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withonly-sweetheart · 26 days

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Reap What You Sow

part two

You've been reaped, and your partner is not the man you want to be spending a bloodbath with. But what if he's nothing like what you expected?

a/n: for the anon that's waited SO patiently for it... im still working on figuring out ur identity but im a bit slow... so.... i hope u like it i had to reread the book for this and WEUIORWPDOSWEIOR i have trauma from thg trust me

tw: major character deaths (if you can guess who ily <3) mentions of blood, gore, illnesses, blah blah all that stuff yk

wc: 3.6k

part one here!!

The first thing you feel, stupidly, is betrayal, but you hadn’t been together in the first place. There was no thought out alliance, even if that was what Haymitch was hoping for in the endgame.

“Nice one, lover boy,” one of the boys teases. “Next time, make sure it's your girlfriend. Can’t recognize one girl from another, huh?”

“He’s just that desperate,” one of them replies, and they all break out into laughs, sounding amazingly like a pack of coyotes. Leon stares down at his feet, gripping the coil of thin, white wire wrapped around his fist.

“The faster we get rid of her,” he grits out from behind clenched teeth, “the better chance we have of winning. She’s smart enough to survive unless we take her out.”

“Take her out? Wow, Leon, ever the romantic one, aren’t you?” one of the girls muses. But Leon doesn’t smile like you expect him to, and the only emotion that overtakes his face is disgust as he scowls.

“Let’s just get moving,” he growls.

You see in Leon's stony gaze not hatred - but shame. For a moment, your eyes meet, and you understand. This is not the end, he promises silently.

Calming your racing, pounding heart, you slip back into the trees, vanishing on the wind.

You can feel the camera on your back, tracking you, and you realize that you’ve kept your face as neutral as Leon’s, so just to keep them interested (and to bring in more sponsors), you tilt your head towards the afternoon sun and smile knowingly.

Let them figure that out, you think.

You keep your footsteps vague, letting them track where you were - not where you’re going to disappear to as cunning guides your unsteady, unsure steps toward victory.

<><><><><><>

You’ve fared pretty well, you think, for the past three days. Your snares are doing well, and you’ve stayed close to the river. Luckily, the Gamemakers haven’t thought of targeting you for your little stunt, and you feel grateful for a moment before realizing that you’re still in danger.

A drift of voices carries on the breeze, and straining your ears, you snatch the faint sounds of celebration from the Careers' camp. Though your mind screams not to, you creep closer - and there, lying on the wind, come the first hints of Leon's ruse.

"...tracks lead east. Could have ditched the knife, gone after bigger prey."

A derisive snort. "Girl's got more sense. Doubt she went after a damn bear with her dinky little knife."

But Leon persists, voice dropping low and persuasive. "Unless she's more desperate than we thought. And these woods are full of desperate souls..."

You see his silhouette move with subtle gestures, painting a picture only you could see is false. Slowly, so slowly, he nudges their guesses astray, south, then west into thicker forest.

By the time their supplies were packed to give chase at dawn, Leon had spun such a tangled web even you almost believed his stories.

And in the cloud of lies he wove to protect you, you start questioning whether or not the man you know is there, beneath the killer, if a shred of mercy remains.

He gives no sign of knowing you watch. You don’t know if he knows you are there, but that night, you say a silent prayer of thanks for this small act of unexpected grace.

<><><><>

You breathe deep as forest mosses muffle your footsteps, senses sharpening for the soft calls of potential allies. You want to seek out the little boy that followed you around during training, but so far, you haven’t seen him. But another sound comes floating through the wood - a broken, mournful murmur that pricks your heart.

Tracing the plea, you find Leon alone amid the ferns, face buried in his hands. At your approach he scrambles up, fingers clawing for the hilt of a missing blade.

"Come to finish it yourself?" he hisses, agony written plain before the mask slams down over his face.

Slowly, showing empty hands, you meet his wild eyes with a steady gaze. "Calm down, I’m here to help. You… don’t look too good.”

Leon sways, strength waning as exhaustion takes hold. Something flickers in his eyes as he collapses to the side, slowly curling into a fetal position.

Your hesitation is apparent, but immediately disappears when he hits the leaves, fingers slackening from your fists. You glance around, peering deep into the sheltering green, wary of enemies, but none arrive.

Then your facade breaks and you fall to your knees, surveying where his injury is, and spot the blood seeping from his shoulder.

“What happened?” you ask quietly.

“They found out I’m sick,” he whispers. You can’t resist flinching back a little, and he manages to grin before grimacing. “Cato stabbed me.”

“Why didn’t you run?”

“He saw you were standing there and sent people after you.”

You stare down at him, eyes blank before you frown. “But how’d you get hurt?”

“I killed them.” A groan passes his lips. “On second thought, save yourself.”

“I’m not leaving you,” you say as fiercely as you can through tears. You don’t know why the thought touches you, the fact he cares about you enough to betray his, however temporary, allies, just for you.

You would’ve assumed he would have laughed, joined them, even. A weak smile touches his lips. You rip fabric from your shirt to bind the makeshift dressing, tears mingling with the blood on your cheeks that got there from your frantic wiping. “Why’d you have to play the hero, huh? You couldn’t run away?”

“Had to… keep you… safe,” he rumbles, voice hoarse, parched.

“Well, congratulations, genius, now we’re both screwed.” Your breath hitches on a sob. “Just hold on, damn it! You’re not dying on me, hear that?”

Leon’s hand finds yours, grip tightening with determination. “Not… going anywhere. Promise.”

<><><><>

“What about the other girls?” you query, spooning soup between his lips, wincing as he swallows it with increased difficulty. His condition is getting worse, you can see that. You gently dab cold broth that you made hours ago from his ashen lips.

Leon's labored breath grows more ragged, his burning gaze holding yours with haunting intensity. “What other girls?”

“Save your breath,” you reply, shaking your head. “It’s not important.”

“It’s important to you,” he says quietly, rubbing his finger in circles over your knuckles. “So tell me.”

“All those girls you dated back home, did they ever mean anything to you?” You drag in a fractured breath. “Do I?”

The royal crown of his hair dips back to grace the stone walls, breaths coming in puffs from his lips, twisted in a frown as he tilts his head to look at you, hooded eyes and furrowed brows asking you a silent question you can’t understand.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m thinking,” he rasps.

“Think faster,” you grumble.

He chuckles. “Bossy. Well, I guess the first girl I loved was my tutor,” he muses. “Not really my tutor. Just a girl that was smarter than me.”

“Was?” you ask, tilting your head.

“She died of some illness,” he says dismissively. “I loved the attention she gave me, treated me like I was her special little boy, even though that was part of her job. No, I didn’t love her, not really.” He meets your eyes steadily. “Not how I love you.”

And it’s moments like these that have you questioning whether or not he’s being serious, because his eyes are glazed and his mouth is set so seriously. Would he trade steel for softer weapons, if you grant his wish?

Gently, you lay your palm against burning flesh, unsure if you’re offering true solace or a cruel illusion, reflecting the confusion that you feel at his words.

“But you have every guy’s attention back home,” he breathes, almost a sigh. “I don’t stand a chance, do I?”

I can almost hear what Haymitch is undoubtedly thinking back home, begging me to say out loud, for the cameras that are definitely watching us.

“I might have their attention, but you’ve always had mine.”

And as if on cue, a silver parachute blows in on the breeze, landing near your crossed legs, silky fabric brushing your hand as you eagerly unwrap it.

“Look what Haymitch got you,” you say teasingly as you reveal a vial of what you presume is medicine, must be for his cold.

You pour it into his soup, swirl it around until the spoon generates enough heat to dissolve the sticky, ivy colored liquid. Leon’s nose crinkles when it meets his tongue, jaw working as he swallows.

<><><><><>

“Can’t sleep?” Leon murmurs as you rouse, blinking some light into your vision. Your joints are stiff from the unforgiving stone that blankets you.

You rub your eyes. "I don’t think I’ve slept very well since we got here," you sigh, rolling your stiff neck.

Leon watches with quiet eyes. "C’mere." He shifts to make room for you in the small, cramped area, patting the space next to him. Leaning into his solid warmth brings strange comfort, comfort you are unaccustomed to.

“You look really pretty,” he murmurs, almost to himself, and when you crane your neck to glance up at him, there’s a dreamy look in his eyes as he gazes back, a lazy smile spreading across his face.

“Half asleep?” you joke.

“You look pretty no matter what.” Curled fingers graze your back, drawing tired muscle from knot to knot. You tense, unused to kindness from killers, mind flashing back to the way he had killed Glimmer, yet you let tension seep away under gentle pressure.

When was the last soft touch? The last time you had let his hand touch your skin, heat mingling between your bodies? You lie your neck onto his shoulder, feeling him tense for barely a second before relaxing.

His breath fans your hair, smelling faintly of pine and earth. Your eyes flutter shut, forgetting just for moments your fate, and here in the dark, you forget that he might just be trying to kill you.

But, as all things do, it ends, and dawn looms with its crimson streaks. You are both marked for death, lambs led to slaughter, destiny undecided.

And you know you can’t let him choose what happens to not only you, but also your family. So you pull away from his warmth, almost immediately missing it, feeling the chill seep into your heart.

“I should… go hunt,” you explain quietly, but the hurt that presses through his neutral expression is something you have grown used to seeing.

"Go then," he murmurs, volume rising fluidly. "I just don’t get it.”

“Get what, Leon? We need to eat.”

“I’m here for you, for free, and last night I proved to you that we don’t have to fight.”

His words sting, reminding you who you have to protect above all - those beyond these walls of blood. Your fists clench at your side, as taut as the cords in your wary stomach. "Nothing is decided here, not even-"

"Trust?" Leon fills the sentence with wry amusement. "You don’t seem to trust even yourself, it seems."

Anger flares to life in your chest, his steady calm that dares your truths that you left unsaid, because that’s how you know to survive.

Your voice strikes like a flint against steel. "You might want to be thinking about your own survival, because your charming words mean nothing against bloodshed.”

His eyes flash, gray from moonlight, mouth hardening.

“Charming words are all I see you relying on, little bird. Will you still burn as bright as you think you are now, if it weren’t for me?"

His jab finds its mark - doubt you dare not voice aloud. Your jagged fingernails pierce the tender flesh of your palm, making crescent shaped, vague silhouettes of your anger. "How dare you say that? You don’t even know me, let alone what drives me to win!"

"Enlighten me then," Leon sneers, temper unleashed. But for a moment, a heartbeat, something flickers behind his granite eyes - regret? But he doesn’t stop.

"Is it because of your family? Or is the sick excitement I know you get from spilling blood by your pretty hand?"

You pause, taking in his words. You blink at him, face softening, releasing your hand from its anguish, unable to believe that he, of all, chained to this prison just as you are, could see you in such a light.

Your vision seems to dim red as a choked whisper claws free, "How… how could you say something like that?"

Silence hangs curdled between us as grim understanding sinks in, evident on his face. And you stand, brushing the underside of your thighs, biting your tongue, trying to convince yourself that you don’t care, that his words didn’t deliver a sting.

But the venom is already coursing through your blood as you walk away, leaving him alone, whispering your name.

<><><><>

The smell of damp earth fills his senses as Leon pushes through the foliage. He has to find you, has to make this right. Breaking through the treeline, he spots you sitting by the lake, your brown tunic matching the looming pines.

You don’t turn as he approaches, eyes fixed on the still water. Leon's chest tightens. Stopping a few feet behind you, he whispers, "Sweetheart, I'm sorry."

Silence greets him, thick like the humid air. Leon kneels, reaching out to gently brush your shoulder. "Please, look at me."

Your defiant yet sad gaze meets him as you turn. Eyes shining with unshed tears, your lips pull into a small pout. God, she’s beautiful. Leon cups her cheek, caressing soft skin with his thumb.

"I was wrong. You mean everything to me. You would never do something like that, I know." Without waiting for a reply, he closes the distance between you and offers an apology, a plea for forgiveness, pouring it all into the tender press of lips, praying you understand.

After a moment of hesitation, you lean back into him, and for the first time since you made your way into this hellscape, he feels genuine happiness.

But he doesn’t know you are only doing this for the camera nestled in the trees above you, panning across your faces, capturing every moment.

He doesn’t catch the clench of your fingers, turning them white.

<><><><><>

As the midafternoon sun breaks its unrelenting heat, you both stalk through the forest, looking for the last tribute, the last one before you’ll inevitably have to decide the victor between you both.

The sound of the river drowns out any other noise, the rush of water serving as a reminder of the weapon at your disposal.

Your opponent stands near the bank, eyes slanted dangerously. You recall yesterday, seeing Clove’s stoic face in the sky, flanked by puffy clouds. You also remember their bond, how close they were, horrifyingly similar to you and Leon.

Before long, you’re thrown into unwanted combat. Blood decorates the blades of grass dancing around your ankles, back to back with Leon as Cato’s fury seems to consume the arena.

Somewhere, deep inside you, a part that isn’t occupied with surviving, you feel pity for him, because in his howls of pain come grief, a silent plea to put him out of his misery.

As Cato lunges towards you with fierce determination, you act quickly, sidestepping his attack and delivering a powerful blow that sends him stumbling backwards towards the river's edge.

Leon catches wind of your idea, and with a swift and unwavering hand, he pushes Cato into the cool, rushing waters below.

<><><><>

And we lie there, waiting for the river to calm, for the ripples gracing the muddy banks, right as twilight drapes the world in soft purple.

The arena lies still, a haunting quiet settling over the blood-soaked ground. Shadows dance in the fading light, the remnant of the District 10 boy casting long, eerie shapes that stretch to meet your feet. There is no one left as the hovercraft picks him up too, leaving you both alone in the arena, surely being documented.

You see his hand grip the dagger jabbed between the lower fabric of his shirt, tearing a hole, precariously close to his stomach. Without thinking, your own knife flies to his neck just as it slips from his fingers into the river, breaking the calm surface of the water with no sound.

Hurt flashes across his expression before his eyes slant dangerously, tilting your knife further towards his neck, pressing it into the unscathed, fragile skin covering his throat. You hear yourself let out a childish sound before yanking it away, or at least try to.

Leon’s grip stays strong, fingers curling even more, drawing a thin rivulet of blood you’ve seen him cough up far too many times. With his other hand, he dips a gentle finger in the red, hissing quietly before smearing it in the shape of a cross on his neck.

“So you don’t miss this time,” he says dryly.

“I wasn’t- why would I-”

“Do it,” he whispers, voice dropping an octave lower as his face hardens. “It has to be me.”

“You’re not leaving,” you insist, trying to pull the knife from his grasp. “I can’t let you die!”

“I’m already dying,” he says softly, a sad smile adorning his face. “You didn’t think medicine would fix it all, did you? Besides, you said it yourself, didn’t you? Only one.”

“And it can be you!” you insist. “You’re not listening!”

“There’s nothing to listen to, sweetheart,” he replies, dropping his hand to cup your cheek, staring into your gaze longingly, honeyed eyes sparkling with pain.

“I’ll kill myself!” you blurt out, pulling away from his touch. “I-I can’t live without you.”

“And your siblings? Your family won’t make it,” he says gently. “They’ll be gone.”

Your thoughts are everywhere but home right now. “It can be different.”

“Fine.” Leon looks up to ponder the night sky, and you make the mistake of relaxing your hand, letting the knife rest loosely in your fingers near his chest. He notices this, those keen, sharp eyes and that smart, beautiful mouth curving up.

He does not grimace when your blade, still in your hand, plunges into his stomach, straining under the effort of burying the knife deep into his skin. His blood paints your hand a sickening shade of crimson, dripping from where your bodies connect.

You can’t bring yourself to remove your fingers, frozen with shock. Leon lets out a fractured exhale, and through his parted lips you can see the ocean of ruby washing his teeth.

He collapses onto you, forcing you to collapse to the ground, laying him down on the dead foliage, where you had both tread mere hours ago, talking about your futures and how it would be the ideal, perfect life.

But now here he is, sprawled on rotting leaves, strawberry blonde hair fanning out in an ever-spreading pool of crimson, drenching your clothes, but you don’t care.

You press yourself closer to him, holding him like a child in your arms, the world around you fading into a distant whisper, leaving only the sound of his breath - shallow, yet steady, like the gentle flow of a tide.

The light in his eyes flicker, a candle fighting against the dark, wax dripping down its body similar to the way blood runs down his body, painting his figure in a slick, reflective liquid that shines the moon back at you.

“Leon,” you whisper, trying to bring him back to you, chanting his name into the crook of his neck, where you had felt the tip of your blade press, kissing the hurt away.

“I’ll always love you, little bird,” he mumbles, glassy eyed, blood going cold, seeping from everywhere, coating your skin, quickly drying into crumbling material.

And when he’s finally gone, after the minutes have stretched into hours, upon days in which the sunshine bathes his skin in a holy glow, the mockingjays chirp a hollow, solemn tune before the forest goes silent.

One gives the warning call, but you do not move. You can feel the hovercraft shielding you from the cheery sun, providing shade for you and the cold body in your hands.

For all the talk of killing him first, it seems he has killed you first, just by leaving you alone. And perhaps you will see him when they allow you mercy.

Why should they give you mercy? This is what you are thinking when your fingers find the blade. You hear Claudis Templesmith frantically calling to the hovercraft to do something, anything, but no one can stop you.

You have already been declared the winner. There is no one to harm your family. No one to harm your hunting partner, who awaits your return eagerly, but there will be no return. And, some selfish part of you knows that you’ll already be dead, unable to care if they die.

The blade slips into your skin effortlessly, as if knowing that this has always been its true purpose, knowing it is finally home, nestled in your body.

You lie beside your fallen lover, acknowledging it when he’s gone seems cruel yet inevitable, tracing circles on his still chest, as you had when you had slept together in the cave. The memory seems faint, distant, even, as if it had happened years ago, not days.

Your life disappears with your breath. The last thing you can remember doing is curling your fingers around Leon’s, entwined forever, captured in the scene of your death.

Destined to always reap what you sow.

#leon kennedy #resident evil #leon kennedy x reader #leon s kennedy #resident evil 4 #leon scott kennedy #leon kennedy fanfic #leon kennedy fic #request <3

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relmsramblins · 8 months

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The Compass Quartet

Poetic Prose for the @writeblrcafe secret valentines. Hope everyone enjoys! Please let me know what y'all think.

The Compass Quartet

Four Prose-Poems

R. E. L. Mescher

East - A sunrise; golden light playing over golden skin laying uncovered before the morning. Soft sounds of sleep slipping away usher in the morning adding a counterpoint to the twittering birdsong from outside the window. Such a sublime moment that somehow will not be remembered in sharp relief but in the deep impression of perfection that cannot be captured but must be experienced. Sunbeams illuminate a body, tracing and highlighting strength hidden under curves, and lumps, and scars that are so hated in their perceived imperfection but are truly wonderful in their history; for it is a strength that cannot be captured in a photo, nor gained by hours in a gym, but is defined by the bubbling giggle of a child just before they are lifted, soaring through the air, by the rustle of grocery sacks settling onto a table as they are set down by overburdened arms, and by the deep groan that accompanies the darkness of an necessarily early morning or a pleasantly late one. It is the strength that rises each dawn to see the day done, regardless of what it brings and is revealed by a feline stretch and a sleepy smile before the sun.

North - A cold wind blows by, cutting crimson splashes into a face so often absent of any such colored expression. A scarf of thick warm cloth is pulled up to keep out the worst of the biting chill and hiding everything but the bright glitter of intelligent eyes that somehow watch everything, not with the frantic spasms of a prey animal nor the lazy passivity of a predator but with the calm detached interest of an outside observer cataloguing data for future analysis and use. Those eyes which, like a calm garden pool, reflect the quiet orderly activity of a mind that resembles nothing so much as a well run library and the librarian who knows exactly how to help each person find what they need; a mind willing to share the vast wealth of gathered information with those around them rather than horde it for personal use or preservation. Now, to ask those eyes a question that will bring a shimmer to life as it ripples forth with to create more questions.

South - A warm summer sun diffuses through the leafy green branches, mottling the shadows that shimmer over the crisscrossed lines of the picnic cloth laid across the ground. The warm, humid air settles under the shady trees, only faintly stirred by the softest breeze, leaving a heavy blanket of languid drowsiness settling over everything including the rich, half-lidded eyes that seem to only passingly notice what is happening around them, filtering everything through the curtain of long lashes that turn sharp image into dreamlike blurriness. Those eyes focus for a moment on you and suddenly the warm laughter of their soul can be seen welling up from within. Through those windows of sepia, a world of joy and gentleness opens up away from the greyness of life, formed from a constant willingness to see the world as a better place than it seems and a desire to highlight the beauty that is and the potential for what could be. Those windows, for which jubilee and geniality are constant expressions, are framed by well worn creases in the corners which stand as testament to their constant use and would crinkle in embarrassment if they were ever pointed out. So the quiet stillness remains as summer sunlight seems to be welling up from within those eyes just as much as they reflect it.

West - The blazing sunset of riotous reds and incandescent yellows casts sharp silhouettes against the coming darkness of night. An evening breeze pushes soft cotton against angles and curves, painting the barest hints and shadows at what may be underneath in deepest black, inviting exploration and adventure in that inky image standing against the fire-bright sky. A turn, a look, a motion only visible by the shift of shape within the darkness and two points of impossibly feverish light, seeming to shine with the colors behind them. Everything in that moment seems to be unimaginably complex yet inexplicably simple: a question, a demand, a blessing and a sin, a damn shattering before the force of the river that has run through humankind since the dawning of the first day and the setting of the first night. The desire to desire without definition, to seek home, to explore new vistas, to take and to share in equal abandonment of common sense or rationality. The passion, a promise, to look beyond the body, the mind, the soul and to find out Everything.

#writeblr #writing #wcsecretvalentine #prose #prose poetry

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urbabycowboy · 4 days

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𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐚 ᝰ 𝐦. 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬; inspired by california by lana del rey.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; none. absolute fluff

𝐰𝐜; 1,000+

𝐬𝐡𝐞; hiii. lmk what you think of this. first thing i’ve ever wrote of the triplets.

the sun had just began to set over the golden state, casting a warm glow across the land. the air was heavy with the scent of pine trees and the distant salt of the ocean. it was summer in california, and the days were long and lazy.

matt had been on the road for what felt like forever. he was making his way up the coast, just him and his old pickup truck against the world. he’d left his small hometown in the dust, seeking adventure and a fresh start. but tonight, he found himself longing for something more.

as he drove through the redwood-lined highways, the song “california” by lana del rey played on the radio, filling the cab of his truck with her haunting vocals. the lyrics resonated with him, stirring up memories of a time long past.

he pulled over at a viewpoint, overlooking the vast pacific ocean. the sky was painted with hues of pink and orange, the sun sinking bow the horizon. he rolled down the window, breathing in the fresh sea breeze. that’s when he saw her.

a figure stood at the edge of the viewpoint, her silhouette framed by the fading light. there was something so familiar about her, and as he stepped out of his truck, he realized why. it was her, the girl from his past, the one who had haunted his dreams for so long.

“hey,” he called out, his voice carrying across the quiet evening.

she turned, her face illuminated by the soft twilight. a smile played on her lips, and her eyes sparkled with a familiar warmth. “hey you. it’s been a while.”

matt nodded, feeling a rush of emotions. “yeah, it has. what are you doing here?”

“i could ask you the same question,” she replied, taking a few steps towards him. “but i’m glad i ran into you. i’ve been meaning to get in touch.”

matt felt a spark as their eyes met, the same spark he remembered from their first encounter ever. it was as if no time had passed at all. “me too,” he admitted. “i’ve thought about you a lot over the years.”

her smile widened, and she gestured to the viewpoint. “care to join me? the sunset’s almost gone, but it’s still a pretty view.”

matt followed her lead, and they sat side by side on the edge of the overlook. the sky was now a tapestry of deep blue and purples, the stars beginning to twinkle above. they fell into an easy conversation, catching up in the years that had passed.

“so what brings you back to california?” matt asked, curious about her story.

“i never really left,” she confessed. “i went to college down south, but i’ve always called this place home. there’s just something about the west coast that keeps me here.”

matt nodded in understanding. “i know the feeling. we’ve been traveling up and down the coast, but i keep finding myself drawn back here. there’s a certain magic in the air.”

