#Welp here you go jake :)!

[official-mr-knight]

Well since jake really liked to smoke a bit, i wanted to bought him this

A bit.. Too much, innit? But still 🤍

[theblueflower05]

Just a Little Taste

A/N: Welp. Somehow my breeding/breastfeeding kinks manifested themselves into a story. I wrote this sky high on painkillers and I am a little in love with the whole premise. @tiredmamaissy -I hope more than anything that you enjoy this. You deserve all of the goodness on this site. Your Masterlist is my personal spank bank lol

Word Count: 3k+

Warnings: This story is Filthy. Smut with very little plot. Breastfeeding. Pussy Eating. Slight mommy kink if you squint. Very pregnant reader getting pleasured, because pregnant beings can still be sexual. Aged up!Neteyam

You are responsible for cultivating your own online experience, please do not interact if any of these tags are triggering to you. Minors DNI.

Summary: You’re eight months pregnant with Neteyams child, and after a long day, you both need a little relief. Neteyam x Human! Reader

"Sugar, Honey, Iced Tea

Bumble-bee on the scene.

Yeah, I'd give up my bakery to have a piece of your pie"

- See You Again, Tyler the Creator ft Kali Uchis

Life in the village is always busy. Constantly bustling with life and movement as everyone; human scientist, Avatar and Na’vi alike, rush to keep things afloat.

High Camp is so different then Home Tree had been, the rage of war adding a constant edge to long days and restless nights. You miss the comfort of a slow life, of hazy days down in the jungle. The jagged cliffs of the Hallelujah Mountains still don’t quite feel like home to you.

Still, you go about your daily duties.

Being a Pandoran raised human had always given you a different insight, the two massively different cultures you we’re brought up in clashing and mending to create a skill set that was like no other- it had taken many years of painful trial and error to find your place within the Omiticaya, but healing had always come naturally.

Both holistic and surgical alike. You’d spent years shadowing Mo’at and learning the ancient herbal ways of the people, while well as taking advantage of the many PHD toting scientist back at Hell’s Gate. Medicine had no boundaries, was a way for you to feel close to both sides of yourself. To broach the gap between human and clansman.

You find your skills being needed more than ever. The ever constant raids against the RDA means your hands are rarely idle, forever in movement as you tend to the wounded. Some days you sit in the big Healers Tent with Mo’at and the other Taskarem, and others you’re in the makeshift Medi Bay, which is really more of an Avatar Pod Trailer turned OR, with the handful of human surgeons.

The long hours spent on your feet leave you sore and exhausted, but you have to pull your weight.

Even if said weight is far heavier than usual as of late-

“Y/N” you’re broken out of your thoughts by Max- as he enters the trailer with a holo-tab in hand and a concerned look in his dark eyes “What are you still doing here?”

“I was just finishing up inventory- our antibiotic stock is back way up. Jake was right, those helicopter raids were more than worth it” you’d sorted out the tiny vials of vital medicine by hand, not wanting any to be misplaced or mislabeled.

“You don't think maybe you should head home?” He continues and you sigh.

You miss your tent, and the soft bed of furs that lay inside the secure warm flaps. And the man that waits for you inside of the patchwork leather walls-

“I’m fine” you assure. And really, you are.

It's a fact you have to keep reminding people of.

Yes, you’re as big as a Strumbeast, but you are no less competent. No less able bodied.

Pregnancy is one of the most natural parts of life, a base staple in all’s existence. There are plenty of pregnant Omiticaya women who were expected to play their roles, even as the battle raged outside the safety of the mountain cave system.

It was the nature of your pregnancy that was more…fragile then average. Inside your womb grew a child that would be the first of it’s kind. A scientific mystery: no one had even known it was possible for Na’vi and humans to procreate.

And yet all of the evidence now lies under your shirt. Your stomach round and pronounced, full of growing life.

Full of the love between you and the Olo’eyktan’s eldest son.

Neteyam had left his permanent mark on you. Had part of himself growing inside of you. The thoughts we’re enough to make your knees buckle if you focused on them too hard.

“You’ve been here since 6am, you really should get some rest. Take one of the empty bunks if you want. Have you checked your blood pressure-”

You’re a grown woman. You’re not going to huff and puff and roll your eyes, but fuck, do you want to.

Everyone was so overbearing lately.

Norm and Max we’re constantly breathing down your neck; “The baby has a different growth rate then a human child, we need to monitor the way that your body is responding” Followed closely by Jake who watches you with sharp eagle like eyes and Neytiri, who used to all but ignore your presence, constantly checking in on you throughout the day. Mo’at’s always poking and prodigy, and Kiri almost always has her hands on you in some way shape or form.

You are glad for the support, happy that this baby would be so loved.

But really, you missed being treated like the competent, independent woman you knew you we’re.

“My blood pressure is fine. I thought since we ruled out preeclampsia we weren’t going to worry about it anymore” you know that it’s not going to silence his worry, but still. You can try.

Max goes on one of his science mambo jumbo spiels, and by the end of it you’re waddling out of the lab and back to your hut, annoyed as shit but placating your pseudo father figure all the same. Only a month and a half mor of this and then things could go back to normal.

Everything had just…changed so quickly.

You 're a caretaker by nature. Caring for others is easy, feels right. You’d tucked the much older scientists into bed when you we’re just a pre-teen. Made dinners. Looked out for Spider and the other Sully’s-

And the role reversal still didn't quite sit right with you. Your control freak ways didn't do well with not being the one in charge- you’d been stripped of your title so to speak. You we’re supposed to relax into your new role, enjoy being doted over before the nine month’s we’re over.

You and Neteyam’s shared tent is in the centered in the cave, close to his families, but standing on its own. As private as anyone could get in the busy, close quartered camp. The walls of the hut are familiar, adorned with your combined belongings. Cozy and familiar.

You shimmy free of your confining bra, step out of your cargo pants, then toe off your boots, releasing your swollen sock covered feet with a groan before collapsing into your well loved bed, the soft blankets and familiar scent of your mate lulling you into a deep state of peace.

It’s kind of wild how quickly you can fall asleep these days. Growing a little person from scratch tends to burn a lot of energy and the moment you relax, you’re out like a light.

You don't wake up, even when the horns are sounded for the return of the War Party.

Not when Neteyam makes his way through the camp and enters the tent. He’s wearty, grime covered and hunched over. He only softens when he sees you, tucked safely, into his bed. Your eyes still closed and face still scrunched up as he strips out of his battle band and shin covers. He’s quiet, washing off with the large freshwater basin in the corner before making his way over to his much-missed bed mat.

It isn't until he's crawled under the blankets and wiggled his way as close to you as possible that you begin to stir. His large cat like snout nuzzles into the vulnerable crevice of your neck, chuffing hot breaths against the smooth skin.

You’re not upset at him for waking you up, a drowsy half alert smile stretches over your lips as your hands run up his strong back. Gently working the tense muscles.

He gets so greedy when he comes back from the War runs. He needs to be comforted, to be held and you are all too willing to comply.

Everyone else infantiles you now, and yeah, Neteyam could get a little intense and overprotective, but your relationship had always worked because you were the one person in all of Pandora that babied the future chief.

He was such a sweet man, with so much responsibility on his plate. You loved nothing more than holding him in your arms. Letting him release any and all tension because you had him. You, a tiny soft skinned human, were the barrier between him and the ruthless world.

You’d be such a great mother to his children. His hind brain purrs at the thought. That even through all of the controversy, he knows he’d chosen the right mate. Little and fierce, he hopes the baby is just like you.

“Are you okay?” You ask, tone hushed in the darkness of the tent. The only light coming from the small dying embers of the firepit in the center of the space. Hypnotic shadows dance along the canvas walls and Neteyam's breathing grows shallow as he sinks into it.

The way you smell. The way your heart beats, strong against his cheek. The way your plump body feels so good under his wandering hands. He hadn't been okay, just moments ago. He was delirious, so sick of the fighting that he felt ill with it.

But how could any of those bad feelings exist when he had you waiting for him? Ready to welcome him into your body, your heart, your mind. He doesn't think he could survive without knowing the solace of your love.

“I’m okay, narlor(beauty). Just missed you” he mutters, still trying to dig his face deeper into your skin. He wants to escape inside of you, you chuckle at his futile attempts to mend you both into one entity. His large palms rest against your bloated belly, tenderly and your heart flutters “Missed you both so much”

Being so loved is overwhelming.

You wouldn't have it any other way.

“I missed you, my sweet baby. I missed you all day” you assure him with the words you know he needs to hear. “Our son here thought it would be fun to jump on his sa’nok’s bladder all day. It was like was playing the wokau(pendulum drum) all day long- I spent hours in running back and forth to the bathroom”

Neteyam's laugh is deep and rich. Thoroughly pleased to listen to your stories of your day, eager to hear every minute detail. Desperate to drown out visions of blood and gun smoke with your voice.

“Ah, you have to be nice to your momma, little one” he chastises the bump, raising your shirt over your head, wanting that flimsy barrier gone. His lips trail over the tight skin of your bulging belly as he speaks to his child.

Your son, still safe inside your soft body, knows his fathers voice already. Recognizes that slightly accented cadence, and squirms inside of you happily.

Neteyam usually speaks strictly in Na’vi to your unborn child-

“He needs to know the language of our people, first and foremost”

-he’ll spend hours whispering his mother tongue into your flesh. It always leaves you boneless and shaking. Feeling so special and cared for. Na’vi, though your second language, is familiar to you. You’re fluent in the language- but fuck. The way your mate speaks it is the most beautiful thing. It’s musical, he tells sprawling stories with his colorful words.

There is one English he’s very fond of though. Every time it leaves his plush mouth it makes you grin, sharp. Knowingly.

“Are you gonna be nice to momma, Neteyam?” you question him after a while. His ears quirk, swiveling on his head and his tale flicks once, in obvious excitement.

You know what he’s wanted, ever since he woke you up by nuzzling at your chest. Ever since he peeled off your top and left your heavy breasts bare. Did he think you missed the way his golden gaze would flick to them, eyeing them hungrily.

He needs this as much as you do, but as usual, your sweet boy is too selfless to ask. Won't trouble you with his wants unless you bring it up first.

You reach for his big hand that rests on your belly, and drag it to where you need him. His palm enveloping your tits, the rough callus’s catching on your sensitive nipple just right-

Your pregnancy had been different than regular humanoid pregnancies. Your body worked hard, thrown into overdrive in an attempt to keep up with the fast growing fetus in your womb. You’d started lactating months ago, far earlier then normal. Your breasts firm, full with milk. Ready to feed the child that had not yet come into the world.

At first it had been both painful and embarrassing. You had no child to drink what you were producing and the other breastfeeding women in the tribe we’re hesitant to feed their babies your tawtute(human) milk. Already over emotional due to the hormone change, you’d wept at the fact that you had no one to give what your body readily made.

The fact that you couldn't be a bigger part of your community due to your human heritage, combined with the intense pain that came from having backed up ducts had been too much,

Eventually you’d turned to Neteyam, both your eyes and shirt soaking wet. Begged him to help you. And of course, as always, he did.

It should be awkward, or shameful- but connecting with him on any level is something you cherish. Why would this be any different?

“I’m always nice to you, aren't I, love?” Neteyam gruffs as he gently works at the breast in his hands. Its firm and full of milk, his mouth waters “Do they hurt again?”

“Mhmm” you whine pathetically, and you’re not lying. The skin of your chest is now marred by stretch marks and you’d had to stuff precious, hard to come by toilet paper down your bra all day to keep them from spilling over “They’re so full, Nete”

“Oh” He hums, thumbing at your nipple “Poor momma, I’ll help you. Don't worry” his lips are wet against your skin as he kisses his way to your breast, his tongue peeking out to circle your puffy nipple. A pearlescent drop of milk tops the rosy bud and he groans as it hits his taste buds.

He tells you that you taste good, often. The juices of your pussy, your spit soaked kisses. He’s always been greedy for it, his tongue bullying its way into your holes, desperate for your essence. Your milk is just as delicious as the rest of you.

It quickly goes from kitten licking, wide wet stripes against your pebbled nipple to sucking your big breast as far into his mouth as he could. Careful of his fangs as he gorges himself on your flesh.

He’s loudly appreciative as he suckles on your nipple. Grunting and humming and moaning at the flavor. Your arms come around him, cradling his head to your bosom because it feels so good. Having him this close, knowing that he'd do anything to take care of you. That he truly loved the way you tasted-

Many people thought you and Neteyam would never last. It was lust, they’d claim. Curiosity. A childhood friendship that would fizzle out eventually. Na’vi needed Tsaheylu, it was the lifeblood of all their relationships. Why would the much desired future Olo’eyktan stay with you if he couldn't even properly bond you?

While you couldn't deny that there we’re doubt filled moments that you yourself wondered why he’d chosen you and stayed so loyal to you…you still felt your own form of connection to him. While you’d love to make that sacred bond with him, you didn't feel any less close to your mate.

You never thought that you could be so intertwined with another being.

As Neteyam takes his fill from your breast, you massage the base of his Kuru, firm enough that it makes him hiss. You have no special braid of your own, but he’s always been very free with his when it comes to you.

You can do with as you please. Stroke it. Lick it. Massage it. Hell, he’d even let you touch glowing pink tendrils at the end of it before. Let you feel his exposed nerves, so vulnerable and raw in your hands that he had shed tears as you explored.

Nothing was taboo in your relationship. There was no space undiscovered between you.

Your bodies we’re so very different, and yet you knew his like the back of your hand. All of the strong muscles and hard sinew. The cobalt expanse of his skin didn't have one blemish that you haven't memorized. You could point out his striped pattern in a sea of other Na’vi.

And he knows you right back.

Loves to dig his fingers into your doughy hips, into your pillowy thighs. Your wide ass and ample chest. He loves your form, goes crazy for all of your alien curves. He never cared for your human modesty, he’d wanted to part your ass cheeks and stare at plump of your pussy for as long as he could remember. Wanted to strip you of all of those clothes and just stare.

The fact that he gets to do just that, for the rest of your lives, is his favorite, favorite thing.

You watch him eagerly as he slowly nurses. You can't get enough of the sight of him, his hollowed cheeks, the bob of his throat as he swallows your free flowing milk. He's so strong, his muscles flex in the dim light. All of that strength, and yet he’s so very gentle with you, his rough tongue laving at your sore buds every couple minutes. Soothing and tickling you all the same.

You giggle at a particularly quick swipe, letting out a small squeal as Neteyam’s tongue plays with the flesh in his mouth. His eyes peek open, glittering with mirth and low boiling heat as he meets your gaze. Whin his lips split into a smile, a dribble of translucent white milk escapes. Trickles down from the corners of his lips.

Heat pulses between your legs and you know he can smell how aroused you are.

Neteyam has always been able to turn you on without even trying. A well spoken word, or even a pointed look could get you running your thighs together. All desperate to get him alone and put your hands all over him.

You hate that you cant kiss him the way you want to, your Exo Mask, while necessary to your survival can be suck a fucking menace sometimes.

Your thumb traces his lips, the ones you want pressed against your own so bad. You rub the spilled milk from his chin. Cleaning him up in a way that's so simple, and so beyond erotic.

He breaks eye contact first, like he just can't look at you anymore. His brows all scrunched up, his chest raising and falling rapidly. He releases your sloppy nipple, completely covered in his saliva, and presses his face against the damp skin. Making a sound of distress.

Your fingernails skritch at his scalp, tangled in his many braids “What is it, baby?”

“I wanna fuck you so bad. Eywa, do you even smell yourself, Y/N? So good. I have to-”

“Yeah, yeah, okay” You nod, agreeing blindly. He can have whatever he wants.

“Fuck you hard, though. Gotta pound you. I know I shouldn't but it’ll be alright, huh? Won't hurt the baby?” his face is still buried in your skin, you cant even see his expression as he pleads for your pussy. It makes you so hot.

You push at his chest, needing him to get off of you for just a moment. He’s heavy as shit, a dead weight- doesn't really move until you're pouting and demanding for him to just give you a little space.

Enough that you can wiggle out of your panties and spread your thighs wide for him. Your swollen, sticky pussy on display for your mate.

His nostrils flare, and his thin tail whips wildly behind him.

When he swings your thick thighs up onto his broad shoulders, you let out a low, appreciative moan.

“Such a good boy for momma” you praise him the way the people praise the Great Mother. The cradle of your thighs a sanctuary where you both come to worship.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Welp, I should be finishing up Part Three of First Love/Late Spring or plotting out future installments of The Sweetest Sylaung, but here I am writing nursing filth. Lol I truly have zero regrets, this story was so very self fulfilling(even though it partially came from a request). I hope you guys enjoyed though

As mentioned many times before, requests are currently open. Please send in all that good shit. I could use a good distraction from real life!

[onlyjjong]

엔하이픈 --- EMAILS I NEVER MEANT TO SEND (TEASER)

　　 박성훈　 x　 fem!reader　x 　심재윤 　　┊　　a very late and long birthday gift for jennifer!! :>

GENERE　┊ 　!oneshot, !nonidol , !fluff , !hints of angst , !high school, !childhood best friends to lovers , !best friend's brother , !love triangle , !hockey player sunghoon , !basketball player jake , !academic weapon reader

DISCLAIMER 　┊ 　depictions may be inaccurate , contains swear words, y/n is lee heeseung's sister , mentions of ocs and random characters here and there.

⟡ 📩 𑁋 TAGGING : @a-dream-bookmark , @enchive , @en-log , @/k-labels , @k-nets , @k-films

Being a teenager is hard. Life, at this particular point, is filled with numerous issues—fitting in, studies, achieving a high GPA, feelings, and complicated emotions. 

For Y/N, her life revolved around studies and one particular person—her childhood best friend turned lifelong crush, Park Sunghoon. She gave up shrugging it off, and decided to embrace her ever growing feelings for her best friend. Yet, she has to endure the heart fluttering moments and consistently flushed cheeks upon encountering him alone, as she believes her feelings would never be reciprocated. 

Senior year approaches, and Y/N’s feelings get better of her self-control—she can’t hold it in anymore. Though, instead of confronting her childhood best friend, she decides to send emails to him, addressed to his unused email address. Knowing perfectly that her feelings would be safe there, she spills every single thing to him, expressing things she could never say to him face-to-face. 

On the other hand, Sunghoon’s questioning himself. It’s bugging him every single day—why did school days spent with Y/N feel a little more fulfilling than it did before? Why did she seem more prettier with every passing moment? Why did he feel challenged when someone else, namely Sim Jake, enters the picture with intentions of charming Y/N?

Dear Sunghoon,

I’m sorry. I’m sorry if this will clog up your inbox, but I heard from Jay that you don’t really use this email address anymore. So I’m going to send everything here. 

Dear Sunghoon, 

Two days left until Valentine’s day. Remind me why I’m eagerly hoping for someone to ask me out—though not just any ‘someone’. 

I want that someone to be you. 

Welp, getting straightforward here, aren’t I?

I’m sorry, Hoon.

Dear Park Sunghoon,

It’s Wednesday now. Um, yeah, I know I shouldn’t be sleeping this late, but I just finished watching 20th Century Girl, and I took, like, 15 minutes to calm myself down from all the tears, hehe. 

Are you… going to ask me to go to homecoming with you? 

It’s getting more and more hopeless as every minute passes by. In 7 hours, I’m going to go to class and say yes to Jaeyun, you know? 

I hate it. I hate how I’m hoping you would stop me from saying yes to Jaeyun. I hate how I’m desperately wishing you’re preparing something to ask me to homecoming. 

You know, what? Forget it. I’m going with Jaeyun.

― © onlyjjong, 2024.

⟡ 📬 𑁋 𝓛𝐈𝐋𝐈's PERMANENT TAGLIST! (OPEN) : send an ask to be added! @flwrstqr , @junislqve , @tzyunaes

[semiweirdshipper]

Killer reactions to a legally blind reader who had their glasses stolen from them during a trial. (Part one).

Notes: non-binary reader. Warnings for minor, non-graphic violence and injuries.

...

Frank

He found your glasses by an unfinished generator and picked them up. Why were these here? Didn't you need them?

"David? David, give them back. This isn't funny." He heard you say from a distance.

Frank followed the direction of your panicked calls and soon found you stumbling along the trees, your arms out and eyes harshly squinted. Those imbecile team mates of yours must have stolen your glasses. Welp....

Time to give them back.

"Missing something?" He said teasingly, stopping behind you.

You gasped and whipped around, squinting your eyes and asking anxiously, "Who-whose there?"

"Oh, you know, just the delivery boy," Frank walked forward, grabbed your hand and swiftly placed the glasses inside. Then he stepped back and watched as you quickly struggled to put them on, your body going rigid when your eyes adjusted and you saw exactly who it was that returned your glasses to you.

Behind his mask, Frank smirked, amused by the expression of utter disbelief, shock and fear on your adorable face. You were frozen, unable to move as you stared at him as if waiting for something to happen.

He took a few steps closer to you causing you to flinch and whimper in fear. "Shouldn't I get a 'thank you'?" He asked, tilting his head expectantly.

You nodded quickly, saying in a mixture of fear and gratitude, "Th-thank you... very much."

Hmp. Man, you were cute. Frank lifted his hand out, grabbed an edge of your glasses and gently adjusted them. "You're welcome," He said pleasantly, brushing your cheek with a knuckle before turning away to resume the trial.

Caleb

He saw your glasses fall from Meg's hand when he shot her, and he picked them up a few seconds later wondering why she had them in the first place. If he heard correctly, you couldn't see anything without them. So why did Meg have them?

Caleb found out the answer when he saw you struggling to work on a generator. When you heard his footsteps, you anxiously stood up and asked, "Meg? I-is that you? Please, give me my glasses back, I need them."

"Oh, thems 'yir' glasses I got 'ere?" Caleb couldn't help but to tease.

He watched with a chuckle as recognition and then horror bloomed across your face, and you gasped brokenly, turning away to try and feel for an escape. But you were boxed in by the generator, the pillar, and him.

With no other alternative, you hunched in on yourself, shaking in fear while awaiting whatever horrid torment he had in mind for you. "Well hey now, don't go gettin' all scared on me," Caleb set his gun down and stepped closer to you, "Ya want yir second eyes back?"

You whimpered, nodding nervously, "Y-yes... Please?"

"Hold still then," Caleb examined the glasses before going to gently slide them back onto your face. He stayed standing in front of you, eager to see your reaction, "There. That better for ya, sugar?"

He watched as you touched the glasses as if they were a foreign object, your lashes fluttering as you look at him with awe and disbelief. "Thank you," You whispered so softly he barely heard you.

Caleb snickered playfully, leaning closer and mumbling lowly, "This mean I get a reward?"

Bubba

He saw you bumping into walls right after Jake took off sprinting in the opposite direction, and he muttered in suspicion while making his way towards you. At the sound of his chainsaw, you cried in panic and attempted to get away only to trip and fall down.

Bubba squealed in concern, immediately setting aside his chainsaw and hammer so that he could kneel down and help you back up. He chirped in confusion when he saw the lack of glasses on your face, your squinting eyes outlining your dilemma.

"Just kill me," You whined hopelessly, "Th-they took my glasses. I can't see... Just kill me, please."

They stole your glasses? What monsters! Bubba squealed loudly in remorse, his hands patting your back and shoulders as he guided you to sit against the wall. Muttering lowly, he caressed your head and patted your shoulder as a silent command to stay put.

Grabbing his chainsaw and hammer, Bubba took off in search for your glasses. He was angry, and it didn't take him long to kill people whenever he was angry. Within fifteen minutes he had slaughtered the other three survivors, retrieved your glasses, and returned to your side.

Bending down, Bubba carefully placed your glasses back on your face, grinning big in endearment. You were so precious! What Jake did was mean. He squealed, grabbing your hands and helping you up.

"Thank you, Bubba," You say gratefully.

Bubba squealed and hugged you, fondly nuzzling the top of your head. Then he reached down, intersected your hands and began guiding you down the hall. Let's go find you the hatch!

Jeffrey

He witnessed your glasses fall from Nea's hand when he threw her on the hook, and he picked them up with a raised brow. "Ya steal these from (y/n)?" He asked in a dangerous tone.

Nea's answer didn't satisfy him, and let's just say she ended up eviscerated. Afterwards, Jeffrey spent a lot of time hunting you down, cursing when he couldn't find you.

Eventually, he did catch you hiding in a locker. When he wrenched the doors open, he took in the sad sight of you crying in fear and misery, your hands covering your face. "This ain't no way to greet ol' Jeffrey, is it?" He asked, licking his lips.

The way you sniffled and cried harder made him grunt in dissatisfaction. "Here," He nudged your glasses against your arm, "Put them on. Ya ain't no fun when ya can't see."

"Huh?" You blinked in shock, blindly grabbing your glasses and staring at him breathlessly, "You... You're?"

"Waitin' for some appreciation? Yeah, I think I am," Jeffrey huffed, standing back and watching as you slid your glasses on, looking at him shyly. God, you were delectable.

"Thank you," You nodded in visual appreciation, albeit still terrified, "I... I'm sorry they did that..."

"Ain't no reason apologizin' to me," Jeffrey coughed and allowed you enough room to exit the locker. "Besides... Who'd I be not to help my favorite little snack?"

You gasped when Jeffrey grabbed your hand and lifted it to his mouth, a shudder vibrating through you as he slid his lips across his favorite finger of yours. You blushed heavily, rushing away flustered when he let you go.

Herman

He saw you struggling to seal the wound on your shoulder and soon noticed that you didn't have your glasses. Rumor had it that you were legally blind, and every other time he encountered you, you always had your glasses.

Unleashing his mouth guards, Herman walked closer to you and asked gently, "Miss/Mr. (y/n), where are your glasses?"

"O-ow," You whimpered in pain after messing up patching your shoulder, your body shaking as you braced for an attack, "They were stolen."

"By who?" Herman stopped in front of you, setting down his weapon.

"Yui," You answer sadly.

"Here. May I help you?" Herman kneeled down, skillfully ignoring the Entity as he helped wrap your wounded shoulder. "I apologize for her misbehavior. Should I find your glasses, I will return them to you."

"Wh... Why?" You whispered, squinting your worthless eyes at him, "Why are you helping me?"

Herman didn't answer until he was done bandaging your wound, his eyes glowing pink as he gazed upon you, "What kind of man would I consider myself to be to take advantage of you in such a way?"

As your eyes went wide at his words, Herman stood, grabbed his weapon and briefly promised to return if he was successful in finding your glasses.

After about ten minutes when you were on a generator, Herman handed you your glasses and nodded at your thankful gesture before taking off in a different direction leaving you smiling warmly at his kindness.

Michael

He was in the distance stalking whenever he witnessed Feng steal your glasses and run off leaving you searching helplessly for anchorage. That no good traitor. She made the wrong decision treating you this way.

Leaving you be, Michael hunted down Feng and killed her. Once he realized that she didn't have your glasses, he went and killed the other two survivors but to no avail. Apparently none of them had your glasses.

On his way through the fields searching for you, Michael spotted your glasses broken and shattered on the ground. Guess he wouldn't be returning them after all.

Pinpointing your confused location, Michael marched up to you and peered down at your flinching, helpless figure. As soon as you realized that he wasn't going to harm you, you timidly asked, "Michael?"

Upon confirmation, Michael reached down and grabbed your wrist in a gentle but firm grip. You gasped and tensed up, but otherwise did not fight. "Wh-what's going on?" You whimpered, stumbling in whatever direction he led you.

Michael, unable to respond, simply continued to guide you to the hatch. Those insolent team mates of yours sure were quite the unreliable losers. He had fun killing them. It was a shame that you couldn't see. You might have liked the revenge he conjured for you.

Reaching the hatch, Michael let you go, smirking behind his mask when you grabbed his sleeve and bashfully said, "Thank you... Thank you so much."

[jaketsparrow]

TENDING Part 6.1

Tending Part 6.1!

