looked up when you were steady. “Oh, dear.”

Several pirates stood frozen along the deck, watching you with a mix of shock, hostility, and undeniable interest. Each one of them was armed, sword hilts glinting at their hips and pistols tucked into belts that looped over their barrel-sized chests.

“Easy, lass,” Jake said, taking hold of your arm again. You barely registered that you’d made a sudden, jerky movement to flee the ship and go back down the net, but he’d stopped you before you could go anywhere.

“None of my men will hurt you,” he promised, and when you met his eyes with a terrified glance, you saw that he meant it.

“I have to trust you on this, too?” you asked feebly.

His mouth curved in a smile. “Aye. You’re getting the idea, lass.”

He let you go, a testament to his trust in you not to try and run, and nodded to the stairs before you.

“Allow me to escort you to my quarters,” he said.

You flushed. “Y-your quarters?”

“Indeed. Where I shall leave you to your own devices and come back out to be with my men.”

You gave a shaky sigh of relief. “Oh. Very well.”

You’d taken no more than two steps towards the stairs when another man appeared at the top of them, his features strikingly similar to Jake’s but done up in dark makeup that matched the black clothes he wore.

“Why, my dear Jakey,” he said with a glittering smile. “What have we here?”

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Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Interlude | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Second Interlude | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Epilogue

Chapter Summary: Rae, Jake, Josh, and Sam find Danny's jacket and bring in reinforcements for extra help.

Words: 3.2k

Warnings: blood/wounds, mentions of death

Notes: Thank you to @infinisonicosm for the fic idea!

-----------------------------------------------------

“SAM!” Jake’s holler made Rae’s shoulders raise to her ears. Sam and Josh had been deep in some kind of intense conversation but, at Jake’s voice, he had their attention. Within seconds, Sam and Josh were by their side. 

“Oh my god,” Sam choked out as he grabbed Danny’s jacket from Jake, holding it up to his nose to give a deep inhale. “There’s that smell again.” 

Josh stared at the note on the back of the jacket as Sam continued to sniff the inside, completely oblivious to Danny’s cry for help. It seemed like he couldn’t restrain himself, as he pulled the back of the jacket towards him and let his tongue pass over the blood. 

“Dude!” Jake scolded Josh. Josh quickly folded his tongue back inside his mouth, his face flushed red. 

“I’m hungry,” he tried to explain himself. 

“Eat a rat or something, asshat,” Jake spat. “Don’t lick the evidence.” 

“Lick the evidence?” Sam’s head cocked to the side as he took a step back from Danny’s jacket. “Huh?” 

It seemed mutually agreed that Sam had a right to know about Danny’s message, so Jake silently turned the jacket around for Sam to see. Sam stared blankly at the words for what felt like a lifetime, and then a few fat tears poured from his eyes. 

Jake took a strong whiff around the jacket and looked troubled. 

“I don’t recognize this smell either, Sam,” he told his younger brother. “But the scent is still strong. Danny must have written this not too long ago.” 

Sam took comfort in Jake’s words as he wiped at his eyes and nodded his head. Jake handed the jacket off to Rae to hold and enveloped Sam in a tight hug, just for extra assurance that everything was going to be alright. Josh stood off to the side, just behind Rae, still licking his lips but looking embarrassed by his lack of control. After Sam released from Jake, he pointed at the jacket. 

“Where did you find that?” 

Jake and Rae pointed down to the small crater Jake had created in the dirt, just a few feet away at the base of a tree that looked to be withering. Sam hurried to it and got down on all fours to inspect the area, sniffing and pawing around the terrain. As he did this, Jake cleared his throat to get Josh’s attention. 

“Taste anything weird in that blood, Dracula?” 

Josh looked surprised that Jake was willing to talk to him, and then pissed off by the nickname. 

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” he spat back at Jake. But then, he thought more about it and seemed to be swishing the aftertaste of the blood around his mouth. “Well,” he started again, “it is a bit clumpier than it should be.”

Rae and Jake shot him disgusted looks, which Josh ignored. 

“When the weather drops from hot to cold really fast, the blood thickens to try and regulate a normal body temperature,” he explained. “I usually see this when there’s a cold front to kick off the winter. But I don’t know why that would be happening to Danny, considering it’s still hot as hell out.” 

“That’s really weird,” Jake agreed, looking lost in thought. Rae was getting sick and tired of all these moving pieces that didn’t seem to fit together in the slightest. Down at their feet Sam continued to search the area, his face planted into the ground to find more clues. 

“That smell,” his voice was muffled, “it’s getting stronger.” 

“What was that, Sammy?” Jake called to him. Sam looked back at them, his face caked with dirt. 

“The smell on Danny’s jacket is getting stronger down here.” 

Jake immediately joined Sam on the ground and shoved his face into the ground. Rae and Josh glued their mouths shut to try and keep any laughs from squeaking through at the strange sight. After a few seconds of looking like an ostrich, Jake sat back up, his face just as dirty as Sam’s, and addressed the group. 

“Sam’s right. I need to dig to get closer.” 

Sam, Josh, and Rae didn’t need to be instructed to get out of Jake’s way. They stood and watched as Jake moved at inhuman speeds to produce a gaping hole in the wooded floor, extending down nearly five feet. He looked spent from his work, but he managed to climb out, his face scrunched in thought. 

“Well?” Josh tried. 

“There’s ice down there,” Jake replied. 

“Huh,” was all Josh could say. Sam was already in the hole, seeing for himself, and Rae made her way to the edge to peer in as well. Lo and behold, there was a sheet of ice at the bottom, and Sam was slipping around on it while he tried to get a better smell. 

Behind her, Jake tucked his sweaty strands of long hair behind his ears and, with a grunt, pulled his soaked shirt off over his head, which earned him a loud groan from Josh. 

“Give me a break, Romeo, you’ve got nothing to flaunt.” 

“I’m not trying to flaunt,” Jake growled back. “I’m overheating.” 

Rae turned to see what the commotion was, and let her eyes land on Jake’s tanned skin for probably a bit too long. He seemed to glisten in the sunlight and, after exerting himself with the hole, his arms were tense, his veins bulging. He made eye contact with Rae for a split second and started to give her a smile, but Rae turned her head the other way. Now didn’t feel like the time or place, especially considering she was holding Sam’s missing friend’s jacket in her hands. 

“I can’t break through the ice!” Sam shouted from the hole, sounding frustrated. “It won’t budge at all, but I can tell the smell is stronger down farther.” 

“We might need to get some tools,” Jake called down to Sam. “I don’t think there’s much more we can do with what we’ve got right now.” 

“Is it really safe to be in town right now though?” Sam’s head popped up so he could look around at everyone. 

“I don’t see why not,” Jake shrugged, but Josh cut in. 

“No.” 

Jake turned fast to study Josh. 

“Word got around about us being evicted,” Josh caught Jake up to speed. “The hunters know, and the town leaders are doing nothing to stop them from coming into Frankenmuth to drive us out. Already a few from my nest are missing.” 

“For the love of God,” Jake groaned out, wiping his face in disbelief. 

“Why don’t we bring our parents out here to show them what we found?” Sam offered. “Maybe they can help us break through the ice and get to Danny so all of this can be sorted out.” 

“I don’t know, Sam,” Jake’s voice trailed off. “I’m sure Dad’s got his hands full right now.” 

“It might be our only chance to get out of this mess,” Josh told Jake under his breath. “Plus, they’d be safer out here.” 

Jake mulled it over. 

“My dad will kill me for being around you.” 

“Trust me, my mom’s not gonna be happy either, but I think there’s a lot at stake here, and you can afford to get a light scolding from your dad.” 

Jake looked like he wanted to protest, but he wound up giving a shrug. 

“So, how do we get them out here?” 

“We have to brave going into town.” 

***

It was agreed upon that someone needed to stay with the hole in the woods, just in case they couldn’t find it when they brought the parents back. It was also firmly agreed that Rae wouldn’t be the one to stay with the hole, since they didn’t know what they were up against in the woods, and Sam wouldn’t stay either since Jake refused to let anything bad happen to him while he was away. Since Josh had to negotiate with his mom, they decided that Rae, Josh, and Sam would head back into town while Jake stayed behind. 

“I’ll be fine,” he promised them as they left. “Just don’t take too long, I don’t want to be out here alone in the dark.” 

“We have to move fast,” Josh instructed Rae and Sam as they moved out of the dense coverage of trees into more open space, coming closer to the suburban property lines. 

“We should get stuff to cover our smell,” Sam piped in. Rae looked at him worried, and he explained, “the hunters have a serious knack for spotting us out. It’s almost like their kind have evolved over the years so they can sniff us out.” 

“Here,” Rae offered, giving Josh her backpack, and Sam her flannel that she had stupidly brought for her first day of school, just in case it got cold out. Josh tugged the floral Jansport backpack on and Sam tied Rae’s flannel around his waist without a single argument. 

“They should still be at town hall,” Josh shared. “The last I heard they were doing everything they could to convince the mayor to round up the hunters.” 

They moved past the last tree in the line marking the entrance to the woods, and Rae stared back at the shaded area with goosebumps prickling across her skin. She didn’t like leaving Jake alone in there. It felt like something bad was going to happen, but she tried to push that bad thought out of her head. She needed to focus on getting through town undetected. 

They kept their heads down and, with Josh in the lead, hurried down the residential street leading back into town, right past Rae’s house. She looked up for a brief moment and noted that both of her parents’ cars were in the driveway. Morgan must not have a doctor’s appointment today. 

It was startlingly quiet as they trekked farther into town, especially considering it was the first day of school. But Rae understood why the streets were so still: based on everything she had learned from Jake, Josh, and Sam, she could only assume there were a decent number of supernatural residents in town. They must have all been hiding, terrified out of their mind, or fighting to save their kind at city hall. 

The latter, as it turned out, was where almost everyone was. Josh, Sam, and Rae were shocked by an overflow of people crammed into the main hallway of the city hall, leading to the mayor’s office. A few people greeted Josh and Sam with melancholy half waves, and others stared Rae down, trying to figure out what she was. The sheer number of people was overwhelming, but it became abundantly clear that Josh and Sam both held some kind of power amongst the werewolves and vampires, since the people parted like the Red Sea, telling them their parents were up ahead. 

They squeezed their way through the doorway and Rae felt her stomach flip flop when a group of serious and cold looking adults who were speaking with the mayor behind his desk turned to face them. 

“Sam?” a bald man on the shorter side said in surprise. 

“Josh?” a woman equally on the shorter side with graying hair raised an eyebrow, as if expecting an explanation out of him. Rae noted that the two parents had two other people beside them, all looking powerful. 

“We’re in the middle of something, boys,” a tall and tired looking man next to Sam’s father told them. Rae hated how excluded she felt from everything that was going on. It was as if she was invisible. 

“Mom, we need to talk to you about something really important,” Josh pleaded. “Please.” 

“It’s about Danny,” Sam added in, staring at his dad with desperate eyes. “We found something that seems promising. I think we’re getting closer to finding him, Dad.” 

“Samuel,” his dad’s voice shook. “Because of your carelessness, we could all be fighting for our lives outside of town in the next couple of hours.” He turned back to address the mayor. “If you’d just listen to us,” he clasped his hands together, “we’ll explain everything. This is all a massive misunderstanding.” 

“The Wagner family is beyond devastated,” the mayor spoke over Sam’s dad. “I have to do something to let them know that their son didn’t die in vain.” 

“He’s not dead!” Sam raised his voice in protest. His dad put a hand up to stop him. 

“We found his jacket in the woods with a note on it written in blood,” Josh quickly explained to his mom. “The blood was thick, like he was in cold weather. Jake dug a hole where we spotted the jacket and found ice at the bottom. There’s something weird going on out there.” 

“Hold on, you were with Jake?” Sam and Jake’s dad butted in, his eyes narrowed. In that moment, it seemed like Josh understood why Jake had been so hesitant to share that they had been together. 

“It’s a long story,” Josh answered while avoiding eye contact. 

“Where’s Jake now?” Sam and Jake’s dad demanded. 

“In the woods,” Sam responded for Josh, since he seemed to be having trouble forming any coherent words. It was jarring how quickly the parents both shifted from looking angry to distressed. 

“Alone?” Josh’s mom asked, looking at Sam and Jake’s dad with worry. Sam nodded his head, his lips pursed. He, Josh, and Rae shared the same thought: Okay, maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to leave him out there on his own. “Kelly,” Josh’s mom addressed Sam and Jake’s dad. “We need to get Jake out of there.” 

