#VAN OWNS A TINY BIT OF COLOUR

[vanmccannsfridge]

never seen these before…

from 5th feb in milan!

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

Charlie Morningstar Redesign! (4/7)

It’s the girl herself!!!

I could NOT stand the red in her suit so i made it a much nicer soft cream colour! I think red is a lovely colour but in the case of someone like Charlie who wants to brand herself as approachable and welcoming, a strong harsh red all over is not the way to go. The red of her horns and lower hooves and vest is already more than enough red and it pairs very nicely with the yellows and gold accents in the rest of her design in my opinion!

I always tend to draw her with this big hopeful eyes to contrast the kind of scary look that rectangle pupils give and I think it reflects her character pretty well. Charlie is absolutely a sweetheart but when angry her eyes become flatter and more threatening. She’s literally offered to kill a guy for Angel once so she has to have some kick in her, plus horns are good for stabbing! And accessories!! Like cute chains!!!!! My original Charlie redesign had her with a little apple cuff on her horn and I do miss it a little, but I think she looks alright without it too :3 she keeps it in a dresser somewhere

I’ve never drawn or designed a character with cloven hoof hands but I think I might do it more often after this. Thinking about her writing or typing with the little clicky sounds makes my brain happy and honestly walking with hooves has that special flair that heels just cannot achieve. Since she’s the hotel owner/staff she also gets her own custom little nametag like Niffty (the rest if the staff have them as well but not all of them wear them all the time like Husk, Van/Vaggie, or Alastor) I personally think Charlie made them all herself and let everyone write their own names, but she enjoyed picking colours and all that :)

Her red cheek things were a bit strange to me and I gotta be honest I didn’t like them very much so I replaced them with a softer peach gradient on her cheeks and hips to give an extra warmness to her. I want her to seem like the kind of person that can give a REALLY firm handshake and also a very good hug and talk about anything. Oh her little wave is supposed to look kind of like that weird royal wave I see those royal people do sometimes. I thought it’d be a cute little thing to add slightly-off regal mannerisms where I could.

I hope the goat motifs came through well enough, I really like abnormal legs (you will begin to notice this soon) and they really just add so much personality to me I love working with them. I wanted Charlie to be kind of chubby and soft looking hence the colour choice leaning more towards warm rather than hot and trying to use less pointed shapes with her like the little gold ball tassels on her bolo-tie. About the bolo-tie! The little gem on the inside is purple to symbolise the pride ring, but it also allows direct transport to other layers of hell. Sinners cannot use this even if they get their hands on it, but it’s still incredibly rare and valuable because of materials and such. It’s like an eco friendly private jet. Maybe Taylor Swift should get her hands on one of these! :)

And if anyone was wondering yes I did want the purple to also look a bit like a nether portal.. it was a good opportunity.

The last little details I want to note are the faint heart motifs on her ear and hooves. For the hooves it’s really cheesy but I think the metaphorical idea of leaving a tiny bit of love wherever she goes is cute and I like being sappy. The ear heart being a tear has always meant some kind of “hurt to get what you love” thing to me. I don’t fully know how to describe it but it’s not in a toxic mentality, she just does a lot of stressful stuff to get her dreams and passions going and I think shes great for that.

I plan on drawing her true form eventually and maybe showing a little animation of transformation (I just want an excuse to draw her tail again)

Overall Charlie is one of my favourites to draw and write for, shes just such a sweetie and I love her to death 🩷 she is quite literally the heart of the hotel and she is doing her best! Excited to post again later today :3 📻

[reignofsiderians]

Now that I finally have the space; I wanted to do more traditional art and I was inspired by a photo taken by my friend River (riverraven.deviantart.com) when she came to visit me in my new house. But of course, I had to drop a few Siderians in the scene and I picked a rather happy family: Yava & Falkner + kids: Falco, Winther and Torstein (also draw in this order). They had just been on a successful hunt but the two nearly adolescents, Falco and Winther, are having a disagreement about the big chunk of meat that they are trying to bring along while Torstein (who is much younger) proudly carries his own little piece.

See here their referencesheets: https://www.deviantart.com/felisglacialis/art/Yava-reference-sheet-206242233 https://www.deviantart.com/felisglacialis/art/Falkner-reference-sheet-227111808 https://www.deviantart.com/felisglacialis/art/Falco-referencesheet-847744333 https://www.deviantart.com/felisglacialis/art/Winther-referencesheet-847767027 https://www.deviantart.com/felisglacialis/art/Torstein-referencesheet-847778533

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Done mostly with Van Gogh water colours on Arches cold pressed fine grain 300g/cm 26x36 cm water colour paper. Some very thin lines on the Siderians with black fine liners, the highlights with some gouache and a tiny bit of coloured pencil. 

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DON'T COPY/USE ANYTHING OF THIS without my written permission! It's not allowed to use my artwork for training of AIs either. Don’t use these or any other siderians as avatar/RP character in RP games. They are who they are and they CANNOT represent someone else.

[frosthidden]

CHARACTER SHEET.

𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐒 .

full name.   alice caroline haley nicknames / aliases. al, allie, goldil0x (hacking alias/username) height.  5'4" age.   24+ zodiac.  capricorn spoken languages.   fluent in english, some french and spanish

𝐏𝐇𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 .

hair colour.   naturally light blond, dyed brown while attending god u eye colour.   blue, white when using her powers skin tone.   white as hell, doesn't tan body type.  slender, small boobs small ass dominant hand.   right handed, but not useless with her left hand posture.   it's okay, she's a hacker so she spends a lot of time at the computer and it does show scars.   a lot, none that are particularly noteworthy tattoos.   a lot! she has a patchwork of tattoos on her arms and torso. she has a romeo and juliet quote on her thigh, a lit match on her v line, and a cherry on her ass birthmarks.   none that she knows about most noticeable features.   her big blue eyes, her tattoos and her hair

𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐃 .

place of birth.   brooklyn, new york siblings.  violet haley (older sister) parents.   carrie & john haley

𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 .

occupation.  general counsel for Frei-Libertas, a security company that provides security service that's almost .. working under the shadow hence he never truly talks about his company exactly.

current residence(s).   her van, her apartment (post s2 but not after s3) close friends.    frenchie, cheri, kimiko, hughie (butcher and mm are more distant but they're definitely friends) relationship status.   single in her main verse, she's had plenty of situationships and friends with benefits. (in my head there's somethin spicy between her, frenchie, cheri and kimiko but i don't bring that into threads unless i know it's okay) driver’s license.  hell yeah! not only did she at one point have one with her legal name on it she has tons with fake names on them too! criminal record.   she's got a few arrests for minor things under her belt, but she's been on the run since she was 18 and avoiding cops is a big part of that. vices.   drug use (mostly weed, a little bit of coke, some "party drugs"), sex, tattoos, drinking, smoking

𝐒𝐄𝐗 & 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 .

sexual orientation.   bisexual with no lean preferred sexual role.   she's a switch, it really depends on the person libido.    above average generally, high when she's unmedicated turn-ons.   when a partner is a little rough with her, when they're a little rude, when they tease her, when she teases them turn-offs.   when a partner is too controlling, pushing her boundaries (she already has so few so if you're pushing em you're just a dick), being made to seem small as flirtation love language.   physical touch and quality time relationship tendencies.    when she's with someone she's very protective of what they have, she doesn't want them getting hurt because of what she does. when they don't know what she does for work, she keeps it as far away from people as possible. when they do, it's easier. she does have a tendency to keep people at arm's length when she cares about them enough to think she loves them. she doesn't know how to love people like that.

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐎𝐔𝐒 .

hobbies to pass time.   playing video games, listening to music, playing the keyboard (she has a teeny tiny desk keyboard), playing guitar once she has room for them, modifying/upcycling her own clothing mental illnesses.    bipolar 2, generalized anxiety disorder, ptsd self-confidence level. confident as hell, but it's also a front to keep her from getting hurt

tagged by: no one i stole it tagging: VIEWERS LIKE YOU!

[casspurrjoybell-29]

Forgotten Ties - Chapter 3 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Early in the morning, Peter and Joanne had loaded Skye and several of the other kids into a van and driven them to a doctor's office.

After way too long of waiting around in a boring room while Peter tried to keep the kids from throwing the chairs around, Joanne came out to get Skye for his turn with the doctor.

"Hello, Skye," the doctor said as he ushered Skye into the examination room.

"Is that spelled with or without an 'e'?"

Skye shrugged.

He couldn't read.

It had been Skylar originally but he hadn't gone by that since he'd been a little human boy.

"Okay, just like last time," the doctor said. "Take your shoes off and stand on the scale."

Had there been a last time?

Skye didn't remember.

He didn't remember how he'd ended up in the group home at all, he was just assuming it had been his own choice.

He took his shoes off and stood on the scale.

"Hmm," the doctor said.

"He's lost a bit of weight since last time."

"Do you think we're not feeding him enough?" Joanne asked.

"He eats a lot."

Would they give him more food if they thought he'd lost weight?

Skye dropped a tiny bit of weight and watched as the bar on the scale shifted.

The doctor frowned.

"It might just be malfunctioning. Skye, can you step off the scale and back on?"

That wasn't going to work, then.

Skye stepped off the scale, brought his weight back up to approximately what it had been before and stepped back on.

"He's lost a little. It might not be the amount but rather the type of food he's been eating."

The doctor hooked his thumb under Skye's lip and lifted it to expose his teeth.

He was wearing a glove and it tasted funny.

Skye prodded the thumb with his tongue and the doctor shook his hand as he pulled it away, his face twisting with disgust.

"He has a carnivore's teeth, so he might not process some foods properly. Try giving him more meat."

"I'll try but meat gets expensive," Joanne said.

"Give him cat food," the doctor said.

There was a slidey thing on top of the scale and Skye entertained himself by sliding it back and forth until the doctor slapped his hand away.

Joanne guided Skye away from the scale.

"Cat food? Doesn't that say 'not for human consumption' on the packet?"

"He's not human," the doctor said.

"Well no but..."

There was a happy ocean scene with colourful fish and a sailing ship painted on the wall.

Skye had lived on a ship for a while.

His least favourite part of living on a ship had been when he'd been drowned in the ocean.

"He's a cat hybrid, so why shouldn't he eat cat food?" the doctor asked.

"It's interesting. Cat hybrids are common because cats live around humans but I've never seen two that are alike. Each time, the Fae seem to find a new and unique way to combine them. It's very fortunate for us because we don't have to worry about them breeding when they're the only ones of their kind."

Skye snuck over to a big jar of wrapped sweets that sat on a table near the door and discreetly swiped one.

He unwrapped it and put it in his mouth but his teeth definitely couldn't make their way through it so he swallowed it whole instead.

"It is one less thing to worry about when we have so many young people in that house together," Joanne said.

"Now Nim, he's a concern," the doctor said. "When do you think we might be able to bring him in to be sterilised?"

Joanne hesitated.

"I don't think he'd agree to that."

"Are you sure? He's a teenage boy. Frame it as him being able to have as much sex as he wants without worrying about condoms."

"He should still use condoms regardless."

The doctor waved the concern away.

"Worry about that later."

"He still wouldn't agree to it. He's smart and already distrustful."

"That's your last one," the doctor warned as Skye reached for another sweet before turning back to Joanne.

"We could look into other ways to get it done."

"If we do, it's over. He'll be gone at the first chance he gets."

[maybankxw]

𝐰𝐞𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦

pairing: jj maybank x fem!reader

warnings: mature content ahead! [ fingering; teasing; oral, male receiving; unprotected sex;] minors dni!!!

summary: the girl is teasing jj to the point where he gives up and gives in

word count: 2.5k

a/n: my personal favourite, kind of inspired by ‘wet dream’ song! enjoy!

links: masterlist / taglist / ask box

any feedback (comments, reblogs, anon asks) would be appreciated! (gif is mine)

Windows down, soft warm wind caressed the skin of my face, ruffling my hair, making a mess out of it. My eyes narrowed, nose scrunched up and a smile tugged on my lips. I was in pure excitement. John B’s van was my most favourite thing to drive and now, I owned it all to myself. I loved a good company, but clearing my head, staying on my own for a bit was like a gulp of fresh air. The sun was about to start setting down, painting the sky into peachy pink.

Landscape after landscape changed itself. The outer banks was a mesmerising place, I could never get tired of it. 

I sped up, trying to avoid all the bumps, miles passed and I spotted a familiar figure in the distance. 

She waited for me. Damn this fucking girl and her little games. 

She leaned against the road sign, arms folded on her chest, a knotted maroon top covered her breasts, it was flimsy though, I could see her nipples through it, a tiny skirt that almost bared her ass, martens boots matching the colour of her top and white socks peeking out of the edges, her hair pinned up in a messy bun. She looked sexy. I noticed a nasty smirk curling on her lips when I stopped the car and waited for her to get in. There wasn’t a soul around, only us and an old player blasting the song on repeat.

Sounds like a fucking cliché, but I swear it felt like we were in a goddamn movie.

She swung her legs in and plopped to her seat, shutting the door and letting the pins from her hair drop, allowing her strands to fall over her shoulders in loose waves. I watched her as she put her seatbelt on and rolled the window down, sliding lower in her seat. Her bare thighs tempted me and the look on her face, taunting and needy and captivating, beckoned me to drown, like she weaved a spell over me by simply looking into my eyes.

“How much did you have?” I asked, referring to the alcohol, she always loved to have a shot or a few. My eyes were fixed on the road while I twisted the key and started the van again, changing gear and pushing the gas pedal.

“Didn’t drink,” she shifted and leaned close to my ear, “I knew you wouldn’t fuck me drunk, since you’re such a gentleman and all. Had only water the whole day,” she grinned, propping her legs on the windshield.

Her arm stretched out of the window and she relaxed, a faint smile curled on her lip as she caught the breeze, drawing a wave with her palm, grasping the leather seat with her free hand and I tried my best to stay focused on the road, veering to the right, then left, escaping another huge bump on our way.

“It’s always nice with you,”  she turned her head in my direction, I felt her staring, “I wish we could have this sweet type of love, you know.” 

She pulled a cigarette out of the glove compartment, clamping it between her teeth, pawing for a lighter. Clink, a tiny flame burned and she lighted a cig, shoving the lighter back to its place. 

She made a tug and let out a cloud of white smoke, which dissipated with the wind, gazing outside as we drove, fiddling with her necklace, pinching the cigarette between her fingers. Another tug and then she held it out to my lips, I accepted.

I could taste her, my grip on the steering wheel tightened, but I made a short tug and let her have the rest. 

“I had a dream,” she pushed, “A wet dream.”

I glanced at her, curious, and a smirk stretched on her face when she noticed. She looked at me with seducing half lidded eyes.

“Guess who was there.”

“You’re here telling me this, it’s obvious.”

She blew out a puff of air, throwing the cig away, her palm was suddenly on my thigh, rubbing it up to my cock, which started hardening in an instant, “Don’t be rude.” When she found her way to the erection in my pants, I groaned, a strangled deep sound but she heard. 

I caught a bump she smiled, satisfied, jerking her hand away. A fucking distraction. Pushing off of her seat, she caught the straps of her panties and slowly dragged them off, her skirt rode up an inch higher and I swallowed thickly. Her underwear flew to my side and hung over the steering wheel. 

She was so fucking obscene with me, I’ve never seen her behave like this with anyone else, not in the slightest, no flirting or playful touches at the parties, not trying to seduce any of our friends, even though she had all their attention. All the time. 

Right heel dug into the leather, when she bent her knee and propped her leg up on the seat, pushing her other one further apart. Her fingers darted to her clit and she moaned, so disgustingly intimate I almost chocked on air.

“Enough of this,” I managed to keep my voice steady, tapping the side of the window, the song on the radio went “Baby do you want to come home with me?”

“What, that turns you on?” she teased, rubbing her cunt with two fingers. I knew she was wet as hell, and I wished I was the one touching her, but I let her put on a show. My sight remained on the road, but her breathy little whimpers invaded my mind, disturbing me, making me clutch the steering wheel harder and grit my jaws together. 

“You fucked me against your kitchen counter, then we moved to the bathroom and I sucked you off,” she chuckled, the sounds of her fingers pushing in and out getting sloppier and more audible, “You tasted so good, J,” she moaned, throwing her head back, “I let you fuck me on your desk, on your bed, on your living room couch,” she said breathless, fingering herself faster. 

My cock was so hard, it was painful, I had to slow the car down a bit not to get into a car crash. 

“Look at me.”

I did. Fuck me, I did. I watched her touching herself to the images of me fucking her. I could picture it vividly as she spoke about it. Her face was pure need and lust, her arm reached out to me, trying to undo the belt, with an effort, but she succeeded. The van came to a halt, but I still gripped the steering wheel, watching her every move. She pushed my boxers down, my cock jutted out, deep red, begging for relief. She stuck her tongue out and demonstratively licked her palm, looking me in the eyes, bringing it to back to fist my cock. He strokes were gentle, her nails grazing my balls. I grunted, shifting in my seat, squeezing my eyes shut for a few seconds. Her thumb pressed her clit and her spine arched off of the backrest as she locked in a long spasm, panting and moaning, desperately biting onto her lip to suppress the dirty sounds she was making, holding my cock tighter, making me inhale sharply.

We looked at each other, lids heavy, breaths uneven, our lips parted, the tension getting unbearable. I placed my palm on her thigh, tugging her closer. In a rush she crawled over and straddled my lap, our bare skin touched and we both let out pornographic sounds, unable to keep away anymore. She shifted her hips teasingly and I gripped them, digging my fingers into her skin, causing her to hiss. I shoved her skirt up to her waist and pushed it over her head along with her top, throwing it to the side. It was getting darker, the sky turned almost purple, but I still could see her features perfectly. She undid the buttons on my black short sleeved shirt and pushed my shorts lower to my knees.

“You’re a handful, you know that?” I muttered, watching hr smiling viciously.

She only dove in for a kiss, taking my face in her palms, her tongue slipped in and I bit her, my hand closed at the back of her neck and I won over, pushing my tongue into her mouth, sucking on her lower lip. She bucked her hips again and I growled into her mouth, she swallowed it. I lifted her up and sat her down on my cock, easing myself inside slow and deliberate, so she felt me filling her every inch. 

“Don’t move,” I whispered and placed another kiss on her lips, veering to her throat, then her chest. I teased her with the tip of my tongue, drawing little circles around her nipple, a cry burst out of her and I sucked her nipple into my mouth. She clenched around me, her fingers tangled in my hair, pushing my face further into her skin. I sucked like I was fucking starving, taking as much as I could fit in my mouth, grazing the swollen bud with my teeth. 

She ground on me and I slapped her ass for doing so, “I told you to be still.”

I came to play with her other boob, leaving the first one wet and throbbing, pinching her nipple with the pads of my fingers. She buried her nose into my hair, suppressing her whimpers. Now, she was out of control, completely at my mercy, indulging and clinging to me. She loved fucking me and god help me, I loved fucking her too. This girl was made for me.

“JJ,” she kissed the top of my head, swaying to the right then left, she tipped my chin up and caught my gaze, “Fuck me.” My blood burned, she made it so fucking hard to think straight. I slid lower and thrusted my hips up, holding onto her waist, helping her move. She leaned over the steering wheel, giving more space of her body for me to explore. My palms moved to the back of her thighs and I held her captive, pushing her legs wider, fucking her deep and slow. Her fingers found her clit, but I slapped her hand away, pushing my thumb into her lips to moisturise it and replaced her finger with mine, rubbing the swollen bud, sending jolts of pleasure through her body. I loved the way her body responded to me.

“Oh, fuck you,” she trembled, looking down at where we were locked together, watching me sliding in and out of her.

“As you wish, baby.”

I tugged her back into our previous position and made her do the work. She lifted herself up and down repeatedly, our bodies slapping together, the air hot and thick, filled with perfume and sex.

She clutched the doorframe, lips brushed my ear, eliciting a groan from me. My hands skimmed her body, not sure where to land. She was fucking mesmerising and I wanted all of her.

“Come all over me,” I rasped, sucking onto her neck, marking her soft skin, making her mine again and again, “I want to see you tremble, while your tight little pussy clenches around my cock.”

Her thighs shook and her cunt rippled, her cum coated me, but she kept moving, her walls tightened around me, triggering my own orgasm.

My cock jerked, thick warm liquid spilled inside her and I groaned into her neck, sinking my teeth into her skin. 

Her lips found mine and she shut me up with a kiss, hot and intimate, biting my lip so hard, I sensed the coppery taste in my mouth. She probably did too, because that satisfied mile of hers was spreading on her face again.

“I love fucking you,” she whispered into my mouth, still slightly grinding on me, my cum leaking out of her and down to my balls, “Can never get enough.”

I smirked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her nose grazed my cheek and her lips touched the corner of mine. She trailed a path down and found my neck, sucking in response, marking me too. It was fun thing about her, when we fucked, she always turned into a helpless girl, leaving all the reins to me, even though she could be that bold, masturbating for an audience. She worked me up and then submitted. I loved it. 

Her nails scratched my chest and my abdomen and involuntary I tensed. She pushed herself up and off of my lap, kneeling on the seat next to me. 

Fresh breeze from the window stifled the heat that crept up to my neck and let me get back to reality for a second, because the other one, her hand was on my cock again, gripping and stroking it leisurely as she planting kisses on my stomach. I hardened again. 

“What’s this for?”

“Because I want it. It’s not for you, it’s for me.”

I chuckled, threading my fingers through her hair, feeling her lips swirling over the swollen head of my cock, sucking gently, and lapping up the trickle that met her tongue, the remains of my cum and her cum blended together. She moaned, sending vibrations through my body and my breaths turned ragged, my chest rose and fell faster, “Fuck, you feel good,” I breathed out. Her head dove lower and lifted up as she sucked me off, taking me as deep as she could. My hand reached her cunt and I slipped a finger inside her, easily, she was getting wet all over again. Jesus fucking christ. She moaned, bobbing her head up and down faster, squeezing my balls in her hand, slick with cum.

“You like that? Sucking my cock, while I fuck you with my fingers?”

She scratched my thigh, the meaning behind the action was for me to shut up and I retrieved my fingers, making her shudder. It was entertaining.

But she grazed me with her teeth and I groaned, fisting her hair and slamming two of my fingers back inside of her warm cunt. She cried out, her voice vibrated through me, spurring me to come.

She pulled away and licked a flat stripe up the underside of the base and looked up to meet my eyes, so fucking hot.

“I do,” she grind her ass back and took me back into her mouth, sucking until she felt me twitching.

“I’ll spill in your mouth, if you don’t stop now.”

She didn’t stop, she moved faster, squeezing my balls and I came, hard, white ribbons of my cum coated her tongue and she swallowed every drop of it. Fuck. 

When she sat back up I grabbed a hold of her chin and covered my mouth with hers kissing slow and wet.

“Stay at mine tonight,” I suggested, coiling a strand of her hair over my finger.

“Why, you wanna fuck me again?”

“I just want you to stay with me,” I let her hair fall and locked my gaze with hers, “I can fuck you, tuck you in or whatever you want. I just want you close.”

“Okay,” she mouthed, brushing my hair off of my forehead, kissing my lips again, “I do too.”

tags: @icedcold @pankowforlife @novxturient @mackenzielovee @alwaysclassyeagle @kaelibaby @sunset-styles @maybanks-luver @nope-thanks @absolute-fcking-chaos @tomhollandlol @blueicequeen19 @loveyru @rottenstyx @drewbooooo @rafecameronswhore @sansasdove @herejustforjj @ameliaalvarez06 @my-baexht-ls @colbysxplr @chaostudee @i-always-come-back-xoxo @luversgirl @vintageirene @wannabestarkeysgirl @liamthedunbar @instabull @dudenhaaa27 @jessmaybank @ofherscarlettwitchways @kayleiggh @harryspunchingbag​ 

[fluffansmut-old]

The Sweater

December 4 - The Sweater

12 fics of christmas part 2 - masterlist 

Summary: Eddie has refused to wear a knitted jumper... until now. 

Content warnings: Fluff cutesy stuff, Wayne, Joyce, Will and El is in it, reader has some experiences in knitting- (yes I know its more or less impossible to knit a sweater that quickly but for the sake of the story, go with it.) 

Word count: 1899

* Fic is also posted on Ao3* 

You had decided to do it. Even if it would consume you entirely.

It had started with Steve, whom had pulled a goofy-looking Christmas sweater out from his bag when he was about to leave your place, for his family’s stupid (his words) get-together.

“I mean each to their own but I wouldn’t be caught dead in that” Eddie said to you as Steve closed the door behind him.

“Aren’t it a little cosy though? Imagine walking through town in a knitted sweater,” You said, imagining exactly how soft Eddie would look in one.

“Baby I would walk through town with you anytime but did you see his sweater? The reindeer had a massive pom pom nose” Eddie said.

“And you walk around with a devil on your shirt, about 80% of the time” you said, defending your love for knitted sweaters a bit. (Even though you agreed with him, Steve’s sweater was ridiculous.)

“Don’t bring Hellfire into this, that’s different and you know it” he said.

You slumped down beside him.

“I suppose so,” you said. “Still I think knitted would look good on you.”

“It’s you who looks good…in anything” Eddie said, before smirking. “And nothing”

He leant in and kissed you, you smiled against his lips before returning the kiss.

                                                A few days later you were walking around town with Will and El in tow.

You had briefly mentioned going shopping when you returned this bag you had borrowed from Joyce, and both of them had instantly begged to join.

Will dragged both you and his sister into the craft-supplies store, claiming that he absolutely needed a few colours to complete the painting he was going to give to his mom and Hopper.

He pretty much disappeared into the paint aisle as soon as you entered.

“This can take a while..” El muttered, watching her brother compare pre-made swatches of colours that to her looked practically the same.

“We’ll better occupy ourselves then” you said. The younger girl smiled at you and you disappeared down the aisle next to Will’s.

El was looking at this tiny “paint your own ornaments” set, when you saw it, soft yarn in a deep red colour.

As so as you had laid eyes on it you couldn't stop thinking about how absolutely gorgeous Eddie would look in that colour.

Right then a clerk came up to your side of the store and said:

“Can I help you with anything today?”

A quick “nope” was heard from both the teenagers you had with you. You smiled apologetically towards the clerk.

“Actually how much yarn do you reckon I need to make a sweater?”

“I know that it should be in here somewhere?” Joyce said, already head deep in a bedroom closet.

“Joyce honestly, it’s fine, I’m sure I can find a book on it from the library” you said, not wanting Joyce to go through too much trouble just for you.

“You got my teenagers out of the house,” she said without looking up. “I owe you”

You were about to protest, saying that the kids actually were the ones to suggest joining, but before you could you heard;

“I’ve got it!”

Joyce pulled out the thin document file containing knitting patterns.

The first one looked simple enough, and it actually looked pretty too.

“Do you think I can do this one?” You asked, showing Joyce the pattern.

“Sure you can, I’ll help you get started” Joyce said and that’s how you ended up on the Hopper-Byers sofa for 4 hours, knitting away.