“exactly,” she said, her eyes shining with a shared sense of wonder. “the sun, the surf, the endless summers. it gets under your skin.”

they sat comfortably in silence for a moment, taking in the beauty of the setting sky. matt felt a sense of peace, a feeling of belonging that he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“you know,” she said softly, breaking the quiet. “if you’re sticking around for a while, i’d love to show you some of my favorite spots. i think you’d like them.”

matt turned to her, seeing the invitation in her eyes. “i’d like that,” he said with a smile. “i’m in no rush to leave anytime soon.”

and so, their summer adventure began. they spent lazy days by the lake, swimming and soaking up the sun. they went camping in the redwoods, stargazing by the light of a campfire. they took road trips along the coast, exploring hidden beaches and quaint seaside towns.

they fell into an easy rhythm, their old spark rekindling into something stronger. they shared inside jokes and created new memories, laughing and loving as if no time had passed at all.

but it wasn’t all sunshine and daydreams. they had their fair share of deep conversations, too, talking long into the night about their hopes, dreams, and fears. they shared their struggles and supported each other, offering a sense of comfort and understanding.

one afternoon, they found themselves napping in a hammock strung between two tall palms. the breeze was gentle, and the sun filtered through the leaves. matt stirred first, his eyes drifting open to see her peacefully beside him.

he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, his heart feeling fuller than he thought possible. in that moment, he knew he never wanted to let her go again.

as if sending his thoughts, she stirred, her eyes fluttering open to meet his. “hey,” she murmured, a soft smile crossing her lips.

“hey,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion. “i was just thinking…”

“yeah?” she propped herself up on one elbow, her eyes searching his.

he took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. “i don’t want this to end. i mean, i know summer can’t last forever, but i want us to keep this going. if you’re up for it, of course.”

relief washed over her features, and she leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. “i was hoping you’d say that. i don’t want to lose you either. we’ll figure this out.”

and so, as the days turned to weeks and the summer began to wane, they made plans. they called about the future, dreaming up ways to stay together even as the season changed.

the summer nights turned to autumn, and the leaves began to change. but their love remained constant, a warm glow in the shifting seasons. they knew that no matter what life threw their way, they would face it together.

as they walked hand in hand along the beach one crisp autumn evening, matt looked at her, his heart full. “i’m glad i came to california,” he said softly.

she squeezed his hand, her eyes shining in the twilight. “me too. it brought me to you.”

and in that moment, with the waves crashing against the shore and the stars beginning to appear, they knew that their california dream was just beginning.

#matt sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo #nick sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #sturniolo edit #matthew sturniolo x reader #matt x y/n #zi’angel🕊️#matt sturniolo fluff #matt stuniolo fanfic

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helenaheissner · 5 months

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A Dream of Summer Rain: Chapter 27

50 Years Ago

Alistair waited for his father. And waited. And waited. And waited. They’d gone to the far north, and his father had left while Alistair slept in the cave. The cave was warmer than the frigid Arctic outside, and so Alistair waited for his father to return.

Finally, as his stomach began to beg, he realized he would have to make his own way back. That this was part of the trial. He would have to do this on his own, but if he did, he could call himself a man from now on.

But he did not leave. He was frightened, paralyzed more by fear than by the cold.

And so he waited and waited and waited, until, finally, something happened: a Star descended from the night sky. A crimson sphere emerging from the black veil of winter. It was roughly the size of his head, and it came down before Alistair. He reached out for it, touched it, and the world burned. Through the light and shadows, Alistair saw something: a castle of black iron, beneath the light of a moon cleaved into four corners. Beyond it, into the west, was a land of magic, pure and unbridled, ruled by horrors beyond human comprehension. They wanted to keep all the magic for themselves. Alistair was young, but he knew beyond all else that this was wrong, and that such greed and hubris could not stand, and that someone should set the magic free. The light filled him, and the red Star settled inside his heart and filled him with warmth. He cradled the light inside him, trying to keep it all contained. Finally, he realized he could not. He tapped his hand to his chest, and his red Star emerged and guided him forward into the world.

He left the cave, following his Destiny.

The Star led Alistair into the south, towards his home. He made the journey, his stomach growling, the supplies his father had left him with already dwindling. Hunger and fear and confusion saturated his mind, but through sheer force of will he pushed himself forward.

He used his magic to kill seals and start fires and melt snow. He ate like a starving animal, knowing a feast would await him when he came home. Finally, he could prove his worth. His older brother hadn’t survived the trial, and neither had his oldest sister. Amelia had survived, but only because she had cheated and snuck extra rations onto the trip. He couldn’t die. He couldn’t do that to his parents, couldn’t let them down like that. Couldn’t let the Sovereignty down like that. They deserved a child who was strong. The Albrecht’s were too old and too important a family to not live up to these standards. He had to finish this. Had to get home.

Forward. Forward. Forward.

After five days, he came upon the silhouette of a man in the distance. Alistair hadn’t seen another person in almost two weeks. He didn’t realize until he was almost upon him that the man was hunched over, tearing the flesh off another body laid flat on the ground. Alistair didn’t realize until he was upon them that the body on the ground was that of his own father.

A ghoul, face contorted, fangs bared, eyes screaming crimson, was in the process of devouring Amadeus Albrecht’s corpse.

A shockwave of vehement fury rocked Alistair. He willed his strength into his hand, and called for the Todeshander. His fist glowed white as he launched it at the ghoul.

The ghoul cackled, and a pulse of violet light shot out. The white light around Alistair’s fist vanished, and his Star retreated inside his chest. The ghoul’s face warped further, fangs growing larger and sharper.

Alistair gulped, and the ghoul pounced on him, lowered his fangs and claws. He reached for more magic, but the ghoul pulsed with purple light each time and canceled out his spells before he could finish them. And each time, the ghoul grew just a little more monstrous.

Alistair flailed and swung about and reached until his thumbs met the ghoul’s eyes. He pushed them in and gouged them out, the ghoul screaming as the soft matter burst and blood froze on his face.

Alistair did not stop. He toppled the ghoul, buried fist into face until the skull had cracked open and he could crush the rotting mind of the beast with his bare hands.

He stood over his kill and screamed.

He went over to his father, already dead. Alistair summoned his Star, and let it lead them forward as he dragged his father’s corpse back home for burial. The ghoul had intercepted his father on the way back, which meant there were more. Alistair would have to be careful. And courageous. There was no time for cowardice now.

He wept for his father as he marched forward, forward, forward, knowing he could never share his accomplishments with the man he’d wanted to look upon them.

Forward.

When Alistair’s Star led him home, the castle was already in ruins. Castle Albrecht was a tall, proud building in the far northern reaches of Alaska, a central fortress surrounded by four spires. Alistair came upon it to find three of the spires reduced to ash, and a gaping wound carved into the main fortress. Black ash and crimson blood decorated the white snow and gray stone. A single ghoul’s corpse was left behind, mangled and inhuman, a desperate, hungry creature not strong enough to survive his pack’s hunting trip. Bones stripped clean of meat were strewn across the land. Alistair saw a skeleton with his mothers’ fine clothes in rags all around it.

They’d gotten everyone: his mother and his maternal uncles and cousins who lived with them, the help, their students come up from the main school to study with them personally. All dead. All eaten.

Alistair fell to his knees and wept, his Star hanging overhead and casting a harsh, unwelcome light over the carnage. It was hours before he moved again, before he began to follow his Star south.

He needed to keep moving.

They would pay for this. He would have his revenge. His Star would lead him to it. And he was strong enough to take it.

He was strong. He knew it to be true.

***

Present Day

Isabella woke up in the darkness, everything screaming with silence. She flailed about, looking for something, anything, to hold on to amidst the pure black. The only thing she could feel were the tears streaming out her eyes, the only thing she could see the memories of waking up alone in her house as a child, of waking up alone in the Pale as a teenager, of waking up alone-

Where was Lacy? Hadn’t they been together? What had happened?

She remembered taking Lacy into town, getting dinner and then dessert. She remembered them going back to their room together, and…

Had they…

Maybe they had.

That feels like an ethical violation, Isabella thought, still trying to swim through the Liminal Void, ignoring the bizarre tingle the lack of noise sent through her ears and down her spine. She swam and swam and swam through the empty black abyss, and finally, a light reached her. In the distance, a swirl of sapphire blue and crimson red lights danced about. The lights were sculpted into the form of a dozen foxes and ravens, a neon dual-colored zoetrope of scavengers.

Inside it was Lacy.

Isabella called out to her, but the other girl did not react. She simply sat there in her neon cage, with all the motivation of someone recently hit by a truck. Finally, Isabella kicked and clawed enough to make it over to Lacy and stood in front of the zoetrope.

“Lacy,” Isabella said. “Are you okay? What’s-”

“Get the fuck away from me,” Lacy said, eyes wide and knuckles blanched.

“W… What?”

“Did I stutter?”

Isabella tried to make herself stand up straight, face Lacy eye to eye, but it was difficult to designate a single direction as ‘up.’ She concentrated and used Lacy as a frame of reference, and managed to steady herself. “Lacy, what are you talking about? How did you even get here?”

“Sovereignty captured me.”

“How?”

“They attacked Peoria,” Lacy said. “Alistair came personally. Now they’ve got me locked up… Somewhere. I keep coming here when I fall asleep.”

“How did they know where we-”

“Danny,” Lacy said. “He’s been Gwen’s long lost brother this whole time. Who woulda thunk it? A traitor in our midst.”

“That little maggot! I can’t believe-”

“Reminds me of someone else I know.”

Isabella blinked, gulped. “I- we were- we were on a date. We were having a nice time.”

“Were we now?” Lacy said in monotone. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Isabella blushed. “I remember… I…”

“Think real hard now. You definitely didn’t earlier.”

“I… We went back to our room. And I asked if… If you wanted to get in the shower with me.”

“No. We never made it that far. After we ate, we went by the fountains. Remember? You pulled a weapon on me,” Lacy hissed. “You let me walk a few feet ahead and when I turned around you had that fucking World-Carver of yours out and ready and held it above your head like you were gonna bring it down into my skull. You, like everyone else, however, forgot I have super-hearing.”

No, no it couldn’t be true. She wouldn’t- she hadn’t…

But then the memory came flooding back, of retrieving World-Carver, of holding it in her trembling hands and trying to will herself to paint the sidewalk red and be done with it already, to walk away from it all. And Lacy turned around, the look of betrayal in her eyes, sorrow and shock quickly mutating to the pure, unprocessed rage of someone whose trust had been broken. And they stood there, and Isabella shook and hyperventilated until finally she…

She vanished.

Pulled back into the Liminal Void. Just like the Elf-King said she would be if she didn’t go through with it when the time came. Sucked back into the darkness where she belonged.

Isabella stammered, “I- I-”

“Betrayed me,” Lacy said. “Manipulated me. Tried to kill me.”

“I didn’t-”

“No, you didn’t even have the stomach to go through with the attempt, did you? Fuck’s sake, even Danny managed that part.”

“Lacy, please, I had no choice.”

“Yeah, I expected to hear that. Nobody ever has a choice, apparently. Because that’s supposed to make me feel better?” Lacy said, falling onto her knees, her arms limp at her sides.

“Just let me explain- I didn’t go through with it so I got sucked back here. The reason I… Was trying to do what I did-”

“Already put those pieces together on my own, thanks,” Lacy said. “Contrary to what’s apparently very popular belief, I’m not completely fucking stupid! But I guess I’m at least a little stupid, given that I chose to ignore that sword of yours and what it logically meant. Is it your Destiny? Are you the Chosen One? Are you hiding a blue Star?”

“No, I swear. I don’t have a Star- I’m not the… The… ” Oh, wait, that-

“Oh, did you just realize that actually makes it worse? Because you did have a choice, and don’t even have the Destiny excuse that Danny and Gwen both have to fall back on?” Lacy said mockingly. “Good. Job. Waitta catch up, jackass.”

The words pricked her like a thornbush, but not nearly as much as her own guilt and shame and terror over being back here for good. “I’m sorry.”

“Congrats.”

“Lacy-”

“I don’t care,” Lacy said. “I don’t need your fucking apology. You tried to kill me. You betrayed me, and you hurt me, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE I HAVE EVER MADE THE MISTAKE OF TRUSTING! You can rot in hell for all I care.”

“... You don’t mean that.”

“Actually, I do,” Lacy said. “It’s where we’re both going, after all. Save me a seat.”

“LACY-”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Lacy screamed. “GET AWAY! LEAVE!”

Despite the lack of solid ground, Isabella took a step back. Then another, then another, then another. Hands of sorrow gripping her heart, she slunk away into the darkness, reacquainting herself with oblivion.

***

Hello, lovelies! Hope y'all are doing well :)

You can now the entirety of this story, plus three chapters ahead on "Love During Robot Fighting Time" and two chapters ahead on "Magical Girl Exorcist Squad", by becoming a paid subscriber on my Substack or my Patreon!

You can also support my work by making a one-time donation via Ko-Fi!

Thank you so much for your continued support of my work! Every little bit helps me to keep going :)

And now, back to our regularly scheduled insanity!

Track List: "Blonde Hair, Black Lungs" by Sorority Noise

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gorigorculture2021 · 10 months

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Cultural Elegance: Exploring the Artistry of Korean Candles, Tufting, Russian Embroidery

In a world rich with diverse cultural expressions, artistic traditions often serve as a bridge between the past and the present. This article delves into the captivating realms of Korean candles, tufting, Russian embroidery, and Korean fashion, uncovering the unique beauty and craftsmanship behind each.

韓式蠟燭

The art of Korean candles, or 韓式蠟燭 (Han Shì là zhú), combines the delicate elegance of traditional craftsmanship with the illuminating beauty of light. Korean candles are not merely sources of illumination; they are intricate works of art that hold cultural significance. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, these candles often feature symbolic motifs inspired by nature, folklore, and spirituality. The soft glow emitted by these candles creates an enchanting ambiance, making them a popular choice for cultural celebrations and rituals.

Tufting

Tufting, an age-old textile technique, has experienced a resurgence in the contemporary art scene. Originating from the West, tufting has evolved into a global art form, seamlessly blending traditional and modern aesthetics. Artists utilize tufting to create vibrant, tactile tapestries that showcase a fusion of colors, patterns, and textures. This tactile art form serves as a testament to the enduring allure of craftsmanship, providing a canvas for creative expression that captivates the senses.

俄羅斯刺繡

俄羅斯刺繡 (Éluósuǒ cìxiù), or Russian embroidery, is a time-honored craft that weaves intricate tales through the art of needle and thread. Rich in history, Russian embroidery reflects the cultural diversity and artistic influences that have shaped the nation over centuries. Whether adorning traditional garments or decorative textiles, Russian embroidery showcases a meticulous blend of geometric patterns, floral motifs, and vibrant colors. Each stitch tells a story, preserving the cultural heritage of Russia in a visually stunning tapestry of craftsmanship.

韓國服裝

韓國服裝 (Hánguó fúzhuāng), or Korean fashion, is a harmonious fusion of tradition and modernity. Renowned for its innovative designs, South Korean fashion has made a significant impact on the global style scene. Designers draw inspiration from traditional Korean garments, integrating elements such as hanboks and jeogori into contemporary silhouettes. The result is a unique blend of elegance and cutting-edge fashion that resonates with both local and international audiences. Korean fashion is not just about clothing; it is a celebration of cultural identity expressed through the language of style.

In conclusion, the worlds of 韓式蠟燭 (Korean Candles), tufting, 俄羅斯刺繡 (Russian Embroidery), and 韓國服裝 (Korean Fashion) invite us to embark on a journey of artistic discovery. These diverse forms of expression showcase the enduring power of craftsmanship and creativity, bridging the gap between tradition and contemporary aesthetics. Whether illuminating spaces, adorning walls, stitching narratives, or gracing runways, these cultural treasures enrich our lives with beauty and meaning.

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poetrusicperry · 3 years

Text

Running Towards Nothing

Chapter One

a/n: hello !! @noelliza and i fleshed out an idea about if todd came from out of state (specifically, somewhere in the southern united states) to attend welton, so i wrote it heh. i’m not sure how many parts this will be (if people like it enough for me to continue posting lol), but i have the first like... five written haha. so yes, todd is from the south (alabama) and i don’t know much about the south bc i'm from the west coast, but i tried haha. hope you guys like it !! xx

chapter summary: something in todd’s past is the reason for his family’s move, leading to a new neighborhood, a new school, a roommate he was never expecting, and an overall shift in his life.

pairing: todd anderson x neil perry

warnings: none (i don’t think there are any in this chapter, but if anyone spots something, let me know !)

word count: 2479

–

If there was one thing Todd missed about home, it was the sky; the sun set differently over the rolling hills of Vermont than the grassy fields of Alabama. He was used to seeing all of the elongated, blue canvas sky that melted into bright shades of pink and orange along the horizon; there was nothing in the way of the creation, just a plain view of where the heavens met the earth. In the northeast, however, the sunset snagged on the seemingly-black pointed edges of trees and lush branches, interrupting the gradient leaving only soft blue and speckles of marigold.

But he had experienced his last Alabama sunset two days ago, and there was no going back. Not for a really, really long time (if ever). After the events of the past few months, there was no way Todd could ever show his face again, even if he really wanted to. Now, Todd Anderson and his family were living in the suburbs of Vermont, where, as his parents hoped, the past would stay hidden and they could build a new façade for the one Todd had recently, though unintentionally, demolished.

As Todd sat on the floor of his new, empty room, surrounded only by boxes and his bed (which didn’t have a box spring or frame yet), he gazed out of his window forlornly. Through the toothbrush-tipped trees that were jam packed along his new horizon, he could make out the silhouette of a church’s steeple. One that, no doubt, would be frequented by his mother and father while his brother, Jeffrey, was out of state at college, and Todd himself attended the prep school just a few blocks down the road. Out of all the cities in Vermont, Todd’s parents had picked the one with the lowest population and tourist pull, which meant not a lot of people inhabiting the city. However, on the flipside, there wasn’t a wide variety of schools to choose from. Back in Alabama, Todd had attended his local public high school, Nixon, and would have been an incoming senior there if certain... events hadn’t occurred. Instead, Todd was now forced to continue his education at what was deemed “the best all boys prep school in the United States” by his parents and surrounding boarding schools (no pressure).

Todd’s mind wandered through the recent weeks, pulling apart everything that had happened like rotten cotton candy. This was his life now: a new state, a new town, a new school, brand new everything. And yet, Todd felt stuck between wanting to start over and aching to hold onto his old life. If those five seconds could have gone differently, he’d be preparing for his first day of senior year with all his friends at Nixon. But his friends would never speak to him again, and he’d never walk the halls of Nixon High School ever again. Todd wondered what he could possibly be holding onto? There was nothing in a place he considered home and nothing in a new place that would likely never be home. So much of his past, he wanted to leave behind, but he just… knew that he couldn’t.

As he reached into the open box beside him, there was a knock on the door. When Todd didn’t answer, the door cracked open, revealing the familiar face of his older brother.

“Hey, I was going to go on a drive around town, maybe see some of the cool hangout spots if you wanted to come. I know I’m leaving for school in a couple weeks, but might as well check out some places anyway?”

Jeff always had a way of talking to Todd gently, never with any hints of condescension in his tone. After all, Jeff was the only person in the house who ever acknowledged Todd’s existence. And after everything that had happened, Todd was certain he was no closer to gaining support from his parents than a couple months prior; in fact, he’d been quite sure he was further from garnering any cent of respect, let alone support.

“Oh, uh… right now?” Todd spoke, barely above a whisper. He knew he didn’t need to feel embarrassed or nervous around Jeff, but that’s just how things were for him now. Anything he said or did felt… wrong, and he didn’t know how to fix it.

“Yeah, I think Mom and Dad went to pick up some dinner, so I was just thinking that we could head out for a few minutes. Maybe get a little familiar with town and stuff,” Jeff smiled at Todd, his perfectly straight teeth somehow still gleaming in the darkening light of Todd’s room, “Come on, I know you probably don’t feel up to it, but it’d be better than sitting in here while it progressively gets darker,” Jeff attempted to joke, laughing slightly.

Todd gave him a half smile, half grimace, “Alright. Think I need a jacket?”

“Want to drive with the top down, so probably,” Jeff smiled, smacking the doorway and turning down the hallway, “Leaving in five!” he called down the hall as he went.

While they rode leisurely around town, Todd kept his head mostly turned to the side, leaning his cheek on his arm and taking in all the things they drove past. Lots of houses on moderate pieces of land lined the streets; they were nothing like the spacious farms and open pastures of Alabama. Up until recently, Todd had always considered the south home. But truth be told, he wasn’t sure what home was anymore.

“Oh, sweet, Todd, look! There’s an arcade!” Jeff patted Todd’s shoulder with the back of his hand as he cruised down the street. The big neon lights were hanging over a brick building spelling “GAMES & POOL.” It looked like the marquees Todd had seen of New York City in the magazines. He just nodded at his brother’s sentiment as they pulled up to the red light. Glancing up at the bright sign once more, his gaze was torn away when the door to the arcade opened, revealing five lanky boys spilling out onto the sidewalk.

“I told you I was going to beat the high score and you punks didn’t believe me!” one with sandy hair said, walking backwards and facing his friends. His face was twisted into a mischievous grin and his voice ricocheted across the street as the boys seemed to be making their way to the movie theatre a few doors down.

“Charlie, no one cares that you beat the high score,” the tallest one replied; Todd noticed he had a flattop haircut, which is something no one in Alabama would have ever had; Todd thought it looked neat. The flattop’s sentiment earned a chuckle from all the boys, but a particularly loud laugh from a tall, dark-haired boy standing toward the front of the group. He wore beige slacks and a tucked in red flannel with black and white hi-top Chuck Taylor’s. And Todd noticed his dimples were deep into his cheeks while he laughed. As the boys walked down the sidewalk to the theatre ticket vestibule, the light turned green and Jeff began to drive. As the car passed the group, the dark-haired boy looked up and locked eyes with Todd.

“Neil, still five for Gidget?” the ginger one with glasses said. The dark-haired boy (who Todd could now assume was Neil) held Todd’s gaze for a couple more seconds before tearing his eyes away and nodding at his friend. Todd’s cheeks were ablaze as Jeff drove further away. Trying to not move his head, Todd simply looked back at the boys in the side mirror until they were simply blobbed figures standing under the light of the theatre.

When Todd and Jeff arrived home, their parents’ car was in the driveway, and the light in the kitchen was on.

“Hope you’re hungry,” Jeff turned to Todd as he switched the engine off. He just looked at Jeff blankly; his appetite had still not returned, so he didn’t feel hungry much anymore, “I know I am,” Jeff smiled, ruffling Todd’s hair and easing the tension between them. He nodded a little bit and opened the door, Jeff doing the same. As Jeff made his way up the steps, Todd trailed behind him, not wanting to be the first person his parents saw.

“Jeffy, is that you?” his mother’s voice called from the kitchen.

“Yeah, Mom, we just went to check out the neighborhood a bit,” Jeff called, slowing his pace, falling into step with Todd and slinging his arm around his little brother’s shoulder.

“Dinner’s on the table, dear,” she replied as the boys walked into the dining room.

“Smells good, Ma,” Jeff smiled, taking his seat at the table after patting Todd’s shoulder. Todd sat down tentatively and stared at the spread in front of him. His parents had gotten KFC for the second night in a row, and Todd was about as excited as he was the first time (that being not at all).

“I know we had it last night, but it really just reminds me of the food back home,” his mother said, pulling her napkin into her lap.

“You boys eat up, now,” his father said, gesturing to the bucket of chicken and sides in front of the pair. Jeff grabbed his food, and took extra care to offer Todd all of the things he picked up for himself. While their parents busied themselves in a conversation about the pie their neighbors had dropped off, Jeff nudged Todd lightly,

“Look, I know you’re not hungry, but have a biscuit at least, okay?” he muttered and held one out to his younger brother. Todd took it hesitantly, put it in the middle of his plate, and stared at it, “Come on, Todd. Please,” Jeff mumbled again.

“What’s that, Jeffrey?” his father turned to him.

“Oh, nothing, Pop, just telling Todd to have some dinner,” Jeff smiled small. Todd’s father looked at him with disgust.