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x Josh Kiszka x f! Reader

Word Count: 6.3K

A/N: Welp it’s been months since I’ve updated this bad boy and I do apologize profusely. I finally feel like I’ve had my creative spark back :) I hope you can all forgive me that its 1. Late 2. Only half of a part. This is going to be a backstory chapter with some drama mixed in! The next chapter will most likely be the last… Also, I PROMISE I will be better updating from now on! 

MINORS DNI

MENTIONS OF/ TW: Angst, mentions of vomit, swearing, lots of emotional/break up/ manipulation talks, lots and lots of drama and yelling, unfortunately, no smut this time around friends, please forgive me :)

Masterpost

The echoes of the rowdy women finally start to calm down. No more ‘how's my makeup?’, ‘that band was so good’, ‘Let’s get an Uber’. Just the silence of the empty bathroom, except for a steady drip-drop from the faucet. The bar outside was still rambunctious and full of life, but here in this one grimy stall, you were lucky to have a few moments of peace. 

It was one of those ‘worn-in’ bathrooms. Drawings everywhere, phone numbers plastered across the stall doors, posters from previous events hanging askew to the sides of you. You couldn’t really tell if any of the surfaces around you were ‘clean’, but at this point, you didn’t care enough to think of the germs collecting. 

You had your back against the cool textured wall, trying to collect yourself, finding sensations other than anxiety to focus on. You try to gather your surroundings, grounding yourself by running your hands over the words and numbers on either side of you. 

Reality starts to set back in after the panic lowers. You can feel your body temperature dropping, the adrenaline and booze wearing off. Your eyes had finally stopped tearing up and for a brief moment, you had enough strength to asses.

What the actual fuck was going on? 

Why did you feel so torn up about this man? When at every turn he just disappoints you. 

Every chance you’ve given Jake has proven that maybe he wasn’t a person you could fix. You loved a good fixer-upper and you couldn’t stay away. Coming from a broken past yourself made it easy to want to try and help others, to coax others into feeling better, doing better. It was a habit you tried to break often, but always cycled back around. 

Jake wasn’t the right person to give everything to. Every negative thought of him swirled around you, consuming you. The entire Mariella situation came flooding back to you. You fall weak for him every time, your rage turning into the most fucked up but beautiful apologies of lovemaking. Although you can’t romanticize sex with him, it’s quite honestly been pure lust. Craving each other, needing each other’s skin despite everything else falling apart. 

You want him to tell you that you’re his girl… That you’re his good girl. You want to hear those words whispering in your ear, quivering at his slow breaths against your skin. It would make everything better because it just would. His praise is worth a thousand apologies. Wrapping yourself around him and staring deep into his big brown eyes was enough to make you forget everything. Feeling him reach your very limits, pulling you as close to him as you can get…

No.

But, you can’t let yourself be persuaded into a relationship of toxicity for the perfect fuck. 

Well…

You haven’t even considered that there was also the good Jake. Not just the good-in-bed Jake, but the Jake that let you dance with him, despite denying that he could. The soft chuckle that he let escape his lips as you paraded yourselves around his living room. The music that filled the room slowly felt like it had slipped away the longer you noticed your connection growing. It was hard to even remember what was playing because all you could remember was his soft brown eyes looking back at you. 

There was the Jake that did fight for you, multiple times. He stood his ground to a woman who was trying to do everything in her power to keep you two apart. He showed you his most private comfort place, where you both bared your souls to the nature around you. The most intimate and freeing apology of all. There was the version of Jake who quit his job so you could still work… 

God. He was the epitome of an anti-hero. 

The tears returned, streaming in small bursts down your face, never stopping. Your head started to collapse below you, trying to keep the tears from melting away the makeup you spent hours preparing for him. Each drop fell below you, although you could hardly see any of it through your clouded eyes. 

If you weren’t going to end up with this man, he would be for sure the one that got away. He would constantly be on your mind. Ruining you. Climbing through every future memory of intimacy. Asking you ‘Is he better than me sunshine?’ and ‘I bet he can’t make you shake like I can’. Jake would swarm every thought, every decision, every lover.

This night caused more confusing thoughts to enter the mix. Although he showed such kindness to you, it was always in a backward way. 

How could you deal long-term with someone so jealous? Someone who is jealous of you for forming a friendship with his own brother? How could you continue with someone who wasn’t even sure if he wanted to continue with you? Granted that time has passed, but will that thought always be in the back of his mind?

From this point on it felt less like a decision you had to make and more of a decision for him. But he had always picked you, between Mariella, between the job, he always chose you… 

Slam!

“Oh shit.” A male voice echoes into the bathroom, “Is it clear in here?” 

The house was completely dark when you pulled into the driveway. It was the first time Jake even let you drive in his presence; although he had no choice considering the state he was in when you left the bar. He probably could’ve handled the road fine but it was easier for you to get behind the wheel. 

You park the car where he would usually leave his, and sit awkwardly in silence for a moment; gripping onto the steering wheel. Sweat steaming between the leather grips and your palms.

Your heart is pounding. This is a deciding moment, you weren’t sure where the conversation would lead you. You remember your first night together, back at the bar, feeling that same heartbeat flutter. Only this time the feelings you had were not full of new beginnings, but rather worrying about an ending. 

He hadn’t spoken a word since you put him in the passenger seat. He made no admirations to the cute knickknacks you had collected in your car. It was a very tidy car, but over the years you tried to put more of yourself in the car; this thing is yours until you run it in the ground, so why not? Cute little celestial strings hung from the rearview mirror, little statued women sat near your speedometer, just little pieces of you sprinkled in this steel box. You were especially hurt that he didn’t immediately perk up at the CD cases tucked between his seat and the center console; he wasn’t even interested in seeing if you had ‘good music taste’. 

This was awkward, but you had to get out of that bar. There was no way you were going to be able to discuss anything productively with his two brothers and best friend listening in on every word and possibly amplifying the situation further. You had learned your lesson finally. 

“Jake,” You attempt to prod him in a calm and gentle voice, hesitant with your tone. Remaining neutral. 

He doesn’t respond. He starts to fiddle with his belt, holding his head down in a pouting position. His thumbs run past the buckle, swirling in patterns over the metal. He can’t even look at you. It’s the same avoidance all over again. He’s like a child in that respect, he can’t even come to sit at the table for real adult conversations. 

You turn to face him, lifting your leg slightly on the seat, trying to still seem casual and not at all upset, “Jake. I brought you home because we need to keep talking.” 

The silence in the air lingers a bit longer through the tension. You two are both separated from each other entirely. Not only because of this difficult discussion, but because there was literally a part of the car separating you two. 

“I just don’t know what to say to you,” He stops fidgeting and cranes his neck back into the headrest. He’s halfway to a tantrum. You’re pushing him to be vulnerable; that would be a risky move. “Where do I even start?”

“How about you start by telling me the whole story Jake.” 

You jump up, scared of hearing the voice of the opposite sex join you in your echo chamber. “Hello?” You call out, trying not to sound as frightened as you feel. 

“Darling! You didn’t leave!” The voice sounds more familiar now. 

“Josh?” 

You unlock the stall door and peek out to see his familiar curls. He looks concerned, unsure of what he’s even doing in the women’s bathroom.

“Is he in here too?” You ask, scared to fully emerge. 

“No, he won’t move. Stubborn fucker.” 

Once you know it’s safe, you step out of the stall, holding yourself in a slump. You look over to the mirrors to see that your makeup is far past ruined; you’re practically ready to audition for clown college. You reach your hands up and awkwardly paw at your face, trying to hide the tears from Josh. The makeup runs across the pads of your fingers, the tears barely helping to wash away the mascara. 

“Oh, oh, don’t worry about that.” Josh saunters over to you, arms spread wide ready to envelop you in a hug. He braces you and reaches himself around your shoulders. You rest your head into the crook of his neck, trying to sniffle away the tears. 

“J-Josh,” You say through muffled choking breaths. 

He rubs his hand across your back, “Shh, don’t say anything to me. I need to apologize to you. I’m sorry I did that to you, it wasn’t right of me to be the one to say something like that,” He unfortunately releases the hug, but traces his hands down your arms to catch your hands, holding them firmly in his. He takes a deep breath for a moment, lowering his head in shame. “He just was being a complete dick!” 

You laugh at his honesty. Jake was being a complete fuck. His attitude always rose within a matter of seconds. You couldn’t understand where it all came from. It was like someone setting off a Molotov cocktail. 

“No, no, please don’t apologize,” You whimper, pouting your lip out, trying to keep the tears at bay. 

Josh squeezes your hands again, “I insist that you let me say that I’m sorry. I know how to get under his skin and that very moment was the wrong time to prod at him.”

Josh has this sincere look about him. Although minutes ago he couldn’t read the room, now he was, understanding the care that you needed at this moment. He had this healing, vibrant energy about him that would be impossible to be upset at. 

“You really do know how to push his buttons,” You giggle softly, “He was totally out of line and being horrible… As he is known to be…” 

Josh pouts back, mirroring your expression, “He was… And well is… But that didn’t mean I needed to say something that would hurt you too.” Josh lowers himself to meet you at your eyeline. 

It's quite remarkable how similar the two look. Although, their energy is what truly makes them stand out as different individuals. They share many of the same features, those soft yet strong bones, and the perfect full lips, but… Something about their eyes makes them so different. Josh has a ray of sunshine behind his eyes, while Jake has the stars and moon behind his. 

You drop your shoulders, “What did you mean by… You know… What you said Josh? I want to know if he even wants to keep doing… doing this whole thing.” 

“Mama, are you kidding?” He pets your hair out of your eyes, “Just look at you,  of course he does! Are you fucking joking?” Josh’s excited voice doesn’t dissuade your uncertain feelings. 

“But you said-” 

“Ah ah, you silly beautiful girl.” was this a compliment or him calling you stupid…  “You didn’t listen to everything I said,” Josh taps the side of your head, “clearly a bit foggy up here from all that whiskey you just downed- a nice touch of drama by the way.” 

You shake your head and smirk shyly. It was dramatic. It was far more confrontational than you had ever been before. He forced this side out of you, this primal, protective rage. You wanted more than ever to protect your sanity, your heart. Everything was hot, then cold, black, then white. There was no clear happy middle ground when it came to the two of you. 

Josh continues, “I said he thought you didn’t want him anymore. He was trying to respect your wishes.” He lingers on that for a moment. The words settling in… Respect… what you wanted…  “But you have to remember darling, he can be as dense as they come sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” You cut in with sarcasm.

“Yes, but shush. He needed that push to fight for what you have. Do you know how much he talked about you before we went on tonight? He wouldn’t shut up about how he was excited to have you in the crowd tonight and to go home with you, as his. Not something he had to try and win over, not someone he would have to fawn over from the other side of the bar-”

You cut Josh off, “He said all that?”

“We’ll I’m embellishing, I know he meant all of that. Anyway, my point is no matter what, he would’ve come back eventually- I know that for a fact. You’re quite special, I don't think he’s stupid enough to waste not being with you. He just needed his big brother to give him a swift kick in the ass to chase it all a bit sooner. If anything, I just moved the timeline along.” 

You raise your hands to your brows, furrowing them in confusion, “But why all the back and forth? Why all the big messes that, if I may add, are never truly cleaned up by himself. Why does everyone else have to convince him to do the right thing?” 

Josh moves his hands from yours and rubs the sides of your shoulders, “Mama I think he’s falling for you, he’s just so clueless and doesn’t know how to tell you. Men, am I right? ” 

You reach up to grab his hands, “Josh, do you realize how annoying that is?” You chuckle at the thought, Jake does have quite the incompetence for love, “How annoying it is for two people who can work together to have all of these fucking nightmares? Nightmares that I may add could’ve been avoided.  He’s been constantly trying to burn this bridge ever since we built it!”

“Of course, I know it’s a mess, but you have to understand the reason he is this way.” 

“And why is he that way? I think he likes to make us all scramble around for him…”

You drop your hands, dramatically pacing about the bathroom now. Trying to make it all make sense. Everything is done so that Jake is in the right. Everything is cleaned up for Jake. He never has to think too much about anything because someone else will come along and give him an ultimatum or push him in the right direction. He never has to come be the one to apologize because someone else will come to clean up his messes; to give grand excuses for his behavior. 

‘Oh, he didn’t know’ or ‘he’s so confused’. 

You couldn’t be in a relationship with a man where you were constantly having to cater to him, to always be the forgiving one. A few weeks were draining enough to experience all of this, but how would months, even years feel? 

Josh breaks the silence, “Well that’s because someone else did that to him.”

You stop pacing, thinking about what Josh could mean by that. Someone else? As in another girlfriend? You start to slowly walk back into the conversation. 

“Why? Wait, what happened?” 

The door rustles behind Josh. Danny pokes his head in, awkwardly smiling at the two of you. He puts his hand up in a shy wave. He’s bashful and not entirely thrilled to be interrupting.

“Not to rush,” He interjects, “But some of the girls out here are really not liking the idea of using the men’s room instead.” 

“Too bad!” Josh shouts. He stops for a moment to think. Almost like a lightbulb went off over his head he goes, “Oh! Boy! Wow! She’s really thrown up everywhere! What a fucking mess!-” 

“Josh!” You scold. 

Josh turns back to you, whispering, “If you want the story, I have to buy some time… Oh, man! Do NOT come in here! This is fucking crazy!” 

You realize Josh’s plan and play into it, making loud gagging noises to sell it further. 

“Don’t! Blehhh Come in!” You yell. 

“Oh wow! They’re going to need two mops for this mess!” Josh can’t help but giggle at his own statement. 

“Josh!” You laugh with him this time, “Two?!”

Danny smiles at the improv, poking his head back outside. You can hear his muffled voice softly telling the women that you ‘just need some time to clean up’. 

“Okay, go!” You push, “You can’t leave a cliffhanger like that! Mr. Stoic was in love? Mr. has no emotions?!” 

“Well,” Josh sighs, “I wouldn’t call it real love…. But yes, Jake had a love, once. She was horrible, awful. We all hated her.”

“This sounds like a great start.” You interject, “It’s always the problematic woman huh? And the innocent manipulator?  

Josh sighs, and grabs your hands into his, “Can ya let me tell my story before you start with all your comments?”

You squeeze Josh’s hands back, nodding, agreeing to behave. 

“Oh good, because it’s a fabulous story, but I never get to tell it! My brother is awfully sensitive about her. ‘Don’t bring her up Josh’, ‘I’m fine as long as I forget about her’. Ugh. He just couldn’t let go of her. Quite an annoying person. She was always the first one to pick on Jake, more so than I do- which as you know, is saying something. She loved to point out all his flaws, and try to take away his autonomy in every sense. He fell victim to it, becoming a pet of hers. She’d say jump, he’d say how high… 

She would show up to all his shifts at the last bar he worked at, and sit there and watch him… I don’t mean she would fawn over him the way you used to, but she would sit there, and judge every interaction, everything he did… The entire time. She was… to put it nicely… Psychotic.”

She sounds lovely, you think to yourself. Explains some of the behavior he’s displayed in the past few months. The need to be in control in the bedroom, the lack of emotional intelligence…

“She wanted to control Jake, and because he was young, stupid, and well, in love. And you know what that ass did? He let her. We started to protest it, tried to set up more gigs to get him out of the house, to introduce him to more people, show him he was better than her, and she found out.”

The reaction is swift and immediate, “Oh, he didn’t…” 

“Oh yeah, that fucking idiot told her everything! There were no secrets between them! She made sure of that. Well, really I should say, he had no secrets when it came to her. That… She… I could count on two hands how many ‘friends’ she saw behind his back… She hated us for trying to break down the manipulations. So when she saw that he was pulling away from him, she started to catch on to him and where we were stealing him away. He broke one night and crushed all of our hard work. And from that point on, all she did was take him away from us, until…” 

“... Until?” You poke. 

An uncomfortable sigh pushes through Josh, “Until she made a move on me.” 

“What?!” You exclaim. 

“Yes, yes, quite dramatic. We were out one night all together, playing pool or darts or something. She had only let Jake go out with us if she was there to be his bitchy chaperone; we couldn’t be trusted to be alone with him anymore. Well later that night I’m driving the two of them home, Jake’s practically passed out in the passenger seat and she was screaming some stupid pop music in the back seat. I helped her into the house, leaving Jake to rest a little longer since he was out. I walked her into the living room and laid her on the couch. When she fell back, she latched onto me and practically sucked my face off while I struggled to get her alien mouth off of me.”

Josh mimics the entire scenario, creating his reenactment of sorts. Flailing his body about the linoleum floors. What a fucking character.

“Oh no…” The severity of this situation is climbing and climbing, and everything is starting to make sense. 

Josh continues, “Little did either of us know, but Jake was not asleep in the car, just merely ‘resting his goddamn eyes’ and came through the front door to find her tongue halfway down my throat. They screamed, and he cried, then she cried, meanwhile, I scrubbed my mouth out in the kitchen sink… It was a whole ordeal.”

“But why did she even kiss you? Was it to get back at Jake for something? Just a fucking cheating addiction? Why would she do that to him?” There are so many questions to be answered, and your time in this ‘private’ bathroom was running out. 

“She claims the whole twin thing and that she was too drunk to make out who was who, but darling… Can you believe that? I am much better looking than Jake, you’d think she’d know the difference.”

“Okay, Josh.” You roll your eyes. 

“All in all, it was quite uncomfortable for me, but it was enough to push Jake to leave her once and for all. It took him ages to be able to talk to me about it, mostly because during their whole fight she had convinced him it was my idea. By some sort of good magic, he broke her spell and listened to reason… But through this whole ordeal, he lost a lot of the love he could give… 

He just didn’t trust me or anyone anymore. He got paranoid all the time and would hate to be alone, but if I came to live with him he wanted me to leave after only a couple of days. I felt horrible for him.” Josh dropped his head, “He had wasted years being taken around like a show pony… All for it to end because she couldn’t resist me.”

“Oh my god Josh, you’re not helping yourself look any better here!” You joke at him, knocking your palm into his shoulder. 

“Oh c’mon! You know what I mean.” He turns to face his complexion in the mirror, playing with the tussles of his curls, “Anyways, from that point on he became this mysterious shrouded man that none of us recognized. He started having more random girls follow him home from the bar, he started just being stupid. 

And that lovely ex-girlfriend of his, well she never stopped showing up at the bar… She would come in and harass every girl who showed up at the bar, but never in a way that she would be caught. She would leave backhanded compliments, tell them that Jake would never go for them, blah blah. All bullshit so she could keep control of him. He pleaded with her to leave, to give him time to heal; but she wouldn’t.

The manager and security finally caught on to her, but by that point, it was too late. Jake was worried he would never move on as long as she knew where he was. So he had to move to a different bar, the one you worked at…” 

Josh glances over at you to gauge your reaction. He looks suspicious like he’s hiding some of the truth. 

“Okay… Feels like there's more to this story…” You follow Josh’s reflection and catch him half-wincing. 

“There is. And you might not like it, but…” He turns back to face you. 

“But…?” You Push 

“...What did Jake tell you about Mariella?” 

“Mariella?” A name you thought you wouldn’t have to deal with now. You had finally felt like you had the upper hand on that bitch, “Just that they had slept together once, right when he started… Right?” 

Before you can even finish your sentence a craze starts to fill through you. Fuck. You can see the puzzle pieces connecting in your mind. Not a complete picture yet, but you know something is going to be said that will connect all the pieces. 

What does she have to do with all of this? 

“Well. That is correct. But did he tell you why he slept with her?”

“Josh… I don’t like where this is going.” 

Your pulse starts to drop again. You had hoped you would hear nothing more of this story or this girl, mostly because you thought that had been resolved. You already had enough jealousy that had built up from that situation, and you can feel it burrowing through your sane mind again. 

“I don’t think you entirely will, but it pertains to the story.” Josh sighs, “Now these are probably details he left out because of the whole other story… but Mariella was a friend of Jean, his ex.”

A complete feeling of bewilderment smacks you. The fuck? Friend? Is this a revenge story? A rebound? Did he…? 

You don't have much time to think before Josh is spoon-feeding you the rest of the story. 

“Jake knew that Mariella and Jean were friends. Now they weren’t best friends or anything like that, but he knew that if he slept with her, it would be enough to feel like he was even for Jean hitting on me or something- I don't know! 

“That’s gross.” You can’t help but feel gross knowing Jake was that kind of guy. 

“Well…Except, he couldn’t.”

You make a befuddled face, confused, “He couldn’t what? Like he decided it was bad? He had come to his senses?” 

Josh grits his teeth, almost looking like he is unsure whether he should share these next details. 

“He cried. He made it to her bedroom and cried. They were still dressed, he never even attempted anything. He brought her home, talked a big game, and then sat there and cried on the edge of her bed. He tried to get something going, but I think she had come to her senses by that point… He had put on this tough exterior for months, but he couldn’t be that guy. He didn’t want to admit that to anyone… And well Mariella had everything she needed to blackmail Jake.” 

“Fuck.” You walk over to the sinks, leaning your lower back into the counter, “So he never even-”

“No mama. He didn’t.” Josh strolls over to lean next to you. 

“Then why did he?-” 

“Would you want to tell someone you're sleeping with that your first rebound you spend the entire night crying?” 

“I guess not.” 

Everything was starting to make sense. That cool, distinguished vibe Jake was always trying to emulate was a front, when in fact he was as soft and gentle as you had dreamed. Jake was just a lost boy, floundering around, trying to protect himself from being made a fool, or falling in love too hard too soon. 

You turn to look at Josh, who is wincing through all the realization, “Fuck. Oh no Josh… He’s going to hate you for telling me all of this.” 

“I know.” Josh pets his chin between his hands, “Still not sure if it was the right thing to do… Seems like I’ve gotten pretty good at oversharing Jake’s messes. Maybe you can convince him to tell you his story, now that you know he’s worth trying.” 

“I never said I would try Josh, I still feel pretty fucked by this whole thing. The least he could do is actually fuck me instead of fucking me over and knocking my brains around in my head every couple of days.”

Josh shrugs, “That’s Jake. At least, the Jake that’s out there now. But I know what he’s capable of.” He winks at you. 

You lean over to hug Josh, squeezing him with all of your might. “I don’t know what to do Josh. I think I love him.” 

“I think he feels the same way, Mama.” He pets the back of your head, calming you. 

You can practically feel the radiation of relief washing over Josh. He never knows whether he’s saying the right things or not. But just that simple explanation gave you everything you needed to forgive Jake, or at least to know it’s worth trying to talk something out with him. It was sad to know that it didn’t come from him, but wounds can be hard to talk about. 

You had wounds of your own, fears of being abandoned, and always ready to cut things off before getting your heart broken. Perhaps you were too quick to keep turning Jake away, but of course, all of this is easy to say now that you have the full story and time to reflect. 

Knock… Slam. 

Jake barrels in, guns blazing, ready to tear the place apart. 

“Hey!!” 

He drunkenly stomps over to the two of you and pulls you apart. 

“Jake!” You scold. 

He turns to you, and points his finger in your face, “No. Not you. Do not get involved this time,” His finger veers over in front of Josh, “Stay out of my fucking love life. Don’t get her to leave me too.” 

Josh throws his hands up in defense, “I didn’t-”

“You always, always win Josh. You took Jean, you’re taking her too.”

Josh squares up against Jake, taking his hand to lower his finger, “Have you considered that I’m not the reason they always leave Jake? Have you considered Jean was a horrible person for you and you’re still letting her ruin your life? You’re letting it ruin her chance to know you?” Josh looks over to you this time. 

Jake throws his hands up in the air, “Ohhhh wise Joshua, please let me in on your vast knowledge of relationships. You’ve survived so much! It’s bullshit Josh. Everyone loves you, everyone adores you, you don’t fucking get it.” 

This. This was disgusting. Everything Josh was saying was completely crumbling. 

You take your moment, and prepare to join the battle, “Jake.”

He doesn’t even want to turn to look at you. He knows he’s being horrible. He knows he is trying to share the load of his pain instead of facing it. 

“No, I said no. You don’t get it either. Do you know what it’s like to always be the other twin? The less outgoing, the less lively. Oh yes, assigned that from the beginning. Josh was the star of the show and got everyone he wanted. Got all the attention. Steals everything from me…” “Are you finished?” Josh asks, crossing his arms in front of him, “Because I have something to say now.” 

Jake turns around to face the wall, smacking his palm against the brick, “Oh go ahead, please, we’d love to hear you talk some more.” 

“So you decide now is the best time to come in here to try and get her back huh? Now, twenty minutes after your dirty secrets come out? Not when she was trying to fix it? You think you’re some brave guy coming in here to save her from me? No fucking way. I- ME- I am the one who came in here to make sure she was okay, not because I’m in fucking love with her, but because she’s in love with you. You have to be honest with her, be a fucking man.” 

“Josh-” Jake murmurs, he seems hurt, “I-” He stares intently at Josh, broken from the words that were just spoken to him. You can see the emotions swirling inside of him, trying to decide: good, bad, angry, sad. You see his finger raise again and lift towards Josh. 

“Jake! Look at me!.” You place your hands on your hips, scowling at Jake. He’s still locked into Josh, staring at him with a feverous intensity. Here was that brute cover-up again, and you were ready to face it head-on. “I’ve had just about enough of whatever bullshit this is. Your adult men, knock it the fuck off, you both care about each other! Stop being petty children. You’re both pretty! Whatever you want to hear!” You feel your blood pressure rise, all the drama and persuasion you have in your body pushing forward, “Jake your brother loves you and is trying to help you because for some reason as grown as you are, you still don’t know how to use your fucking words. Josh, your brother also loves you but you do have a habit of taking things too far and stepping into shit that doesn’t belong to you… Now, if we can get back to being fucking adults tonight that would be great!”

He turns to gingerly look at you. He’s scared. Thats all. He doesn’t want to be mean. He’s like a child, unsure of how to deal with his own emotions. 

Josh looks at you, slightly frightened, but also intrigued by your willingness to control the situation. 

“Alright? We get it?” You check both of their expressions, making sure the sentiments have sunk in, “Good. Apologize so we can get this shit over with.” 

Jake jumps back and squares his shoulders, trying to boost his manly behavior. He squints his face in a peculiar unsettling way,  “I’m not-”

“I’m sorry!” Josh blurts out. He sounded fearful almost like he was scared you would do something to him if he didn’t apologize. 

You turn to look at Josh who has this sheepish apologetic look on his face. Jake brings his hand up to his face, trying to rub away the distasteful expression. He relaxes himself enough to admit to Josh, “I’m sorry too.” 

He looks to you for approval. You cross your arms over your chest and nod satisfactorily. “Okay fine. Good enough,” You examine Jake, not just trying to quickly survey his expression, but instead seeing the fear behind his deep brown eyes. The guilt slowly pulls forward, creating a stormy mess inside. “We’re taking you back to your place now. Okay?” 

He lets his guard down entirely. Shocked at the words coming out of your mouth. You two are entirely landlocked, holding your ground just feet from each other. Jake, opposite to you, has no idea that his whole love life was just spilled to you. Instead, all he knows is he is scared. He thinks he’s lost you all over again. 

He seems like he’s sobered up, like his mind is clear, like he was ready to fight for you, on his terms this time.

Josh tries to sneak past the two of you. Danny opens the door enough to let him squeak out. 

You walk up to Jake, wrapping your hands around his waist, pulling him tight into you. Lining yourself up to fit right into him. You look up to him, reaching one of your hands up to tuck the loose pieces of hair back into their rightful place. He’s silent, watching your every move. 

“Jake,” You coo, “I’m going to drive us back to your house, okay?” He nods his head, “And then,” You dig your hands into his hips, “we’re going to talk. Like how fucking real people should.”  He nods again.

You move your arms up to his back, caressing him softly, trying to show him that you aren’t as mad as you may seem. You reach around to his bicep, cuffing yourself on it, guiding him out of the bathroom. 

You open the door to find the two hooligans, Josh and Danny, leaning against the door, eavesdropping. 

“Boys, I think it’s time we call it a night.” You rub both of their shoulders, silently thanking them for their efforts tonight. “We’ll do this again soon, okay?” You look to Jake, who is still stoic, perhaps more confused than anything, “Jake and I are going to go home and chat.”