You had the half-finished knitting-project in your bag when you returned to the trailer. Eddie, who had been away with Wayne during the whole day to find the right parts to repair his van, was excited to see you.

You were excited to see him too, but more so you were excited to finish the surprise you had for him.

The two of you had dinner with Wayne and then you remerged back to his room.

“Imagine when we’ll have our own place” Eddie said dreamily as he flopped down onto the bed.

You dreamt of it too, and you had a job, but not too many places were up for sale, and Eddie probably should finish high school first.

“Yeah, that’s gonna be amazing” you replied, laying down beside him, your head on his outstretched arm.

“We won’t have to wait until my Uncle leaves before we have sex.” Eddie said.

It sent you into a fit of giggles,you turned to him and pressed a kiss to his temple.

“Is that really the only perk you see of us moving in together somewhere else?” You asked.

Eddie contemplated for a second before he smirked at you.

“Not just that, but it’s in the top five, for sure” he said.

You threw a pillow at him, before smiling wildly.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Munson”.

Usually when cuddling on the bed, you were the first one to be lulled to sleep.

But today, after the day he had, digging through car parts and arguing prices with grumpy old men, Eddie was knackered.

The tape in the record player, rang out it’s last tunes when you noticed that his breathing was evening out and he began snoring slightly.

You careful removed the duvet from your bottom half and eased yourself out of bed, to not wake the beautiful man sleeping beside you.

As if it was a miracle he stayed asleep when you got up.

“He really must be tried” you muttered to yourself, used to Eddie stirring awake as soon as you moved.

You emerged from the room, on you way to retrieve the knitting project from your bag when you ran into Wayne.

“Are you guys still up? It got awfully quiet in there for a moment.” He asked.

“Eddie’s asleep” you explained with a smile to the older man as you opened up the bag.

“And you’re not? That’s new” he said with a fond chuckle.

He reminded himself of all the times he heard the record player long after hours and had knocked on the door twice before cracking it slightly open only to find you and Eddie tangled up in each other’s arms, fast asleep.

He usually tiptoed in and turned off the music before leaving again.

“Yeah, well I started this thing earlier and I’ve been itching to finish it” you admitted Wayne as you pulled out the knitwork.

“And you couldn’t do it when Eddie was awake because?” asked Wayne as he plucked two mugs from his collection, walking towards the stove.

“It’s for him,” you said. “I’m making him a sweater”

“Really?” Wayne asked, eyebrows raised in genuine surprise. “That boy does not deserve you, that’s for sure.”

“It’s I, who doesn’t deserve him ” you said, sounding slightly more defensive than you had hoped too.

“Believe me, he doesn’t know that he scored solid gold with you,” he said, “ hot chocolate?”

Wayne chuckled.

“You really are giving me too much credit here,” you said. Before quickly adding a “yes, please” to the hot chocolate question.

Wayne started heating up the stove whilst you sat down and turned the tv on, flipping through the channels.

“How do you feel about one magic Christmas?” You asked Wayne.

“Sounds good to me.”

He arrived with the mugs about a minute later putting one down in front of you.

You sat in comfortable silence with Wayne, knitting in the light from the tv.

Wayne went to bed when the movie ended. You stayed up about two hours after that, finishing up the sleeves. When it was finished you folded it up and put it in a gift bag.

Eddie stirred awake when you tiptoed back to bed.

“Sweetheart?” He mumbled barely awake.

“I’m fine” you reassured him.

“Sure you’re not anxious?” Eddie asked, eyes still closed.

Your heart swelled at the question, the thoughtfulness coming from him, even when he was half asleep was proof of just what you told Wayne earlier, that Eddie was too good for you.

“I’m sure” you said and kissed his nose. “I’ve just been to the bathroom”

The last part was a lie, but you could spoil the surprise by telling him.

“Mkay then,” he mumbled. His head relaxing into the pillow. “Cuddles?” He said and raised his arm, inviting you in.

“I was just about to ask.” You said as you sank into his embrace.

The next morning you awoke to a cold bedroom. You shivered and pulled the duvet closer around you and Eddie.

The metal head beside you fluttered his eyes open and looked at you with soft brown eyes.

“It must have snowed during the night” he mumbles and pulled you closer to his t-shirt clad chest.

Can I plan or what? You thought as you remembered the sweater you finished.

“Shall we go get breakfast?” You asked. Eddie nodded.

“Have you got anything warm to wear?” He asked you, you replied with a small “yeah”, thinking of how nice that fleece lined jumper would be right about now.

“Have you?” You then asked as you got out of bed shivering.

“Not really, but I’ll manage” he said, but you noticed just how cold his hands were when you took one of them to pull him out of bed.

He pulled out oats of the cabinet with a shaky hand when you couldn’t take it anymore.

You were stood in pj bottoms and your red jumper, vintage Christmas card print on the front, and he had a black sabbath t-shirt on, there were goosebumps along his arms.

“Babe” you said and wrapped your arms around his waist. “I’ve got something for you.”

“For me?” Eddie asked and turned around and kissed your forehead.

“Yeah” you said and smiled, “now I’ve worked hard on it so please like it?”

You held up the gift bag in front of him.

He quickly grabbed it from you and you smiled shyly, now starting to doubt yourself.

“You made this?!” Eddie asked, sounding both genuinely surprised and excited.

“Yeah” you smiled, letting out a small breath you hadn’t realised that you were holding. “So it’s not too corny? Like Steve’s?”

Eddie laughed at the memory of Steve’s sweater.

“Absolutely not baby, it’s stunning” he said as he pulled it over his head.

“I’m glad you like it” you said and kissed his cheek.

“Holy shit it’s so soft” he said as he pulled it over his head. “Thank you, I love it, and you”

“I love you too,” you replied.

Wayne found you on top of Eddie on the couch with empty bowls on the table in front of you.

“I guess you finished it” he said and smiled at you.

“Yeah I did” you said, thinking about the state the sweater was in when Wayne went to bed.

“Now boy how come when I go out and spend my well earned money on sweaters for you, then you force me to return then cause they itch, but when your girl knits one then you wear from the get go?” Wayne asked.

Both you and Eddie laughed at the question.

“They were all itchy, feel it, it’s so fucking soft” Eddie said and held out his arm towards his Uncle.

“I know what’s soft,” Wayne said, hitting Eddie on the head playfully with a magazine. “It’s you, for her

[angsty-twihardxx]

Heartbreak Led Me Back to You | E.M

Chapter 2 | Home Sweet Home

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | 

Pairing | Eddie Munson x fem! reader

Summary | You and Eddie were childhood friends, best friend even. When your  life changes drastically you runaway from Hawkins, leaving Eddie and Wayne  without a goodbye. But when things go wrong she has no choice but to go  back, a second chance for the two to finally admit their feelings.

Warnings | (18+)  Adult Themes that some may find upsetting, mentions of abuse,  alcohol/drug abuse, slurs directed at reader(f), swearing, angst, sexual  references and eventual smut. Eddie and reader being awkward as shit for a brief moment but I promise it gets better. Pls let me know if I missed anything x

A/N | Wayne being cute af.

Hawkins, Indiana 1988

How was it, that even after nearly four years– Hawkins was exactly the same. It was almost like the small town was frozen in time, while the rest of the world continued to rotate. The diner where you and Eddie had spent many cold nights indulging in fries and milkshakes, still stood and it seemed the same old couple still owned it. The thought of Eddie cringing at your ‘questionable’ milkshake flavours made you giggle as you turned onto the dirt road.

“Hey Chris, guess what? We’re here!” You sing out happily to your son, masking the insecurities that had your heart just about beating out of your chest. Christopher expressed his happiness by bouncing on the car seat that has imprisoned him for the past seven hours. You felt horrible, making him sit in the backseat of your car for the past few days. But he didn’t complain, that’s one thing you always praised yourself for– raising your son to always be polite. He held onto your hand, the other holding onto a colouring book that you said he could bring.

The trailer park hadn't changed all that much since you had left, all the same infrastructure and the same faces. There was a small family that lived in between you and the Munsons trailer's, and the number of dogs that lazily slept on their patch of grass had grown. That was probably the biggest change you can think of. 

The two of you walked towards the familiar trailer that you spent the majority of your childhood in. Eddie’s white van was missing which helped with your nerves a tiny bit but not fully when you knocked on the door.

You smiled as the familiar grumpy voice echoed to the front door where you stood, your doe eyes meeting his tired ones. Raising the hell raiser that is Eddie Munson was not an easy one based on the wrinkles that grew on his face as he smiled wide at the sight of you. His eyes on the other hand were full of remorse, you presumed yours were too. “Hey, Uncle Wayne.” You managed to squeak out, returning the smile before you were engulfed into a tight embrace, your hand never letting go of Christophers. “Christ kid, look at you!” He exasperated in disbelief, almost not believing his eyes that you were really here. He held your shoulders tightly taking in what a woman you've grown into. “Well not quite a kid anymore.” Tears brimmed in both of your eyes before a small hand tugged yours. You tore your eyes away from the older man in front of you and brought them to Christopher, picking him up and sitting him on the side of your hips. “Christopher, this is Uncle Wayne. Uncle Wayne, Christopher.” You tried to hide the anxiety in your voice as you dipped your head on your son’s shoulder introducing two out of three of the important boys in your life.

Wayne was silent for a moment, his confused eyes were wide as saucers, a look you knew all too well. The same look he would use when he would come home from a long crappy shift at work and would come home to the entire kitchen turned upside down after you and Eddie's attempt to cook him dinner. Needless to say that he switched to night shifts not long after.

The longer he stood silent the longer you had time to think up of every single negative outcome. Maybe this was all a bad idea, I can think of something else and we can just leave an–

His smile grew back onto his face and your brain relaxed as he held a hand out to Christopher. Well Christopher being the social butterfly that he was, he held onto it tightly and shook it with excitement.. “Well hello Christopher, you been lookin’ after your mom for me?” Wayne spoke genuinely looking over at you for a moment, before smiling over at your son, who nodded quickly.

Christopher was sitting at the dining table as both of you sat in the living room. Everything in their trailer was exactly the same, except for his mug collection– that grew. It was untidy, mostly thanks to Eddie no doubt, while Wayne was too busy working to clean it up. But it was home.

“I just can’t wrap my head around this Y/N.” Wayne’s elbows sat on his knees as he shook his head in disbelief. The sound of Christopher talking to himself made you smile, taking in Wayne’s justified confusion. “Sometimes I even find it hard to believe.” You shrugged your shoulders, it was true. From the way your parents were you didn’t know if you would be a good mom, especially so young. It’s not like you had any mother figures in your life to talk to. “I had this competition in my head, about who would give me my first heart attack, I always thought it was going to be Eddie but you might just beat him.” Wayne chuckled to himself, he was trying to be funny, but it made a pit grow in your stomach. “I am sorry, y’know for not telling you and leaving and just–everything. You didn’t deserve that.”

“I was upset with you, in the beginning obviously. Hell, I thought you were dead in a ditch or something. Then Eddie said he overheard a conversation you had, just before you left I reckon.”

You hoped that Wayne didn’t notice you cringe, Eddie heard you? A wave of sadness overcame you as you remembered that night, you fought with your parents and then Michael was picking you up so you could spend the night at his house. You couldn't let Eddie see you like that, a complete mess.

You were so scared of what it would be like to see Eddie again after nearly four years of not being near him, after basically spending nearly all of your time together.

“How is he? Eddie I mean.” You were meek like a mouse, Wayne sighed at your nervous demeanour. He could read Eddie like the back of his hand and you were no exception. He knew the two of you definitely cared about each other, maybe even more than normal friends did.

“It was hard on him kid, I’m not gonna lie to you. Miserable for a really long time, y’know he didn’t graduate for a couple more years after you left. He’s been through a lot over the years. But I’ll let him tell you all that.” He groaned as he sat up from the sofa next to you before walking towards the kitchen looking at Christopher's drawing, accidentally misinterpreting a horse for a motorbike. “Looks like I need to practise my Uncle skills.” He guffawed, making a smile spread on your face. It was like he already knew him, you liked to think that Chris knew that Wayne was family. You constantly talked to your son about the man that raised you, even Eddie. Not mentioning anything about your birth parents, you didn’t have anything to say that wouldn’t upset him.

“Did you end up talking to Vinnie about that trailer?” One thing that your parents did that wasn’t completely selfish was leaving their trailer in your name. Meaning that it half belonged to you, it felt weird moving into the home that you spent so much time trying to get away from.

Or at least the people in it.

“Oh yeah kiddo, here,” you thanked him as he grabbed the set of keys off the counter and threw them to you. ��Want me to keep an eye on trouble over here for ya?”

“I’m not trouble!” You chuckled at Christopher’s response, letting out a laugh before pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. “I don’t know about that one bub.” He let out an annoyed groan as you ruffled his hair, you nodded at Wayne as you made your way down the stairs and made the small journey to your childhood home.

It had been a couple of years since anyone had lived there, but thanks to Vinnie, the owner of the trailer park he tidied it up for you. He always had a soft spot for the kids that grew up there, most of the time their parents were less than competent at raising their children.

 Besides a thin layer of dust that rested on the surfaces, it was clean. Basic furniture was placed neatly in the small space, a couch, a dining table and a small table with a TV. The cramped hallway carpet had been cleaned of stains and the walls didn’t reek of cigarettes. You took a deep breath, and the place smelt clean. You continued to walk slowly straight along the narrow hallway, to where Christopher’s room stood straight ahead, you didn’t tell Wayne about him so there was a single bed that stood tall in the corner of the room. You made a mental note to put the mattress on the floor for him to sleep.

As you turned to the door on your right, you felt your heartbeat quicken. Memories of screaming matches and ambulance lights filled your tear-filled eyes as you opened the door and walked inside. A delicate wooden frame held the double mattress along with an old wooden dresser, you recognised it instantly to be the one that belonged to you. Your fingers traced the indent of the wood tracing two letters, “EM” sat on the side of the dresser, tears fell onto your cheek. You didn’t know what you were expecting when you walked inside, maybe you were waiting for them to be inside, keening against the dining table in their drunken stupor, right where you left them.

“No point going on about it,” you thought to yourself as you made your way through the front door again and stood on the patio, your arms crossed over your chest. Your eyes moved to the now withered flower patch you created when you were probably eight, it reminded you of the roses that you and Mrs Drewett planted. The same day she caught you using your small child-size scissors to cut the pointy stem, your mother passed out on the bed in her and your father's shared room. She hadn’t moved since the morning, as far as you knew anyway, you were only a kid it wasn’t your job to know these things.

“Do you know how hard it is to grow roses?” She sighed at you as you held your head in remorse. “I’m sorry, I need them for my mommy.” Your childlike innocence made her soften instantly. “Is your mommy sick sweetheart?” She knew your mother though, she caught on when she saw you in dirty clothes and bare feet. “Snow white holds flowers when she sleeps, so my mommy needs flowers so she can wake up.” You spoke to her matter of factly like it was obvious. But it was just the lively childish imagination of a child whose mother put herself in a drug-induced coma.

. . .

“Hey Christopher, you hungry baby?” You stood by the stove, heating up an easy mac n cheese. It’s all you could be bothered to cook up for the two of you after meeting up with Wayne and spending the entire afternoon unpacking your car. You were absolutely buggered both mentally and physically, but your first goal was to unpack all of your son's belongings, setting up his things so he could be as comfortable as possible. The rest of your home however, looked awfully dull. “But Mummy! Muppets!” He pointed at the television, his favourite VHS playing on the small screen, ‘The Muppets Movie’. It was the one thing you could not forget on your trip up here, no matter how many times he watched it he never got sick of it. “We can watch it together on the sofa, yeah?”

“Yes please!” You smiled at his politeness, you scooted next to him on the sofa as you handed him his dinner in your matching plastic bowls, Kermit and Miss Piggy. He seemed content, you wondered if he would be happy as long as you fed him and played his favourite movies. “Did you like meeting Uncle Wayne today?” You spoke softly, genuinely curious of his answer, he simply nodded his eyes not lifting from the screen in front of him. “Do you think you would be okay, if you spent some time at his house while Mommy went to do something?” He turned to you confused, you guessed it was because you hadn’t left his side since the two of you left your home in PIttsburgh. “It will just be for a little bit. I was going to look for a job, then maybe we can go look at the daycare. Would you like that?” You knew that he understood what you were saying, he was an intelligent boy–he was simply preoccupied. “Would he let me watch Muppets?” He asked so innocently that it made your heart ache, “I think he would love to watch it with you buddy.” He smiled, content with your answer.

The two of you finished eating and Christopher soon enough dozed off into your lap, poor little guy was exhausted. You skillfully lifted him up and placed him onto the mattress without waking him up, closing the door just enough to make sure the hallway light didn’t bother him. It was nearly ten and you had tidied your mess from dinner, you were unpacking a few things for the kitchen when you heard a soft knock on the door. Your heart jumped for a moment when you realised who it could be, slowly unlocking the door, your chest rose when your eyes met with those familiar brown doe eyes. “Hi.” You breathed, your body was frozen as you held onto the door. He looked like the same Eddie you remembered in your head, his brown curls albeit a bit shorter than before, were still wild and slightly damp from the light drizzle of rain that was threatening to pour. His leather jacket hung over his shoulder, lacking the denim jacket but you weren’t thinking about that. Mainly focusing on how his arms filled that jacket so much more than last time. Wayne mentioned that his new job was pretty full on, probably a mechanic the way his knuckles were lacking his rings and replaced with splotches of grease.

“Hey, uh. Wayne mentioned you were back, told me to come check on you– two.” Your smile dropped as he added the last part, he knew, before you even had time to tell him– he knew!

You were too busy freaking out to notice Eddie’s eyes wandering to take you in. You weren’t the same beanpole that he remembered, you had more meat on you now. Your hair was cut above your shoulders, and what he noticed the most was how tired you were. A type of tiredness that a good night's sleep doesn’t fix. The usual sparkle that you had in your eye was gone, he wondered what had happened to you since he saw you last.

“Of course he did.” You chuckled awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a ball and disappear. You wish it didn’t have to be awkward with him, like it could be normal again like old times. “So- uh you guys are all good then?” He stood awkwardly at your porch, hand making his way to his neck.The silence was deafening, you were screaming at yourself internally for being so awkward. “Yeah we're all good here, thanks.” You offered him a tight lipped smile, which he returned, nodding his head. “Cool, well I-uh am going to go get some shut eye. Late night y’know?” He clapped his hand, also clearly uncomfortable. “All good, thanks for stopping by. Appreciate it.”

“Yeah sure, see ya later then.” He quickly spun around before practically running back to his trailer without a second thought.

‘Jesus Christ.’ You sighed, rubbing your hand down your exhausted face. 

[katsukikitten]

Kitten! Eye colours and pretty words is such a fun little game 🥰

Mine are pale blue, if you’re still playing!

Denki has always been so soft and playful, the best friend that always made you laugh until you cried. So the few times you caught him staring with such a serious expression made your heart flutter.

Denki Kaminari was anything but a serious man.

You'd understand if you were in his head, you'd get exactly why he's looking at you the way he is right now. Coming closer as if a magnet pulls the two of you together.

His golden gaze looking into your gentle blue eyes. They're so light they steal the air from his lungs, as if he were high in the sky where the stratosphere thinned and made him gasp for breath.

Made him dizzy and light headed, not that was a bad feeling but he always held himself back. Because your clear sky eyes were the type of blue he'd ruin.

Or thought he would. His stormy gaze, the secret weighted grey clouds that loomed over his golden heart may cause him to act in a way that would cloud those perfectly clear skies.

The blue soft with a vibrate ring of deep sky blue around the edge, as if that's what kept his scuffed vans toeing the ground.

How the dark ring of blue tried to reach out towards the center, following some unspoken rule of rigid lines that cut through the pale sky like dark jet streams.

He sighs, heart bursting in his chest as he denies himself for the thousandth time, so god damn worried he'll infect you with his own swirling chaos when you were the calm he so desperately needed.

"Kami? Everything alright?" It's soft, and even though your eyes so unbelievably reflect the atmosphere, you are what keeps him tethered to this Earth.

He swallows thickly, he hadn't meant to let his mask slip, quick to place it back on.

Quickly becoming Denki the jokester, Denki the fun flirt, once more.

Not the sad stormy man who hides every bit of pain and hurt, keeping everyone dry while he drowns in the rain.

But he'd always willingly stand in the storm and direct all of the universe's ire to him if he could. Let the lightning keep him warm on the harder days just to keep those perfectly blue eyes the late clear winter skies they were, the promise of spring was right around the corner and so your gaze gave him hope.

"'M fine." Cat smile back on his lips, electricity dancing on his fingers. He's about to lean away, to put up that tiny little wall he's always had up, since the first day he realized that the bigger the light he shines, the longer his own shadow.

Your hand soft against his cheek, smile making him weak, melting him into your touch as you say.

"You don't have to hide from me."

And so he didn't.

Pressing his lips into yours as if you were the air he needed, his liquid poison leaking out from his golden eyes.

He only hopes it doesn't spread to you.

[house-of-slayterr]

I forgot To Blink:

Part 2 of Blinky’s backstory for @myers-meadow-selfship

Cw: A tiny bit of ableism and verbal abuse, nothing too graphic. (Not me making this a vent fic 🤪)

Blinky’s POV:

We’d been sitting in this musty van all day, Jay insisted on smoking weed without opening a window. I could feel the slight buzz of a second hand high hitting me. But I stayed quiet, not like they would listen anyway. Darla was sat next to me and my brother by her side.

She finally womaned up and asked him out, and I have to say, I don’t know what she saw in him. But he was a little nicer when she was around, and I was grateful for that. Becky was fiddling with the radio, paying whatever popular garbage was current. And Jay drummed his hands against the wheel as he hummed along.

I could feel that familiar dooms day feeling crashing over me. It happened anytime a place got too loud or too stuffy. I thought I was doing a good job at hiding it, but I guess I screwed that up too. Darla turned to me and squeezed my hand lightly.

“You good?” She whispered.

I shook my head.

“Hey Jay, you think we can stop for some fresh air? I’m getting a little cramped back here.” She asked.

I was thankful she didn’t throw me under the bus. It confused me how someone so kind could be attracted to my brother. He barley even paid attention to her when they were together, unless they were making out or having sex. I doubt he even knew her favourite colour. It was obvious it was purple, she wore it almost everyday.

“We’re never gonna make it to the damn beach if we keep stopping.” My brother snapped.

“Relax dude, we need some gas anyways. We’ll just stop up ahead and you can get us more beer yeah?” Jay said.

It was typical the person driving got to make the decisions on a road trip. Or so I’d read. My brother just grumbled. We pulled into a desolate little stop. There were only 4 gas pumps, and the pavement was sun bleached. It’s the type of place you’d typically want to avoid. But right now I would walk face first into a sharks mouth if it meant getting out of this damn car.

I watched as Jay took the keys out of the ignition and stepped unbuckled. He was about to open the door when I spoke up.

“You can’t pump your own gas here, you’ll get a fine.” I warned.

“Oh, thanks.” He said simply, hopping out and heading toward the door to go get someone.

But before he made it across the parking lot, someone was already on their way over. They probably don’t get a lot of visitors. The man had an odd appearance, at least for a day job. He kinda looked like a clown, and I giggled slightly to myself.

“What a freak.” My brother commented.

Reminding me of my already sour mood. He grabbed Darla’s hand and dragged her inside. I followed behind and left Becky in the front seat. Last thing I needed was to be trapped alone in a conversation with her. Talking with her was made me want to smash my head into a brick wall. She only cared about material things, and skin care. One more comment about how I’d look nicer if I just put on some mascara and I was going to rip out all my eyelashes just to spite her. Being seen as “pretty” served me no interest, I didn’t want to attract boys, or any attention really.

I shuffled into the gas station, looking around. It seemed like some sort of gift store, one stop shop combo. Guess it made sense, there wasn’t much for miles. Best to be the store that has everything so you make all the profits. I could feel eyes on me when I entered. I could always tell when someone was watching, it gave that uncomfortable feeling that made your skin crawl. I believe that was what people were referring to when they talked about “goosebumps”. Emotions were hard for me to understand, no one could ever explain them to me.

I tried to ignore it, still calming down from the anxiety of travelling somewhere I didn’t know. I don’t even know why my brother brought me along. I hated the beach and everything it brought with it. The hot sand, the salty water, the slimy stones or seaweed or little fish that caught you off guard. Not to mention the shallow boys doing stupid things to impress girls, but really it’s just a show for their friends. And the half naked girls throwing themselves at any guy with a little muscle. It simply wasn’t my scene. But Mother always insisted I go along with him, hoping I’d make a friend and stop being her problem. That’s all I ever really was to them, a problem.

My eyes landed on some colourful packaging and I stalked over to it. They were sour gummy worms! I loved sour Candy! In my excitement I seemed to forget who I was in the company of a si approached the counter. My brother yelled at me in annoyance and stomped after of the store after paying for his beer. Darla followed after him like a puppy dog. I looked through my pockets to see if I had any money left. Jay left his wallet in the car at the last dinner so I paid for dinner. I had just wanted to leave. I sighed when I realised I didn’t have anything left. My money for the entire trip wasted. As I was about to put it back, the man from behind the counter held out his hand. I looked at him confused.

I attempted to explain to him I didn’t have enough money and was just going to put them back. But it seemed like he wasn’t taking no for an answer. Why was he being so nice? It wasn’t a very smart business move to sell a product for less than it was worth. By the looks of this place, they weren’t making enough money from stray tourists. I sighed handing him my necklace. He could think of it as a tip, he seemed like a hard worker. I gave a tight lipped smile before I walked back to the car.

My brother was behind the wheel now and it seemed he was eager to leave this place. I watched as we pulled into an old rundown motel. I stayed behind as they talked to the receptionist and got the keys. I leaned up against the side of the van.

“The fuck are you laying around for? Get the bags in the room!” My brother snapped, tossing me the key.

I didn’t waste any time, knowing I could rest soon if I got it done. I heard Becky’s ear piercing laughter as I struggled to drag the last bag inside. Despite the no smoking sign on the outside of the door, Jay had already lit another joint and was passing it around the room.

“Thanks for bringing in our bags.” Darla said.

At least someone appreciated my efforts. I slumped down against the wall in the back corner.

“Wanna hit?” Jay asked.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my brother beat me too it.

“Don’t waste your good weed on them man. They wouldn’t even know the difference.”

Jay just shrugged, taking another hit. I tuned out the noise as I slumped back against the wall. This corner wasn’t too bad, at least the carpet was kinda soft. There were two queen beds, and it made sense the couples would get them. I just prayed they had the decency to not get all handsy in their cross faded stupor. I could ignore casual conversation, but Becky was a loud moaner, well she was loud all around. But if I had to over hear her shagging Jay one more time, I was going to pull a Van Gogh and cut off my ear. Fuck it, might even become a hermit too, it beat this bullshit.

We were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Fran-“ my brother began.

“Already on it!” I snapped.

I shouldn’t of felt bad, he deserved it. But I hated when my overstimulation ruined the mood.