“Eat,” he grunted. At the timbre of his father’s voice, Todd flinched slightly and picked off a part of the biscuit to nibble on while the conversation turned to Jeff’s plans for the fall semester. Fading into the background (as usual), Todd tuned out the conversation and focused really hard on his white Chuck Taylor’s, getting a flash of the tall, dark-haired boy’s face in his mind. Neil. Shaking his head slightly, Todd adjusted his gaze to the plate in front of him and waited for another painful dinner to end.

When the summer had wound down and the weeks in Vermont had become more familiar, Todd’s parents had busied themselves with getting Jeff ready for dorm move-in and paying little, if any, attention to Todd. Currently, Todd was up in his room, preparing for convocation the next day. Jeffrey had left the past Thursday, driving up on his own. He had told Todd to not take everything so seriously and to do the best he could (because he knew that Todd was capable of a lot of things). He also mentioned that he was just a call away if Todd ever needed anything (he wrote his telephone number onto a scrap of paper). Todd had searched the arcade and the theatre a couple times in the hopes of running into the group of boys he had seen on their second night in town, but to no avail.

Sitting in front of the mirror, Todd analyzed himself. His hair had grown out kind of long, and his mother hadn’t taken him to get it cut, so he’d have to deal with that, but everything else looked normal. Things certainly didn’t feel normal, but he was used to the discomfort by now. The only thing he was truly worried about was his stupid accent. He’d spent the last few weeks hanging around diners and spots with Jeff, and hadn’t heard a single southern accent. He knew his drawl would just make him appear stupid to all these super educated kids, so he’d put a lot of effort into controlling it. He was actually doing okay at it, he just needed to make sure he didn’t slip up. Todd didn’t need any aspect of his personality or appearance to be called attention to. He got up from the floor and crawled into bed, dreading what the next day and year would bring.

Convocation turtled by, two hours of sitting in a church pew and listening to some headmaster spout of statistics that Todd didn’t care about. As far as he was concerned, he wanted to finish his senior year and get the hell out of here; Todd had always wanted to go to California, but his parents told him it was a pipe dream (“After the stunt you pulled in Alabama, we won’t be funding your college anywhere!” his father had yelled).

“Ah, Mr. Anderson, is it?” the headmaster questioned when it was Todd’s turn to be introduced after the ceremony.

“U-uh, yes sir,” he mumbled.

“Well, we don’t normally take public school transfers, but you will fit in well here. Any major problems you let me know,” he shook Todd’s hand rather harshly.

“Thank you, sir,” he nodded and moved along.

Feeling his chest start to tighten, Todd made his way out onto the grass where he sat down against a tree and waited for his parents. After an uncomfortable and awkward goodbye with them, he roamed the grounds a little bit, practicing his newly-fashioned accent quietly to himself. As he rounded a corner to the courtyard, he bumped shoulders with a boy, and turned to apologize, dead-set on making his southern accent unknown (or as unknown as it could be).

“Ope- sorry about that,” the boy laughed nervously. When Todd looked up at him, it was the boy from outside the arcade all those weeks ago. Shit.

“S-sorry,” Todd mumbled. The boy nodded a little bit.

“It’s all good. I’m Neil Perry,” he smiled, holding out his hand, seemingly unaware or forgetting of the fact that they’d seen each other before.

“Todd Anderson,” he manipulated his tongue to sit flatter in his mouth, so as not to let slip his Alabaman background. He had trouble looking into Neil’s eyes, but when he got a good look, he realized they were dark, dark brown and incredibly deep.

“Oh, that’s you? I think that makes us roommates,” Neil said, patting Todd on the shoulder. Oh no, Todd thought, his cheeks flushing. Stop it, he thought to himself and cleared his throat.

“Oh… cool,” Todd nodded a little bit and pursed his lips.

“I gotta get going. See you soon!” he patted Todd’s shoulder again and took off in the direction he had been going when Todd bumped into him.

Yep, Todd sighed. This is going to be a long year.

tagging some people (especially those of you who said i should post this heh): @queertoddanderson @babytoddanderson @cupiiid @justarandompjofan @charliedaltonofficial @pretentious-strikes @aedan-mills

and a big thank you to @noelliza as always bc she’s the best and reads all my stuff before i even think about putting it anywhere on the internet lol <3

#dead poets society #anderperry #neil perry and todd anderson #todd anderson #neil perry #angelina writes

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bvidzsoo · 3 years

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Playing with fire

Author: bvidzsoo

Warnings: mentions of sexual situations, light violence, sexual assault mentions

Pairing: Wen Junhui x female reader

Word count: 14, 360

Summary: You are on your own in a man-ruled world. Whatever you do, whatever you say, just make sure it doesn’t piss them off. And you feel alone, you never experienced any parental love let alone a partner. But things change for the better when five mysterious men show up in town, but maybe they aren’t who everyone thinks they are? After all, five bandits are on the loose for robbing numerous places.

A/N: Hello, hello lovelies! Welcome back to a wild-west themed oneshot! This story was totally inspired by Baekhyun’s Bambi MV and well, I couldn’t help myself! There’s nothing very graphic in the story, just wanted to point that out. There might be a few things that couldn’t have happened in that era, but this is fiction, so please turn a blind eye to it. I hope the jump between the timelines won’t be confusing as I tried out something new! Hope you like it and your feedback is always appreciated! Enjoy now.

Present time

My teeth clattered against each other involuntarily. Mainly it was due to the chill air that surrounded me, but fear also played along. I’ve never been inside a prison cell before, but I guess the time comes for everything. My robes were covered in dirt and torn in various places due to the events that took place not even an hour ago. Many people would regret getting involved into something like this, but I wasn’t. I knew my inevitable death was approaching, but I couldn’t feel sorry for finally having chosen to live a bit. Do something that I wanted to do without being forced into doing it. My eyes got used to the darkness surrounding this underground place, but I couldn’t help squint when footsteps echoed around in the far end. The silhouette was tall and wore dark clothes as his feet dragged along the cold tiles, menacingly approaching me.

Two weeks ago

My fingers were covered in wrinkles from the excessive scrubbing I had to do with a wet rug. Mornings were always a little bit rough, having to clean up the mess the customers left at night was bothersome at first, but then it became bearable. It brought money; I couldn’t complain too much. I worked at an Inn, because quite frankly, this was the best I could do. We lived in a man ruled world, where the woman was created to please him left and right, with no right to an opinion. You just bow your head and go on with your life, acting like a house rat. Squeak once too loudly and tomorrow you won’t be breathing anymore. It was unfair, how little respect women were offered, after all, these dirty bastards wouldn’t be here if we didn’t give birth to them. But as a woman, you weren’t supposed to think about such things…actually, you weren’t really supposed to think at all. Just entertain blindly, do the house chores, feed the hungry, make dozens of children and please your husband…or any man, really. I learned it the hard way, after multiple beatings when I dared to speak back to a man, I learned my place.

My family was poorer than the already poor ones, no one really raised me, I just grew up and learned by myself how things worked in this world. When I turned fifteen, I realized if I wanted to live a longer life, I would have to earn my own money as my parents provided none for me. I ran away from my hometown, which was two hours away in the middle of the hot desert from the current town I was living in, and settled down here. This town was bigger and paid better, after all, the second headquarter of the National Bank was here. All types of people came and went, yet the locals knew everyone and paid close attention to the newcomers. They were wary, especially ever since a gang of five bandits started robbing banks all around the South. No one knew what they looked like; however, they were able to find out their leader’s name could be Kwan. All sheriffs were looking for this bandit group, so far, they weren’t very successful.

The door opened and the bell chimed atrociously loudly, ringing through the quiet Inn. It was nine in the morning, no one bothered to come in, unless they stayed at the lodge upstairs or forgot to go home last night. I was at the bar, wiping the glasses dry with a yellow towel, when the customer approached me. I glanced up to see a very handsome, young, man standing and looking around. His lips were full and his hair fell neatly onto his forehead. He wore clean clothes, even smelt good, and I straightened my posture, totally forgetting about the rags I was wearing.

“Well…why don’t you sit down, young sir?” I let my voice take a soft tone, dare I say, seductive as the man turned his gaze onto me. He hummed and took a seat on the stool, leaning his hands against the bar.

“Good morning.” His voice was warm and my lips pulled into a big smile. Handsome and well mannered? Was this my lucky day?

“Good morning,” I bat my eyelashes at him timidly, hoping he’d find it attractive, “Would you like to have anything specific?”

“Well…” His eyebrows furrowed as his eyes fell on the shelves behind me, “Do you have something that’s not alcohol?”

I chuckled, leaning against the bar, “Sir, with all due respect, does it look like you walked into a Caffe? This is an Inn…”

“Ah,” He muttered, smiling at me embarrassed, “I must have missed the street…”

“It happens to new people in town.” I muttered, placing a clean glass in front of the stranger.

“You know I’m new in town?” The man’s eyebrows rose and I laughed, head falling a bit backwards. I grabbed the chamomile tea I prepared an hour ago for myself and poured half of it into the glass.

“Sweetheart,” I licked my lips, taking a gulp of the tea that remained in the tall bottle I was holding, “Only two types of people dressed like that come in here. The rich boys looking for a fun night from the north side of the town or the tourists who happen to be passing through the town.”

The man eyed the content of the glass I just poured tea into and then looked back at me, “The name’s Joshua. What did you pour for me?”

“Chamomile tea,” I said with a sigh, finding his name unusual, “You are lucky I woke up a little stressed today. Chamomile tea has the ability to calm your nerves a bit, you know?”

“I did not know.” Joshua muttered and raised his glass to take a sip of the tea, “And it’s not even bad.”

“Of course, it’s not bad!” I exclaimed with a laugh, “I made it.”

“And you must have a name?” Joshua’s eyebrows rose and I glanced around, making sure no one was listening to our conversation. I didn’t use my real name at the Inn.

“It’s Y/N.” I muttered lowly and Joshua hummed, looking around.

“It seems to be deserted here…”

“Sweetheart,” I laughed again, truly amazed by how naïve this man seemed to be, “Inn’s are only full at night, people don’t come here at day, only if they are drunk already.”

“That’s a pity,” Joshua’s lips pulled into a grin, and I returned it as it was contagious, “They are missing out on some luscious chamomile tea.”

I laughed loudly as the bell chimed again, signaling a new client. It wasn’t a client this time, it was Little James, the boy who delivered the newspaper.

“Newspaper!” He hollered loudly as if the place was noisy, throwing down a stack of newspaper at the entrance.

“Bring one here, Little James!” I beckoned the boy, “And stop shouting, everyone can hear you crystal clear if you speak at a normal volume.”

Little James ran up to me with a pout, holding a newspaper to his chest, “But Big James told me to shout while I distribute these.”

“Big James probably forgot to tell you that you only need to shout at the market.” I ruffled the boy’s blonde hair, taking the newspaper from him. I glanced at Joshua, he was staring down at his tea, so I swiftly grabbed a little sack of cookies from the counter and gave it to Little James. He stuffed it into his pocket and offered me a wide grin.

“Miss Katie, you are the best!” He exclaimed as he ran off, leaving the door of the Inn open behind him. I didn’t mind, the fresh air of the morning was welcome.

“Miss Katie?” Joshua’s eyebrows rose as I sat in the chair by the sink, a few steps away from where I was just standing.

“That would be me.” I hummed as I unfolded the newspaper, checking the first page as the hot news were there.

“I thought your name—”

“People know me as Katie here, I don’t use my real name.” I explained absentmindedly as my eyes ran over the words. A big WANTED sign and underneath five black figures with question marks on their faces, coated most part of the first page. There was a new robbery, but at a pawnshop this time, just two hours away from this town. My hometown. Jewelry and money were taken, quite at a high value, and sheriffs were desperately asking people to keep their eyes and ears open, to help capture these bandits. They also made an estimated map of where these five men were headed, and this town was next. I huffed as I browsed through the other news, eyes falling on Joshua when I heard rustling of paper. He was also reading a newspaper, left leg crossed over the right as a subtle, smug, smile slipped onto his lips. I narrowed my eyes at him as I folded my newspaper, leaning forward to rest my elbows onto my knees.

“Found anything you like?” I spoke up, making Joshua jump. He peeked at me through his eyelashes as he cleared his throat, then evened his expression.

“Not really…just the usual news about these five bandits stealing some more.” I couldn’t help but notice the smug tone of his voice as he spoke, controlling his expressions this time.

“Yeah…they’ve been causing quite the chaos for these past three months, haven’t they?” Joshua hummed in agreement as he flipped through the newspaper elegantly, as if he was afraid, he’d rip the paper.

“Well…word says they are headed here.” I raised my eyebrows at Joshua and he mirrored my actions, “You should be careful when you speak to a stranger again.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time your friends come around.” I winked at Joshua as he stood from his seat.

His eyes narrowed just the slightest bit as he searched his pockets, “Who said I’m traveling with friends?”

“A man like you wouldn’t be traveling alone.” I just shrugged and dryly gulped when I saw the amount of money, he threw on the table. He folded the newspaper and tucked it underneath his armpit; I stood to grab some change to hand back.

“I’ll take this with myself.” He referred to the newspaper as he bowed his head a little and I nodded, crouching down to count the money I needed to hand back.

“Sweetheart, here’s your—” I stood alone in the Inn, behind the bar, as Joshua disappeared, door closed now. I stared down at the change in my hands, then at the money on the table. Without a second thought, I grabbed it before my greasy boss could see it, and tucked it carefully into the top of my corset. This money will last me for a week at least.

The next day, another two strangers walked in. It wasn’t in the morning this time, but almost lunch time. I was actually getting ready to place out my cold rice onto the counter to eat, when the doorbell chimed. With a heavy sigh, I ignored the churning of my belly, and tried to smile. Unlike Joshua yesterday, who blatantly approached me, these two men sat at a table close by the exit. One was shorter and his eyes seemed to be narrowed as he glanced at the few people already inside the Inn, and the other one was a little bit taller as he stood with his hip jutting to the right a little bit. The shorter one must have felt my eyes on them because he turned around and glared at me. He was intimidating and as I was about to look away, but he raised his arm and called me over. I dusted my hands off on some rug from the counter as I walked around it to approach their table. They both took a seat and watched me as I stopped a few feet away.

“Welcome to our Inn,” I greeted politely, using the same tone I used on Joshua yesterday, “Anything you’d like?”

“What’s your best drink?” The taller one asked and I glanced back at the bar, to see if we still had Bourbon.

“It would be the Bourbon, young sir.” My answer made the man laugh, as the other one smirked amused.

“That’s a horrible way to call me, don’t you think?” He raised his eyebrows and I shrugged my shoulder; I called everyone like that.

“It’s Seungkwan,” He grinned, extending his hand, “I’ll take that Bourbon…”

“Katie,” I shook the man’s extended hand with a small smile, “I’ll bring it over just in a second, and for you…”

The shorter man, who was actually about my height, looked at the bar, “What are you drinking?”

I stared at him surprised before clearing my throat, “Chamomile tea, young—”

“That’s really awkward, my name’s Woozi.” He cut me off before I could finish my sentence, “I’ll drink Chamomile tea.”

I nodded my head and walked to the bar, stopping by a table when they waved me down. The man didn’t have anything to ask for, he just called me over for a snide remark. I remained emotionless as I walked to the bar, ignoring the laughter that followed the table after the man’s words. They were the worst customers, always pissing me off. They were from the north side of the town and only came here to make fun of others and bully them. The man who called me over for nothing, his name was Sehun, and he loved to torment me. I grabbed two glasses and poured Bourbon into one and Chamomile into the other after I placed them on a tray. I held the tray with both hands and walked to the table of the strangers, making sure to avoid walking by Sehun’s table as it wouldn’t be the first time, he’d try tripping me while I was carrying something.

“Here,” I whispered as I placed the glass of Bourbon in front of Seungkwan, and the glass of Chamomile tea in front of Woozi. I held the tray to my chest and went to walk away when Woozi pointed at the newspaper on the table.

“Didn’t this make the first page yesterday too?” He asked, eyes watching me. I craned my neck to see the same news as yesterday, the one both Joshua and I read together.

“I suppose,” I said with a shrug, standing back straight, “People must be panicking since the sheriffs said the group is headed this town.”

Woozi and Seungkwan chuckled at the same time, sharing a knowing glance, and my eyebrows furrowed. First Joshua, now these two. They weren’t dressed as fancy as Joshua, or Sehun’s group for that matter, but their clothes were clean and their cologne smelt nice. Even if they weren’t from the north side of the town, they definitely had enough money to take care of themselves. There wasn’t a middle class in this town, you were either poor or rich, so they too weren’t from around here.

“Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t possibly stop these boys.” Seungkwan chuckled at Woozi’s words and I raised my eyebrows intrigued.

“Why not?”

“Woozi likes investigating crimes, Katie,” Seungkwan explained, his lips forming into a pout, “He has a lot of knowledge and evidence point out that these bandits are well prepared and hard to catch, they leave no traces.”

“You said Woozi likes to investigate, but seems like you know a lot too, sweetheart.” I smirked at the two men, their lips pulling into amused smiles.

“Well, Woozi is my brother, we share the same interests.” Seungkwan explained and I hummed, widening my eyes. Did they really expect me to believe that lie?

“You don’t look very much alike.”

Woozi hummed then pushed the newspaper away, “We get that a lot.”

I narrowed my eyes at them, but when they looked away, I knew it was my cue to leave. I nodded to myself, turned to leave, but a thought made me halt, “You don’t happen to know Joshua, do you?”

Seungkwan laughed as Woozi glared at me, staying silent as he took a gulp of the tea, “Who is Joshua?”

I shook my head as I started to walk away, “Just a tourist, like you two.”

And these tourists seemed to have a lot of money as they tipped me even better than Joshua did yesterday. It made up for the few dollars Sehun, accidentally as he said, forgot to pay.

The third time more strangers showed up, it was the afternoon and more people populated the Inn this time. When the first man entered, he seemed lost and confused, it almost made me laugh. You could hear the bell chime, but the loud chatter of men and women slowly would grow louder and louder. This stranger seemed like he didn’t know if he wanted to stay or not, so I approached him.

“Good evening, would you like a seat at the table or at the bar?” I asked with a smile, raising my eyebrows when the man remained silent for a few minutes.

“I’m with someone…” He trailed off and I hummed, looking around for an empty table. I found one next to a bigger group of people that were the loudest in the Inn so far, and I led the stranger to it. He thanked me quietly and looked around awkwardly.

“Anything you’d like to have?” I raised my eyebrows and he looked back at me with a grimace.

“Bourbon, and do you have anything to eat?”

“Smashed potatoes and stew, as of now, if you wait longer the cook will return to prepare more dishes.” The stranger hummed and seemed to be thinking for a second.

“No, it’s fine, bring me two portions…please.” I smiled at him and nodded my head, walking to the bar. I prepared the glass of Bourbon and asked Aleksi to prepare two plates of smashed potatoes and stew. When I got back to the table, I placed the two glasses on top of it, and smiled at the man sitting there awkwardly.

“My name is Katie, if you need anything, just call out my name!” The stranger nodded and I left to gather the empty beer bottles from the loud table nearby. I placed them on my tray, there were at least six, and turned to walk back to the bar when my shoe got stuck in a misplaced floorboard and I was sent flying forward. I yelped and got ready to feel the hard floor, but instead I was hauled backwards, bottles clinking together, but none fell. A few eyes fell on us as I let out a deep breath, gaze connecting with Aleksi’s, who was shaking his head with a grimace. I let myself lean into the body that was holding me for a second, glad that I didn’t cause a bigger scene. The frame was taller and leaner than mine, the top of my head reached their shoulders. Big, calloused hands held my waist firmly and I jumped when the man chuckled from behind. I quickly stepped out of their hold and turned to thank them for their help. But when my eyes fell on his face, I was awestruck. I haven’t seen a man as handsome as him before. His nose was long and well defined, his lips plump. His dark eyebrows complimented his face nicely and his sharp eyes felt like they were staring into my soul. He stood there too, watching me, looking just as amazed. It was a weird feeling and I walked away giggling when Aleksi shouted my name. Their food was prepared and I cleared my throat before walking back over, subconsciously pushing the few stray strands that fell out of my braid behind my ear. The first stranger to enter stopped looking so awkward and he was actually smiling now as he conversed with the handsome stranger. When I got close enough to hear what they were saying, I couldn’t understand anything, they were talking in a different language I haven’t heard before.

“Dinner’s ready.” I cursed myself quietly for the breathy voice, but I couldn’t help it when the stranger looked at me so intently.

“I hope you like smashed potatoes and stew.” I said with an innocent smile as I placed the plate in front of the man that caught me from falling. He glanced at the food before looking back at me.

“Anything that you bring I will like.” His voice was light, but it had a deep ring to it, as he spoke. I chuckled, blinking rapidly before biting my lower lip. I knew the charm was working when a smirk crossed his lips and he stared at my lips.

“If you see anything else you’d like to have…” His eyes lit up with mischief, “Call for Katie.”

“I need a few tissues…” The other man muttered with a grimace, very displeased by the exchange happening between his friend and I.

“Anything, you say?” He sharp eyed man raised his eyebrows, ignoring his friend’s remark.

“As long as it’s on the menu…” I said with a chuckle, playing with the tray in my hands.

“Do you not have special treats here?”

“Only on Friday’s.” The stranger bit his lower lip and I smirked, feeling heated all of the sudden.

“If you have a list…put me on it as first,” I giggled and nodded my head, “The name’s Junhui.”

“Junhui.” I repeated after him, the two of us sharing a small smile, “Consider it already done.”

“Great.” He winked before grabbing his fork to eat his dinner, “Oh, and…I think Minghao asked for tissues?”

“Yeah, I did.” Minghao threw Junhui a glance before he offered me a small, uncomfortable, smile.

“Of course, one second!” I grinned at the two foreigners and went to the bar to grab a few tissues for them. I didn’t know who these two were, but I sure hoped they’d stay for a little longer. Were they with Joshua, Woozi, and Seungkwan? It could be possible, but they could be just tourists passing by. It’s not so rare. However, people stopped traveling so often out of fear of getting robbed. We haven’t had tourists in over a month. These five strangers felt…fishy. But what do I know? I’m just a waitress at an Inn.

Present time

I didn’t look up when the figure stopped in front of my prison cell. I knew it was an officer; a very familiar one; and that he would mock me. They couldn’t wait for someone to commit a crime so that they can torture them for it.

“Well, look at that!” The officer’s voice was mocking, like I expected it, “If it isn’t Katie…”

I didn’t react as I continued staring at my feet, trying to hide the shake of my body. It was from the cold, but the officer standing in front of me, made me realize just how real everything that happened was. How my death was closer each second.

“Won’t you look at me?” I didn’t want the officer to enter the cell, so I shook my head. He scoffed and hit something hard against the metal bars, the loud clank made me jump. The officer laughed loudly and I could feel his burning gaze on me.

“I told them all not to trust the little whore you are, now you’ll finally go where you belong to.” I bit my lower lip, palms clenching into fists as I tried to remain silent. If I spoke back, I’d die in a beating and not by getting hung. And quite frankly, I prefer getting hung in the town square. Maybe I’ll make headlines and my parents will see their only child is now dead.

There was a scoff before the officer started walking, his hard footsteps echoing around the place, “See you in hell, officer.”

Two weeks ago, Friday

The Inn was full of people. A local lousy band was playing some music, but the chatter and laughter of men and women was louder. There were no empty tables, some customers even sat on the front porch and enjoyed the party there. The staircase leading up to the lodge was also occupied by drunk men who didn’t find a table. Aleksi and Andrei worked at the bar, while Joy, Maria, Luna, and I rushed around the place, trying to please everyone. Fridays were the most hectic days besides Saturdays, when you couldn’t take even a second long break. It was hard to maneuver around drunk people, especially the dancing women, but thankfully I always found the safest route to the table I had to rush to. That table excluded the one where Sehun and his boys were sitting at, playing some card games and throwing money on the table. They even managed to charm into their gambling game a few men from the table next to theirs, men who were already poor and had nothing to offer. And they wouldn’t win as Sehun and his boys cheated at any given chance. He made a comment about how tonight I wore clean clothes instead of the rugs I’m usually in, when I was delivering their fifth round of expensive beer. I only glared at him and walked away before he could comment anything. Yes, it was true, I wore my most expensive dress tonight. It was white and no one in their right mind would wear it to a place like this one, where you can stain it easily, but I was expecting someone. Junhui. He said he would be here tonight…well, he didn’t explicitly say it, but it’s what he meant. And I glanced at the clock to see it hit midnight with him nowhere around. I was disappointed, but I couldn’t focus on what I was feeling as an old man gripped onto me. It was Mr. Lee, the biggest drunk of the town.