“Go, we’ll try to sort things out here, Karen,” one of the vampires standing next to Josh’s mom assured her. 

“We’ll be back soon,” Karen promised her. 

“I hope so,” she said. 

“Lead the way,” Kelly motioned for the door. “And hurry.” 

The group was in such a rush to make sure that Jake was okay, that neither Kelly nor Karen even bothered to ask who Rae was, or why she was with them. That was fine with Rae, because she really didn’t know what the right explanation was to give. The last thing she wanted was to say the wrong thing and then pay the extreme penalty. 

They were at the foot of the woods, and Josh pointed west. 

“He should be that way,” he shared. 

“He better be,” Kelly said to Sam and Josh. They barreled through the trees, Sam leading the way with the promise that he could smell Jake, and they were coming up close to him. Rae’s heart thundered in her chest, but she couldn’t tell if it was from the strenuous activity, or the anxiety that they might make their way to the hole in the middle of the woods, and not a single trace of Jake would be there. What made her even more nervous was the sun, which was starting to make its trek down towards the horizon. They didn’t have long before the woods were entirely dark, and they were virtually defenseless against whatever lurked around. 

The trees around them grew more familiar to Rae in ways she couldn’t comprehend, and then in the distance she spotted Jake sitting at the edge of the hole. 

“Thank god,” Kelly and Karen both breathed out. 

As they got closer to Jake, two things became apparent to Rae: something had obviously happened, and Jake was in distress. When Kelly and Sam caught onto this, they ran the rest of the distance to Jake, squatting by his side. Rae, Josh, and Karen approached them as Kelly tried to pry information out of his son. 

“Please talk to us, Jake.” 

Jake had scratches running up and down his arms and bare torso, and a nasty slice on his cheek that looked like it would never permanently heal. His hair was disheveled and he shook out of control, but the most concerning thing was the look of devastation on his face. 

Sam gave Jake’s bare back a light rub to try and calm him, and then placed his palm on Jake’s shoulder. Rae watched as Sam’s eyes rolled back in his head and he started to tremble in place, his hand still firmly on Jake. In return, Jake continued to gaze off into the distance, his eyes widening as if he was reliving whatever traumatizing event had happened while they were gone. Kelly watched between his two sons with concern, and was on top of holding Sam upright when he released from Jake with a gasp. 

“Oh god,” Sam’s voice cracked, looking around at all of them in a panic. Kelly tried to soothe Sam, but he shakily got to his feet and, to everyone’s surprise, approached Rae. Unsure what was happening, Rae looked beyond Sam and saw that Jake was looking at her with tears streaming down his cheeks. “It’s your brother,” Sam told Rae. 

“What?” Rae’s words felt disconnected from her body. What the hell did Morgan have to do with anything??

“He came out here looking for you.” 

“Oh shit,” Rae said as her knees buckled. 

“Jake tried to stop it, but some beast that I’ve never seen before grabbed him and dragged him into the hole,” Sam told her. 

“Is he still alive?” Rae whispered. 

“I don’t know,” Sam’s voice was hardly audible. Rae felt herself drop to her knees, but the pain from the force of impact didn’t seem to register in her brain. Everything was buzzing around her, and her eyes couldn’t focus. She wanted to scream out, to bawl her eyes out, but it was like her body was paralyzed in fear and grief. Anger trickled in. What the hell was he doing looking for her in the woods? He knew it wasn’t safe. But Rae did too. She shouldn’t have been in there either. Rae wanted to smack herself for being so foolish. 

“I’m so sorry, Rae,” Jake’s voice came behind her, sounding like it was echoing in a pool. Rae didn’t want to look at him in the state she was in, but she turned to face him and was immediately swarmed in a tight embrace. As Jake held her in his arms, Rae had a hard time discerning if he needed the hug more, or her. She could feel the heat from some of his blood oozing onto her shirt, but it was the least of her worries. Morgan was gone, taken by some terrifying thing beyond any of their imaginations. As if Jake knew what she was thinking, he whispered into her ear, “I tried to do everything I could to keep your brother safe. I really tried. I’m so sorry.”

The ringing in Rae’s ears died down at Jake’s words. It was her job to keep Morgan safe, not Jake’s. She moved away from Jake’s arms and studied Sam, Josh, Kelly, and Karen, who were finally looking at her with suspicion, just noticing she was a part of the party. 

“We need to find where this thing is taking its victims,” Rae instructed the group. “I’m getting my brother out of there if it’s the last thing I do.” 

“Sure,” Kelly nodded at her. “But first things first, who the hell are you?” 

****

Taglist:@lvnterninthenight, @writingcold, @myownparadise96, @i-choose-the-road, @psychedelicsprinkles, @mama-likes72, @ascendingtothestarssasone

[hopefullyitsextensivebule]

Danny & the Kiszka Gods AU:

Josh, Jake and Sam are deities from another plane of existence, and while they know everything when it comes to the stars and the galaxy, they don’t know shit about humans and human life.

Josh is constantly observing and questioning human interactions and relationships, and even trying to have some of his own, but it ends up with him being by himself because people just don’t

Sam is instantly in love with the Earth: he left the trees, the grass, the creatures that live on the planet, and even has his own terrarium that he manifest and conjures up in his room.

Jake is often listening to all forms of music and dialect, deeply immersing himself in the musical arts.

And all three of them, gather their information and share it amongst one another in hopes of learning everything about humans.

When they experience death, they realize how short human life is, everyone deserves to live their life to the fullest

^^Josh takes heed of this and tries to cherish every single moment in his state of being as much as possible.

I know in an interview Josh states that he does not care for types and that it’s really more about the energy: So imagine him having a kindred spirit with someone in this AU. he experienced love and lost, and he cherish every single moment

Jake also experienced love, but it’s monogamous and with one person. He doesn’t know how to express love because deities don’t feel love from where they’re from. But with this particular individual, he feels like ‘his heart will come out of his chest’.

Danny has explained to him that what he is experiencing his love, and that Jake explores it more but in his own time.

Sam abducts a dog: it was an abused pitbull that was chained up and emaciated. Her name is Violet.

Daniel sees just how attached Sam gets when the pup is with him. He washes her beats her, even makes a shrine for her and blesses it with everlasting life so she literally can’t die. 

[hyperfixated-gvf]

Hi hello yes I miss you and I hope you’re doing well!!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqEJBpYPXrs/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

This here little ditty is reminding me of the groupie AU where you’re filming Jake and Sammy is a little jealous

AHHHHHH I miss you too!!!

That video made me CACKLE. Like, Jake’s sassy little hip tilt? GOLD. Sammy’s returning sass? Wouldn’t expect anything else. The solo? Perfection. I will not be thinking of anything else tonight, so thanks.

Since you brought it up…

Groupie AU Sam would be the one to get jealous that you film the others onstage because he’s a little bit insecure that he’s the least liked band member, even when the arenas cheer just as loudly for him as they do his brothers, even when his side is just as full as Jake’s, when he has as many signs for him as Josh does.

But at least he has YOU, right? You’re always rooting for him and staying on his side a lot because you know how he feels and you hate it, so you try to supplement as much as possible.

See, Groupie AU Sam doesn’t really get jealous anywhere else - Danny does in the bedroom, Jake does when you spend more time with the others during time off, and Josh does when you pay more attention to the others during times when you’re all together. But Sam? Sam gets jealous VERY easily on stage. He wants your attention when he’s on stage if nowhere else, and when you do shit like this, he’ll act pouty and playful, but there’s a chip on his shoulder when it comes down to it, and he won’t be satisfied until you pay attention to him again.

(That’s why he was so needy in Control and Denial, he knew you weren’t on his side of the stage and was suffering a blow to his ego and his feelings from it)

[samfkiszka]

Paper Bag: Chapter Three

Vampire!Jake Kiszka x F!Reader

Hunger Hurts, and I want him so bad, oh, it kills...

★・・・・・・★

Forced to move back to your father's hometown the summer before your first year at college, you had resided yourself to the fact that the next few months were going to suck.

But that was before you were reacquainted with Danny next door. And before you got a brand new job at a dusty old bookstore run by an eccentric old woman. And before Jake walked into said bookstore, poised to turn your entire world upside down.

Warnings (for this chapter): SMUT!! 18+ ONLY! Oral (female receiving), fingering, Jake being a slut, you know how it is. Cursing. Cheesy writing. Allusions to him biting you (it doesn’t actually happen though). Seriously NSFW, MINORS DNI.

Word count: 5,782

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Masterlist

taglist form if you're interested <3

★・・・・・・★

Several days had passed with no word from Jake or Danny. Danny had stayed true to his word. He wasn’t going to protect you anymore. He stopped walking you to and from work everyday, and despite your anger towards him you missed your nightly chats. You also missed the safety you had felt walking beside him as the sun began to set. Besides that, work grew boring without Jake’s usual visit. How you had managed to fuck everything up in one night was truly beyond you. In less than twenty-four hours you had pushed away the only two people that even remotely cared about you in town. It didn’t matter what Jake was now; it was clear to you that he too had no interest in seeing you anymore. 

You turned even more irritable as days without word from Jake, or Danny, went by. Even Mrs. Palmer noticed their absences from the bookstore. Most likely because she noticed your sour mood. And much like your mood, the weather grew increasingly worse as the days passed. You spent more than one night wringing out damp clothes after making it back home and combing through tangled, soaked hair. 

You fell into a routine. Wake up. Go to work alone. Work a boring shift. Walk home in the rain, alone. Wake up. Go to work alone. Work a boring shift. Walk home, soaked by a torrential downpour, alone. No Danny. No Jake. And it continued like this for much longer than you wanted it to. 

Even your father noticed Danny’s absence, although he seemed moderately pleased that he wouldn’t have to deal with the overly cheery intruder. He didn’t mention Jake, but you were sure he was simply glad to not have to discuss boys any longer. 

Two weeks went by before he finally came back into the store. It took you by surprise– he didn’t quite look like himself. His eyes sported deep purple blooms underneath them, he cheeks seemed more sunken than usual, and his skin was nearly an entire shade paler— if that was possible. Despite all this, he still looked entirely too beautiful for your liking. The anger you had been harboring over his disappearance faded momentarily. Much like your inability to be afraid of him, it seemed to be just as difficult to be angry at him. And it was nice to see him again. It was as if he had never left, as if that night had happened only yesterday. 

But you had to keep up a front. There was no way you’d let him get away with this now. 

You kept your attention on the book you had been reading to pass the time, trying your hardest to ignore the feeling of his eyes bearing down onto you. His boots clicked against the linoleum floors as he slowly made his way to the front desk.

“I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be. It’s unfair of me to disappear without warning like that. Please forgive me.” 

You glance up at him, taking in his disheveled appearance. He looked truly sorry, and the begging tone in his voice only pushed you closer to forgiving him. It’s not like you could stay mad at him for very long. 

“Say something. Please,” he begged. 

“Can you at least tell me where you went?” 

He glanced down, wincing. That was enough of an answer for you. Above anything, you were tired of people refusing to give you answers.

“But, I know you know. At least a little bit of the truth. Will… will you let me explain? Please?” He rushed out. 

You nod, wondering if somehow your bullshit theories from before were true. As the week had passed you had realized how absolutely laughable Jake being a vampire was. A rash moment of very idiotic thinking. That’s what you chalked it up to. A bout of temporary insanity that Danny fed into out of jealousy. What he had to be jealous of, you had no clue. But Jake’s words from the last time you had seen him seemed to ring true. 

Jake stood in the corner, eyes towards the floor as you quickly closed up and bid Mrs. Palmer a swift goodbye. 

He followed behind you quietly as you locked up the store and turned to face him, hands on your hips in an attempt to seem more stern than you really were. 

“Speak.” 

“Where do you want me to start?” He looked utterly defeated as you narrowed your eyes at him. 

“What are you?” You asked, as if it was that simple.  

“You know what I am.” 

You scoff, “No. You’re not getting away with this dancing around the subject stuff. Tell me everything.” 

“I’m-” he hesitated, staring at the pavement as he fought the urge to be vague, “I’m a vampire.” 

“Do you- do you eat… people?” You cringe as you ask, feeling even stupider with each passing moment. 

“No. My brother’s and I… only animals,” he clarified. 

“How old are you?” 

“Twenty.” 

“That’s not what I meant.” 

“Sixty-eight. I’m really not that old-” 

“How?” 

He glanced around nervously at the darkening sky, grabbing your hand and pulling you towards his car– you hadn’t noticed that you were standing right next to where he had parked on the side of the street. 

“Let’s talk about this in here.” 