“What the fuck did you just say to me?”

“Babe, just drop it.” Darla plead.

Had to say, this was the one time I was thankful she was pulling him in for a kiss. As long as it kept him quiet and attention off me. I opened the door to see a girl standing there. She was quiet pretty, and I liked her cowboy hat.

“Nice hat.” I said, before I could even stop myself.

She giggled.

“We’ll hey there cutie!” She smiled at me.

I couldn’t help but blush, no one had ever called me cute. Not even when I was a baby, my mother always said my brother was the cuter offspring. Something about me not looking right when I came out. She said my fucked up head showed on the outside. It seems I got distracted because she giggled again.

“You ok there sugar plum? You’re redder then a life guards nose.”

I was utterly embarrassed.

“People do often forget to put sunscreen on their noses.”

“You’re funny, I like you.” She said.

“Frances, who the fuck is at the door?”

I groaned. I saw a slight shift in her face, but I couldn’t discern it. I wasn’t all that good at reading people.

“Well I was just about to tell this sweet little thing here that all the restaurants in town are closed for the night. You met my brother down there at the station, and my Mama suggested I invite you folks over for some dinner. Ya must me starving after all the driving.”

She gave a dazzling smile.

“Oh, that’s kind of you.” Darla commented, trying to decline in a polite way. “But I think we’re alright.”

“Ya sure, Mama’s awful excited to have some guest. We don’t get many visitors round here. It be no trouble at all.”

But she wasn’t talking to Darla, she was looking right at Jay. I rolled my eyes slightly when I watched his fall down to her chest and move back up to her eyes.

“I could eat!” He said.

“Better than these chips.” Becky agreed. “Besides this idiot been drinking all afternoon, don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to him puking cause he went to be on an empty stomach.”

Darla showed some apprehension, but agreed none the less. “I guess I am sort of hungry, babe?”

“Hope your brother has better table manners than he does customer service skills.”

“Then it’s settled, you folks follow me.” She said.

“I don’t believe we got your name, I’m Jason.” Jay shamelessly flirted.

I never understood how someone could do that right in front of the person they supposedly “loved.” But it seems that’s something I would never understand.

“You can call me Baby, Sugar, everyone in town does.”

The glare plastered on Becky’s face wasn’t surprising. I followed up the back, letting them handle the bulk of the small talk. Baby kept stealing glances at me and I couldn’t tell for the life of me why. I just kept my gaze on my shoes. The house was just as run down as the store, if not more. But it had good bones. Must have been made sometimes in the late 1800’s by the looks of it. A little paint and it would be good as new.

It smelled nice when we entered, whatever Baby’s mom was cooking smelt lovely. I relaxed a little, glad to be back out of the Texas heat. As I leaned against the door frame, I sent another smile smile to the man from the store. It was actually kind of nice to see him again. I sat down next to Baby as dinner was served.

A smile smile graced my face as I listened in to the dinner talk. Everyone was actually being pleasant for once. And our hosts accents were smooth and buttery. It felt homey, well, more like the opposite of home. And I guess that’s what I liked about it. I noticed they took a liking to pet names, throwing them out every other sentence. My head grew a little heavy, but I suppose it was getting kind of late. Suddenly Jay collapsed into his food. I starred at him bewildered.

I mean I head of people passing out after smoking too much weed, but that seemed dramatic. I once realised that wasn’t what was happening when the others looked as confused as I was. No, not confused, sacred. Becky looked horrified. But more importantly my brother looked livid. I couldn’t even comprehend half the things he shouted at me. I watched helplessly as one by one his friends fell, but he was too focused screaming at me to care. I was seconds away from having a meltdown but I tied my best to stifle it. I could feel my brain slipping away into dissociation.

As if to answer my silent prayers, the man from the gas station smashed a bottle over his head. I couldn’t stop the trembling before it started. I was so confused and upset and nothing made sense right now. And I could feel all eyes in the room on me. Baby said something to break the silence but I couldn’t really comprehend it fully.

My medicine? What did they give me? My brain felt sluggish and slow, but I couldn’t help by lean into her warm touch. It was so gentle, unlike anything I’d ever known. Despite my best efforts my eyes closed and all the sounds faded away.

I woke up in a bed. The events of last night came rushing back to me and I shot up. I was still wearing yesterdays clothes. I threw the blanket off to see my shoes were still on. I took stock of myself, I didn’t notice any new scrapes or busies. I wasn’t bleeding, I didn’t wake up in an ice bath with my kidney missing. So things could certainly be worse. I crept my way over to the door and tried the handle, but it was locked.

Of course it was locked, idiot. Everyone was just drugged by a bunch of strangers. But why? I wasn’t hurt, but perhaps it was foolish to assume the others were as fortunate. I heard footsteps from down the hall and ran back to the bed, throwing the blanket over my head and slowing my breathing. I’d done it thousands of times before, when I didn’t want my mother to know I’d stayed up passed my bed time. I heard the click of a door opening.

“Aww, they’re still sleeping Otis, look.” Baby whispered.

All I could hear was a grunt in response from the man who was supposedly Otis.

“It should have warn off by now.” He said.

“Maybe they’re just tired, poor thing looked like they hadn’t slept in days. Their eye bags made them look like a racoon.” She giggled.

“Baby, what are you doin?” He asked.

“I wanna play with my new friend Otis, stop being such a cocksucker.” She hissed.

I felt the bed dip and then a hand on my shoulder, shaking me ‘awake’. I decided it was best to play along and slowly opened my eyes, feigning a small young.

“Good morning sleepy head!” She greeted cheerfully.

“Cool it with the volume Baby, christ they just woke up. People don’t want to deal with you barbie personality first thing in the morning.” He jabbed at her.

“It’s ok.” I said softly.

She glared at him almost as if to say “you see, it’s fine.”

“How ya feelin? Sorry things got a little… intense, last night.” She said.

A little intense, what at odd way to recount last nights events. I decided I didn’t want to beat around the bush.

“Did you- did you kill them?” I asked.

Otis stiffened at this, uncrossing his arms from his chest and almost instinctively moving to block the door. Like he’d done it a thousand times before.

“Sure did Puppy! Your little friends weren’t so friendly.”

“They weren’t my friends.” I corrected.

She raised her eyebrow at me.

“You called them my friends, they were my brothers friends.”

“Oh, so then that piece of shit is your brother.” Otis said.

“Is? Not was…”

“You got a brain on you kid, yeah, fuckers still alive. Much to my distaste.”

“How come?” I asked curiously.

The two shared a look between them. What, did I say something wrong? I was always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and getting in trouble for it. I mentally prepared myself to be scolded.

“You know, I give Otis here shit all the time, but brothers ain’t supposed to be like that.” Baby said.

“They aren’t?”

I looked to Otis to see him frown and shake his head.

“He like that all the time?” He asked me.

I nodded. “He was actually on his best behaviour yesterday. He nice in front of people.”

“Nice?” He scoffed. “Your brother wouldn’t know nice if it bit him in the dick!”

I giggled a little at that. I liked Otis, he was funny.

“You think that’s funny?” He asked.

Baby was smiling at me and I couldn’t help but blush again. It was odd to have so much positive attention on me.

“It’s a little funny” I admitted shamefully.

Otis dropped his guard a little, moving closer to the bed.

“Are you going to kill me?” I asked sadly.

I mean I suppose if anyone was to do it, I’d want it to be them. They were so nice, maybe they would make it quick. Suddenly Baby’s hands were on my face, gripping my cheeks.

“Don’t you ever say something like that again! Of course not you sweet baby. Why would anybody ever what to hurt a cute little thing like you?” She said.

Her tone was sweet, but her hands were forceful. I could tell I upset her and I wanted to cry. I really didn’t mean to.

“I’m sorry, I always fuck these things up, my brother was right.” I said.

Otis sat on the other side of me on the bed.

“Nothing out of that gutter trashes mouth is right, ya hear? The fuck did he tell you?” He sounded angry too.

I held back my tears, starring forward at the wall, afraid if I blinked they’d finally fall.

“He and Mother always said no one would ever love me because I’m Autistic. I make everyone uncomfortable and I do things that aren’t right. I don’t understand a lot of things, and it’s really hard. But I promise I’m trying.” I said.

Their silence was the loudest thing I ever heard. It made my skin crawl and my ears hot. I just wanted them to say something, anything. Even if it was just them changing their minds. I get it, I’d just be a burden anyways. I jumped slightly when Baby touched me, expecting her to grab my arm harshly. But instead she just pulled back and sighed.

“I’m going to fucking kill that shit for brains.” She muttered.

“Look, kid-“ Otis started.

I turned to him, giving aggressive eye contact. I didn’t mean to, I just didn’t know where else to look right now. I watched him tense and internally cringed. Great job proving your point dumb ass.

“Your brothers an idiot. Shit, I’m pretty sure Baby here has what your fancy city doctors call ADHD-“

“Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder?” I asked, my interest piqued.

“Was that even English?” He asked.

“Yes.” I said, confused.

“That was a joke- I. Point is, seems to me like your plenty lovable. Shit, ya got me over here feeling bad and shit. And that ain’t easy. We’re not gonna let anyone hurt ya Kid. Fuck, we need a name for ya!” He groaned in frustration.

“How bout Blinky?” Baby pipped up, her chipper mood returning.

“The fuck did you just say?”

“Cause they don’t blink. Think I’ve only seen em blink twice since they opened those pretty little eyes.” She giggled.

“Oh, sorry.” I said.

A few tears finally fell when I closed my eyes and I groaned. I hated crying, my tears were always hot and they burned my skin. I frustratedly wiped them away with my sweater sleeve.

“Aww shit Sugar, don’t cry.” Baby said.

“I’m not, they just do that sometimes.” I said.

She giggled once more. Apparently a noise she made quite frequently. But her laugh wasn’t annoying like Becky’s, so I didn’t mind all that much.

“I- I like Blinky.” I said seriously, giving her a small smile.

“Then it’s settled! Spaulding already agreed you could stay. Course, he said I gotta take care of you. But I’m so excited to have a little sibling finally! We’re gonna have so much fun together Blinky Firefly!!” She squealed.

She pulled me into a tight hug, and I stiffened.

“Alright, release them you python.” Otis joked, “don’t think they can breath.”

“Oops.”

“Welcome to the family Blinky. Not sure I can say the same for your blood, he’ll be gone by morning you just say the word.” Otis offered.

“I think I’d like that, yes.” I answered honestly.

“You’ll fit in just fine here.” He said, ruffling my hair before leaving the room.

“Go easy on em Baby, don’t want to scare em away.”

He made his leave. She grabbed my hand and started dragging me to the door.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Can’t be a Firefly looking that that, let’s get you cleaned up.”

I certainly had a lot of change to get used to. But somehow it didn’t seem so scary. I think I’ll like it here.

An: Not sure if Texas specially fallows the gas rule, but for the purposes of the story we’re going to not fact check me on that, lol 😂 Also, I want to make it very clear that I don’t think any of these things about Autistic people. These are just things I’ve heard as an autistic person.

[hugespace]

Prompt: van, thunderstorm, link is scared and rhett is there for him and gives him hugs and kisses

Thanks love 😘

There you go! 🥰 I ended up writing some high school Rhink - lots of fluff with a dash of angst. Hope you’ll enjoy it!

*** (~2k words) ***

"How the crap did you miss that, Rhett?!" Link rapidly turned his whole body in the passenger seat, making his bleached blonde locks flap around on the top of his head. "How are we even out of gas-? Didn't you just say, like yesterday, that you'd fill it up?!" he threw his hands in the air, staring with disbelief at his friend who sat quietly behind the wheel.

Rhett muttered something in response, his head downturned and eyes focused on his own lap.

"Rhett!" Link exclaimed impatiently, not having gotten a clear answer out of the other boy.

"I thought we'd make it, okay?! I was gonna buy gas with some of the money we'd get after the gig!" Rhett repeated his explanation in a raised voice this time, finally looking his friend in the eyes and shrugging in the process.

Link only returned the look with wide eyes.

"Are you serious-? You're so irresponsible!" he answered even louder after a few short seconds of processing Rhett's words. "You're telling me you wanted to buy gas with the money we won't even get now because we won't get to the damn concert- because. You didn't. Get. Gas. In the first place?!" Link continued thought clenched teeth. "What the crap, Rhett?!"

The taller boy felt his face grow warm. Sure, perhaps Link was right, it wasn't the smartest decision of his life, or even of just that day, probably – electing to risk not reaching their destination in a borrowed van full of equipment for the two of them and the other members of Wax Paper Dogz just to be able to spend the last of his cash for the week on snacks. But he certainly wasn't going to give the other boy that, or the full reason for getting them stranded in the middle of a road on the way to the farm they were supposed to play at, for that matter. Truth was, Rhett didn't do well with criticism. Not even when it was earned.

He opened his mouth and got ready to match Link's tone, when a powerful crash of thunder resounded directly above them all of a sudden, immediately preventing the shouting match that was surely about to ensue.

"What was that-?" When Link's voice reverberated to Rhett's right again, it was remarkably smaller and less filled with anger than just seconds ago.

"Shit" was the only response the older boy could muster as the sky opened up, letting thick and heavy drops of rain fall onto the world around them, drumming angrily against the van's roof.

"At least we don't gotta worry about the gig-?" Rhett tried for a reassuring smile after a few beats of silence between them ticked by, interrupted only by blaring sounds of the summer storm they’d apparently gotten caught in. "It ain't gonna happen now with that rain-" he conceded, hoping it won't anger Link any further.

The younger boy was silent, the unexpected arrival of thunder seemed to have not only taken away his temper, but his voice as well.

"Link?"

A pair of blue eyes, still wide open, met Rhett's. The fire that burned in them just moments before the first loud crash fizzled out completely, giving way to a cold shade of fear, and the face they belonged to quickly became visibly paler, taking on a greyish colour only intensified by the sudden lack of sunlight.

"I don't like this-" Link whispered, clutching the edges of his seat with such force that his knuckles soon matched the paleness of his face.

Now, Link didn't exactly suffer from a deadly fear of thunder, not to Rhett's knowledge at least, which after more than a decade of being best friends meant it could as well be equalled to a fact. On the other hand, he wasn't especially keen on those either, and the aspect of being trapped in a metal can in the middle of a country road with absolutely nowhere to go to seek refuge only added another dimension to that.

Instinctively, Rhett reached out a hand and rubbed the other boy's shoulder soothingly.

"Hey- Hey, look at me. Link-?" he leaned forward trying to catch his friend’s eyes again and grasp his attention, temporarily directed towards the sky where bright flashes of lightning cut through the dark graphite clouds one after another. "Hey"

Link finally directed his attention back to Rhett, gulping loudly, almost comically, if it weren't for the entire situation. "We're gonna be fine. The car's safe, we're better off here than anywhere outside probably, just don’t touch the doors. We'll wait till the rain passes a bit and then I'll go get us gas, okay? The station's not that far. We'll be good." Rhett added in a calm voice, still keeping his right hand on Link and gently rubbing his upper back.

"Okay" the boy replied, still in a weak voice, and drew in a deep breath, only to be startled by another instance of rumbling thunder and hastily clasp Rhett's other hand.

"Sorry..." he cleared his throat and tried to compose himself once the sound of thunderclap died down, leaving them only with the deafening banging of raindrops against the van. Link went to retract his hand but was stopped by Rhett's before the taller boy could think about it.

"Ssh, don't. S’okay, brother."

The split-second decision to comfort Link and hold him like he hasn't since they were kids came from the feeling of guilt for getting them in that situation in the first place, he told himself. And sure, he did feel responsible for making Link endure the storm in a car stuck in the middle of nowhere all because of his stupid idea. But it wasn't just guilt; the vulnerable look on his friend's pale face combined with the fear in his big glassy eyes made him look like the boy he was when they were still in grade school - small and innocent, and it tugged at Rhett's heart in a way he didn't fully comprehend, awakening an instinct to protect Link no matter what.

"Do you... Maybe we'd- Should we...?" Yes, Rhett did make a decision but was suddenly struggling to articulate it. The scared boy next to him wasn't really listening anyway, his whole attention focused on the sky again and his free hand grasping Rhett's sleeve and trembling. Rhett cleared his throat and tried again. "We should move to the back."

"Whaa...?" Link started but was cut off by his friend gently removing his fingers from the fabric of his shirt and swiftly moving to the row of seats behind them.

"C'mon. It's gonna be more comfortable. The stick's poking my leg when I lean over like that." the older boy offered from the expanse of the middle row, gesticulating to the gap between Link and the now empty driver's seat.

If Link was hesitant to join him, another growl of thunder must have been enough to persuade him because suddenly, he was clambering to join Rhett, inadvertently nudging his thighs and elbowing him in the process.

"Auch! Okay, okay- Com'ere" The older boy grabbed the other's shoulders once he was situated next to him and moved his body even closer, encircling it with his long lanky arms and squeezing hard, making Link's head fall onto his chest.

To his surprise, his best friend didn't protest, he only burrowed his face deeper in the front or Rhett's bunched up flannel and breathed in deeply, obviously trying to relax.

"Good, good" Rhett praised absent-mindedly and slowly stroked Link's smooth hair, temporarily stunned by the feeling of warmth and peace holding the other boy so close gave him. After a couple of minutes of stillness, he felt Link's arms move, too, and wriggle in between the backrest of the seat and Rhett's lower back, finally hugging him back around the waist. It made the taller boy instinctively seek even more contact, and he lowered his head, positioning his face on Link's hair and eventually, before he could rethink it, leaving a kiss on top of it

Link froze and tensed up again, though this time there was no crash of thunder or flash of lightning to blame it on.

Oh no. Rhett's action caught up to him. This was weird. He was being weird. They never kissed each other, not even like that, not even when they were kids. His heart sped up from embarrassment and he was sure his friend could feel it, with the way he was still clinging to his chest. But he wasn’t letting go- In fact, he seemed to hug Rhett even tighter now, nuzzling his face into his body, left cheek smushed against his sternum.

Shyly, Rhett risked another smooch to Link's head, this time as close to his forehead as he could reach in the position they were in.

In response, the boy let out what sounded like an appreciative hum, or maybe even a tiny whimper, and a warm breath against Rhett’s skin, making his heart pick up the pace again. Continuing the pattern of acting before we could talk himself out of it, Rhett gathered his friend and tried to pull him even closer, not even sure if it was possible at that point, and was rewarded with Link landing almost entirely in his lap.

The face of his best friend was now nearly level with his. It was blushed, he realised, the earlier sickly tone of his complexion gone almost completely. His hair, equally blonde as Rhett's though significantly longer, was dishevelled. The sight was endearing, there was no other word to describe it, and the look in Link's eyes, blue as ever and soft now – not as filled with fear anymore, only made the effect it had on Rhett more intense.

Blinded by the affection that flooded him all of a sudden, he leaned in again, now able to kiss Link's forehead, and left another peck there, keeping his lips pressed to it for a bit longer. Before Rhett could really get used to the new sensation, Link straightened his back, making himself taller in Rhett's lap and as a result, bringing his own lips to the same hight his friend mouth was at.

The taller boy flinched slightly and almost recoiled on instinct, seeing how there were no more than two inches of tense air filled with petrichor separating their faces, and nothing else.

Almost.

Instead, he gathered all of his courage and closed that gap, planting his lips square on Link's.

They were incredibly soft, almost cushiony, and oh so warm. And they were moving against his! He realised, stunned, as the other boy's hand reached up to his face and gently cupped his jaw.

Rett felt his own lips form an involuntary smile, soon matched by the lips he was kissing. As they started to separate, both beaming and searching each other’s faces with sparkly eyes, he took in the near silence that surrounded them.

The rain stopped, there was no banging on the roof of their van and no rumbling of thunder above. It was like the clouds dissipated the moment they kissed, giving way to sun again, Rhett thought not caring about how silly and romantic at the same time that idea was.

Divine intervention or a simple coincidence, he didn't care. The sky was clear now and so was the fact that he just shared a kiss with the person he loved most in the entire world. How he hadn't realised that earlier was unimportant. It might have taken being stranded in the middle of a road, surrounded by nothing but trees and crops and a thunderstorm worse than any other time that summer to get there, but they did, in the end - that was all that mattered.

And with that thought, Rhett embraced Link trying to put all of his love into it, and went to kiss him again.

[sombreboy]

Daffodil dreams✾yandere!kth

| RP with 🍁anon | Header by:🍁anon ♡ | CLICK ME FOR PART TWO ✾ 18+ ✾ xtremity; 7 ✾ pairing: Murder suspect!Yandere!Taehyung x Therapist!F ✾ word count: 16.8k ✾ warnings: mental illness, mentions of murder, hand fetish, oral, forceful facefucking, dubcon themes, sadistic/manipulative/possessive!Tae, masochistic!therapist, mentions of medication for mental illness, cursing, degrading dirtytalk, rough smut, unprotected sex.

‘’Taehyung, you didn't lose control. You chose to control me instead..." And he damn well took sick pleasure from the crazed look in his eyes.

“I’m not bad.” He convinced himself of this. He wasn’t a bad person. He wasn’t the person in the case files. That was somebody else inside of him.

Flashing her access card to open the door of the secured interrogation room, the doctor nods at the guard outside before stepping in. If things were to turn sour at any point, he'd step in as intervention.

Once the door closes, she takes a moment to assess her latest patient— accused of double murder, yet to be proven guilty even if circumstantial evidences were against him, Kim Taehyung. Her report on his mental state will be the determinant in his case at this rate. Moving closer towards him, she greets him by introducing herself. "Hello, Taehyung!"

Taehyung sat with his hands clasped together, eyes in his lap as someone walks in. As soon as he hears their greeting though, he slowly gazes up at her, a cautious look on his face. ‘‘Hello.’‘

Placing her tiny folder of contents and her notepad on the table, she takes the chair across from him with a formal smile. "I'll be your therapist till the case gets resolved in the court which can be anywhere between a few days to many months! We're together in this until then." She tells him in an honest voice. It would be better to ease him into the sessions and gain his trust before she could delve deeper into his mind. Deciding to keep it simple, "How are you feeling today? Did you sleep well?"

Taehyung fiddled with his fingers, avoiding eye contact, but he’s responsive enough, “I’m good.. I slept okay.” He nodded, as if confirming his own words.

"I'm glad you're feeling good. We'll see what we can do about the sleep issues you have..." She says, observing how he avoided her eyes and takes her note to record it in. But before she does, "You don't mind if I take notes, do you?" She asks to confirm. Some of her patients hated it when she paid more attention to her notebook than them. She'd switch to a taping device in that case. "Have you seen any other therapists before me, Taehyung— it's okay if I called you by your name, right?"

It took Taehyung a long moment before he responded, eyes moving back up to look at her, this time more observing, “You’re my first...” he keeps his eyes on her, an unreadable expression on his face as he nods, confirming the usage of his name.

She flashes him a genuine smile when she finds his eyes upon her. That was rather a very quick improvement in her books. Nodding her head at him, she notes it all down, from his words to his gestures— everything. So no one even suspected he might have been mentally disturbed until the incident itself. Interesting. "In that case, I'm going to make sure I'm helping you the best way I can!" She promises him with a look before going for her next question. "Tell me more about yourself, Taehyung... It can be anything?" She'd get to know him from his own point of view before making her judgement.

Taehyung looked around the room, as if in thought, leaning back in his chair as his eyes finally land on the painting hanging behind her. He stares at it for a long moment, zoning out as he’s looking at it.

She patiently waits for him to speak up, silently taking in his features. He looked rather young, just about her age or even younger. Lucious curls, sharp jaws, almond eyes framed by full lashes— he was nothing short of gorgeous. And then there was this innocence in his eyes that makes her pause. Could he have really murdered two people in cold blood? Noticing his attention elsewhere, she turns behind her to see the painting on the wall. "So... You like art? Do you paint often?" If he wouldn't talk, then she just had to ask more questions to keep him speaking.

Taehyung rocked back and forth, a very vague movement, barely noticeable unless anyone paid attention. He nodded, his eyes flickering to her before focusing on the painting once more, a short but clear response rolling off his lips, “Sometimes..”

Her eyes keenly track each of his movements, including how he seemed to not stay as still as he had when their session began. She hums at his words. Maybe she could bring some art supplies to one of their future sessions? But for now, "I'm a fan of surrealism. It feels like there's something about the unexpectedness it brings to everyday subjects... Dali is one of my favourite artists!" She comments, her eyes lighting up brightly as she speaks about something she likes. "Do you prefer someone's art works in particular?"

Taehyung kept rocking back and forth, he was slowly starting to become a little bit more responsive, taking a few seconds less to answer this time, “Van Gogh.” His lips twitched ever so slightly at the thought of his art, his gaze focusing back down at his lap.

"Van Gogh?" There's a flare of recognition in her gaze, that is more than just knowing the famous artist's name. She was well versed in his life history too— especially his mental illness that made him take his own life. Taehyung taking less time than before to respond with his name was mildly alarming. But she keeps her cool, and her smile intact. "I have a copy of his Almond Blossom in my home." She mentions as she makes more notes, "What is it about Gogh that impresses you, Taehyung?"

Taehyungs eyebrows raise vaguely when she mentions that she owns such a piece of art. His eyes now travells down to focus on the notepad in her lap. But this time he didn’t respond.

She gives him a whole minute before looking up at him, only to find his gaze focused on her lap. "Would you like to write... Or maybe sketch instead?" She tears off the page she had been writing in and passes the notepad to him with another pen. "Is there a particular painting of Van Gogh that you like so much?" She tries again hoping he'd feel motivated enough to answer her or even write it down.

He moved slowly when he grabbed the pen and notepad, putting it in his lap as he quietly scribbled something down. When he finished, he put it back on the table along with the pen, pushing it over the table towards her so she could take a look at what he had written down. “Through his pain, came beauty. His art.” Along with a smaller note, “irises," which was a painting by the artist. It was a painting of Irises that suggests cautious optimism. The bouquet of blue irises, shadowed in violet in an ocher vase against a yellow background, reveals his continuing pursuit of what he called 'the color question'  and nature always offered the true revelation.

When he leaves the pad back on the table, she peeks over to see what he had written. "Irises?" She whispers under her breath. There were two paintings of Gogh's with the said flowers. One, speaking of a life without tragedies and the other, a still life painting of the flowers in a vase he used for studying colours, both of them he did in the asylum. Tracing his words about the artist himself with her eyes she asks in a softer tone, "Did you know there's two different paintings of irises?"

Taehyung nods, however not clarifying his answer. His mind seemed to drift away after the mention of the paintings, but his body seemed slightly more relaxed as he was no longer rocking himself back and forth.

She leans back on her chair and keeps talking when he doesn't respond more than a nod. "I prefer the first one, the painting with the irises he did in the garden. There is this sense of hope about it..." As if he had hoped to get better in the hospital. Taking one more look at his note, she presses an elbow to the table and props her chin upon her palm as she tries to get his attention back on her. "Does his pain inspire you, Taehyung?"