Out of nowhere, Sam pounces over to the group. He looks concerned and worried, “Oh my god! I heard you throwing up like crazy in there are you okay?!” 

You turn to Danny, “Do you wanna?-”

Danny laughs, “I got it.” 

You give Sam the same comforting arm rub as Josh and Danny and continue to parade Jake through the bar. Some glances make their way across the room. No surprise there; you were some form of entertainment for the customers tonight. 

Jake finally breaks his silence, the shock is settling, “What's?-”

You shush him, “Let's just get home.” 

Taglist:

@gvfmarge @takenbythemadness @heckingfrick @gvfpal @sanguinebats @giraffehippy @anythingforjtk @lipstickitty @pinkandsleepy1934 @gretavansara @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @milkgemini @violet-hayes @Lyndz2names @edgingthedarkness @twistedmelodies @gretasfallingsky @thetroublegetssoloud71 @earthgrlsreasy @starcatcher-jake @sarakay-gvf @a-lanterninthenight @ignite-my-fire

[chouxsardine]

Amabo Te---Jake Kiszka x reader

Summary: When jealousy and insecurity get the best of you, when he wants to teach you a lesson. Will you give him a chance?

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x reader

Word Count: 5002

Warnings: 18+! Minors DNI, established BDSM relationship, dom!jake/sub!reader, brat! reader, the infamous Jake snap, caning, alcohol, language, jealousy, insecurity, self-esteem issue, self-deprecation, unprotected p in v sex, crying, a mix of soft and mean Jake (?), nerdy Latin sh*t,

Genre: angst, hurt/comfort (with fluffy ending?)

Author's note: Sorry for the wait! inspired by this idea from @hearts-hunger. I've been wanting to write about this since the first day I've seen it, so I kind of took the idea and run with it. It turns out a lot softer than I expected (oops). A new attempt for me to toy around with power dynamics. Every single one of you is deserving of love. I love you a lot. Enjoy!

🎧: How Many More Times by Led Zeppelin; Sorceress by Jess Williamson; When Anger Turns to Honey by Chelsea Wolfe; Hey Now (When I Give You All My Lovin')" by Romare

You know damn well what you’re doing. The thumping of the drum aligns with your heartbeat, melting into your veins along with the few martinis that you’ve downed consecutively. The air is a mix of ostentatious colognes, sweat, and smoke that wafts off dancing and heaving bodies. The floors feel sticky under your feet, and the label of the dress you are wearing has irritated you all night. You can feel it digging into your sides, the two almost invisible row of plastic nubs cutting into your skin with each exhale and rubbing against it with every movement. Isn’t it amazing that such a trivial and hidden matters can make such a fuss? You know damn well what you’re going to do—bratting to get Jake’s attention—but you don’t know why you’re doing it. At this point, the anxiety and the alcohol in your system have managed to form itself into a vicious ouroboros, and you can’t tell which one is the cause.

Have you and Jake been spending less time together recently because he was busy? Yes. Have you been honest when Jake asked if you want to go to this party with him? No. You have also had a rough week, and you just want to cuddle with him on the sofa, watching some silly rom com while languidly poking at a bowl of Mac and cheese with generous amount ketchup squirted on top. However, you are afraid to say no because you don’t want him to think that you are a spoiled and needy brat. Welp, you guess this is where lying about your feelings leads to: uncomfortably standing in a night club, being a brat in another way. In the back of your mind, you know that if you’d only be honest and tell the truth, Jake will get you out of here in a heartbeat with no judgement. But the alcohol is messing with you, and it doesn’t help that a girl has been hitting on Jake this whole time.

She was also wearing a tight minidress—a searing red one with spaghetti strap, hugging her body in all the right places while also showing it off just enough skin to leave space for imagination—one that makes the one on your body eclipse. She puts her elbows on the bar counter while leaning purposefully so that all it takes is one careless movement while reaching for one’s drink to touch her breasts. Jake wasn’t paying attention to her, or at least not now, not yet. You feel jealousy shoot up your veins. Having left Jake’s side when he met an old acquittance and their conversation was getting too long , then being blocked by the crowd rushing into the dance floor when you plan to stride back, you are now standing on the other side of the room, anxiously tapping your feet, waiting for the hideous song to end.

You take another sip of your drink, and as you raised your eyelids, you saw the girl getting off the bar stool. She should’ve known better than standing up holding a full shot glass in her hands or perhaps she shouldn’t have done that silly little hop trying to impress. Of course, her heels got hung on the footrest a second too long, and she fell forward, throwing herself on Jake. He caught her, his hand on her shoulder to restore her balance. His action was neat and brief, his complexion barely changes. It is clear as day a spontaneous and innocent response, but for you, that’s the last straw.

You didn’t even care continue watching for their further exchange—or whether there was one. You down your drink and slam the empty glass on the counter a bit too harsh before stepping onto the dance floor. You make eye contact with the nearest guy. “Would you like to dance?” The music is loud and it is dark. You lean in closer and ask again when he doesn’t hear you.

Now you are sure that Jake has seen it. When he catches your eyes, a pang of guilt and shame zips through you, you feel like a child being caught red-handedly cheating on a test. You know what you are doing is wrong and petty, you are doing it to get his attention. But in the heat of the moment, with your emotions tangled up, jealousy gets the best of you. You try to look away, and that’s when you see the snap.

It is something that he has conditioned into you. Whenever you’re acting up in public, Jake’s snap is his warning to you. And when it’s quiet around, it’s a gentle but firm squeeze a little above your knee under the table. You got three strikes, but you usually get back in hand just with his warning glance or him simply raising his hands a little.

Jake was leaning back against the bar, his elbow resting on the counter. It is a quick snap between his fingers with a flick of his wrist. There was no way that you would hear it above the music, but in your brain, it rolls loud like thunder.

Out of the reflexive response, your body acts before your mind catches up. You freeze for a second, and you feel a phantom touch like a subtle current rolling over the area above your knee. You try your best to feign your indifference, peeling your glance away. He started it, you lie to yourself.

As the song comes to an end, the guy you were dancing with asks to buy you a drink. You accept and follow him to the bar. Before you even sot down, you feel Jake coming over and standing behind you. His hand is on your waist. A gentle squeeze. Subtle but possessive.

“Hey, what—” The poor guy is confused.

“Would you please excuse us?” Jake’s voice is calm and smooth. You don’t have to turn back to know that he is smiling politely. The kind of smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

The man cocks his eyebrows. You don’t dare to read his expression. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” Before he can respond, you turn on your heels and let Jake lead you out of the bar. Jake isn’t even gripping hard on you, but by now, every nerve in your body has learned to be attentive and obedient to his touch. It is only when the cold air outside hits you that you try to break away from him.

You knew you have gone to the point of no return. You have achieved nothing with your childish act, and to continue a tantrum is your only way to save face.

“Let—”

“Shut it,” Jake cuts you off, rage boiling behind those two words.

“I’ve got three strikes! That was only one!” You retort.

Jake narrows his eyes. “Then consider this your strike two.”

“Fuck you!” You blurt out, instantly regretting as the words left you lips. You see a moment of confusion and incredulous flash through Jake’s eyes before anger takes over. He lets out a dry laugh. You shiver.

“That’s it.” Jake releases your hand, taking off his jacket, flings it over your shoulder with a push at the small of your back. He walks the two of you to where the car was parked. He still opens the door for you and puts his hand up to protect you from hitting your head before circling to his side.

In the few seconds of silence between your side of the car door closing and his side of the car door opening, you sag like a bounce house with a puncture, all the furiousness has left your body, replaced by the bone-deep regret and exhaustion. You want to go back to a few hours ago, where you would say, “I don’t feel like going out tonight. Can we stay in and watch a movie?”, where you would say, “I don’t want to be here anymore. Can we go home?”, where you would straight up look into his eyes and tell him, “I miss you so much, I just want to spend time with you, alone.”

The broody silence stretches through the whole way home. You almost hop he would just leave you in the car. You feel ashamed when he yanks your side of the door open with his hand up on the frame.

Once you are in the house, Jake walks directly to the liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and pouring himself a glass. He stands in front of the French window, his thumb hooked in his belt, the left side of his jacket riding up.

There is no sign of the rage you expected. You are still wearing his jacket, your fingers curled up in the leather. The shame that was burning inside you clashes with the icy feeling down your spine.

You expect him to push you against the wall, or spit out “strip”, or at least a “go upstairs”. You know that you will drop down on your knees the second the first syllable of any those words parts his lips. Or something through his eyes, a silent scowl, a stern look. Even when Jake is silent, his eyes always convey something—-or at least you can always read something from them.

But he is not even looking at you now.

Please don’t ignore me.

“The silent treatment now, really?” It can’t be any clearer that you are fighting a lost battle. Your voice bounces off the silence and stabs you like a boomerang.

Jake finally turns around. He lowers his head and smirks. The next words he says make you icy cold. It’s like you are standing on a frozen lake and have misjudged the thickness of the ice beneath you feet; with a misstep, it cracks, and you fall into the piercing cold water.

“Do you think you deserve ‘treatment’,” he accentuates the word, “of any kind, my dear?”

The nickname is stripped off all its concomitant affection, only adding to the insult with biting irony. You’d rather he didn’t use it at all. The tears threaten to spill. You clench your fist.

“That’s your way of talking, huh?” Jake paces towards you, each step slow and steady like a confident predator cornering his prey, “some yaps and some whines, but my little brat just loves running her mouth.”

Brat. That word punches you like a left hook. A brat. That’s exactly what you have been tonight.

You know for sure you are finally going to submit, and once you reached that stage, it’s going to be pure bliss; it will be the closest you’ll ever felt to him. And that’s all you want, to be close to him. Sure, a beeline from point A to point B is straight and clear, but where’s the fun in that? Being a brat feels like an elongated foreplay. Just as you are ashamed of the amount of swearwords and moans you let out when being edged, you can’t deny that you love it. Love it so much that you are doing it to yourself. You wanted it so much, but you refuse to accept it without some struggle. You feel unworthy when things land on your lap easily. The emotions you will experience after winning the lottery probably would be fear and suspicion, as you contemplate “now that I’m hit on the head with pennies from heaven, what will I lose in exchange? You are plagued by the fairy tale in which the king is ravished with joy when he finds a precious jewel but then proceeds to lose his beloved once as the backfire. After all, life never gives anything for nothing, a price is always exacted for what fate bestows.* You believe the same goes for love. Jake came into your life so suddenly, sweeping in like a whirlwind, with such velocity and intensity that you are afraid one day he will exit like one, leaving your heart in the ruins. You have to earn his love, you will be his good girl.

“Have I been ignoring my princess? Attention, is that what you want? Jealousy, is that what got into you tonight, um?” His finger grips your chin.

You both love and detest how Jake has always been able to strip you bare with such ease, your body and your desire. To see through the “yes” behind the “no” when your pride and stubbornness get the best of you, and the “no” behind the “yes” when you overexert yourself and try to please while ignoring your limits. It does takes quite some effort to reach this almost telepathic stage, a bumpy trail full of frustration and trial and errors, but it’s worth the effort. When the voice inside your head gets loud and your body is aching with unsoothable desire, the wrong punishment will immediately send you crying in a non sexy way.

You have no choice but to look into his eyes. One simple stare from him dissects your thought like a scalpel. With one clean, cold cut, he slices you open. Exposed, vulnerable.

You are already playing a dangerous game, walking the tight rope, teetering on the edge. Now, you are pulled off balance by his eyes drilling into you, demanding complete honesty and obedience.

“Please.” You mumble, lowering your eyes.

“Please, what?” He tilts your chin right up.

Your voice is meek, barely audible, but legible enough for Jake. “Please punish me, Sir.”

He lets go of you. Immediately you miss his touch.

“Upstairs. You know what to do.”

You are on autopilot as you remove your clothing, leaving them in a pile on the floor and nudging them into the closet with your feet. Out of sight. The sequins on your dress shine like a flamboyant humiliation.

It can’t be more than five minutes until Jake comes into the room, but every single second feels like purgatory to you. You let out a long sigh of relief as you heard his footsteps. You hear him shuffle behind you, and then the sound of him rummaging through the drawer, collecting the things he needs. Finally, you see his feet in your lowered sight as he steps in front of you. You keep your head down, knowing better than looking up to see what he has in his hands. But you can’t escape the shadow that was projected onto the floor. Something long and thin.

“Please don’t tie me up.” You blurt out before immediately biting down on your lip.

“I’m afraid you’re not in the position to bargain, dear, ” He’s right. “This is a punishment; it’s not supposed to be what you want. You take. Is that understood?” His voice looms over your bare skin, giving you goosebumps.

“Yes, Sir.”

Then something hard touches your thigh. You look down and see the end of a cane. The cane. A blessing and a curse. It isn’t very often that Jake uses a cane on you. To you, it hurts more than a paddle but turns you on more as well. The cane draws a wiggly line down your legs, stopping at that area above your knee with three taps. Your kneeling frame perches up in response, your body instantly connecting the touch with Jake’s warning squeeze.

Then, a clear and crisp snap break through the quiet room. Your head shots up spontaneously and you crash into Jake’s eyes. His dominance is dialed up to the fullest from this angle. His long eyelashes cast shadows under the eyes, deepening his brown pupils. His lips are lightly parted, his eyebrows relaxed. He looks appreciative, like admiring an art piece of his own creation.

“Ah, so you do remember.” He makes a statement, but it sounds like a reprimand in your ears.

“I…”

“You will have plenty of chance to speak tonight, but not now.” Honestly, you are secretly glad that he stops you because you don’t trust your voice not to break. The apology lodges and throbs in your throat.

“We put a lot of time and effort into our warnings. It doesn’t come easy, I think you know that,” Jake continues, “you chose, deliberately, to ignore and violate them tonight. So I’m sure you have good reasons to do so.”

The cane nudges the inner side of your thigh, signalling you to stand up. And then a goad with the tip on the back of your sacrum, making you topple forward, with your hands gripping on the end of the mattress.

The whoosh sound of the cane as it comes down startles you even more than the stinging, closely followed by Jake’s gruff demand: “Enlighten me. Why?”

The delayed pain is now blooming over your skin. Why? All the previous shame resurfaces, forcing you to recall every detail. You drag your teeth over your bottom lip.

The next hit comes down harder, moving up slightly from where the last one lands.

Still silence. You close your eyes tightly, tears burning behind your eyelids. You want nothing more than being honest with Jake, but somehow you just can’t squeeze the words out of you. Thinking back now, it is so not worthy to act up something so trivial. Everything would have been fine if you just be honest right from the start, if you communicate your feelings directly. But why can’t you?

Whack.

The next one hits an inch to the left. The cane is worse because it gathers the sensations. If the paddle feels like putting your hands into a basin of hot water, the cane feels like splashes of hot oil. Obviously, you are still an independent grown-up with full control of your body autonomy, but at the moment, you so desperately need to transfer that control. Even if it’s temporary, so that your brain would stop lying to you. And Jake is demanding exactly that.

Why? Why can’t you be honest with him? Time has proved that this man has been nothing but respectful, understanding, and non-judgemental. What are you afraid of? What more can you ask for?

Whack.

“What’s your color?”

“G..green, Sir.”

You press your lips together hard. An involuntary tear escaping from the corner of your eyes. Your brain is determined to play a tug of war with the help of your stubbornness, but your body revolts. The pain is numbing your volition.

Whack.

Now that you’ve known each strike is calculated. Jake never hits the same place. They are always placed from each other with some space so that the pain spreads and connects like drops of paint on paper, spreading into a watercolour in different shades of pink. Your muscle contract. You are absurdly wet; it feels almost purely physiological, even though you know the agony is only a calling. Deep down there’s the yearning— craving to be touched, to be soothed and caressed. But are you worth it?

Whack.

“I am an ungrateful, attention-seeking brat.” You cry, your forehead dropping down on your laced fingers.

Jake is grateful that you can’t see his expression. And maybe that’s a good thing for you too. Because if you see the heartache in his eyes, your pretense of strength will fall apart in an instant. It rips his heart to hear you degrading yourself. It tortures him when you can’t see how worthy, beautiful, and precious you are the way he does. It hurts him to know that he fails to earn your trust, to earn your complete honesty. He knows your body; he has learned your threshold of pain and pleasure, and has the skill of a pharmacist when it comes to mixing the two to give you euphoria. However, he is an unarmed man facing the voices inside your head, he is clueless standing in front of the thorny-hedged gate of your heart. And it confounds him too when sometimes hurting you is the only way he can show you love. If you would only let me, princess, if you would only let me love you.

This time, there is only a gentle tap on the fleshiest part of your butt.

“Nice try. That’s not the answer I asked for.” It takes everything in Jake to maintain his domineering facade. Bullshit. You’re a loving, gentle, poetic, sensible soul that just happens to be too good at feeding yourself deprecative lies.

By now, all the fight left in you is a poorly-crafted sandcastle swilled over and over by waves of pain. The good pain. Cathartic. Liberating. Hypnotizing, almost. They converge into the mysterious song of the siren, whispering in your ear: “Stop fighting. Give it up to me.”

The voice sounds warm, assuring, familiar: “Let me in.”

That busts you right open.

“I know there was nothing, I only did it to get your attention.” Once the hardest part was out, you find yourself unable to stop. The box-ed up feelings cascade out of you. “I..I don’t want to be there! I d-didn’t tell you because…I don’t want to look n-needy. You’re too good for me. You’re one of countless good things that have happened to me, w-what if you leave?”

Ugly sobs ripple through your body. Your legs threatening to give out as you shake your head in guilt. Tears burn you blotched skin and gone cold way too quickly, leaving damp trails on your cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Jake. I’m sorry.”

Between your whimper, you hear another swoosh of the cane coming down. You tense up subconsciously. There is the sound of the cane hitting flesh, but the anticipated pain never came. Before you could think further, your were pulled up and sat in Jake’s lap. His woodsy musk envelops you as he tucks your head under his chin. Pangs of guilt shoot through your body, hurting way worse than your behind. Slowly but surely, Jake’s warm and strong hands find the nape of your neck, pulling you towards his chest where you bury your face, your shoulder shudders, and you cry. Jake's heart contracts painfully along with each of your sob. He closes his eyes tightly.

“You silly, silly little fool.” He sighs, rocking you back and forth, “it would be so much easier if you just say so from the start. But my little kitten just won’t go down without a fight, will she?” His finger combs through your sweaty strands.

“Is that how you love, little flame?” Jake murmurs, his lips brushing against your temple, “always so fierce, so effusive, like a supernova?”

You keen on that word. You think you’ve never loved a a nickname more. Jake’s steady heartbeat against your chest grounds you and slowly restores all your senses like books being put back onto the shelf after being swept down to the floor in a storm. Slot by slot, mise en place.

Feeling that you’ve calmed down, Jake takes your face in his hands. “Let me show you.” He leaves kisses all over your face, pausing between each one to speak.

“This. Is. How. I. Love.”

He touches his forehead to yours. It is impossible to look away, impossible to feel anything else other than him.

“Allow me to love you.”

The sentence is like a curse, one that undid some wicked spell, one that wilts all the thorns on your heart, one that undid you completely.

Your eyes flutter shut as you feel the butterfly in your stomach. You know it was triggered by the long-caged bird in your heart flexing its wings. Soar. Soar head-on into love. Take the fearless flight and never regret thy fall.

The slightly weird sensation on the left side of your face makes something click in your brain. You hurriedly pull Jake’s hand down and see a swollen mark welt across his left palm.*

That’s where the last hit lands. He takes it for you.

“See? equal.” He holds up his palm.

“Jake…” Your lips quiver. You hold his hand in yours, desperately kissing it. Jake hardly seem to mind at all, using his other hand to wipe away your tears. His eyes infinitely gentle.

“Do not feel guilty, that’s not my point. I am sorry for not letting you trust me enough. I love you, it is my fault to not make it known to you it all the while.* We’re even now, clean slate. Only trust from now on, okay?”

Nothing reassures you more than a clean slate; that means you are not completely fucked up, that means you still have the opportunity to redeem yourself, to do better, and this time you know that you have a better chance because you are not doing it alone, you have Jake by your side, and he has managed to make you believe that he will always be by your side.

You press your lips against his. His tongue dips into your mouth. You roll your hips on his thighs. The need rekindles inside you.

“Tell me what you want, princess. Anything for you.”

“I want you. Jake. Please make love to me.”

With that, he lifts you up and flips you over. You land on the bed, letting out a chuckle as you watch him get rid of his shirt and pants. Your limbs go warm when his body covers yours. The pendant of his necklace drags down your sternum and dipping into your navel as his kisses your breasts. His mouth finds your nipple, his tongue circling around your areola, feeling it grow harder and perk up even more. You let out a squeal, arching your back, your clit meeting his pelvis for a futile relief. You feel him, hard and determined, flush against your entrance. Your muscles tense up, clenching around the emptiness. The silky desire flows down through your veins, gathering downward.

You lie open like a book, allowing his velvet tongue to explore every letter and punctuation. You are completely at his disposal. Jake’s movements are slow and skilled, tentalizing and hypnotic

“Please.”

“Please, what?” He repeats the question with a cheeky grin.

“Please, fuck me already.” The verb sounds so vulgar, yet you’ve never said it with so much love and tenderness. Fuck. You love the plosive in the end. Explosive, fervent, triumphant.

“Please,” Jake mused. His hand snakes between your bodies, his finger plunging into your wetness.

“Do you know,” his fingers curls and scraps, collecting your slickness and stroking them up and down your labia, “how do they say ‘please’ in classical Latin?”

“Poetic nerd.” You quipped, followed by a vindictive press of his finger against your tissue that makes you mewl.

“Amabo te.” He whispers as he holds his cock in his hand, his tip tapping on your entrance along with each syllable, each of them dripping onto your skin like honey. Knock, knock.

“Amabo te.” You mindlessly repeat after him. The sound is magical and mesmerizing, rumbling off your tongue with such gracefulness.

“And it just happens to also literally mean,” he pushes his hip forward, making every inch pronounced. The double suspense makes your breath hitch.

“I will love you.”

He bottoms out in one long, silky thrust. Every sensory system in your body fires up. Air is whipped out of your lungs and restored by his kiss. Your hands map his back, hugging him tighter, nailing him into you even deeper. Jake only pulls back slightly before pumping right back, cherishing the silky heat of yours as if there’s no tomorrow. His sharp pants fall all over your neck and your collarbone. The pleasure is building up at a scary pace.

Jake’s face is so close to yours, you see yourself in his eyes, fused with nothing but bliss and desire that danced through his blown-out pupils. At this moment, you are love. The realization sends a tremor through you. For the first time tonight, your body and brain and in sync. No more fighting.

“Can feel you, love,” Jake grunts, the vein visible on his sweat-coated forehead. You buck up your hips, spurring him on.

“Take me with you.”

For a few heartbeats, the world went silent. Never has an orgasm felt so good. Zings of fire sparkles and spreads. Your mouth hangs open; the pleasure robbed your voice, pinning you down as a time stamp. You are preserved in the moment like a butterfly specimen. It makes you want to exist like that forever.

Your leg jerks, urging him to stay as he rolls off you. In your peripheral vision, you saw you were still holding hands, his fingers laced and lodged with yours like a promise.

Jake’s lips graze your ears, a strand of his curls falls across your lips. His voice is raspy and low, with an easily detected tenderness. “Did I do it? Will you let me love you?”

You know it takes a lot of energy out of him as well. And now, a faint trance of postpositive guilt and the languid afterglow mixed with the subspace are catching up with you. Every inch of you is uncurled and loosened, but in the back of your mind still remains some sanity the size of a laundry basket where you have a heart to be strong, be strong for him; he takes such good care of you. You pull Jake’s welted palm against your bare chest, close to your heart. You squeeze his hand, followed with three gentle pats on its back. Just like the way he tells you that you are safe and he’s not leaving when you are blindfolded and tied up.

You know you will talk more about it in the morning over plates of French toast or blueberry pancakes, but for now, everything is good…..and that conversation doesn’t sound scary to you at all. You know that the man lying next to you will dote on you with nothing but pure love and acceptance. And that doesn’t sound half bad at all.

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*1: adapted from Stefan Zweig, Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman

*2: inspired by Three-Line Whip: A First Time Maledom BDSM Novella by James Hardcourt

*3: adapted from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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Yay! you made it! Thank you SO MUCH for reading :))

any comments and feedbacks are greatly welcomed and deeply appreciated.

my other works: Permission to Fall || Mariner's Complex || Ticked (all my boxes) || Love is a four-legged word || The Lucky Ones || Coming back to me || Warm Honey || He Would || Hold Me (1) (2) || blurb: Chin Tattoo, Ribbon Bow 🎀, post-show

[ronwestbreeze]

TO YOU , WORLDS AWAY : PART ONE : CHAPTER EIGHT

pairing: jake sully x human!fem!reader

summary: in which the rda strikes

warnings: probably angst.

word count: 3.4k

author’s note: welp…

AO3 | prev | next

It was almost embarrassing. Being forcefully dragged back to Hell’s Gate, pride stomped on, and to be questioned by none other than Quaritch and Parker. To say you were absolutely livid was an understatement. The last place you wanted to be was here while the Omatikaya’s home was currently about to be attacked.

After being uncuffed—though still heavily guarded and slightly manhandled—you, Grace, and Jake were forced to watch Jake in avatar form destroying a camera on one of the bulldozers. You did your best to not look smug, to not rub it in his face—and you really wanted to—because in the end it wouldn’t help much with your current situation. So, as usual, you elected to be quiet as Quaritch paced in front of the four of you, eyeing you with narrowed eyes.

Quaritch then let his gaze settle on Jake as he knelt down, “So, what, you find yourself some local tail and you just completely forget what team you’re playing for?” He glanced up at you, “She got in your head, huh?”

Grace turned to Parker who was standing on the side, “Parker, there’s still time to salvage the situation! We can—”

“Why don’t you shut your mouth!” Quaritch snapped, standing straighter to block her from getting any closer to Parker.

Grace didn’t miss a beat, “Or what, Ranger Rick? You gonna shoot me?”

“I could do that—”

“Parker.” You interrupted before the two could continue going at each other. “You really want a whole shoot out or are you gonna control him?”

Parker sighed and stepped forward, “Yeah, can we just take this down a couple of notches, please?”

“You want to keep your people alive?” Jake finally spoke, looking directly at Quaritch. He nodded toward Grace, “You start by listening to her.”

Despite your faith in Grace you also knew both Parker and Quaritch, the latter especially. You knew that no matter what she said, they will still find a way to get what they want. Which is money and to take over Pandora.

No matter what Grace said, they wouldn’t change. Because that’s the Sky People. The reason they came was for this reason, money and a place to relocate because Earth was dying. Your mother had been one of scientists that studied life on Pandora and the Earth on its last legs. Even she understood that Earth was dying because of the humans living on it and that it had been dying for years and now it was just catching up to them. They had been warned for years and it had gone ignored.

Now they’ve decided that relocating to a whole different planet, taking it over, and making it their new home was the answer.

If that wasn’t history repeating itself…

A video of Jake, must’ve been one of his video logs, came on the screen and Quaritch turned the screen toward them as it played.

“They’re not gonna give up their home. They’re not gonna make a deal. For what? A lite beer and blue jeans? There’s nothing that we have that they want. Everything they sent me out here to do is a waste of time. They’re never gonna leave Hometree.”

The video stopped. Jake was looking at the floor, Grace placed a hand on his shoulder, and you glared at Quaritch.

“So, since a deal can't be made, I guess things get real simple.” Quaritch smirked down at Jake. “Thanks, Sully. I’m getting all emotional. I might just give you a bit wet kiss.”

“You’re such an asshole.” You scowled.

Quaritch, unconcerned, turned to you with feigned curiosity, “And you. Your father would be disappointed in you, kid. Turning your back on your own kind—”

“Fuck you!” Grace placed her other hand on your shoulder, giving you a side look that told you to calm down. And you returned a look right back at her, saying “I told you so” before going back to being quiet.