You nod, sliding into the warm leather seats with a huff. He started driving the opposite direction from your house, but as long as you were getting much needed answers you didn’t mind where he took you. 

“I was… a promising musician,” he chuckled as he began, “I know it sounds stupid, but I was young. I wanted to do something, to be someone. All I was interested in was music. My parents, they wanted me to go off to school. I had dreams, and they had their own, but once they realized how serious I was they supported me. I played in shitty, sketchy dive bars… with my brothers actually. We wanted to be as big as The Beatles, bigger even. Sam played the bass, Josh sang, and I played the guitar. We rotated a few drummers, but never really found our fit. It felt right, being on stage. I mean, I was scared shitless. Half the time I played with my back facing the crowd because I was so terrified,” He chuckled, a wistful looking glazeing over his features.

“I fell in with a bad crowd, I guess. I didn’t notice how different they were from other bands I had met. I didn’t pay attention to the fact that every instinct in my body screamed at me to get away from them. One night, Josh and I got into a huge fight. He found out I was planning on going to Nashville without them. It was selfish, stupid of me to even think about leaving. I was… I wanted to make it. Like, really make it. And this band I had met, they told me this was where I needed to go. So, Josh stormed off, taking Sammy with him. I decided to get wasted. To drown my sorrows, I guess. Ended up in a dark alley behind the bar, nearly bleeding out. Josh told  my family I had gone to Nashville. They had no idea. Who would? 

“I woke up alone. The other band, the one who had changed me, they were gone. I had no idea what I was. All I knew is it felt like there was a monster inside of me. I knew I couldn’t go home, not like that. So, I watched from a distance. I watched my mother and father mourn me, under the assumption that I ran away. I watch my brothers go on without me, harboring some resentment towards me for leaving. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted nothing more than to go to them, to tell them I never would have actually left them. I loved them– I still do. 

“Josh and I were twins. We were… close. He was my best friend. I suppose he still is. Despite being perpetually older than me, he’ll always be my twin. I couldn’t live without him. I wasn’t really living, per se, but it would never be a life without him. I was lonely and bored. It was a moment of weakness, and I’ll regret it forever. But, I turned him. I couldn’t bear the thought of outliving him. I never knew life without him. He never blamed me. He’s always been too forgiving for his own good. 

“And Sam, my baby brother. I never wanted to turn him. Josh and I wanted to protect him. To allow him to live his life as a human, the life he always planned. Despite losing both of us, he seemed to be happy. Lonely, but happy. He thought Josh ran away to find me. He would have eventually, at least. But Sam… he wasn’t miserable like I had been without Josh. I believed he was capable of making it on his own. But… our parents died just a year after I turned Josh, leaving Sam completely alone. We couldn’t watch him live like that, live thinking we had just left him to suffer alone. Not when we could do something. He stopped playing music. He never ended up studying science the way he planned. It seemed like he was giving up. We gave him a second chance at life. I turned to him too. Josh couldn’t do it.” 

“We knew immediately how hard it was going to be to keep Sam in control. Newborn Vampires are tricky. It’s hard– denying your primal instincts. It was easier with Josh. And when I woke up… well, I hated myself so badly I refused to give in to any sort of pleasure. In addition to this, I now had the added burden of reading everyone else's thoughts.” 

“What?” 

“Oh,” he chuckled again, tearing his eyes from the road to glance at you quickly, “yeah. That part. That’s the part they don’t tell you. Sometimes when people are changed their abilities from when they were human become… amplified. I’ve always been very good at reading people, as I’m sure you’ve noticed,” he explained. 

It all began to make sense. How he was able to answer questions you hadn't asked, how he was always one step ahead of you, how he knew things about you that you had never told him before. You shuddered at the thought of him reading every thought you’ve ever had about him… especially the more sinful ones. The smirk that blessed his perfect lips was not lost on you. 

All you could do was laugh. Hysterically. Hard enough that you had to grip the dashboard to stabilize yourself. Tears pushed past your eyes as you struggled to breathe. You didn’t miss the occasional look of worry Jake passed you while you attempted to calm down. 

“What about your brothers?” You asked in between gasps of air. “Do- do they have powers like you?” 

“They can’t read minds, although I’m sure Josh wishes he could. Sam is very good at controlling emotions. He always had a very good sense of feeling what other people felt. And Josh… Well, Josh can see the future to an extent. On top of the other stuff. When he came to it was a lot easier to control him– he was assaulted by visions of the future. He knew he would have the willpower to avoid killing anyone.” 

“Okay,” you huff, “Read minds. Control emotions. See the future. Other stuff.” 

“I don’t want to hurt you. I’m drawn to you in a way I’ve never been drawn to any other human. Or any vampire for that matter.” He slides the car into park. You had been so attuned to his storytelling that you hadn’t noticed him circle around the entire town, finally making it back to your house. “I have developed a sense of self control throughout the years. I don’t find the idea of killing other people appealing, no matter what Danny or anyone else believes. Sure, it’d be safer for you to run from me. You deserve someone who will grow and change with you. Someone who’s heart races at the sight of you. But… I told you before. I can’t stay away from you. If you told me to leave, if you wanted me to go away right now, I would.” 

You remain silent, searching your brain for the right words to say.

“Are you scared?” He asked, worry lacing his voice.

“I’m not scared of you. I never have been. I really like you Jake. I know physically you’re not like anyone I’ve ever met, but even when I thought you were human I felt… well I’m sure you know how I felt.” 

“I actually… Well, I really don’t have the best grasp of your thoughts. I can read them, but they’re muddled. I have to focus. It’s like you can actually push me out. No one else has been able to do that. Sometimes I catch you off guard, and I get really clear glimpses. Other times, I just catch the feeling.” 

Your racing heart steadied at this admission. So, he hadn’t really heard the worst of it. 

“Do you at least feel enlightened now?” He asked. 

“I guess. My entire world view has been turned upside down, but sure, enlightened.” 

“Any more questions?” 

“Why didn’t you kiss me the other night?” 

Whatever he had expected you to ask, it wasn’t that. He stammered for a moment, stumbling over his words. 

“I wanted to, God, I’ve never wanted someone more than I want you. But, I’m… scared,” his voice cracked and he felt so utterly human in that moment, “I’ve never been so close to anyone, not like this. I don’t want to hurt you.”

You lean across the center console, inching your face closer to his. 

“You do realize how stupid you are? I may be able to resist hurting you from a distance, but when you’re this close-” 

“Just kiss me Jake. I trust you. Please.” Now it was your turn to sound desperate. 

His hand gently cupped your cheek, the cool marble feeling comforting the burning blush that painted your face. 

“You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to touch you like this. From the moment I met you, all I could think about was this.” 

“Then do it.” 

He slowly pulled you close to him, his lips brushing yours slightly. 

“Our first kiss isn’t going to be in my car,” He whispered, just low enough so that you could barely hear him. He pulled back, a shit eating grin spread across his face. 

You groan, opening your own door and stomping out of the car, ignoring his taunting calls until he quickly caught up to you. He pulled you into his body, his arms enveloping you smoothly. 

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t kiss you tonight.” 

Rain was starting to drizzle down, as it had every night before. It picked up just as soon as it started, falling down heavily around the two of you. A drop rolled down his perfect nose, and all you could think about was how badly you wanted him to kiss you, to hold you like this forever, to- 

His lips crashed against yours, his wet hair sticking to your face. You grasped at his soaked shirt, ignoring the disgusting, wet, squelching noise it made. The whimper that sounded from him was much more interesting anyway. His body pressed against yours, your clothes sticking together as you moved against him. Your mouth parted slightly, allowing his tongue to slip inside. Warmth spread across your chest, your heart pounding fervently against his still one. The woodsy scent of whatever cologne he always wore made you dizzy. All of him made you dizzy. You could tell from the sheer desperation in the way he kissed you that he wanted this– no, he needed this– more than you did. Your head was swimming as he pulled back, allowing you to gulp down quick, sharp breaths. 

“Holy fuck,” was all you could manage to get out as his golden eyes bore into yours. 

“I want to see you again. I’m not going to leave you like that anymore. I can’t,” somehow you were able to make out his lilting whisper against the downpour. 

You may have hated the rain before, but fuck were you thankful for it now. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

You nod, unable to speak. You hoped the ear splitting grin that breaking your face was enough for him. He leads you to your door, pressing a chaste kiss on your forehead before leaving, his car peeling out towards the flooding streets. 

Your fingers brushed over your lips, the ghost of your kiss still lingering as you watched him leave. You ignore the painful feeling of being watched, pretending like you don’t see Danny’s curtains pull closed in a flash out of the corner of your eye. The rain didn’t matter. Danny didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered right now. His scent, his taste, the feel of his body crashing against yours— that’s what mattered. That’s all you could think about as you all but float into your room. You welcome the warm shower, the dry clothes you had laid out even before leaving the house that morning, the comfort of your bed. It felt right. It felt more than right, it felt perfect. 

There wasn’t even a drop of worry about the next day. 

You didn’t dream last night— at least you can’t remember what you dreamed of when you woke up. All you could recall was the beautiful sense of calm you felt. It may have been the first good night of sleep you had since moving to town. For once the anxiety about Danny, the worries about Jake, they were gone. Nothing seemed to matter as much anymore. Nothing but your intense need to see Jake again, the pulling urge to feel his lips against yours once more. 

Your father was out of the house once more for a work related emergency, at least that’s what the note he stuck on the fridge said. His absence was welcome. You didn’t need him questioning you about Jake anymore, at least not right now. Not until you had wrapped your own head around it. Besides, you had enough to deal with today. 

It was too much to spend another day agonizing over what clothes Jake was going to see you in; you felt that if he had already seen the deepest parts of your mind then it really didn’t matter if he saw you in a much loved t-shirt. You weren’t even sure when he would arrive. All he had given you last night was the quick promise that he’d be here. Oddly enough, the strange pulling feeling you had whenever he was around grew increasingly stronger when a sharp knock at your door tore you away from the breakfast you had been shoveling down. 

You struggled with the door once again, cursing it as you swung it open to reveal the man who had been consuming your every waking moment since he stepped into your life. He looked significantly better than last night, the dark circles under his eye fading to a paler pink. His lips quirked up in a coy smile as he took you in, swinging an arm around you and pulling you in for a swooping hug. 

“Sorry, I know I didn’t tell you a time. I just missed you,” he mumbled into the crook of your neck. This didn’t seem like the same man that had been so keen on staying away from you. 

“It was only a little while,” you laugh. 

“Maybe for you. I don’t sleep.” 

He pulls back, grinning as he watches you walk back through the doorway.

“Do you need to be invited in or is that another myth?” 

“A myth. I just like staring at you.” 

You feel heat rush towards your cheeks as you turn around quickly to avoid his gaze. He followed suit, easily shutting the door you so often fought with. 

“So what’s on the docket today?” He asked, leaning against your fridge as you hurried to clean up breakfast. 

“I was going to ask you the same.” 

“I was hoping I could question you the same way you questioned me yesterday,” he propositioned.

“Ask me what?”  You were utterly taken about. What could you have to tell him that was nearly as interesting as what he told you the night before?  On top of the new knowledge that he could read your mind– no matter how muddled– what could he possibly want to know? 

“It’s hard not being able to get a clear read. There are plenty of things I need to know. Your deepest, darkest secrets for instance. Like… What’s your favorite color?” 

You mumble out the same color you had always considered your favorite– although now you were sure your favorite color was the same rich amber as his eyes. 

“Favorite movie?” 

“The Princess Bride.” 

He grinned widely, settling into one of the worn seats adjacent yours, “Of course. I knew you had good taste. Favorite food?” 

“I’m not sure. It changes from day to day.” 

“Hm,” he tilted his head while he thought, “what’s the best birthday present you’ve ever gotten?” 

This one stumped you. You had never really been one to celebrate yourself, birthday or not. 

“You’ve never had a birthday party?” Jake seemed genuinely astonished as he poked and prodded through your thoughts. 

“I guess not. I don’t really like the attention. My dad would just give me money and tell me to buy whatever I wanted. Not all of us have nearly seventy attempts to get it right.” You shrug. 

This seemed to really bother him. More than it should, at least that’s what you thought. 

“When is your birthday?” 

You gave him the date, scowling as you said it. “Seriously, how many questions do you have?” 

“Only a couple more. Favorite book?” 

You prattled off a list of favorites, not being able to pick only one. His features softened as he took you in, commenting once again that you had good taste. 

“What about music? What are you into?” 