His lips part as if he’s about to speak, but he closes his mouth again, one hand moving up to brush his curls away from his eyes, that were now back on the doctor. He made eye contact, and gave her a vague nod, a quiet whisper rolling off his lips as he quoted the artist, “Art is to console those who are broken.”

She blinks, the motion of his hand breaking her transfixed gaze upon him. But soon he reels her back with his eyes, that now rested upon hers with a sense of ease. She leans a little further across the table to catch his whisper, which gives her a pause. As much as she wanted to go on track and ask more about the artist he seemed to idolise, she chooses a personal question instead. "Do you consider yourself broken then?" It comes out equally quiet, her eyes focused unblinkingly upon him.

Taehyung shrugged, then broke into a soft smile before countering her question with one of his own, “Aren’t we all broken in one way or another?”

Her eyes soften at the first sign of his smile, her own lips quirking up to mirror it. Moving back with a mellowed laughter at his question, "True, we all are! You got me there." She admits, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "So, what is your story then? Why do you think you're broken?" With her head tilted to the side, she might resemble a curious cat. There's an urge to get to know him more now that goes beyond the need for this case. But she brushes it off to analyse it later when she wasn't on the clock.

Taehyung observes her for a moment, he’s starting to feel a little more comfortable with his therapist. Her smile made him feel something, but he couldn’t quite place it as of yet. For the first time in a long time, he’s enjoyed somebody’s company. He didn’t want the session to end. “My story... isn’t very unique. I had a happy life... simple.” He presses his lips together as he nodded, confirming his own words before looking at her again, hands clasped together in his lap, “What about you?”

"Had?" She notes the past tense of his words before blinking back in surprise when he asks her about her story. "I'm... still writing my story. Everyday, as it goes. My story is about finding a purpose for your life to be happy again!" She reiterates gently, her notes laying long forgotten on her lap with her attention completely on him now and their conversation. "Everyone's story is different from each other, Taehyung. But why would you think your happy life ended? What about your life now?"

Taehyung stares at her as he takes in her words. Her purpose was for him to find happiness? That sounded crazy... it sounded almost... like she cared about him. He leaned forward, as if he's trying to get a closer look at her. "Well, I am held in custody... and will be for a while it seems. Wouldn't you feel unhappy in my situation?" Once again, he counters her questions with his own, as if it was a little game. But it was obvious that he was starting to enjoy this, becoming more responsive to her, whether it gives her clear answers or not.

"Which is 'where' I come in." She air quotes in response to his question. "Anyone would he unhappy in this situation. You'll be held here until they can find a solution to this case. Don't you want to be happy again, Taehyung?" Her tone is beseeching as she hides her surprise at how easy it was to get him to talk when his previous interrogators claimed otherwise. "I can help you with that! But you'll have to help me in return. I want you to be completely honest with me. Can you do that?"

Taehyung leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, eyes still fixed on the woman as if he's observing her. He doesnt answer, but he nods.

Even without his verbal confirmation, she still considers it a minor victory when he agrees to be truthful. Giving him another one of her genuine smiles as if in reward, "We can take this one step at a time. And if you're uncomfortable with anything I say or ask, feel free to stop me immediately, okay?" She bends her head slightly, looking up at him through her lashes to see if he understood her before proceeding. "You're aware that you're kept in custody. But do you know why you're here?"

Taehyung's gaze travels to look down once again, a soft sigh escaping his lips. However another nod was the only response she got. He wasn't feeling very verbally responsive for this topic, knowing all words can and would be used against him, whether he was guilty or not.

When he breaks their eye contact, she withdraws back with a deep exhale. She knew she was pushing him beyond his comfort zone. But from every information she gathered from him so far, her gut feeling told her he was innocent. Even the devil was an angel before he fell though. "Taehyung," She calls his name out softly. "We're almost at the end of our session today. I have one last question for you before I leave. Do you think you deserve to be kept here for whatever the reason you're in here for?"

His gaze slowly moved to look at her hands, keeping his arms wrapped over his chest as if he's hugging himself. It takes a long minute before he shrugs. He knows he's been vague, but he wasn't sure. And he felt a little disappointed that the session was over already, he was beginning to enjoy her company. She was the first person since he was taken in to actually talk to him as a person, and not simply pinpoint him as a murderer.

Clicking her tongue quietly at his shrug, she slumps back into her chair when he gives her no clear answer once again. There was a prompt knock on the metal door, signaling the end of their session.

"You did so good, Taehyung." She tells him with a soft smile as she stands up to gather her things, including the notepad. "I'll be back tomorrow. And I'll see if I can request for an additional hour. If we work well together like today, I'll soon be able to help you find your happiness again, hm?"

He feels his chest flutter at the doctor's praise, another foreign feeling to him. As she stand up, his eyes follow her with the utmost observation of her every movement and word. His lips curl up in a small smile as he nods, "Okay." He didn't want the session to end, but he was already looking forward to tomorrow. Now, as soon as he was no longer alone with her, his expressions fade back into being a blank canvas— no expression at all.

Now more than ever, she believes he was being framed for the murders. And even if he was guilty, she'd help him get his Not Criminally Responsible verdict if it ever came to that, she decides. He definitely had underlying mental health issues for certain, she just needed more medical proof. Sending an email out to his defence attorney and the institution, she rests easy that night when they approve her request for extended sessions.

Taehyung had barely slept that night, staring at the ceiling of his isolated room as he processes everything she said. She'd asked him questions about art, and the way her knowledge surprised him made him curious about her. The way she told him that her purpose was to find his happiness, made him happy... no one's ever said that to him before, and he started to feel a small infatuation with his therapist.

He reminded himself to be cautious, however, it had only been one session after all. But his heart fluttered at the thought of seeing her again. Would her hair look different? Would she wear something pretty? All these things whirled through his mind until he managed to get a fractured amount of sleep before the guards woke him up for his next session. He slowly sauntered over, hair a curly mess, bags under his eyes.

The next day, she's back in the room before him for their new session. She had forgone her coat, favouring a simple blouse and skirt as it was summer. The door opens and she stands up with a bright smile. "Hello, Taehyung!" One look at his cuffed arms and she sends a pointed glare at the guard who takes it off with a roll of his eyes. Once the guard leaves, she takes a step towards Taehyung, almost as if to push his hair back, but drops her hands halfway and goes back to the table. "Did you sleep well last night?" She asks him, her smile simmered down as he takes his seat.

Taehyung rubs his wrists when the cuffs are removed, nodding uncomittedly at her question as he slowly strolls over to his seat, ‘’Somewhat,’’ He didn’t lie, but also didn’t want to tell her he barely slept, but the doctor's eyes were sharp, and the dark circles under his eyes were prominent even if they were half hidden underneath his bangs. He ran his hands through his hair as if to calm down the bedhead he was rocking, lifting up his grey hoodie over his curls.

Nodding at his reply, "Well, I have news for you. Our sessions are going to be two hours long from now. So hopefully we can solve this case quicker!" She says with a smile, looking up from her notes only for her lips to turn down in a frown at his red eyes and visible dark circles beneath them despite his attempt to hide it all behind his bangs. "Is there a particular reason you didn't sleep well last night?" She asks him in a crisp tone, giving no room for anymore vague answers. "If something's bothering you, you can tell me, you know?"

Taehyung felt a rush of joy, reminding him of butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the mention of longer sessions. Does that mean she wants to spend more time with him? That’s how he interpreted it, a small smile pulling on his lips. It made him more responsive, more open to answer her questions. However, it didn’t mean he couldn’t ask some back, ‘’I had a lot on my mind after we spoke,’’ He confesses, tilting his head to the side as his eyes landed on her skirt, slowly roaming up your outfit. She looked so pretty, ‘’I like your clothes.’’ He squinted, observing the small floral patterns adorning her blouse. He was curious about the brand, he did enjoy fashion.

"Oh?" She glances down at herself, giving him another smile at his compliment. "Thank you! It's getting warmer out there. Had to give up my winter clothing." Subtly noting the spark of interest in his eyes at her clothing style, she decides to dig into it later. They had something important to discuss before that. "You said you had lot in your mind last night. May I ask what?" She pulls up a fresh page on her notepad, beginning to write down everything she noticed about him today.

He smiled, arms going back to his default position across his chest, “You.” His eyes moved back to her face, observing her reaction. This could’ve been a bad idea, maybe he should’ve stayed quiet, closed down. But he had to say it. She was special, not just his therapist.

Her writing comes to a sharp halt, and she glances up at him to find him watching her already. Dropping her pen between the pages, she closes the notepad and leaves it on the table before focusing all her attention on him with an unsure smile curling on her lips. "Me? Do you mean you were thinking about the things we spoke about yesterday, Taehyung?" Getting involved with a patient at any emotional level was frowned upon. She hopes he means the latter, for both of their sakes.

Taehyung hesitates, considering whether he should answer with honesty. Will the truth scare her away? Will she stop seeing him? He didn’t want to take the chance, not until he was sure. He internally scolded himself for even telling her, but if he plays his cards right, he could deflect this quickly, continuing with the normal questions. He squints his eyes in a smile, nodding once more as he straightens his posture, ‘’Of course, that’s what I meant.’’

There's a faint sagging of her shoulders in relief despite the niggling feeling of uneasiness pricking at the back of her head. "That's great! But please don't let out conversations disturb your sleep patterns. I like seeing you in better health." She smiles,  purposefully adding the last part to see if it'd change his behaviour that night. Sitting a little more relaxed in her chair, "What is it about yesterday that left you sleepless, Taehyung?" Technically, she should begin from where they left off but this could work too.

Taehyung considers her words carefully, and how she kept saying things that seemed so earnest. She would like to see him in better health. Not because a script told her so, but because she cared. He started to believe it, and he couldn’t control the way his feelings slowly grew for her. He crossed one leg over the other, leaning back as he put his hands in his pockets into a more relaxed position, eyes staring at the table as he chewed on his lower lip in a moment of thought, ‘’I thought a lot about... Art.. It was a refreshing conversation compared to all the surface level interrogations they’ve put me through so far. I felt like I was talking to an actual person, and it was... Nice.’’ This was the longest sentence he’s ever given her, even if it didn’t conclude much other than his appreciation for her knowledge.

"I'm glad our talk was thought provoking for you. And I want you to feel normal. I know interrogations here can get bitter. But I'm here to help you find and face the truth, no matter what it is!" Placing both her hands on the table, she presses on it to lean forward and let him see the honesty of her words reflected in her eyes. "We can talk about art again, if you want? Or anything else of your interest? I'm sure we can spare some time before beginning from where we left off yesterday."

Taehyung’s eyes lit up, he finally had an opportunity to know more about her, rather than talk about himself. That’s all he’s done, and he would, for her. But first, he wanted something back, something new to learn. He fiddled with his fingers before clasping them together, ‘’What’s your favourite type of flower?’’ It was an odd question to some, but to him, it mattered. He always loved flowers, and the meanings behind them.

She doesn't miss out on any reactions of his, including how his entire face lights up when she says they could talk about anything other than the case. Little sacrifices, she tells herself with a smile as she leans back in her chair only to pause at his question. "My favourite flower?" She asks again with surprise in her tone to confirm if she heard it right. As he continues to gaze at her with that little excited look of his, she gives in. "Lily of the valley. I love those little bells!"

‘‘Return to happiness.’‘ He states, eyes still fixed on her. Everything really pointed back towards the one thing you keep telling him, to find happiness. To be happy. That she wanted him to be happy. This couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? If it was, it surely was fate. ‘‘The flower is beautiful, attractive... But poisonous.’‘ He continued, as if his statement could have an underlying meaning to it. He stretches his back a little, before returning to a comfortable position, his hands delicately placed in his lap, ‘‘I like daffodils.’‘

"When something is too beautiful to behold, it always comes with a way of protecting itself, doesn't it? Like how roses have thorns, the lilies are poisonous. I only think it's fair." She shrugs, not really worried about how he'd interpret that. By now, she's made up her mind to enjoy the unexpectedness of their conversations until it lasts. "Daffodils? What do they mean?" She might have a little knowledge about art, but not so much about flowers.

Taehyung hums, nodding as he speaks, ‘’Rebirth... New beginnings...’’ He tilts his head to the side, keeping his eyes in his lap as if he’s in thought, ‘’They are the first flower to bloom when the cold, dark winter has passed, as a sign of spring.’’ He pauses to lick his lips, looking up at her with a small smile, ‘’And they smell nice.’’

She nods her head slowly, taking in the meaning of his favourite flowers a little deeper than she should. "New beginnings..." Letting the word roll around her tongue for a moment, she glances up to meet his eyes with an understanding smile. "Is that what you crave right now? A new beginning once this darkness," her gaze flickers to his case file on the table before meeting his again, "—passes, Taehyung? Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I tend to overthink sometimes."

He felt butterflies burst in his gut when she said his first name so casually, as if they were already close. He enjoyed it, feeling a warmth simmer over him. Taehyung shrugs, ‘’I guess you could say that.’’

"Hm..." She hums, moving forward once again to lean over the table. These chairs weren't exactly comfy, she was sure to get a back pain if she were to sit in it much longer. "And how do you envision this new beginning? Is it going to be similar to the life you lived before? Or maybe you want to move away to a new place and start afresh? I'd do that if I were you, to be honest..." Letting her eyes trace his features carefully, "How different do you want your new life to be from your old?"

Her words seemed to have hit a small trigger, his eyes squinting in thought, the corner of his mouth twitching once, twice. He stared to his left, at nothing, just staring, as if he’s deep within himself for the moment, and his leg starts to bounce restlessly, ‘’It’s already different... But, I don’t know..’’

It was the first time she catches him struggling to express his thoughts that day, immediately knowing his answers would be as vague as their previous session. No, that wouldn't do. "Different because of any thing in particular?" Maybe his guilt? He was yet to answer her last question from yesterday. Seeing how his attention seemed to be elsewhere, she opens her palm on the table. "You can hold my hand if you need something to ground yourself, Taehyung!" She offers without thinking twice.

His eyebrows are drawn together in confusion at her words, until he looks down at her open palm on the table. He didn’t hear everything she said, he only caught when she called his name, and then suddenly, her hand was offered to him. What is this? She wanted him to hold her hand? Was this a test?... Did she like him? Taehyung’s fingers twitched, he slowly raised his hand as if considering to actually hold hers, but he hesitates, looking up at her, ‘‘I can...?’‘

She looks at him with her head slightly bent, urging him on silently with her eyes. "Yes, of course! I want you to hold my hand so you can ground yourself..." She states calmly, curling her fingers in a come hither motion as she smiles at him. It was clear he was lost in his head and if this would help, she was willing to do it for him. "We'll continue our conversation only when you're certain you're back here with me, okay?" Her voice is soft, as if soothing him back into reality.

He shuffles closer to sit on the edge, his large hand slowly wrapping around hers. She felt so delicate in his hand, and his heart skipped a beat. He exhaled through his nose, eyes fixed on the way his long fingers gently closed around her hand.

Carefully, she watches him place his hand upon hers before wrapping it around her dainty one, her gaze flashing up to his face to note his reaction. He seemed... content, for the lack of accurate words to explain the emotion in his eyes. She sits there in silence with his hand in hers, for how long, neither of them care. Smiling again, she softly squeezes the reassuring weight of his hand upon hers. "Feeling better, Taehyung?" She asks him once his eyes move back to rest upon her.

His eyes softened when he felt her squeeze his palm, and he wished this moment could last forever, not ready to ever let go of her. ‘’Can I look at your hand? Closer, I mean...’’

She flexes her fingers in his, knowing what she was doing wasn't exactly ethical in her practice. But he seemed like he needed someone to hold him, and all she could offer was her hand for now. Blinking back at the unexpectedness of his question, she hesitates a brief moment before nodding. "Sure you can... as long as you promise not to bite!" She jests in good nature, even if a part of her wonders why he was asking to look closer.

Taehyung smiles playfully, an eyebrow crooked up at her words. ‘’Deal,’’ he leans forward a little further, both of his hands holding hers. He treats her hands like they are fragile, delicately examining her flat palm facing him before the pads of his fingers trace the lines in her hand, his eyes focused on how soft her skin feels in his hand. To some, it might look like he’s doing some kind of palm reading, but in reality he just... really likes hands. And hers, they were an exquisite sight, and they felt even better.

She laughs faintly at his playfulness, brushing off the little voice in her head questioning her sanity in that very situation. He was only being curious, she told herself— almost like a child. Indulging him would cause no harm! Unless he really was guilty… Sighing at her own internal monologue, she wriggles her fingers again as she smiles up at him. "What are you looking for in my hand, Taehyung? Did you lose something there?"

He doesn’t look up at her, eyes still observing as he grabs her fingers between his index finger and thumb, bending it delicately back and forth, as if he’s fascinated with the way her flesh moves and bends beneath the skin. But to others, it looks like he’s just playing around. He nods before grabbing her hand inbetween both of his large palms, ‘’I just liked how fragile- I mean... I like the way your hand feels. It’s soft.’’

Her eyes still locked on all of his movements, she thinks he might not have heard her from the way he looks lost in examining the workings of her fingers. When he begins speaking again, the word fragile stands out, reminding her of his case file. A cold shiver passes down her spine, but she manages to school her expression before it shows. "It feels so soft because I don't do any of my household chores." Turning one of his hand over, she runs her fingers over it. "See, even yours is soft!"

Her touch ignites a fire beneath his skin, that travels further like a domino effect throughout his entire body. He recognized this feeling, and he wondered whether he should stop this. Stop, and not let this feeling grow. But then, the way her fingers smooth over his skin was almost erotic to him, and he didn’t want her to stop. His mouth parted slightly, a quiet exhale pushing through his lips at the feeling, nodding, ‘’Again.’’

She looks up at him with a stricken expression when he asks to be touched again. But the intensity behind his eyes reels her in without her even being aware of it and she begins tracing his palm longer this time, her touch nothing more than feather soft. "Like this?" Even as she asks, she runs the tip of her nails over each of the lines that crisscross along his palms with little pressure. At the feel of him shuddering, she slowly glances up at him with her lower lip caught between her teeth. "More, Taehyung?"

Taehyung closes his eyes, his chest heaving up and down slowly, but heavily. He licks his lips, focusing so hard on the feeling of your nails across his skin, this fire that he knew too well already taking over his body, as his next words just slip out like a sultry growl, ‘’I want more, you drive me mad...’’

Her breathing is equally hard, the sight of him coming undone at her mere touch all too sensual for her to handle. The entire purpose of her presence there slips from her mind somewhere between them getting lost in each other's hands. She gulps at the sound of raw need behind his growl and slowly loops her fingers through his while her other hand is still mindlessly drawing patterns over the sensitive skin of his palm. "How do you want me, Taehyung?" She dares to ask at last in a softer tone.

His eyes open, an intense gaze meeting hers as he drags his lower lip between his teeth, “I want you... on your knees, right here...” His eyes look down between his now spread apart legs, the obvious bulge leaving little to the imagination through the soft fabric of his sweatpants, “I want your soft hands on me.”

Trapped within his gaze and nowhere to run in the room that was locked from outside, she slowly stands up on trembling feet, throwing a cautious look over her shoulders at the door. This was wrong. So wrong. She keeps thinking despite sinking to her knees between his spread legs. Moving one of her hands to the prominent bulge in his pants, she squeezes it softly while looking up at him through her thick lashes. "Like this?" She squeezes harder again and then rubs over it, repeating her motions.

He gazes down at her with heavy eyes, a small smirk playing on his face as he crooks an eyebrow, licking his teeth, “Yes, just like that,” he nods, keeping his hands on his thighs, curling up his fists as he grasps the fabric of his pants, trying to keep his fingers to himself. He knows once he starts touching her , it could go any direction. It was too early. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t indulge in the pleasures of having her willingly touch him, “More...” he repeats the same word once more, his possessive affection for her blooming faster than ever.

The situation had escalated way too quickly for her to even grasp it, but she pushes it to the back of her mind. For now, his heavy gaze upon her as she palmed him through his pants was enough to make her shirt stick to her skin from the raising heat around them. She pops a button open on her blouse before sneaking her hand into his pants at his needy demand, feeling his velvety length between her fingers. Her gaze moves up to hold his as she runs a nail from his base to the tip, to catch his reaction.

His burning gaze followed the movements of her unbuttoning her blouse just enough for him to let out a long exhale through his nose. He then focused his attention back down, feeling her nail scrape delicately across the skin of his length, his thighs almost vibrate underneath her, his cock twitches in anticipation, “Take it out...” It sounded more like a demand rather than begging, but it was laced with need.

Looking into his eyes that seemed like it wanted to devour her whole, she drags his throbbing length out of his pants at his needy whine. Even from the feel of him, she knows she'll be able to feel his curved tip all the way into her womb if she were ever to sink down on his pretty length. Shuddering at that thought, she runs her nail over his slit, gathering his precum as she goes before smearing it down his cock, slowly beginning to pump him between her soft hands. "Want more, Taehyung?"

Taehyung struggles to keep his hands to himself, but he’s mustering all his strength, clawing at his thighs as he moans quietly beneath her touch, ‘’Please,’’ His eyes are beginning to have a slightly crazed look to them as he watches how pretty and small her hands look compared to the size of his generous length, ‘’Put it in your mouth, please..’’

As much as she wants to tease and edge him on until he was writhing for her with nothing but her name on his lips, she knew they didn't have enough time. His pleas will have to do for today. Giving his throbbing length a few more drawn out pumps, she kisses the slit, moaning softly at his taste as she lets the tip of her tongue graze it. Opening her mouth wider, she locks her gaze with his while lowering her mouth to swallow him in painfully slow, swirling her tongue as she went along.

Taehyung’s jaw fell open, breathing out heavy, low vibrating groans as he watches his cock disappear between her lips, ‘’So pretty... Prettier than anybody-y ah..’’ His sentence broke into a whimper. He’s had his cock sucked before, but with her, it felt new and foreign, his hyper responsive senses causing his hips to twitch. He wanted to fuck her mouth so badly, but the torture of holding himself back from grasping her hair was another turn on in itself. If you are patient, and wait for something good, the wait will always be worth it.

A part of her feels smug as he is reduced to broken whimpers from her mere touch, such a breathtaking mess to watch despite his immense self control. She wanted to see him lose it though, and touch her the same way she was worshipping him. Stopping when she feels his cock hit the back of her throat, she gives herself a minute to breathe through her nose. Pulling him out halfway, she pushes the skin around his head down until she could suck on it sharply and repeats it till she feels him twitch.

Taehyung was struggling to keep himself collected, his hips starting to buck into her mouth, hands moving an inch closer to her body, but he harshly grips his pants too hard he almost rips through the fabric, ‘’I want to touch you so badly....’’ He breathes out darkly, ‘’But if I do, I can’t control--’’ He breaks into another moan and throws his head back, continuing to move his hips.

When he begins to buck into her mouth, she sucks him in until her cheeks hollow out making obscene noise. At his stuttering words, she unwillingly pulls him out of her mouth. "What if..." She pants deeply, trying to form the right words as her hands pump him steadily. "I want to see you lose it Tae— your carefully constructed control. Don't hold back!" Diving back instantly, she swallows him once again, her other hand moving to toy with his balls as she waits to see if he'd follow her words.

Taehyung screws his eyes shut for a moment, gritting his teeth to muffle the curses that slip through his lips. She wanted it, she wanted it... Could he really give in to his true self? Last time he did, it put him in here. With her as his therapist. Maybe it was fate, he was always supposed to find her, who actually wanted him to show himself for who he was. She cared. He felt like he could trust her, and he really didn’t want to hurt her... Not that much.

‘‘You’re so— shit..’‘ His eyes fly open, his pupils dilated with lust until they were almost blackened, his stare that of a possessive man as he gives in to his desires. His hands travelling to caress her hair, the hair he’s been admiring, and it felt just the way he imagined it, so silky and soft between his fingers. ‘‘You’re everything.’‘ He inhales deeply, his grasp in her hair tightening, pulling at her scalp until it almost burns as he forces her to take his cock deeper.

At his muffled mewls, she rubs her thighs together feeling her own arousal swell. But she ignores it in favour of watching his lust blown eyes focus solely upon her, as if she was the only thing he needed to exist and ruin in the same breath. His reverent touches does nothing to fool her, she knows a madman's eyes when she sees one. Bracing herself on his thighs, she sucks in deeply before he painfully tugs at her hair, thrusting himself back in all the way until her eyes tear up from the stretch.

‘‘Choke on it,’‘ He growls quietly. He didn’t want to be too loud, knowing there were guards outside of the room. His fingers curled around her hair as he starts to control her movements, using her mouth like a toy to fuck his cock into as he wishes. He takes notice of the tears welling up in her eyes, a tint of red in the whites of them from the lack of oxygen, and it sends him one step closer into his madness. He fucking loves the submissive look on her face.

An instant flush travels down her body from his growl, making her core clench. But that wasn't where her trained mind was. When she had asked him to lose it, he had merely found an object, her instead, to control, which begins a series of alarm bells in her head. As she loses her ability to breathe, she suddenly knows why those victims of his ended up dead. In her desperation, she sinks her nails into his thighs, hoping he'd let her go before she faints or worse, add on to his list.

Her nails digging into his thighs only adds to his pleasure, his grip in her hair like iron as he forces her back down on his cock, tears and spit everywhere. His gaze was like ice, eyebrows tightly drawn together as he feels his orgasm creep up on him quickly. ‘’Just— a little more. A little more...Your nose, breathe through your nose.’’ He reminds her while a voice in the back of his mind tells him to stop. It was too much, she was going to pass out if he didn’t stop, or worse, kill her, but it felt too good.

At the feel of his cock twitching inside her mouth, she knows he's deriving pleasure from both his and her pain, making her tears flow freely seeing no escape. A hand claws it's way up, digging itself into his hand as she struggles to breathe through her nose like he instructs. Little more... she fights to hold on to her slipping conscious, sensing his muscles go taut beneath her touch, she instantly moves her other hand to seize his balls. The sooner he got his release, the better for her.

A low, guttural moan vibrated in Taehyung’s chest as the familiar heat pooling in his lower abdomen reaches him, his hips stilling beneath her as he cums, ‘’F-fuck, ye-ees...’’ He growls, his cock pulsating in her mouth as the sticky warmth shoots down her throat. His grip in her hair almost instantly loosens, his body relaxing against the couch as he slouches, chest heaving up and down heavily.

If she could sigh in relief, she would. As soon as she feels his cum shooting down her throat, she greedily swallows it all along with a few desperate inhales of air through her nose. The moment his grip goes lax, she pushes herself off his thighs and falls back on the floor, gasping loudly as her cheeks slowly regain their colour. Her throat feels raw and her chest hurts badly every time she breathes in, but she forces her way up from the floor carefully turned away from his panting form.

As if a switch flipped, Taehyung came back to reality. He pulled his pants back up as he got off his seat, taking one step closer to her form on the ground. “Hey,” he whispers, eyebrows drawn together in concern. Guilt. He didn’t want to lose control, but she asked him to... begged him to.