“Oh,” His eyebrows were furrowed and I grimaced at the foul scent, “Katie?”

I nodded and his eyes were barely open as he raised a hand, “Walk me to the exit!”

His slurred words were barely audible over the loudness inside the Inn, but he was a regular here, I already knew what he wanted. I called out for Joy, to ask her to take over the order from the table I just served, and placed one of Mr. Lee’s arms around my shoulders.

“Let’s get you out, old man.” I shouted and he grinned, his yellow teeth showing. We stumbled around the tables, hitting a few people on our way out, and I groaned when his stumbling made us run into the corner of the entrance. The old man laughed loudly and I threw him a glare, that I knew he couldn’t see, as we finally made it outside.

“Katie!” It was an officer, leaning against the railing, “Did you forget to bring me my beer?!”

“Of course, not!” I exclaimed as we walked around a half-asleep woman, “I asked Joy to deliver it to you.”

The officer grimaced and looked at Mr. Lee, leaving me the impression that he’d offer to help, but when he started laughing, I realized he wouldn’t help. He was here to have fun and suddenly what I was doing was entertaining him. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from throwing him a menacing glare and held Mr. Lee’s side as firmly as I could as we had to walk down the few stairs of the porch.

“Now, Mr. Lee—” I turned my head towards him, trying to gain his attention, “I need you to focus and keep your balance, alright? The stairs aren’t easy to conquer!”

“Conquer it all!” Mr. Lee exclaimed, making the people laugh who heard him, as he stumbled forward. I shrieked, unable to untangle myself from him, as he pulled me after him. We were supposed to tumble down the stairs, maybe twist an ankle or something, but I never made it down the stairs, unlike Mr. Lee. His feet became a tangled mess and he was rolling down the stairs, people hollering in laughter around us. My eyes widened as I watched the old man sprawl out on his back, mouth in a wide grin. He seemed amused by what happened but I feared his old bones weren’t strong enough for even a small fall like that one. No one seemed to want to help him up and as I went to step down the first stair, I realized someone was holding onto my waist tightly. My shoulders tensed and I turned my head, eyebrows furrowed. However, it wasn’t the person I was expecting to be, it was even better. Junhui. My eyes must have lit up because the man started smirking, squeezing my waist.

“Well, if it isn’t Katie…” He muttered smugly and I bit my lower lip, gazing into his eyes, “Do you stumble on purpose when I’m around? You want me to catch you?”

I giggled and did nothing to move out of his hold, “It’s not on purpose, but it certainly is more fun.”

“Just admit it—” I raised my eyebrows as Jun leaned his head a little down, “You want me to hold you.”

I raised my chin, to be closer to his face, and returned his little smirk, “Why would I want that when you could do other better things to me?”

Junhui’s eyes narrowed and I blinked up at him, my smirk turning innocent as he chuckled. His hold loosened on my waist as he opened his mouth to speak, but someone interrupted him.

“Is this how you treat your customers?” The officer’s voice rang out as I turned my head, “You leave an old man lying on the cold ground?”

I couldn’t help but throw him a glare as a second ago he wasn’t even willing to help.

“No need to cause a scene, now,” The soft voice alerted a few people as they turned towards the stranger standing next to Mr. Lee. It was Joshua, and he was helping the old man up, “You can’t expect a woman to carry around a drunk, heavy man, officer. Maybe if you helped before they stumbled this wouldn’t have happened.”

A few people started muttering as they threw Joshua various glances, making the officer’s jaw clench. Mr. Lee was on his feet and Joshua dusted his pants a little as the old man tried to stand straight.

“Will you find your way home?” Joshua asked politely, gripping Mr. Lee’s shoulder.

“Yes, sir, yes!” Mr. Lee did a slopy salute and everyone laughed, making Joshua smile. He returned the salute and Mr. Lee turned his body as he started singing loudly. He slowly started walking away and I moved out of Junhui’s hold.

“When did you arrive?” I asked as I faced him, ignoring the glares of the officer.

“A good hour ago.” Jun answered as Joshua approached us.

“Good evening.” He greeted politely and I giggled, letting him place a kiss against my knuckles. When Jun and Joshua shared a look, I realized they knew each other. And suddenly, standing a few feet away, were Seungkwan, Woozi, and Minghao. When my eyes connected with Woozi’s, I realized my suspicions were all along right. The five strangers knew each other, in fact, they traveled here together.

“Well,” I placed my hands on my hips, “Why did you stay outside?”

“There’s nowhere to sit.” Minghao answered with a pout and I rolled my eyes.

“Maybe if you would have tried looking for me, you would have found a table.” Woozi rolled his eyes as I threw them a displeased glare.

“Lead the way, lady, then.” He gestured inside the Inn and I grinned, gripping Joshua and Junhui’s arms to drag them after me. Once inside, the loudness of the Inn was almost deafening after having stood outside for so long. My eyes scanned the space, of course there were no empty tables, but I spotted some empty space at a table. I grinned to myself and lead the way, losing my grip on Junhui a few times as he seemed unable to keep up with my long strides. When we got to the table, it quieted down as Sehun threw his card on top of the stack with a grin.

“I win—”

“Excuse me, you’ll have to share your table!” I informed Sehun and his boys and didn’t wait for an answer as I pushed Joshua down into the empty seat, “You took the biggest table when you don’t even have enough people for it…now, you share it!”

I could hear Woozi cackle behind me as he passed by and patted a glaring Sehun on the back, plopping down next to Joshua. Minghao seemed reluctant to sit at the table but when I released my grip on Jun, he pulled his friend with him and sat them across from Woozi and Joshua.

“Seungkwan, is the name.” He extended his hand towards Sehun, who took it quickly and shook it, Seungkwan’s face all serious and cold. It was different from when him and Woozi came by, it seemed like he knew Sehun was the leader of the band of baboons and wanted to show him he wouldn’t put up with bullshit coming from them tonight. My eyes landed on Jun and he threw me a flirty wink, I blushed.

“Bring over your finest beer, Katie!” He cheered loudly and I chuckled, turning around to bring the beers for him and the rest.

The Inn was just as full as hours ago, however, it had quieted down a notch as the somewhat sober people headed home and the drunk ones remained. The lousy band departed a long time ago after we gave them free drinks, and finally all workers of the Inn could take a little break. My feet were killing me and the corset of this dress was a lot tighter than I initially thought it would be, my lungs were screaming to be released. But we still had two more hours of work, it had to wait. My eyes scanned over the empty tables, Joy and Luna have cleaned them up already, as they stopped on the biggest table. They were making a mess, three were standing on the table and singing loudly some old song, while the others continued playing cards between each other. Somehow, they got Jun and his friends involved into the game too, however, Sehun lost each round. Which made him angry and therefore it made him drink even more. He disappeared a while ago and I assumed he just went somewhere with a woman, like he does every time he’s here, and would return the next day. My eyes were drawn back at Junhui, who watched me closely the whole night, and I smiled at him. His sharp eyes narrowed before he looked down at his single card in his hand, then threw it on the table. Seungkwan and Woozi started cheering loudly as Junhui smirked and looked at me. He won again and Sehun’s friend pushed a smaller pouch of money onto the table, Woozi grabbed it greedily. I chuckled as Jun winked at me, then turned to look at his sleeping friend. Minghao’s head was resting on the table, he was sitting a bit further from them, as he slept. Joshua was walking around the Inn, which was surprising, and making conversation with people. He even had two men trailing after him as he conversed with various people, sometimes even offered to bring them drinks. Aleksi didn’t like it much, but when Joshua brought the money, they paid, over Aleksi stopped complaining.

“My break is up, go take a breather.” Luna’s voice caught my attention as she walked up to me, tying her small apron around her hips. I hummed and undid my own apron, throwing it at Andrei. He caught it with a hiss, throwing me a small glare. I just shrugged and walked around the counter, downing the glass of water he placed there for me. Andrei and I had a complicated relationship, we weren’t on good terms but we looked out for each other. He helped me get this job when I moved into town but after we started working together, we realized how annoying the other was. I downed another glass of water in one good, humming in appreciation as the water finally washed over the dryness of my throat. My dress had a small pocket, I sew it there, and I tapped it to see if it still contained what I have placed there at the beginning of my shift. When I felt the thick object, I headed to the backdoor and pushed it open, the chilly air of morning greeting me. It was refreshing to be outside after a night of running around and pleasing everyone, I would have to wash up before going to sleep as I had sweat more than usual this time. I fished the match and tobacco out of my little pocket, leaning against the wooden planks of the Inn. I lit the match and placed the tobacco in my mouth, sucking on it hard to make it light up. Tobacco was expensive, I would smoke it from time to time if the girls had it, but Junhui and his friends left so much money during their visits that I could finally afford to buy one for myself. The taste burned the back of my neck and I coughed quietly as I let it settle, blowing out the smoke. Finally, I had time to think and rest. I was expecting Junhui to approach me at some point of the night, but all he did was constantly order drinks and he’d refuse to take them unless it was me serving them. I could feel the tension between him and Sehun, as both were immersed in playing cards, and both were cheating. Sehun finally found his match. I chuckled when I remembered how pissed Sehun looked after the third round was won by Jun once again, and looked at my half-finished tobacco. I quickly put it out, not wanting to smoke it in one go. I could save it for later when I was chilling in my room. I placed it back into my pocket and leaned my head against the wooden planks, staring up at the starry sky. It was turning a lighter shade as the sun would soon rise. My quiet peace of moment came to an end when someone’s body heat invaded mine. I straightened up as I looked the person in the eyes, grimacing.

“Finally got you alone…” Sehun’s raspy voice was low, his eyes were narrowed as he still wasn’t sober enough.

“Did you want to get me alone?” I raised my eyebrows, off-thrown by his statement.

“Well…what do you think?” He asked with a chuckle, leaning one hand against the Inn, trapping me between him and the wall.

“I think…” I bit my lower lip, glancing away, “That you’re really annoying and a douchebag.”

Sehun started laughing as I looked back at him with a glare, crossing my arms in front of my chest, “Come on…stop playing so hard to get now. I know you dressed up just for me—”

“What?!” I snapped outraged, scoffing, “You wish, rich filth, I don’t give a damn about you!”

“You’re always so rude!” Sehun suddenly exclaimed, and I jumped before I quickly pushed him back. His tallness was intimidating and he used it to his advantage as he stepped back and gripped onto my hair.

“Let go!” I screamed, clawing at his arm, trying to free myself.

“I’m going to teach you a lesson.” He hissed out and my eyes widened when I felt his other hand trying to undo the front of my dress. I yelped and gripped his hand, pushing him again. His grip on my hair was painful as I struggled against him but I didn’t care, I wanted to free myself.

“Sehun!” I yelped when he gripped my jaw tightly and slammed me against the wooden planks, my head colliding with them. I groaned and fisted his shirt, trying to still push him away. This wasn’t anything new, men did this often, but I didn’t want his filthy hands on me. Especially since it was Sehun. I knew he’d be bragging about it to everyone, I didn’t want this. Suddenly, there was a new voice that exclaimed in a different language and I struggled more against Sehun, knowing who it was.

“Piece of shit!” This time I understood what he said, and the next second Sehun was pushed off me. Junhui and Sehun stared up each other and in a swift motion, Junhui landed a punch to his jaw. Sehun stumbled backwards, clutching the area, as he turned to look at me.

“Whore.” Was all he said before he turned around and ran off. I scoffed and spat on the ground, angered by his words.

“You throw yourself at me but I’m the whore?!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, hopeful that everyone would hear it, as I took deep breaths to calm myself.

“Katie,” Junhui’s voice was soft and I looked at him taken aback, “Did he hurt you?”

“Nothing I’m not used to…” I muttered and undid the ribbon that kept my braid together. Junhui followed my hands with his eyes as I ran my fingers through my wavy hair, massaging the back of my head where I hit it.

“Does he bother you often?” Junhui continued asking and I shook my head with a sigh.

“Not like this.” I answered and attempted to smooth down my, now wrinkled, dress. Why did I even wear it? Junhui is just a tourist, he will be soon gone, and for all I know, he might just be a little bit overly flirty. Why do I always assume people find me attractive?

“Tell me where he lives and I’ll make sure he won’t set foot inside this place ever again.” Junhui’s sharp eyes were narrowed and I laughed as I leaned back against the wooden planks.

“You’re funny!”

“I’m being serios.” I chuckled embarrassed and looked away from Jun, gazing at my feet. He sighed and approached me, taking Sehun’s previous place. This time, I wasn’t bothered. I went stiff when his hands ran up my arms and hovered over my chest. I looked up into his eyes and he gulped as he averted his gaze.

“He undid it…” He muttered, voice weak, and I smiled, “It’s a—pretty dress.”

I giggled and looked down to see his fingers delicately tying the dress back together, “Thank you, I wore it because I hoped you’d come tonight.”

Junhui paused and I smiled at him innocently, “You did ask me to sign you up as first customer on the ‘special treats’ list, didn’t you?”

Junhui opened his mouth to say something but he couldn’t as he gulped again, it made me giggle once again. I took his hands away from the top of my dress and placed them around my hips, pulling Jun into me.

“It seems like you really like holding me.” I teased him with a grin and he rolled his eyes, sneaking his arms around my hips tightly. His eyes dropped onto my lips and I quickly licked them, pressing up onto my tip toes to connect our lips. My eyes fluttered closed as Junhui’s lips pressed back against mine eagerly. His lips were cold and rough, he tasted like all the alcohol he’s been drinking all night, but I wasn’t bothered. My arms sneaked around his shoulders as I urged him to lean lower down so that I wouldn’t have to stand on my toes and made a surprised noise when he tried to push his tongue into my mouth. His scent was mixed with sweat and aloe vera, a very weird scent indeed. I opened my mouth to grant him access and he moaned as he sucked on my tongue, making me suck in a harsh breath. He pushed me up against the wooden planks, trapping me further between himself and the Inn, my body curving up into his. I moaned and pulled on the ends of his hair when he groped my breast through my dress, squeezing it appreciatively. Perhaps I wasn’t so wrong this time, this handsome stranger might have found me pretty attractive as he still hasn’t pushed me away.

One week ago, Monday

The Inn was closed for today, Aleksi wanted to do a thorough clean as Saturday’s little party left a big mess. Besides, he now had enough money to repair the bathroom for the workers and rebuild the back of the barn, where the wooden planks had rotten over time. Andrei and him were busy, they probably wouldn’t finish by dusk but with the money, he could afford to call over a few men tomorrow to finish the construction instead of them. Only Luna and I worked today, as they other girls asked for a free day and well…I live upstairs, so I really had no excuse but to come and work. And Luna…she hates her husband nowadays so she spends most of her time at the Inn with me. Which kind of brought us closer, I didn’t really have friends in this town. I didn’t have the time nor the energy to invest it into making connections.

I let a sigh fall from my lips as I finally finished scrubbing the floor clean, it was practically shinning now. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it this clean…what a pity it’ll be ruined by tomorrow. Luna was singing along to the soft tunes of the radio, cleaning off the storage room as she had finished with the bar already.

“You’re in a good mood.” I commented as I raised to my feet, approaching the woman. She glanced back at me with a cheeky smile before giggling.

“Indeed, I am.”

“Well…won’t you tell me why?” I pressed on, my curious nature pushing through. Luna sighed before she turned to face me, leaning against the shelf.

“Yunho was called to work in the mines that are five hours from here.” She answered with a grin, sighing dreamily, “I finally get to be on my own—for two months!”

I chuckled and raised my eyebrows, feeling a little confused, “Isn’t that bad though? Working in mines is dangerous nowadays…”

“Oh, please!” She exclaimed, rolling her eyes as she turned back to the shelf to continue scrubbing it, “I don’t even care if he never comes back. He’s a sick bastard! I’m done bending to his wishes, everything is about him all the time!”

I hummed and rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them after they froze from having to rub the floor with cold water, “Didn’t you marry him because you loved him?”

“That was five years ago!” Luna laughed, shaking her head, “Nothing lasts forever, you know, Y/N…”

I hummed and bit my lower lip, thoughts flying to Junhui. Indeed, nothing lasts forever. I’m not even sure he’s still in town. After we kissed, he left without a word and by the time I went inside, everyone who came with him were also gone. It was really disappointing, I thought I’d get to spend more time with him. Maybe, get to know him better, maybe, we’d end up sending letters to each other. It was nice to dream.

“Y/N?” I looked at Luna questioningly, not having heard what she said, “I asked…how are things going with lover boy?”

“Lover boy?” I asked confused, thoughts instantly swerving to Sehun. Maybe she heard me scream after him or maybe Sehun already started spreading lies about what happened.

“The handsome foreigner!” Luna exclaimed, coming to stand in front of me, and gripped my hands into hers, “Please! I saw the looks you exchanged and—”

“And…what?” I urged her on to speak as I watched a mischievous smirk spread on the woman’s lips.

“And…I saw you two having that very fiery make-out behind the Inn on Friday.” My cheeks suddenly felt hot and I averted my eyes from Luna’s, looking anywhere but at her.

“Look who’s shy now!” Luna teased and I rolled my eyes, snatching my hands out of hers.

“Shut up…” I muttered embarrassed, taking a few steps away from her.

“Honey, I’m glad you’re finally enjoying yourself. All you do is work and run away from people—”

“That’s not true!” I opposed with a scowl but Luna just chuckled.

“Sure, honey…besides, he seemed like a genuine man.”

“Yeah,” I sighed, hearing the front doorbell ring, “He’s also probably gone by now and I’m—”

“Anyone there?” My throat closed up and my eyes went wide as Luna smirked, retreating back inside the storage room.

“Go!” She whisper-shouted, quietly closing the door. I scoffed but walked to the front quickly, eyes falling on the tall young man. He wore clean clothes, his hair was a bit tousled, and he held his hat in his hands in front of his torso.

“Hello,” I offered him a shy smile, “We’re currently closed, maybe tomorrow—”

“I’m not here to drink.” Junhui’s words cut me off and I gulped, hope filling my thoughts. Was he here to see me? Maybe he’ll ask me to go with him on his journey? Will I finally be free?!

“I heard there’s a lodge attached to this Inn; I’d like to rent a room for a few days.” Oh. I cleared my throat and tried to mask how disappointed I felt hearing his words.

“Yeah, you heard right, Junhui, we have a lodge…” I muttered and went to the bar, “What kind of room do you want?”

“Fitting for a person.” He answered quickly as he came closer, leaning against the counter as I crouched down to search for the keys.

“One person?” I asked as I grabbed one key, “Aren’t you traveling in five?”

Jun looked away before clearing his throat, “The others are staying somewhere else, I—didn’t find a room there—”

“Right.” I gave him a look as I straightened up. He was lying, I knew it by the way he avoided eye contact and played with his fingers. But who was I to ask anything? He was acting like the kiss didn’t even happen, so, I didn’t know how else to act but oblivious.

“Follow me.” I called as I walked around the counter and headed for the stairs leading upstairs. Junhui was hot on my tail and I glanced back to see him raise an eyebrow at me.

“Anything wrong?” He asked wonderingly and I shook my head, biting my lower lip.

“No, nothing in particular,” I lied as we went up to the third floor, “Just—aren’t you afraid to travel during these times?”

“Why? Should I be?” Junhui asked with a chuckle and I shrugged again as we came into the long hallway, on both sides, numerous doors stood to our service.

“The sheriffs have estimated the group of five bandits was headed this town…and…well, no one has been really traveling ever since they started robbing out of fear of getting robbed as well.” I spoke as I lead Junhui down the long hallway.

“Are you trying to assume something here?” Jun asked with a chuckle, but his voice held an accusatory undertone to it, and I shrugged again. We stopped in front of room nr. 888 and I pushed the key into the hole to unlock the door.

“I don’t know…does it sound like I’m assuming something?” I muttered, more to myself, as Jun walked in after me, “I don’t know, honestly…It’s just weird the five of you show up here, you are strangers to this town, and one of you is called Seungkwan. Don’t you think? I’m not trying to accuse you of anything, I’ve just been thinking—”

The door was suddenly slammed closed behind me and Junhui was standing in front of me in a second, his hand gripping my neck tightly as I was walked backwards and into the door. The collision wasn’t as harsh as with Sehun, Junhui’s eyes have darkened and his expression was fierce, but I didn’t feel threatened right now.

“Thinking is dangerous, Y/N…” My eyes widened a bit at the hearing of my real name, Jun’s lips pulled into a cocky smirk.

“How do you know?” I whispered, feeling a bit lightheaded by the hold he had on my neck but also by his closeness. He still carried the scent of aloe verra and it was so foreign that it felt intoxicating.

“From Joshua, of course,” Junhui chuckled and I gripped his wrist, trying to loosen his grip, “Now…this can go two ways, sweetheart. You either shut up and keep this revelation to yourself or—I will have to get rid of you…”

“What?!” I exclaimed quietly, eyes growing wider than ever before, the air leaving my lungs from shock, “You’re—the—bandits—”

“Why are you acting so surprised?” Junhui chuckled as his finger started stroking the skin of my neck, “Didn’t you just accuse me of—”

Junhui stopped talking, realizing his mistake, and I remained gaping.

“I didn’t accuse you of anything! I was just…assuming?” Junhui hissed and closed his eyes, letting go of my neck. I rubbed the skin with my own hand and took two deep breaths, watching a distressed Junhui.

“Fuck!” He hissed to himself, opening his eyes to look at me. He didn’t step back, and I didn’t move away either. I wanted to be close to him.

“Listen, I—”

“If you tell anyone, Y/N, I swear I will kill you.” His voice dropped octaves and became dangerous, finally, I felt like a prey and a shiver ran down my spine, “I don’t care how pretty and nice you are—I will kill you.”

Realization dawned on me, that in fact, the man standing in front of me wasn’t any kind of tourist. He really is part of the bandit group. He is a bandit, himself. I gulped and licked my lips, trying to mask how nervous I felt.

“I won’t tell anyone—”

“How can I know that?” He snapped, but it felt like he was more frustrated with himself than me.

“I—” I huffed, running a hand through my hair, “You can’t. You will have to trust me, I guess.”

“But can I trust you?” Junhui’s gaze latched onto mine and I felt hypnotized.

“Maybe.” I muttered and my eyes fell on his lips when he sighed out. I knew he saw it when he took a tiny step, to be even closer to me.

“What if…” A smirk came onto his lips and my heart started racing as he looked me up and down, “I offer you something in exchange of keeping our secret?”

My skin felt on fire when Junhui’s fingers trailed over my exposed collarbones, coming to rest on the front of my dress, “I don’t need anything to keep your—”

My words got muffled by Junhui’s lips pressing on mine and I reacted instantly, fingers curling into his hair. The next thing I knew, I was naked, and then, Junhui’s naked body was laying on top of mine, moving in sink with mine. I tried to keep quiet, but no one’s ever made me feel what Junhui did. My heart was beating furiously the whole time and Junhui’s skin felt on fire as he kissed my lips hungrily. And then, I realized, maybe I liked this man a little bit too much. This bandit…how was I going to let go of him now?

One week ago, Wednesday

It was lunch time but the Inn was unnaturally buzzing with people. Most people only came in to get their shot of vodka for the day, but some came to have lunch. Most were working men from the market as this was all they could afford; the Inn wasn’t expensive and they loved it here. I wiped a few glasses clean as Andrei poured some liquor into three tall glasses, calling out my name.

“What?” I muttered as I walked over, looking at him tiredly. I haven’t slept much ever since Junhui’s last visit. My heart raced every time I thought of him and what we had done, and I couldn’t help it but feel sad. Now I knew he was one of the bandits, I never even considered telling anyone, but I knew once they made their robbery they would leave and I’d have no one once again. I longed to have someone who would comfort me and love me, but I accepted that I just wasn’t meant to experience these things. Junhui’s room was right above mine and him walking around and dragging something heavy against the floor for the past two nights made it also hard to sleep.

“Our little new friends ordered these.” Andrei’s finger was pointing at a table of five people. Seungkwan, Woozi, Joshua, Minghao, Jun. I hummed and took the glasses placed on a tray and walked over to their table. Their previous conversation ceased as all eyes fell on me and I gulped nervously as I placed the glasses on their table.