You had been waiting for this one, so you straightened up expectantly as soon as he asked. “Classic rock. Old stuff. Well… not old to you. Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, Zeppelin. The Beatles. Queen,” you listed, taking a breath as you continued, “Janis Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd-” 

“Okay,” he cut you off, “I guess you have great music taste too.” 

“I try. Shoot me your next question rockstar, I’m ready.” You stared him down, a daring smile on your face. 

“I only have one more.” He leaned closer, the woodsy scent that accompanied him invading your senses. He was so suffocating you couldn’t even respond. You knew he noticed your racing heart, the quickening of your breath. What more could he have to ask?

 “Can I kiss you again?” 

It was his turn to catch you by surprise. Still, you nod curtly, biting your lip nervously as he got even closer. His fingers traced your jawline softly before his hand reached up to cup the back of your head, gently coaxing you forward. His lips met yours in a much softer manner than they had the night before, slowly working in time with the beat of your heart. Your hands slowly snaked their way into his hair, tangling up his otherwise perfect brown locks. You tugged involuntarily, feeling entirely lost in the movements of his lips. It was like you forgot how to breathe, forgot everything around you except for him. His lips were just as cold as the rest of his body, just as cold as the night before, and yet you didn’t mind. He pulled you impossibly closer, so much so that you were nearly sitting on top of him, squished together in the shoddy wooden chair. It felt like hours passed like this, and the increasing discomfort of your current position meant nothing as his hands explored your body, dropping lower and lower. A familiar fire sparked in your belly, the same feeling you felt when you watched his fingers flick through pages of old books. 

He pulled back, and you whined at the sudden loss of contact. 

“Not close enough,” he groaned. 

“Upstairs?” you manage to pant out. 

He pulls you into him, moving up the creaky stairs at speeds you never thought you'd be able to move. The door to your room swung open with a crack, and you didn’t even have time to worry about the splintered wood before he threw you on the bed. You stared up at him through heavily lidded eyes, taking him in his entirety. 

“Need you, so fucking bad,” he mumbled as he was on top of you again, pressing wet kisses into the side of your neck, “You have no idea how long I’ve thought of this.” 

Words didn’t matter. All you could do was focus on getting a full breath in. In his presence, when he was like this, everything felt ten times more difficult than normal.

“I could bite you, right now. No one would even know. You’ve made it impossibly easy for me,” he continued teasingly, staring at the exposed side of your neck. 

Your heart skipped a beat, maybe even several. But not out of fear– no, you found yourself wanting him to. To give in, to bite you, to do it. Some disgusting, depraved part of you wanted to satisfy him in ways you would never be able to. 

“God, you’re filthy. I don’t need to read your thoughts to know what you're thinking about.” 

You didn’t need words. He had enough for the both of you. 

“Take this off,” he commanded, tugging at the bottom of your shirt. You obliged, but you weren’t going to expose yourself even more without some form of recompensation. 

“You too.” It felt childish, the way you begged him. Nevertheless, he gave you what you wanted, discarding his shirt quickly. You reached down to fumble with his belt buckle, but he swatted your hand away with a tsk. 

“Not today, angel.” 

You sulked at his refusal, but he barely gave you a second to dwell on it. He leaned in once more, pressing a chaste kiss on your swollen lips with a grin. 

“Don’t pout. This is for you,” he chastised, pushing you down gently until you were laying on your propped up pillows. His hand ran along the edge of your shorts, pulling at them slightly. “May I?” He whispered, and all you could do was nod. He frowned at your refusal to speak before starting again, “Need to hear you say it.” 

“Please-” you were surprised to hear your voice sounding cracked and dry, but you kept going, “Touch me, Jake. Anything. Need you so bad.” 

At any other moment you would have been ashamed at how pathetically desperate you sounded. But Jake looked at you with so much adoration that you could not find yourself to care. 

“Of course, angel. How can I say no to you?” 

The coolness of his skin sent shivers up your spine as he pulled your shorts down at an agonizingly slow pace. You wanted to rush him, to plead him to go faster, but the look in his eyes told you to bite your tongue. 

“All this for me?” He smirked when he saw that you had completely soaked through your underwear. He seemed genuinely shocked for a moment. How could a man who had access to your mind, no matter how muddled, doubt your feelings for him? 

“Only for you. You drive me insane, Jake,” you whispered, suddenly embarrassed at being this physically exposed to him. 

“God, you’re beautiful,” he mumbled, more to himself than to you, but you still blushed at his words. 

His hand ghosted over your clothed clit, the temperature difference making you feel dizzy. He continued his tantalizing pace, barely touching you where you needed him most as he leaned down to pepper your face and neck with kisses. 

“Tell me what you want,” he rasped in between his movements. 

“You-” was all that you could manage. But it was no longer enough for him. You could tell from the gentle frown that ghosted over his features that he wanted more from you. “Your mouth, your hands, anything,” you pleaded. 

He worked his way down your body, pressing open mouth kisses over your chest. You sucked in a breath of shock when he suddenly brought his mouth to your exposed nipple. This was such a stark difference from the man who was wary of even kissing you the night before. Your hands flew to his hair again, tugging so roughly that he whimpered into your skin. You knew you couldn’t cause him pain, but the sensation must be nice enough without it. 

He continued his assault on your skin down your stomach, and you admired the soft pink blooms he left in his wake. They were sure to turn purple later, but you didn’t care. They were proof that this was real, that he was real. 

He reached the band of your underwear, staring at you for quick confirmation before tearing them off of you. 

“You’re so fucking perfect,” he breathed out, staring at you so intensely that you wanted to shy away. But you couldn’t– he was holding your legs so tightly that you were sure there would be fingerprint shaped bruises painting your thighs later. You know he didn’t mean to be so rough. He already looked at you like you were made of glass. He was so lost in his own lust that he forgot just how breakable you were. 

He pressed more kisses into your thigh, losing his early composure and tormenting pace in his excitement. Your hips lifted up slightly to meet his face, begging for any sort of friction as he got just close enough to give you what you wanted so badly. 

Please. Please. Anything. Please. Jake, please. You chanted like a prayer in your mind, hoping that he got the drift. 

Without warning he pressed a kiss to your clit, and all you could do was gasp his name. His eyes never left yours, staring up at you lovingly as he began to lap at you like a man starved. He seemed to melt against the heat of your cunt, becoming more frenzied as you whimpered nothing but his name. 

He was all encompassing. He was all you could think about. 

“Jesus, fuck, that feels so good.” You tugged at his hair as he continued, pressing his face even deeper against you.

He whined at your praise, and the vibration nearly overwhelmed you. 

“Holy fuck, Jake,” you coaxed him on, squeezing your thighs around his head so tightly you worried for his safety for a moment– before remembering you had nothing to worry about. 

One of his hands relinquished its grip on your thigh as he slid two fingers down to your entrance. You felt dizzy at the thought of him inside of you, and suddenly it was all you wanted. As if your thoughts were clearer than ever, he slowly pushed his way in without an ounce of begging from you. He started slowly, the added pressure from his tongue on your clit making you feel intoxicated. It wasn’t long before you were seeing nothing but stars. You squeezed your eyes shut, no longer able to keep them open, despite how badly you wished to keep looking at Jake. 

The fire in your stomach had spread all over your body at this point. You could tell you were close. Jake must have been able to as well– of course he could. He once again knew what you needed without you having to ask. He sped his movements up, maintaining his rhythmic pace. The wet noises he was making, paired with your near constant string of praise, were almost musical together. It was almost too overwhelming. His movements were nearly animalistic as he acted like you were the last meal he would ever eat. 

Time seemed to slow as you reached your peak, screaming his name so loudly you were sure everyone in a ten mile radius heard you. You felt like you had left your body– it took a second for your vision to come back, and for the ringing in your ears to fade. 

He pulled back after a moment, panting. You could tell that he enjoyed putting on a show– you knew he had no need to breathe. His face was covered in a mixture of… well you and his own spit. He brought his fingers to his mouth, making yet another show of cleaning them off. His eyes were dark as he pulled them out with a lewd pop, grinning almost drunkenly at the way you stared at him.

You lay there gulping in sweet air, Jake-scented air, like you would never breathe again. He flopped down unceremoniously next to you, crossing his hands over his chest triumphantly. 

“How-“

“You know, I did know how to… have fun before I was turned.” 

“I thought… I thought you were scared of getting too close.” you huffed, struggling to breathe right. 

“A lot can change in a night.” 

Whatever that meant. 

“At least I get to taste you this way,” he joked, earning a slap on the chest from you. Again, not that you couldn’t hurt him. 

You felt like you were never going to fall back into your body. He made you feel disgustingly stupid, intoxicated by nothing but him. Unfortunately, much like always, he didn’t give you time to adjust before he popped up with a frown. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Complication. I have to go. I’ll see you later. Maybe you can meet my brothers,” he promised, pressing his lips to your forehead before rushing to open your window. 

“How are you going to get home?” You asked, vaguely remembering his lack of a car from earlier. 

“Don’t worry about me. Worry about that,” he mumbled, nodding towards the door. You didn’t wonder what he meant for long when the front door opened with a groan, tearing you away from him. You glanced back for a moment, and he was gone. The only sign that he had ever even been here was the ache that spread through your entire body. 

No matter how much he gave you, he always left you wanting more. 

★・・・・・・★

tags: @spark-my-nature @edgingthedarkness @emojakekiszka @slut4lando @ascendingtothestarsasone @writingcold @notsostrangerthing (some of the tags didn’t work. if you want to be added, please feel free to inbox me if the form isn’t working)

[emsfallingsky]

Masterlist

CW: this blog is 18+. Minors please do not interact.

Add yourself to my tag list :)

Josh

Sting

Mama, You Been on My Mind (fluff)

Temperance

Danny

Enchanted

Danny x ACOTAR

Of Fate and Fury

Jake

The Deepest Cut

Show You

Sammy

Indignation

Janny

Venus & Asmodeus🧛🏻😈(series)

Danny x Sammy

Rapture

[ourtearsofrain]

Chapter 24- Pain Is the Same as a Means to Heal

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka

Genre: angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

Word Count: just over 4k

Warnings: AU typical events, trauma/talking about traumatic experiences

A/N: I hate to say it, but this concludes The Barbarians (pt. 1??? 🫣👀)

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Danny

Tuesday, July 26th

After three days in the hospital bay right by Sam’s side after he woke up, and one pre-approved, scripted, full of bullshit victor interview with Claudius, it was finally time to go home. It was time for Danny to take Sam to his new home and hope that it didn’t make him regret his decision. His worries had battled with his joy over seeing his family again for the entirety of the train ride, knotting his stomach as he bounced his leg wildly on the ground as his only outlet. Sam had remained still and quiet the entire ride, watching out the window as the sparkling city slowly became tree-covered mountains, his hands picking his cuticles nervously in his lap the only hint to Danny of how he was feeling.

Danny brings his hand to Sam’s as he sees the edge of his nail start to bleed, capturing his attention as he pulls it towards him. “You ok, Sammy?”

“Yeah, I- I’m just nervous is all. I’m worried they’ll hate me.”

“Hate you? Who? Josie and Dave?” Sam only nods as his response, his nerves keeping his entire body tense. “They won’t hate you, Sammy. I promise. Why would they hate you?”

“Because I’m a Career, because of how I treated you in training.”

“Baby, you saved my life, more times than one. I wouldn’t be surprised if David’s parents tried to adopt you. You’re part of the family now.” Danny barely registers the new nickname, pushing it to the back of his mind as Sam shows no hint of negativity towards it.

“I am?” Sam’s voice breaks as he speaks, and Danny can’t help but feel a small pang in his chest as a tear rolls down his cheek.

“Of course you are. You chose to live in 7, you’re one of us now. Like Jake said, as far as the government is concerned, you have always been from 7. You’ll fit right in.”

“Right, a twig like me is gonna ‘fit right in’ with all the lumberjacks.” Laughing at his own joke, Danny can see his shoulders relax at his reassurances, and he can’t help but laugh too as he tries to imagine Sam in the forest swinging a felling axe.

“Awww, I’m not sure I’d call you a ‘twig’, Sammy. You’re about halfway to lumberjack level muscles with what you have from all your sword practice. And we do have other jobs in 7, if you want to work. I know with our winnings we wouldn’t have to, but I think I will. It’ll help me feel at home again, like nothing’s changed. Keep my mind away from the games.”

“Yeah, I’d like that. It could help me feel like I fit in, like I’m not an obviously sore thumb there.” Danny watches his expression drop, knowing his worries had begun to circle in his mind again.

“You won’t, Sammy, I promise. They’re gonna love you.”