Hearing the chair squeak as he stands up, she quickly scrambles to her feet to put more distance between them. Wiping her face with the back of her hands, she slowly begins inching towards her bag that was resting next to the table. Raising a hand at his whisper though, she stops him in his tracks. "Don't—" She croaks through her abused throat. "Don't you dare... come any closer!" Her eyes stay on the ground, not willing to meet his after seeing him go insane as she stumbles towards the table.

Taehyung stops, his hand falling down to his side, still keeping his eyes on her, ‘’I... I--’’ He grew frustrated, ‘’You asked me to do it...I shouldn’t  have.’’

Grabbing her bag, she pulls her bottle out of it before desperately chugging half of it down to soothe her throat. Once done, she braces herself against the chair still wheezing as her eyes snap up to meet his, forgetting her earlier woes. "I asked you to fuck yourself. Not fucking kill me!" Her words were crude and harsh, but she feels little to no care. Her eyes flicker down to his case file still laying untouched on the table. "Is that— is this what happened to them, Taehyung? Is this why they're dead?"

Taehyung’s expression was sombre, eyes following her gaze to look at the casefile. He sits back down in the couch, leaning forward with his hands clasped together. The very same position he was in the first time they met, ‘’It’s...’’ The way she threw her words at him made him flinch, ‘’I didn’t want to hurt you.’’

Her eyes follow each of his movements, not understanding why her heart aches when he collapses down on the chair after what he did to her. As much as the sane part of her tells her to run while she still can, her medically trained brain fails to see its rationality. He was still her patient who needs her help. Right now, he wasn't the man who tried to hurt her. Sighing miserably, she steps closer to him. "Hey... I know you didn't mean to— it's... okay!" It wasn't. But that was not what he needed to hear right now.

Taehyung looks up at her, keeping his hands tightly clasped together, as if he’s holding his own hand to keep himself grounded. ‘’Did you... want to do it? Why did you ask me to lose control?’’

Her gaze swivels between his clasped hands to hers, remembering how they'd started it all innocently. Pressing a palm to the table, she slumps down into the chair still keeping her distance from him. "I did... Of course, I wanted to do it!" She pauses briefly before glancing up at him with her puffy eyes. "I didn't know you'd... Taehyung, you didn't lose control. You chose to control me instead..." And he damn well took sick pleasure from the crazed look in his eyes. "There's a difference!"

Taehyung started rocking back and forth again, eyes flickering between hers, “I’m not bad.” He convinced himself of this. He wasn’t a bad person. He wasn’t the person in the case files. That was somebody else inside of him.

Right there, her first real evidence of his mental illness— his split personality. Without breaking their eye contact, she stands up on unsteady feet taking slow steps towards him, as if approaching a caged animal. "No, you're not bad..." She repeats after him in as much a soothing voice she could manage despite her tender throat. "That wasn't you." She hesitates to kneel before him, fearing it'd be a trigger. "Remember? This is just a dark cloud. It will pass soon and the daffodils will bloom!"

Taehyung intertwines his fingers, as if holding himself tightly, eyes following her every movement. He didnt want to startle her, but oh did he want to hold her. "Are you going to tell them? Are you gonna... stop seeing me?" He didnt care whether or not he was gonna end up free or caged. He just wanted to see her. He didnt want her to leave.

Her heart constricts at the distress in his tone and she moves even closer, letting her shaky fingers reach his hair to soothe it down in reassurance. "I'll tell them in my own way..." She couldn't write down what happened in her report, but she could always omit it out now that she had a diagnosis. Pushing his messy locks out of his eyes, her other hand goes to tilt his chin up to face her. "And who will treat you if I stop coming here? I'm not going anywhere until those flowers of yours bloom."

He genuinely smiles at her words, his hands relaxed in his lap. He dared to let his fingers reach up to gently caress the back of her hand that held his chin, “Thank you.” A knock on the door insinuated that time was up for today’s session, and Taehyungs smile fell. He didn’t want her to leave. She was his daffodil. And not knowing what she was going to do about what happened today made him feel anxious. Maybe she'd keep seeing him, maybe she was just lying to keep him satisfied, then telling them he’s guilty? Or would she deem him as mentally insane, and throw him away to the doctors? The next step was in her hands.

She returns his smile with an unsettled one of her own, that disappears the moment there's another loud knock on the metal door. Shuffling back from him, she smoothes her hair down and runs a hand over her face, looking down at Taehyung. "Do I look okay?" She cannot step out there looking like a mess, making anyone question what happened in there or even suspect a thing. Buttoning her blouse back up as she keeps her eyes on him, "Tae— no one can know what happened here today. Promise me?"

‘‘I promise, if you promise to come back.’‘ Taehyung ran his hand through his hair, a small smile on his lips as he eyes her up and down, ‘‘You look beautiful.’‘

Tsking her tongue at his need to bargain, "I won't be allowed to come back ever if you tell them the truth." She turns to grab her bag, realizing a second later how blunt her words might have sounded. He didn't need that right now, especially not from her. Forcing a smile upon her lips, "Thank you! I promise I'll be back. I might have a way to help you, but I need to discuss the legalities of it with your lawyer. I'll see you tomorrow." She casts one last look at him before leaving promptly.

Taehyung didn’t answer, and quietly observed as she left. Shortly after, the guards came in and cuffed him before leading him to his cell.

That night, Taehyung couldn’t stop thinking about her, even moreso difficult than the previous night. He now knew what she felt like, what she smelled like... The way her tears streamed down her face mixed with drool, struggling for air while choking on his cock— ‘‘Fuck,’‘ He hissed through gritted teeth, one arm placed over his eyes as he laid on his back in the bed, the other occupied with touching himself, thinking of his doctor.

Paraphilia. There was no other easy way to put this down on his report. It wasn't just his split personality, but his sadistic approach to intercourse that bordered on getting off from his partner's pain which led to the murders— she felt sick to even type it down. She can only imagine how he must've felt. The police had found him at the scene of the crime after all. After a long winded discussion with his lawyer, it was decided they'd plead guilty without any criminal charges.

She'd suggest a combined treatment of drugs and behavioural therapy at the facility she worked at so she'd be able to treat him herself for however long they sentenced him into rehabilitation. Content with her work, she found herself making her way back to the prison the next day to share the news with Taehyung. Seeing how the guard was already at his post outside, looking bored, she knew he'd be waiting for her. It was time to keep her promise. She steps in with a smile, "Hi Taehyung!"

Taehyung was anxiously waiting for her to arrive, biting the skin of his fingers. As she finally walks in through the door, chiming his name out with a smile, he straightens up his posture, unable to stop the boxy smile of his own to curl on his lips, ‘‘You came!’‘

"Of course, I did." Leaving her bag on the floor, she turns to him still standing. "I don't break my promises, and I might have found a way to help you!" She finishes, with her gaze intently watching every emotion flickering across his eyes while edging into her chair sideways as she continues. "But before that, I need to know how you're feeling after uh— yesterday?" It was the first time she refuses to meet his eyes in all of their interactions, her eyes lowered as if in shyness but not quite.

Taehyung takes a deep breath, leaning back against the couch as he tries to meet her eyes, but she was purposefully averting them. However he felt a small sense of pride in this, feeling like he’s got a small amount of power of her since yesterday, ‘‘I’m okay. Hm... what about you?’‘

Busying herself with pulling the report and her faithful notepad out, she hums evasively. "Been good... Any problems with sleeping again?" It wasn't fear or any need to be submissive. But seeing his eyes spark with life on many occasions, she'd gotten so used to them that it truly shook her when she witnessed their lifeless dark depths rivetted upon her during whatever it was that happened between them. This was her own way stopping herself before it gets any worse. He was just her patient.

Taehyung shrugged, he wasn’t sure if he ever slept well these days, maybe he was just used to it, so he just didn’t know. ‘’I guess so... I don’t sleep much in general.’’

As much as she wanted to continue on with the trajectory he provided, there was an elephant in the room that she needed to address first. Letting her eyes trail over his form, she finally meets his gaze with regret filling hers. "Taehyung, about yesterday, I owe you an apology for behaving so... unprofessionally and compelling you to do something you clearly didn't want to. I don't know what got into me. I've never— I just wanted you to know I'm genuinely sorry and it'll never happen again!"

Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest, the default position of holding himself, eyes flickering between hers as his head tilted vaguely, ‘’It won’t..?’’ In this case, he meant the situation at all. Did she regret getting down on him? Or did she regret triggering him? He wasn’t sure, and at this point he didn’t want to dig too deeply into it, anxious that he’d scare her off. He couldn’t afford to, especially not when there’s news of him possibly getting out of prison.

When she catches him crossing his arms, she sighs knowing the tell tale signs of suppressing ones true emotions. "It won't." She repeats firmly as if looking down upon a petulant child, her frustrations growing from the amount of whiplash this one man was giving her. "In your own best interest and mine, it's only proper that I remain as your therapist and nothing more, ever." Pushing a new file towards him, "It contains my diagnosis on you. You're welcome to read it if you want or I could summarize it for you."

Taehyung squinted, his gaze lingering on her as if he’s trying to find the lie. No, she was serious. She meant it. He hummed noncomittedly as he grabbed the file, flipping through the pages with his eyebrows drawn together. He didn’t look at her, keeping his eyes on the words on the paper, that apparently were about him,‘‘Yeah, if you could... summarize, that’d be great.’‘

Leaning back in her chair at his request, she hides her surprise at his nonchalance about the nature of their relationship. Wasn't this exactly what she wanted though? "You've been diagnosed with split personality and paraphilia, which is something like sexual sadism but to the extreme. Your lawyer, Jim—Mr. Park," she corrects herself, "—thinks this report would be enough to plead guilty without any criminal charges. I have detailed your treatment in there too. You'll be under my care in the hospital."

Taehyung’s eyebrow twitches when she almost mentions his lawyer by first name. Were they two close? He didn’t like that at all. But that was for another time ‘‘Hospital...?’‘ He squints at the words on his paper, looking at the treatment section, ‘‘That’s a lot of medication... Do I have to take it? Isn’t therapy enough?’‘

Wondering if the flash of anger on his face was due to the mention of hospital, she quickly seeks to appease him. "Yes, its the facility I work at. They're not going to completely release you until I find the underlying reason for your illness and treat you back to sound mental health..." Peeking over at the long list of medication he was looking at, she winces apologetically. "We treat certain cases with a combination of drugs and behavioural therapy. I'd reduce the dosage as time goes on. But for now, I'm afraid you need it, Taehyung!"

Taehyung puts the file back on the table, his eyes now back on her as he leans forward with his hands clasped together, ‘’Okay. I’ll do it.’’ He figured this was the best way for now, better than prison. He had to be there for himself to be able to plan out what he has to do, but he’s sure he can reduce the time there quickly, if he’s on his best behavior, and if the nurses were not as strict as he expects them to be... Skipping those meds would be a piece of cake.

Casting him a mildly suspicious look at his all too quick acceptance, she leans forward in his chair. "It's not a matter of your willingness, but the court's verdict in your next hearing. Until then, we continue with our therapy here." As much as she was positive it'd all work out in the end, she didn't want to feed him too much hope. "And Taehyung, I'll be your doctor there! Don't even think you can trick me or my assistants when you're under our care." She warns, taking the file back from him.

‘‘Of course... You can trust me, doctor.’‘ He smiled, but in the back of his head he was cursing. He’d have to figure this out as time went on. But for now, he had to lay low and cooperate. He remained silent leaning back to get comfortable, hands neatly clasped in his lap.

"I dearly hope I can." She mutters under her breath with a slight curve of her lips. Stacking the papers together, she clips it all back in the file as she speaks. "I'll leave it to Jimin to fill you in on the rest of the details about your next hearing. I'll be there before, to give my word as well." Putting everything away, she finally faces him ready to begin their session. "So, we can start from where we left off yesterday. Wh—" She realizes a minute too late, what that'd imply, her face instantly flushing at the memory.

Taehyung's eye twitches at the first name basis she calls his lawyer by once more. This time she didn’t even tries to stop herself. His jaw clenches, but he wills himself to relax once more. He crooked an eyebrow at her last words, and her reaction only made him feel a stir in his lower abdomen at the memory. Behave, Taehyung. “Let’s... where did we leave this at? Remind me.” He wanted to pressure her a bit. It’s the least he could do to get rid of his slowly building jealousy of Jimin.

Her gaze snaps up to meet his at the not so subtle demand, only to find the familiar darkness swirling around its depths. This weird affliction of hers with Taehyung will be the death of her, she decides. Sliding forward in her seat, she speaks in a softer tone, her earlier embarrassment forgotten. "Oh? You'd like that wouldn't you? For me to remind you..." Her voice turns into a whisper with her eyes tracing over his features. "Then how about a reminder of today morning when I told you it's never happening again, Taehyung?"

His lips curl up in a wolfish grin, he was trying so hard to behave. He was going to mess this up again if she kept spurring him on like this. First, she calls his lawyer by his first name. Second, she dares to whisper to him in that manner and within the same moment, reject him? Behave, Taehyung. “I don’t believe you.” Fuck, shut up, he told himself. But the darker part of him didn’t give a rats ass.

Wrong move. At the sight of his predatory grin, she admonishes herself for feeding into his desires when she's supposed to be doing the opposite as his therapist. She's about to pull away and apologize again, but his words bring her to a standstill. Blinking at the obvious challenge in his gaze, she resists the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Fine. What should I do to prove it to you?" She just had to show it to him she wasn't as affected by him as she really was, and then they can put this entire thing behind them.

His devilish smile grew, the boxy shape of his lips more prominent now. Taehyung slumped down on the couch more comfortably, resting his head back, his eyes were growing colder, piercing through her as his gaze drank her in like she was a fine meal. ‘’Watch me,’’ He smirked, licking his upper teeth in a teasing manner, his hand slowly trailing down his chest towards the hem of his pants, ‘’If you watch me touch myself, and you remain unaffected throughout... If you don’t want me at all while watching me, I'll believe you.’’

The satisfaction in his eyes makes it clear that he had her exactly where he wanted her, slyly caught in his web. Furrowing her brows in confusion, she's about to demand what he meant when she sees his hand inch towards his pant. Her eyes flicker between his hand and his burning gaze, nodding once firmly at his words. She'd just have to pretend to be unaffected. Sighing deeply, she drives her own bargain. "Okay. And if I remain unaffected, swear to me you'll never bring this up again?"

Taehyung chuckles breathily, his hand sneaking beneath his pants to directly touch himself, “Promise. And, if you really want me to stop, just say the word...” He moaned lowly, getting harder underneath the fabrics.

Her mouth parts slightly at his breathy words, his moan affecting her almost instantly making some wetness trickle against her underwear. "No. Go ahead!" She replies in a calm voice, her eyes fixed on him and each of his actions, appearing nonchalant despite the havoc he was beginning to cause in her body.

He sees the way she looks at him, even if her words speak differently. And this way, he could engage with her in the way he so much craved, but didn’t want to risk anything by actually touching her. Not yet. So, this will do. Her eyes will be enough for his inner exhibitionist to thrive off of the audience. All he needs is to get her hot and bothered, without laying a single finger on her.

She can feel the heat raise between her legs, but she resolutely keeps them apart, denying herself any kind of friction by crossing them and giving him the gratification of seeing her lose.

Taehyung lets a breathy moan push through his lips once more, using his other hand to pull his pants down further, taking his length out for her to see. He ran his thumb over his slit, spreading his clear juices down his tip before slowly stroking his cock for her, eyes never once leaving hers. “I love feeling your eyes on me, doctor.” His voice was growing needy, teeth clamping down on his lower lip to put on a show.

Her breath almost seizes when he pulls his rock hard length out. She can still feel the phantom weight of it between her fingers; still remember how deep he went when he used her throat so carelessly. Her core clenches around nothing at the mere memory, a muted gasp leaving her lips when he drawls her name out in his deep voice, causing more slick to pool between her thighs. Her fingers clasp on to the edge of her chair trying not to show how affected she was, despite knowing she has already lost.

“See what you to do me?” Taehyung squeezes his shaft firmly within his grasp. His red, swollen tip leaking with precum, he smooths his hand over his thick length, gathering the juices to spread it down his cock until it was glistening with a layer of his arousal. “Fuck, what I’d do to have you sit on it...” He was slow, but deliberate with his motions, aiming to tease her with visuals that’ll be burned into her memory.

She visibly gulps at his question, no longer worried about hiding how the fire in his gaze burns in her own while he was edging her on without even a single touch or graze of skin. Grinding her teeth together, she bites into the insides of her cheek as he strokes his swollen length when she wants nothing but to sink down on it instead and clinch hard until he can barely move inside her. Her breath leaves her in a whoosh and she opens her mouth before she can stop herself. "Ask for it... beg."

Taehyung groans lowly at her words, his hips gently bucking up into his hand. This felt too fucking good. He knows she was entranced by him, he fucking knows that she wants nothing else than to do as he says. But she was holding back, the sexual tension in the room making it hard to breathe, “Please, doctor,” his pleas were interrupted by a moan escaping his lips when he squeezed his shaft, “I want you... please, sit on my cock, fuck me.”

Some semblance of clarity returns to her at his pleading voice. It might not seem like it, but she knew she had a significant amount of power over him—at least in that instance. Shaking her head without taking her eyes off him, she slides off her chair and moves closer, toying with the hem of her skirt tauntingly but still staying out of his grasping range. "Three more strides and I could be on your lap, fucking you deep and hard. But why should I, Taehyung? Why should I after what happened yesterday?"

Taehyung almost whines at her words, his eyes never once wavering from the way she was playing with the hem of her skirt. He keeps stroking himself to the view, his eyebrows drawn together in sexual frustration. If she wouldn’t give in to him soon, he would almost consider whether or not he cares if he ends up in prison for simply taking her right then and there. And it was all too tempting. ‘‘I didn’t mean to... please fuck me, you’re driving me crazy...’‘

Physically feeling it when the darkness begins creeping into the molten heat of his eyes, she hastens to remedy the situation. Taking a step closer to Taehyung, "You cannot touch me unless I ask you to." Another step, "You don't get to come until I say you can." One last step, she tilts his head up with a finger beneath his chin. "Promise me you won't hurt me again and I'll fuck you?" Her gaze alternates between his scorching eyes and throbbing length, anticipating his reply with bated breath.

Taehyung licks his lips, ceasing to touch himself to let his hands fall limp to his sides, ‘’Yes, yes, I promise,’’ He felt desperate for her, his entire body burning with need to feel her slick heat. Her mouth was already his favourite thing, so he couldn’t even begin to imagine how good her cunt would feel. Now, he promised her he'd not to hurt her. But the little voice in the back of his mind laughed, fingers crossed. He wanted to be good, to show her he’s good. This was a true battle within his mind.

Feeling satisfied with his vocal promise, she reaches beneath her skirt giving him a full view of what lay there, and tugs her ruined underwear off her legs before climbing over his lap. Bracing her knees on either side of his thighs, she picks his hot length in her hand and rubs his swollen head against her dripping folds. "Feel that? See how wet you make me without even touching me, Taehyung?" She breathes against his mouth, her other hand tracing his cheek as she pins him with her eyes.

He’s speechless, his eyes dimmed with lust as they are completely fixated on hers. He nods once, to confirm that she was indeed so fucking wet for him. The familiar fire that spreads throughout his body is ignited, and he curls his fists tightly as he grasps the couch. Do not touch her, Taehyung. Do not touch her.. Touch her, touch... No, she’s in control.

"Use your words!" She reminds him in a whisper, with her lips grazing his and her breathing labored as her eyes roam over his features this close for the first time ever. He looked exquisite with his scorching gaze transfixed upon her. Her thumb traces his lower lip teasingly, wondering how different his mouth would taste from his cock. Giving in to the temptation, she presses her lips against his and sinks down on him at the same time, the sudden stretch making her gasp aloud into his mouth.

Taehyung’s lips part, mirroring her gasp, ‘’Oh my God...’’ He groaned out lowly, a quiet growl vibrating in his chest. This was overwhelming for his senses, how deeply she affected him and awoke every single fibre of his being. It felt like he was on fire beneath his skin, desperately clawing at the fabric of the couch, knuckles turning white. He wanted to flip her over and fuck her dumb with her face pressed down against the couch so so badly... But he promised her. Just fuck her raw, you know you want to.  He shook his head, his eyes screwing shut, ‘’I’m good. I’m good.’’ He wasn’t talking to her, but to the voice in his head.

Trailing her lips across his cheek and down to his neck, she whimpers burying her face in there. She was right. She could feel his length easily hit her crevix in this angle, stretching her slick walls more than anyone ever had before. It felt like she was made just for him.

Once the initial pain subsides, she raises herself on her knees and sinks down again, welcoming the delicious burn with a throaty moan. "Yes... God! You're good. You're so good to me, Taehyung." She mumbles into his neck, slowly rocking her hips over his, getting used to being filled to the brim.

Threading her fingers into his messy hair, she tugs it back to expose his neck to her greedy lips, nipping and licking along the skin until she reaches his parted mouth. Backing away to look down at him, she hides her disappointment at his closed eyes, choosing to test his restraint instead. "Taehyung... Kiss me."

His eyes slowly open, and the expression on her face was something he could only dream of. Taehyung's head was screaming at him once more, to just fucking take over, and it was probably the most restraint he's ever held against the temptations. As long as she didn't push him further, he would be fine. He wouldn't hurt her... but God, did he want to? He obliged to her wishes, craning his neck to chase her lips with his own, the soft warmth of her lips drawing groans and moans from him, mixed with the feeling of her moving up and down his fat length.

Normally, he would be the one to dirty talk a whole lot more, but he kept his mouth busy with hers, focusing his entire self on keeping himself restrained, his nails almost digging holes into the couch at this point.

She moans against his lips, licking into his mouth as she deepens their kiss, groaning as his taste floods her senses. She could feel his potent hunger for her, so intense bordering on insanity and the masochist in her found it all too tempting to just give in.

Increasing her pace, she bounces on his lap in a wild frenzy, clenching down on his girth hard every time she plunged down on his cock. She could almost feel her high. Almost. Yet, not quite.

Something was missing. Whining in frustration, she pulls away from his mouth and cups his cheeks to make him look at her. She needed his touch to cum even if she knew it was a dangerous thing to even think about. "God... I want your touch so badly. You want it too, don't you?" Laying open mouthed kisses on his jaw, she whispers into his skin. "Make me cum, Tae... Please."

Right there and then, it was like the switch inside of him flipped, the little strength he had left to resist his greedy desires completely washed away from her words. She asked for it, she truly did.

The voice in the back of his head suddenly grew louder, needier. ''Yeah? You need me to make you cum, huh?'' His low, vibrating voice growled out, his hands wasting no time in grabbing her ass, and squeezing the flesh between his fingers so hard, his blunt nails would definitely leave marks,

''Shit, I've wanted you to say that since the very second you came in that door,'' He moaned out in pleasure, using his strength to lift her from his cock just to roughly slam her back down, his hips bucking up to meet her hips, the impact so hard that his bulbous tip is kissing her cervix with every snap.

''Fuck! You feel so fucking good, so fucking gooood...'' His eyes were dimmed in lust and his growing craze for her, the lifeless yet lustful stare blackened out. He wasn't gonna stop, whether she was too sensitive or not, whether she came several times or not. No, he wouldn't stop until he was satisfied.

Her body shudders violently at the sound of his growl, a terrified squeak leaving her lips regardless of the excitement she feels at the brutal press of his fingers against her flesh. "Yes, God... yes!" She whimpers, her pleasure edging on pain once he begins pounding up into her in his relentless pursuit of bliss— more his than hers, she realizes as her eyes tear up from his harsh pace.

Loosening her legs around him, she completely surrenders into his unforgiving touch, mewling lowly when he hits so deep that she could feel him in her womb. "Don't... don't stop please... Fuck!" She bends forward, burrowing her face into his neck, nipping at the soft skin before latching on to it with her teeth, determined to give him equal pain as her fingers work through his shirt buttons to feel his hot skin beneath her palms. One more ruthless thrust of his hips against hers, his pelvis digging hard into her swollen clit and she cums, her body almost seizing at the intensity of her orgasm as she begins almost sobbing his name aloud when he doesn't stop.

“Came already?” He smiles wickedly, but quickly that smile morphs into gritted teeth as he keeps grunting and growling, her fleshy walls spasming around his fat length so perfectly. He had stamina for days, he could fuck her forever if he had the ability to choose, but he knows that with the way she whimpers and sobs his name, he wouldn’t last much longer either. He roughly throws her body down against the couch head first, one hand on the back of her neck pushing her pretty face against the fabrics of the cushion and the other lifting her ass up for him as he gets on his knees behind her, mercilessly advancing his hips back into her clenching hole, skin slapping skin loudly.

She removes her teeth from his neck, her breasts heaving harshly, trying to get some air into her lungs when he unexpectedly pushes her onto the couch. She knew she'd awakened the beast when she asked to be touched, but this— he thrusts back into her without warning, making her sob loudly at the unwelcome intrusion

“You’re a fucking whore for my fat cock, aren’t you?!” His voice was low, almost mocking yet laced with his animalistic greed for her body, utterly lost in his madness, pistoning his cock into her like it was his mission to tear her cunt apart, “You wanted this, you begged for this, fuck— it feels so good, Shit!”.

Her core, still ultra sensitive from her previous orgasm, aches painfully when his still hard as rock length rips through her insides. She digs her nails into the couch, her jaws wide open in a silent scream as he rams his cock in over and over again, taking her like a savage. He was right. She was a whore for his cock. A masochist, addicted to this dark side of him— her own personal piece of hell for the sins she was committing. Soon, a trickle of pleasure begins winding its way from her wrecked womb even through the agony and she grips her walls harder against his cock, hoping he'd spill inside her before actually tearing her apart.

Taehyung kept up a brutal phase, relishing in the choked sobs and silent screams. If a soul could be on fire, his was melting inside of him, the heat pooling in his lower abdomen in the form of an upcoming orgasm. He was gonna cum so fucking hard, all because of her. In his own mind, it feels like he’s claiming her body as his own,

“You are mine, you hear that?!” He snarls as he grew bored of the current position, desperate to see her face. With a swift movement of his strong hands, he once more flips her over like a ragdoll until she was laying on her back, pressing her legs up so far that her knees are adjacent to her head, still plunging his cock into her cunt. This new angle feels even better, abusing her tight insides like his life depended on it,

Right when she believed there would be relief, Taehyung once again proves her wrong by tossing her around and forcing himself inside her violated cunt without any mercy. She feels him go even deeper in this angle, as if it were even possible. She presses the back of her hand to her lips, to keep from sobbing aloud and drawing attention from anyone outside.

“Tell me, doctor”, he moans out with a voice just as strained, his eyes heavy as he stares down at her fucked out state, rocking his hips back and forth with long, firm strokes, “Tell me you’re mine!”