Parker looked toward the soldiers that guarded the three of you, “Find them a seat somewhere.”

Just when the soldiers were beginning to lead Grace and Jake away, you began to follow only for Quaritch to add, “Actually. I want you to take Dr. L/N to a secure room.”

“What?!” Grace snapped, eyes widening.

“You can’t be serious!” Jake immediately began turning his chair around only to be stopped by a soldier’s foot.

“—She’s one I would suggest to keep an extra eye on as she is a danger to others and herself. I think it would be best to keep her locked away for now.” Quaritch told Parker without so much as glancing in yours or the others’ direction.

“Are you shitting me, Quaritch?!” You hissed as two soldiers grabbed you by the arms. One of them snapping another one of those red cuffs around your wrists. You tried fighting them off but they held a steady grip on you.

Grace tried walking forward, only to be blocked by another soldier. “Parker, you can’t seriously let him do this!”

Parker glanced from you to Grace and then to Quaritch, “She’s our best engineer, Colonel.”

Quaritch nodded, placing his hands on his belt, “Sure. But you’re always free to access her when you need an engineer’s input. Otherwise I like to keep her safe from all of this, Mr. Selfridge—”

“Damn you, Quaritch!” Grace snapped.

You glanced toward Jake and if looks could kill, the Colonel would be dead instantly with the way Jake glared at him. You’ve never seen him so fierce, so angry before. It made everything more real. And the more real things became, the more frightened and angry you became.

But Quaritch continued as if Grace hadn’t even said anything, “After all, sir, not to be too sentimental here, but I do consider her a daughter and I rather not have her in harm’s way.”

The fear was gone in seconds.

“Fuck. You!” You would’ve lunged at him if not for the strong hands keeping you held back. “Fuck you! Fuck you, Quaritch!”

Parker sighed, already tired of this, “Fine, fine, whatever. Put her somewhere please before I get a headache.”

Grace and Jake were in an immediate uproar but could do very little as they were also dragged away before they could do anything to protest it any further. You couldn’t see them anymore when you were led out of the Operations Center and down a hallway. You did your very best to fight their grip, flying out different curses toward them at every second as you were led to the second floor and into a bare room with a single table and chair.

The two soldiers led you toward the chair but you kicked it down before they could even force you down into it.

“Enough fighting you fucking brat!” The one gripping your arm tightly snapped at you.

You spat in his face in response.

The soldier that had picked up the chair spoke before his partner could do anything to you, “Careful, this is Colonel’s girl. Our orders don’t include hitting her just because she talks back, Mathews.”

Mathews grunted in reply and forced you down in the chair, connecting the red strap around your wrists to the hook in the table.

“I’d calm down if I were you.” The other soldier said as Mathews marched out of the room. “Or you’d make things worse for yourself.”

“Says the asshat working for a madman.” You sneered, tugging at the red strap.

That was when Quaritch entered the room. Your anger flared but you didn’t curse him out like you did in the Operations Center. Instead you took to glaring.

“Silent treatment now? Could’ve sworn you were talkative just a few seconds ago.” Quaritch chuckled, crossing his arms. You remained silent and continued glaring. “Believe it or not, Doc, I actually do care. Like I said before, I would hate for you to be in this war, especially on the wrong side…” He then frowned down at you, having the audacity to look disappointed. “But it seems you’ve already chosen your side, huh? Can’t say I’m not hurt.”

He was trying to get a rise out of you. You had to remember Grace’s words, you had to compose yourself, or else you’d lose it right then and there. All this anger made you lose all common sense entirely, and suddenly you were kind of glad your hands were cuffed to the table. Or else you would’ve done something insanely stupid, and right now you couldn’t afford insanity or stupidity.

So once more, you stayed silent but never wavered your gaze from his. You wanted him to know that you didn’t regret it one bit. That you wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again. That you were never and would never be on his side.

Quaritch, after studying for a moment longer, finally uncrossed his arms and turned to leave. “You’ve made your choice, Doc. Now you’ll live with the consequences.”

You did make a choice. But those consequences had yet to come.

Just before he had the door closed, you spoke. “My dad wouldn’t be disappointed in me.” Quaritch stopped but kept his back to you. “And if you really were his friend, if you really did know him, you wouldn’t have me fucking cuffed to this table.”

He stood with his back facing you for a moment before he turned his head to say, “I did know your father. And he wouldn’t want you in this war, kiddo.”

And with that, the door closed. Leaving you in silence and isolation.

Time was hard to tell in here. All you had to rely on was sound coming from outside of the room. And from outside of the door you could hear footsteps walking by every now and then. But other than that, you were left with nothing but silence.

The fear was beginning to set in once the anger had exhausted you.

A few minutes had passed until you heard muffled voices on the other side of the door. You strained your ears to figure out what was being said but you could only hear a different mix of voices and they sounded like they were arguing.

You leaned forward in your chair when you heard the door unlock. Seconds later it opened and in came both Grace and Jake.

“What’s going on out there? What happened?” Was the first thing that came out of your mouth when they quickly entered the room. “How long has it been? Did Parker and Quaritch—”

“Y/N, we don’t have much time.” Grace glanced back at the door. Once it closed she continued, “Quaritch is going to hit the Hometree no matter what.”

Your heart dropped, “Grace—”

“Parker’s giving us time to go in and convince them to leave.” Jake added, drawing your gaze toward him as he rolled up next to your chair. “I have to tell them the truth, it’s the only way we can get them to listen.”

You shook your head. Your hands twitched to reach out to him but you remember your hands were currently tied. “They’re not going to leave—”

“We can try—”

“No, Jake, they’re not going to leave!” You whisper to him, desperately. “This is only going to lead to war, okay? And the Omatikaya? They don’t even have the force to fight back fairly, the RDA is going to wipe them out—this is what Quaritch fucking wanted!”

You turned to Grace, giving her a meaningful look. Grace shook her head. Now you were becoming impatient. “Grace, you know they’re not going to stop. You said do your way and look where that put us. I can—”

“No, kid.” Grace frowned at you. “We are not there yet. We won’t go there. There’s still more time.”

Jake furrowed his brows, “What are you talking about?” He then looked at you. “Y/N?”

You didn’t want to tell him. Funny how the tables switched between the two of you. Now you were the one hiding something from Jake. Only, you were able to listen and understand what Jake told you about Quaritch and his mission. You weren’t so sure he would like the idea of you hiding bombs and wanting to use them. Pretty sure he’d do everything to stop you just like Grace was.

That was the last thing you needed right now.

“How long do you have?” You finally asked, not looking at either of them. “To convince them?”

“An hour.” Grace crossed her arms. “We should probably go now.”

“Will they even let me come?” You tried asking.

Jake frowned and shook his head, “We tried to tell Parker you’d be able to help since the people knew you as well…”

“He wouldn’t compromise beyond that.” Grace scowled. She glanced toward the door and sighed. “We gotta go, Jake. Tinkers, sit tight, alright? We’ll find a way to get you out of here.”

You nodded and watched as Grace opened the door. Jake’s hand landed on yours, pulling your attention toward him. “We’ll figure this out, okay? I promise. Hey,” Suddenly his hand cupped your face. You hadn’t realized you’d been crying until he wiped the tears away, “I’m not gonna let him harm them, I won’t.”

Really, you didn’t know why you were crying. Whether it was for the Omatikaya, for both Jake and Grace, or for the decision that’s been weighing on you ever since Jake had revealed to you what Quaritch had asked him to do.

At this point, you didn’t try to find a reason for the tears. You just let them fall.

You didn’t really remember what you said to him or if you even responded. All you did remember was Jake pressing a kiss against your forehead before leaving with Grace. Seconds later the door was closed and you were left alone again.

This time instead of cursing at the walls you hid your sobs into your arms, allowing the silence to swallow you whole once more.

No one else had come to see you. Somehow it felt like hours had passed by since you last saw Grace and Jake. You wondered meekly whether they succeeded and convinced the Omatikaya to retreat Hometree. You wondered, if allowing yourself this naïve hope would make you feel better as you sat here, useless.

It did not.

And for another moment, you found yourself wondering what your parents would’ve thought of this. Their own daughter, being illegally detained for standing up for a race of aliens, betraying your race as Quaritch would say. Would they have been on his side in the end? Would they have turned against you too?

They had both died when you were still quite young, still had barely any time to truly get to know them. What would they think of you now? Your mother’s brains and skills. Your father’s ambition and unyielding determination.

You wondered. And wondered. And wondered. And wondered.

A sudden thud from outside startled you out of your dazed thoughts. For a second, you were sure you imagined it until the lock clicked and the door opened.

The last person you expected to be there was Dr. Patel.

“Max?” You gapped but he pressed a finger to his lips.

“No time! Trudy already freed Dr. Augustine, Jake, and Norm and their heading to the runway. You need to go now!”

Max cut the red strap off your wrists. You immediately stood as he rushed toward the doorway. “Wait what happened? What do you mean you freed them?”

You followed Max out of the room, finding no guards outside of the room, and started rushing down the hallway. Better to ask questions while you are moving instead of standing there and wasting time. If you were given the chance to escape, no matter the suddenness, you were going to take it, questions later.

He poked his head down a hallway to check if it was clear before continuing, “They were arrested for treason a few hours ago. We’re getting you guys out of here now before anyone finds out.”

Just as you turned a corner, you nearly collided with a soldier.

“Shit!” Max hissed.

The soldier stopped the same as you and Max. After checking to see if there were any more soldiers walking around, you took the chance and elbowed the man as hard as you could, kneed his stomach, and threw his head against the wall multiple times before his body went limp in your arms. You grabbed his gun before his body fell to the floor.

Max furrowed his brows as you continued running down the halls. “You know how to use that?”

You rolled your eyes, “I was raised around military men and a paranoid mother. What do you think?”

“Sorry, I just never seen you with a gun before.”

You smirked a little, “You’d be the first.”

After a few more turns through different halls and taking one elevator, you eventually made it toward the door leading out to the airstrip. You opened the case and grabbed a mask, placing it on as Max backed away toward the way you had just come.

“Where are you going?” You questioned, furrowing your brows at him once you got the mask on.

“Jake says he needs someone on the inside, so I’m gonna be here.” Max pointed at the door. “Your job is to get the hell out of here. Now go!”

You didn’t have to be told twice. You pulled open the door, made sure your mask was on tight, and dashed outside.

Night had come, so it was a bit difficult to figure out just which ship you should be looking for.

That was until you heard someone call out your name. You searched the airstrip, ducking behind a crate before you spotted Norm and Grace were a few jogs away, leaning out of an active helicopter, waving toward you.

“Over here!”

You started running again. And that was when the bullets started. You glanced behind you to find further up on a balcony, Quaritch was shooting at the ship. You took your own gun and aimed at him a few times, making his aim sway a bit when he dodged your shots. That gave you enough time to speed up.

The ship was lifting in the air, Norm reached out for you as you got closer. You ducked her head when the bullets came flying again and then jumped up to grab onto Norm’s hand. He caught your hand.

“I got her! Let’s go!” Norm shouted as he pulled you up.

By the time Norm got you up, the ship was high up in the air and out of reach of Quaritch’s bullets. You crawled toward one of the seats and got in.

“Were you shooting a gun?!” Norm asked after you buckled yourself into one of the seats. He was looking at you and the gun in your hand. “Since when could you shoot guns?”

“Since always?” You rolled your eyes.

Once the ship got further away from Hell’s Gate, Jake and Norm whooped out in victory. Jake turned to you with relief on his features, his smile growing. And for that moment, you allowed yourself to return his smile.

And foolishly with your happiness, you searched for Grace’s matching smile. Only you froze when you saw her across from you. Blood stained her hand.

“G-Grace?”

Seeing how your smile instantly dropped, how your eyes widened, Jake looked toward Grace.

“Aah, damn it.” She sighed, wincing. “This is gonna ruin my whole day.”

You unbuckled your seat belt and rushed toward her. “Y/N! Shit!” Jake’s voice barely registered to your ears as you managed to take the seat next to Grace. You moved her shirt aside to find more blood on the side of her waist.

“No, no, no, no.” You trembled, pressing your own hand against the wound. “Jake! Jake, she’s been hit!”

You felt an extra weight come over as another hand pressed against yours and another grip your elbow. “Get a trauma kit!” Jake shouted to Norm.

“J-Jake, Jake, Jake, Jake—” You stuttered. This was a bad hit. And she was bleeding too much. “S-She can’t—she—”

“I know, I know.” He squeezed your arm, his voice remaining confident while you were practically falling apart. “I know.”

Grace grunted, “Damn, that bastard.” She held onto your wrist with her other hand as she continued wincing.

“You’ll be okay.” You tell her Na’vi. “Everything will be okay.”

Grace chuckled softly, “Ah, Tinkers.”

It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay.

taglist: @luvvfromme @sully-stick-together @dazedshoon @jakesullylvr @s-u-t @ssc7514 @cheari@tojigirl @nyotamalfoy @perfectprofessorloverapricot @erenjaegerwifee @naityelen @dumb-fawkin-bitch @raggedyoldwitch @dorck26 @nhemmingsf @biooiuygjjgfsrb @thatsenoughformelol@tojigirl

[kirislovelygf]

our spot // part 2 (kiri sully x fem!reader)

contents: wlw relationship, childhood besties-to-lovers, kissing, fluff, defining relationships, for the gay girlies

part one here

when the girls arrived home, kiri was absolutely mortified.

when neytiri landed with y/n, she quickly ordered her to go home. she was too afraid to argue or even say goodbye to kiri.

kiri watched as y/n glanced at her before walking into the dark village toward her tent. kiri watched and then turned to face her dad.

“dad, i’m really sorry-“

“what the hell were you thinking? sneaking off with that girl like that?” he scolded.

“wha- are you mad cause y/n’s a girl?” kiri asked, hoping she’d be able to turn the argument around on him.

“i don’t give a shit that y/n’s a girl.”

dammit.

“i give a shit that you lied to your mom and i, got your brothers to lie to us, and snuck out to do something you are way too young to be doing.” he barked.

kiri was absolutely mortified. she still couldn’t believe her parents caught her.

“know what, it’s late. i’m exhausted, just go inside and get to bed. now, please.” he sighed out.

“yes, sir.” kiri huffs and stomped back into the tent where her siblings were already fast asleep.

at least she thought they were.

kiri lied down on her mat with her quilt and turned to face neteyem. his gold eyes were wide open, almost scaring kiri out of her skin.

“jesus, neteyam. what is wrong with you?” she whispered.

“what did i do?” he asked as quietly as possible.

“you were staring at me like a psycho.”

“sorry. my fault. but how’d it go?” he asked. he raised his arm and rested his head in his palm to look at and talk to kiri more comfortably.

kiri rolls her eyes and stared up at the ceiling.

“fine.”

“come on. tell me. what’d you guys do?”

“we just.. talked. and stuff.” she shrugged.

she tilts her head to look at him and he has a knowing look on his face.

“and stuff?” he smirked.

she smiled and looked back up. “fine, i’ll tell you.”

she sighed. “we found a pool, a really pretty one. and we were swimming and.. i told her.”

“told her what? that you love her?” he said teasingly.

“uh- no, i just said i like her.” she whispered.

“hm. and how’d that go?” he asked.

kiri smiled thinking of the moment when y/n said she liked her back.

“she likes me too.”

“i knew it!” neteyam whispered a little too loud.

he slapped his hand over his mouth and the siblings look at eachother before laughing quietly.

they calm down and neteyam pats his sisters arm gently. “that’s really great, sister.”

“yes, it is.”

“sooo.. what happened after that?”

“we kind of.. kissed.” she whispered.

neteyam gasps. “no way!”

“bro, shut up!” kiri slapped his arm and he laughs into his arm, trying to quiet down the noise.

he finally looks up with a smile. “you kissed her?”

kiri replays the moment in her head. “i think she might have kissed me. but we did kiss.”

“ugh, you’re growing up way too fast.” neteyam whispered.

kiri turns to glare at him but it quickly turns to a smile. she hakes her head and looks up at the feeling again, her hands going behind her head.

“so is she your girlfriend now of what?” he asked.

“i didn’t have time to ask her to be my girlfriend because mom and dad caught us.” she sighed.

“oh shit.”

“yeah.” kiri nods.

“how long did dad ground you for?” he asked.

“i don’t know. he said we’d talk about it in the morning.” kiri sighs.

“welp.. good luck.” neteyam whispered as he turned over to sleep facing the wall.

“eywa knows you’ll need it.” he yawned.

kiri glared at him but it quickly falters because she knows he’s right.

｡･:*:˚✰

the morning comes and kiri is so nervous, she’s still. she’s still and not moving a muscle.

the family eats breakfast in silence and once they finish, jake and neytiri order their kids to go somewhere so they can talk to kiri.

she was horrified as she sat criss-cross on her sleeping mat, facing her parents.

“first things first, you’re grounded for a month.” jake started

“what?! that’s so unfair!” she says.

“hey.” he grumbled.

“kiri.” neytiri shushed. kiri huffs and looks down at her hands.

“i don’t care how mature you think you are, you’re not allowed to go beyond the hunting ground on your own. you know that.” he scolds.

“it’s not like we were doing anything bad. you guys act like we were looking for something to eat us.” she grumbled.

“you really wanna get smart with me right now?” he snapped.

“sorry.” she mumbled.

neytiri sighs. “all your father and i want to do is protect you. we were very scared when we heard you in the forest. we thought you were at home safe.”

kiri looks up at her mom with shame. “you cannot let this happen again.” she says.

“you will not. understand?” jake adds. neytiri was doing her best to stay calm but jake being so strict was making it hard for her. once he said that, she turned her head slightly to glare at him.

“i just wanted to have some fun. i’m sorry.” kiri muttered.

honestly, neytiri wasn’t all that mad. yes, she was angry with kiri sneaking out and breaking their trust, but she noticed many little things about her and y/n.

the way they held each other, looked at each other. she never thought it’d happen so soon, but she did expect it.

neytiri was pleased kiri found someone she was happy to be with.

jake? eh, not so much.

“and about the thing with y/n.. just don’t let me catch ya’ll doing that again.” he sighed, rubbing his forehead like the stressed out father he is.

“okay. fine.” kiri said in a hushed tone.

“alright. go ahead, get outta here.” jake mumbled.

the girl nods and quickly stands up to leave the tent. kiri lets out a heavy sigh and rubs her face.

that’s must have been the most embarrassing lecture she’d ever received.

she walks away from her home, passing by the back side of the tent where her siblings, and spider, were eavesdropping.

“you snuck out?” spider questioned.

“you got in trouble!?” tuk added, the thought of her older sister being in trouble being impossible to her.

“you kissed y/n?” lo’ak said finally.

kiri’s eyes widen. “you kissed y/n?!” tuk and spider yelled.

“shut up! shut up, all of you!” kiri hissed.

she looked at the tent and then at the village and started walking away.

“hey, wait up!” tuk started following along with everyone else.

“what the hell happened back there?”

“nothing! just mind your own business.” kiri snapped as they all marched through the village.

they ended up leaving the village to go talk somewhere more private. like a tree or by a pond or something.

the siblings kept pestering kiri to explain what they heard. kiri didn’t stop walking until theyr reached a nearby pond that’s used for when kids want to go fishing.

she sat herself down on a flat rock and her siblings sat around her.

“okay. you two know i snuck out. so, y/n and i went into the forest and found a pool.” she started hesitantly.

“alright..” lo’ak muttered.

“and uhm.. we talked and then we..” she tilts her head nervously.

spider and lo’ak look at eachother and then at kiri with a grossed out look.

“ew!”

“that’s gross, kiri.”

“wha- i didn’t even say anything.” she snapped.

she then glared at the guys. “and we didn’t do what you think we did.”

“wait, what do you think they did?” tuk asked.

“nothing, tuk. don’t worry about it.” neteyam interrupted before glaring at the boys.

“we just kissed. like.. more than once, but that’s it! and then mom and dad caught us and we had to go home.” she huffed.

spider and lo’ak laugh tauntingly. kiri rolls her eyes and waits for them to stop.

they start laughing even harder and fall off the rock they were seated on, rolling over the grass while holding their stomachs.

“haha, funny.” she groans.

they’re able to calm down a bit and they sit up. “there’s no way-“

“oh my god, imagine my dad’s reaction seeing you two. ugh, that’s amazing.” lo’ak sighs out, wiping the tears from his eyes.

kiri looks to neteyam to say something but he just shrugs. it’s funny, what else are they supposed to do?

“how long did your dad ground you for?” spider asked.

she shrugs. “a month. but that’s nothing.”

“yeah, but dads never gonna let you see y/n again. hope you said goodbye.” lo’ak said as he sat up.

“he’ll come around.” she said.

“ooh, what’d your mom say? i bet she was pissed.” spider asked.

“she was. she didn’t say anything the whole way home. and she brought y/n home on her ikran, i bet she was more terrified than i was.” kiri laughed.

“she definitely was.” neteyam chuckled.

the others laugh along with them before neteyam stopped suddenly.

“speaking of..” he muttered quietly.

kiri looks behind her and sees y/n walking toward the pond. she smiled seeing everyone and kiri’s heart pounded.

both in admiration and embarrassment.

“time to go guys.” neteyam said. lo’ak and spider were giggling the whole time like kids as they stood up.

“hi, y/n!” tuk waved.

“hi, little one.” y/n greeted. she looks up to the guys.

“hey.” spider nods. “hi.” she nodded back.

him and lo’ak look at eachother before neteyam shoved them forward. tuk follows them and neteyam waits a bit.

he glanced at kiri and then at y/n again. “hands to yourself, got it?”

“neteyam.” kiri snapped.

“gross, dude.” y/n groaned. “i mean it.” he says. he walks away with the others back to their village.

y/n looks over at kiri and goes to sit next to her.

“so, how are you?” she started.

“humiliated.” kiri sighs.

they sat with their legs crossed and had turned to face each other on the rock.

“aw, sorry. how’d it go with your parents?” she asked softly.

“i’m.. kind of grounded. for a month. so..”

“aw, what? i can’t see you for a month?” y/n whined.

kiri rolls her eyes. “not exactly. we can still see each other, just not around my dad… or my mom.”

“so, i can’t see you?”

she laughs and kiri shoved her shoulder.

“i just won’t be able to fly and i have to stay at home all the time.” she sighs.

“hm. i wish i could tell you something to make you feel better, but my dad was too knocked out to know i was gone.” she winced.

kiri laughs softly. “no, that’s okay. i’m glad that at least you’re not in trouble.”

she looks up at the girl. she takes her hands and goes to hold hers in her lap.

“you still had fun, right?” she asked kiri.

“i’m always having fun when i’m with you.” she shrugged.

y/n laughs and looks down. “you’re just saying that.”

“i’m serious. i had so much fun last night. exploring the forest, swimming in the pool..”

“hm..” y/n keeps her eyes on her hands holding on to kiri’s.

“kissing you.”

y/n smiled and glanced up at the girl. “yeah, i liked it too.”

“i want to do it again. but as your.. girlfriend this time.” kiri hesitated saying that word.

she’s dreamed of calling her that but to say it aloud was just something else.

“hm.. and how do you think your dad would react to that?”

“i don’t care what he thinks.” kiri shrugged.

y/n laughs softly. her hand goes up to kiri’s jaw and she pulls kiri into a kiss. their lips pressed against each other as y/n’s hands traveled to kiri’s nape.

kiri’s hands went to cup y/n’s face. her heart was beating so hard, she was fraud y/n would hear it or feel it somehow.

the girls kissed once more before pulling away. kiri glanced down at the girl.

“i guess we should tell people, right?” she mutters.

“eh, we don’t have to. i like the privacy.” y/n said as she glanced at the forest around her.

“it won’t last with a nosy family like mine.” kiri told her.

they laugh, y/n’s head falling on kiri’s shoulder just like it did that night at the pool.

the two girls end up walking hand-in-hand back to the village, y/n leading kiri.

well.. dragging. she was dragging her.

“maybe we should wait until my dad isn’t angry anymore.” kiri said as they entered the village.

y/n smiled as they maneuver their way around na’vi villagers, children, and tents. “screw your dad. i want everyone in the clan to know you’re my girlfriend.”

“no, y/n, i’m serious!” kiri grumbled.

on their way to kiri’s family tent, y/n told everyone who was willing to listen that her and kiri were girlfriends.

most of everyone was happy for them and some others, like old people or really little kids, didn’t care.

the girls found kiri’s siblings and spider talking in their family tent. their parents were gone, much to kiri’s relief.

neteyam spots then and smiled before he sees the two girls holding hands.

“hi!” y/n greeted.

“what’d i say?”

“shush!” tuk said, slapping his arm.

the girls laughed and sat by little tuk.

“what is this? you guys dating or what?” lo’ak asked as he chuckled.

“i wanted to say it but yeah.” kiri laughed.

“called it.” spider said, trying to cover up o he with a cough.

y/n glared at him and shook her head. “yeah, we’re dating.”

“finally!” tuk cheered. “uh- you knew?” kiri asked her.

“i’ve known since i was born.” she told her.

the others laughed at what tuk said.

“at least i don’t have to hear kiri complain about you anymore.” lo’ak sighs.

“what do you mean?” y/n asked.

“oh, you don’t know. okay,-“

“no! no, there’s nothing to know!” kiri interrupted. lo’ak glanced at y/n. they laugh quietly.

they’re definitely going to talk later and lo’ak is definitely going to embarrass kiri.

as the siblings talk to each other, y/n glanced at kiri. they hadn’t stopped holding hands since they got here.

kiri was laughing at something lo’ak said before looking at y/n. she smiled weakly and looked away again.

just seeing her made kiri nervous and she didn’t wanna be nervous around her siblings. and spider.

the screech of an ikran caught the kids’ attention. they looked up and saw neytiri and jake flying in before landing near where they suualy did.

“oouu, good luck.” spider taunted. tuk slaps his arm.

“be nice!” she snapped.

“okay! sorry.”

lo’ak laughs as him and the others stand. y/n’s could feel kiri’s anxiety in her palm. she gave her hand a squeeze.

kiri looks back at y/n. “relax. you’ll be okay.” she muttered.

she sighed and nods slightly.

the group went to greet their parents. tuk ran to her dad and he happily picked her up.

he carried her on his hip as the other kids started talking to him and neytiri.

neytiri sees kiri hiding behind y/n, still holding her hand.

she looks at y/n and greeted her by nodding her head.

y/n greeted back but not as one would to olo’eyktan’s wife. she greeted her as a friend.

y/n waved her hand excitedly at kiri’s mom with a bright smile. “morning!”

“good morning.” neytiri nodded back, sliming slightly.

the girl looks next to her and doesn’t see kiri. she sees that she’s standing behind her and tugs at her hand.

“what?” kiri muttered.

“stop hiding. she’s your mom.” y/n snapped.

kiri seethed and looked at her parents. jake had taken notice and looked at the girls.

“hi.” he muttered.

kiri sighed out. “hi, dad. uhm..” she looks at y/n.

“this is y/n.”

he looks at her weird. “i know that.”

the boys laughed under their breaths while tuk and neytiri glared.

“right, uhm- she’s my.. girlfriend.” kiri cringed a bit saying that. it was different saying it to her dad than to her friends or brothers.

jake’s eyes widen a bit while neytiri had a pleased smile.

y/n was prouder than ever, and it showed until jake stared her down. suddenly all of her confidence shrank into a teeny tiny little thing.

he helped tuk down and she went to neteyam’s side.

“you’re dating?” he asks.

“yeah.” kiri nods, y/n along with her.

neytiri was able to break the tension a bit. she went over and held y/n’s hand before smiling softly and saying, “that’s great, you two. i’m very happy for you both.”

y/n felt relieved and thanked her. she looked back up at jake with fear.

i hope an ikran flies over and snatches me away.

“hm.” jake eyes y/n suspiciously before looking at neytiri. she gives him and look and he just nods.

i think he honestly would have rather had kiri be with spider. to him, y/n was a troublemaker.

kiri was even more nervous now than she was before with how her dad was looking at y/n.