“Thank you. Can I- can I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“What happened after I passed out? In the arena.” Danny had been dreading the question for days, just waiting for Sam to ask. He didn’t want to relive any of it, but he knew that Sam had a right to know, he deserved to know.

Danny takes a deep breath, trying to sort through his memories of the final day in the arena as they jumble around in his head. “I remember I panicked, tried to wake you back up. When you- when you wouldn’t, I lost it. I- I completely fell apart. Started screaming, begging for them to save you. Then I heard jet engines above me, and they were lowering Peacekeepers down towards us on a small platform. They got us both on and then brought us back up and- and when we got into the jet they tried to take you away from me. I fought as hard as I could to stay with you, Sammy, I swear.” Tears come to Danny’s eyes as he feels the utter terror he had felt when they had ripped him away from Sam, even though he knew now that it had been to help him.

“But I wouldn’t stop fighting them, I didn’t know what they were gonna do to you so they- they tased me. I think I passed out after that because the next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed but- but before I did, I saw them rush you over to some nurses who started trying to save you. I was just praying that they could.” Danny’s voice breaks as he finishes, finally meeting Sam’s eyes as his tears roll down his cheeks.

“Danny, love-” Sam pulls him towards himself without another word, moving his hands to Danny’s back to rub soothing circles into it. Danny was sure he could feel how fast his heart was beating, his body choosing to ignore the fact that they were both safe now, that everything had worked out in the end. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright, you’re safe now. That’s all that matters to me.” Danny pulls away to look at Sam, the other man wiping his tears from his cheeks for him as warmth blooms in his chest. Yeah, I’m in love with him. “Like I said, I would do it all again if it meant that you got out of that arena alive.”

Sam places a gentle kiss to his lips, intertwining their fingers as they feel the train slow beneath them. “I love you, Danny.”

“I love you too, Sam.” As the train comes to a stop, Danny sees Sam’s nerves flash across his face as he looks out the window, taking a deep, grounding breath. “You ready?”

“Guess there’s only one way to find out.” They both stand, making their way through the compartment until they reach the doors, their hands intertwined as they step off the train.

This time, no Peacekeepers or throngs of people meet them, the air around them quiet and still as the fresh mountain air greets Danny’s lungs. I’m home, I’m really home. We made it. They can take no more than two steps before a woman rushes towards them, her familiar sandy blond hair bringing tears to Danny’s eyes as she tackles him in a hug. “Luna?”

“Hey kid, you miss me?” Even though he couldn’t see her face, her voice cracks as she speaks, and Danny guesses that she was crying, not stopping his own tears as they trail down his cheeks.

“More than you know.”

“I’m so fucking glad to see you.” As she pulls away, grief and happiness mix in her expression, and it doesn’t take long for Danny to guess what her next words were. Moving her hands up to cradle Danny’s jaw, her eyes lock on his, her tone genuine as her next words hit Danny like a punch. “It wasn’t your fault, kid. You were the best ally in there she could have had, and I thank you for doing as much as you did for keeping her safe.”

But I couldn’t do enough. “I- I know. I can’t help but feel guilty though, about what I- what I did.”

“And that is completely normal. She would have suffered, we both know the injury, we know the outcome. You did her a kindness in there, Daniel. You are not a monster.”

“I know, I know- thank you.” He wasn’t lying when he said he knew. In the end, he would rather have done what he did than let her suffering drag out. She didn’t deserve that, didn’t deserve to die in the games. But she had, and Danny knew there would never be a day that went by that he wouldn’t think of her.

“And you-” Panic flares in Danny’s chest as Luna turns her attention to Sam, even though he knew she would never do anything to hurt him. Surprise flashes across Sam’s face as she throws her arms around him, pulling him into a hug that he hesitates to reciprocate. “Thank you for saving his life. They would have never let you both out alive if he had been the one that knife hit. I could have never convinced the President the way your brother did.”

Sam’s left speechless at her words, tears coming to his eyes at the immediate kindness Luna had shown him. As she pulls away, all three wipe the tears from their cheeks as they compose themselves again. “Alright, let’s get you home. They’ve already taken your belongings to the victor’s village, Sam’s from 1 as well. Your sister is still with the Welsch’s, so I’ll take you there first.”

Josie. Dave. He was so close to seeing his family again, and he tries not to walk too fast as Luna leads them through his district, his heart hammering in his chest the entire time. As David’s house comes into view, he can barely make out the form of his best friend and sister sitting on their small porch. Danny’s mind blanks as he breaks into a sprint, his boots on the gravel capturing the two’s attention as Josie stands, rushing towards him immediately. She all but jumps into his arms the second they meet, neither caring that she was too big for him to pick up as her arms circle his neck.

“You came back. Just like you said you would.” Her words are muffled as she sobs them out, and in that second, Danny knew that everything he had done in the arena had been worth it. He had survived to see his sister, his family again, and that was all that mattered.

“I promised I would, didn’t I? You can’t get rid of me that easy.” Both their laughs are wet from their tears, saying nothing more as they hold the other, their nerves and fears disappearing now that they were reunited. As Danny feels her arms loosen, he sets her down as Dave finds his side, immediately embracing the other as Danny catches the glint of tears on the other man’s cheeks. Dave never cries, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him cry.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see you, Danny boy. Thank you for coming back to us.”

“Thanks for taking care of Josie for me.” As Dave releases him, he keeps his hand on the back of Danny’s neck as their eyes lock, both full of tears and joy at seeing the other again.

“Anything for you, brother.” Dave slaps his back gently before turning his attention to Sam as he realizes they weren’t alone. “You gonna introduce us to your friend, or did the games take away your manners?”

Danny turns towards Sam, feeling slightly guilty to see him awkwardly standing a few feet away from them, silently observing the reunions. “Dave, Josie, this is Sam. He’s my-” He’s my what? Boyfriend? We’ve both said we love each other but we haven’t gotten the chance to label anything. Danny pushes the thought from his mind as he intertwines their fingers, seeing understanding pass across both Dave and Josie’s faces. “He’s gonna be living here with us now, in 7. He saved my life. I wouldn’t have made it back here if not for him.”

Danny can see Sam melt at his words, but his attention turns to Josie as she rushes forward, her arms circling his body. “Thank you, Sam.” The glint of Sam’s tears catch the light of the setting sun as he lets go of Danny’s hand to wrap his arms around her, his fears visibly dissolving as she hugs him.

“Of course.” As Josie releases him, Dave steps up to hug him too, just as they had done with Danny.

“Can’t begin to thank you enough. Josie didn’t see it but I did, I saw everything that you did for Dan. Thank you for getting him home to us.”

Danny’s heart breaks in the best way as he watches the interaction. This is it, this is my family. This gets to be my life. All of us, together. Danny catches Dave’s arm as he pulls away from Sam, dropping his voice as Josie sets in on asking Sam questions about himself.

“Hey man, again, thank you for looking after Josie. I want to- I want to do something for your family, as a thank you.”

“Whatever you have in mind, we don’t need it. Seriously, it was honestly more helpful having her around, she never hesitated to help out around the house or with my younger siblings. It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing, David. You know how much she means to me, and I know that if I hadn’t- if I hadn’t made it back, you would have kept looking after her. Please, your family has done so much to help us, now it’s my turn to return the favor.” Danny sees hesitation pass across Dave’s face, but it was slowly breaking as he considered the offer. “Talk more about it tomorrow?”

“Yeah, yeah sounds good.” The second they rejoin their small group, Josie’s attention goes back to Danny.

“You cut your hair.”

He feels a pang in his chest at the reminder, pain flaring in his chest even though he knew that she meant nothing by it. “Yeah, figured I needed a change. Is it bad?”

“No.” She smiles at him as she reaches up to feel the short curls, her touch gentle as she looks him over. “It looks good, suits you.”

“Thanks, but I can’t take too much credit. Sammy here was the one that helped me cut it, surprised he didn’t mess it up considering he was using a hunting knife.” A dagger. That you stole from another tribute after sending the blade of your axe into her chin. But Josie can never know that, she can never find out the things you did to survive. A blush falls across Sam’s cheeks as Danny snakes his hand across his lower back, pulling him back towards their group and the conversation. Silence passes over them all as their exhaustion catches up to them, the mental and emotional toll the last few weeks had put on them hitting them all at once. Dave finally breaks the silence as Josie fails to contain a yawn.

“Well as much as I’ve loved to see you again, and meet you, Sam, I think I should let you guys settle into your new place. I’m gonna miss having you guys right next door, though. Don’t be a stranger.” Danny wraps his arms around Dave to hug him goodbye, almost laughing at his words. He too would miss having his best friend right next door, but he knew that he would visit them often. They were his family, they had done so much for Josie and him that he could never let them go.

“Don’t worry, we won’t. See you tomorrow, Dave.”

“See ya.” Dave offers one last light slap to his back before walking away as Luna takes the cue that it was time for her to re-insert herself into the conversation.

“Follow me, I’ll show you guys to your new place.”

Realization hits him as they begin to walk as Danny remembers that his sister and Luna had probably never met before. “Josie, this is Luna, she was my mentor. She’s another reason I got to come back here.”

“Don’t give me so much credit, all I did was convince a few rich people to send you supplies.”

“And they helped us both more than you know.” Danny’s tone is genuine, catching her off guard as her steps slightly falter, seeing her quickly brush a tear away as they walk. It isn’t long until they finally reach the only part of town Danny had never seen with his own eyes: the victor’s village. The streets are quiet and empty as a few houses are scattered around them, nothing as fancy as they had in The Garden, but all of them had two floors, which is more than he could say about most of the houses in their District.

She stops in front of one of them, sandwiched in between two other identical ones. Pointing to the house to the right of it, she briefly explains. “That one is mine, if you ever need anything, please come over. Even if it’s just to say hi. All the other houses here are empty, so it’ll be nice to have neighbors again.” She gestures to the one in front of them, beginning to walk towards it. “This one’s yours, I told Danny and Sam earlier that they have already moved your things in, but if you need help rearranging or moving things around, let me know.” Her hand pauses on the doorknob as she looks back at the three of them, finally clicking the door open as she stands back. “This is where I leave you guys. Like I said if you need anything, I’m right next door.”

She leaves them without another word, squeezing Danny’s shoulder gently as she passes them before heading towards her own house. Danny feels as if he’s frozen in place as Josie makes her way inside, her eyes wide as she took in how much nicer everything was compared to their old house.

“You ok?” Sam’s hand finds Danny’s as he asks, his voice gentle and patient as he waits.

“Yeah- yeah, it’s just- just a lot of change.”

“I get it. We can stay out here for as long as you need.”

That undeniable warm feeling blooms in Danny’s chest as he squeezes Sam’s hand gently, his body lighting up as he feels the other man do the same. “Thank you.” Taking a deep breath, he turns his focus back to the open door, his sister gone to explore the new house as they stood there. “Ok, I’m ready.” He can’t even begin to describe the feeling that spreads through him as he crosses the threshold with Sam by his side, still in awe that they now had a life together. This is our home. All of us.

“Danny, Danny!” Josie rushes down the stairs, joy overtaking her face as she grins. “I get my own room! There’s only one bed in the room all my stuff is in!”

“That’s great, kid!” Danny can’t keep the smile from his face at how happy she was. He knew she hadn’t minded sharing a room with him when that was their only option, but he also knew she wanted one of her own. Especially now that Sam was living with them, he was glad to have the privacy and separation.

“There’s only two rooms though. Is Sam sharing one with you now?”

“Yeah, he is. Like I said, he’s living with us now. Is that ok?”

“Danny, I don’t care that he’s your boyfriend.” Boyfriend. Danny’s stomach flips at her words, trying not to look at Sam to see his reaction. “Do you love him?”

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

“Then of course I don’t care if he lives with us or shares a room with you. I just don’t want to-” Her face scrunches in disgust as she looks between them, confusing Danny momentarily before she continues. “Hear anything.”

Oh my fucking god, just kill me now. Danny feels his cheeks heat as Sam begins to laugh beside him, too embarrassed to try to say anything until finally, his words find him. “We won’t- you won’t- you won’t, I promise.” As a somewhat related thought crosses his mind, he makes his way over to Josie, trying to meet her eyes. “And I- I want to warn you that- sometimes we might have really bad nightmares, and I’m sorry if it wakes you up. But if it does, just go back to sleep, you don’t have to worry about us. We’re ok, I promise.”

“Because of the games?” Her voice is small, tinted with sadness as she looks down at him from the steps.

“Yeah, because of the games.”

“Will you tell me about what happened?”