Each time he slams into her, it's as if he wants to infuse himself within her; as if he wants to ruin her for anyone else— her other hand digs painfully onto his arms that holds her down, her toes curling as she feels another orgasm approaching. "Y—yes Taehyung, yes..." She gives into his demand immediately, her voice unwavering. "All yours! I'm yours... only yours." She mumbles over and over again, pushing the side of her face against the couch when it all gets too much to hold back and she cums again, which hurts more than the pleasure she feels as her abused insides grip him tight.

''Y/N,'' Taehyung moans out her name, his hips rocketing into her, phase quickening as he feels like he's gonna go fucking crazy at the wet, squelching noises he draws from her cunt with every stroke driving him insane with how good it feels. When she cums once more on his cock with the squeezing spasms of her walls, the orgasm he's been dying to reach finally reaches him, ''I'm gonna cum! Fuck yes—'' He thrusts into her rapidly clenching pussy a few more times before he grunts, falling forward on top of her body with his elbows placed on each side of her head, letting her legs fall freely to his sides. He hovers with his face above hers, sweat causing his overgrown fringe to stick to his face, eyes closed as he holds their spasming bodies tightly together, savouring the feeling of his throbbing cock spilling his cum deep inside of her.

At the first spurt of his thick cum into her tortured core, a wave of relief washes over her knowing he was done with her for now. Her limbs fall lifelessly on to the couch, despite wanting to push him off her and tell him not to cum inside her. Knowing him, he might not react well to it and she didn't wish to stoke the beast when it seemed satiated at long last. She was probably going to be sore for days, and maybe that had been his plan along.

Finally, she pries open her eyes and blinks up at him through her tears, her body still shaking with occasional tremors every time his warm seed squirts into her womb as if he hasn't filled her up enough. As much as she was upset with him for reducing her to this sobbing mess, she knew she had it coming from the very moment she allowed him to touch her, well aware that she was feeding into his obsession with her.

Taehyung felt himself come back down to reality, in a sense, when the loud monster within him seemed to retreat back into the corners of his soul, satiated for the moment. His gaze traces her features, a glorious mess, knowing he did this to her. But only because she begged him to, she taunted him to. He had absolutely loved it, her submissive sounds, her small body underneath his own, all for him to use. He loved her.

Lifting her slightly trembling hands up to his face, she pushes his sweaty locks off his eyes, content to see the life shining in there once again as opposed to the darkness they were shrouded with not minutes ago. Tracing a thumb under his eyes, "Are you happy?" She breathes out, still struggling to get proper air flow into her lungs. "I lied… I want you just as much as you want me, Tae."

His eyes flickered between hers at her words, as if trying to find the lie. But he couldn’t see it. He wasn’t sure. So he chose to believe her, and a small smile inched his lips upwards, he took the opportunity to kiss her softly on her lips, this one so gentle and affectionate in contrast to what he’d just done to her. “I love you.” He slipped out, merely a raspy whisper, but it was his truth. He slowly got off her body, pulling her along with him as he sat down, wrapping his arms around her in a hug, gently stroking her hair, “You’re my flower, my Daffodil!"

She observes him carefully in this quiet between them, his eyes gliding down her exhausted form still pinned beneath under his body. The wickedness was long gone from his gaze, replaced with uncertainty at her words which soon morphs into undeniable trust weakening her own resolve against giving in to him.

And so, she lets him kiss her, the soft caress of his smiling lips against hers a complete contradiction of his treatment earlier, making her heart tighten in an unnamed emotion. It is only when he utters those three little words, the very last thing she ever expected to hear from him, her entire body freezes up with a muted gasp slipping past her lips.

She lets him pick her off the couch, embrace her lovingly, and even go as far as calling her his flower while the panic slowly sets in her tensed form. It was only his obsession that he was mistaking for love, she was convinced. But how to explain it to him after everything she let him do to her.

Squirming in his hold, she pulls back slightly to look up at him with her bewildered eyes. "Taehyung... No! You— you barely know me for three days. This is not love..." It was merely their carnal desires, making them indulge in each other. "And I'm just your therapist. Not your flower... no..." She whispers softly as if to a wounded animal that could strike her at any moment if she made one wrong move.

His smile faded, eyebrows drawn together at her words, as if hes trying to process the meaning behind them, "You're not just my therapist." He sits up properly, helping her to do the same next to him, "You're mine. You said it yourself.. " he leaned closer to her face, eyes squinting, "I dont understand you...." his jaw clenched, as if trying to stay calm, but he feels the small frustration building inside.

He couldnt understand why she would keep giving in to him physically, but withdraw when he brings his emotions into the picture. He loved her, so what? He had already made his decision. And there's nothing that could change his mind.

She winces when he moves her upright, her skirt rubbing uncomfortably against her swollen cunt. Taking a deep breath and willing the pain away, she glances up to see his unhappy face. "Taehyung..." She tries again in the same placating tone she used before. "I said that in the heat of the moment." Because that's exactly what he wanted to hear from her even if she didn't mean it. Although, she decides not to say it outloud and incense him further.

"This thing between us is not love. We had needs. You wanted me. I did too, I wanted you. But that's just it! Consider this like uh... a kind of behavioural therapy to help you." She tries not to cringe at her own words. None of what she's saying makes sense to her either. She was usually better than this at explaining things, emotions or the lack of it to people. But her brain struggles to cooperate as she trails her eyes over his tense form in concern. Maybe she should've just let him say it without saying anything back— only, that would be akin to leading him on which would've been worse. Sighing heavily, she tries to pull away from him completely. "There's nothing left here to understand. I shouldn't have let any of this happen from the start! It's all my fault..."

Taehyung grabs her wrist as she pulls away, his rich stare growing more frustrated with her, “You’re lying.” He scoffed, “I know what I’m feeling, don’t tell me what is real and what isn’t!”

"I have no reason to lie to you about this!" She cryes, struggling to pry her wrist away from his grip, her voice no longer gentle when he seems to not hear her reasons. "Look... I'm not trying to call your feelings fake. But be realistic about this, Taehyung. You know me for less than two hours in the past three days. Maybe it's infatuation... or lust— let's not label it fancifully as love because it's not!" Placing her other hand over his, she doubles her efforts to wrest his fingers off her arm as she looks at him pleadingly.

Taehyung sighs, but he lets go of her wrist, fumbling to button up his shirt and pull his pants on properly, ''Let's call it lust, then.'' He runs his fingers through his hair, his face stoic as he's in thought. His brain was swirling once more, she was right. They had only known eachother for a mere few hours... But, he knows this feeling. This must be love. Right?

''Question....'' He looks at her while straightening the collar of his shirt, ''Do you seek to trigger my, so called...para...'' He hums as he tries to recall the diagnosis.

She rolls away with a barely concealed grimace once he frees her from his grasp, glad he was finally seeing things clearly. Rubbing a hand over where he held her wrist, she tries to guage how many bruises she might wake up with in the morning and will have to cover up in order not raise anyone's suspicion when his question leaves her shaken.

"What—" Her face falls as she presses her lips together, and hurriedly shakes her head. "God, no! Never, Taehyung. I'd never..." She begins reaching for him with her hand, but thinks against it at the last minute and drops it to her lap. "I want to cure you off your Paraphilia. Not trigger it..." A small part of her might have taken advantage of his weakness for her to try stopping him from doing anything extreme. But he didn't have to know that. "I told you, I only want to help you get better."

“Okay,” he nods, eyes suddenly averting from hers to look at the casefile on the table. He sits back down, looking as if he didn’t just fuck her with all his strength. Well, apart from the marks she left on his arms with her nails, which he didn’t seem to even notice. He rubbed his nape as he kept staring at the file on the table, lips falling open as if he wants to say something, but they close back together just as fast.

He had a lot on his mind to process, from his feelings, to everything they both just did, the way she suddenly rejected him, and now the future. Then once more, the voice smirking in the back of his mind wasn’t worried, it knew exactly what it wanted, and it was her. Nothing else mattered, everything else can be thrown to the side. Fuck the short amount of time together, it was enough. And she wanted him, he’s sure of it. She was just saying this because he was her patient. And one day, he won’t be— and they can be together. Yes... that’s what he believes.

She stands up on unsteady feet, her insides still quivering, and smoothens down her wrinkled skirt. But it turns out to be a mistake when she feels his cum dribble out of her abused cunt, prompting her to quickly tug on her underwear before she dripped everywhere. And that's when she notices Taehyung's eyes fixed on his file on the table but his gaze far away, his mouth opening and closing as if he had questions but didn't want to hear any replies from her.

Calmly, she shuffles back towards him, her mind already formulating a proposition that he might not approve of. "Taehyung, if you don't trust me anymore, I understand. I have been anything but professional to you..." She drums her fingers against the table when he doesn't look up at her or even appears to have acknowledged her. "I can ask someone else to replace me as your therapist. They'll take care of you from now on... You don't have to see me ever again if this all makes you feel awkward?"

His lip quivered at the very mention of her being replaced, eyes darting over to her form. “No. I don’t want anyone else.” He responded coldly. He truly didn’t. If it wasn’t her, he wouldn’t say shit. He wouldn’t cooperate. And by now, he knows she had grown attached too; whether it be out of lust or out of pity. It should be enough to keep her around, he hoped.

“It has to be you.” His eyes softened, glossing over with a layer of tears. He did feel sad, however, this was also gaslighting. He didn’t need to cry. He just wanted to squeeze her heart a little bit for him.

His reaction to her suggestion, just like she expected, didn't phase her much. Every single behaviour of his validating her earlier claim of how she was just his new obsession that he fantasized as love.

Normally, this is when she should throw the towel and withdraw completely from him before either of them posed a real threat to the other. But she genuinely wanted to be the one that cures him. And despite knowing how his glazed eyes were nothing but a device of manipulation, she moves even closer to him and places a hand on his shoulder and rubs it down, cooing at him softly. "Alright... I won't leave you. But then, you need to genuinely cooperate with me and work towards getting better. Promise me, Taehyung?" Her profound need to fix anything broken very well might be the death of her one of these days.

He melts under he touch, feeling accomplished. She wouldn't leave, and that's all he needed. "Okay, I promise," he nodded, and as if he wasnt about to cry in the first place, his eyes were dried up, a small smile on his lips. He glanced over at the clock, completely unaware of how much time had passed. "How much time is left for today?"

As doubtful as she was about his promise, she didn't let it show on her face choosing to return his smile. Glancing down at her watch, "We have about less than twenty minutes left." She contemplates whether to sit down, but chooses not to knowing it'd be harder to get up and out of the chair again. "I won't be seeing you until after your hearing tomorrow, if I can manage. Or it's gonna be only the day after..."

Moving her hand down his arm, she wraps it around his hand and squeezes it comfortingly. It might not have been very sensible to touch him again, but the line between them was so blurry by now that she didn't mind it. "Are you nervous about the hearing?"

Taehyung gently wraps his long fingers around hers, squeezing back as a response, a small sigh pushing through his lips, "Yeah, kind of." She wouldn't be there, so he would feel empty. But for her sake, he'd do well. And hope that things go the way she tells him it would.

She strokes the back of his hand softly with her thumb taking one more step closer and wraps her other hand around his shoulders before bringing him to rest against her body. A hug won't hurt when they've done much more than that. "Don't let it rob you off your sleep tonight. Whichever way it goes, let's hope for the best. And please listen well to Jimin, okay?" Her fingers move into his hair to stroke it gently while she stands holding him close.

Taehyung melts into her hug, sinking his face into the crook of her neck by instinct. He sighed softly, until she mentions Jimin's name. She kept addressing him by his first name so casually, and it was kind of stepping on his nerves. Maybe, he was overthinking it though, but... He still felt jealous. He wanted to be the only one with a casual first name basis. Then again, he has to be nice. Jimin is his lawyer after all.

Taehyung stands still, savouring her embrace for a long as she'd will let him, a soft whisper pushing through his lips, ''Okay. I'll do well.''

She had to raise herself on to her toes and tilt her head all the way back due to their difference in height when he decides to burrow himself into their hug. Despite knowing well how her actions could be considered as her bring irresponsible again and showing her fondness for him openly, especially after his confession, she brushes it all off and holds him close while running her fingers through his hair constantly. He needed her, for now. Just until he got better.

"That's good! Hopefully I'll get to see you at the facility next time and not here." She whispers back, trying not to shiver from his words spoken into her neck. Reluctantly, she tries pulling away only to meet with some resistance from him. "Taehyung, I should be going soon..."

“Just a little longer...” he murmurs into her neck, his arms dare to snake around her waist to hold her tighter, urging her to stay. His heart was beating hard in his chest, the quiet sound of the way he inhales her scent, the only sound heard for the moment. She truly smelled like a flower. If he could choose, he wouldn’t ever let go of her soft body, so small in his embrace. She was like a drug to his senses, both easing his mind & driving him mad.

She lets him hold her for a few extra minutes at his request, her senses hyper aware of how snugly he was embracing her and her heart thumping equally hard in her chest that was flushed against his. Her fingers begin drawing senseless patterns on the back of his neck, on the little exposed skin over the collar of his shirt as she keeps her eyes open and fixed on the ceiling, knowing very well she couldn't afford to get lost in the way he held her. Because she knew his arms weren't always this tender. The strength in them, as cherishing as they may feel right then, could easily snap her in two if he lost his mind to the beast again.

One more look at the clock on the wall and she sighs seeing their time was almost up. "Tae..." Her fingers sink into his hair and tug them back, trying to move his head away from her sensitive neck. "They're gonna come in here if I don't step out now."

Taehyung sighs deeply, a quiet groan rumbling in annoyance vibrates in his throat when she tugs at his hair. He hesitates for a moment, but eventually, he releases his grip around her, letting his hands fall to his sides, ''I just... I'll miss you.''

She moves away, breathing in relief when his arms finally stop caging her in his hold. Something small tugs her heart at his genuine voice, but she stomps it down harshly before looking up at him again. "You'll see me in two days at the facility... keep holding on to that thought, hm?" Slowly, she collects her stuff up trying not to limp too much as she moves around him.

Right before she's about to open the door though, she turns to cast him a longing look unintentionally. "I..." She begins, her eyes tracing over his features and a little lost in whatever she was about to say, until she decides not to. "—take care, Tae!" She leaves him with a smile. Between her statement and Jimin's tenacity, she was quite confident she'll see him at her facility soon.

 And when he was there, nothing could stop her from trying to get him better.

CLICK ME FOR PART TWO

This is the roleplay with  🍁anon turned into part one of this fiction! I hope you love it as much as I do. A big thank you to  🍁 for creating the amazing header, saving the rp, hence why I was even able to repost this in the first place. AND for helping me edit this, I am so so grateful for this. Now, I even think it is even better than the previous version! 

© sombreboy 2020. Do not repost, edit or translate.

[immabethehero]

Marvin’s MegaBirthday Story

Guess who made a Megamind AU with Marvin as the title character?

Here’s a quick list of characters so you won’t get confused about who’s who:

Marvin, The Malevolent Magician - Megamind

Dr. Schneeplestein, the Doctor - Minion, but human

The Brighton Shepherd - Metro Man

Jackieboy Man, the Red Marauder - Sidekick to the Shepherd, original role of sorts

Chase Brody, news reporter - Roxanne Ritchi

Anthony/Anti - Hal Stewart, without the creepy simping

CW: Police brutality, hints of starvation, strangulation and mentions of electrocution

It was a glorious day in Brighton City. Even the weather seemed aware of it as the sun shone down brightly on the silver skyscrapers and the brand new museum built into the city square.

 To celebrate the city’s greatest superhero, the grand, new museum had been dedicated to the city’s greatest hero: The Brighton Shepherd. In between the two buildings was a giant curtain, hiding a 55 foot statue for the superhero.

Reporters came to the site as early as 6 am before the crowds could roll in. Among them was the up-and-coming journalist, Chase Brody, who ran the news vlog: “Just Your Average Report”. Wearing a brand new grey and white suit to honour the Shepherd’s signature colour, Chase did vocal warm-ups while his cameraman, Anthony, set up the equipment. Unlike Chase, who had dressed handsomely for the occasion, Anthony simply wore a graphic t-shirt and a fishing vest with blue jeans. Chase tried not to let that get to him. In all the fifteen months he’d known Anthony, Chase had never seen the man wear anything other than graphic tees and the fishing vest. Today obviously wasn’t much different to Anthony.

“We’re on!” Anthony said. Chase held up his microphone in time for the camera light to turn red; he exclaimed, “Happy Brighton Shepherd Day, Brighton City! It’s a beautiful day in our  beautiful downtown, where we’re here to honour a beautiful man: The Brighton Shepherd. His heart is as big as an ocean that’s inside a bigger ocean. For years, he’s been watching us with his super-vision, saving us with his super strength, and caring for us with his super heart. Now, it’s our turn to give something back! This is Chase Brody, reporting live from the dedication of the Brighton Shepherd Museum.”

Chase signaled to Anthony, who snorted as he turned the camera off.

“Damn, the stuff the producers make you read nowadays is incredibly cheesy. Have you considered writing your own stuff?”

“I have. That was one of my pieces,” Chase said with a grin. He reveled in Anthony’s look of horror.

“I mean… I can’t believe that in our modern day society, they let… actual art get onto the news,” Anthony stammered out.

“Nice save, Anthony.”

“Cool. Can we go get a coffee now?”

“Come on, it’s time to get into the Brighton Shepherd Day spirit!” Chase said, nudging his coworker.

Anthony rolled his eyes. “Please. If the Brighton Shepherd really was all that great, he’d be able to properly protect you from the Malevolent and his crazy Doctor. For someone who gets kidnapped and rescued all the time, you sure don’t have good security.”

Chase sighed. This debate again. “I mean, it’s good for my channel! I get to film bits and pieces of the Malevolent’s laboratory! Great publicity.”

“You take too many chances with that man, I swear. What happens if the Malevolent snaps and gets violent with you? The Shepherd and his sidekick won’t be there to protect you. You could die, Chase.”

“The Malevolent won’t hurt me. If he truly wanted to, he would have done so the first time he kidnapped me,” Chase snapped. “If anything, he just wants me for more publicity. I am a popular news source.”

“Yeah? Well, they don’t always strike at first sight, Lois Lane. The dude might be waiting for the perfect moment to torture you,” Anthony continued. “I mean, even if he doesn’t invent the machines, his sidekick is smart enough to make them! I swear that man has seen some stuff and wants to inflict it on the city.”

“The Malevolent and Doctor never want to torture. Their machines may look scary at first, but they’re useless. They only want to scare.”

Anthony began loading up the truck. “You’re too trusting.The Malevolent Magician has the power to mutilate and kill in ways your “friendship-is-magic” brain could never comprehend. The Doctor is no better. They’re both just waiting to strike. Once they do, the Shepherd’s presence won’t feel so reassuring, hm?”

Anthony had his back turned long enough for Chase to feel a cold presence beside him. The smell of gas flooded his senses. The reporter turned to hear a window roll down, though he didn’t see a car. Odd.

Instead a white plague doctor mask glared back at him. Chase groaned. Here he thought he might be able to avoid being kidnapped and used as leverage by the Malevolent Magician. Apparently not! The Malevolent’s sidekick, simply known as the Doctor, was here to claim his damsel in distress. 

The Doctor raised a spray bottle and squirted it directly in Chase’s face. Chase barely had time to scream as a sudden drowsiness overtook him and the whole world went dark.

*

Step one was complete. The annoying vlogger was in the back of the van. With that accomplished, it was time to pick up the villain. Dr. Henrik von Schneeplestein, known to the city as the sidekick to the Malevolent Magician, drove through the busy town square and out of the main city.

The prison where the Malevolent lay was outside of town in a secluded location, or rather, in the middle of the highway leading into the city. Despite its odd location, the security was incredible. 200 security officers patrolled the site, with at least three officers supervising a special room under intense lock and key. The Malevolent himself was usually locked in large chains that only unlocked at certain times, or if Mal had behaved himself for a certain amount of time.

Schneep arrived to see the prison in chaos. Sirens blared loud enough to burst a person’s eardrums while police ran into the grey building, yelling to each other and pulling out their guns.

Amid all the chaos stood a man with a thick white moustache, standing in front of the large electrical gates, The man held up his wrist enough for Schneep to spy a silver watch on his wrist and sighed in relief. The watch had worked.

“Well, hello, good looking. Need a ride?” Schneep said, opening the door.

“Always, my dear doctor!” the man said as he hopped in. He slammed the door closed as Schneep slammed his foot on the gas and flew off.

The man twisted the watch’s case and transformed back into Malevolent. The supervillain turned to Schneep with an evil grin. “Nice job sending me the watch, Doctor! Let’s ride!”

“As you wish, my Wickedness!” Schneep yelled.

The maltreatment Mal received from the prison was not lost on the doctor. His sharp cheekbones were grimy and more pronounced, and his wrists were almost skeletal. Dark shadows hung below his eyes, and it was not from eyeliner. Schneep held back a sad sigh. Thank goodness he left a snack for Mal when they returned to the evil lair. That part could be solved.

*

Back at Brighton City Square, the show was ready to begin. As city officials made their speeches, two superheroes waited behind a painted brick wall to make an entrance.

The illustrious Brighton Shepherd fixed his mask and combed his dark brown hair back. Beside him was his sidekick: the Red Marauder, clad in red, green, and blue leather. Marauder kept peeking behind the wall.

“Malevolent is safe behind bars as of right now, you can relax, Jackie,” Shepherd said, rubbing his protégé’s back.

“I can’t find Chase!” Marauder whispered back. “I’ve scanned the crowds three times and there’s no sign of his face.”

“Perhaps he’s stuck in traffic?” Shepherd said, smoothing out the creases in Marauder’s blue cape. His sidekick really needed to learn how to take care of himself.

“He would have sent me a text if that had happened,” Marauder said with a sigh.

“Went for a cup of coffee with Anthony?”

Marauder turned to the crowd. “Anthony is currently eating a donut by one of the food vendors. I think Malevolent and the Doctor kidnapped Chase again!” His eyes filled with tears.

The Shepherd sighed and put a hand on Marauder’s shoulder. “Okay, when the mayor does her speech, we’ll do a quick speedrun through town. He can’t be far. Don’t worry, we’ll get him back.”

Marauder nodded, blinking back tears. No time to cry when there’s a battle.

“Shepherd? It’s time,” an employee whispered. The Brighton Shepherd cracked his neck.

“Show time, baby.” He punched the painted brick wall concealing him, creating a perfect hole. “Alright, put your hands in the air!” he yelled to the crowd.

*

The lair lit up as the car entered and parked in its appointed place. Marvin threw the door open and breathed in the familiar smell of the evil, abandoned, Monster Munch snack factory. A long time ago, it smelled of moldy cheese puffs and rat manure, but now it smelled of malevolence, metal, and a whole lot of cologne.

No matter how many times he arrived, the sweet scent always relaxed the supervillain after a hard day in jail or fighting the Shepherd. “Oh Doc, there’s no place like our evil lair!”

“I’ve kept it cold and damp, just the way you like it!” Schneep said, hauling the sleeping Chase out of the car.

A swarm of tiny robots flew over to Marvin, their engines whirring with delight. The model was a small purple circle with four robotic legs that could grip and lift up to 1,000 pounds. Of course, each had cat ears attached to the sides of their heads and a cat tail at the back. The CATs,  Marvin had fondly called them. Their singular glowing yellow eyes in the center of their body looked up at their darling master.

“The CATs have certainly missed you, sir!” Schneep exclaimed.

Marvin bent down to caress their smooth heads. “Did you miss your daddy? Who’s a menacing little android? You are, yes, you are!”

One CAT held up a ball of twine. Marvin grabbed it and tossed it across the lair, the CATs trailing after it.

Two older models of the CATs held up a curtain while two others held up Marvin’s new suit. Marvin gratefully ripped off the ugly bluish-grey prison rags and changed into his white button-up, black dress pants, and sparkly purple vest. A CAT draped his famous black cloak with magenta lining around his shoulders while another handed him his beautiful cat mask with the magician’s card designs drawn on. He happily donned the mask with pride and stepped out.

“How do I look, Doctor? Do I look evil?” Marvin asked, spinning.

“Horrifyingly striking, sir,” Schneep said. He opened a small gate to an elevator platform, “Shall we?”

At the top, Schneep set Chase down on a chair while Marvin checked all the monitors and buttons.

“Everything ready?”

“Of course! I would never leave anything unchecked before a big event!” Schneep said. Beside the doctor, Chase began to stir, grunting and yelling muffled by the bag.

“He’s awake! Quick everyone, places!” Marvin ordered. He jumped onto his chair and motioned a small CAT to lie down in his lap while he fixed his hair once more.

Schneep ripped the bag off of Chase’s head as Marvin twirled his chair around, menacingly stroking the CAT. “Mr. Brody, we meet again.”

“Would it kill you to wash the bag?” Chase complained, “it fucking stinks and the spray bottle is no better!”

“You can scream all you want, Brody, I’m afraid no one can hear you!” Malevolent announced. Chase remained stone-faced.

Marvin frowned. “Why isn’t he screaming?”

Schneep sighed exasperatedly and bent down next to Chase, “Mr. Brody, if you don’t mind-”

“Screaming sounds a lot like this: aaaahhhhh!” Malevolent demonstrated. “I mean, that’s a poor example but-”

The CAT sitting on his lap bit his hand. Malevolent emitted a high-pitched shriek as he tried to shake the little robot off.

“Not to sound like a sadist but it’s more fun when you do it,” Chase deadpanned.

“Very funny,” the Doctor snapped. “You’ll be singing a different tune when the Brighton Shepherd is defeated right before your eyes!”

Ignoring both of them, Chase decided to examine the observatory, the usual spot for Malevolent and Shepherd’s battles. Most of it was the usual, a long control booth circling the room, full of buttons and levers that would release death traps, lasers, and other lame inventions. Above the panel were monitors of different sizes. On one side of the elevator was a broken vending machine where Doctor grabbed his sleeping spray, while on the other side was a strange metal sphere with axes and spikes sticking out of it (Chase asked and even Malevolent had no idea what it was).

“Speaking of watching, do you have your camera set up?” Malevolent asked, finally yanking off the biting CAT.

“Yup! It’s in the pin this time! Anthony helped me set it up!” Chase puffed his chest out to show it off.

Malevolent ran a hand through his thick black hair and twirled around, letting his cape fly in the wind.

“So guys, what’s on the menu for today? Robosheep? Typhoon cheese? A big ball of aluminum that will roll around town?” Chase asked.

Behind his plague doctor mask, Schneeplestein grinned. It was his time to shine! “Actually, we created a cool ray that uses the sun to make explosive lasers, wanna see?!” He excitedly rushed over to the main control booth and began typing in the passcode to turn it on.

Marvin yelped and pulled Schneep away from the booth, “Easy there, Doc, we’ll show it in time!”

“Brody wanted to see it!” Schneep protested. “It’s not like it would hurt, would it?”

“Think, Doctor! He’s using his nosy reporter skills to find out all our secrets!” Malevolent accused, snarling at Chase.

Chase rolled his eyes, chuckling. These two could be quite entertaining. “What secrets?! You’re so predictable!”