“okay. but you’re still grounded.” jake says.

“i know.” she nods. jake grunts something under his breath before walking away.

the girls look at neytiri but she tells them to shake it off.

“he is very protective.” she says. she looks at y/n. “be very careful with how you act. both of you.”

kiri realized she was insinuating the kissing. “okay, mom. we get it.” she said quickly.

neytiri laughs and squeezes y/n’s hand once more squeeze before going to follow her husband.

once they were out of earshot, y/n let out a breath that sounded like she had been holding it in that entire time.

“are you okay?” kiri laughed.

“i never realized how scary your dad was.” she sighed out.

the boys and tuk laugh and gather her around them. they started frantically talking about what just happened.

the afternoon passed by and eclipse comes over the forest. the only light is the fire from the torches.

the villagers were sitting around, eating dinner, talking, just relaxing.

kiri was in her house all day, because as her dad kept reminding her, she was grounded me. the only time she’s allowed out is to go hunting with her brothers and that’s it.

what he doesn’t know is that when they are out hunting, they’re just fooling around the water and scaring all the fish away.

now, kiri was in the tent with her grandmother, mo’at, cooking something. kiri was tucked away in the corner crafting something when y/n came to visit.

y/n walked in and greeted the tsahìk first with the formal greeting, touching her forehead gently and then holding her hand out. she muttered “i see you” before mo’at greeted her back.

y/n then walked over to kiri and sat next to her.

“i found something. look.” she sighed. she snuggled in to kiri’s side with a new discovery in her palm.

she opened up her hand for kiri to see it. a geode like the one she found yesterday for one of the kids.

“whoa, where’d you find this?” kiri gasped.

“it’s a really cool story, let me tell you.” y/n said excitedly.

kiri smiled at her and nodded. “okay, tell me.”

y/n continued to tell her about her journey in the forest, finding the geode, how she found it, something funny that happened on her way back home, and something else.

kiri admired her the whole time, how her face changed, how she expressed herself using her hands, how y/n would lose her breath every couple seconds because she was talking too fast.

all those little things made kiri fall more and more in love with the girl.

mo’at watched her granddaughter discreetly and smiled softly to herself.

she couldn’t get over how similar her and y/n were to neytiri and jake. or tsu’tey and swylwanin.

kiri and y/n stayed this way until neteyam came in and warned y/n that his dad was coming back.

“oh, crap. uh- bye.” y/n kissed kiri’s cheek before standing up and running to the entrance. she quickly said goodbye to mo’at before running out in a direction that jake wouldn’t see.

kiri sighs happily and looks at the geode her girlfriend gifted her. she moved into the corner closet and looks for a box.

she kept a box that carried all the things y/n gave her. rocks, fossils, human discoveries like buttons or jewelry like earrings.

kiri placed the geode in the box gently and then closed it.

mo’at spoke up. “she’s a good one. don’t mess it up.”

“i won’t, grandmother.” kiri chuckled.

she hummed in response. kiri sighs and thinks again, i definitely won’t

｡･:*:˚✰

[ohtobeleah]

Oh please don’t hurt us too bad Leah. Terms of Endearment is just so good! It’s like a bad car accident that you can’t look away from.

Welp—oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit. I don’t think you’re gonna like this one then anon because shit just keeps spinning out of control. Here’s some Jake Seresin angst so I get get the tension out of my system. As always here the Terms Of Endearment Masterlist

Warnings: Domestic Violence, control issues, a intense verbal confrontation between Jake and reader. Mentions of abortion.

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Jake Seresin wasn’t the type of person who had a lot of regrets in life. He firmly believed that every step he took was one filled with purpose and intention. Although he didn’t believe in a lot of things like the great beyond, religion like his parents did or little green men who roamed the galaxy, he did believe in the power of fate. He believed that everything was supposed to happen for a reason, good or bad. Whatever may come, whatever challenges he needed to face, whatever adversity he needed to overcome—he did so with the understanding that it was meant to play out whatever way it did. 

But if you asked Jake Seresin if he still believed in fate and destiny and purpose and if you were meant to have been caught up with Jaidyn Zeus Dolan? Jake would say that it was his biggest mistake not to have pulled you out before you got too entangled in the web of unfortunate events that would transpire. He would say that it was his own fault that you experienced everything you did in that relationship because he was the one that introduced you, set it up, and left you in his care. 

Jake Seresin would say that wasn’t fate. He’d say he failed you as a friend, as a brother. He failed to notice the signs even if they were written clear as fucking day right in front of him. He failed to see that if you stayed with Jaidyn Dolan your fate would be one that ended six feet under—and that was a fate Jake couldn’t possibly accept. 

“Thanks for letting me tag along.” Jake bumped into your side as you walked down the path towards your home. “Still can’t believe you’re pregnant.” He chuckled softly at the thought of you, his best friend, being a mother. “God you’ll be such a good mum Fe.” Your smile quickly faded when you noticed a few white trash bags on the curb right out the front of your house. Jake noticed too, frowning as you both approached them. You tore into one harpzaradly before coming to the realisation. 

“These are my clothes?” You mumbled as fury and fire ripped through your soul. “That Motherfucker.” You huffed out as you grabbed the bags. Collecting them all before dumping them by the front door. 

“I’ll take that chair if you don’t want it?” Jake tried to make a light-hearted jab at the recliner that had been thrown out next to the clothes that were just dumped into bags on the curb. He wasn’t all that sure what was going on as he followed you inside. He knew enough though that it couldn’t have been too good. You’d told him Jaidyn wasn’t all that keen on having this baby. That he’d asked you to get an abortion the second you told him you were pregnant. 

“Fucking Jaidyn, God.” It was coming out in mumbles as you gritted your teeth. Storming through the house till your font Jaidyn in the kitchen. “Hey—!” You shoved at his back, pushing him forward into the countertop before he turned around with an expression you knew all too well. He was about to have a go at you—only he stopped and balled his fist at his side when he’d seen Jake standing in the middle of the arch way. 

“What the fuck?” He settled with, he was always good at hiding the bruises he’d give you. Never in plain sight. He was calculated and strategic. He wouldn’t start hitting you wherever he could get a welp of pain from you until well after Odette was born. Until Jake was stationed in North Island. Until he’d separated you from everyone who ever gave a shit about you. 

“You put my shit on the fucking curb?” You raised your voice, feeling confident enough to confront him while Jake was here. You knew Jaidyn wouldn’t try it with him around. No. He’d just wait until later when you two were alone. “This is my home!” You reminded him, shoving him again, only this time he played pretend and stumbled back as if you’d actually been strong enough to force him back. 

“The fuck Fe!” Jaidyn retaliated as he looked over to where Jake stood idly by. “You see the way she fucking acts man, it’s psychotic.” 

“You can’t fucking do that!” You yelled, it was on for young and old now as you lunged at him, smacking his back and kicking him wherever you could. You knew that you’d get it later—but god you felt empowered with Jake's presence. 

“Yeah well— I want you fucking out!” Jaidyn shouted back as he dropped down and picked you up. Lifting you over his shoulder as you kicked and screamed and balled your first to slam against his back. 

“This is my house!” You sobbed. “I live here!” You screamed. “I live here! This is my fucking house!” It was falling out of you like a mantra of pleas. 

“Okay easy, easy easy easy—“ Jake saw that now was the right time to intervene. He knew you and Jaidyn had been having some issues but he’d never seen it play out before him. He loved you, how could he not when you were his sister? but he’d known Jaidyn for a good few years before the academy. They played lacrosse together in senior year of high school. Seeing two of his closest friends go at it like a pack of wild dogs wasn’t on his most recent bingo card. 

“I own this house!” You cried out. Tears flowing freely from your waterline. 

“Easy!” Jake interrupted as he grabbed you from Jaidyn's shoulder, pulling you back as Jaidyn stepped back with his hands up near his head in surrender. 

“The title is in my name!” You reminded Jaidyn. You probably shouldn’t have done that, later that same month he put the house on the market after forging your signature. 

“I’m not letting you live here! Not until I know you got that goddamn abortion! No fucking way—“ Jakes heart skipped a beat and not in a good way. More in the way of an aneurysm. Holding you against his chest, you tried to lunge forward but Jake's grip only tightened. 

“FUCK YOU!!” You spat. You could see the blood lust in Jaidyn's eyes. He was going throttle you later. 

“Look at you!” He shouted back. “All right? You’re fucking pathetic! You need to take a fucking personally god damn inventory!”

“Did you just say inve—you?” Jake saw his moment and he took it. Letting you go as he stepped in front of you. “You AA people are all the same, you want a goddamn parade because you stand in front of the other alcoholics and state the galactic obvious.” It was probably a dog shot to bring up Jaidyn's personal issues with alcoholism but Jake knew his mate was stepping over the line as well. “It’s the very definition of narcissism man—so will you please take a drink and shut the fuck up.” 

“Fuck up—!” You hissed over Jake's shoulder before he side eyed you. 

“Get to a clinic.” Jaidyn shook his head. “Before your shit gets moldy.” 

“Listen man.” Jake had really had enough at this point. “I’m not gonna get involved in your personal problems but don’t talk to her that way.” Taking a few strides toward Jaidyn, Jake balled his fist. “You talk to her that way again and I hear about it? You're done for.” 

Jaidyn Dolan knew at that moment he had to segregate you from your friends, from Jake specifically. He beat you black and blue that very night in all the places that could be hidden. He threatened Jake too—said if you ever told him a word, a single peep, he’d have no problem cutting his throttle cable. You knew he wasn’t bluffing. 

So you said.

Nothing. 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Bradley sat with his back against Jake's front door. His head lulled a little to the side as he fought off the urge to just close his eyes for a few moments. He couldn’t though, not with you and Odette sleeping on the mattress Bradley had helped you drag down stairs into the living room. It felt like he’d just taken it back up--but having you down stairs was the easier, more appropriate choice in terms of safety. 

He watched as you slept, Jake's baseball bat in his hand. Thinking of all the ways someone could try and get into the house. Bradley knew sometimes the lock on the front door didn’t work properly, so he decided that to give you an extra sense of comfort and protection he’d sit with his back against it for a while. That was four hours ago. Ever since he’d noticed you’d fallen asleep hugging your daughter tight, he hadn’t moved. He couldn’t. 

Bradley Bradshaw was a tired man, he was so tired that he’d started falling asleep for a few minutes at a time before jolting awake when he realised he’d allowed himself to drift off. He was so tired in fact that he hadn’t heard the back door unlock, open and then close quietly. He didn’t hear the footsteps coming closer to the living room and he definitely didn’t feel the presence looming above him. 

“Bradshaw—“ Jake whispered as he kicked his best friend softly. “Get up man the fuck you doin against the damn door?” Jake smirked as Bradley jolted awake, snoring out a gasp as he came to. 

“Holy shit how long was I out for?” Bradley looked over at where you and Dot slept soundly. Blankets and pillows sprawled around you both. “Fuck—“ 

“Long enough for me to come through the back door unannounced—“ Jake sighed, his eyes never leaving the space in the living room you had turned into a makeshift bedroom. “She get to sleep easily?” 

“Not really, said she was gonna stay up but I think when Dot went down Fe pretty much just gave in.” Bradley explained as he stood, rubbing his eyes as he yawned. “I think her body just told her to quit.” Rooster knew that if you could fight off the urge to sleep you would have. But you were emotionally exhausted. “You got here quicker than I thought you would? What’s the time like two in the morning?” 

“Three—“ Jake was quick to correct. “I was on the first flight out of Austin.” Silence lingered between the two aviators for a brief moment as they watched you and your daughter co-sleep. The hold you had on her was laced in fear rather than comfort, afraid that if for a second you let go she’d be stolen from you. Taken. “So my cars fucked is it?” 

“Oh yeah big time, complete write-off man.” Rooster smirked, tapping Jake on the shoulder softly as he pressed his lips together in a gentle nod. “He did a bang up job that's for sure.” 

“Fuck, I don't even know what we're gonna do Bradshaw.” Jake sighed as he made his way into the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes as he made a straight shot for the fridge. “You want a beer?” 

“Beer sounds fantastic right now.” It was weird to think about how far Bradley and Jakes friendship had come. They’d always known of each other—ever since their first encounter at TopGun. They weren’t inherently friendly towards one another, it always seemed to be easier to argue despite their many similarities than to admit they had nothing to really fight over. None of that mattered though when Jake had saved Bradley's life. He’d done it without hesitation either. Against orders, against everything all of his superior officers were telling him. Hangman however, couldn’t leave Rooster and Maverick to just die, especially when he could do something to help. Ever since? They’d been two peas in a damn pod. Jake was convinced he’d do it again if he had to, because now Bradley Bradshaw had a family. A girl who would mourn his death and a daughter who’d cry for him every night. “Thanks.” Bradley took the crisp beer bottle Jake held out for him with a soft smile while Jake pretended to ignore the swelling, cuts and bruises that littered the expanse of Roosters knuckles. 

“So what exactly are we gonna do about this guy?” Although he hadnt slept, Jake was determined to talk it over with Rooster, to make sure they were on the same page. There was nothing more important to either of them than keeping you and your daughter safe. 

“I already warned him that if he even looked in their direction he’d be breathing through a feeding tube.” Wiggling his knuckles as he sat down at the same dining table Jake had nearly caught you and Rooster fucking on, Rooster took a sip of his beer, sighing as the amber liquid soothed his temperature. “But considering the circumstances I'm sure it only made him all the more mad.” 

“Yeah no kidding asshat.” Jake groaned as he joined Rooster at the table. “You know I remember this one time where Fe had asked me to go with her to one of her early ultrasounds for Dot before she was even well, Dot.” Bradley could already see the anxiety and pain riddling his friend, listening as Jake took another sip of his beer before licking his lips clean. “Jaidyn didn't even want her to have her, threw all her shit out onto the curb while we were out and I didn't even take that as a sign that something could have been wrong.” Shrugging his shoulders, Jake settled into the quietness as he turned his head to see if you were still sleeping, you were. “I mean, how fucked up is that?” Jake shook his head, disappointed in himself. “And then before I knew it she was just MIA, gone.” Again he shrugged his shoulders, only this time he looked back at Rooster who still sat across from his listening intently. “I thought maybe she wanted space to live her own life? I mean we lived in each other's pockets our entire lives, so it made sense that because she was a new mum she'd want her own space with her family.” 

“He shut her out?” Bradley filled the drowning silence as Jake nodded in response, holding back his own tears. 

“Yep, and I never second guessed it until it was too late.” 

“It wasn't your fault.” For the few minutes neither Jake nor Bradley hadn’t been watching where you and dot were sleeping, you’d woken up to the sound of faint mumbling coming from the dining room. “You can't blame yourself for the crap I put up with Jake, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say.” You were sleepy, yawning as you spoke as your feet took in the the direction of where Jake sat. He was on his feet in seconds with arms held wide for you to walk straight into his warm embrace.

If there was one thing Braldey Bradhsaw knew for sure it's that there wasn't a single thing Jake wouldn't do for you. Watching as you accepted the warm embrace from the man who'd taken you in as his own sister. The two of you went deeper than the ink beneath the skin of your tattoos. And although you didn't share the same blood he was your brother and you loved him that's the truth. You were living different lives, heaven only knew, but if you made it back with all your fingers and your toes, come five years or twenty years, you'd come back together like nothing ever changed–things would always stay the same. If you were dying on your knees, Jake would be the one to rescue you. If you were drowning in the sea, he’d give you his lungs so you could breathe. 

“Hi–” You mumbled into his chest, pulling away after a few moments to look up as Jake looked down at you, he was trying so hard not to cry. His bottom lip quivering. “Okay, no, don't you cry because then i'll cry and then before you know it Bradshaws gonna be inconsolable and–” 

“Woah!” Bradley gasped as he threw his hands up in surrender. “Don't bring me into this!” It made you smile as he let go of Jake and made your way over to Bradley, taking a seat on his lap as he kissed your cheek softly. “Sorry if we woke you mamma–” 

“Its all good–” Your heart did a leap inside your chest at the term of endearment that fell effortlessly from Rooster's lips as he kissed the juncture of your neck, leaving small goosebumps in his wake. “Dont think ill be getting much for a while anyway.” 

“We’re gonna take care of it Y/n you don’t gotta worry about it alright.” Frowning, you looked  at Jake from across the table, giggling as you leaned into Roosters chest. 

“You sound like your in the fucking mob Hangman ease up.” 

“I already punched the dude so if he’s stupid enough to try something after that then he’s really not that bright.” 

“Yeah well.” Reaching out for Bradley’s beer, you took a quick sip before pressing your lips together. “You two never got to see the pleasure in that animal's eyes when he was caving my skull in.” The memory was yours and yours alone to bear the burden of. “So I highly doubt your warning would have done anything Bradley.” Turning to kiss his forehead. “No offense—but I really do think it would have been easier to just run than to stick around like sitting ducks.” 

“Sorry, what did you just say?” Jake sat up a little straighter. “When was that ever an option?” Maybe it was just the exhaustion taking, but that comment lit a fuse inside Jake.

“Jake—“ Bradley warned as you caught the sight of your daughter walking towards you. She’d woken up not long after your warmth had disappeared—dragging her comfort blanket behind her as she sucked on her thumb with tired eyes. “Now's not the time man come on.” 

“You were just gonna leave?” Ignoring Roosters warnings, Jake pressed on in his questioning as you got up to tend to Dot. Scooping her up in your arms as you stood at the head of the table. Rocking side to side to hopefully get her back to sleep before she was awake long enough to stay awake. “You were just gonna pack up and high tail it out of here like you haven’t made a life here?” 

“Well, I was prepared to go with—“ Bradley added under his breath before Jake sent him a deadly glare. 

“I don’t think I need to go into heavy detail about why that thought crossed my mind—“ You hissed. “But I’m not going anywhere, so just, drop it? Alright?” You were tired, that much was easy to tell, but tensions were starting to run high as the three of you tried to process the unimaginable. “I ran to protect my daughter once and I’d do it again if I had to and you don’t get to judge me for a second if I chose to do that you arrogant son of a bitch.” 

“Running away from your problems doesn’t make them go away.” Jake hissed as he finished his beer, standing from his place at the table as Rooster stood to stand between you. “Just makes them bigger, prolongs the inevitable.”

“Well in my case the inevitable is ending up six feet under or becoming another statistic in some domestic violence case study at some prestigious university somewhere!” You’d begun to raise your voice, so much so in fact you’d startled a sleepy Odette enough for her to start crying. 

“Here baby—“ Bradley cooed as you handed her over. “I got you.” Stepping out of the way so you and Jake could hash it out like adults. “You’re alright.” Rocking side to side as he worked to soothe the little girl. “Hangman, I’d back off if I were you, we’re all tired.” 

“Fuck up Bradhsaw you were just gonna run off with her!” Jake spat as he turned around to run his hands through his hair, taking a deep breath before he said something he’d regret. “You know what? I never should have gotten you involved in this crap!” Jake was just tired—he hadn’t slept since Christmas Eve and even then it was a shitty five or so hours. “I should have kept my mouth shut when Penny called about Jaidyn showing up at the bar—!” 

“What?” You frowned in confusion as silence fell throughout the house. Odette's soft sobs were the only thing that could be heard. “You knew he was here? In North island?” You tried to put the prices of the puzzle together as Jake stood there with wide eyes not knowing what to say after letting the fan of worms spill on the floor. “And you didn’t think to tell me?” 

“Rooster? Take Dot outside.” Jake asked, Rooster nodded as he took a few steps towards the front door but you were quick to race around in front of him, sliding on the hardwood floor in your soaks. 

“Take my daughter anywhere without my goddamn permission and I’ll fuck you up Bradley—that’s a goddamn promise!” 

“Y/n, I’m just gonna take her and sit on the porch swing alright?” Rooster knew you were just projecting your anxieties into the world, this whole thing was all too much for you to handle. “I’m not taking her anywhere, I’ll be right outside the door.” 

“No, no, don't you take my baby away from me.” It was the tears in your eyes that reminded Bradley how broken you really were. Reaching your arms out to take Dot back. Holding her as tight as you could as you sobbed. “Did you know?” Through painful heartbroken sobs, anguish laced your voice. “Did you know he was here and you didn't think to tell me?” 

Bradley didn’t know what to say, he’d only ever done what he was told to do by the one person who he thought knew you the best. Looking over his shoulder at Jake who stood there in disbelief at the scene he’d caused. 

“I just wanted you to have a good Christmas Y/n.“

“Oh god—“ cupping your mouth as you shook your head to muffle your sobs. “I can’t believe you two didn’t tell me.”

“Y/n—“ Jake thought it was a good a time as any to interrupt to try and de-escalate the situation he had accidentally caused. “Bradshaw was just doing what I told him to do.” 

“Oh good!” You raised your brows and you scoffed back Roosters way as he stood before you. “So you’d jump off a bridge if Jake asked you to as well would you?” 

“I don’t know what you want me to do here Fe, I’m just trying to protect you.” Rooster wasn’t going to argue with you and he most certainly wasn’t about to fight or tell you how to feel about this entire situation. After all it was your ex and you knew better than both him and Jake combined about just how far he’d go. You had every right to be lashing out. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I thought I’d have a chance to after Christmas at least? I didn’t expect he’d try to run us off the road—“

“He’s a psychopath Rooster, what the fuck were you expecting huh? That he’d give you time to sit down and break the news to me gently?” It was then you turned your attention back to Jake, stalking forward as you pointed his way. “And you, you fucking left me!” Jake flinched at your words as your venom hit his skin. “You left me when I was at my fucking lowest so how god damn dare you try play some version of a saving grace when you and I both know the only reason why you let me stay here in the first place was to help your guilty conscience sleep a little easier at night!” 

“That’s not true and you know it!” Jake spat back as Dot cried a little louder in your arms at the shouting that was echoing off the walls. “You know that isn’t true—“ 

“You left me to rot! YOU LEFT ME BEHIND!” The tears weren’t stopping for either of you, Dot was a mess when Bradley finally had enough and took Odette from you again. He just held her against his chest, rocking her and cooing sweet nothings into her ear to settle her as you and Jake went back and forth. “You knew what he was doing to me and you still left me there with no support system Jake! God I couldn’t imagine where I’d fucking be right now if he didn’t drag us to California for a casino party with his buddies.” 

“I didn’t know.” You saw the way Jake gritted his teeth, you saw the way he clenched his jaw and balled his first in anger, not at you but at himself. “I didn’t know what he was doing to you!” 

“Yeah? Is that still the web you wanna spin?” You scoffed as a pained laugh escaped. “That day you told me you’d been chosen for some special detachment, you still think I gave myself that back eye?” Jakes cringed at the thought. He knew something was wrong, he just hadn’t put two and two together. “Or do you remember that you were the one who drove me to the hospital? Held my hand and stayed by my side as I gave literal birth to the daughter he never wanted a bar of?”

“You did that?” Bradley interrupted as tensions slightly died down. “Jake, that’s—“ 

“It was supposed to be Jaidyn, but he was too busy watching the cubs game.” You hadn’t stopped looking at Jake as he walked towards you. “I’d been in labour for a few hours by the time Jake showed up—she almost came out in the car.” 

“Listen to me you little shit.” You hated that Jake was three months older than you. “I know I fucked up alright?” He smiled softly, cupping your face as he tried your tears with the pads of his thumbs. “I know I should have done more to protect you but that’s what I’m doing now.” 

“I don't think you know what he’s really capable of.” 

“He doesn’t know the lengths we’d go to protect you Y/n.” Bradley was quick to add as she stepped a little closer. Jake stepped back to hand you over to the only man he trusted to love you the way you deserved to be loved. “He’s got no idea what I’d do for you, or Hangman.” 

You had to take a moment to breathe, take in your surroundings and just calm down. Shutting your eyes as you inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. 

“I’m sorry I yelled at you, both of you.” 

“You don’t have to apologise.” Jake shook his head, reaching out to take Odette from Rooster. She’d settled down when she saw you had started to as well. The second Bradley’s arms were free of your daughter, he was opening them for you. “We’re sorry we didn’t tell you the moment we knew he was in town, in retrospect? It should have been the first thing we did.” Bradley nodded in agreement as you hugged him tight. 

“I think I need to go to bed, I’m just exhausted—emotionally and physically.” Bradley looked at Jake over your shoulder as he kissed the top of your head. Jake just nodded, gesturing his chin in the direction of the living room . 

“Come on, let’s go get some rest, pretty girl.” 

“Jake? You okay to take Dot?” You asked as you turned around in Bradley’s arms. It wasn’t necessarily a question you needed to ask because you knew that the answer was always yes. But as Jake nodded, you felt a little better for asking anyway. 

“She can sleep with me, I got her—just please for the love of god get some fucking rest before you blow our heads off.” 

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

“Okay do you want Banana pancakes or cereal?” The next morning was a lot quieter in the Seresin x temporary Y/l/n Household. Odette and Jake had woken up just after you and Bradley. Rooster was still waking up, lying between the sheets on the mattress in the living room after you’d made your way upstairs to have a shower and freshen up after the absolute horror show that last night had become. 

“Pancakes.” Dot smiled brightly at her uncle as he placed her into her highchair. Kissing her forehead softly as he tickled her underarms gently, forcing a giggle from her that was the purest sound he’d ever heard. “Dop it, Dop it!” She squealed as Rooster made his way into the kitchen, walking in the see Jake stirring up your daughter. 

“You gonna offer me pancakes as well?” Rooster teased as he walked by and gave Dot a kiss on the cheek. “Morning bubba.” He cooed, ruffing her hair up as he made his way over to the coffee pot. The kitchen in Jake Seresin's house was definitely the hub of the household. 

“Do you not have a home to go to or something Bradshaw?” Jake teased back, reaching into the cupboard to fetch the box of pancake mix. “I don't remember offering you a permanent bed and breakfast package?” 

“Funny you mention it, I'm planning on going home today.” He hadn’t actually been home in a few days, and even before that for a few days he had been sleeping with you in your room at Jakes. Braldey had been spending way too much time in Jakes for walls than his own. He knew he had washing to do and lawn maintenance to keep up on. There was definitely a load of dishes that still sat dirty in the sink and a load in the dishwasher that needed to be unpacked. 

“Don't let the front door hit you on the way out bro.” Bradley smirked to himself as he let that bro that slipped from Jake's lips slide. Pouring himself a coffee and absentmindedly pouring Jake a cup too. “You gonna ask Fe to go with you or?” 

“I was thinking she may want a little space today, but I'll see what she's up to and if she wants to come over she's welcome.” It wasn't that Bradley didn't want to spend every waking second with you, but he knew if he left to tend to his own home today that you'd still be safe with Jake. “She seemed a little calmer this morning though, guess the whole thing kinda rattled her huh?” 

“Oh yeah, big time.” Jake chuckled as he poured the dry mixture into a mixing bowl, tossing Bradley a banana to cut up for Dot. “I've seen her get worked up before but last night was a whole other level, she terrified.” 

“Guess she's got a right to be when this guys as unpredictable as she says he is.” 

“Tooster can I pwease have some nanna?” Dot asked as politely as she could from her highchair, watching as Bradley cut the potassium rich fruit into small bite size pieces before scooping it up and placing it right onto the highchair table. No bowl required because he knew she was just gonna make a mess anyway. 

“Oh course you can darlin’.” 

“Hey Tooster can you pass me the milk?” Jake snickered to himself as Bradley opened the fridge and passed Jake the oat milk, a faint singing coming from the upstairs bathroom as he did so. “I heard her playing the Joanas Brothers before, year three thousand.” Jake added as he watched Bradley smile and look up with a questioning look. “She mentioned having and everything shower.” 

“The fuck is an everything shower?” Braldey asked as he heard you singing a little louder, laughing to himself as he sipped his coffee. 

“Something she does when she needs a full reset I guess? Shaves, washes her hair, does a face mask, tans, leaves my bathroom looking like some back alley spa." Jake shook his head as he mixed the pancake mixture. “I'm not kidding, bet you ten bucks she's up there with a face mask on using her hairbrush as a microphone, used to do the same thing whenever she’d stay at mine on the weekends before my mum decided she was a little too much to handle.” 