“Maybe someday, kid. Maybe someday. But not now, you don’t have to worry about any of it right now because we got through it, we’re home. Alright?”

“Alright.”

Danny can feel tears coming to his eyes, tears he didn’t want her to see. “Now keep exploring, I bet you can find some cool stuff both inside and outside of this house.” He’s relieved as she smiles at him again, darting past him and out the front door without another word, excited to look for new things their new home and neighborhood brought them.

Closing his eyes as he feels his tears trail down his cheeks, warmth fills him when Sam wraps his arms around his stomach, and Danny brings his own hands down to rest on his before Sam places a gentle kiss to his shoulder. “You ok?”

“Yeah, I just- hate having to explain the nightmares to her, but I knew I needed to, even briefly. I don’t want her to know what we went through, not for a long time. Never, preferably.”

“I won’t tell her, love.”

“I know you won’t.” Danny turns in his arms, placing a light kiss to his lips as he looks down at him. “Thank you.”

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They had spent the rest of the day settling in, and Danny had been pleased to find that they had taken the liberty of stocking their fridge and pantry for them as he treated the three of them to the first home cooked meal that he and Sam had had in longer than they could remember; one of his mother’s old recipes, of course. They had finally split ways with his sister after dinner as he and Sam retreated to their bedroom, immediately setting in on trying to sleep.

Instead, they had laid there in silence for two hours, neither able to fall asleep despite their exhaustion. “C’mon, Sammy. I wanna show you something.” The words leave Danny’s mouth before he can even think them over, finding some pull in his chest that he knew would lead him into the forest.

“Where are we going?” Even though his brows furrow, a small smile spreads across Sam’s lips as he lets Danny drag him off the bed.

“You’ll see.” Sam says nothing more as Danny leads him through the house, only hesitating as the other man opens the front door, the cool summer night air too cold against his bare chest.

“Baby, isn’t it a little cold out?” If it had been, Danny hadn’t felt it, the feeling comfortable on his skin from his years in 7, but he still briefly leaves Sam to grab a blanket from their couch anyways.

Danny offers him a small smile as he unfolds the fabric, quickly draping it over his shoulders and pulling Sam against his side until his arms wrap completely around him. “This better?”

“Mhm.”

The door closes quietly behind them before Danny notices Sam’s bare feet as he bends to slip his boots on, gesturing towards a spare pair on the porch as he speaks. “I have some extra, you might want them since we’re going into the woods.”

“I’m alright, thanks though.”

Confusion fills Danny as he looks up at Sam with an amused smile. “You sure?”

“Yeah, I like feeling the ground beneath me. It helps me stay calm, makes me remember I’m not in the arena anymore. I don’t know, it might be stupid.”

Danny stands quickly, replacing his arms around Sam as he presses a light kiss to his cheek. “It’s not stupid, love.” They say nothing more as Danny begins to lead them through the forest, making sure to find the clearest path, worrying that Sam could step on something sharp. After a few minutes, the trees around them thin until they come to a stop in the center of a clearing, the stars above them blazing against the dark black of the night.

“How’d you find this place?” Sam can do nothing but stare at the scenery around them while Danny lowers himself to the ground, his back against a large rock as his waiting arms and smile go unseen by Sam.

“Stumbled on it a few months ago. I usually don’t- didn’t go this far away from town, but I got bored. Needed to clear my head.”

“It’s- it’s gorgeous, Danny.” Sam feels tears come to his eyes at the gesture, alternating his wide eyes between Danny and the sky.

Not as gorgeous as you. “I’m glad you like it.” Keeping his thoughts to himself, it isn’t until Sam joins him on the ground and leans into his touch that Danny rips his eyes away from the other man to the stars above them.

They sit in comfortable silence as they stare at the sky, their hands lazily drifting over each other’s skin as they settle into the other. Danny notices Sam tense in his arms as his fingers ghost the deep red line on his chest, his eyes locked on the healing gash before they flit up to Sam’s, finding a sadness flashing behind them.

“You know, that first night in the arena, I was glad they gave us stars in there. Even if it was all fake. It felt like I was sneaking out after curfew in District 1 again.” Sam’s voice is small as he says it, his eyes distant and locked on the distance.

Fear floods Danny as he worries that Sam had already begun to regret choosing him, trying to keep his voice even despite the tears coming to his eyes. “Do you regret it? Not going back?”

“No.” Sam snaps out of his daze, forcing himself to meet Danny’s eyes. “No, I mean I’ve only been here for a few hours, but I know I would choose it again in a heartbeat.” Sam’s hand reaches up to cup Danny’s cheek before placing a light kiss to his lips. “I finally feel at home. I don’t regret choosing this life, your family. I don’t regret choosing you.”

A tear escapes Danny as he takes in the expression of absolute love and care written across Sam’s face, his worries leaving him as he leans into his touch. “Do you think we’ll ever be able to be ok again?” His voice comes out in a whisper at the touch of Sam’s other hand drifting across the scar on his stomach, feeling a slight sting as if even now, Vanil’s blade cut him again.

“I think so.” Sam’s words are quiet, almost sad as he meets his eyes. “It won’t be easy, we can’t forget what happened, what we did. But I think we’ll be ok eventually. The nightmares will happen less often. The scars will fade.” His knuckles gently brush against the scar below his eye as his other hand offers his side a gentle squeeze, only inches from where he knew that line cut through his skin. “It’ll all get easier to live with. And we have each other, we both know what we went through, how to help when it gets bad. I think we’ll be alright here.”

“I think so too. I’m glad to have you here, Sammy.”

“I’m glad to be here. I- I’m not so worried anymore, not after how Josie, Dave, and Luna treated me today. I’m happy you have so many people that love you, Danny.”

“They’re gonna love you too, like I said, you’re their family now.”

“Yeah.” Sam smiles as his eyes flit down to Danny’s lips, finally asking the question that had been circling Danny’s mind for days. “So, what does that make us?”

“Whatever we want to be. I want to spend my life with you now that we can, now that we don’t have to worry about which of us makes it out alive. I don’t know what you’d call that, but I don’t care; not as long as I have you, like this.”

“I feel the same way.” Danny says nothing in response, only wrapping his arms around Sam as he pulls him deeper into his chest and places a kiss to the top of his hair. He doesn’t care enough to try and figure out how long it had been, content to sit in that clearing with Sam for as much time as he could, the slowly lightening sky their only hint as to what hour it was.

Danny finally moves to stand as the sun begins to peek over the horizon, holding Sam against his side under the warmth of their blanket as they silently make their way through the forest. They walk through the house quietly when they reach it, not wanting to wake Josie so early in the morning. When they finally bury themselves under the covers of their bed, Sam relaxes in Danny’s arms almost immediately as his own exhaustion finally takes over and he feels himself drifting towards sleep. We made it. We did it. We can be happy this way, together. In our home, with our family.

Together.

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A/N: Thank you all for reading :)

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Taglist: @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @milojames16 @gretnavannfleet @aioba1503-sdm @sanguinebats @cheersdannyx2 @musicislove3389 @holdingup-fallingsky @hailthegodsong @freyjalw @currentlyfangirling10 @Maddie-Rae

[indigostreaking]

Hearts Aflame

Chapter 5

Start from the beginning here.

(Chapter four) (Chapter six)

Firefighter!Danny x fem!reader

Word count: 3.5k

Warnings: fluff, drinking, oral(m rec), unprotected sex, more fluff, and I think that’s it.

.

Dress nice. That was the only hint you had been given about your date with Danny, and it didn't feel like enough as you stared at the clothing options sprawled across your mattress. You picked up a maroon colored bodysuit with long sleeves and a deep, plunging neckline and smiled. This would not be something Danny would be expecting, and you knew you looked amazing in it. You put it on without a second thought, and paired it with a black pleather miniskirt, long gold necklaces, and a pair of black ankle boots. You left your hair down in loose voluminous waves, and added just enough makeup to make it look like you weren't wearing any. Your phone buzzed from its spot on the wireless charging pad.

Danny-Be there in a few to pick you up. I hope you're ready 😉

-Oh I'm ready, but idk if YOU are 😌

Before long, there was a gentle knock on the door. You took a deep breath before opening it, and smiled wide when you saw him. His mouth fell open at the sight of you, which made you blush a deep red. He was wearing a black and white floral button up shirt, that he had only buttoned 2/3 of the way up, a pair of tight, white pants, black Chelsea boots, and a black wide brimmed hat. "You look amazing!" He marveled, doing his best to be respectful by not glancing down too much or too long. Smokey came bounding over, jumping up and nearly knocking Danny over. The two of you laughed as he stepped inside, being sure to give Smoke plenty of attention.

"You're sweet," you smiled sweetly as you watched him love on the silly dog. "I need to take the pups out once more before we go, is that okay?" You asked nervously.

"That's totally fine! I'm gonna make a quick phone call, so take your time," he replied before watching you, the pups and Smokey head outside.

After a few minutes, everyone was ready to head inside—probably because is was already starting to get dark. "No, that's okay..thank you anyway," you heard as you walked back inside. He sounded sad and a bit defeated. You quickly put the puppies in their pen while Smokey made his rounds to check on the cat room.

"Everything okay?" You asked as you approached Danny. He let out a sigh and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

"Yeah, it just turns out that we might need reservations...and their next available date is a month from now," he shrugged and flashed you a crooked half smile.

"I guess I'll see you in a month then," you teased as you giggled to yourself. His mouth fell open and he feigned offense before erupting with laughter as well. "If we don't have plans tonight, I know somewhere we can go.." you added as you stepped closer to him. He smiled and hesitated before delicately placing his hands on your hips, smiling down at you while he waited for you to elaborate further. "I'm gonna change into jeans though, because it's kinda chilly," you smiled and twisted, slipping out of his grasp and disappearing into your bedroom to change.

When you made your way back into the living room, you found Danny and Smokey playing fetch with his stuffed duck, and your heart swelled with joy at the sight. "Hey, bud, you wanna go for a ride?" You asked with a smile that widened as both of their faces lit up.

"I mean, I know I said I wanted to take it slow...but if you're offering.." Danny replied cheekily and you picked up one of Smokes' stuffies to toss at his face. He held up his hands in defeat and the two of you bubbled with laughter. You picked up Smokey's harness and leash, and he stood as still as he could while you helped him into it. "Where are we going that we get to bring him with us?" Danny asked excitedly.

You passed him the leash, grabbing a coat off the hook by the door on your way out and draping it over your arm in case it got colder later. "I thought we could go to this little bar downtown. They have an outdoor patio and dog park," you explained as you climbed in his car.

The car ride was fairly uneventful, but Smokey loved every second of it. He held his head out the window letting his ears flap in the wind with his tongue hanging out. You glanced back up at Danny's profile to see him smiling at the dog in the rear view mirror. "He's such a goofball," he said softly, marveling at the silly pup. He took a breath like he was preparing to say something else, but he didn't.

When he pulled into the parking lot, you could see a few dogs running around outside, but it wasn't too busy. The two of you walked inside with Smokey trailing behind, sniffing everything he could. "Y/n! It's so good to see you! If you wanna head outside, Ashton will be out to help you in a few," the bartender called out over the music. You smiled and waved before hooking your arm in Danny's and leading him out the back door.

"I guess they know you here," he said softly, not doing well at hiding his nerves. It would be cute if you didn't feel the exact same. You were surprised you had managed to sleep at all last night after the kiss, and even now, every time you got too close to him it felt like your body was buzzing with electricity.

You took a deep breath, steadying yourself after taking a seat at the table outside. "They're the sweetest people," you admitted, unhooking Smokey's collar as you continued, "They sponsor some adoptions and even host a few events here."

"That's so cool! Maybe we could host one at the fire station or something," he replied, and you tucked away that idea for a later date.

"Welcome to Fetch Bar, where we do make Fetch happen," a girl with bright blue hair pulled up into a bun, a couple of silver hoops on her right nostril, and a generous application of eyeliner said in an almost bored tone. "My name is Ashton and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you started with?" She continued, and you smiled up at her then over to Danny, holding your breath to see who would go first.

"Do you have any specials or recommendations?" He asked, picking absentmindedly at the rolled napkin in front of him. Ashton launched into her spiel about the drink specials and you got lost in thought watching Danny listen. He smiled and nodded along, asking questions and laughing when the waitress did. You had been on some awful dates with some horrible men, but Danny was definitely not one of them. "I think I'll take one of those," he said finally, pulling you out of your daze. "What about you?" He asked, directing his attention to you fully.

"Uh, just make it two of those," you shrugged, not willing to admit you hadn't been listening. Danny quirked an eyebrow at you, almost looking impressed.