“A bit early to be drinking liquor, isn’t it?” I tried to joke, ease the tension, but it didn’t do anything. Seungkwan and Woozi were glaring daggers at me and it actually scared me, even Joshua had a cold expression as he reached for a glass. Minghao wasn’t paying attention to me as he was muttering something to himself, he was also scribbling something on a paper. And Junhui sighed quietly and placed a hand on my waist to squeeze it swiftly, before grabbing a glass to drink the liquor from it.

“Well…” I cleared my throat and turned to walk away, “Raise your hands if you need anything else.”

“What I need is you keeping your damn mouth shut.” Woozi’s voice was low as he snapped and I bit my lower lip, trying to hold back the tremor of my hands. He was scary, too scary, as he stared me dead in the eyes with the most vicious glare I have ever seen.

“Seriously!” Junhui snapped, slamming a fist onto the table, “I told you I took care of her!”

“How?” Woozi chuckled and Minghao glanced at Junhui then at me, and then proceeded to ignore what was happening.

“I have my ways—”

“Pushing your dick down someone’s throat is not a very convincing way, Junhui.” This time it was Seungkwan who snapped and I gulped, averting my eyes at the accusation. That didn’t happen, even if we had sex. It wasn’t their business what Junhui and I do behind closed doors.

“Shut up.” Junhui snapped, his eyes glaring at both Woozi and Seungkwan threateningly, “Don’t mind them, go do your work.”

I nodded my head slightly and then bolted back to the counter, coming to stand next to Andrei. He was preparing a few drinks and I placed the tray down for him to take when he was done. I went to wash my hands and took deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart and push back the tears that threatened to escape my eyes. I wasn’t expecting their personalities to take such a turn, but I guess I was a threat to them now. I wouldn’t tell anyone, but I guess they couldn’t just blindly trust me like that. Maybe they are planning my death and that’s why they are here, to observe my every move. I groaned at my thoughts and ran my fingers through my wavy hair, deciding to braid it really quick. I was fed up with always getting disrespected by men and I hated how they could always make comments freely without anyone telling them they were inappropriate. If I wasn’t afraid of Woozi and Seungkwan, I would’ve told them a piece of my mind, but once again, that’s never a good idea.

The bell chimed and I looked up to see two officers walking in. One was the same officer who was here on Friday night and didn’t help with Mr. Lee. His eyes swept over the place as the other officer walked around the tables which were occupied. The familiar officer, however, was headed straight our way. Andrei groaned and gave me a side glance.

“Did you do something?” He hissed lowly and I shook my head quickly, straightening my back when the officer stopped across from us.

“Hello.” Andrei greeted with a half-hearted smile and I bowed my head a little bit, eyes falling on the other officer for a split second. He was talking to everyone who was sitting at the tables and I suddenly felt hotter, like I was inside an oven.

“Yeah, yeah…” The officer muttered rudely and then placed a crumbled piece of paper on the counter for us to see. It was the newspaper from last week, the one that was talking about the five bandits headed our town.

“I’m sure you all know by now the bandits are headed this way, have you seen any suspicious movements? Heard anything?” The officer continued and I was itching to look towards the table Junhui was sitting at, but I was afraid it would trigger something in the officer that would make him realize it was them.

“Not really,” Andrei shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms in front of his chest, “People say a lot of crazy things, but nothing about the bandits.”

“And you?” The officer’s eyes landed on me and I gulped nervously, hiding my trembling hands behind my back as I corrected my posture and opened my mouth to speak.

“There’s five strangers here,” The other officer approached us, cutting me off before I could even say something, “They say they arrived last week and will be leaving this Friday. Apparently, they are some travelers looking for some old artifacts or something like that.”

“Yes,” I spoke up before anyone could say anything else, I cringed at how loud my voice sounded suddenly, “They told me the same thing. I heard they found some old vases in one of their researches! They’ve been renting a room here, even attended the parties last week.”

I made sure to maintain eye contact with the officers as best as I could, to keep my voice leveled and my expression clear and soft. My heart was beating like crazy and my hands were shaking a lot more now, but I tried to ignore those. If I said anything wrong their cover would be screwed up and then I for sure would be dead by tomorrow. Andrei gave me a confused glance but when the officers looked at him questioningly, to confirm what I said, he just shrugged.

“I was on a leave for the past month, only returned recently, so what she says must be true.” I almost sighed out in relief but managed to catch myself before doing it.

“Very well then,” One of the officer’s said as his eyes ran over the place again, my eyes followed his and I smiled a little when I saw Junhui’s table laughing about something, clanking their glasses together, no doubt pretending like they were having fun.

“We’ll be going.” The same officer spoke and turned around to leave. The familiar officer gave me a look, as if he sensed I was lying, but turned and walked out with his partner. I finally relaxed and let a breath out, I felt Andrei’s confused gaze on me.

“Did you lie to them?” He asked skeptically, going back to doing what he was before the officers interrupted us.

“What? Why would I?” I scoffed and wiped my brows, unaware of the sweat that has accumulated there. Andrei just shrugged in response and my eyes inevitably fell on Junhui’s table. Joshua and Minghao were gone but I made eye contact with Woozi. He raised his glass, an amused smirk on his lips, as he tilted it in my direction. Seungkwan also looked smug and when I made eye contact with Junhui I felt a sense of calmness wash over me, as if I just passed an important evaluation. I guess Woozi and Seungkwan were pleased that I didn’t rat them out. When the doorbell chimed again, Joshua and Minghao were holding some big bags in both of their hands as they walked inside. Junhui rose from the table and he played with the keys to his room as he approached the two men, leading the way upstairs. He gave me one last look, and a tiny smile, before all three men disappeared upstairs. I let out a small sigh and took the tray with the drinks when Andrei complained about me being as slow as a snail. They were planning something, and suddenly I was feeling uneasy about knowing who they really were. Was I putting myself in danger indirectly?

Present time

My head snapped up at the sudden sounds echoing through the cold hallway. It sounded like two people struggling and the echo that carried their words here made no sense. My heart started beating quickly and my fingers latched onto the cold bars of the prison cell. I didn’t know what was happening and when keys startled rattling, I knew the end has come for me. This was it; I was going to die at the age of twenty-five for being the accomplice of a robbery. I shut my eyes closed tightly and took deep breaths as heavy footsteps neared me, the sound almost maddening as it felt like forever. I didn’t dare look nor breathe when I felt eyes on me, I didn’t even know how to react. I didn’t want to show fear, but when the cell was unlocked, my whole body started trembling. And then I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

“Please!” My voice broke, but I still tried to speak, “I didn’t know! I swear I wasn’t helping them—”

I yelped when a strong grip on my forearm yanked me forward, and I didn’t want to open my eyes, but I was afraid I was going to fall and proceed to look even worse.

“Calm down.” My heart somersaulted at the calming voice and my eyes snapped open. Before I could control myself, I jumped into Junhui’s arms, gripping his shirt like my life depended on him. Quite ironically, it did depend on him right now.

“What are you doing here?!” I gasped, unable to let go of him, I was afraid I’d collapse to the ground.

“To get you out, of course.” Jun’s voice was hurried as I felt him move around before pushing me slightly off him, “I know you’re scared, but we have to go now, if we want to get away. Can you gather yourself and do as I say?”

I was still shaking but I took a deep breath and tried to reassure myself that I was capable of doing this. If I didn’t, I would die. And I wasn’t ready to die, not yet, not when I had Junhui in front of me.

“Yes.” We made eye contact and Jun’s lips pulled into a small smile, he patted my head affectionately. I stepped away from him and Jun’s eyes ran over my body quickly, stopping on the end of my skirt. I looked down confused and got even more confused when he kneeled down and gripped the fabric.

“You can’t run in this.” He muttered and suddenly, my dress was getting torn apart. I gasped but didn’t try to stop him, he was right, the long skirt didn’t offer much mobility for my legs. Jun ripped the fabric up until my knees, the feeling was weird, I supposed the dress now looked really ugly. It wasn’t just dirty, but torn too. Junhui stood up and remained still for a second, but then he pressed a quick kiss against my lips and my heart started racing. Did this mean I was going with them?

“Let’s go.” An excited grin appeared on his lips and I took his extended hand, but couldn’t share his enthusiasm. I was supposed to die a few minutes ago, I was still supposed to be dead, if they catch us for the second time. My heart raced as Junhui ran us through the hallways, towards the door through which light flooded the dark and cold dungeon. We were breaking free.

Earlier today, around 9 a.m.

My attention was drawn towards the ruckus coming from the stairs that led upstairs. Aleksi was in the storage room so I allowed myself to abandon washing the dishes and walk to the stairs to see what was happening. My lips formed into a pout as I watched Woozi pull a heavy looking bag after him on the floor, which was the one causing the ruckus. My eyebrows furrowed as I watched him confused while he descended the stairs.

“What are you doing?” I asked, curiosity lacing my tone. Woozi’s head snapped up and he looked at me, his eyes narrowed into intimidating slits. I gulped and pushed myself away from the railing, not wanting to piss him off so early in the morning.

“None of your business.” He snapped with authority in his voice and I nodded once, stepping away.

“Right, sorry…” I muttered and went back to washing the dishes, ignoring the second pair of boots that loudly descended the stairs. The front door opened and Woozi was outside, leaving me alone in the Inn with Junhui. I didn’t turn around when I felt his eyes on me, if Aleksi was to come back now and see that I wasn’t doing my duties, he’d be really angry.

“Y/N,” Junhui quietly called out, knowing it was just the two of us inside for now, “I have something to ask of you.”

I sighed but didn’t turn around to face him, “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to anyone. Even after you disappear…I’ll bring this secret with myself to my grave, I suppose.”

Junhui hummed and remained silent for a few seconds before I heard him sighing, “That’s not what I wanted to ask of you…today…just stay around the Inn, alright? If you want to walk around town, just stay here instead, it’s safer.”

“Whatever you say.” I muttered, drying my hands as I finished washing the dishes.

“And…I wish we had more time to spend together…” I turned to face Junhui, and was surprised when he actually looked sad, “Your company is really pleasant, I think…I think we could have been something more…”

I chuckled and crossed my arms in front of my chest, ignoring the pang in my chest, “Well, yeah…our lifestyles don’t match, I guess. Don’ worry, this happens all the time. I’m sure you’ll find a pretty woman in the next town and forget about me…I’m better off alone, after all.”

Junhui didn’t comment anything further, he just gulped and nodded his head in agreement. The words I said didn’t fit well with me, but after all, I was just saying the truth. I haven’t known this man for long, but he was the first one to respect my boundaries and the first one who didn’t look down on me. It was a nice feeling, but nothing lasts forever.

“Goodbye.” He whispered and I offered him a last smile, disappointed we were parting ways this way.

“Goodbye, Junhui.” His lips pulled into a tight line at the hear of his name and he walked away with a sigh, not looking back. I pursed my lips and looked around the empty place, what if I went with him? Would the others allow me to join him? Would I want to become a bandit myself? But before I could dwell more on these thoughts, Aleksi was standing right next to me.

“Why are you standing there and doing nothing?” He raised his eyebrows and I cleared my throat, evening my expression.

“The guy who occupied room nr.888 just left, I’ll go clean up.” I muttered to Aleksi and walked around the counter, headed for the stairs.

“Good, and after that, go to the market,” He extended his hand and pushed a piece of paper into my hand, “We are running low on a few supplies.”

“Sure…” I muttered and placed the piece of paper into my small pocket, heading up the stairs.

Earlier today, around 1 p.m.

It was a sunny day and the hot sun shone down on us. I was covered in sweat already and I have barely left the Inn five minutes ago. The market was just around the corner so I didn’t have to walk much, which was to my benefit as I wouldn’t have to carry the heavy things for a long time. The market was buzzing with people, sellers and buyers, and the cacophony was worse than most nights at the Inn. I avoided bumping into a woman and her three children as I side stepped them and my eyes fell on the National Bank from across the street. People were coming and going casually, everyone minding their own business. I sighed and stopped at the first stand to buy the vegetables Aleksi had written on the list. My eyes fell on the blonde-haired boy sitting to the back, in the shadow, and I smiled at him.

“Miss Katie!” He exclaimed with a smile, offering me a small wave.

“Enjoying your day off, Little James?” I asked with a chuckle and the young boy nodded with a grin.

“The kid runs so fast he delivers the newspaper way faster than I ever could,” Big James spoke up as he filled my bag with potatoes, “Figured he deserved a day off.”

“That’s nice of you,” I said politely, handing him the money, “He’s a hard-working kid!”

“Like you, Katie!” Big James winked at me and I walked away with a small laugh, eyes falling on the flower stand. It was standing on the side of the Bank and I couldn’t help it but walk there. I always loved flowers, sometimes I would buy some and sneak them inside my room. Aleksi didn’t know about them because I bought them from the money, he gave me to purchase the items he needed. If he were to find out, I’d probably be kicked out, something I didn’t wish for.

“Hello!” The lady offered me a warm smile and I bowed my head in greeting as I touched the petals of the lilies. They were beautiful and I let out a small sigh, glancing down at the money in my other hand. Should I buy some for myself? Would Aleksi notice this time? He didn’t give me much money, maybe I shouldn’t—suddenly screams erupted and as I looked towards the noise, a loud BANG went off and next thing I knew I was thrown to the ground. My side was throbbing as I lay on the sandy ground and my ears were ringing like never before. I was shocked to see people laying on the ground around me, even some of the flowers littered around me. I was confused as I pushed myself up to all fours, trying to gain a sense of the situation. What has happened? Why does everyone look so scared and disoriented and why can’t I hear anything expect the ringing in my ears? I tried to get up to my feet, but I felt a little light headed so I took deep breaths, closing my eyes. But next thing I knew, someone crashed into my body and I cried out, my side throbbing even more. The person said something, I couldn’t understand from the ringing still going on, and then I was roughly hauled up and I froze when I felt something cold pressing against my temple. Suddenly, I became aware of the sirens in the distance and I became even more scared when I saw various vendors pointing their shotguns in my direction. I didn’t understand what was happening, why was I being held at gunpoint? The voices started coming back, my hearing clearing, and then I understood everything.

“If anyone dares to move even one inch, I will shoot this woman to death!” My capturer screamed at the top of his lungs, squeezing my side, making me cry out in pain. The body holding me was solid and firm, I wanted to look who was holding me, but I was afraid if I moved, I’d be dead.

“Leave Katie alone and we can talk this through!” It was Big James, his eyes were narrowed, he was the only one not pointing his shotgun at me directly.

My capturer laughed crazily behind me and I shivered, “You think I’ll fall for that?!”

I whimpered and turned my head slightly when he pressed his chin, which was covered with something, against my cheek, “If you don’t come with me, I will kill you.”

My lips were trembling and I raised my hands in surrender, showing everyone, I was unarmed, “He—he said he’ll—let me go, if—if you don’t shoot—”

The man holding me made an appreciative sound and pulled his head away from me, “Move and you’ll never see Katie again!”

I whimpered again, biting my lower lip when his hand left my side to grip my forearm. The grip was strong and I felt fragile as the man started running, pulling me after him. The shotguns went off and I cried out in fear of getting hit by a bullet, but the man holding me swerved around and made us run behind the bank. As we were running, my eyes fell on the side of the building, and I was shocked to see a huge hole in it. They blew up the bank! These were the bandits! Eyes falling on the man that finally slowed down as we came to a stop next to a black car, I realized it was Woozi. I jumped when he opened the backdoor and pushed me inside harshly, making me hit my face in the cushion. Suddenly, he was sitting inside and the engine of the car was ignited to life and put into movement. I sat up straight in the seat, I’ve never sat inside a car before, my whole-body trembling in fear as I bit my lower rip, trying to stop myself from crying. It was quiet inside the car and I realized five men were sitting inside. Three in the front, the seats were connected, and two on the backseat with me. I knew immediately who they were and it made me more fearful.

“Will—will you kill me?” I choked out and one whipped his head around, his eyes being the only thing I could see through the rag that he wore as a mask to protect his identity.

“I don’t know, should we?” I shook my head furiously ‘no’ and someone hissed.

“Stop fucking around with her! She’s already scared shitless!” Junhui snapped from the driver’s seat and my heart started thumping furiously.

“Why did you even take her?” Joshua’s soft voice was cold and I looked down at my lap.

“She was good distraction, I only got away because the town people didn’t want to shoot her.” Woozi said and suddenly Seungkwan started cackling loudly, throwing his head back. I didn’t understand what was so funny but I didn’t want to find out.

“What are we going to do with her?” Minghao muttered, glancing at me from beside me. I looked away and prayed to myself no one would say ‘kill her’.

“We’ll think about that later!” Junhui snapped before the others could say anything else. And then suddenly, loud sirens could be heard coming from behind us and I turned my head to see the sheriff’s car chasing after ours. Then gunshots rang through, the boys screamed at each other inside the car, and then all I could remember was a loud screeching noise, and the car in the air flipping over. Then, I woke up in a prison cell all alone, hurt and scared.

Present time

Junhui and I had to be silent as we ran through the corridors of the station, having successfully escaped from the dungeon. Jun was guiding me from behind and as we rounded the corner, I ran into a solid body. My cry was silent as my face was pressed into the chest of the man, but before I could start further panicking and making a scene, Junhui pulled me away and I saw it was Joshua. He gave me a glare before exchanging a glance with Junhui and disappearing around the corner.

“What are we doing?” I whispered confused to Jun, raising my eyebrows at him as I pressed myself up against the wall.

“Breaking out.” Junhui answered with a chuckle, looking around the corner. Then he gripped my hand into his and we were running down the long hallway once again, coming to a stop in front of the closed door.

“Listen, once we get out…nothing is guaranteed. Are you ready to make this commitment?” Junhui’s voice was low, warning but reassuring at the same time. I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes as I let the breath out slowly.

“Do you promise not to abandon me then? Will you let me become one of you?” I whispered at Jun, squeezing his hand.

“We don’t have much of a choice, do we?” A smirk pulled onto his lips and I mirrored him, suddenly feeling excited about the promise of a new life.

The door got cracked open suddenly and I jumped scared, looking at Jun, “If you’re done being disgusting, take this.”

It was Woozi and he pushed a handgun into my hand, then another one. I looked at Junhui confused as he took one but left the other for me.

“Don’t shoot any of us—the rest we don’t care about.” My mouth fell open as Woozi opened the door and pulled me outside, shielding my body as he looked around.

“Coast is clear.” He muttered almost so quietly I didn’t hear him, “We only have to get to that car.”

It was the sheriff’s car and it was a good one-hundred-fifteen meters away from where we were standing. I readied myself to run, when suddenly a bullet wheezed past our heads. I screamed and ducked down, Junhui and Woozi forming a barrier around me.

“Fuck, they noticed too quickly!” Junhui hissed as we were ducking behind some old wood kept for heating in the winter.

“Whatever, we have to go!” Woozi shook his head and turned his head to look at me, “You start running first and we’ll make sure you don’t get shot, yeah?”

“What?!” I exclaimed but before what he said could settle in, I was pushed forward and even almost faceplanted into the dirt. Gunshots almost immediately went off and I screamed as I scurried off the ground and started running. I couldn’t help but scream the whole time, gun waving around in my hand, until I got to the car. I rammed into the side of it, chest rising and falling as I tried to shield myself from any further danger, but the shooting didn’t stop even for a second. The driver’s door got thrown open and suddenly I could see Jun and Woozi running our way. They were running in zig-zag as they sprinted towards the car and my eyes widened when one officer, the one I was familiar with, started running after them with his shotgun raised high. My heart thumped wildly and all I could think of was, what if he shoots Junhui? With trembling hands, I raised my arms, gripping the handgun with both tightly, and stepped away from the little safety the car offered. And then I started firing as well, on the verge of screaming once again. But as Junhui jumped inside the car, I pulled the trigger for the last time, and got dragged inside the car by Woozi. My eyes widened when I saw the officer falling to the ground with a loud cry, holding onto his leg. The car door got slammed shut and almost immediately we took off, kicking up dirt behind us. I remained looking ahead shocked, unphased by the dangerous maneuvers Junhui was making. I just shot a man. And then suddenly, everyone in the car was cheering loudly. I yelped when my back was patted roughly by Seungkwan, who was sitting in the back, a wide grin on his lips.

“Welcome to your new life, Y/N.” Seungkwan said with a smirk and a breathy chuckle left my lips as I looked at the five men sitting inside the car.

“I just shot a man!”

“Won’t be your last time.” Joshua said with a proud smirk and I couldn’t say anything.

I never thought my life would turn into this, but oh boy, this was the best choice I made after leaving my hometown.

89 notes · View notes

lu-undy · 3 years

Note

I'm not sure if you've already written something like this, but what about Spy showing Sniper his face for the first time?

Here it is!

"Mh…"

"Mornin' gorgeous."

Spy smiled as he felt Sniper's lips on his back, peppering kisses there. The taller man was spooning him, his hands slid along the Frenchman's slim silhouette, on his pyjamas.

"Sniper…"

"Let me just…" The Aussie's hands had laced up to Spy's collar. He undid the first few buttons before he pulled down the shirt, freeing Spy's shoulders to kiss them. His rough hands touched the porcelain white skin and his lips gently grazed it, slowly melting from here to there. Spy lowered his head and closed his eyes, feeling Sniper on his back now. Their legs slid against each other's, under the blanket.

"S-Sniper…"

"Don't worry, I won't remove it." He whispered back, pushing the edges of the mask up to reach further up Spy's back. He kissed and nipped, gently. "Gosh, you're so soft."

Spy smiled, his eyes still closed, and he bit his lip.

"You of all people should know it by now." He answered before he heard Sniper chuckle behind him.

"Spook?"

"Oui?"

"Will you let me see your face one day?"

Spy opened his eyes and frowned.

"I… Do not know." He rolled to face Sniper and the Aussie slid his hands to the Frenchman's masked face.

"I'm sure you look gorgeous under that thing."

"Merci, but…" Spy averted his gaze. "I do not think it is a good idea. Not at all."

"Oh, ok… I-I mean we're alone here, the doors are closed and all, no one else would see you."

"It is not about that." Spy answered.

"What is it, then?"

"A lot of things." He buried his face in Sniper's chest. "One of them is that you will realise that I am far older than you are, far more grey, tired and beaten up by life."

"No you're not. And even if you were, I couldn't care less."

"Sniper, I… I am not the arrogant womanizer that people see in me."

"I know, you also like men."

"That is not what I meant."

"Oh?"

Spy frowned harder and sighed.

"I cannot show you my face, I am sorry."

"It's… Ok, alright. I don't really get it but it's not worth fightin' over."

Spy raised his eyes to his lover.

"What?"

"All I'm sayin' is that well, I'd love to see you entirely but it's fine. I guess we can go on like that."

"You have seen so much more about me, Sniper, I have lain naked in front and under you before."

"I know but… It's odd that in your head you should hide your face more than your… y'know."

"Well, people can recognise me with my face, not with what I have between my legs."

"Yeah, I get it but… Still, a bit of a shame, I think."

Sniper removed his hands from Spy's face and looked away. Silence fell in the Frenchman's room. The only noise was the tireless ticks and tocks of the alarm clock on the night table.

"I am superstitious." Spy's voice slashed the silence.

"What?"

"I am superstitious." Spy repeated.

“What’s it got to do with what we were talkin’ about?”

“Everything.”

“Spook, you make no sense.”

“Of course, I do.” Spy closed his eyes out of annoyance. "You just do not understand."

"Tell me."

Spy laid his head on Sniper's chest and took his large hand in both of his.

"I thought it was only stories but I now fully believe it. Each time that I show my face to a person that is dear to my heart, they… They go away."

Sniper's eyebrows jumped.

"What?"

"It is a curse. Anyone I have shown my face to ends up leaving me, either just moving on away from me, or worse." Spy explained before he sat up on the bed, next to his lover. Sniper sat up too and laced an arm around Spy.

"So you always wear it now, because you're scared it'll happen again?"

"I remove it if I do not care about the person my heart chose."

And Sniper understood that if Spy kept his mask on at all times with him, it was because the Aussie counted an awful lot to him.

"I… Hold on, you say that people went away as if they have left you in the past. How the hell could they leave you?"