“Ten bucks huh?” Rooster smirked against his coffee cup, downing the caffeine before placing the now empty mug on the kitchen bench. “Be right back.” 

Rooster missed every second step as he barrelled up the stairs, heading straight for the bathroom he could hear you singing in. the door slightly ajar in case Dot needed something. 

“I can buy myself flowers–” You sang to yourself as you painted your face with the cooling mint mud mask. “Write my name in the sand–” Bradley smiled against the door for a moment, thinking to himself if he should even bother interrupting. “Talk to myself for hours–!” You got a little louder, a little prouder with your singing, tone deaf as ever but you weren't singing to a crowded arena, just little old you. “Say things you don't understand.” Bradley gently pushed the door open, you saw it on the corner of the mirror as you finished off applying your mask. A towel wrapped tightly around your body after your very refreshing shower. “I can take myself dancing–” Bradley just smiled, watching as you locked eyes with him through the mirror and grabbed your hairbrush.  “And I can hold my own hand–!” It was night and day to the side of you Bradley had seen last night, he much preferred you like this. Dancing, singing, smiling and loving yourself. You had every right to be scared though and he loved you either way. 

Turning around to grab Rooster by the wrist, you pulled him further into the bathroom, urging him to dance with you as you turned up the music you’d been blasting through your speaker. Spinning around in Bradley's arms as he swayed with you and kissed your neck, he knew you weren't singing to him, but to your ex. You deserved love, but first you had to learn to love yourself first.

“Yeah, I can love me better than, you can.”

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Tags: @a-serene-place-to-be @lilyevanswhore @thescarletknight2014 @blindedbythelightt t @averyhotchner @emma8895eb @blairfox04 @caitsymichelle13 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @teacupsandtopgun @aemondssiut @feltonswifesworld87 @akalei349 @notjustsomeblonde @americaarse

[destinygoldenstar]

☀️There Can Only Be ONE Best Boy☀️ - Total Drama Viewer Reacts to Disventure Camp Season 1 Episode 4 “Slip N Slide”

I decided, for both to give my followers less of spoilers and for some flare, I would cheaply draw over some screenshots.

For the Purple Team's reward, they got a waterproof tent. But they neglected the fireproof tent as a result, and the producers weren't careful with last challenge.

Nick would be, understandably, terrified of the place, and Alec would be like "Wow, this is an improvement" but look at it so stoically.

So, welcome back to Arson Camp!

Let us continue with the chaos!

Fiore's chilling by the fires, probably writing some AO3 fanfics.

What fandom would Fiore be in? I'm curious.

I feel like this six year old would be into something violent like Mortal Kombat.

"A girl like you should not be awake at this hour."

*looks over at my clock*

Lilly you don't have to call me out like that.

"I don't even listen to my own mom and she thinks she can control me?!"

If you weren't six, I would say slay and tell them what's for...

But you're six. So...

"If you were feeling safe, I've got bad news for you."

Welp, Lilly's gone. I called it.

OH GOD NO!!!

WHY?!?!??!?! HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT YOU!??!??!?!?!

I feel like this was my fault because I made the fire joke.

Fiore was like, "You know, I had this weird feeling that some viewer named AnalyzGolden was watching us and she told me to burn shit. And now I suddenly have the urge to do it."

Goddammit me.

What next? The characters in that heading get eliminated today?

The subtitle again. I CAN'T with these parenthesis XD

(I have subtitles on because sometimes I mishear stuff when I watch stuff the first time)

"I'm not going to be part of this argument."

*holds back a laugh* Alec's actually so based for that.

Y'all want less DRAMA in TOTAL DRAMA?

Simple answer.

You just walk away from it.

"I think I know who did it." *Among Us Music*

*chokes on breath*

NO. NO.

DID I HEAR THAT RIGHT?!?!

*rewinds*

NO THEY ACTUALLY DID THAT. OMG.

THEY MADE THE JOKE FOR ME.

I was making several Among Us jokes last episode.

I feel like I've become some overlord and they somehow hear me and do what I tell them.

"For some reason Golden is telling me I'm very SUS... huh, wonder what that means."

Fiore if you can hear me. I didn't say you had slay pass. I never said that.

The only one I gave slay pass was Grett.

You have to earn yours.

"Lill?! What in queen's name did you do?!" *sound effect*

Okay. Now it's getting a bit crazy.

"I don't think Lill would do this to us."

THANK YOU. THANK YOU ASHLEY.

"It's about psychology in different kinds of people."

"It says here that people who enter reality competitions and get tempted by money have the tendency to become more ruthless and emotionally manipulative to their advantage, derailing their personalities. If you'd like some examples from the many seasons of Total Drama, I'd be happy to give you an analogy."

"What makes you think I wouldn't want to read it?"

You're six.

"Well... fair point."

Okay. I guess that's not a point.

"It's a drawing. My son drew it for me."

Alec has a family?

I mean he did look older, I admit, but I didn't think anyone here had kids.

So is Alec in this game to help his family with funds? We got another one.

'List of Motives:'

'Fiore: Abandoned'

'Ashley: Save Farm'

'Jake: Help Grandma'

'Tom: Sus'

'Nick: Prove Himself'

'Alec: Family'

'Everyone else: ???'

"I'm just as confused as you."

I have NO IDEA what happened AT ALL. It totally wasn't me who flipped. I was sure Drew was the impostor!

"Then what if Drew voted for himself?"

He said 'Fuck this shit I'm out'.

"He knew things I didn't want anyone to know."

"I just can't tell anyone about my hobbies, okay?!"

"As long as Grett doesn't tell either of them I should be fine."

Hey Grett. Maybe you should tell Jake something. Just a thought.

...

WAIT I SAID THAT AS A JOKE, HOLD ON-

"For some reason I have the urge to tell Jake something. Huh, wonder who this Golden Voice is."

"I voted for Gabby because the boys told me to."

Was it Dan that suggested Gabby??

*looks back*

Actually no it wasn't. I was gonna call hypocrisy, but that'd be me complaining about something that's not there. Okay.

Alright I won't bully him. This time.

"Nobody can be trusted here."

"Nobody can be trusted here-anyway, Tom, who never shows his face, can I trust that you'll vote with me?"

"I'm disappointed that Dan voted for me."

Oh, you're actually affected by that. Wow.

Okay, here you go Gabby. You can have slay pass. ⚔️

Use it for whatever you want to eliminate with. If you want to use it on Dan, go ahead. I don't care if he goes tbh.

I just realized most of my favs are on the same team XD

Oooh, swimming episode!

Tom is STILL in his suit XD

"Hey uh, Tom, the sun can't reach you if you're underwater. I don't think you need to be wearing that. You don't want to get your normal clothes wet, right?"

"Eh I never found use for a swimsuit anyway! Besides! The sun will dry them up quickly!"

"Doesn't that go against what you told us earlier?!"

"My relationship with the sun does not concern you! No it's not toxic what are you talking about?!"

But he's not wearing the hoodie anymore! That's an improvement!

I feel like we're gonna get a Tom face reveal at some point, right?

Oooh.

I didn't think there would be a cabin.

And a phone to call home? PLEASE tell me they take advantage of this and we learn more about these characters homelives!

"You're not yelling and talking nonsense... I like it."

Grett. You're so awful. I love you.

I have such BAD TASTES for favorites, don't I?

(Idk who the fan favorites/hated characters are)

That's not an english subtitle.

...I'm not gonna say anything further than that, cause I'm scared that the joke in my head is very offensive.

"What did you expect? Nobody likes you and everyone thinks you're crazy."

I... I mean technically she's right. Doesn't make it right to rub salt in the wound though.

I still love you Gabby. Don't worry.

"Have you lied to me too?"

"Of course."

Oh WOW.

I did NOT expect her to just be blunt and honest like that.

Why is a VILLAIN character so honest about what they do? That's such a unique character trait. I love how they're using it.

"For what it's worth, I believe you."

"You have no reason to lie. I've known you for a few days and you always put this alliance first."

THANK YOU ASHLEY FOR BEING THE SMART ONE ON THIS TEAM.

Fiore struggling to paddle, omg

"My hands are killing me. You think you can row for me if I pay you?"

Nick...

Nick, I'm waiting patiently for your character development. You better deliver cause you've annoyed me this episode and last episode. Jake's gonna take crown for best boy if you're not careful.

Also, she's a KID and can't even hold one paddle right.

"I'm already tired of always eating fish."

Yeah, that has to get tedious after awhile, especially if you guys are THAT hungry and have no choice.

I hate seafood. I wouldn't survive.

"What are you craving?"

"Chinese takeout. I always order that at home."

My sibling actually loves Chinese as well... I'm a Mexican person, though.

"There's a restaurant I live near that'll knock your socks off. We should go when this is over."

TOM. Are you... ASKING HIM OUT?!

"Hey, your eyes... they're pretty. I never noticed since you've always got that hood on."

AWWW AND THE RETURNED FLIRT?!

THE BLUSH, OMG

...yeah I kinda hope you kiss now.

This is how you make relationships Total Drama. You meet. You get along. And you be cute.

And I am waiting for this to go horribly wrong cause in shows like this, nobody gets a happy ending.

Except Mike & Zoey I guess.

"Maybe them fighting is good news."

"If we found popcorn it would be a fun movie to watch. I'm just saying."

"Honestly, a million dollars would make my life so much better."

"What would you spend the money on?"

"I want to study fashion design. Just don't have the time or money. Back home, I have to juggle two jobs that barely keep me afloat."

That has to be THE most relatable Young Adult experience ever.

I hate that I have a privilege from my parents to go to a college I don't even like.

Add that to the list...

'Ellie: College Finance'

"*Ellie clicks the check*

*Spawns an ad on USAA*

OH NO! THEY LIED!!!

Ellie's real fear is her finances XD"

I PREDICTED THIS LAST EPISODE AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT

"Dear lord up above, why must you forsaken me on a canoe with this wretched child?!"

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING!!

Stop hating Dan, me. He didn't do anything.

And two seconds later I laugh at his expense 😂

"It's not the first time I've done this."

"Back in my day we had to canoe rapids just to get to school!"

"Back in grade school-"

Oh my god and she took my joke.

"The objective of the game is to knock your opponent into the lake."

*shoves Dan in the lake*

"Hey you guys talk about this Golden voice lately, I think she's bullying me. Why you bullying me?"

Do something and don't be sexist.

"First showdown will be Tom vs Alec"

If Tom loses this I'm in firm disbelief.

He has ninja skills.

Why is Jake the only one cheering and supporting his teammate?

This boy is precious. Look at him. He's PRECIOUS.

"Next showdown: Grett vs Ellie"

Sorry Ellie. I do like you, I swear.

THAT WAS A ONE SHOT. GEEZ.

"Golden told me to SLAY. So I slayed!" 💅

"Next up: Gabby vs Lill"

Gabby for the win?

Oh she's GOING THERE

"You forgot: Golden gave ME slay pass too!!"

Aw, she lost.

I guess that makes sense though cause it would be too easy.

"Hey that's not fair! She used Gabby's duel stick!"

"Eh it looked painful though so I'll allow it."

Chris McLean taught you well.

"Next showdown: Dan vs Ashley"

Kick his ass, Ashley.

GREAT. XD

OMG are you kidding me?! XD

"We too are aware of Golden's presence! So we decided to entertain her with pinning the best boys against each other!"

"Sorry Golden, but here in Disventure Camp, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE BEST BOY."

OH GOD HE'S PISSED

NUT SHOT

I REPEAT. WE HAVE A NUT SHOT.

"Jake scores! The Teal Team win Immunity and reward!"

Welp, guess that's that. The show has decided.

Unless Nick stays, which is pretty likely, so.

FOR NOW, Jake has my crown as best boy. We stan a guy who has no shame in denying another guy the right to have kids.

"See that's my own personal true personality reveal Golden! I'm an asshole too, just like Grett! Don't you love me?!"

Yes. Yes I do.

"Listen Nick, can we talk?"

Yes. Please talk. Please work things out.

"I think I've heard enough this morning to decide who I'm voting for."

"You don't have to behave like that, Nick!"

Why is Ashley the most reasonable character on this team?!

TELL HIM OFF.

"At least give Lill a chance!"

"I've already made my decision. Cheers."

Now I have even less regrets siding with Jake over you.

"I think we should vote together and take control of the team."

And here's where Alec and Ellie become swing votes.

Ellie's just the outlier here. "Um... I didn't ask to be a part of the villains team, why am I put on it? I didn't do anything wrong!"

I didn't put you there, Ellie. That was not me this time.

"I feel like I can be myself around them."

Ellie meanwhile, "WHERE'S THE EXIT?! SAVE MEEEEEE"

"Lill, it genuinely frightens me that you handle kids."

Just shut up.

"If I had a kid, I wouldn't let em anywhere near you."

"And I never will because SOMEONE busted my balls today!"

Ashley, once again, being the most reasonable one here.

'LILL'

Yeah, yeah, we know.

'FIORE'

'FIORE'

'NICK'

O_O

OH. GOD.

'NICK'

I-

I-

I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS MY FAULT.

I SHOULD NOT HAVE PUT HIM IN THE HEADING.

I CAUSED THIS.

"Because you're one of the worst in the challenges. Also, I can't stand you."

Wow. It really was that petty.

Tom, what ninja shit are you doing this time?

Pfft. He's a bad spy.

"Uh, I am standing right here and can see you!"

Alright, that was Episode 4...

Damn. I shouldn't have put Nick in the heading. I cursed him and caused his elimination.

I thought they were setting up a lot of character development for him cause I felt like he had an interesting story with his parents and wanting to prove himself...

But no. He did absolutely none of that and continued to be a spoiled lazy entitled snob up till his elimination.

And like... sure? If you need early boots?

Why couldn't it be Dan? Smh

This episode took what I said last episode and said "UH UH. You can only have one best boy as your choice. That's the rule." And forced them to fight for that position.

But if we had to choose between the two, I can't argue with Jake.

Idk who the favorites/hated characters are, and I feel like I have bad taste. One's an actual bitch and very open about it. But you know what? Gabby and Jake are sweethearts who deserve to be stanned.

Gabby is fun. She's full of personality. People are outcasting her for no reason and it's sad. I want Gabby to use her slay pass and revolt. Girl has done nothing wrong in her entire life.

And Jake? Come on. He's precious. He's a sweetheart. Look at him. And he takes no shit apparently. Man has done nothing wrong in his entire life.

I feel like Lilly's going next just cause she knows too much. But if that leaves Ashley alone to be the saving grace of the team till the merge I can't argue. I like her quite a bit.

I also like that Ellie and Alec are doing stuff now. Oh how the tables have turned.

They both have motives that are quite empathetic. It's so nice.

Why you working with the demon child though?

"I didn't ask to be put in hell with her Golden! I just wanted to make fashion! LET ME OUT!!!"

#SaveEllie

If you guys want me to continue these reactions, be sure to let me know.

[gt-abby]

Mar and Jake- Chapter Ten

We've arrived at double digits! I'm so excited.

Sorry in advance for never giving Mar an opportunity at a calm and peaceful life.

tag list: @soakedmilkgt

chapter nine chapter ten (you're here) chapter 11

----- 2500~ words

Jake was sitting on the couch with his head down, his leg bouncing up and down quickly as he waited nervously. He saw Emily walk out and quickly stood up, with Mar following her from behind.

“Mar, thank God you’re okay, I- umm, are you.. okay?” He was stuttering, not knowing exactly what to say as he fiddled with his fingers.

“I’m fine…” She said, not really looking at him. Her heart was racing, telling her to run, to escape, that this wasn’t safe, but she did her best to ignore it. Jake didn’t approach. He waited for her to come to him in her own pace. He didn’t expect her to float over fast and hug him on his chest. She buried her face in his shirt. Shocked, he slowly returned the hug and held her to his heart. This was finally what she’d been looking for- his warmth and the calming pounding of his heart.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, this won’t ever happen again, I promise.” He whispered.

Emily smiled to herself. They really were the best of friends. In the span of just a week they were able to grow their bond so quickly, so beautifully. She was happy to be a witness to that.

When he raised her to eye level, he saw she was crying, but looking at him and smiling. He took that as a good sign.

“Welp, I hope everything is better now, and I’m glad that I helped, but it’s currently almost 4 AM and I really need to get some sleep, sooo…” Emily said as she headed for the door, but was quickly taken into a tight hug by Jake, who thanked her profusely. She gave him a light hug back, then quickly said goodbye to them both and left.

Jake yawned, and Mar also felt sleepiness wash over her now that the stress was gone.

“We should also get some sleep. Tomorrow is the weekend but I do still have a lot of work to do so it’s best to stay with a proper sleep schedule.”

“Yeah, I agree… I’ll need at least 15 hours of sleep after that. But… I think I’ll stick with my room for now. I do… need some alone time if that’s okay.” Mar replied, yawning as well. Jake’s heart skipped a beat when he saw her adorable little yawn.

“O-of course, Mar, what ever makes you comfortable.”

“Thanks… well, good night Jake.” She waved at him then flew off into her room and back into the clothes pile. It was too comfortable to pass on, and after a while of readjusting her breathing to a normal speed, she drifted off. Jake, on the other hand, felt he couldn’t fall asleep even if he tried. The stress was too great, and even though he did reconcile with Mar, he felt as though he still had a long way to go before she could fully trust him again. After all, it felt like she was too eager to leave him as soon as Emily left, too.  He lay there on the couch, thoughts floating around in his mind for hours until he also couldn’t resist the lulls of slumber, and before he could set an alarm, he was out.

—

Mar woke up to see Jake hunched over his desk again, and she dared not disturb him again. She flew over to the common area to see breakfast ready for her and even some orange juice placed carefully in a bottle cap for her. She smiled to herself. Jake was as kind and thoughtful as ever. She ate slowly, deep in thought, thinking about how life-changing the past week has been. She got shrunk, found out her parents sold her out to be bound to an evil god that was sooner or later going to break free from their prison and use her as a vessel, broke her leg, then learned to fly, then got traumatized by her friend. This all left a sinking feeling in her heart. Is her life going to be like this forever? Is it going to just get worse from here? Or was this the bottom of the barrel and she was only going to climb up? Unlikely. Slowly she will gain more powers and who knows what else will happen to her. But she did have someone to rely on. Well, she knew that, but she also felt the opposite. It’ll take time for her to warm up to Jake again, and right now she was very appreciative of the space he was giving her.

After she finished eating, she returned to her room, and wandered around looking for something to do. She found a small pencil on her desk and decided to go back to drawing. She hadn’t drawn in a very long time but she thought maybe this was a nice opportunity to let her frustrations out on a piece of paper. It was hard, given the tiny pencil was still too thick for her, but she endured, rather quickly getting the hang of it. Soon she filled out an entire page with depictions of the fire deity in several angles, mainly towering over the view point or with their hand closer, as if about to grab the viewer. She flipped over to the next page and continued on, so deeply focused on it she was filling page after page in a fast pace. She was so focused on her drawings that she didn’t hear Jake leave the house. Only when he came back hours later did she snap out of her focus, with the front door slamming shut. She heard shuffled steps in the living room and came out of her room to see Jake stumbling over towards her with something giant carried in both of his arms, and a large plastic bag dangling over his shoulder.

“What the- what is this?” she floated to the side to let him pass as he clumsily placed the giant box on the floor in the middle of the room.

“A surprise!” He grunted, cracking his back after setting the box on the floor. She floated over to look inside the box. He opened the flaps and the roof of a dollhouse poked out.

“What?” She laughed and he smiled at her.

“I thought you’d like a proper place to live in, your size, for some better privacy.”

Mar was at a loss for words. Jake took the house out of the box and placed it on the floor so she could have a better look. It was brightly pink, to Mar’s dismay, but it fit her perfectly. She hopped in on her healthy foot, seeing everything from the living room to the bedroom. It was made up of two floors, and even had a study.

Walking out she looked up at Jake, not knowing what to say.

“Wow, this is… a lot… where did you get this?”

“Oh, it’s second hand. My aunt had it for her daughter and after she lost interest she was looking to resell. A nice coincidence, right?”

“Well, yes, it’s definitely in great shape but… it’s not really necessary… this is a big favor.”

Jake smirked at her pun, and she, upon realizing it, gave him a disapproving look. He laughed.

“Besides, everything is made out of plastic and… so pink it hurts my eyes. I’m really grateful, thank you that was very very thoughtful of you but… I don’t really think I can accept that.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve thought of everything. We’ll get you proper furniture, which I’ve gotten some already, like a proper bed, couch etcetera, and I also got lots of brushes and paint so we can color it to your liking. What do you think?”

“Oh, well… I guess I can’t really refuse, can I?”

He shrugged. “It would be a waste otherwise.”

“Wait, what did your aunt say about you getting a dollhouse of all things? You didn’t tell her… Did you?”

“No. No, of course not. I just said it was for a project.”

“But… you’ve got work and university to worry about, why would you take up another project, especially for me? You really don’t have to.”

“I have to make it up to you!” He snapped, making her cower again. “I-I’m sorry, I just… really feel like I screwed up and… I just have to make it up to you… I hope that’s how I can do that.” Jake crossed his arms and looked away. She saw a twinkle in his eyes. Was he crying?

She smiled at him and floated to eye level with him. “It’s okay, Jake, I know you didn’t mean it. I still… need to get over it but I know you’re a kind-hearted person, you’ve been so thoughtful towards me ever since this-“ -she gestured at herself. “-happened. One slip-up is allowed, especially when you’ve got so much on your shoulders. Taking care of me is already enough to make it up to me, if it’s that important to you.”

“Thanks…” he rubbed the back of his head, “I’m just… I feel like it could never be enough. The look you gave me, I-I can’t get it out of my head. You looked so terrified. I can’t stand it, someone I care so much about being this afraid of me.”

Mar’s heart skipped a beat. He said he cared about her. Well, she knew that, given he’d been so caring towards her over the past week, but hearing him saying that out loud is different. She smiled.

“I care about you too.” She then hugged his face. That felt a little weird to jake, but it was adorable, her entire arm-span couldn’t even cover half of his face, but he appreciated it.

“Let’s start then, shall we?” Mar hovered away so she could see him properly, and they both smiled. He went off to the living room to get the rest of the things he brought.

--

They worked on it until nightfall. Since it was able to open up to show everything inside, they could paint the inside of the house. Mar could paint small details like vines and branches, with a paintbrush jake made especially for her, one that was the smallest he could find but also cut the handle up so she could lift it. Mar felt like she could trust Jake again, as they had a blast making the doll house her new home. They couldn’t finish it all just that day, but Mar convinced Jake she could continue on her own when he leaves for class the next morning. As he got up to get ready for bed, he saw the drawings she made before on the paper that was on her desk, and smiled to himself. He looked down at her, thinking how incredible she was for forgiving him so easily. The pep talk she gave him earlier really did help lift his spirits, and he was able to fall asleep feeling much less guilty for the first time since that night.

Mar was too excited for her own proper home to not sleep in it that night, even if it was unfinished. The bed Jake found for her really was comfortable enough, and even smelled good, as if he bought it completely new just for her. She thought of the money she had in her bank account, and wondered what she would do with it now that she was both unemployed and taken care of. Will she need to keep paying bills and rent or is it considered as if Jake was living “alone” now? She had to have a talk with him about it the next day.

He'd already left when she woke up, as usual leaving breakfast for her on the counter. She ate while scrolling through social media on her phone, and noticed it had low battery. There was no way for her to charge it- given the charging port was too far away and the charging cable was far too heavy and long for her to be able to lift it up. She sighed, disappointed she hadn’t thought of it beforehand to ask for Jake to help her with it before he left, or the night before. She’d have to stop using it to save up charge until he comes back. Until then, she’d continue their work on the doll house.

Jake, on the other hand, had a long day ahead. Both school and a shift at work to look forward to, he didn’t even know when he’d be back home. Oh how he longed to be back home and work on the doll house instead of all of this. But given Mar couldn’t work anymore, he’d be the only one providing for both of them, so he couldn’t afford to miss shifts at work.

“Hey,” he heard a familiar voice behind him. Emily jogged over to him as they both went to a shared class.

“Hey, how’s it going?” he asked as she caught her breath.

“Fine, but the more important question is how’s it going between you and Mar? Did you make up?”

“Yeah, sort of. I know we still have a long way to go but we had a talk, and she basically convinced me she forgives me. Anyway, I thought I’d use an opportunity to make it u to her anyway and got her a doll house.”

“No way, I hope she didn’t find that patro-“ Emily thought aloud but caught herself before finishing the sentence. It’s probably best if he doesn’t find out about that.

“What? You think she… she thinks it’s patronizing?” He began doubting himself again. Shit.

“No no, of course not, I’m just… wondering aloud. It just happened to me. When we thought that my shrinking was permanent, my parents also got me a doll house. I took it to mean they thought of me as a plaything and began spiraling into thinking they didn’t really love me. They had to get rid of it to convince me they did. I grew back, shortly after, but had to stay home for the next few weeks because I couldn’t control my shifting. It was so dependent on my feelings that I shrank and grew almost constantly, sometimes breaking things in my room when I grew too big. That made me feel even more helpless and THAT worsened my shifting. Took me years to manage it properly but, y’know, it’s all good now.” She realized she was rambling and finished before they reached the door of the lecture hall. Jake remained silent. Now he couldn’t help it. What if she does? What if getting her the doll house made her hate him even more? He’d have to hurry home after work.

It was too bad that by the time he did get home, it was too late. When he opened the door he found the apartment ransacked- furniture turned over, books and all sorts of things scattered around, electronics pulled out of the walls, Mar’s phone smashed, and his tiny friend- no where to be found.

[garykingz]

The smoke from the soccer boy.

You hated lectures, and you knew all too well that you could get that studying done better alone. So, whilst hiding under the university's bleachers, you try to do so. That studying becomes null when you notice the loud, cocky goalkeeper on the field across from you... and you were smitten.

Fluffy shit.

(AN: This is movie!Warren. Not the real life guy.)

—

Welp. Here you were again. You watched between the chairs of the bleachers as the Kentucky university students played their usual soccer – they were sure as shit serious every time you sat here and watched. You never watched in a creepy way; you were merely just bored each time you came here to skip a certain lesson. Or more, skip a seminar that lasted like two hours.

But since the boys gave you some little entertainment as you skipped, you supposed it wasn't so bad. Sometimes you'd bring a book. Or text your friends on your flip phone with a cute heart charm that hung from the bottom.

It'd been a few weeks since you started doing this and you wanted to feel guilty. You did a little. But you would've rather read or studied in peace under the bleachers in that time rather than listen to a lecture.

As you pulled your phone from your pocket to check the time, you smiled. Two hours was good. Placing your phone on the seat in front of you and pulling out a book you'd been reading the last couple of days, you leaned against a pole that kept up the seats. You hummed softly as you flicked the pages with grace; your eyes dancing across the words. This was better. Much–

"Fuck you, Warren!"

"You wish you could, Jake!"

Well, fuck. There went your damn peace. You let out a soft sigh before going back to your book. You were sure they would pack up soon. They had to. Right? They usually did already but you assumed this was taking longer for some reason.

"Lipka, aggressive touch!"

You could only make out chuckling after hearing what you assumed was the couch yell out. God, just leave.

"And that's a win for me~"

"Why you cryin' for, huh?!"

  "Ooooh! Look at that, gorgeous catch. By me."

Whoever that was talking the most was the one who kept pulling you away from your book. You finally had enough and closed the book with an annoyed expression pressured into your face. As you stepped a little closer to the bleachers to see, you glanced up and down the field until–

"Warren, good catch!"

Him? Oh. Oh, he was pretty. He was taller than the rest of the boys but that wasn't the only thing that made him stand out. He had his brown curls pulled back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck while wearing the most arrogant smirk across his face. It should've looked that way at least. But it didn't. He looked… like he was the main character to your favourite romance YA novels.