"Cool. I'll be right back with your drinks and a bowl for the dog," she said plainly before walking away.

"You have no idea what we ordered, do you?" He teased, giggling to himself. You narrowed your eyes, but couldn't bring yourself to blatantly lie. "You're so cute," he added quietly, blushing as he realized what he had said. Your face burned as you looked down at your hands, fidgeting with the rings on your fingers.

"You're cute," you replied nervously, glancing up at him before you lost your nerve. His smile widened even more and you couldn't help but mirror it. Ashton interrupted you when she dropped off two Mezcal Margaritas, and Danny giggled at the look of confusion on your face. "What is this?" You asked him once Ashton disappeared again.

"Just try it," he smirked, holding up his drink to cheers with yours. You took a deep breath, clinked your glass against his, and then took a sip. It was surprisingly smokey, but not bad..a bit heavy on the tequila, but seeing Danny smile at you expectantly was enough to make you smile and nod with a quiet 'mmm'.

The rest of the evening was filled with deep conversations, cheesy jokes, stolen touches and fairly innocent flirting. By the end, the two of you had scooted your chairs together to the point that your thighs were touching under the table. "What do you say we get out of here?" He asked with a mischievous grin.

"I say let's do it," you beamed at him happily. He raised his brows causing you to realize what you had said. "I mean we should go—I didn't.." you floundered but he just laughed, tossing his head back and gripping your knee gently to steady himself. The butterflies in your stomach fluttered, and you couldn't help but smile. You whistled to call Smokey back to you, and giggled as he came galloping over with his tongue hanging off to the side and ears flopping in the wind. You clipped his leash back on as Danny paid the tab, then the three of you loaded back into his car.

"Do you mind if we stop by my place?" He asked nervously as you both buckled in. "I wanna show you all the stuff I got for Smokey.." he admitted, glancing over to you quickly. Slightly embarrassed was a cute look on him.

"That sounds lovely," you replied with a sweet smile. The drive was short, but it felt even shorter from all the fun you had watching Danny sing along to the music on the radio. "I like this," you hummed along, trying to learn the words, which made him bubble with laughter.

"Yeah? I have the vinyl at home, you gotta hear it like that," he mused, turning back to the road. When you pulled into the driveway, your heart skipped a beat, remembering the last time you were here. You let out a shakey breath and forced a smile. He opened your door and held out his hand to help you climb out of his car. You smiled as he got Smokey unloaded and the three of you headed inside.

"Welcome home, Smokes," he said softly, gesturing towards the living room. The pup eagerly investigated and explored once he was off his lead. You hung up your coat on the hook by the door, slipping out of your shoes as Danny rifled through his vinyl collection and put on the artist you had heard in the car.

You noted the dog bed set up in the center of the living room piled high with a plethora of stuffed animals. "I wasn't sure where to find one like his duck.." Danny crinkled his nose with a slight frown.

"I guess Ducky will have to move in, too," you shrugged playfully. He stepped forward, closing the distance between you as the song you recognized began to play.

"Wanna dance?" He asked nervously, holding out his hand. You could see the slight tremble and hear it in his tone.

"I don't really know how," you admitted with pink cheeks.

"That's okay, it's easy...just take my hand and follow my lead," he whispered, holding out his hand cautiously. “Mom made me take more than a few dance lessons with my little sister growing up,” he blushed at the admission. You smiled and placed your hand in his, stepping forward as he placed his other hand on your hip. The music swelled and filled the room as the two of you swayed and twirled.

The excitement must have been too much because Smokey tried to join, resulting in Danny falling backwards onto the couch and pulling you on top of him. You landed straddling him with flushed cheeks and an eruption of laughter. Without giving yourself a chance to chicken out, you leaned in and kissed him. You parted your lips, sucking his lower lip between yours as the kiss deepened. He let out a quiet moan as you slipped your tongue into his mouth, letting it dance delicately with his. Another quiet moan had you coming up for air only to be pulled back in. His hands held your hips down onto his as your fingers tangled in his hair, his hat had gotten lost during the tumble. You could feel him hardening beneath you, and you eagerly ground against him in response.

He bit his lip watching you, and breathlessly said, "Y/n, we've gotta stop—"

"Don't wanna stop," you whined, interrupting him as you peppered his jaw with kisses. He kept his eyes on you as you began unbuttoning his shirt even further. For a brief moment, you were mortified when you realized he may not want to continue, and wasn't just being a gentleman. "Unless you don't want to.." you offered an out, holding your breath and hoping he'd decline. He reached up, caressing your face gently as he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. You placed your hand on top of his and leaned into his touch with a sigh.

"No, I want this...I-I want you," he stuttered and you crashed your lips into his again in response. "You are so beautiful," he murmured into the kiss and you felt your lips curl into a smile. You kissed a line down his throat, eliciting another quiet moan from him as you trailed the kisses down his chest.

"We can still go slow," you said teasingly as you reached down to palm him through his pants. He bit his lip and groaned, rolling his hips forward and up into your touch. You doubted it was intentional—just his body reacting to yours. The power you held over him in this moment was intoxicating, and you could already feel your panties dampening. You slid yourself down his body, allowing easier access to his belt, which you deftly undid and pulled his pants and briefs down slowly. His breath hitched when his cock sprang free, and you drank in the sight of him before taking his length in your hand and pumping at a languid pace.

"Fuck," he sighed and you noticed the flutter of the muscles in his abdomen. You peppered kisses down his tummy and across his hips, all with his eyes trained on you. He held his breath as you took his tip in your mouth, swirling your tongue before taking him deeper. You maintained an agonizingly slow pace with his quiet whimpering moans spurring you on. "N-not gonna l-last like this," he stuttered out, reaching down to pull you up. You released his cock with a pop, before smirking down at him as you stood up and wiggled free from your clothes, tossing them aside carelessly. His eyes widened slightly, and you giggled as he tried to hold his composure while kicking off his boots and pants.

"Sit up," you instructed, motioning for him to sit with his back against the cushions. He nodded and did as you asked, without taking his eyes off you. You climbed into his lap, carefully lining him up with your entrance before sinking down onto him. You both let out a small gasp as you stretched to accommodate his size. "Holy shit," you whispered, relishing in the fullness and how much more present you both were this time. He smiled as he snaked his hands up your thighs, finding your waist and letting his fingers dig in just a little. You rocked your hips slowly, rolling them as you moved and massaging the soft spot deep within you with the tip of his cock. His fingertips dug in more, guiding your hips in the same rhythm as he bucked his hips up into you.

"Y/n, you feel so..fucking good," he moaned, sucking his lower lip between his teeth as he watched you ride him. You could feel the knot in your tummy coiling and tightening with each motion. It felt like your bodies were melding together so you closed your eyes, just absorbing the pleasure of him fucking up into you as you rolled your hips against his. The little bundle of nerves grinding against the flat expanse above his cock was giving you an extra sensation that threatened to send you crashing and careening over the edge at any moment. "Look at me, please," he whined beneath you. Your eyes snapped open, and in your haze of pleasure somehow locked with his. His cool brown eyes were dark with blown out pupils, and you could almost see the desperation in them. The intimacy of this moment would normally be too much, but right now, with Danny, it felt..right. The  knot in your belly came undone all at once as a tidal wave of pleasure washed over you. Your eyes started to close as you threw your head back, letting your moans fill the room, but you felt Danny's hand on your face pulling you back. He wanted to watch you ride it out, and you couldn't help it when the lazy fucked out smile spread across your face. "Oh fuck," he gasped for air as he yanked himself backwards and out of your core, spilling onto his tummy with a stream of obscenities.

You settled into the couch cushion beside him, leaning into him as you both caught your breath. He laid his head onto yours and let out a soft sigh. The record had ended at some point, and silence now filled the room...but it wasn't uncomfortable—if anything, it was comforting, just listening to Danny's breathing even out. He took off his shirt and used it to clean himself up with a quiet laugh. "So much for taking it slow," he said just loud enough for you to hear.

"Hey! I moved pretty slow," you shoved his shoulder playfully with a laugh. He giggled along with you as he leaned forward to pick up his pants and pull his phone out of his pocket to check the time.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," He muttered, standing up abruptly and pulling on his pants as he helped you to your feet. "Sam is on his way home. My room is the one on the left," he explained as he pointed towards the stairs. You hurried towards the stairs, wordlessly gathering your clothes as you went only to hear the front door click open as your feet hit the upper landing. You tiptoed down the narrow hall, careful not to call attention to yourself.

"Honey, I'm home!" Sam's voice boomed through the house followed by his iconic staccato laugh. You rolled your eyes and shook your head. 'What a goofball,' you thought to yourself as you stepped into the bedroom you were directed towards.  It smelled like Danny, and you couldn't help but close your eyes and breathe it in. You started to slip into your body suit, but couldn't find it in the bundle of clothes that you brought upstairs. Shit. You quickly wiggled into your jeans and pulled on a black Church of Rock and Roll t-shirt that you found folded on his bed. "Smokey! Wanna go for a walk, bud—Hey! When did Josh get here?" You overheard Sam ask Danny. You peered down the steps, and saw Sam standing by the door, pulling the leash from the hook as Smokey pranced excitedly around his feet.

"What? Josh isn't here," Danny replied in a confused tone. He stepped into your line of sight and glanced up the stairs at you nervously.

"His jacket is here, though," Sam sounded confused, too, picking the jacket up off the hook to inspect it further. Fuck. You realized in that moment that you had accidentally grabbed the coat that Josh had lent you weeks ago. Danny cleared his throat nervously, and your legs nearly buckled when the door opened again. “When did you leave your jacket here?? I thought you beat me home,” Sam laughed as he welcomed his oldest brother inside with a clap on the back.

“Huh? I didn’t…” Josh trailed off as his eyes landed on you, huddled at the top of the stairs. He smirked before continuing, “Oh that one! I must have left it here the other day.” He lied easily with a shrug and you loosed a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding.

You heard the shuffling of footsteps, then Sam’s face appeared below you at the bottom of the steps. He flashed you a wide, toothy grin and held up your lost body suit. “It’s amazing you have any animals available for adoption when you provide this level of service,” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and tossed your clothes up the stairs. You groaned in response before making your way down the stairs behind him.

Tag list: @kiszkakissess @wowkakashi @jake-kiszkas-smirk @spark-my-nature

[hearts-hunger]

Chapter Two: The Way of Lady Justice {Series Masterlist | Series Playlist ♫}

Series Summary: You’ve been called the Jewel of the Bay, a lady born and bred in one of the Royal Navy’s most profitable ports of call. On a fateful summer night, taken aboard the pirate ship Starcatcher, your world is turned upside down. To survive, you must put your faith in the honor among thieves and learn to trust the devotion of a pirate to his most precious treasure.

Pairings: Jake x Reader, Sam x Danny, Josh x Reader | Word Count: 3k | Warnings: AU-typical violence, sexual innuendo

A/N: Everybody say hello to pirate Josh! I'm enjoying giving them their swashbuckling characteristics, and though we don't get to meet Sam and Danny in this chapter, I promise they're coming soon. I hope you like it! ♡

Your breath caught in your throat as you looked up at him, eyes wide and heart pounding at the sight of a pirate who really did frighten you. Jake had proven himself honorable, at least so far, and the rest of them were bruisers and henchmen, obedient to their captain’s call. This one, though, had a cunning curve to his mouth, a keenness to his gaze that seemed to cut straight to the heart of you. He looked at you as if he knew you, as if he understood every secret you’d ever tried to hide.

He came down the stairs to stand before you, his gold earrings and necklaces catching the firelight from the raging inferno of the Commodore’s house. His hair was unusually cut, shorn on the sides and wild with curls otherwise. His eyes flashed between your face and the gaudy necklace you wore as if trying to determine which he liked better.

“Brought home a little plaything, Jake?” he asked, not taking his eyes off of you. You shivered under his gaze.

“Josh,” Jake warned. “Don’t frighten her.”

It was too late for that, and both you and Josh knew it. He gave you a smile that did nothing to soothe your nerves.

“What’s your name, little dove?” he asked. His rings clinked against the hilt of his cutlass as he ran his hand over it in a habitual motion.

Your mouth went dry. You couldn’t have answered if you’d wanted to.

Josh smirked. “Cat got your tongue, my love? No matter.” He reached out to you, and you panicked and shied away from him.

“Steady now,” he said, though it was more of an order than a consolation. His slender fingers grasped the sapphire in your necklace. 

“Fitting to find a gem this big at this port of call,” he said, almost lovingly. He met your eyes. “But you’re the real jewel of the bay, aren’t you, sweet one?”