“Oh, that’s the insult for today?! Tell me, my dear Brody, would you call this predictable?” Marvin pulled down a lever and the floor around Chase opened up.

“Your alligators, yes!” Chase nodded in greeting to the snapping reptiles. “Yeah, I was just thinking about these guys on the way over!”

Truth be told, Chase was dreaming of riding a large parrot to Disney World while in the car. But Malevolent didn’t need to know that.

Marvin turned back to the panel. How dare Chase see through his armour?! He quickly slammed a button. “What about this?”

A sharp razor painted blood red danced in Chase’s face. “That’s kind of tacky.”

Marvin punched another button and a junky invention of multiple chainsaws attached to the ceiling lowered down. The chainsaws had gotten their chains stuck to each other and could barely move. Chase pretended to contemplate it. “Mm, juvenile.”

Marvin pulled another lever. “What about this?!”

A giant fart gun shot green gas out. Chase gagged. “Gross and immature!”

“What’s this one do?!” A weak fire machine coughed out small bits of fire.

“That’s just sad,” Chase said. He looked up and nearly jumped out of his seat. A small spider floated downwards. “Is the spider new?”

Marvin turned to Schneeplestein, who merely shrugged. When this was all over, Marvin was going to give him a stern talking to about bug extermination in the lair.

“Ah yes, the spe-dair-a,” Marvin whispered as he advanced closer to Chase. “Even the smallest bite from Arachnis Deathicus will instantly paralyze-”

Chase blew the spider onto Marvin’s cheek, causing him to scream again. Schneep punched him hard enough to knock him over.

“GET IT OFF GET IT OFF!!!! IT BIT MEEEEE!!!” Marvin screamed as Schneep continually smacked him with a newspaper. The spider fell off of Marvin’s cheek and began advancing to the control panel.

“STOP IT BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS!” Marvin howled as he crawled away from the disgusting creature.

After five minutes of Marvin’s dramatic wails and crawling and Schneep swearing like a sailor, Chase finally put an end to the spider’s life by stomping on it when it got close enough.

Marvin crawled over to Chase and grovelled at his bound feet. “Thank you, you are a lifesaver!” He suddenly spied the pin. “Is that still on?”

Chase smiled smugly, “I’ll burn the evidence if you let me go and we’ll never speak of it again.”

Marvin stood up, scowling, “Absolutely not! We haven’t even gotten to the fun part! Let’s pay your boyfriend and godfather a visit, shall we?”

*

Back at the town square, the mayor had finished up her rather short speech, “It is with great pleasure that I present Brighton Shepherd to his new museum! When you’re ready!”

Shepherd’s laser eyes cut the rope and the great curtains fell, revealing the giant statue of the superhero. A brass band played loudly over the sound of a cheering crowd.

Jackie applauded happily for his mentor, but couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous. In all fairness, the Shepherd had been around longer than he had, and he was still familiarizing himself with the city.

A sudden chill running up his arms woke Jackie from his thoughts. He looked up and gasped. Dark clouds quickly enveloped the museum. People shrieked in terror as a big, black blimp hovered above the great building, rolling down two large projection screens underneath. Once positioned on each side of the magnificent statue, a small circular robot holding a camera turned the screens on, showing the face of the one to blame for the chaos: the Malevolent.

The Brighton Shepherd and the Red Marauder flew up, Shepherd holding up a microphone.

“If it isn’t the Malevolent!”

“Bravo, Brighton Shepherd! Congratulations on your new museum!” Malevolent drawled, clapping slowly.

The crowd began to boo loudly. Malevolent blew a raspberry at the crowd, “So immature!” he scoffed.

“Should have known you’d try and crash the party!” Shepherd said.

“Oh, I intend to do more than crash it! This will be a historic day you, and Brighton City, will not soon forget!”

“We all know how this ends!” Shepherd said. “With you behind bars!”

“Ooh, I tremble in my kitten-skinned cape,” Malevolent hissed, playfully wrapping himself up in his cape. The cape was actually made from cotton, but the city didn’t need to know that.

“What do you want with us, Mal?” Shepherd demanded.

“First off, don’t call me ‘Mal’,” Malevolent snapped. “Secondly, if you and your tomato sidekick don’t leave town in an hour, then this will be the last you ever hear of Chase Brody!” Malevolent punched a button and the left screen presented the kidnapped Chase tied to a chair.

“I knew it!” Jackie muttered behind his mask.

“Don’t panic Chase! We’re on our way!” Shepherd cried out, earning a cheer from the crowd.

“I’m not panicking!” Chase responded, smiling.

Malevolent pretended to gag. “Oh, please. You have to find us first before you save Chase.”

“We’re at the abandoned observatory!” Chase quickly called out.

Malevolent suddenly turned off Chase’s camera, yelping, “WAIT DON’T TO LISTEN TO HIM-”

It was too late. Shepherd and Marauder were already flying above the dark grey smoke. Shepherd quickly spotted the broken down space observatory near the dangerous part of Brighton City beach and pointed it to Marauder. The two began their flight.

Back at the lair, Schneep watched the superheroes from his monitor. “Shepherd and Marauder approaching, sir!”

Marvin turned to Chase, who shot him a smug grin. Marvin only smiled in return.

“Like we said, you’ll be singing a different tune when you see what we have planned!”

The Shepherd would almost be here. Chase closed his eyes and ducked his head for the inevitable ceiling crash.

Shepherd and Marauder flew through the opening of the observatory and landed. Or rather, Shepherd landed gracefully on his feet while Marauder tripped and fell over. Behind them, the heavy doors slid shut.

Shepherd looked around. The place was quiet and eerily empty. No sound of any cat-bots. No evil laughter from the Malevolent.

“Something’s wrong…” Shepherd muttered. He turned to the doors. Were they locked in?! He ran over to check.

Puzzled, Chase looked up. Where were they?

Malevolent reveled in Brody’s confused expression. He fiddled with the control panel, opening up one of the walls.

“You didn’t think we were in the real observatory… did you?!”

Chase could stare in horror as he spotted the real observatory. He couldn’t believe it. He had led the two superheroes right into a trap.

Malevolent laughed triumphantly. “Ready the Death Ray, Doctor!”

Doctor typed in the passcode and pulled the lever down. “Death Ray ready-ing!”

In the real abandoned observatory, Shepherd and Marauder desperately tried to get the doors open.

“I can’t believe Malevolent actually tricked us! How did he seal the doors?!” Marauder moaned.

“Don’t worry Red, we’ll find a way out,” Shepherd said, smiling.

“Over here, boys,” a voice like ice called out. The superheroes turned to see a large projection of Malevolent smiling down on them.

“In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve fallen right into my trap!” Malevolent boasted.

The Shepherd motioned Marauder to find an escape before turning to Malevolent. “You can’t trap justice! It’s an idea! A belief!”

“Well sometimes the most heartfelt belief can be corroded over time!” Malevolent responded.

“Justice is a non-corrosive metal!”

“Then I will just melt it with the heat of revenge!”

“FYI, revenge is best served cold!” Shepherd corrected him. From the side, Marauder shook his head. As much as he respected his mentor and feared Malevolent, their “witty back-and-forth banter” was lame.

“It can easily be reheated in the microwave of evil! Don’t doubt me!” Malevolent snarled.

“Well I think your warranty is about to expire!” Shepherd declared.

“Fuck you, I have an extended warranty!” Malevolent retaliated.

“Language, my dear sir! And warranties are invalid if you don’t use the product for its intended purpose!” Shepherd roared.

“OH! Girls, girls, you’re both pretty!” Chase yelled from his seat. He turned to Malevolent, exasperated, “My whole body is sore. Can I just go home now?!”

Malevolent turned around to throw an empty can of Cola at Chase. It bonked off the side of his head.

“You’ll just have to wait, dear Brody! Your beloved superheroes first must prove if they can escape the inevitable power of the sun! Fire!”

Marauder conjured a shield for himself and Shepherd. When the Shepherd made no move to protect himself, Marauder realized nothing was coming. What happened?

Meanwhile, Marvin approached Schneep and the machine. Schneep learned against the panel, snoring softly. Marvin poked him, “Doctor, wake up!”

Schneep startled, “Oh! Sorry!” He turned to the machine, “The machine is still warming up. I expect we have a few more minutes before it fires.”

Marvin’s face turned as red as Marauder’s suit. “Warming up?! The sun is warming up?!”

Chase started laughing, “The sore arms and legs are definitely worth this riot. Just you wait, the Shepherd and Marauder will be on you in min-”

Malevolent tossed another empty can at Chase. Chase immediately shut up. “That’s better.”

“Don’t worry Chase, we’re on our way!” Marauder yelled from the monitor.

Malevolent stomped over to the camera, “Get here faster, I’m this close to throwing his stupid ass off the balcony!”

This caused Marauder to flip. “Hang in there Chase, I’m coming!” He rocketed up to fly out, only to crash into the ceiling and fall back down unceremoniously.

“Marauder, we’ve talked about this! You need to think before you do anything!” Shepherd lightly scolded. “Now, what do we have that can create a hole in the wall?”

“This whole day is a mess…” Doctor muttered from his spot at the panel.

“I’m sorry, whose side are you on?!” Malevolent demanded.

“The losing side!” Chase interjected.

“Everybody shut up,” Malevolent ordered. He sighed, rubbing his temples. “You know what? I need to take a nap. Call me when the ray is ready!”

“The ray is ready!” Doctor announced. In seconds a bright beam of yellow flew down, destroying the observatory in seconds. Fire and burning metal fell out of the demolished observatory, some of it flying directly towards the lair.

Malevolent quickly waved his hands in a circular motion, muttering. A shimmering purple bubble wrapped around Doctor and Chase. As debris rained down, Malevolent deflected them with bursts of purple fireworks. Chase watched in amazement, gaping.

“I keep forgetting he can do magic...” Chase muttered. “He uses so much technology instead.”

Doctor laughed, “Well, he’s not called the Magician for nothing.”

When the commotion calmed down and the debris stopped coming, Marvin twirled around, blowing a stray hair out his eye. The bright glow of the burning observatory behind the magician outlined his epic form. “Did your camera get that, Brody?”

Two more pieces of falling debris gracelessly smashed into Marvin. Chase happily squealed upon seeing the dusty forms of the Brighton Shepherd and the Red Marauder.

“I… should have seen that coming,” Marvin squeaked. “How did you escape so fast?”

“Laser eyes are a wonderful thing!” Marauder answered, giving Marvin a playful wink as he stood up. Marvin stuck his tongue out.

“The gig is up, Mal. We’re taking you back to jail, where you belong!” Shepherd declared. Marvin sighed and slammed his head down on the floor. Naturally, he lost. Again.

Schneep’s distressed cries snapped Marvin back to attention. He turned to his head to see Marauder on top of a struggling Schneep. Schneep’s whimpers and half-sobs were lost on Marauder, who continued tying his wrists behind him.

“Might as well send the Malevolent’s accomplice to jail as well! That way he won’t escape again!” the sidekick reasoned.

Something in Marvin snapped. “NO!” he screamed, startling the Shepherd. With his nemesis off his back, Marvin set his eyes on Brody and magically put the reporter in a choke hold.

Chase gasped raggedly as the air left his lungs.

Marvin whirled around to face Marauder, growling, “Let the doctor go!”

“Get your hands off Chase!” Marauder yelped, staring helplessly at his struggling brother.

“First, free the doctor!” Marvin shouted. He tightened his grip on Chase, lifting him out of the chair.

“Put Chase down!” Marauder roared, eyes glowing red.

Chase wheezed pathetically, black spots darting in his vision. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t breathe. He let out a strangled sob, tears falling. In all his time with Malevolent… he had never felt so scared.

Jackie’s eyes lost their glow and he loosened his grip on the Doctor. Underneath him, the Doctor moaned in pain.

“Let him go, Red.” Jackie turned to Shepherd in shock. The usually optimistic and brightly-smiling superhero had a grim expression on his face. Jackie spluttered.

“B- but- The Doctor will just free the Malevolent again! We could stop them both once and for all-”

“You heard me. Let him go,” Shepherd ordered. Reluctantly, Jackie stood up and backed away from the Doctor. The shaking man took no time running to the stairs and quickly disappearing.

Marvin waited until Schneep’s footsteps faded away before releasing Chase, gently laying him down. Chase gulped in tearful breaths, his body trembling. Marauder rushed over to free Chase while Shepherd tied the magician’s hands behind him.

The minute his hands were free, Chase threw his arms around Jackie. Jackie gently hugged him.

“Are you okay?” Jackie whispered. Chase nodded, still gasping.

“I’ll take Malevolent to jail,” the Shepherd said. “You get Chase to a hospital!” He took off, Malevolent dangling in his arms. The magician waved goodbye as he and the Shepherd disappeared into the city.

Jackie picked up Chase bridal style and started flying as well.

He kept the flight light and steady to keep Chase from getting sick. Chase buried his head in Jackie’s shoulder for most of the trip, eyes squeezed shut. He hated heights.

As they arrived at the hospital, a medical team waited outside to take Chase in. After the first few kidnappings, a special team offered to dedicate themselves to healing Chase in case he needed it.

“Ja-Jackie?” Chase stuttered. Jackie looked down at his almost unconscious friend.

“Ma-Make sure th-this doesn’t reach An-Anthony, oh-ok?” Chase begged between gasps.

Jackie nodded, confused. “Alright… I won’t tell him.”

*

The cell stunk. No one here ever bothered to put an air freshener in his jail cell, despite Marvin’s numerous polite requests to have it put in. According to the security guards, the Malevolent “could use it as a weapon” or a “gas bomb”. Please.

Marvin sighed as best as he could. As if to enact revenge for strangling Chase, the security staff had clamped an even smaller chain around his neck, making it hard to breathe. Or move. Or do anything. The rest of his body wasn’t much better, with a larger chain wrapped around his waist and movement sensory chains bruising his wrists. If he tried using any magic, the chains on his wrist would shock him. After today, electrocution was the last thing Marvin needed.

Marvin looked up to check the premises. After checking to make sure the guards were gone, Marvin snapped his fingers, careful not to move his wrists too much. Immediately, the chains loosened, allowing Marvin to take a shuddering gasp. He knew the minute he heard the guards coming to check on him, he had to tighten them again, so he took advantage of the situation.

At least the Doctor was free. He wasn’t being made to sit in a stinky, small cell, wrapped in large chains that threatened to strangle him at any moment. He was free to relax after a hard day, planning for the next breakout. For now, Schneep could rest.

Marvin leaned back against his chair, closing his eyes. Schneeplestein would help him escape again. For now, the magician himself will think of another plan to get back at the Brighton Shepherd.

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

@graysun, @florenceisfalling, @miishae, @lonelyseiren, @goldenoceanaart, @oasisofgalaxies, @fleecal, @kofi-kiing, @myspatialspace, @jo-ann-ahh-2, @huffletrax, @indic0lite, @dumbasticart, @lunaarmada, @meteorshowersfillthesky, @uhhbeans,  @the-pastel-kitsune, @ptide  @climbing-starrs, @the-spawn-of-loki, @jadehowlettthewolf, @obsidiancreates, @rammypaige, @cest-mellow, @randowaffle, @green-protects, @dezi-popp, @badlypostedeverything, @crystalninjaphoenix, @milokno, @pixelpixie-pix, @why-killed-markiplier

[pappydaddy]

Deal? (j.m.)

A/N: I recently added Outer Banks to the list of shows I write for because I am actually in love with the show. So, if you want to request for Outer Banks, send me a request but please look at the rules before doing so! 

Anyway, I am also writing a OB imagine because I want to see if people are actually seeing my posts or not. In the past, my little Outer Banks posts about JJ have gotten lots of interaction. Therefore, I am writing a JJ fic. 

Paring: JJ Maybank x Fem!reader

Show: Outer Banks

Warnings: Jealously, protectiveness, some creepy dude, some punches but nothing horrible. Some blood. 

This takes place in an alternate universe where John B Sarah don’t capsize or even get on the boat in general. Just for the sake of this imagine.

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- not my gif -

  Boneyard parties were fun, there was no doubt about that fact, but sometimes an extravagant Kook party thrown by some rich snob wanting to rebel against their perfect little shoe box life was just as fun. The Pogues especially liked them since their presence at the party always ticked the Kooks off, but they couldn’t do anything about it unless they wanted the cops to bust their party full of minors drinking and doing drugs. Since the Pogues befriending Sarah Cameron, they had an excuse to make more appearances at Kook parties. Of course, JJ couldn’t pass up an opportunity to rile up some Kooks. Especially not when he’s dating the most attractive girl on the island: Y/n L/n. Rich enough to live comfortably, but not rich enough to be in Figure Eight. 

  “Come on, Jay! It’s a pool party,” Y/n whined to her boyfriend, her hands gripping his large bicep as she shook his arm lightly. “Put the swim trunks I gave you on!” She pleaded with him. Her blonde and stubborn boyfriend simply sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at his phone as she shook his arm more violently. Many people were surprised when JJ had entered the serious, long-term relationship with the youngest (and only daughter) of the L/n family for many reasons. The main one being that he settled down in the first place. JJ Maybank didn’t seem like the type for commitment, but with their second year anniversary fast approaching - they were left with their heads spinning. The other reason was the fact that Y/n had two older and very protective brothers. Everybody was almost positive that JJ wouldn’t even get past her brothers, either they would have crushed him to a pulp or he would have thought it to be too much work for a girl. 

  “But I don’t want to get in an overcrowded pool with a bunch of Kooks.” JJ grunted, trying to type a text to John B to see if the group was almost to Y/n’s house to pick them up. Though JJ was the designated driver for the party (he drew the short straw), he still needed the van in order to cart all The Pogues home at the end of the night. Y/n groaned, plunking herself down on the bed beside him, her hands still gripping his arm. 

  “You don’t have to get in the pool! I don’t want to get in the pool either, but I am still wearing a bathing suit!” JJ looked up from his phone and gave his pouting girlfriend a look. That was the thing about their relationship, it even surprised JJ. It downright scared him when he started to have feelings for Y/n. At first, he didn’t know what had happen to make him want a relationship, but then he realized that there was just something about her. Something that made him want to spend every waking second with her, want to protect her. 

  “Why does it matter if I wear the swim trunks you bought me or not?” He asked, locking his phone and setting it on the bed beside him. She shrugged, one hand sliding down to pick play with his fingers, her eyes locked on them. They had been friends for a good year before they started dating, their feelings having come to light when the great treasure hunt ensued. That meant they could read each other decently well. Having gone through that together while their relationship was blooming into a romantic one made them more perceptive to each other. As he sat there, watching her play with his fingers, he could tell that she was bashful about the reason. 

  “Because I think you’d look really hot in them.” She mumbled, her cheeks heating up. She tucked her chin closer to her chest, wanting to make sure JJ didn’t see her red cheeks, but even without seeing her face, he knew she had the adorable redness flooding her cheeks and nose. He didn’t even try to fight the smile as he watched her try to avoid his gaze while playing it cool. 

  “Alright, if that’s what you really want, I’ll wear the trunks.” He agreed. He knew that he would have ended up putting them on before they left, not matter how much he ‘fought’ against it. She snapped her head up to look at him, her eyes wide and happy. 

  “Yay,” She celebrated with a little bounce. “Now, can I bother you for one teeny tiny favour?” She asked sweetly, taking her hand from his to pinch her pointer finger and thumb together so that they were just barely touching. JJ hummed, reaching his hand up to grab her hand back, entangling their fingers together. 

  “Any thing for you, Pretty Girl.” He nodded, rubbing his thumb across her soft skin gently. The action felt nice on her hand but also sent tingles shooting up her arm, giving her a fuzzy feeling. 

  “I need advice on my bathing suit, I put it on earlier, but now I don’t know about it,” She paused, standing up, trying to free her hand reluctantly. JJ’s hand held firm, not wanting to let her hand go until it was completely necessary. Giving up, she settled with standing between his legs as he stayed sitting. “Is it too much?” She asked nervously, popping the buttons on her high-waisted jean shorts before letting them slide down her legs. Next came the shirt, leaving her in her rather racy bathing suit. 

  “Too much of what?” JJ asked, confused since there wasn’t too much of anything. It was a bathing suit. A normal bathing suit like all of her others. 

  “Too skimpy,” She clarified, turning her head to glance at the full body mirror by the foot of her bed. “This is by far the most scandalous bathing suit I own, but Kie and Sarah convinced me to buy it last week and I don’t want to not wear it, ya know?” She rambled, inspecting it. The stringy bikini was gorgeous and totally for relaxing poolside, not for swimming. The colour of it complemented her skin, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was showing too much. 

  “Why would you even think that? You look gorgeous in it,” JJ’s eyebrows knitted together. “I don’t get where you think it’s too ‘skimpy’? I mean, it covers everything,” He questioned, his eyes scanning over his girlfriend. She looked absolutely stunning. He grabbed her other hand as it picked at the strings tying her top up. She looked down at him, her eyes meeting his captivating blue eyes. “You look amazing in it. Does it make you uncomfortable?”

  “No, I actually really like it. I feel amazing in it,” She answered quickly. “But I don’t want guys staring at me and coming up to me all night. I just want to go and have fun with you and the others, not fend guys off with a stick.” She grunted, bending her knees to sit on one of JJ’s legs, her knees poking into the other one. He let go of her hands, wrapping his arms around her waist to make sure she didn’t fall off. 

  “I get that, but you don’t have anything to worry about. I’ll be right by your side the entire night,” He reassured. “And if I’m not right by you, I won’t be anymore than ten feet away. If some asshole comes up to you, I’ll take care of him. Anything as long as you get to wear what you want to the party, deal?” His eyebrows bounced as he calmed her down. 

  “Deal, but I get to wear your shirt.” She bargained, her hands gripping his open button up. It was a nice black one, though it was ratty, it was still her favourite button up of his. He glanced down at it. She was always taking it, leaving him to snatch it back by stuffing it in his overnight bag when he left. He had just gotten it back two weeks ago when he had to wash it. He knew that her attempts of stealing it were coming, but he would have thought she’d be a little bit more subtle about it. 

  “Whatever you want, Princess.” He pressed a kiss to her lips before sliding her off his lap to stand up, grabbing the swim trunks from the bed. 

 _____________________________________________________________________

  The party certainly was in full swing. Coke was on the tables, people handing off wads of cash towards the smug guy who brought it. John B and Sarah were already sloshed and they had only been there for an hour and a half. Kie had only one beer, but was currently sharing a blunt with John B and Sarah while Pope nursed his second beer. Y/n and JJ were standing off to the side, Y/n’s back pressed against the living room wall, JJ’s hand pressed into the wall by her head. He sipped at his water bottle while she finally had her first beer of the night. She didn’t like getting intoxicated, especially not when JJ was sober. She wanted to talk to her boyfriend, not make a complete fool out of herself. 

  “Can you believe that Pope is actually drinking more than one beer tonight? I think I even saw him try a hit of the blunt.” Y/n asked JJ, proud of her uptight friend for finally letting loose. Dating Kie has been such a good thing for him, he’s gotten so much more relaxed. JJ glanced over his shoulder, still hovering over his girlfriend. 

  “’Atta boy, Pope,” He hollered over the thumping music, tossing his empty water bottle to the floor and rising his now free fist in the air to fist pump. Pope sending him a ‘Whoop’ and a fist pump back from where he sat on the fancy leather couch. “Princess, I need to go get another water bottle. You want to come with me or sit with the others?” He asked, holding her hand gently while his other one slid off the wall. 

  “You go, I’ll sit with the inebriated and keep them company.” She smiled up at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. The two of them glanced over at their friend group as they laughed loudly about something. Their intoxicated minds finding the smallest things funny. 

  “If you’re sure,” JJ looked back at Y/n wanting to make sure she was completely okay with him grabbing another drink. She nodded, a wide smile on her face at his protectiveness. “Okay, I’ll be there in like five seconds, ten tops. Love you.” He rushed, bouncing out of her sight in an effort to rush back to her. She laughed, shaking her head before taking a sip of her beer. Making her way towards the group falling all over each other with laughter, she suddenly felt the weight of eyes burning into her back. 

  Glancing behind her, she didn’t see anyone staring at her. Shrugging it off, she continued her short walk, sitting down next to John B who didn’t even notice her presence yet. “Hey, Y/n, where’s JJ?” Pope asked, noticing only one half of the duo joining them. John B looked beside him, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his best friend’s girlfriend. 

  “Getting another water bottle, he’ll be here in a sec.” She told him, downing the rest of her beer, not wanting to set it down anywhere. John B slung his arm around Y/n’s shoulders, using the hand holding his own solo cup to point at her. 

  “She sleeps with my best friend, but not only does she do that, but she also makes him happy,” John B slurred, nearly poking Y/n in the face by accident. “Like, really happy - happier than I’ve ever seen him,” John B took his arm off Y/n creating big gestures with his hands as he talked. Dodging his flailing arms, Y/n smiled at his drunken sweetness. “I think that JJ might marry her someday, then everyone will know that they have sex!” John B carried on, making Y/n’s cheeks flare up. 

  “Hey, John B, Imma go get you a water, actually-” Pope paused, glancing at the group. Through he was slightly tipsy, he still knew that he needed to be more responsible for the ones who were way passed tipsy. “I’m gonna get you all a water, want one, Y/n?” He asked, knowing that she was probably in much better shape than him, but he also knew that she shouldn’t be venturing off into the crowd alone, let alone her being comfortable to do so. 

  “Sure! Thanks Pope!” She smiled, Pope returning the gesture before heading off the same direction JJ went off in. John B started to talk loudly to Sarah, the two in their conversation while Kie rattled off about Microplastics in the ocean, nobody really listening to her. A hand landing on her shoulder was odd, since JJ never walked up behind her at a party and touched her from behind, always wanting her to know that it was him and not some creep. That’s why her blood seemed to still in her body at the hand. 

  “Looks like you could use some better company.” Someone spoke, sliding into the spot next to her, his arm resting around her shoulders much like John B’s had seconds before. She glanced at him, everything about him screaming Touron, especially since he thought hitting on her would get him anywhere. Thought their relationship surprised every local, that still meant that they all knew about it. 

  “No, I’m really okay. These are my friends, also, by boyfriend and my other friend will be back in a couple of seconds, but if you’re looking for someone to talk to, there is a lot of Lacrosse players over there playing Beer Pong.” She pointed towards the herd of boys playing Beer Pong on the grand mahogany dinning table. The Touron glanced over there, his slicked back hair catching the light with the amount of gel he had in it. He pulled a face, shrugging and tightening his arm around her shoulders. 

  “I don’t know, I think you’d be better company,” He denied, obviously not taking the hint. Instead, he just stomped on the hint and punted it into the world’s farthest dumpster. “Besides, I don’t really think you have a boyfriend, you’re probably just telling me that so I leave you alone.” 

  “I can assure you, I am telling the whole truth when I tell you my boyfriend is going to be right back. And I do want you to leave me alone, that’s why I said ‘no’ earlier.” She remarked, her voice biting. He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he dramatically looked around. 