Spy lowered his head and sighed.

"Because at some point, they discover who I am and… and it is better that way." Spy freed himself from his lover and stood up. He slipped on his dressing gown and locked himself up in his bathroom.

Sniper watched him move away and sighed. He both found Spy's words ridiculous and heart-breaking. He wished he could do something to help. He scratched his naked chest and ruffled his hair on his head.

Well, he should get up and make some coffee. That would give Spy some time to feel better maybe.

Sniper got to his feet and grabbed his shirt that he put on, but kept open. He went to Spy's kitchen and got the cafetiere ready. He put two mugs next to it and started to gather the toasts and butter, from the fridge. He turned the radio on and let the chatter occupy his thoughts.

When the coffee was ready and the smell gently floated in the Frenchman's suite, Sniper readied a pan and broke a couple of eggs in a bowl. He knew that Spy liked an omelette in the morning, so he got to work. After beating the eggs vigorously, he went to the fridge to take that goat cheese that his lover liked so much and added some to the mix before spreading it on the oiled pan.

Sniper watched as the liquid eggs hardened while the goat cheese melted. Suddenly, the light switched off in the kitchen. He raised his head to the bulb and headed to the switch when a hand stopped his wrist.

"Non, please."

"What?"

"Don't turn the light on." Spy hugged his lover, and Sniper's pupils retracted to a dot as his eyes snapped wide. He didn't feel the fabric of Spy's mask on his chest, no. He felt Spy's skin, and even some of his hair. "Close your eyes."

Sniper obeyed and felt Spy move away from him.

"I will blindfold you."

"My eyes are closed, Spook."

"I don't want to risk it." Spy answered as he turned around Sniper, who felt a smooth cloth over his eyes. Spy was behind him tying the cloth. "Now…" He took Sniper's hands and stuck them on his face, one on each of his cheeks.

The Aussie's eyebrows rose as he touched a face he wished he could do more than touch. He closed his eyes behind the blindfold and tried to project the image of what his curious digits were discovering.

Eyebrows, eyelids, yeah, he knew those. Gosh, Sniper could feel the lines at the corner of Spy's eyes. He loved those. Whenever he smiled, they smiled with him. And the Aussie had the same too…

Nose, mouth but oh my God, what was that…? Spy's hair… Rather short on the sides and behind his head as well, longer on top. So soft and straight, it flowed between Sniper's fingers like threads of silk.

His thumbs brushed Spy's forehead, his eyebrows and down his temples, his naked cheeks to end on his lover's lips. They were pursed up in a smile.

"I-your hair feels amazin'."

"Merci. It is grey at the front here…" Spy took Sniper's hand and guided him. "And on the temples, here and here. The rest struggles to stay black."

"Gosh…" Sniper bit his lip. "I wish I could see it… And see you really. It's hard to imagine it all with just my hands touchin' you."

"I am sorry. I wish I could but…"

"Hey, it's fine. It's ok."

Spy put his hands flat on Sniper's, which were sandwiching his face.

"I… I cannot afford to lose you. I know it is egotistic, but non. Y-you are… non."

"Hey…?"

"I would rather lie to you about my face and live with the guilt of lying to you continuously, rather than risk losing you."

"Love… I… I don't want to force you and I'm not forcin' you but you know I'm not gonna leave you. You know I don't care about what you look like, you could look horrible and I'd still stay, cause I don't just like you for your face. I just… You're such a good bloke, and a pleasure to live with."

"Sniper, I have heard these words a million times before and yet…"

"Mundy. Name's Mundy. I have only my parents, no siblings. They… They adopted me. They own a little farm in the Outback, nothin' big, just enough to pay the bills and keep them busy. I… When I was a kid, I was bad at school and dropped it as soon as I could. Been workin' with huntin' contracts ever since because Dad had shown me how to and there was nothing else I was half-decent at."

Spy frowned.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I want you to understand that I… I-I… I don't just stay with you to spend the nights and all… It's… What do I need to do for you to get it? I… I bloody love you!" Mundy burst out. "I won't leave you, I… If I could I'd stay with you forever!"

"If you could?" Spy asked.

"If… If… I was never the one who left anyone. I was always the one who got dumped."

"Why?"

"Because people don't see themselves buildin' anything with me! I'm a weirdo who lives in a van, I don't have a house or a flat of my own, my address is still my parents'. It's-it's not like I have a normal job and a normal life and…" Sniper pulled Spy's head against his chest and held him close. "You're one of the very few blokes I really feel like… Like we can be a bit more than just what we are. I mean… It makes so much sense. No one gets it, you and me, but-but I feel it. I feel comfy with you, like you've always been with me and… Spook, please… What do I need to do for you to believe me?"

Silence fell for a while and their embrace was intense.

"I would love to believe you." The Frenchman said and felt one of Sniper's hands in his hair, his fingers between his locks and pressing him against his bare chest.

"Why don't you?"

"I am scared… Mundy."

"Don't be. I'm here." He bent his head down to kiss Spy's hair. "Gosh, even your hair smells of you."

"Thank you."

"Spook…"

"Lucien." Spy answered, nuzzling in his lover's chest. "My name is Lucien. My parents left this world a long time ago and I have no other family left. My mother used to be a dressmaker, and my father, a lawyer. They lived in the South-West of France, where I was born and raised, under the sun, and between green and red grapes."

"Why're you tellin' me all this now?"

"Because I am more scared than ever."

"Why? I got you here, you're in my arms, nothin's gonna get to you."

"Oui but… Hold on."

Lucien pushed himself away from his lover's embrace and Mundy felt the cloth around his eyes go.

"C-can I open my eyes? You put your mask back?"

"Oui." Lucien flipped the switch to turn the lights on.

"Gosh, Spook!" Mundy slapped his hands on his face as soon as he realised that his lover had lied and he hadn't put his mask back on. "Bugger I nearly saw you!"

"Please…" Sniper felt his lover's hands on his wrists, pulling them down.

"Spook…"

"Lucien." Spy corrected him and as he removed Sniper's hands from his face, he saw that the Aussie had kept his eyes closed.

"But you said you didn't like it if I saw you."

"I have changed my mind."

"Why?" Mundy continued to speak with closed eyes.

"Because of what you said."

Mundy felt his lover's hands on his naked chest. He opened his eyes.

"Oh bloody hell… Look at you… You're…"

His hands immediately went back to Lucien's face and touched again, stroking, brushing, grazing, his eyes darted left, right, up and down.

"My God… H-how…?"

Lucien tried smiling, but not too much. He was very self conscious about his age showing in the million wrinkles on his face when he smiled.

"What do you think - mh?!"

Spy was surprised mid-sentence by his lover's lips. And the intensity, the force with which he was pulling his body and his hair, his very lips too into the kiss. The Frenchman almost felt his feet take off of the ground.

"What was that about?" He asked, although being as breathless as his lover.

"How could you ever think you're too old or ugly or whatever? You look better than in my dreams, you look… Y-you… I-I don't know what the word is, or even if the word exists or-or maybe there's a sentence or maybe an expression? Bloody hell, what am I sayin?!" Mundy's voice was high-pitched and broken, he was out of air and stopped to catch his breath for a while. "You're gorgeous, you're so beautiful, you're… How could people leave you after seein' your face, you look bloody fantastic." Mundy pulled his lover close and hugged him all over, ending with his cheek on top of Lucien's head.

"Mundy…?"

The Aussie rolled his eyes and closed them in bliss, scratching his lover's head as he would a cat.

"Say my name with that accent once more and we're gonna skip breakfast to go straight for lunch." He growled.

"Mundy?"

"Gosh…"

"May we still have breakfast?"

"Maybe."

Both smiled and Mundy kissed his lover on the head.

"Lucien?"

"Oui?"

"Why did you change your mind?"

Lucien raised his eyes to his lover.

"I told you, because of what you said."

"What did I say?"

The Frenchman smiled and blushed. This time, Mundy could see it so clearly that he couldn't help but stare, and his own cheeks turned pink.

"You said that you loved me." Lucien answered.

"Yeah, and I do."

Their smiles widened.

"It is the first time you tell me this."

"Yeah, it's hard to say."

"Indeed, it is." Their eyes met and lingered. "I love you too, Mundy."

"Alright, you looked for it…" The Aussie dragged his lover out of the kitchen.

"What-? Where-?"

"Bedroom, now. Breakfast in bed…"

"What?" Lucien asked as he was led to the bed.

"C'mere…" The Aussie pushed his lover deeper in the sheets.

#tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #sniperspy

39 notes · View notes

notquitecanon · 4 years

Note

Ohhhh or maybe one where the reader just makes jasper talk for a while just cuz she adores his accent 🥺

Jasper could feel your bad mood from outside your house- he was always so attuned you you. If his abilities were anymore developed he would probably be able to see your mood like a dark storm cloud hovering outside of your bedroom. Alice had a vision in the middle of their hunt of how your day would go, but with the sunny weather and the face they were already in the Canadian wilderness- he could do nothing but hope it wasn’t too bad. After stopping by his house to change clothes, he made a beeline to the tree line that surrounded your yard like a natural property line. He’d seen your silhouette in your window starting at five pm, but couldn’t make a move until the sun had gone down. The last thing his family needed was Chief Swan getting called because your neighbor caught him climbing into your window. The moment the sun dipped below the tree line, he raced up and into your bedroom.

You had been wallowing in self pity: already showered, in pajamas, and lying face down in bed with your computer playing some of your music quietly. The moment he crossed into your room, you felt his presence like a calming wave washing over you. Eyes fluttering shut as some of the tension left your body, you muttered, “Jasper.”

“Evenin’ Darlin.” His voice was like honey-warm, sweeter than sugar, slow, and sticky. Drawing you into his words and keeping you there while he lingered on the edge of your room. Ever the gentleman, waiting for your invitation. Prying your head out of your pillow, you faced him.

While you observed his freshly glowing golden eyes, slightly disheveled blonde hair, statuesque posture, and heavenly face- he did the same, taking in your tense muscles, dark under eye bags, flushed cheeks, and the general feeling of resignation and annoyance in your emotional map. He didn’t fail to notice you’d been crying- you didn’t fail to notice that he noticed. You were the first to break the silence, adjusting yourself to meet his eyes easier, “Good hunt?”

Jasper breathed a quiet laugh, such an abnormal question asked so nonchalantly, but entertained the notion nonetheless, “Most of us went up into Canada, into the mountains. Emmet took on a pretty big grizzly so he’s in a particularly good mood. I got a Moose and a couple deer.”

You didn’t know what truly constituted a “good hunt” but his thirst seemed appeased so you nodded. The head ache that came after a long day hadn’t put you in a particularly chatty mood. Jasper filled the silence, “Alice told me you had a bad day- well, told me you would have a bad day. I’m sorry I couldn’t help, doll.”

Shaking your head, you brought your knees up to your chest before wrapping your arms around them, “Not your fault, Jazz, bad days happen.”

There was a beat of silence as the two of you stared at each other, him trying to dissect every emotion you were feeling and you mentally begging him to just drop it. Finally, you just patted the spot beside you, motioning for him to join you. Talking waant something you wanted to do, but just having him close would be a big step towards feeling better.

As always, the vampire had a hard time saying no to you. So with the mattress dipping beside you, he easily slid beside you- staying perfectly still until you were situated. As usual, you bunched up a blanket where you cheek would rest against his chest- thick enough to cushion against his stone chest but thin enough to be close enough to smell the comforting scent he always had on him. Cologne, cedar, leather, something woodsy, and a sweet scent you could never quite put a finger on. After letting you settle, he looked down to you, “Wanna talk about it, sugar?”

He felt you shake you head before you nestled closer to him, so he just wrapped his arm around you alternating between tracing patterns up you arm and running cold, graceful fingers through your hair. One of your arms flopped across him just to have more phsyical contact, and Jasper frowned out of your sight. Besides truly changing your emotions (which felt invasive), he didn’t know how else to help. So for the moment, he just let you curl into him. Golden eyes raked across the room before landing on a book on your nightstand so without jostling you, he easily snatched it up.

Not bothering to read the synopsis, he began flipping through the first chapter- quickly becoming amused at the scandalous historical fiction set during the Civil War in Mississippi. Now that he thought about it, he remembered Angela passing it off to you during third period. He chuckled at a particularly inaccurate and racy part. His laughter was deep and reverberated through his hard chest which roused you, at your movement, he tried to quiet himself, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. This book is just so terrible.”

His amusement made it hard not to smile as you tried to snatch the book out of his hands, the racy novel had been on lend from Angela and after the second chapter had been collecting dust on your nightstand. He easily kept it out of your reach, amusement growing at your protest (and quiet proud that he’d got you laughing again, he could already feel your mood lightening up). Listening to his laughter made you long to hear him talk in the smooth southern accent, about anything (anything other than that awful book), “Well, if the book isn’t up to par, how about you tell me what it was really like?”

As his chuckling was dying off, he thought about it before tossing the book back on the nightstand. It wasn’t that his past was an off limits topic, there was just a lot of it and he preferred to live in the moment with you. But you were staring up at him with hopeful eyes, and he could feel the remnants of sadness and frustration so he just nodded. “Well, first of all Mississippi didn’t see battle until The Spring of 1862, and union soldiers didn’t make any head way until a year later. So the notion that a this woman met a union soldier celebrating victroy in New Albany is just wrong. Even if it was true, she wouldn’t be so eager to fall into any soldiers tent considering Conderate troops would of torched her father’s plantation for being a sympathizer or vice versa.”

“Hmmm.” You hummed in response to the history lesson, before he continued going back and forth between learned history and personal experience until he hit where he was changed. You’d heard this story, traced the silvery scars on his arms, so once he went quiet you didn’t press any further. “So where were you at the turn of the century?”

“I was still with Maria, we were going back and forth across the border in Texas and New Mexico, I honestly didn’t now it was the new century until 1905, but we were the cause of the Austin Dam failure.” He mused, thinking pack, “I left shortly after the start of the First World War, to search for my friend Peter and because I was tired of fighting Maria’s battles- she starting to lose trust in me and me in her.”

You’d heard him talk about Peter and Charlotte, the only two he ever let escape, “Did you find him?”

“No, not until the late 1930’s, so I mostly just wandered around the South and the West as a nomad. The roaring twenties were fun between Chicago and Mexico City, I’d like to go back to New Mexico someday.” He thought aloud, cold lips ghosting on the crown of your head as his grip on you tightened ever so slightly. The hand laid over him searched for his so you could intertwine you fingers with him. He squeezed for a moment before detaching just to play with you fingers, burning hot compared to his cold touch.

“Where’d you go next?” You asked, letting him gently tug and curl your fingers with his. Jasper laughed bringing your knuckles up to his lips. When he had just fed, it was so much easier to be so close- which is where he preferred to be.

“You’re mighty full of question tonight, ma’am.” He teased, dropping you hand in favor of lightly digging his fingers into your side. The quiet squeal, laughter, and weak attempts at fighting him off was so delightfully human that he couldn’t help but do it every now and then. Jasper gave you a moment to calm down before continuing, “I spent some time in Tennessee and then Kentucky, the Great Depression hit those areas pretty hard, but it was better than being involved in a territory war.”

“Peter and Charlotte ran into me in the Appalachian mountains- that would be the late 30’s- it was easier to hunt without gaining attention up there.” He paused to gauge you reaction, carefully checking for any fear. Finding none, he sighed in relief before continuing, “They told me about Coven’s in the North, how there weren’t many territory disputes and how in some areas they could even go out in day light...”

You let your eyes slip closed, tension melting as you listened to his honeyed words, and his fingers toyed with your hair. Jasper kept going, talking about traveling with Peter and Charlotte through the Midwest and Northern states before breaking off from them too. Then it was the Fifties, going into a diner and meeting Alice. You’d always envied Alice a bit for her closeness to Jasper, even though you knew neither of them felt that way for each other, but you were also incredibly grateful to her- who knows where Jasper would be without her.

“I remember she said that I’d kept her waiting long enough and I thought to myself I’ve never seen this woman in my life, but I sat down with her regardless and she told me about ‘vegetarianism’ and our future family. I could feel her excitement but I thought she was crazy.” He laughed to himself, a beautiful sound. You’d heard this story a few times from him and Alice. “I was about to go on my way, leave Alice in the wind when she told me something I couldn’t ignore.”

You perked up, neither of them had ever mentioned this part of the story. Craning you’re neck up, you saw he was watching you expectantly with a soft smile tugging those perfect lips up- waiting for a reaction, “She told me that she’d seen me with my soulmate and her future family. She couldn’t tell me when, or where, or how, but she’s seen it and I had to trust her. She felt so sincere and I’d been lonely for so long that I left with her that very afternoon.”

You sat up very suddenly, blood rushing to your cheeks ass you turned around to him, “Jasper, you’ve never told me that before! What are you doing with me then?”

Jasper couldn’t help but grin at the flash of indignation and feisty anger, but quickly frowned when it morphed to hurt. His movement was much faster and infinitely more graceful than yours as you took your face in his hands, “You were the girl in the vision, (Y/N), you’re what I’ve been waiting for.”

It was like someone pulled a plug on your negative emotions as they drained out to be replaced by jittery happiness, and he didn’t need his brother’s telepathy to see the wheel’s turning in your head, “Oh.”

Meanwhile, you were trying to figure out the appropriate reaction to being told your someone’s soulmate. You’d never really imagined life without Jasper, you’d long since admitted to yourself that he was the love of your life, “Well, I’m glad you believed her otherwise I could be with Mike Newton right now.”

It was a bad joke, but he laughed nonetheless and pulled you back down with him, now wrapping both arms around you-effectively trapping you to his chest, but you had no reason to be afraid or even attempt to break free. There was a long pause of silence, him sending off soothing vibes, (it was getting pretty late) listening to the sound of your heartbeat as it slowed, and waiting for you to doze off. It did surprise him when you spoke back up.

“Where’d you go next?” It was quiet, sleepy, but a request he wouldn’t deny. He’d pay you back by asking a hundred inane question about your childhood tomorrow.

Pulling your comforter over the two of you, he adjusted you to what would be a more comfortable sleeping position. He continued, “Well, in took a few years but eventually we met Carlisle who welcomed us to the family with open arms. It took a bit to adjust to the new life of going to highschools and colleges, being around humans. Alice would occasionally drop little hints about you, your hair color, eye color, things you would do in her visions, and that was enough to encourage me to stay with it.”

You only hummed in response, turning over a bit as you let him nudge you towards sleep. Jasper was more than surprised when you made it to the mid-seventies without falling asleep, but was satisfied that he could no longer read any anger or frustration on you. Brushing a lock of hair out of your sleeping face, he silently laughed at your unconscious reaction to his cold touch. Yes, he had waited nearly sixty years for you.

“Good night, darlin’. I love you.”

Bad moods and all, he’d wait a hundred years more for moments like these.

#jasper hale x reader #jasper whitlock x reader

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chaos-societies · 3 years

Text

Episode 8, The Leaving of South Island and Búra of the Fields

Nearly a month had past. The gang of South Island enjoyed some extra company in the time before they set off on yet another journey to adventure and everyone was doing their part. Sticks carefully gathered certain rocks she was sure to bring good luck to the crew. Vanilla would occasionally give them tips and lessons how to prepare decent meals while traveling. Mina constantly encouraged Sonic and Tails to come up with new jigs and songs inspired by their upcoming trek. Meanwhile Knuckles was up on Angel Island for a majority of the time ensuring both his presence and the company of his fellow Reds there before his plan to pop in and out during the expedition. He only sparingly came down to South Island a few times for coordination of the journey

[x]

The sun was high and the air was hot. Over the southwestern parts of the Greater Area, a dust plume was billowing across parts of the land originating from a single, fast moving point. Miles behind, the dust was lingering in the warm breeze turning what once was a crisp blue sky to a haze of brown.

Anyone from a distance would have seen a red speck plowing the desert sand with a continuous tail trailing behind but upon any closer inspection they would have seen Sonic and Tails driving the Syphon at top speeds enjoying the tricked out ride for possibly the last time for a while before they departed for foreign lands. Though the windshield and roof was sufficient enough to protect the two’s eyes from any blowing wind or from being sand blasted, they both wore their goggles regardless. Tails’ ears were tucked back otherwise they would be flapping in the wind from the open windows and Sonic’s quills were fluttering around uncontrollably. Tails had both hands gripped tight on the steering wheel as he turned and banked at will. Sonic had his arm resting out of his window for much of the time.

As a clear show of authority for that corner of the world’s wastelands, they tested the top speeds and dynamic prowess of the Syphon. At some point Sonic turned to Tails and pointed up to the roof. Tails gave him a nod as any verbal communication would have been hard with the sound of rushing air entering the car; they often had a good idea of what the other was looking for even without words. Tails stopped his rapid turning and gave Sonic a thumbs-up to which he worked his way out the window to stand on top the roof of the Syphon. Tails continued to accelerate then lightly tapped the brakes to send Sonic flying forward with his continued momentum. He curled into a ball and with his speed, a light blue streak followed his bodily orb as he landed on the ground in front of the Syphon and began rolling. He rolled right as Tails took a slight left to avoid collision. Despite Sonic performing what he called his ‘spin dash’ at a remarkable speed, until he got back on his feet the Syphon would easily overtake him. As his roll slowed down a bit, he rolled out of his curled up posture onto his feet and began running. He caught back up to the Syphon and was running alongside it. There were now two dust plumes from two separate points of origin out in the Greater Area outside South Island.

Weaving in and around each other, the two swift objects resembled a choreographed dance of speeding bullets through the desert. Sometimes they would break apart, peel away to go make some fast turns and churn up more dirt. Other times they would meet again side-by-side and act as if they were racing, which they often were. Sonic would jump up around Tails in his incredible vehicle in a corkscrew-like maneuver simply just to switch sides. The two would catch a glance and a glare, a silent challenge to the other. Tails’ hands would grip tighter on the wheel and his foot would steadily move the gas pedal closer to the floorboard. Likewise, Sonic’s feet would increase their pace and the two speed demons would be off to race again.

They were a bit more southeast now toward the Jagged Browns and took a turn for some rock formations that were scattered about. Tails picked troughs and crevices that were large enough to safely fit the Syphon and Sonic chose which ever path he felt most enjoyable. With perfect timing of brakes, acceleration and turns, Tails weaved around the rocks and cliffs. Sonic would sometimes follow, then run up some of the rocks and jump from one to the other. They travelled through a path that had a decent length of trail below and level cliff above where they took their respective positions. Sonic was up high looking down at the Syphon maneuvering through the obstacles. He would curl up into a ball and fly to the other side of the crevice leaving a blue streak behind him; dust was still billowing from behind the speedster of a vehicle as it moved. Not long, they came out from the rocks and turned back to the open desert for more speed runs instead of obstacle maneuvering.

This continued for quite some time until at one point, while travelling close by, Tails signaled to Sonic with his thumb and pinky out from a fist and motioned it to his mouth as if to ‘drink’. Sonic nodded and they two changed course back toward South Island. Tails was running low on fuel.

They approached Lookout Rock and Sonic took point as Tails slowed down. Once he concluded he was out of reach from Sonic, Tails snapped the steering wheel left and the car began skidding until it made a few sliding spins in the soft loose desert sand until it came to a stop. Sonic too slowed down slightly before quickly hopping sideways and skidded on the sides of his feet until his momentum ran out. What was once a flurry of dust and dirt with constant roars of an engine was now a scene that instantly changed to a quiet settling of the still airborne particles.

They were nearly at the base of Lookout Rock at this time as Sonic took a moment to catch his breath and Tails lightly kept pressing the gas pedal for subtle revving of his engine. Sonic walked over to Tails’ side of the car and gave him a fist bump before stepping back a bit to get a running start and leaped over the Syphon. He made a mid air turn that ended in a back flip and grabbed the window sill of his side of the car and swung his feet in through the window to land perfectly on the seat. The hedgehog’s maneuverability sometimes was otherworldly.

Tails gave Sonic a slight head nod as a sign to be ready to go and Sonic reciprocated. Tails hit the gas, giving the back tires a bit of a spinout before getting enough traction for decent acceleration. He turned back toward South Island putting Lookout Rock on their right. As they passed, Sonic looked out at the monolith of a natural structure and saw something peculiar. He saw a figure looking down at them not too far up the path. It was hard at first to discern the silhouette but he surely concluded it was that of another hedgehog, a black hedgehog. His arms were crossed as he stood motionless, watching them as they zoomed on their way back home.