Your head spun with all the pet names he lavished you with. You’d never been called anything close to those kinds of names, and they held a strange kind of magnetism in his voice.

He knew the pull he had over you. His eyes swept up from your necklace to meet your gaze.

“I think that’s what I’ll call you,” he said. “Sapphire.”

You swallowed. He gave you a lazy smirk.

“Take it,” you blurted, your voice more fearful than you wanted it to be. You reached with shaky hands to unclasp your necklace and hand it to him. “It’s yours.”

He laughed. “I know it is.” He kept his eyes trained on you as he took it, and it was only when he held the necklace in his hand that he moved his gaze. 

He ran his thumb over the surface of the gem. “However did you come across such a magnificent jewel, Sapphire?”

“M-my fiancé,” you stammered. You glanced at Jake; he was watching the exchange with a cool expression, completely unreadable.

Josh raised a brow. “Caught yourself a rich one, did you? What’s his name? Perhaps I’ll send a few men to see what other gifts he has secreted away for you.”

Despite the disgust you felt for Kit, you held on to a flicker of bravery; he was legendary for his cruelty to pirates, and perhaps his name held some weight with this one.

“Commander Kit Drake of the Black Smoke,” you said, trying for confidence. “That’s his name.”

Josh’s eyes widened, and to your surprise, an almost giddy smile spread over his face.

“Is it?” he asked. He looked over at Jake with vicious glee. “Got a little sidetracked, did you, Jacob? Stealing the beloved of Kitty-Kat Drake?”

Jake snorted. “Beloved?” he repeated. “He used her as a shield when our men attacked. Show him your bruises, lass.”

You hesitantly offered your hand to Josh. He took it in a surprisingly gentle grip and looked over the bruises blossoming on your wrist.

“He marked your pretty face too, didn’t he?” Josh said, releasing your wrist and examining the cut on your cheek. “Wasteful.”

“It was his signet ring,” you said softly, a wave of tears threatening at the memory. “He struck me with the back of his hand.”

“Only after she’d nearly bitten a finger off,” Jake said, and there was a hint of pride in his voice.

Josh’s brows rose in a way you would have thought almost playful if you hadn’t been so wary of him still.

“I suppose I’ll keep my distance, then,” he said, and there was a wry teasing in his voice. He held up two fingers. “I use these too frequently to have them bitten, sweetheart, even by a mouth as pretty as yours.”

You blushed vividly, suddenly all too aware of your state of undress as you stood before him. Jake either sensed your unease or felt the comment too forward; he took a step towards Josh, but stopped obediently when Josh shifted the hand that rested on his cutlass.

“Now, now,” Josh said, directing himself to you. “I see I’ve made my twin restless. Unfortunately for me, that means he’s entirely too keen on you.”

Jake made a little noise of impatience and embarrassment. You blushed hotter, unsure what to do with the implication that a pirate had set his affections on you with less than an hour’s acquaintance.

Josh gave a magnanimous gesture towards the stairs.

“You may allow yourself to be whisked away to Jacob’s private chambers, if you wish,” he said graciously. “Or you may roam the ship. Whatever you prefer, Sapphire.”

You looked uneasily at the crew of pirates that went about their duties but could not take their eyes off of you.

“Your men...” you said faintly. You looked meekly up at Josh. “Jake said they wouldn’t hurt me.”

Josh’s eyes flickered with something close to gentleness, the warmth of sunshine amid the untamable fire of his presence. You were drawn to him, suddenly, this golden twin of your pirate, and wondered at how easily he’d swayed you.

“Every man aboard this ship will feel the cut of the captain’s blade if he so much as looks at you the wrong way,” he said, and his voice was for a moment hard and unflinching. “My word is law, Sapphire, and I bind myself to your honor and my brother’s vow. You have no need to fear any unwanted advances, I assure you.”

Before you could thank him, or even think of how to respond to such surprising respect, cannon fire sounded from the fortifications on the bay and caused both twins to swear loudly.

“Though it seems we may receive some unwanted advances upon our ship for our trouble,” Josh said. He called to his men. “Load cannons, you dogs! Give the King’s men a taste of iron.”

You watched as the crew obeyed immediately, working together as a well-oiled machine. You’d always thought of pirates as careless, almost rabid individuals; never had you imagined them as loyal and efficient as any crew of Navy men you’d seen.

“You might want to cover your ears, lass,” Jake said conversationally. You looked up at him in question, but no sooner had he said it than a deep, reverberating barrage flooded your senses. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air as cannon after cannon was fired from the body of the ship.

You pressed your hands over your ears and tried not to flinch at every sound. Jake stood with that imperturbable calm, watching the scene unfold on the bay. To you it seemed a morass of chaos and violence; from Jake’s expression, one might think that  the billowing smoke and leaping flames was no more than a day’s work to him.

“Are they firing on your ship because of me?” you asked, raising your voice to be heard over the din. 

“Might be,” he said easily. “More likely no one has noticed you’re gone. We’ve sent a crew to get our man before he hangs, and we decided we’d cause a little trouble for the King while we were at it.”

“And get your share of gold and jewels, no doubt,” you said, feeling a little put out at the destruction of the only home you’d ever known.

Jake grinned. “Aye. That too.” He absently rubbed the part of his arm you knew bore the scarred brand of a pirate. “You’ve been marked by a King’s man just as much as any of us. You don’t want your revenge?”

You didn’t know what you wanted. You tore your gaze from the battle, following the dance of the fire over the choppy waves until it met the cool shine of moonlight.

“What will you do when you’ve got your man?” you asked. “Where will you go?”

He shrugged, his expression shadowed with pain. “We’ll hide away for a while. More likely than not, Daniel has been treated with cruelty. He’ll need rest.”

“Daniel?” you said, looking up at him. “He’s a member of your crew?”

Jake shook his head. “He’s our brother’s first mate. Got taken in a raid nearly a fortnight ago. We didn’t know where he’d been taken, but your Commander Drake is a braggart; he told anyone who would listen that he’d caught the first mate of the Indigo Streak.”

Your eyes widened. A million thoughts raced through your head, the first among them being the one you voiced:

“The Indigo Streak is real?”

His smile was wry. “Real as the fire she’s spitting now.” He nodded to the other galleon in the bay whose dozens of guns shot cannonballs and then recoiled into the shadowy darkness of the hull. “That ship’s dedicated to Lady Justice, and she’ll have her way with the King’s men tonight.”

You noticed, then, the blindfolded figurehead at the front of the ship. She held a set of scales in one hand and a sword in the other and seemed almost alive in the firelight.

“Then that means...” You moved breathlessly to the side of the ship, leaning over the railing to try and see the figurehead. You caught a glimpse of a wing and a laurel wreath held up in triumph.

“That’s Nike,” you said. “Goddess of Victory.” You looked up at Jake with innocent wonder. “This is the Starcatcher, isn’t it?”

“Aye, lass.”

You searched his face for some kind of mythology, some indication that he was the first mate of a ship that existed only in legend.

He noticed, and his laugh was so charming against the backdrop of violence that it made you dizzy.

“What are you looking for?” he asked, but it wasn’t unkind. “An unnatural gleam in my eyes? Fangs, perhaps? A phantasmal aura?”

You blushed and looked away from him, knowing that some small part of you had been girlishly looking for something otherworldly.

“Look at me, lass.”

You did, embarrassed and wishing you’d comported yourself with a bit more dignity. His smile was amused and curious.

“There’s magic in these waters, Sapphire,” he said, and you knew he wasn’t teasing you. “Magic I can’t explain. I won’t deny it, and no sailor worth his salt would deny it either.”

You thought of all the times Kit had ridiculed young sailors for their fear and awe in the face of the mighty ocean, their eagerness to believe the stories of ghost ships and captains with supernatural powers. You had never dared to mention that you believed them too, choosing instead to listen and drink in the tales of phantoms and magic and monsters that captivated your imagination.

“But this ship,” Jake said, scuffing the heel of his boot against a plank — “this ship is just wood and water, lass.”

“But the legends,” you said, moving closer to him, trying to convince yourself it was just to hear him better. “To hear sailors tell of it, the Starcatcher can outpace any ship in the sea. They say the Streak can vanish without a trace.”

Jake grinned and looked up at his twin who was perched at the ship’s wheel to watch the drama of thievery and jailbreaking unfold.

“That’s because of their captains,” he said. “Our brother Sam is the captain of the Streak, and he and Josh are better sailors than all of the King’s men put together.”

You thought the way his expression lit with affection and pride for his brothers made him even more handsome. You didn’t have long to look, though, as your attention was grabbed when Josh ran to the balustrade and looked out into the bay.

“They have him!” he called to Jake. “They’ve got Danny. Send the signal.”

Jake gave a shrill whistle to a man halfway up to the crow’s nest. The man nodded and climbed his way to the top, lighting a huge beacon that washed the deck in an eerie glow of orange and red. 

Jake looked over the side of the ship; below, a skiff with two men came steadily to the Indigo Streak. One man was rowing hard, already calling for help; the other man was slumped over, the back of his white shirt ripped and bloody.

“Damn them,” Jake said, quietly and with feeling. His face was a mask of pain and anger.

You felt sick at the sight of the injured man, even as distant as he was in the waters below. You’d heard enough stories and scurried past enough public punishments to know whip wounds when you saw them, and this man bore more than you’d ever seen.

“That’s Daniel?” you asked quietly, barely audible over the noise.

Jake’s knuckles were white on the railing. “Yes.”

You looked upwards to the fire in the crow’s nest. “And that’s the signal for your crew to return?”

“Aye,” he agreed. “It also means it’s time to get you home.”

You were bereft, suddenly, at the thought of leaving. You couldn’t imagine why; surely home would be preferable to this. Then you realized that you might not even have a home to go back to; fires raged across the north side of the island, the houses of nobility and wealth in Sapphire Bay plundered until nothing was left.

“How do I know your men haven’t ransacked my home and burnt it to the ground?” you asked, wrestling with the emotions that flooded you. Everything suddenly seemed as unsteady as the deck of the ship, and you tried desperately to keep your balance over the choppy waves.

Jake scowled, his amiable mood all but vanished now that he’d seen the state of the man they’d come to save.

“You don’t,” he said. “I said I’d get you out of there with your life, lass, not with all your little treasures still in your jewelry box.”

He made to ready the skiff for your return. “Besides,” he said bitterly, “a lady like you has friends all over the island, all over the kingdom. Surely you can find a place to rest that pretty head of yours tonight.”

“I shouldn’t have to,” you shot back, embarrassed that he seemed disappointed in you, appalled with yourself for caring about what he thought. “I’ve never done anything to you. Why should I face retribution for something I had no part of?”

Jake gave you a scathing look. “Your fiancé put my brother’s man in irons and would have hanged him if he hadn’t been too busy whipping him within an inch of his life.”

You paled, unable to argue that fact. “I had no knowledge of it.”

He cursed. “Your kind live on the knowledge of it,” he spat. “You couldn’t have your empire without it. You’re worried about your castle on a hill when you have no idea of the bones it’s built on. All your jewels, your dresses, your dinner parties — they’re a gilded cover over a kingdom of death and savagery.”

“And what do you call this?” you said heatedly, throwing an arm out to encompass the bay in flames, the hoards of pirates coming back to their ships after ravaging the island. “Is this not death and savagery, sir?”

He had the unmitigated gall to laugh at you.

“Sir,” he repeated, and your face burned hot. “You still keep the gilded cover, even when it doesn’t serve you.”

“What do you suggest I call you?” you said through gritted teeth. You could think of a few choice names to try on for size.

He’d just opened his mouth to deliver a snarky comeback when his twin gripped his shoulder.

“No need to worry about it now,” Josh said to you. “Plenty of time to figure it out on the way to the Cove.”

You and Jake spoke as one, his voice surprised and yours curious. “The Cove?”

“Aye,” Josh said, clapping Jake’s shoulder. “Set course.”

He was off to the quarterdeck before either of you could question him, though that didn’t stop Jake from trying. 

“Are you mad?” he yelled after Josh. “She can’t come with us!”

His call was lost in the din that had only gotten worse with the arrival of the rest of the crew and the orders being shouted from every side.

Jake glanced over at you, your eyes locking for a moment that felt like it might have been years. He gave a scornful huff and left to join the men in readying the ship to leave the bay.

“Don’t be cross with me, pirate!” you shouted after him, for a moment too indignant with his sudden change of heart to be very fearful of it. “You brought me on this ship, and it’s no one’s fault but your own that you’re stuck with me!”

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