Your hands reached out a little as your fingertips pressed against the inside of the bleacher seats as you peered through them. This Warren was playing goalkeeper. Before you knew it, you kept your eyes on him the majority of their play. You watched as every now and then he would pull his white gloves tighter onto his hands and then wipe dirt from his face with them. You watched in awe as his shirt would lift just that little every time he jumped and stopped the ball. And he was good at that too. Really good.

You didn't know that you ever cared for sports this much. But with your eyes dancing over Warren's every move – you sure as hell liked whatever this sport was. …If you even remembered half the time what you were watching.

When you heard a bell ring and the boys finally stopped playing, your eyes widened. Oh, shit. Had you actually wasted your whole time watching this damn game for a cute boy? That wasn't unlike you to get smitten but the whole damn lesson? Reality check – you were supposed to be studying.

As you pulled your flip phone from the seat and placed your book into your bag, you turned to walk away when you noticed Warren with two other boys, talking and laughing together. His smile was… really beautiful. You were surprised you hadn't seen him on campus before. Well, you were glad to know your hiding spot was going to shed a little entertainment now at least.

And it did. A whole two weeks passed and you kept up your streak. The Tuesday and the Thursday, you skipped that damn same lecture. You did get some studying in – you weren't going to slack off completely… but you sure did abandon your book more than a few times to watch Warren between the bleacher seats again. Damn it. You hated how charming you thought this guy was. Sure, you hadn't breathed one word to the man but… you were just as sure you were going to at some point. …Right?

When you heard the bell ring for next classes; you picked up your book that had only been flipped a few pages since sitting down. Oops. You made sure you were going to read more next time. When you placed them into your bag, your eyes looked between the bleacher seats once more. And when you did…

"Warren, come on, man!"

You felt your heart race in your chest as you had your back against one of the beams that held up the seats. You held your bag to your chest as you clutched it tightly. He was looking over to you. No – he was looking at you.

Those seats weren't making you completely invisible and you knew that. But you knew they wouldn't notice you while playing their games. …That wasn't until that bell rang and your eyes met with his. "Oh, God," you whispered under your breath. You couldn't move now. You couldn't leave when they were now leaving so quickly.

The way he pushed his brown curls back out of his face with his gloves fingers; his smirk on his face for that small moment before he turned to you. He looked so serious when you met eyes with him. He didn't see you… He couldn't have. It was Warren; he would've smirked or given you a wave at least. It was Warren Lipka, afterall.

Ten minutes must've passed as you stayed there. You had to make sure they finally left. Sure, you were going to be late for your next class but you had to know they– he was gone.

Now; when that Thursday came around, you questioned whether or not to go back to your usual hiding spot while you ditched. You knew you were bunking off under there way before you even noticed Warren so, it shouldn't have stopped you. But somehow, you were hesitant. You were hesitant to be caught. …And then… as you drew closer to the bleachers and the soccer field was empty of players, you held your bag under both your arms in front of you.

"Look at you, that's some moves you got there."

His voice rang in your head and, annoyingly enough, it caused you to bring a small flustered smile to your face. God, were you smitten.

Fine.

You said to yourself before walking over to those same seats. Your shoes grazed against the grass and you made your way over. As you finally walked under as you have done many times before, you pulled your bag from your shoulder and dug around inside for your book. When you took it out and placed the bag on the floor, you were surely enough ready to actually get some studying in.

So, you thought.

When you looked up from taking your book out, you noticed a boy on the other side of the seats. He stood facing the field, back to you as he held one hand in his pocket and his other to his face. Your eyes danced up his body, from his jeans, to his red plaid jacket that hung over his shoulders to his– …His dark brown curls that blew in the wind every now and then.

Warren?

As the wind blew his hair, you noticed there was smoke spurring out into the breeze from his face. That smell… Was that weed? You almost doubted it was Warren for a moment before you heard him sigh.

"Enough of this, hm."

That voice. That deep, husky sounding voice. It was Warren Lipka, alright. What the hell was he doing? Wasn't there practise today?

You couldn't help but look through the bleachers at him, your fingertips pressed against the back of one of the seat rows. He was quiet. It was unlike him – from what you'd seen he was so enthusiastic on the playing field. But right there, it seemed as though, for what you could tell, was a sense of sadness looming over him. Sadness? Lost in thought? Something.

Watching him take a puff from his joint and pull it away between his index finger and thumb, your eyes seemed fixated on him. That man you'd been admiring from afar on the soccer field seemed very different from the man you were longing at right now. Like, somehow, you noticed a puzzle piece was missing from his usual charismatic front you'd been so fond of.

When you leaned in a little closer, Warren blew the smoke from between his lips.

Cough. Cough, cough.

Oh, no.

You quickly covered your mouth and took a step back, your eyes narrowing now as you tried to keep as quiet as possible.

"Oh, and here I thought you were gonna stay quiet."

With your hands over your mouth, you felt your heart race in your chest as you took a step back away from the seats. Away from Warren.

As you keep stepping back, the heel of your foot catches your bag and you fall back, landing on the grass. "Ah! S– Shit…"

As you wince a little and collect yourself again, your eyes notice sneakers now facing you on the opposite side of the bleachers. When your eyes drifted up, one seat, two seats, three seats…

Warren was looking down at you, pulling the joint away from his lips again let out a small chuckle. "You're good but no ninja."

You're silent – like everything you might've ever planned out to say to him had been thrown into the trash. Into the landfill. You had your chance and now it was ruined. You felt your eyes water a little as you pulled yourself up, bringing your bag with you now.

"I… wasn't hiding," you finally replied.

"Hm?" the man hummed, raising an eyebrow. "Really? 'Cause it sure as shit looked like you were."

You felt your chest tighten and your eyes flicker away from the man you'd been admiring over the weeks. When you gulp, you grip the strap of your bag over your shoulder now and turn around to walk away. You'd never felt so embarrassed.

"What's your name?"

You suddenly stopped when Warren's deep voice perked your ears.

"Don't tell me you're gonna walk away and not give me a name."

With your brows furrowing more and more in a pondering state, you part your lips. Maybe it was stupid to just answer on the spot. Or maybe it wasn't. But he finally acknowledged you. After all this time, he…

"Y/N… My name is Y/N," you finally spoke; your back still turned to Warren.

"You like hiding under here, Y/N?"

You turn around a little when you hear his feet shuffle on the ground; walking around the bleachers now to stand a small distance away from you to your left. "There's better places to ditch on campus, y'know."

"It was quiet here usually," you replied softly. With your hand still around the strap of your bag, you bring yourself to turn to him fully now. "Not until recently."

"Soccer fields are pretty loud spaces. Not great for reading n' shit," Warren explained, his voice calm and collected; but that almost made you more nervous.

"Not usually. Only when… certain players are there." Your eyes finally meet his and he offers you another smirk.

"You didn't enjoy my play?" he asked with a teasing tone.

You were quiet for a moment before speaking up again, "You're… e– entertaining, for sure."

"Oh, I'm real entertaining," Warren replied, his brows lifting a little as he kept his gaze on you. It was intense enough to make you turn away, afraid he might notice the flushed expression on your face.

"So, what class?" he asked, taking another puff from his joint.

"What…?" you asked, your eyes flickering to him for a moment.

"What class have you been ditchin'?"

You swallow before taking in a small, sharp exhale through your nose. "Art 1800s history. It's nothing I can't learn on my own time. It's just a lecture class."

"...Art, huh?"

You noticed the shift of tone in his voice when you finally turned back to him; your hand not leaving the strap of your messenger bag. "Yeah," you confirmed.

"Well, how about we hang out not under the bleachers on Saturday," he said; more being a statement than a question.

"Are you… asking me out?" you asked, almost as if you were making sure of what he was saying.

A small chuckle leaves his lips which causes your eyes to widen. Oh, no. He wasn't. He wasn't at all. You're so–

"Yeah, Y/N. Art student to soccer student. Sound good?"

When your eyes search his face; your attention falls to his lips when he smirks again, pulling the joint to them once more before flicking it to the ground.

"You don't–"

"Y– Yes. Sure… I'd like that," you replied, almost too quickly as your words kept going.

Warren's cocky smirk turned into a playful smile as his hands made their way into the pockets of his worn jeans. "'Aight, then."

"Wait," you muttered softly. "Why'd… you ask? I mean…"

"These seats aren't an invisible cloak, sweetheart. It was nice to have a cute audience every time I played," he explained. As his brown curls blew with the slight breeze, you felt your brows raise a little. Gosh, he really was… beautiful.

"I see," you replied, your voice seemingly more soft than before.

"Art. So, you know Spencer, right?" Warren asked, his voice perking up a little.

"Spencer… Reinhard?" you pondered, wondering why he's asking about that boy so randomly.

"Mhm. Get him to give my number to you. I'll text you later."

When he gave you one last smile, he turned around and began to walk away. As your eyes were about to turn away from him, you heard his footsteps stop.

"I hope I'll see you Tuesday still, though, yeah?" he perked up, turning his head back to you.

You let out a small breathy laugh and nodded with a smile, "Of course."

[the-afterlife-and-void]

Hello! Eh... Is this thing even working Blackjack?

Of course it is, you asked for it didn't you?

Yeah! Yeah! Welp, Hi! I'm doing this to record all things happening in this kind of... Afterlife, in case Jack forgets something...

He is having trouble remembering things so I think it's a good form to help him... Specially with what has been happening lately.

You can ask us questions too if you do like! Just make sure to follow the rules and-

*falling sounds* DEE! COME HERE! RIGHT NOW!

...

Seems like Peter is calling me- Goodbye for now!

...

Creator's note:

This blog is run by: @just-a-random-raccoon

This is an AU about Jack going to the Afterlife and loosing some memories for being in the Void for 5 years, there's someone who is also back. This AU is in Wattpad and AO3. This book is also in Spanish. You can ask questions in Spanish or English. I will translate them.

Reference sheets

You can also ask Henry, Legacy Jack, Harry, Jake, Roger, Rebecca, Blackjack and Caroline! As well as Davetrap now!

DNI: Homophobics, transphobics, racists, proships, y'know basic DNI criteria.

Please don't try to do anything+ 18 or something like that, alright? Don't feel comfortable with it... Dirty jokes are ok? I guess? It's dsaf so idk what to think but don't do it SO OFTEN and don't abuse about it.

And left all the questions you want I don't mind, just don't be angry I don't answer them in time.

Goodbye!

[bonkwosher]

Full Boyle - Yandere!Charles Boyle x GN!Reader

A/N: It's funny because I got a very similar Wesker request. Also I've decided to start just quoting the request & pinging the requester when they aren't anonymous bc this is more aesthetically pleasing :)

Request/Prompt: hello!! :) could i please request yandere!charles boyle x reader? maybe reader is a new detective in the 99 and is a lot younger than boyle, but he knows reader is ‘the one.’ maybe he ends up kidnapping them or going full-Boyle, thinking he wouldn’t have a chance with them otherwise. thank you so much! i can’t wait to read it and also make a rosa request! ❤️ - @flowercrowns-goodvibes

Contains: Yandere dark shit (Obviously), age gap (LEGAL), early Brooklyn Nine-Nine time (Late S1?)

The officers had all gathered, talking about what they thought the new recruit would be like. Scully & Hitchcock expressed their desire for it to be another older man to join their duo.

"There is no way they are going to hire another old-timer," Peralta joked.

"I want another woman here, I can't deal with Jake being gross for one more second," Amy spoke up.

"You're right Amy, another woman here would be cool," Jake joked suggestively.

"Okay, that's disgusting."

The group paused as they heard Captain Holt talking. He was personally showing you around the precinct. He arrived at your new desk, across from Boyle's, & turned to the team.

"Why is everyone staring?" Holt asked with the same deadpan look he always had.

"Are they the new recruit?" Amy asked excitedly.

Holt nudged you to introduce yourself, "Hello everyone! I am Y/N L/N, I'm fresh out of the academy & I am the new recruit!"

Everyone got excited & the group began introducing themselves to you. You thought you had met everyone but your new captain was looking around, seemingly confused.

"Where is Boyle?"

"He was just here, right next to me," Jake spoke up.

"Well, he'll introduce himself whenever he comes back. Welcome to the precinct, Y/N. Come with me to my office, I'll get you your first case."

The truth is, Boyle left because he was absolutely awestruck. He was too afraid to talk to you, you captured his heart without even saying a word to him. His heart was racing & he was blushing hard.

Over the next couple of months, Boyle managed to talk to you. Jake definitely noticed the crush & tried to set you two up. Possibly a coincidence, likely somehow Jake's fault, but you were constantly paired up with Boyle. He took note of your preferred morning beverage & snacks, being sure to bring you some when you forgot. You grew to like his weird quirks & your laugh was like music to Boyle's ears. You actually started to get a crush on your dork of a coworker. Everything seemed completely fine... well.

Boyle pulled Jake away from his conversation with Amy & into the men's restroom, insisting it was urgent. He checked under each stall as Jake stood with his arms crossed, completely confused.

"Boyle, what is going on?"

Once the coast was clear, Boyle grabbed onto Jake's shoulders, "Jake, I messed up!"

"What do you mean?"

"I went Full Boyle!"

Jake let out a laugh, "Oh come on, Boyle. That's nothing new, this could have waited. Welp, we're here anyways, what did ya' do?"

Boyle fidgeted with his hands, he decided to tell the truth.

You showed up just on time, you usually preferred to show up fifteen minutes early to events but considering this was a one-on-one dinner at your crush's house... you decided to be predictable. You knocked at the door & it opened almost immediately like he was waiting for you to knock. Boyle looked you up & down quickly, jaw dropped.

"You look amazing, Y/N! Come on in," he made room for you to walk past him.

You blushed as the man guided you to the kitchen table. It was set up very romantically with roses. You were shocked to say the least, the two of you were supposedly just having a casual dinner.

"What's all this?"

"Only the best for you, Y/N. Speaking of, I'll go get the food! Please, have a seat," Boyle pulled a chair out for you as you spoke.

Once you sat down, Boyle headed to the kitchen & returned with two plates of beautiful food.

He set a plate in front of you first, "Please, dig in."

You happily obliged him & began eating the food. It tasted even better than it looked. Boyle almost forgot to eat, addicted to your reactions to something he worked so hard to give you. As the food slowly but surely dwindled & the wine disappeared from your glass, Boyle's confidence grew. He decided it was time.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?" You looked up, cheeks rosy from the wine.

His eyes softened, his brain pulled to other thoughts, "I love you."

You were taken aback. You liked the man, yes, but this was a jump. You thought he might like you, but love you? That's a lot. Maybe he misspoke? Well, you do like him... maybe just roll with it?

"I'm sorry," Boyle spoke, dragging you from your thoughts, you hadn't noticed your weird expression as you thought about the topic at hand.

"No, Charles, it's okay. I-" You began.

"No, I'm sorry. Let me get you more wine."

Boyle took your glass & returned to the safe space that was his kitchen. In a moment of anxiety, he made a stupid decision. He couldn't lose you, not over some slip-up. You weren't leaving. He grabbed some NyQuil from the cabinet & poured it into your wine before returning to the table. He set your glass down in front of you before sitting back down. You awkwardly grabbed the glass & swirled it a little bit.

"Look, Boyle," you spoke slowly, trying to find the right words, "Love is a strong word, but hey, I do like you a lot."

Boyle's eyes widened. He misread the situation. It was too late to stop you, the glass touching your lips the moment you finished speaking.

You shook your head, adjusting to the new taste, "Was that the same bottle? That tasted... different?"

"Oh yeah, it was, um, heavier on the grapes?"

"Huh, that is odd," you were already feeling drowsy from the sheer amount of sleep meds, "I feel... off."

Your worst fears flooded your mind. Did Boyle drug you to take advantage of you? He wouldn't do that, would he?

"I should get home- before I get you sick," you struggled to come up with a believable excuse.

"Oh, nonsense," the man across from you stammered, quickly minimizing the distance between you, "You should lay down if you feel weird though. Would you prefer the couch or my bed?"

Poor guy didn't mean to make the situation worse, he just wanted to go back in time right now. You pulled away from Boyle's embrace, really only scaring him more.

"No, I should just take an uber home. This feels really bad. I don't want to be a burden. Plus, work tomorrow!" You were rambling at this point.

"Y/N, please, just lay down on the couch. I can make you some soup or get you some medicine!"

"Boyle, I want to go home," You head was spinning, staying awake becoming a difficult task.

"Y/N, please-" Boyle tried to grab your arm.

As you ripped away from his grasp, you fell back. Your head hit the floor, it wasn't a big hit. It was enough to daze you though. You looked up at Boyle before finally losing the fight against sleep. You were now out cold on the floor of Boyle's hallway.

Boyle paused as he noticed how crazy he looked, "Nothing- It's nothing."

"Oh come on man, I know how bad you can be. It's not like you kidnaped Y/N or-"

Boyle let out an obnoxiously fake laugh, "No, I wouldn't do that."

"Boyle," Jake now sounded serious, he saw through the laugh.

"What?"

"You did not."

"I didn't," Boyle nodded.

"Don't lie to me, Boyle."

"Who, me? I could never lie! Ring ring ring! Woah, is that my phone?" Boyle laughed awkwardly before running out of the room.

Later that day, Captain Holt stepped out of his office. He looked around for a moment, silently, gaining Amy's interest.

"What is it, Captain?" She asked.

"Oh, Y/N just didn't call in for work. I was checking if they just forgot to clock in & were here all along."

A/N: I am so sorry that this took so long, I have been busy with school, other requests, & being too drained to write. I finally did it! I hope it lived up to expectations!

[autumntouched]

Every Time It Comes Around Pt.II

Fic Summary: Hangman and Phoenix have a lot of growing up to do from the first time they meet. Four times Hangman and Phoenix could have realized there is more than insults and competition between them and one time they do.

aka Hangman and Phoenix are messyyyy. but then they grow up. kind of.

Pairings: Phoenix/Hangman, Phoenix/Rooster

Warnings: 18+, NSFW. Language, alcohol consumption, SMUT (Rooster)

A/N: Welp, this one went from a drabble to a saga real fast. Like got way way way out of control. Went from one shot to two chapter I definitely stretched some of the themes. All in good fun...hopefully. From my head to the page with few edits.

Did I try to read a fighter pilot manual to understand maneuvers? Yes. Is the part about flying accurate? NO. Also, I don’t snowboard so please forgive me.

Comments/reblogs appreciated xx

Playlist: Here’s the playlist for this chapter! Some of the themes have direct references to songs and for others, the songs served as inspiration.

The first time it happens, it’s an accident.

Natasha tears off her helmet in frustration. A whole week of working on a maneuver, and she’s still getting it wrong. Well, not wrong exactly but she’s watched several pilots in the class ahead do it without bleeding as much speed as she is. And by several, that really means Seresin. 

Becker shoves past her on his way down the flight line. “What the hell is your problem, Trace? I told you we had it over an hour ago. Make me freaking late for my date with your little miss perfect show up there.” 

She holds back a retort and once again wishes she’d been paired with Bradshaw for the week. No matter how long it took or what his plans were, he would have kept at it with her until they got it. Angrily, she tugs at the zipper of her flight suit to try to find some relief from the cloying, Mississippi humidity that’s swamped her undershirt and soaked her bra.

“Why helloooo Little Miss Perfect,” someone drawls, and the end of her day really couldn’t get worse because here comes Jake Seresin himself to rub in the fact that he’s watched her fly like shit. Only a few more weeks before he heads to his first duty station, and she can’t wait to get him out of her hair. He strolls out from behind one of the planes at the end of the row.

“Shove it,” she snaps, not at all in the mood after dealing with Becker’s snideness. Seresin’s already changed out of his Navy uniform and into his preppy one of a white t-shirt, pastel chino shorts, and boat shoes, which means he stuck around just to be a pain in her ass. 

He smiles smugly and uses his tongue to flip the toothpick in his mouth. “Guess I can go shove the little secret I was going to share with you then too?” 

“It’s not a secret you’re an asshole.” 

“Well someone’s a little more Little Miss Cranky this evening. I thought you might want to know what you’re doing wrong up there.” 

Her flight gear’s getting heavy and her patience even shorter, but her curiosity wins out. “And what’s in it for you, if you tell me?” 

Seresin flips his toothpick again and smirks. “Knowing you’re the best because of me.” 

Natasha scoffs and adjusts her things. “Your magnanimity is astounding. No. I’m good.” She stomps off. 

“You know, you can be so condescending when you’re annoyed,” he says, keeping up with her. 

“Too bad that’s a problem only you have to deal with,” she shrugs.

“So I guess you’re sleeping easy about those upcoming rankings then?”

Damn it. He has her there. If she wants to stay in at least the top three, she’s going to have to pull ahead of Hewitt and, for a buffer, Singh. 

“I’ll manage,” she grits out. She’ll spend all weekend rereading the manual cover to cover if she has to to figure it out. 

“Do you like barbecue?” he asks out of nowhere. She stops again and looks over at him. Seresin narrows his eyes. “Actually, remind me where you’re from again. You might not even be qualified to judge what barbecue is.” 

“California, and I know–.” 

“Oh no. No, you don’t.” 

“Now who’s condescending?” 

“Buy me dinner, and I’ll give you that secret. Fair exchange.” He slides his hands into his pockets while she considers what she has to lose. Or gain. 

“Fine.” She showers quickly and meets him outside in his Jeep, feeling much cooler in a tank top, cutoff shorts, and Vans. He keeps the aux on low as they leave the base. It’s a country playlist, not something she listens to unless she’s hanging out with her cousins. 

“So, do I get to know this secret before or after we eat?” she asks. 

Hangman props his left elbow on the door. “It’s all business with you, isn’t it, Trace?” 

“With you, yes,” she says, stretching out her legs. “I don’t need anything about me lobbed back in my face at some point.” He seems taken aback. She has no idea why when he’s made it his mission to antagonize the hell out of her every chance he gets. “But if you want to get personal, tell me what it takes to be a so-called qualified judge of barbecue.”

As much as she doesn’t want to be, she’s impressed to realize he wasn’t entirely being a dick when it comes to how much he knows. His enthusiasm cracks some of his cool exterior, and Natasha actually learns something about regional styles and methods. They seem to realize at the same moment that they might be enjoying the conversation, and Seresin trails off.  

Fortunately, Natasha finally recognizes one of the songs on his playlist. She laughs. “Well, this is appropriate.” When he looks over with a question pinched between his brows, she points to her shirt. “Barbecue Stain!” 

“It’s called ‘Something Like That,’ Trace,” he corrects her, but Seresin grins and turns the volume up as Tim McGraw sings: 

“A sailor sky made a perfect sunset/And that’s the day I’ll never forget…”

He starts to sing along with the chorus. “I had a barbecue stain on my white t-shirt. She was killing me in that miniskirt.” He glances over at her with a smirk, and she rolls her eyes. 

Harmonizing just to show off a little, she joins in. “Skippin’ rocks on the river by the railroad tracks. She had a suntan line and red lipstick. I worked so hard for that first kiss, and a heart don’t forget something like that.” 

Natasha stops singing as soon as he drops off. He insists that she keep going though, nodding and tapping along on his steering wheel while she finishes the song. 

When the smoky smell of barbecue hits her nose, she sits up to search the roadside for their destination. Seresin smiles. “You know it’s the real deal if you can smell it before you see it.” 

Not too long after he pulls off into a gravel covered area beside what she can only describe as a nondescript shack with four picnic tables out front. Still, three of the tables are nearly full. A large, faded hand painted sign propped against the side of the building reads “Leroy’s BBQ.”

“Guess I should’ve checked to see if you had plans to murder me before I agreed to this,” she jokes, peering past him through the window. 

He turns off his car and undoes his seatbelt. “If you want the good stuff, you have to go where people just go for the food. Looks like we’re catching the end of the dinner rush. You’re going to want to get the red velvet, but I guarantee you’ll need it to go. Oh, and this.” He reaches over and retrieves a can of bug spray from the glove compartment. Outside, they spray themselves down.

Natasha follows him up to the window. 

“My man!” exclaims the elderly Black man behind the counter as soon as Seresin walks up. He wears a black baseball cap over his graying hair, frameless glasses, and an old red “Leroy’s BBQ” t-shirt that hangs off him as if even broader shoulders and chest once filled it. “How’s it goin’, Mr. Pilot?” 

Seresin leans on the ledge that runs beneath the window like this is a regular ritual for them. “Not bad, Mr. Leroy.” There’s more respect in his voice than he gives even most senior officers. His Texas twang is also more pronounced, and she can’t tell if he’s dialing it up here or tones it down around everyone else. “How’s it going? Where’s Ma Lu?” 

“Business good, so we good,” Mr. Leroy says, bowing his head slightly. “Don’t worry. She made me put your potato salad aside before we run out. Lu’s over helpin’ her sister tonight. She threw out her back, says she did it lifting somethin’ heavy, but I told Lu that woman probably wasn’t lifting nothing heavier than her skirt. If you know what I mean.” 

Natasha covers her smile with her hand, appreciating that he’s found the politest way to say something so rude. Mr. Leroy cackles but noticing Seresin laugh somewhat half-heartedly, he leans forward. “Wait a minute now, Ensign, this beauty here with you? Hello there, Miss. Whowee, you must be somebody real special because–.”

Horrified, she backpedals away from Seresin so fast that she nearly topples into the couple in line behind them. “No, I–.”

“She works with me,” he jumps in, a tinge of pink in his cheeks when he has to grab her upper arm to reel her back from losing her footing. “Don’t get me in trouble, Mr. Leroy. She gives me enough of it already.” He drops her arm like it’s a hot engine and takes a step away. Then puts his hands in his pockets for good measure. “‘Scuse my bad manners for not introducing her sooner. This is Ensign Natasha Trace. We fly together.” 

Mr. Leroy looks between them and decides very clearly to keep something to himself. But there’s a knowing lift to his shaggy eyebrows. Another protest rises to her lips, but she pushes it down. They’ve made their point. “Well, real pleasure to meet you, Ensign Trace. Imma have to tell my grandbaby I got to meet a girl Navy pilot today. Isn’t that something else! What can I get y’all?”

Natasha mentally resets and forces herself to push through the awkward moment. “A red velvet to go, and what would you recommend for someone who apparently knows nothing about barbecue?” she jabs at Seresin.

He smiles sheepishly when Mr. Leroy scowls. “He tell you that, Miss Ensign? Don’t pay him no mind. I’ll fix you something good so you know all about it.”

As soon as she’s paid, she suggests saving them seats and escapes before Seresin can answer. His flying tips better be worth it. The sun’s beginning to lower, tinting the sky with vibrant pink and purple, when she slides onto the bench at the end of one of the tables and swings her feet up to hold the seat across from it. Mosquitoes buzz loudly past her ear and around her arms. She slaps them away, grateful for a reason to be slightly annoyed by the time Seresin comes over with two plates sagging under the weight of their food.

Any chagrin melts away with her first bite of the brisket. Sweet, tangy, and tender it falls apart into a mouthful of flavor at the slightest touch of her teeth. A delightful kick of spice tails the first wave of flavors. 

“Good, isn’t it?” he asks, lips already covered in barbecue sauce. 

She nods, mouth too full to respond. He lets her try everything on her plate before he dives into the promised information. With the same enthusiasm he had in the car, he explains and demonstrates with his hand how to adjust her speed on entry to angle her plane to minimize air resistance as fast as possible and accelerate through the direction shift. When she asks, he also points out several other areas where she could make a few adjustments for better results. 

Plenty of the guys have tried to tell her how to fly, even when she’s outflown them, but Seresin’s eye is impressively sharp. He can tell her exactly what she’s doing in the cockpit and how it’s impacting her outcome. 

Dusk has fallen around them, the sunlight replaced by floodlights from the shack’s overhang. Insects rattle and whir loudly over the chatter of the other patrons and the occasional car passing along the two lane highway. She feels her shirt start to cling to the sweat on her lower back, but Seresin looks unfazed by the heat as he takes a deep pull from his beer. The front of his dirty blond hair lays flat across his forehead, and in the dimmer light, his normally taunting douchebagness softens into something almost resembling sweet and playful. 