[x]

The time had come for them to head out and truck north. Uncle Chuck spent many hours looking over the Stair na Seacht and even copied a miniature transcript of relevant text for the crew. He ensured that the library in Smithwick could point to more clues about another crown’s location. He had sent a few letters to the library in the meantime so that the librarians there could accommodate some texts the gang was to look into.

They said their goodbyes and there was no shortage of tears. The last time any permanent resident of South Island left for such an extended time resulted in the ill-fate of many of this group’s parents that now lie at Stark Ruins. But Chuck believed deep in heart they would be alright until they met again. Some last words of advice were exchanged and they walked over the bridge back into the unknown.

Their timeline of travel must have picked up from their previous two treks to Cap and made it there with more time to rest before the sun fell behind the Sléibhte Scáthaigh to the east. They once again stayed with Eimear much to her dismay. She gave them some extra supplies to ensure they did not come to bother her sooner than she’d like and they set off from Cap to continue to head north.

Though the crew had seen Angel Island pass over a few times, Knuckles had yet to come down and pay them a visit. Based on the timeline he was given from his last visit to South Island before the crew departed, he knew where and when he should meet the four Cyans if he decided it was time to do so.

The fourth day of their journey was coming to a close and they were setting up camp at the base of the Sléibhte Scáthaigh as they did the night before. Seeing as the area north of Cap was quite barren, much like the rest of the Greater Area, they had decided to hug the tall mountains in their trek north despite it possibly adding another day on foot. The harsh hot sand has since turned to dry dirt for the past day now and more and more vegetation was becoming apparent, albeit still desert vegetation. By the end of their latest day of travel, though dry and weak, there was grass that was becoming apparent – trying so desperately to survive as the flora tested its own capabilities creeping more and more south from the Green Hills.

There was a storm off in the distance that was forming. As the night winds were beginning to shift from sailing in from over the West Sea to pouring over the rocky spires to the east, clouds were forming at the mountain peaks. Fearing any kind of rain wash if a storm were to hit, which it seemed more likely as the hours passed, they took shelter on top of some of the hills at the base of the mountains, bearing the stronger winds that would be present there.

The few animals that were there knew of the storm too and were irritant and protective of their dens. Amy narrowly avoided a snake as in the fading light she accidentally stuck her foot in its nest.

They camped under some rocks that were atop their chosen hill that should provide enough shelter from the coming rain. The moon, when not hiding behind the building clouds, was very bright and should be full in the next day. Out of the four of them, Rouge was having the hardest time out of the four adjusting to roughing it in the wild. Though she had to do so in their previous treks to Cap, it was typically only one night before being back under a roof and in a bed. This was the second night in a row under the stars and the third total doing so and she was getting a little annoyed by the lack of accommodations. Sonic and Tails tried to lighten her spirits a bit with some songs before hunkering down for the night, taking Mina’s advice about coming up with something inspired by their short start to their long journey north.

“There’s a hardy group of four, we await our missing fifth, like we await the water from storms of the Sléibhte.

Spawns of the sand, tried, true with grit, the trials ahead only bolden our great spirit.

Two ladies of fair, with two lads they’re roving through desert sands to green hills we’re a-coming.

The air gets dense the ground grows green, the vast hills roaming free should soon be seen.

Vagabonds be we for only the time through to our mission and our journey we will hold true.

Two ladies of fair, with two lads they’re roving through desert sands to green hills we’re a-coming.

As if their song was a beckon to the coming storm, at its end a crash of thunder sounded in the distance and the light beginning of rain fell from the dark clouds above. They could see the dark streaks of virga in the direction of the storm’s coming and made any last adjustments to their camp before the heavy rain began to fall.

Lying in their makeshift racks, they were quite content on their choice of cover. Save for the humid air that they were not accustomed to in the dry desert, they remained dry and protected from the wind and rain. The lullaby of the rain storm combined with their physical exhaustion from their travels called them to sleep quickly and they slept well throughout the storm.

The next day, the air was thick with the lingering moisture from the storm but the sky was clear and the land looked slightly greener than it did the night before. They ate some food, packed up and continued on their journey.

The next day of travelling seemed longer than the previous despite the long rest and cooler air. The humidity was more than they were used to and the ground was unfamiliar. As the landscape beneath their feet slowly changed, they felt they could stray further from the Sléibhte Scáthaigh than their previous path. They would need to do so eventually as the boundaries of land among the West Sea began to curve further west and the mountains continued due north. The grass was becoming fuller and they started to see more wild animals wandering about. Wondrous beasts the likes they had never seen in the desert wandered freely, some in herds some individually. Tails had a little notebook out and was scribbling down all the intriguing new finds of both flora and fauna. Sometimes he would urge the group if they could get closer to some of the animals. His wish was granted on occasion to keep the journey interesting; sometimes it was not if the group of animals looked frightening or threatening.

It was getting later in the day and the sun was beginning to touch the peaks of the mountains of shade when the group saw their first sign of development since Cap in the form of an old abandoned stable. The wood was grayish in tone from the decay and the structure did not look like it should still be standing but they knew they might be close to even a small village that could give them better accommodations, if even for a single night, than camping out under the stars.

They continued to move northwest at this time and saw the occasional small tree or lines of bushes off on the horizon. They came up to one of the trees to rest momentarily under the shade. It was not quite late enough for them to camp but the still barren fields almost tempted them to stay there for the night. But after some debate, they decided to keep moving as surely another bit of growth would present itself closer to a more appropriate time for camp.

The sky was still bright but the sun had passed behind the mountains that now became more and more distant as they moved west. They saw another small pack of wild animals grazing in the field that they had yet to see before and Tails once again in his curiosity and desire for further knowledge convinced them to get a closer look. The creatures looked relatively tame and harmless despite their large size. In fact, their perspective of the beasts was skewed from their distance. They were much larger than they appeared. They still looked tame however but they approached with caution. They quickly regretted their persistence in a closer look as suddenly the small herd of these creatures, similar to what one would describe a bison, roared and charged at them. They were swift for their size which added to their danger. The four of them took off in different directions.

Sonic swooped up Amy and sprinted off while Rouge and Tails took to the sky. Knowing their own ‘odd’ abilities they knew they could avoid certain perils but this quick turn of character for the wild animals definitely took them by surprise. The beasts continued their momentum for a bit but then calmed down once they saw their perceived threat to be gone.

“Oi!” A voice shouted out to them.

Tails and Rouge stayed close to each other while airborne and looked down to see a figure a few hundred yards from the herd of beasts now back to lazily grazing on the ground below.

“Are you lot mad?” The question was rhetorical in tone. “Thinking you can just go sneak up on any animals you see out in the wild.”

Sonic was off in the distance a bit, still holding Amy in his arms but standing still listening in as well.

“You all lucky you got odd ways to escape. Meet me over by that tree on that hill over yander!”

The group made their way over to the designated tree that was pointed out to them and they met with the stranger. She was a very tall wolf but not like other Mobian wolves. She seemed more feral in appearance and, without her soft demeanor would otherwise be intimidating. She was hardy however as she clearly lived out in these lands. “Are you all lost?” was the first thing she said to them.

“Not exactly ma’am. We’re travelers.” Amy spoke up.

The wolf stood firm, towering over them. She was barefoot and her feet were not like normal feet as she stood comfortably on her paws. The back of her ankles were far more separated from her toes and appeared more to be mid-calf joints than actual ankles. Her arms were crossed and tufts of hair extended beyond the rest of the length of her fur at the elbows and around her neck. She was quite muscular but it was more from natural physique than anything she worked to gain and maintain. Her snout and ears were longer than normal and her canines protruded from her muzzle even when her mouth was closed.

“Young cubs you all are for travelers, especially out here in the fields. Where you be headed?” Her voice was a little raspy yet delicate and caring. Her eyes showed no hostility.

“Smithwick.” Sonic spoke up.

“Smithwick!” She let out a bit of a hearty laughter. “Travelers for sure! You are still a good two days out or so. Though maybe not with how fast I saw you all scatter earlier. I won’t ask your business in Smithwick but I will ask what you all plan to do for the night.”

“W-we typically have been camping out since Cap.” Tails shyly responded, being a little more daunted than the others.

“Ah, such a brave cub!” She said which gave Tails some extra comfort. “That is a longer journey to here than it is here to Smithwick. Come children, I will give you food and rest tonight. I call myself Búra. What are your names?”

They each introduced themselves and Búra found good humor in the reason behind Tails nickname. She once again drew on Tails’ bravery and though not explicitly saying why, they each connected the dots. None of her mannerism was demeaning but the more she spoke the more comfort they got with just her presence.

They followed her for a good distance. Simply due to her height her stride was much greater than theirs but it was clear she was taking much smaller steps to match the group’s pace. Their conversation on their walk was mostly small talk. She would describe a bit of the land and talk about how the day after next they should start to see the edges of the Green Hills. It was a little peculiar how she never seemed to ask about which Society they belonged to as most people would. Finding a stranger could mean extreme danger if that stranger’s Society has a quarrel with another’s but she never brought up the topic. She didn’t even question how a fox could fly or a hedgehog could run so fast.

Búra brought them to her shelter near a spring. It was neither as big, with the exception of its height due to Búra’s own height, nor as sturdy as the four’s huts back on South Island but it was surely her permanent stay. They entered and were surprised to see two well crafted beds fit for their sizes. The place was not really anything of merit but the homestead fit the character of the large wolf. There was a small place for a fire but it was clear one had not been lit for a long time. Animal hide was hung on the walls and there was a shelf for food and supplies.

“I got these two beds here for you all, probably could suit two to each one. I’ll get some food going for you cubs. I apologize it may take a bit – I don’t typically cook when it’s just myself so I have to prep the flames. Is there anything you all need before I get to it?” She asked sincerely.

The four looked at each other and since no words were spoken Amy answered. “I think we are good for now ma’am. We really appreciate your hospitality.”

The wolf smiled deep and warmly and more of her sharp teeth could be seen in the grin. It was such a happy smile that gave them the impression that simply helping them out gave her great joy. She stepped outside to gather some kindling for the fire.

“This is very kind of her.” Amy spoke up.

Meanwhile, Rouge walked over to one of the beds and threw her body on it. She spread out her arms legs and wings and let out a sigh of relief and relaxation. “Ahhhh, a bed!”

“It is very kind.” Sonic added. “I would say it’s suspicious but…it really doesn’t seem suspicious somehow. It’s weird. But mostly because it doesn’t seem weird.”

“Maybe she just likes to help out?” Tails said.

“It really does seem like it.” Amy agreed.

Búra came back in and laid out some branches and small pieces of wood as the fire was not needing to be a large one, just enough to generate hot coals for cooking. As she did so, Amy looked around the hut again and seeing Rouge sprawled out on one of the beds, Amy noticed there was no apparently place for Búra to sleep. “Excuse me Búra? If the two beds are for us, where are you going to sleep?”

“Oh little one, I have a bed!” She pointed to a pile of hide and cushion in a separate corner. It looked like something a pet would sleep on. The bed itself was pitiful but again her words and tone was deprived of any insincerities; it was not a pitiful declaration but purely an informative one. “Besides…” For the first time in their encounter there was not as much warmth in her voice and her face looked slightly saddened. “I will not be needing a bed tonight.” She stood up, opened the door and looked outside at the dimming light. It was then Amy noticed there were no windows to the hut. “I have a request for you all and it is naught for aid to me but for your safety tonight. I cannot allow cubs and youngins to be lost and uncared for if I come across them. But tonight I will leave sometime before dark and will not return until morning. I ask that you remain indoors tonight and do not, under any circumstances, open the door after I lock it when I take my final leave.”

“Is…there something outside at night?” Tails asked.

“Shame on me, I do not wish to frighten! But only tonight, yes. So long as you do not play further pranks on any wild beasts in your travels, there is nothing you should fret between here and Smithwick.” Back was Búra’s warmth and comfort.

But the tenderness in her words did not curb their curiosity for her slight out of character moment and it was apparent on their faces. “Oh children, do not worry! I am afraid I might have said too much for anyone under my care for just a single night.” Búra looked over to a certain wall in the hut after her statement before looking back at Sonic and the others. Amy noticed this. “There is nothing to fear especially while you sleep comfortably here for the night.” There was no malice in her words or voice and the four knew it. Despite all this, Rouge was sitting up in the bed listening skeptically. “Now let me not delay, you lot must be hungry and tired and you likely soon wish to eat and rest.” She moved her attention back to prepping dinner for her guests.

She lit the small fire and let it burn for a bit. In the meantime she moved to a shelf ladened with jars and containers. She opened one of them and pulled out a still very rare hunk of meat. It was entirely coated in salt as the jar must have been filled with the granules for the purpose of preserving meat. “Be right back, going to wash this in the stream as the coals heat up.” She said and stepped out of the hut.

Amy moved over to the wall Búra briefly glanced at earlier and noticed many small game hides with drawings and etchings on them of faces of many Mobians, mostly young ones from children to young adults. There had to be about twenty of them.

The door swung open and Búra walked back in. “I see you’ve come across my cubs!” Búra said joyfully.

“They’re all your children?” Amy asked inquisitively.

“Not directly, no. But I consider them to be. You are not the first cubs to wander around here that I’ve taken care of and won’t be the last. But those are the ones who needed more than just a night of hospitality. Let me finish the meal and I will tell you about them!”

It was not long before the food was ready and Búra gave each of her guests a bowl of the meal she prepared. It was a thick medley of vegetables and chunks of meat in a broth. The meat was less cooked than what Sonic Amy Rouge and Tails would typically eat but it was very edible. They all sat around the hut and had many conversations. Sonic did not hide his tongue to divulge Búra in some of the stories of their adventure so far and the wolf was captivated through them all. Her hearty laughs at his jokes and clear interest in the stories gave them the sense that they were speaking to a distant relative they had not seen in a long time despite just meeting her. Búra too told them some of her tales and they listened intently as well.

After they had finished their meal, Amy asked about Búra’s ‘cubs’ again. Búra lit up with excitement. “Ah yes!” She stood up and moved over to the wall. They had forgotten how tall she was from their time sitting during their meal and was surprised that she didn’t have to duck and crouch in the hut even though the ceiling was much higher than any of the huts on South Island. “These are pictures of some of the youngins I took care of for long periods of time throughout the years. Some were merely lost, some unfortunately discarded that needed a mother until they were strong enough to venture out on their own.” There was deep admiration in her raspy voice. “Some even were not children, but wounded and injured people that needed help being brought back to health. I loved and cared for each of them and made these etchings to remember them by.”

“That’s very sweet.” Amy said sincerely, being touched by Búra’s call to care.

“Thank you! Each one of them I consider my cubs and each one I hold dear.” She continued. She was quick to retell some accounts of her ‘cubs’ and remembered in detail many aspects of those she cared for. She would go down the line and pick out a few to tell the group about them – their names, why they were brought in, how long they stayed with her and how long ago. With some of the accounts, they picked up that Búra must have been much older than she appeared to be, even older the Uncle Chuck and yet she still seemed like a mother mid-life.

She stopped and turned back to her guests. “Ah! I am so sorry for rambling.”

“No need to worry Búra, it seems you really loved them.” Rouge spoke up.

“That I do.”

“Have any of them come back to visit?” Amy asked.

“Aye! A good deal of them, mostly the ones I helped raise so to speak. Some of the older ones that came with wounds have moved on as I would expect them to but yes, a good deal of the others came back throughout the years. Was always good to see their faces and how their lives were treating them.”

“That’s a lot of people you’ve helped care for ma’am.” Tails observed.

“And there’s even more not on this wall; many young that passed through briefly like yourselves. But that’s enough of a wolf talking about her cubs. You all must be getting tired.” Búra said with a smile.

As if they had forgotten about their exhaustion from travelling and camping the past few days, they were suddenly reminded and each reignited their desire for good rest.

Rouge immediately stood up and moved over to the bed to sit on it. “I know I am.” She said. “We can’t thank you enough for hosting us Búra. I’ve longed for a nice bed each night.”

“I’m sure! I’m happy to provide.” She said warmly. But the tenderness was cut off by another brief change of her demeanor. Suddenly she groaned in discomfort and clenched her chest. “Oh.” She said simply. This brought concern to Sonic Amy Rouge and Tails. “It’s about that time I get going.” She said through a grunt. “Before I make my leave, is there anything you need? Feel free to grab any of the hides off the wall if you need extra warmth but the beds are primed for you as is.”

“I can’t think of anything Búra. Is everything alright?” Sonic asked concerned.

“Oh yes, don’t fret about me.” She answered as she moved toward the door. “Just rest up.” She grabbed a small pack and put it over her shoulder. “Any last needs before I go? Once I leave I won’t be back until morning and again I ask you to stay inside in that time.” Her leave seemed rather sudden but the group ensured her that they would be fine. “I will see you all in the morning! Sleep well.” She continued to speak warmly despite her clear discomfort.

She made her way out the door and closed it behind her. There were some noises heard as she did so that sounded like locks despite the primitive nature of the hut. Another noise was heard, as if something was being dragged outside, and then silence. The four looked around at each other unsure what to make of the matter but was still overtaken by her kindness and care, as well as tiredness and the desire to sleep in a comfortable bed, to investigate. They made their way to the beds and got comfortable. Sonic and Tails were in one and Amy and Rouge in the other and they quickly fell asleep.

…

At some time in the night, Tails awoken. He leaned up and could tell from the lack of light seeping through the door and the cracks of the hut that it was still late in the night. He rolled over to go back to sleep when he heard a deep growl off in the distance. It was so faint and far off that he wished Rouge was awake as she would be the only one of the group who could hear it better. He tried to ignore it and get back to sleep but just as he tried, he heard another growl and then a bone-chilling howl. His fur stood on end and he got out of bed instinctively. With there being no windows in the hut, he moved cautiously over to the door. With a shaking hand, he tried to push it open but was unable to. He tried to peer through some of the crack and saw not only was it locked but also blocked outside by a large log. With hesitation, he remembered the sincerity of Búra and trusted her words and moved back to the bed where exhaustion once again took over and he was back asleep.

…

Morning came and Tails was the first to rise. He had forgotten about the event from the night and got up to stretch. He made his way to a water container that was left out for them and took a good few drinks. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Búra curled up sound asleep in her ‘bed’ in the corner. She was breathing deeply in her sleep and had no impression of waking up in that moment.

The others slowly awoke and followed almost in the same ritual as Tails did. He pointed out the sleeping wolf to the others and they spoke quietly for the time being. The door was clear and unlocked and they went outside to see what that day brung. It seemed to still be early morning but the sun was out and the land looked green and welcoming.

Not long after, Búra woke up. Her animalistic behaviors seemed more pronounced as she rolled around in her bed. She gave a bit of a groan as she stretched out and let out a hefty yawn. Her tongue extended far out of her mouth as her jaw snapped open and closed and one of her ears twitched a bit as she stood up.

“Good morning children.” She said. Her voice was tired and much raspier than before but the motherly warmth was still there. “Did you sleep well?”

“We did, thank you!” Rouge responded sounding very rejuvenated.

“Good to hear.”

Búra prepared a morning meal for her guests and they packed up ready for the next day of travel. Búra gave them some extra supplies and told them the best route to get to Smithwick. Sonic Amy Rouge and Tails gave her their sincerest thanks and Búra just looked happy to help. They said their goodbyes and made their way back toward the Green Hills and their next destination.

As they left her hut, Tails noticed paw prints in the ground that slowly got bigger as they went off down a different path. He wanted to follow them but knew they needed to get going. All the while, he remembered the growls and howl he heard in the night and couldn’t stop thinking about it. His mind was brought to an old tale he remembered hearing long ago, most likely from Uncle Chuck, about a wolf-like being called a faoladh. Traits of that tale seemed to mirror their encounter with Búra.

#chaos societies #episode 8 #The Leaving of South Island and Búra of the Fields #sonic au #sth #some lore and character before further progression #sonic the hedgehog #amy rose #miles tails prower #rouge the bat #syphon

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nuaahindia2 · 3 years

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What’s Your Favorite Category In Women’s Fashion?

It is often considered that the basic human needs are food, clothes & shelter which one way another points out to the fact that fashion industry somehow plays a vital industry in a person’s life. But fashion as an element is much diversified as it covers various aspects including footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle & body proportion. It also varies from time to time & place to place but fashion as an element has been a very influential element in a person's life. Though the medium have varied as the per the evolution which we have observed from time to time, but it has open domain in various aspects of not only developing fashion but also projecting it in an appealing way

Prominent Category In Women’s Fashion

Fashion is a diversified element not only in terms of art but a variety of distinctions to represent yourself. But fashion as an element does change from time to time and that is how we dwell up with the same to up our game of lifestyle. Hence we get a chance to see a diversified way of fashion right from western clothing to Indian & fusion wear which are as follows:

Indian & Fusion Wear

Fusion Wear is one of the upcoming popular styles of fashion which is getting popular slowly and gradually in the market these days. It basically a creative blend of styles of any two or more cultures. One of the prominent names in Fusion Wear is Silhouettes which are basically from the western influence but blended with Indian textile. That is how it gets the name of being a fusion wear.

Western Wear

The prominence of western wear started from the west, mostly from the South Western United States i.e. Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and many more. The essence of western wear started basically from clothing derived in unique style which used to comprise of t-shirt, bodycon, shift, shift waist, strapless & classic western long dress. But in gradual times western dress has slowly and gradually started not only in terms of appearance but style as well. Some of the examples for the same are as follows:

Prominent Sub-Category In Women’s Fashion

Sub-Categories Of India & Fusion Wear

Kurtis & Tunics

One of the prominent forms of ethnic Indian fashion which is usually being utilized as a form of fashion in various occasions. Kurtis & tunics are basically long-sleeved, collar-less tunic worn by women throughout South East Asia. If you are looking out for buying such kurtis & tunics then you can buy at various market places like women kurti online india.

Lehengas

One of the most prominent for of fashion been used in one of the premier occasion like marriage & many more. Lehenga is a form of ankle-length skirt from India sub continent. If you are looking out for buying such kurtis & tunics then you can buy at various market places like women kurti online india.

Sub-Categories Of Western Wear

Jumpsuits

Jumpsuits are basically a one piece garment with sleeves & legs & typically without integral coverings for hands, feet’s or heads. If you are looking out for buying such jumpsuits then you can buy at various market places like women western clothing.

Sleepwear & Night Suits

One of the most comfort range of clothing which are been used during lounging and sleeping. The reason why the come under the comfort range is because its an easy fit in soft fabrics. If you are looking out for buying such sleepwear & night suits then you can buy at various market places like women western clothing.

If you are looking out for more such products related to womens indian wear, kids clothing online india, mens footwear online, home accessories from india. The Nuaah is the best platform to reach out for being your Indian bazaar for all your needs.

To Know More:https://www.nuaah.com/

#womens western clothing #women accessories avaliable online

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katehuntington · 5 years

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Title: Ride With Me (part fifteen) Fandom: Supernatural Timeline: 2008 Pairing: Dean x Reader Word count: ±5200 words Summary series: Y/N is a talented horse rider who is on her way to become a professional. In order to convince her father that she deserves the loan needed to start her own farm, she goes to Arizona for six months, to intern at a ranch owned by Bobby and Ellen Singer. Her future is set out, but then she meets a handsome horseman, who goes by the name of Dean Winchester. A heartwarming series about a cowboy who falls for the girl, letting go of the past and the importance of family. Summary part fifteen: The sun rises and it’s time to bring the herd home, but not before Dean reconnects with an old friend. Warnings series: NSFW, 18+ only! Fluff, angst, eventually smut. Swearing, smoking, alcohol intoxication, alcohol abuse. Mutual pining, heartbreak. Crying, nightmares, childhood trauma. Description of animal abuse, domestic violence, mentions of addiction. Financial problems, stress, mental breakdown. Description of blood and injury, hospital scenes, character death, grief. Music: Dean & Rocko scene: ‘Road To Perdition’ - The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Final scene: ‘Ride’ - Hans Zimmer. Check out ‘Kate Huntington’s Ride With Me playlist’ on Spotify! Author’s note: It’s about damn time, ain’t it? Thank you @kittenofdoomage, @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish and @winchest09 for helping me. You girls are awesome betas and friends.