  “I certainly don’t see anyone coming ‘right back’,” He mocked, air-quoting her words. She huffed, rolling her eyes. “So I really don’t think you were telling me the truth about you boyfriend, Sweetheart-” 

  “Well, prepare to be proven wrong,” A new voice joined the conversation, the two of them looking to the side where there was a space at the corner of the two couches. There stood JJ, he dumped the two water bottles he held into Pope’s hands. Pope stood slightly behind JJ, looking rather nervous about what was going to happen as he dropped the bottles to the couch kie was laid out on. “Meet the boyfriend who’s now back and wanting you to leave before you leave with a limp.” He threatened the posh boy. 

  “So what? She wasn’t lying about the boyfriend, but can she really except not to be hit on when wearing that kind of a bikini,” He asked, speaking as if he was the victim being harassed. JJ’s knuckles cracked as he clenched them into a fist, his nostrils flaring, his eyes lighting up with anger. Even in their drunken and high daze, John B, Kie, and Sarah looked up with nervous eyes, watching the events unfolding. “And how can you be mad when you’re the one who left her alone after you let her leave the house wearing it?” He asked, Pope cringed, know what that comment ignited in JJ. Y/n watched, her mouth hanging open when he implied that she was JJ’s property. 

  “I see you’ve made your choice,” JJ spoke with a voice so calm that it scared the group. They had never heard his voice so calm in a situation like this. It was normally aggressive and raspy, strained from him trying to suppress his anger. It was as if he didn’t have anger issues and he was going to deal with this rationally. Just as the group was questioned what the blonde’s next moves were going to be, he lunged forward, gripping the collar of the guys polo, his fist connecting to his nose with a loud crack. “Did you really expect me not to break your nose being that much of a dick? You can’t be mad that your buddies aren’t here to protect you if they left you alone!” JJ’s normal aggressive voice returned, his fist painted with the guy’s blood as he sent blow after blow to the guy’s face. 

  “JJ! JJ! He’s had enough! This isn’t worth getting arrested again! JJ,” Y/n pleaded with her angry boyfriend, seeing him slamming the preppy boy against the wall, scarlet blood dropping to the dark hardwood floors of the house. “JJ,” She tried again, her voice scratchy from yelling so loud. “Pope! Help me grab his arm!” She called, a crowd forming to watch the fight. She knew John B was still too drunk to be able to help. Pope rushed towards JJ, the pair grabbing his arm when he went to power up another punch. 

  “Come on, man! We gotta go!” Pope called, but JJ stomped his foot into the Prep’s foot, a strangled scream leaving the Prep’s mouth as the tiny bones in his foot cracked. 

  “JJ! Stop!” Y/n yelled, tugging on the arm she clutched to her. JJ, having just sent a harsh kick to the shin of the opposite leg that he had just stepped on, glanced at her. Her eyes pleaded with him to stop as she tugged on his arm once again. He couldn’t help but compare her to earlier that night. Her arms were wrapped around his like they were right them, she shook it, just like she was doing right then, but her eyes were different. Earlier, they were light and big, resembling a puppy dog. Now, her eyes were wide and nervous, scared that he’d get in trouble over her - knowing that the Prep was no match for him. 

  “Let’s get out of here,” JJ nodded. his heart was still thumping with pure fury, but he knew he needed to walk away for her. She nodded, letting go of his arm, thinking he was completely done. “You get the others, I’ll be right there-” He didn’t even wait a second before he sent his knee into the Prep’s groin, hitting him square on. A loud ‘humph’ left the guy as he tried to double over, but JJ held him up by his polo collar. “You touch my girl, I break you. You try to press charges, I finish the job without her here to stop me, deal?” He hissed in a low voice. 

  “JJ! Stop and come,” Y/n ordered, realizing what her boyfriend was still fighting. JJ’s eyes hardened at the lack of response from the scared Prep, making him nod frantically. Once JJ’s hands left his collar, the boy crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. “Let’s go, someone probably called the cops - the drug dealers took off.” She alerted JJ, Pope already trying to get the other three to follow him towards the van. Y/n grabbed JJ’s hand, pulling him through the watchful crowd. 

  The run to the van was all Pope, Y/n, and JJ trying to get the other three to run, basically pulling them along behind them. Once they were in the van though, that was another story. Tires squealing as JJ pulled off, speeding down the road, Y/n sitting in the passenger seat as she gripped on for dear life, and the other four being tossed around. “I’m sorry for leaving you for so long, someone decided to take an ice bath in the cooler, it took three of us to pull him out because his ass got stuck.” JJ spoke up, his voice soft. The van was quiet as eyelids became heavy in the back. Y/n looked over at him, his speed slowing once they got into Pogue territory. 

  “It’s okay, JJ. You protected me, though you went a little over and beyond, but none-the-less, you still protected me. Just like you promised,” Her voice was just as soft, the couple sharing a sweet moment. Cruising down the street, JJ couldn’t help but look over at her. “But, next time, please take yourself into account, Jay. It’s really not worth getting arrested again.” She pleaded. 

  “What are you talking about? Your safety is totally worth getting arrested for. I’d rather get arrested protecting you than you getting hurt. I would lose my mind if you got hurt.” He argued. She perked an eyebrow at him, but he didn’t see it since he turned his head to glance in front of them before looking back at her. 

  “And what happened back there wasn’t you losing your mind,” She asked. He shook his head, a light smile on his face as the air became lighter. “No matter that, how about we make a deal? You learn when to walk away and, to help you learn, every time you walk away from a fight - you get a little treat. How does that sound? We got a deal?” She proposed with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. JJ chuckled, taking one hand off the wheel to attach to her thigh, squeezing it affectionately. 

  “We got a deal.” He agreed, his blue eyes pouring all his love and affection into hers. It was like they were the only ones in the van. JJ’s heart swelled with love so much that it throbbed painfully, feeling like it was ready to burst with all the love being confined within it. Their moment was quickly interrupted by Pope sticking his head between the seats, breaking their eye contact. 

  “Yeah, as cute and sickening this moment between you two is, I would still like to get to John B’s in one piece. So, eyes on the road, Maybank!” He exclaimed, pointing to the empty road. JJ huffed, setting his eyes on the dark road ahead, leaving his hand on Y/n’s thigh. 

  “Fine, but Y/n and I call the spare room!” JJ announced to Pope who settled in the back once again. Pope groaned, kicking himself that he hadn’t called dibs on it sooner. 

  “You two always get the spare! Kie and I get it next time.” Pope bargained, his tone low. 

  “Deal.” JJ smirked, shooting Y/n a wink, flashing his crossed fingers while still keeping them from Pope’s sight. 

  “I saw that, Maybank!”               

[ritzwritez]

Day One: Jules

They were the last of the year’s wild raspberries, tiny and red and just a bit overripe, and they left red stains on Jules’s shirt and on her fingers. The latter she licked away carefully, savouring their sweetness, and the former she disregarded completely, because the shirt was a patchwork of stains in many more colours than red, and because she had no-one to impress. The air was cool, the sun was warm, and the breeze blowing down from the north carried the dry smell of approaching winter. It was coming in fast, and she was driving north to meet it head-on, so when she’d passed the overgrown field and seen its dustings of red berries among the green, she had made no attempt to resist. They would make delicious preserves, a treat to carry her through the months of hunting that lay ahead. She crisscrossed the field, carrying the berries back to the van in shirtfuls, and thought about very little.

She’d almost filled up an entire bowl when she paused, one hand on the van’s tailgate, head tilted towards a distant, half-heard sound.

Had she imagined it? The cicadas still sang in the trees that ringed the field, the wind still rustled through the leaves, but neither could account for it. There was only one thing that could, and at once she saw it very clearly in her mind’s eye; a car, a vehicle like her own, roaring down the pockmarked gravel road, turning a corner in just such a way as to send its sound echoing down the corridor of trees straight to her ear. Impossible to tell whether it was headed towards her or away from her- just as impossible to roll the dice. She shoved the bowl of berries under a shelf, slammed the hatch shut, and raced around to the front driver’s side door.

The van bounced and rocked and scraped against half-grown bushes as Jules drove it across the field, away from the road and towards the sheltering wall formed by a leaning willow tree. Through the open window she heard the approaching vehicle again- oh yes, it was definitely approaching, and fast. Whoever was driving had to be out of his mind, driving as fast as that on a road like this one, but it was to her advantage. She couldn’t hope to fully hide the van, and anyone going that fast wouldn’t be taking a good, long look at the field and wouldn’t be likely to see it behind the tree.

She inched it into position, killed the engine, and waited. Seconds later, that familiar sound reached a crescendo; there were no trees between it and her now. As she watched through the web of branches, the roar split into two, and its first half shot past in a grey blur- a little car- followed immediately by a larger, louder white blur- a pickup truck, she thought. They were gone in a split second, but the racket trailing after them wasn’t, and Jules sat very still as she listened in fascination.

They continued their pursuit, winding away through the trees, for almost half a minute, and then- shriek of brakes, just at the edge of hearing. A distant gunshot. What might have been a crash, and splintering trees.

The wind drowned out the rest.

She sat back, crossed her arms, and thought. It was none of her business. Even gunfire wasn’t any of her business, hadn’t been for half a decade now. Whatever had just happened, it had happened up the road she’d been planning to take, but that didn’t make it her business either- she could just take a detour. It wasn’t like she had any destination in mind more specific than “north”.

Her voice of reason made some very good points, but her curiosity was too great to be silenced. She wanted to know what had happened, and where the two lunatics had come from- she hadn’t passed any settlement in three days- and if those answers were anywhere, they were down that road. She counted out five minutes, and when neither of the two vehicles reappeared, she turned the key in the ignition and pulled back out into the road to follow the trail of the chase.

It was an easy trail to follow. The marks the two vehicles had left were violent and unmistakable; a spray of chewed-up gravel or dirt here, a scuff of rust on a hump there, a glittery sprinkling of broken glass in the sand. She couldn’t quite believe that they’d kept up the speed she’d seen; the road was growing worse by the metre. The sandy shoulder had been completely swallowed up by new growth, and the forest was creeping stubbornly in to devour the rest. There was barely a lane’s worth of unobstructed space left between the encroaching branches, and all of it was so ruined by the cycle of seasons that it seemed more mud than gravel. Nothing she wasn’t used to, but even she, with her big tough van, had slowed to a crawl. She thought that the fellow in the little grey car must have been an absolutely superhuman driver- or…

...Or not, she corrected herself as she crested a hill and looked down into a tangle of crushed branches and shattered saplings. In the middle of it all, resting upside down like a dead spider and bleeding dirty smoke into the air, was the little grey car. 

So it had been a crash she’d heard! She hit the brakes and took in the whole scene, looking from the wreck to the road, trying to play it all out in her head. Just before the top of the hill, the pursued driver leans out the window to fire a shot at his pursuers, but misjudges his own skill, loses control, and…

Down he goes. But where do his pursuers go?

They don’t loot the wreck. They just leave. How strange.

Well, at least it couldn’t possibly be a trap. Who would ever suspect that there would be another person out here, let alone go to such trouble to lure in that person? No, it was just a strange little bit of good fortune, and she wasn’t about to waste it. She stepped out and headed around to the hatch with a spring in her step to fetch a gas can. 

She was just testing her footing, preparing to head down the hill, when a sound stopped her in her tracks- not a distant engine but a very close voice.

“Who’s there?” 

She kept very still, imagining a gun aimed at her from somewhere beyond those dark, shattered windows. It was hard to imagine that there was anything alive at all in that crumpled space, but she knew she hadn’t imagined those two words. “Don’t shoot,” she said carefully. “I’m not the one who was chasing you. I just heard the chase and came to see what happened.”

“...can you help me?”

This time, not caught off guard, she listened. It was a man’s voice, hoarse, unsteady; the question was spoken in clipped syllables and punctuated with a short, sharp breath.

Could she help him?

She didn’t think about the trouble it would likely mean, because it didn’t need to be thought about- it was simply fact. She thought for a second about whether she had the supplies to do anything at all for whatever injuries the man in the car surely had, but that didn’t take much thought either. Whatever she had, it was better than what he could do for himself.

“Yes,” she said, standing up and tossing the gas can back into the van. “Yes, I can.”

She slid down the hill, one hand on the hunting knife at her belt, without listening for an answer. The stink of leaking gas had settled low around the car. She made her way around to the front left window, crouched down next to it and looked in at the bloodied face of the driver.

“Hey,” she said, as softly as she could. The man winced and blinked, and his eyes found hers; they were very blue. “Can you move?”

“Not really.” Another sharp, shallow breath told the rest of the story. Jules grimaced.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna move you, and it’s gonna hurt.”

No answer but a grunt of agreement. He closed his eyes again, and she saw him brace himself, gathering up what strength he had left. She did the same, steeling her nerves before unsheathing the knife and reaching through the crumpled window. The seatbelt that had saved the man’s life gave way with four strokes from the knife’s serrated edge. She grabbed him by the shoulders, braced one heel against the door, and pulled.

It was not a graceful operation. The crumpled window was just barely big enough to let him through at all. Fabric tore, glass crunched, and finally Jules fell back on her ass and the stranger fell right into her lap with a yelp.

The awkwardness of the position didn’t even register. She was much more aware of the racing heartbeat she now felt against her own, the rigid, trembling muscles, the sharp smells of blood and sweat and fear. The man seemed frozen for a moment, trying to catch his breath, and then he too realized where he was and tried to push himself upright with an almost comical noise of embarrassment. She quickly shifted her own position and caught him when his arm gave out.

“Sorry,” he whispered.

“It’s fine. Are you all right? Can you stand?”

“I- uh-”

He didn’t turn his head or look up- it had to be painful- but his hand found her upper arm and gripped it tightly. “Hey, hey, it’s all right. Come on, let’s get outta here,” she said, carefully getting to her feet and supporting him as he stood with her. He was a couple inches taller than her, and from the fraction of his weight that fell onto her shoulders she could already tell he was significantly heavier. If he fell, she wouldn’t be able to pick him up again.

“My van’s up at the top of the hill. We’ve just got to get there, okay? Then we can relax. Just don’t sit down, or I’ll have to drag you up the hill on your ass.”

She felt him wince and heard his grunt of agreement.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

She was fully expecting to have to drag him. He had more left in the tank than she thought, though, and he threw it all into the climb, so that it hardly took them any longer than it would have taken her by herself. He groaned with each step, and each breath sounded like an effort. Then, at the place where loose leaves and brush turned back into gravel and the slope levelled out, it all seemed to catch up to him at once. He staggered and half-collapsed; she gasped and moved to catch him. The side of the van caught them both.

“Sorry,” he mumbled again.

“Fine. It’s fine. Come on, no resting yet, let’s go,” she muttered, fumbling blindly for the door handle and just barely managing to open it halfway from the awkward angle. “Get in the van.”

He got in the van, dragged himself over to the passenger seat and sat-sprawled on it. She climbed in after him and slammed the door closed without thinking, and he flinched and shut his eyes.

“Who was chasing you?” she asked as she turned the key and started down the hill. “Will they come back looking for you?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t know.”

“You don’t know who they were, or you don’t know if they’ll come back?”

He groaned. “The… the second one. Please, can…”

She was sure he meant to ask her to stop asking so many questions, but he cut himself off. She obeyed anyway.

The road ahead smoothed out some. Enough, at least, to take things slow while she let half of her attention stray to her passenger. It had been a while since she’d had one of those.

He sat stiffly, one arm wrapped around his abdomen, the back of his head resting on a headrest that was set much too low for him, his face set in a stoic frown of pain. It was a handsome face, even in that state and even covered in blood, with a strong jaw and aquiline nose. By the way he was dressed and the length of his sandy brown hair she decided that he was a nomad like her, and that pleased her. It made her feel a bit better about having him in her home, anyway, and a lot better about her stained shirt. His was stained much worse than hers.

So he didn’t know if they would come back. That didn’t make her feel better- in fact, the more she thought about it, the worse it seemed. They’d chased him down, run him off the road, and left. What else could that mean, besides that killing him had been their only goal?

“We’ll stop and hide as soon as I find a good turn-off, and then I’ll take a look at your head. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you more questions, too,” she said with genuine regret. “My name’s Jules Easton, by the way.”

His frown relaxed, just a little, and she realized that it hadn’t been all pain. Some of it had been fear.

“Cal Wolfe,” he replied.

---

She stayed quiet for the rest of the fifteen minutes or so it took to find what she was looking for. Safety appeared in the form of a fork in the road; the tracks of the white truck continued to the left, but to the right the road sloped down and the trees closed in. Jules took the van down to the right and watched as spindly branches broke against the windscreen. It didn’t look like anything bigger than a deer had come this way in months.

In a patch of bare dirt ringed by spindly cedars, she killed the engine and shut off the interior lights. Forest dusk fell over the inside of the van, though above them the sun still shone. She turned back to Cal, fully intending to ask him those questions she’d promised earlier, and found that he was asleep.

“Damn it,” she whispered, deciding then and there that she wasn’t going to try and wake him, but that she would still be annoyed about it.

With the water from the canteen under her seat, and using the previous day’s shirt as a cloth, she cleaned the blood from his face as best she could. He shifted and winced occasionally, and she mirrored each grimace while only half aware that she was doing so. The cut on his forehead was red and angry, and the one on the bridge of his nose was just as nasty and only slightly smaller. She could feel the heat from the red, swollen skin around them; the bruise hadn’t formed yet, but by tomorrow it would be ugly as hell.

If only it was winter...

Well, they were camping out here now, and she wouldn’t get her answers until later, and that was that. She locked both front doors, and on her way back from checking the hatch, she gathered up the faded blanket from the bed and draped it over Cal’s sleeping form. It, like the rest of the inside of the van, seemed so small compared to him; it was like her entire sense of scale had been upset, her familiar world shifted to accommodate someone who didn’t quite fit.

She sighed and leaned forward, trying to adjust it to at least cover both his shoulders.

Then she froze.

How had she missed it before? One short sleeve had rolled up, just a tad, just enough for her to recognize the mark beneath instantly. Still, she pushed it up the rest of the way, unable to resist the temptation to see the rest of it.

Time had faded the black ink somewhat, but the tattoo was still unmistakeable. A compass rose, contained within a circle, with the southern line stylized to resemble a two-lane road stretching away to the vanishing point. The Courier’s Guild mark, and a perfect twin to the one on her right shoulder.

I knew you were like me, she thought, smiling briefly before the memories came flooding in.

[artificialqueens]

Cause Somewhere in the Crowd (There's You) (Diamond Chaney) - Plegdoctor

A/N: Not much to say for this one really, just a short Diamond Chaney girlband au based off Super Trouper by ABBA. Enjoy!

--

The other girls were more excited than she was, unpacking the van and chatting animatedly while all Lawrence could do was stare around. The building in front of her was imposing in more ways than one – physically huge, towering over her and casting a shadow on the otherwise sunny day, but also mentally imposing. Lawrence can still remember walking into it when she was a small girl in primary school, brown hair in neat plaits and eyes as wide as saucers as she hung onto her best friend’s hand and gaped.

Now she’s standing in front of it, brown hair dyed a vibrant purple and thrown into a ponytail at the top of her head, her eyes wide as saucers, and her hand empty.

It had all gone a bit too far really, starting with Bimini slamming their fists on the table in year 12 and excitedly suggesting they start a girlband (“Well, three girls and me innit”) and Lawrence can’t trace her finger along what happened next to lead her to standing in Glasgow, a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realises what she’s doing there.

“You alright babe?” Lawrence turns to look down on Bimini, standing next to her with a concerned frown on their face. “Excited to be back in your hometown?”

Lawrence forces a laugh, a fake smile slipping onto her face in an action that more natural than she would care to admit. “Loving it Bim.”

Bimini grins. “Good. Just think, it’ll be like facing 20,000 of your friends.”

Lawrence’s snort is genuine at Bimini’s words, her eyes rolling fondly at the never-ending optimism of her tiny friend. “I don’t think there’s quite that many seats, babes.”

Self-proclaimed monarch of the PMA, Bimini simply shrugs and pivots to run towards Tayce who is three seconds away from dropping the crate full of water on her foot. Lawrence watches the scenes with a hint of amusement, the weighted feeling in her stomach settling. Her mind goes back to Bimini’s words, the thought of facing 20,000 of your friends. There’s only one friend that Lawrence wants to face when she’s on stage tonight – and that friend is currently on the other side of Scotland in her hairdressing salon.

The thought weighs on her mind until it’s pressing against her cranium and cracking her skull by the time she’s thrown herself across the hotel bed and sighed for approximately the 50 millionth time.

Lawrence loves what she does. She does. She loves her friends, Bimini, Tayce, and A’whora. She loves the process of writing new songs, long hours locked in the studio throwing harmonies and lyrics around until it just sounds like pure gibberish. She (secretly) loves learning the choreography that Tayce insists they must do, repeating the wee steps until her body finally moves in the right way and Tayce enthusiastically high fives her. She loves getting into costume and makeup, the process transforming her from Lawrence Chaney who got picked on in school into international popstar Lawrence Chaney who regularly performs on the biggest stages all around the world with her girlband.

They’ve worked hard for what they have too. Lawrence likes to tell people that becoming a household name is no overnight feat. From the day that Bimini first suggested it, to the joyful tears rolling down their faces as they came second on the X Factor, to their first single blowing up. They’ve worked hard every step of the way and been rewarded for it.

So why does Lawrence feel so ready to give it up? Part of the success that never ends is continuing to work, but for the past two months Lawrence has done nothing but eat, sleep, and sing. Her throat is raw and at moments she thinks she’s going crazy.

Her eyes catch her phone, dressed up in the delightfully tacky pink phone case that was a gift from Ellie for her last birthday. She picks it up and the screen flickers to life, displaying a picture of two girls with their heads close together and identical smiles.

Lawrence hasn’t spoken to her in far too long. Recently the whirlwind of life has swept her up to much for her to even think straight let alone have a conversation with a human being who is not also obsessively repeating lyrics under their breath.

“Hey.”

It’s a lonely word.

“Hey. It’s good to hear from you.”

Then Lawrence hears that voice, that accent that is so soft in her ear, and she could cry.

“I didn’t disturb you did I?”

“No hen, it’s fine, I only jumped so much at the ringing of my phone that I shaved some wee granny’s curls off but I’m sure she’ll forgive me.”

Ellie’s bored and matter of fact tone makes Lawrence burst out a laugh. “Poor Doreen, she’s really got to stop trusting you with those clippers.”

She can only imagine the way the corner’s of Ellie’s mouth might turn up at her teasing. “How is the salon anyway?”

“It’s in good hands. But babe, forget the salon, how’s your tour going?”

Even Ellie, the girl who knows her better than anyone else in the world, is excited for Lawrence and that only breaks her heart more. She grins ruefully, despite the knowledge that Ellie can’t see her.

“Honestly? I’ve been wishing that every show was the last show.”

Ellie’s little high-pitched noise of protest comes from her throat, her mouth undoubtedly in a little O shape with her eyebrows sliding upwards. “But you’ve only just got to Glasgow! You wouldn’t want to miss that!”

“Do you remember that trip to the theatre in primary school?”

A beat of silence at the other end of the line. “Of course I do. The one where I almost threw up on the bus because you fed me too many sweets?”

Lawrence chuckles. “Aye. Love how that’s the thing you remember about it.”

Miles away, Ellie shrugs cheekily. “I never forget friend abuse.”

“You’re such a wee cow, you know that right?”

“All part of my charm.”

“Anyway, being here is just making me realise how much I miss home. Tour is great Els, but I miss everything. I miss you.”

Ellie laughs. Lawrence shoots up in the hotel bed in outrage. “I just poured my heart out to you and you laugh at me?”

“First of all, not sure saying you miss me is pouring your heart out.”

She’s glad she chose to do this alone in the room and not anywhere near the other girls. She can’t begin to imagine the way that A’whora would pounce on her flushed face.

“Second of all, I wasn’t going to tell you this but I have a surprise for you. Listen.”

Ellie switches the phone to speakerphone and holds it away from her ear. In contrast, Lawrence presses her ear against the screen harder, knuckles white as she grips the pink case.

At first she can’t hear anything, just the faint murmuring of people talking in the background. She strains to listen for the sounds of hairdryers and flowing water. None of that comes and Lawrence lets out a huff of frustration.

“Ellie, explain to me exactly what the fuck I’m meant to be listening for?”

This train will depart at Glasgow.

Lawrence’s mouth dries completely.

“You’re coming to Glasgow?”

“No, just got on the train there for a bit of fun, I’m going straight back. Might not even get off the train it’s so comfy.”

“Get to fuck Els, I’m meant to be the funny one in this relationship.” Her mouth might be dry but her eyes aren’t, small jewels of tears welling up and threatening to spill over with every shaking word.

“I’m taking that title for now. I just need you to be the famous one in this relationship. You can do that, can’t you?”

“Ellie, for you I would do this entire tour all over again.”

Closer to her than she realises, Ellie smiles. “Good. See you on stage.”

“I’ll be thinking about you only.”

The call ends with a smile on Lawrence’s lips and a single tear sliding down her cheek. Suddenly she feels alright. And it’s gonna be so different when she’s on the stage tonight.

--

“Alright slags! Lawrence’s hometown so we’re gonna rock it just as hard as we always do. Hands in and United Kingdolls on three! One, two, three, United Kingdolls!” All four of them cheer, hoisting their hands in the air.

Their little preshow chanting may seem silly to other people but they’ve always done it. Even when it was only them singing covers with Ellie doing their hair and makeup, and A’whora ripping through charity shops to find decent costumes. It feels only fitting that they still do it now when they’re singing their own songs in professionally made costumes and makeup done by a professional artist.

Lawrence still keeps the style of her hair the same though. It’s changed colours a few times over the years, but it’s always in the same curls that Ellie brushed through minutes before the sixth form talent show.

Lawrence inhales as the music starts. The beat is steady and familiar, but tonight it feels so much more electric. She knows that the minute she’s on that stage she’s going to get blinded by that one beam of stage light that always finds it’s way to her eye, but she won’t feel blue like she always does.

When she gets on stage her eyes roam the massive crowd until she sees, in the very middle of a group of screaming girls, a head of baby pink hair. The sight of her proves to Lawrence that she’s still alive, and Lawrence uses that spark of energy to throw everything into her performance. She hits every note perfectly, her body moving in perfect harmony to the choreography that she usually fucks up at least once.

There’s a massive smile on her painted lips and she hopes that Ellie can read the smile, know that because of her, Lawrence is having fun on stage for the first time in months. There’s four of them in the band, but tonight Lawrence feels like a number one. The lights do not blind her but find her instead, shining like the sun.

They finish the first song with a flourish and Lawrence ignores the hundreds of screams to find Ellie’s. They still have the rest of the show, but Lawrence knows that they’re going to get through it and give Glasgow the best concert they’ve seen in years. Then she can stumble off stage and go from popstar Lawrence to Ellie’s Lawrence, falling into her arms and holding her tight. It’s gonna mean so much more tonight.

Because, somewhere in the crowd, there’s Ellie.