Ride With Me Masterlist

Slow hoofbeats, little rocks and earth crunching underneath the thousand pound animal. Surprisingly light on its feet, never disturbing the quiet, as it scours the land for the last grass of the season. Calm breaths, taking in over a gallon of oxygen with each inhalation, followed by a soft purring sound when the air is pushed out through the nose. The cold of the night lingers and the air condensates. The first glint of the sun catches the moist clouds coming from its nostrils, turning the fierce creature into a dragon. Kind eyes, calm when it’s safe, but scanning the environment nevertheless, always on the lookout for predators. Pointy ears, flitting back and forth independently, picking up even the smallest whisper, like two little space antennas scanning the sky.

Dean watches the herd from a distance, with Y/N still sound asleep in his arms. He can tell she’s exhausted, because she didn’t stir once in the past three hours. The cowboy made sure she was fully covered with the unzipped sleeping bag, holding her close to keep her warm. She seems so comfortable, so trusting; it humbles him. Apparently she’s completely at ease being so close, her self-consciousness burned away by his never ending adoration. Of course he noticed the hesitation when they all went for a swim yesterday evening. She wanted to disappear, covering herself with her arms crossed in front of her chest, her expression shameful. And then there was the insecurity just hours ago, her mind clearly spiraling when he couldn’t give her the confirmation she so desperately seeks. Dean wonders what happened for her to lack confidence. If she has some douchebag ex-boyfriend maybe, who didn’t treat her right.

Staying awake wasn’t any trouble overnight, because he had plenty to think about. He’s not the guy to analyse his every thought, he'd rather stuff it all down and ignore them all together. But spending several hours under the Yucca tree, in an embrace with the one person that has his mind reeling, left him no option. So many questions, so much doubt. He wishes he had more answers, he wishes he could have a glance into the future in order to tell if he’s on the right path. If he can make it work with her, if he can step up to become the man she’s looking for. If she will stay with him, even after the internship, because the thought of her leaving brings back an anxiety that he used to experience when his family threatened to fall apart, which is exactly what happened, eventually. He came to one conclusion, though; he’s not going to let her go.

His gaze remains absently fixed on the horses, who have moved a few hundred yards closer. The oldest stallion of the herd had spotted the wranglers about an hour ago, but after careful observation decided that they weren’t a threat. It’s a beautiful sight, beams peeking over the mountain range, framing the horses’ silhouettes with gold. Small bugs twirl in the air like fireflies, surrounding the large animals. Dean squints and tips his head forward when the rising sun becomes brighter. The warmth is welcome; he hasn’t moved an inch over the past hours, not wanting to wake Y/N, causing the cold to settle in his bones.

A new dawn means they’ve got work to do and Dean is left no choice but to wake the heavy sleeper. The arrival of morning does the job for him, however; even with her eyes closed, the light seeps through. It triggers her to turn into him and hide her face in the crook between his shoulder and his chest. Y/N grunts, disagreeing with the time, and Dean sniggers. He’s not much of a morning person either, but his intern takes the cake. “Mornin’, Yankee.” She opens one eye and looks up, meeting an amused yet adoring smile. “Morning…” Groggy, she rubs her face with the back of her hand. “Five more minutes?” “You’ll miss the view,” Dean says, nodding at the horizon.

His eyes reflect the scenery he’s beholding, the colors vibrant as the sun hits them just right, adding amber to the jade in his irises. It peaks her interest, and Y/N turns her head to face the new day. Only leaving a crack for the light to pass her long lashes, she takes in the mesmerizing scenery. On the edges of her vision, a darker shade of blue transitions into a lighter one, the tones changing from cold to warm as they enclose the sun. Cirrus clouds catch the first rays, curling across the sky like wisps of silk hair. From cobalt to pale turquoise, from apricot to saffron. The painter of this picture used every color on the spectrum. And smack in the middle, the sun rises. So bright, she seems to be aware that planets orbit around her. The Superstition Mountains stand proud and tall in the south, the peaks catching the early light, making the volcanic formations seem blood orange, as if lava is erupting from the earth once again.

The herd is only a couple of hundred yards away now, grazing calmly. They don’t seem to be aware of the humans sitting on the top of the hill, almost as if Y/N is in a cinema, watching a gigantic movie screen. It would explain the idyllic Wild West decor, because such magic can only be created with CGI in a Hollywood studio. But they are here. Y/N can smell the air, sweet and earthy. She can hear the wind rustling small bushes and blowing gently through the canyons. She can feel Dean, the warmth radiating from his large form that has enveloped her. “It’s breathtaking,” she says softly, leaning into him. He places a soft kiss on her hair, and she smiles, content. “Thanks for letting me sleep.” He shrugs it off. “You needed it. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.” Y/N sits up and rolls her neck to loosen her muscles. “It’s going to be intense, isn’t it?” she guesses, getting to her feet. “I’d call it adventurous and exciting,” Dean chuckles, stretching his back now that he can move freely again. “Just like the old spaghetti westerns, y’know? Well… without the gun slinging and bounty hunts. It’ll be awesome, trust me.”

Y/N sniggers, strolling around the Yucca tree to meet her horse. She finds it cute how the tough cowboy, who’s closing in on thirty, is beaming like a little kid. After ruffling Joplin’s mane, she takes a small case from one of the saddlebags, which holds her toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. She has found a new level of appreciation for these simple products of hygiene, given that she has been stripped from luxury and has to do with the absolute necessary. Especially since she’s not just kissing Dean in her dreams these days.

Looking forward to the day on his doorstep, Dean pulls his radio phone from the front saddlebag, turning it on and twisting the knob to find the channel. “Benny? Come in?” He lets go of the PTT button, the device beeping once when he does, then it’s quiet for a moment. Mirroring Y/N’s actions, he one handedly fishes out his toothbrush as well, but when his friend doesn’t respond, he pushes the talk button again. “You better get your lazy ass out of bed, Lafitte. Gotta bring the horses in.” Dean clips the radio to his belt. He has brushed his teeth, rinsed his mouth and cleaned his face by the time the farrier replies. “Good mornin’ to you too, Chief.” Dean grins at the slightly cynical tone of the Southerner. He pushes the button again, moving the speaker closer to his mouth. “We’re with the herd, on Black Top Mesa, close to Dutchman’s Trailhead. Ya’ll ready to move?” “Sure am, just cooking up some breakfast to go. Do you want some or did you already eat out?”

Y/N has never timed taking a sip of water worse, because it comes out through both her mouth and nose. Dean stares at her mortified before he snaps the walkie talkie to his mouth. “She can hear ya, you jackass!” he returns, his voice higher than he anticipated. “Oh, I bet she can.” The head wrangler shuts his eyes and cringes, turning away from Y/N to hide his red face. His free hand goes for his belt loop first, then rubs the back of his neck, before wiping the sweat on the denim of his jeans. Shit, this is embarrassing. “I - I - We… You know what? I don’t owe you an explanation,” he hisses into the radio phone. “I’m just saying, brother, if you haven’t yet, it’s gonna take us at least forty five minutes to get to ya, so--” “- Over and out, Benny!”

Quickly, he turns the device off, breathes out, and scoffs. That son of a bitch. Dean isn’t sure how he’s going to make Benny pay just yet, but he will taste his wrath. He carefully glances over his shoulder to check on Y/N, who he finds with her hand clasped over her mouth, trying her very best to contain her giggles. “You think that’s funny, huh?” he mutters, flustered. She laughs warm and hearty, wiping tears from her eyes as she approaches the cowboy. “You don’t need enemies with friends like him, that’s a given,” she chuckles.

He glances at her, his mouth pulling into a smile. She can spot a hint of relief, now that he knows she’s taking it well, but blood still warms his cheeks, making his freckles invisible. It amazes her every single time how all that confidence washes away once he loses direction. Benny was just teasing him, Dean must be aware of that. Besides, it’s not like the green eyed wrangler to take things easy, as he said so himself, so it’s not strange his Southern friend figured he covered at least a couple of bases overnight. She can feel a blush add color to her face as well, when the thought crosses her mind. Honestly, she too silently hoped he would have gone ‘down that road’.

“Well, unfortunately he assumed wrong,” she addresses boldly, taking the collar of his stockman coat gently between her thumb and index finger, reeling him in. “But he was right about them taking at least forty five minutes to get here.” Stunned eyes flick over her features, wondering if he’s imagining things or if she really just gained the confidence he’s lacking at this very moment. Once again she blows him off his feet with her newfound assertiveness, like she does every so often. Shit, she’s sexy when she takes the lead like that. “He sure was,” he returns, his hands now moving to her waist. “I know we agreed to take it easy,” she tilts her head slightly, folding her arms around his neck now. “So what should we do with all that time?”

Dean smirks at her from under his hat, shaking his head amused without breaking eye contact. What a tease. He couldn’t resist her to save his own life. Her radiance is brighter than the rising sun behind her. The pull he’s experiencing, the level of attraction, it’s so strong; he knows he’s going to have a tough time sticking to his boundaries. He has to, though, he has to do right by her. But that doesn’t mean they can’t have a little fun along the way. “I got a few ideas,” he implies. Before Y/N knows it, the strong wrangler lifts her up, pulling a squeal from within her, followed by a fit of giggles. He adjusts his grip when she folds her legs around his middle, smothering her sly grin with a sweet kiss. The low chuckle that escapes his throat sounds both gentle and gruff, adding to the wholesome sensation that fills her chest. By the Yucca tree, he lowers himself to the ground, still holding the cowgirl in his arms until she has found her balance and straddles his lap, a knee buried in the gravelly sand on either side of him. The intimate connection strengthens as they get lost in the moment, the laughs dying down, eyes falling shut.

Dean lets his fingers wander over the fabric of her clothes, tracing the lines of her neck, her spine, the curves of her hips. Feeling no pressure that this needs to lead somewhere right now calms him, because even though it’s proven to be difficult to keep their hands off each other, he knows she will give him the space he needs and, despite this little tease, she respects him more than he respects himself. He makes a little mental note when she whimpers, as he continues to leave a trail of kisses from the corner of her mouth, down her throat and her collarbone. Dean might not go down on the beautiful cowgirl today, but he will remember the little touches that make her sigh and squirm.

Their agreement to take it slow, combined with Benny’s remark, sparked something new. Since their first kiss, she has been willing, eager for more, but now that what she wants is just out of reach, she finds it difficult to control herself. He can tell in the way she touches him, the audible breaths that reach his hearing when their mouths aren’t sealed together, the longing in her eyes when she opens them for a brief second. Dean never thought he would say it, but taking their time might have an advantage he hadn’t considered before. Teasing him, tempting her… it’s an interesting way to pass the time. Making each other wait might feel like a torturous game right now, but when the moment does arrive for them to take things to the next level, it’s going to be something else. And just like that, the bachelor who didn’t waste a second to get around with so many women, doesn’t mind waiting for the one.

The two lay together for at least half an hour, making out like teenagers. Sweet touches, cute giggles, all smiles. If they could freeze time, they would. But when Dean glances north and notices the dust clouds coming from La Barge Canyon, they have to interrupt the intimacy; Benny and the others are on their way.

Five minutes later, Dean shrugs off his long coat, now that the sun has cast out the crisp of the night. He folds it up tightly and stuffs it into one of his saddlebags. Y/N has already mounted Joplin, at home in the Tucker trail saddle. The mare didn’t entirely awaken from her slumber apparently, because for once in her life, she stands still and doesn’t bounce around impatiently like a bronc in the holding box at the rodeo. Her rider has her wrists crossed on the horn, the reins casually between her fingers, as she stares at the herd ahead. “That’s the leader, isn’t it?” she says.

Dean turns his head, looking at the dark bay horse, who stands between them and his congeners. The animal stares back, ears perked forward, one of them flicking back to the herd every now and them. The stallion observes him carefully, he doesn’t seem entirely sure how to deal with the presence of humans. He’s alert, ready to bolt and take his herd to safety, yet at the same time curious. Understandable, because these youngsters spent most of their life living as feral horses, only seeing men when they were moved from the reservation to the large winter pastures closer to the ranch, and back to the mountains when spring was around the corner. “Yeah, seems like it,” Dean confirms, watching the beautiful creature. He returns his gaze to the task at hand, tying the sleeping bag behind Ted’s saddle, but then realization hits him. Wait a minute, is that…? The wrangler turns to face the interested horse again, who is looking at him from about two hundred yards away, like he seems to recognize the cowboy as well. Y/N glances from the wrangler to the horse and back. “Dean?”

But he doesn’t respond, slowly stepping away from Ted, narrowing his eyes to see better. The horse’s mane grew long, his forelock covering his face, the black hair growing all the way down to his nose, but a hint of a blaze still visible through the curtain. Dark brown eyes take Dean in as the stallion waits, so still that one could mistake him for a statue, save the wind playing with his tail. The low vegetation hides the white markings on his legs, so the wrangler can’t tell for sure. It can’t be. He couldn’t have grown that big, he wouldn’t be the alpha, he reminds himself. But besides the horse’s size and rank within the herd, there’s nothing that indicates the animal, isn’t him.

Dean moves his hand to his mouth, pressing the tabs of his thumb and index finger together, creating a circle, before he places them on his lips. He inhales and whistles sharply. The sheer, high-pitched sound moves across the land, reaching ears miles away. The ears the whistle was meant for, pick up the unique sound too and instantly the caution and doubt in the horse’s stance is gone. He neighs back, loud and strong, confirming Dean’s suspicion. “Well, I’ll be damned…” he breathes. “You two know each other?” Y/N wonders. Dean beams. “Yeah, we go way back.”

He leaves Ted and Y/N on top of the hill, carefully making his way down the slope without spooking the feral horse. But the stallion doesn’t feel threatened anymore, now that he recognizes Dean. He jogs up to him, taking a few more steps before he halts. Friendly eyes take in the wrangler, his nostrils flaring when Dean tentivally reaches, picking up his scent. As a content smile spreads across Dean’s face, he lets his fingertips brush the horse’s nose, soft as velvet. He takes another step, gliding the palm of his hand up his jaw now, to his cheek and then down his neck, following the flow of the horse’s dark hair. The short summer coat has already partly been replaced, now that the cold of winter will arrive in a month or so. Last time Dean saw him, he was barely two years old. A youngster, a boney juvenile, who was a tad small. Obviously the fellow needed more time. That’s why the wrangler gave his horse another year to grow. It worked out well, because look at him now. “Hey, bud,” Dean says softly, ruffling the horse’s mane. “You got big.”

From a distance, Y/N watches the reunion. She doesn’t know the whole story, but the connection between man and animal is unmistakably strong. They have a place in each other’s hearts and even though they have been apart for a while, that didn’t change. The leader of the herd, who one would expect to be dominant, accepts a human touch without hesitation. It’s an unusual response for a horse who has lived off the grid for years.

Warmth fills her chest, a smile on her lips, similar to the one Dean carries. It’s incredible to witness him around the animals that captivate them both. She has enjoyed his interactions many times before, watching him handle them on the ground, seeing him ride. Always kind, always respectful. He has a way with horses that is special. Her grandfather would have said he’s gifted. He also would have given her a thumbs up. Grandpa always offered wise words, often followed by silence, the quiet giving them even more strength. One of his sayings comes to mind: You can judge a man’s character by the way he treats his horses. Well then, if that’s a given, then Dean is definitely one of the kindest and most loving souls she has come across.

The wrangler rubs the stallion’s shoulder, before he slowly turns around. He tries to beckon the beautiful dark horse with a simple shoulder movement, using only body language to invite the large animal to follow him. After a moment of hesitation, during which the stallion glances at his herd and back at his human, he follows. No rope, no pressure, no constraint, but free will. It’s hard to miss the pleased expression on Dean’s face when he looks up at the cowgirl, who still watches from Joplin’s back. “I know country boys aren’t known for manners, but aren’t you going to introduce your friend?” she jokes.

The stallion stops at the bottom of the small hill, aware that as the leader of his group, he still has a task to fulfill. He stands tall, checking on the herd, the autumn breeze catching his tangled mane, folding his tail around his hind legs. He looks almost mythical. “His name is Rock N’ Roll.” Dean takes him in, proudly. “But he goes by Rock’o.” “Is he yours?” she asks, curiously. The wrangler nods. “I was there when he was born. He had a rough start in life. I bottle fed him the first couple of months.” Amazed, she smiles at him. “No wonder you two are close.” He returns her expression, taking a moment to absorb the image of both the woman who is conquering his heart, and his horse who already claimed it years ago. “It’s gonna be much easier to bring in the herd with him on our side,” Dean says, moving to Ted’s left side, after which he puts his foot in the stirrup and swings the other over the saddle. “We have to handle it delicately, but he trusts me.” “You think he will follow you?” Y/N assumes, keeping Joplin on the spot, who seems to have woken up from her nap, now that Dean mounted his horse as well. “No, but he will keep the herd together. It's a misconception that the stallion leads the group. They are usually in the rear, driving up stragglers,” Dean explains.

The head wrangler glances over his shoulder at the growing dust cloud, an indication that Benny and the rest of the crew are closing in. Within a minute, he spots the four riders and their pack horses coming over the hill. The mischievous grin on the Southerner’s face can be spotted from far away. “Had a nice mornin’ ride, Chief?” he nags under his breath, once he has joined the two riders. Dean shoots him a glare, his fiery green eyes demanding him to shut up without using actual words. Y/N heard the farrier, however, and no one is prepared for the comeback. “Oh, we didn’t have time. Forty-five minutes isn’t nearly enough for what I had in mind,” she counters casually.

Dean snorts, caught by surprise, while Benny cocks his head at the intern, staring at her bug-eyed. Y/N doesn’t give the the blue-eyed cowboy another second of her attention and leads her horse to Ted, her fingertips briefly touching Dean’s thigh as she passes him, before she rides down the hill, her head held high. Amused, the head wrangler waits for his friend to catch the wide grin on his face, which he does once Benny snaps out of his trance. He shakes his head sniggering, his laugh rumbling deep and low in his chest. “Brother, you are in way over your head,” he states. “She’s a pistol.” Dean admittingly raises his brow, nodding in agreement while watching her ride off. “She sure is.”

“Yah!” In full gallop Y/N speeds up along the left flank of the herd, directing the horses back to a compact group every time they fan out. Benny and Macy are leading, Dean tailing, while Brad and Jon cover the right side. The head wrangler wasn’t lying when he said that it was going to be exciting, because she feels like she’s living a Wild West fantasy.

Joplin has her ears in her neck as she sprints away, cutting off two stallions who fan out. Her rider doesn’t even have to give a signal, the feisty dark mare knows exactly what to do. Even though she is smaller than the others, she stands her ground and didn’t think twice when one of the juvenile stallions took an interest in her. With a squeal and a firm kick she made clear not to mess with her, her zero-tolerance attitude keeping them at a safe distance. Y/N had a hunch Joplin was good at the job, otherwise Dean wouldn’t have chosen the strong minded horse for his intern, but she didn’t expect her partner to be this fierce. Unflagging, focussed, and fast as a bullet. It’s an absolute thrill to work with her.

They pursued the herd into O’Grady Canyon, the higher cliffs on both sides helping the wranglers keep them together. They passed the rock formations of Tim’s Saddle and Dean and Y/N briefly exchanged a look and a smile as they crossed the small creek. Revisiting the place where they shared their first kiss only two days ago feels special, that night’s energy still in the air. So much has happened since, and yet their journey has only just begun.

After a quick drinking pause, they continued, before the herd could fall apart. Some of the animals are restless, while others follow a lot more calmly. Using horses instead of dirt bikes or even a helicopter is a lot less stressful for the feral animals, but being chased makes them nervous nonetheless. Rocko’s laid back attitude towards the humans keeps the panic in the herd contained to a minimum, though.

Thankfully, the weather is working in their favor for a change. A cool breeze is sweeping across the terrain and swishing through the canyons, keeping the temperature from rising to the heights it reached in the past couple of days. It’s a good thing the conditions are a lot more tolerable, because the riding is intense. The wind, together with the stampede, does kick up a lot of sand, engulfing the wranglers in clouds of earthy particles. Dean, being at the back of the herd, has pulled his neckerchief over his nose, keeping the dust from entering his lungs.

Halfway through the afternoon, the wranglers have managed to guide the group of horses safely down the slopes on the east banks of the Superstitions. A time consuming detour, but crossing the mountains without a herd is challenging enough, not to mention with over a dozen wild animals added to the clan. After descending the much smoother slopes for hours on end, the canyon functioning as a tunnel and relieving the pressure from the riders, the walls on either side fan out. Before them lays the valley, the small town of Gold Canyon in the far distance to the west, the sun edging towards it as the day begins to close in on the night.

“Yankee!” It’s Dean who gets her attention, his voice rising above the sound of the stampede. Y/N turns in the saddle while she continues to follow the movement of her horse with her hips. Behind her, three young stallions have wandered away from the group in a matter of seconds. Joplin hasn’t noticed them yet, fixed on holding the flank ahead, but when her rider moves her hand to the left, she rolls away like a fighter jet. The little dark mare needs no encouragement and is at full speed within five strides, shooting across the terrain at a speed of forty miles an hour. Y/N has bent over Joplin’s neck, staying low in order to increase the aerodynamics. The fast rhythmic sound of hoofbeats tremor the ground, the wind rushes in her ears and drags tears from the corners of her eyes. The two cut off the youngsters, redirecting them back to the herd like they have been doing this together for years. Y/N’s partner in crime pushes her ears back and snaps her teeth, not so kindly advising the horses to hurry it up or else, triggering her rider to grin at her feisty character. Once the three join the others, the cowgirl lets out a cheer, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Dean was absolutely right, this is just like a spaghetti western.

They ride along the promontory of the mountains to their right, roughly following the Lost Goldmine trail. By the time the company passes a volcanic remnant called Turk’s Head, the sky begins to change, adding orange to the blues. A glance at her old watch tells her it’s 5.10 PM. Three days ago she kept feeling her back pocket for her phone whenever she needed to know the time, or felt the urge to check her messages, but not having her Iphone with her turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Who would want to stare at a screen and miss all the good stuff?

Ted’s strides are long and consistent, not a trace of fatigue noticeable with the bay gelding. From behind the group, Dean should have a good overview, if it wasn’t for the dust clouds obstructing his vision. The small particles cling to his skin, his lashes, the fabric of his clothes. He can still see the boys holding their ground well on the right, the steep slopes running up into the peaks of the Flatiron assisting them, working as a funnel. Benny and Macy are keeping a good pace; if they continue at this speed, they will be home before dinner. Y/N is doing outstanding on the other flank, forming a dream team with eager little Joplin. Thankfully, Dean has eyes up ahead, because the radio on his belt begins to crack. “Two miles to go, Chief!” Dean takes the radio phone and presses the PTT button before he answers. “Let’s bring them home, brother.”

With his thumb he twists the channel nob, switching to number four, before he calls in again. They should be within the perimeter now. “Bobby, do you read me?” It’s quiet for a moment, but then the static breaks. “Loud and clear, son.” The head wrangler smiles, glad to be delivering good news after three days and nights filled with nerve wrecking moments. Treacherous terrain, suffocating heat. Drought, snakes, minor injuries. “We’re comin’ in hot. Thirty minutes.” “The gates are open. I’ll tell Ellen to put the casserole in the oven.” Dean’s mouth begins to water when his aunt’s famous dish is mentioned. No disrespect to Benny, but after all that canned food, he can’t wait to sink his teeth into that delicious corn, beef, and onion stocked, stomach filling meal. “In that case, I’ll make it twenty. Over.” “We’re ready for ya. Over and out.”

The head wrangler hooks the radio back on his belt and glances aside. Rocko is galloping about thirty yards to his left, ahead by a few nose lengths. Sweat shimmers on his neck and shoulders, his dark bay coat almost black now. With big, powerful strides he pushes forward like a steam train, yet agile, maneuvering past rocks, cacti, and bushes. Even untrained, he has grown into a strong horse. Dean can’t wait to work with him. To strengthen that bond even more, to teach him. Watching the stallion by his side and under Dean’s wing as it were, fills him with pride already. It’s at this moment that Dean realizes; this horse is going to be something else.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate every single one of you, but if you do want to give me some extra love, you are free to reblog my work or buy me coffee (Link in bio at the top of the page)

Read part sixteen here

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