Natasha slams the breaks on those thoughts. “But the manual says–,” she starts, getting her mind back on track. 

Seresin lowers a rib from his lips. “The manual tells you what your plane should do, not what it can do. It’s the lowest common denominator to keep every bozo who goes up in a jet alive.” He considers her with a long, thoughtful look. “But you’re not exactly the lowest common denominator, are you, Trace?” 

She sees his point but also the compliment. “Thanks.” She tries not to sound surprised or too grateful, like she needs his approval to know she’s good at what she does. But, the compliment feels good. 

Wanting to settle what happened at the counter, Natasha weighs her next words as she scrubs her fingers. His attention has turned to his cornbread, which he sops through the sauce on his plate before devouring it in three large bites. “You know, this whole time you’re the only guy who’s been single at some point and never made a pass at me. Well, except for the ones who wouldn’t be interested anyway.”

He goes still mid-bite. “Bradshaw?” he blurts then jerks his hand up to catch the crumbs that tumble out his mouth. 

“To be fair, I don’t think he would’ve under different circumstances.” She normally ducks out before the guys get too drunk, but Bradshaw can get so wasted that she worries he’ll get himself into trouble if she leaves. And it hadn’t exactly been his finest moment. He’d vomited down the front of his shirt, and she was trying to help him get undressed without smearing it in his hair. Worried she’s given Seresin ammo he doesn’t need, she says sharply, “Don’t tell him I told you that. I was just trying to say that I appreciate it. Even if otherwise, you’re the biggest pain in my ass.”

He gulps down the rest of his cornbread and gives her a flirtatious smirk. “I’ll take that. Better than being a smaller one. And I figured you were just here for the same reason I am. To be the best pilot.”

Of course he always has to undermine anything thoughtful with something so immature. She rolls her eyes. Only a few more weeks until he leaves behind peace and quiet. 

At home, Natasha stashes her leftovers in the fridge and sets the red velvet cake on the counter. It looks so tempting. And although she’s still full, she figures it can’t hurt to try a little bit. Breaking off a small piece with her fingers, she brings it to her lips and gives it a tentative nibble then shoves it in her mouth with a groan. She closes her eyes and leans into the counter, overcome by how good it is. 

Sweeping the icing from her upper lip with her tongue, she’s suddenly caught up in the sensation of Jake Seresin teasing her lips apart. Tentatively she turns the cake over in her mouth, and he’s deepened the kiss so that his tongue brushes hers, as soft and lingering and smooth as the red velvet’s rich flavor. One hand skims between her shoulders to draw her close to his firm chest as the thumb of the other guides her head back so his mouth can taste all of hers, hungry, scorching, and possessive.     

Wait.

Natasha’s eyes fly open. Where the hell did that come from? Her face burns like he’s right there to see her think about him that way. She shoves the cake away and retreats to her room for a night with her vibrator. Clearly she hasn’t blown off enough steam lately. 

On Monday, she does as Seresin suggested and manages to throw her instructor. “Yes!” she whoops after making sure she’s changed the comms channel so no one can hear her celebrating. 

She’s just scrambled out of her plane when MacGyver strolls up to her. “Good job up there today, Trace. Guess Seresin talked to you?”

“Sir?” 

“You were close. Figured you’d nail it with a few pointers.” He claps her on the shoulder and walks away. Natasha stares after him, heart sinking. She’d thought…so Jake Seresin hadn’t wanted to be helpful. He was just following orders. Like he said, they’re both here to be the best pilots.

Bradshaw jogs up to high five her, but Natasha feels its sting more than its triumph.

The second time it happens, it’s not really her fault.

Natasha sinks the ping pong ball neatly into the last solo cup. “Yes!” shouts Rooster, lifting her off her feet and spinning her in his excitement. On the other side of the table, Coyote kisses his girlfriend, Vicky, for a game well played if lost. 

Riptide has organized an extended weekend at her college friend’s family cabin in Whistler. Cabin is an understatement considering the breathtaking mountain views from the living and dining room’s floor to ceiling windows. The kitchen is large enough that they’ve set up a folding table for their pre-dinner beer pong game without getting in the way of the first night’s dinner crew. The Korean tacos Jumanji and his girlfriend Paloma are cooking up smell delicious. 

Natasha is laughing and trying to wriggle out of Rooster’s grip when the doorbell rings. Riptide crams a guacamole laden tortilla chip in her mouth and hops off her boyfriend’s lap to get the door. 

“You made it!” she exclaims. 

It must be Hangman. His deployment kept getting extended, and they weren’t sure he would make it back in time. Everything in the kitchen goes quiet as they all register the raised voices. 

“I know, okay! But we’re here so can we please try to enjoy the weekend?” Hangman argues.

“Why couldn’t we stay at a hotel?” a woman complains. 

“I told you. Everything nearby is sold out. Besides, we’re staying here. This place is huge, Rip! Good to see you.”

“Oh Lord,” Vicky mutters under her breath. Coyote shoots her a warning look that she ignores. “You didn’t tell me he was bringing her.”

He reaches for his drink. “I didn’t know she was coming.” Vicky’s frown says she doesn’t believe that. “Until this morning,” he caves and ducks into his cup. 

Great. It’s bad enough Hangman is here but with an annoying girlfriend to boot? Natasha turns to Rooster and motions for him to pass her beer. This weekend is going to be long in a way she hasn’t planned for. 

Riptide tries to ease the situation by hyping the house’s hot tub and movie theater, but Hangman’s girlfriend is still pouting when she follows him and Riptide into the kitchen. Almost as tall as he is with chestnut waves, wide sapphire eyes and flawless skin, she would be stunning if she didn’t look like a toddler on the verge of a tantrum. 

She turns on him before he has a chance to introduce her. “You didn’t tell them that I’m vegetarian? What am I going to eat?”

Vicky scowls like she has an answer to that, but Coyote wraps an arm around her neck and whispers something in her ear. 

“Babe, I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” Hangman assures her, rubbing a hand over her back. “Just…hey, y’all! This is my girlfriend, Cally.” He smiles like they haven’t been arguing since they walked through the door.  

Cally gives everyone a sullen wave while they go around and introduce themselves. 

The upside of Cally being there is that she demands so much of Hangman’s attention that he doesn’t have time to annoy anyone. Even though Paloma makes a hearty salad to go along with the tacos, Cally insists that he get up from the table to make her a cheese quesadilla. Then she nearly storms off when she learns that all the bedrooms have been taken. By the end of dinner, Natasha seems to be the only one to have found anything to appreciate about her. 

Under the guise of changing into their swimsuits for the hot tub, Paloma and Vicky make a quick exit upstairs to gossip. They text Natasha to join while she’s helping with dinner clean up, but Riptide pulls her aside into the bathroom. Her face is pinched with guilt, and she fidgets with the ends of her braids. 

“I have a huge favor to ask you,” she says, glancing at the door and keeping her voice low. Natasha expects what’s coming.

“You want me to give them my room,” she sighs, letting her friend off the hook from having to ask. 

Riptide grimaces and massages her forehead. “Essentially. If that’s okay? I didn’t think it would be a big deal to give them the air mattress since they confirmed so late, but I think that might be more of a headache than it’s worth. I was going to give them our room, but Drew’s about to lose it after dinner.”

Although Natasha has finally found a reason to be annoyed with Hangman, she feels bad that her friend is stressed during what’s supposed to be her vacation. “Yeah, it’s okay. I don’t mind the air mattress.”

“No, you can have the sofa bed. Rooster already volunteered to take the air mattress.”

Natasha tries to read in Riptide’s expression whether she’s picked up anything from Rooster’s offer, but she seems too caught up in hosting logistics to worry about his motives. “Don’t worry. I promise we’ll have a good time this weekend and laugh about this later.”

Riptide smiles appreciatively and goes to let Hangman know about the switch while Natasha packs up her things.

“Trace, you don’t have to do this.”

She looks up from stuffing her snow pants into her duffel bag. Hangman hovers in the doorway, and if she didn’t know him so well, she would say he looks embarrassed. 

“It’s Phoenix now,” she reminds him. “So you think your girlfriend’s going to go from wanting a hotel to being okay with an air mattress?” 

“I’ll talk to her,” he says lamely. He glances down the hall then steps into the room and closes the door. “This was her first deployment, and I think it was a lot harder than she expected. I’m trying to–.”

“I’ll let you know when I want to listen to your girl problems, Seresin,” she cuts him off. Natasha swings her bag onto her shoulder. 

Some of his usual cockiness returns, and a slow, obnoxious grin breaks across his face. “It’s Hangman now,” he says, gleefully replaying her words to her. “Or Hungman, depending on who you ask.”

Natasha snuffs out the flicker of curiosity about the truth of that claim. “Whatever. I wasn’t asking. If you want to feel bad about evicting me, help me with my board.” She kicks her foot toward where her gear is propped against the wall. 

“This is yours?” He hurries on from her exasperated look. “I mean, you must be pretty good if you have a board this nice.”

“I am. Watch out!” she warns just in time for him to sidestep the door from hitting his back as it flies open. He catches it before it can hit her gear.

“Jake?” Cally snaps. Her eyes land on Natasha and narrow. “I’ve been calling you. I needed help with our bags. What were you doing in here?”

“Driving me up the wall,” Natasha says, letting her irritation come through loud and clear. “Take him. He’s all yours. Bed’s changed by the way. I’ll be back in a sec to grab my board and stuff.”

“I got it,” Rooster offers from the hallway behind Cally. He and Coyote have what she assumes are Hangman and Cally’s bags. 

“Perfect!” Natasha shoves past Hangman out of the room. 

Later that night, she’s curled up under a wonderfully heavy and warm down comforter when the sofa bed dips around her with Rooster’s weight. His nose traces the edge of her ear, sending a shiver down her back. “You still awake?” he whispers. 

Natasha rolls onto her back under him, her lower abdomen already curling with molten desire at his hovering heat and bare chest. “And if I weren’t?”

He kisses a sensitive spot behind her ear, silencing her warning that they could get caught before it makes it to her tongue. “Guess I’d have to rub another one out after seeing how cute you looked in your swimsuit.” 

“I was more than cute,” she complains, but his appreciation for the red bikini she’d packed for him isn’t lost on her. 

“Whatever the word is then for wanting to tear it off you.” Rooster moves his mouth to her neck and the brush of his mustache is doing wild things to her ability to think straight. She wraps her arms around his broad shoulders. 

“Did you really…”

He exhales impatiently over her collarbone. “So I was a little desperate. D’you want to tease me about it or find out what I imagined doing to you?” Sliding off the strap of her tank top, he gives her a preview of what he had in mind. 

“Not here,” she exhales needily.

“Bathroom?” he suggests. He moves out of the way while she throws off the covers, but then he lifts her off her feet so she can feel exactly how much he’s been enjoying thinking about her in her swimsuit. Her hand is down his pants before he fumbles the door closed behind them. 

The next morning, the whole house can hear the full pitched fight between Hangman and Cally about whether or not they’re going to the slopes that day. Still in her pajamas, Vicky jams her finger into the coffee brew machine. “I have not had enough coffee for her to start this early,” she mutters under her breath. She glares over at Coyote. “If you don’t say something, Javy, I will.”

Riptide looks around in defeat. “Let’s just pack the car?” 

They’re almost ready to go when Hangman comes downstairs by himself. Natasha finds herself stuck in a car alone with him because Riptide, Drew, Paloma, and Jumanji are in the other one with their ski equipment. He sends several texts then continues to check his phone. His brow furrows more and more each time.

“I think she’s ignoring me.” He tries calling, but it cuts off and goes to voicemail. “Definitely ignoring me.” 

Whether she likes it or not, it seems like she’s going to be dragged into his mess one way or another. “Did I miss something or is she not coming because she’s mad she doesn’t have you to herself this weekend?” Natasha asks, keeping her eye out for black ice along the road.

“Please don’t ask me to explain that logic,” he groans, forehead propped in his hand. “But yes.”

She can’t resist being a little bit of a jerk. “You picked a real keeper, didn’t you?”

He makes a sad, non-committal noise and slumps in his seat. Natasha tells herself it’s for all their sakes that she decides to make him an offer. “Look, I can’t believe I’m saying this or even willing to do it, but I’m pretty sure I know how to get her to the mountain by lunch.” Hangman looks at her skeptically, and she gives him a sly smile. “A little FOMO never hurt anyone, right?”

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting,” he demands suspiciously. “You want to make my girlfriend jealous?”

Turning into the parking lot, she follows the other SUV to a pair of open spaces. “Who said anything about jealousy? I’m sure everyone wants to know how much fun we’re having up here.” 

Hangman looks nonplussed. “Phoenix, of all people–.” 

She pulls the parking brake with a shrug. “It seems like the situation might be dire enough. It’s up to you. Do you want my help or not?” 

Paloma needs only the suggestion that they send a few pictures back to the house to go into photographer mode. She poses them with the Olympic rings and as a group in no time. Natasha is careful to always be beside Hangman. In one of them, she leans her head into his shoulder, which would have passed for platonic if Paloma hadn’t caught the moment he looked down at her in surprise. 

It’s the first Paloma selects among the ones she sends to the group chat. “If this works,” she mutters, “you’re my hero.”

Natasha pats her shoulder. “Hopefully.” She turns to Hangman. “Now put your phone on do not disturb, and try to have some fun.” 

By the time they’re on the chairlift, he has over ten missed texts. He frowns and tries to scroll through them, but she covers the screen with her mitten. “You’re on your own if you start moping and ruin this glorious morning for me. You can think about her when you see her at lunch.”

“You sound pretty confident about that,” he grumbles but reluctantly puts his phone away. 

As soon as Natasha looks down the mountain with her boots strapped in, she couldn’t care less about Hangman’s girl problems. There’s a nearly fresh plane of powdery snow in front of her and the wind to their backs. She takes a steadying breath to get her bearings and shakes out her arms. For some reason, her first run of the season always comes with the fear that she’s somehow forgotten everything. It’ll pass as soon as she gets going. 

“Gonna show me what you got?” Hangman challenges, watching her hesitation. 

That’s all the push she needs. “If you can keep up,” she scoffs and launches herself forward. 

Before flying planes, there was this, flying down a mountain with the tingling combination of cold air and warm sun on her exposed face as her board carves through the snow and the forces of gravity. She’ll get fancy later when her muscles have warmed up and their memory fully returns. For now she focuses on her speed, tightening her turns and sinking back into the rhythm of her tilts. Her mitten skims the snow, like the shadow of a plane over a still white ocean, and a thrill goes through her as she returns to the unchanging pocket of exhilaration snowboarding has always brought her.

It’s over too fast, just as she’s locking into her rhythm. As she approaches the bottom of the slope, Natasha straightens and lets the board’s friction slow her down while she looks out for Hangman. He’s not far behind her, and she’s a little smug to see that his confidence carries him as much as his skill. But she’s better. Rubbing it in, she unstraps her boot while she waits for him to catch up and pretends to check her watch. 

“Are you kidding me, Phoenix! What was that?” His jaw is still slack when he reaches her. 

She can’t help grinning. “A warm up. Sweating already, Hangman?”

“A little,” he admits without hesitation on their way back toward the chairlift. He may give her shit in the air, but apparently not here. “Show me how you go that fast?”

“Of course my young Padawan,” she teases. “But first you can tell the group chat that I kicked your ass on the run.” 

Hangman takes a selfie of them helmet to helmet. Tongue tucked between his teeth, he types out a message then shows it to her for her approval before sending it off. He scrolls through his messages. 

“She wants to know if it’s just you and me up here,” he reports. He scratches his jaw in thought and starts to respond.

Natasha assumed someone as hot–speaking as a completely objective third party observer–as Hangman would be better at this. “I can’t believe I’m helping you manipulate this girl but don’t reply to that just yet.” 

He hesitates then slides his phone away. “Who knew Natasha Trace could be such a player,” he drawls, offering her a hand onto the lift that she ignores. “What poor guy is trying to play your games?”

That’s not a train of thought she wants him to follow to Bradshaw, so she says, “I’m single and very happy about it, dickhead. And I’m making an exception so your girlfriend doesn’t ruin everyone’s vacation. I hate games.” The words are barely out of her mouth before she regrets them. “Shit. Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” 

He deflates. “Why? Everyone’s thinking it. I probably should’ve canceled when she asked me to, but it’s not like I get all that many chances to introduce her to my Navy friends.” 

“That’s…sweet.” She’s surprised that she means it, to know that it matters to him that his girlfriend meets his friends. Trying to be more empathetic, Natasha says, “Look, she’s probably nervous about staying in a house with a bunch of people she doesn’t know and disappointed that she didn’t get time alone with you when you got back. Make a reservation for dinner tonight at one of the nice restaurants then surprise her with a couple’s spa date tomorrow afternoon. I’ll settle things down at the house while you’re gone. 

They hop off the lift and skate out of the way of the oncoming chairs. “Also, you can tell her now it sucks that she’s not the one up here with you. Hope you’ll be able to ditch me for her after lunch.” 

With his goggles covering half his face, it’s hard to read his expression but there’s an intensity around his mouth that makes her suddenly nervous. It dawns on her that this might be the longest stretch of conversation they’ve ever had where he’s spared her his sarcasm and baiting. It’s not her better half, but it’s been kind of nice to play the asshole in their relationship for once. “Phoenix?” 

She crouches to set her straps and break the moment. “Yep, that’s what they call me now,” Natasha jokes to dispel the tension. 

“I’ll think about her at lunch, okay? Let’s just enjoy the glorious morning.”

Hearing him repeat her words back to her makes her stomach do an odd swoop, like she hit a large drop in the road too fast. “Yeah, okay.” She recovers. “You go first so I can tell you what to do.”

He gives her a salute and a grin. “Aye aye, skipper.”

“Don’t,” she deadpans, but she doesn’t mind that he continues to call her that for the rest of their glorious morning. 

“How’d I do that time?” he asks after their last run before lunch. “It felt good, but I–.”

It feels so strange for him to look for her approval that she wants to check under his goggles to make sure this is the same asshole who loves to remind her what an excellent pilot he is. “You’re getting there,” is all she says, ignoring the flutter in her stomach at the determined set of his mouth.

As Natasha promised, Cally is waiting for them. Her hair is beautifully blown out and her makeup perfectly airbrushed even though she’s dressed to ski. Now that she’s beaming, it’s obvious what Hangman sees in her. Natasha left for the day with no makeup and her hair in pigtail braids. Cally hurries over from the table that the house crew saved to kiss Hangman and apologize profusely for their fight that morning. He hooks an arm around her waist to whisper his plans for their candlelit dinner, and she giggles then rests her head on his shoulder. 

Natasha buries her sudden disappointment that she’ll be on the slopes by herself later with a plan to try some tricks now that Hangman isn’t there to slow her down. She sits next to Rooster and by the time she orders her grilled cheese and tomato soup, she’s looking forward to the rest of the afternoon. 

Vicky leans in when she’s sure everyone’s distracted by their food. “For some reason she thought you and Rooster were a thing,” she giggles to Natasha quietly. “You should’ve seen her face when she found out you’re single. Her attitude got fixed so fast it almost gave me whiplash.”

Natasha’s careful to laugh along but makes a note not to sit by Bradshaw at dinner. Not that anyone pays attention with the tension in the house now past and the fun turned up to full, drunk blast. Everyone, except Rooster that is. He doesn’t ask about Hangman, and he won’t with their arrangement. But that night, as she rides him in the nest of blankets they laid out in the bathroom’s oversized bathtub, he cups her face and draws her close. 

Hazel eyes smoldering, he demands, “Say my name. My actual name.”

She blinks through her heady, alcohol blurred haze. “Bradley?” He pushes up deeper into her so that she gasps and falls forward over him, bracing herself on his shoulders and caressing his puckered scar under her thumb. 

He kisses her mouth, hard and possessive. “Say it again,” he begs against her swollen lips. 

“Bradley.” Her eyes trace his face. She’s struck by how much younger, more vulnerable he looks beneath his mustache. He swallows under her scrutiny, chin jutting out defiantly. She rocks her hips and buries her moan in his mouth. “I want you to fuck me, Bradley Bradshaw.” And he does, in a way he never has, driving away any inklings from that morning and holding his hand over her mouth to muffle the wail drawn from the obliterating force of her orgasm. 

The third time it happens, it’s a slip of the tongue.

“I thought we put the do not disturb sign on the door last night,” Rooster complains when a knock interrupts the afternoon they’ve spent not getting out of bed after Turbo’s wedding. “Ignore it please,” he asks, holding onto her thighs when she tries to get off him to get it. 

“Shhh,” Natasha teases, putting a finger to his pouting lips. “You’re not supposed to be here.” He captures and kisses the inside of her wrist. One final plea for her to ignore the second knock. She leans over him, deliberately letting her chest rest at his eye level. “The sooner you let me get it,” she whispers, “the sooner I can come back and give you a blow job.” 

His eyes go wide and dark, and his hands spring off her. Laughing quietly, she drags on a sweatshirt and shorts. 

Checking the peephole, she’s surprised to see Hangman’s date to the wedding, Jamie, standing nervously outside. Natasha leans into the bathroom to check the mirror, making sure it’s not entirely obvious what she’s been up to most of the day. Quickly, she runs a hand through her hair and opens the door. 

“Natasha,” Jamie gasps, almost as if she’s surprised to see her. Although casually dressed, she’s as put together as she was at the reception. Before whatever happened with Hangman that left her crying and disheveled. She’d insisted she hadn’t been hurt, but it was clear she’d left him in a hurry. 

“Hey, everything okay?” Natasha asks gently. 

Jamie gathers herself and holds out a small shopping bag. “I washed your clothes. And got you something. As a thank you for last night.” 

Natasha’s touched by the gesture. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” she says, taking the bag. “I just wanted to make sure you got home okay. I’m so glad you were at our table last night. It was so much fun.”

Suddenly, Jamie looks as if she’s going to cry again. “You did? I mean, I’m glad. Me too.”

Natasha sets the bag down inside the door. “Are you sure everything’s okay? Do you want to come in?” Behind her, Rooster stifles a yelp. She should have tossed him some clothes.

Jamie shakes her head. “I need to get going anyway. My friend’s waiting downstairs. But I–-I wanted to let you know that I promise I had no idea what was going on last night so I meant everything I said and did.” She twists her hands. 

Bewildered, Natasha tries to figure out what she means. “I never thought you didn’t. What was going on?”

Jamie looks relieved and a little embarrassed. “As long as you’re not upset. I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was all in my head. I probably had too many of those amazing cocktails. I wish I’d thought to ask what’s in them.” 

Natasha can tell she’s lying, or at least omitting something, but she doesn’t know her well enough to press. “Well, I think I can say there was nothing going on as far as I know, and I had a lot of fun.” She offers her arms, and Jamie steps in for the hug. “I can’t wait to see where you match!” 

“Thanks!” Jamie tells her, sounding much happier. “And if we end up near one another, I’d love to hang out. Okay, I’d better go!” 

“Anytime,” Natasha promises. “See you!” She waves and closes the door. 

On her way back to the bed, she strips off her sweatshirt and pushes her shorts down her hips. “I kind of hoped it would work out between her and Hangman,” she muses, stepping out of her bottoms and tossing them into her suitcase. “Seems like she’d be good for him.”

When she turns back around, Rooster is sitting up in the bed staring at her incredulously. “You’re not mad?” 

“Mad?” she laughs. “About what?”

“Are you serious, Phoenix? After what she just told you.” He draws his legs up under the sheets and rests his elbows on them. He’s close to needing a haircut and the way his mussed curls fall over his forehead makes her want to return to their previous activities. 

Natasha puts her hands on her hips. “Are you okay?” 

His expression hardens and his eyebrows knit together. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

The humor drops from her mouth. What the hell is Rooster getting angry about now? “Yeah, I’m fucking serious right now. What the hell is the problem?” 

“Hangman tried using her to make you jealous and you don’t have a problem with that?”  

It’s her turn to stare incredulously. “Were you even in the room? Who said anything about Hangman making me jealous?” 

Rooster’s getting worked up, his face flushing. “What the hell do you think she was apologizing for? It doesn’t take a genius to put it together, Tash. She leaves Hangman crying in the middle of the night then comes and tells you something was going on that she didn’t know she was part of. He was using her!”

As much as she wants to believe it, she knows whatever Jamie felt was going on wasn’t only in her head. And Hangman trying to use Jamie to make her jealous makes the most sense. Especially if he has no idea about her and Rooster. 

But then again, she hasn’t missed Rooster’s jealousy either. The way he put his hand on her back when he saw Hangman at their table. How he would check in if she was at the bar longer than five minutes. 

“And so what if he was?” she argues. 

Rooster flexes his fingers out of a fist. He speaks slowly, as if she’s stupid. “If he’s trying to make you jealous then that means he likes you.” 

Natasha crosses her arms. “And so what if he does?” 

“It’s Hangman!” 

“If it’s Hangman,” she shoots back, “then what are you so worried about?”

He opens his mouth then realizes what he’s about to say. She dares him to ask, to accuse her of having feelings for Hangman. Because they both know that when he does that, it’s the end of their friends with benefits arrangement. Sullenly, he looks away. 

Natasha’s mouth goes dry. It doesn’t matter that Rooster didn’t say it. Because it’s there, filling up the room and pushing them apart. She’s surprised at the knot in her throat. 

“Natasha, please don’t,” he says with a tremor in his voice.

She tries to say them gently, but the words still come out like a stab. “It’ll just get harder.”

Rooster drops his head, chin trembling. “And you can’t.” He looks up at her with tears in his eyes. “We can’t make it work?”

“As friends? Of course,” she promises. “But, what I think you’re asking for? No. I’m sorry.” It probably won’t mean much to him right now, but she hopes that it can save a fragment of their friendship someday. “I knew before I got here this would be the last time. We just had a little less of it than I thought.”

He puts his head in his hands and clutches the curls she’d only recently been looking forward to winding around her finger. Somehow that was five minutes and a lifetime ago. Unable to watch his heart break any more, Natasha flees to the bathroom. 

Every so often, she can hear Rooster’s sobs from the bedroom. Finally, she climbs into the shower and lets his scent wash off her. She wants to be angry at Hangman for the mess he started, but her gut tells her that he didn’t mean to do it. And she can’t help but wonder if there’s a kernel of truth beneath Rooster’s jealousy. Hangman couldn’t possibly have feelings for her, could he?

Rooster comes to check on her, and she opens the curtain for him to join her. While they stand naked under the water, she gingerly presses a cool washcloth to each side of his swollen face. He takes her elbows, and Natasha lets him pull her in for one last farewell to what they had.

The fourth time it happens, it’s an act of desperation.

“What the hell was that, Phoenix!” Hangman seethes once they can climb to their feet. 

Two hundred push ups and her arms are killing her. She’s going to kill Payback and Fanboy as soon as she has the muscle strength to do so. Bob looks between the two of them. 

“What the hell was what, Bagman?” she asks, slaking the sweat off her forehead and flicking it away.

“You got me shot down!” 

“Your ego got you shot down, dickhead. You got us shot down.” 

“Because I thought you could handle Maverick.” 

She knows him well enough to see that he’s dead serious. Hangman watched every other team get their asses whooped today and still thought she had a chance. Of course he gives her a compliment in a moment of total assholery. 

“Come on, Bob. I think we need to let someone cool off a little.” Her WSO gives Hangman one final look, as if afraid the daggers he’s glaring might actually stab them in the back, and follows her toward the hangar. 

But it’s really her who needs to cool off. Hangman’s going to try to get inside all of their heads to cull the competition. It’s why he wanted to win so badly today. A day one winner is going to set everyone on edge. But then she beat him at his own game. All these years, and he still hasn’t figured out how to get inside her head. Although, their first night at The Hard Deck tells her he might be getting close. 

“Is he always like this?” Bob asks, looking over his shoulder again. 

“What, already bored?” she jokes. 

“I wish,” he sighs. “How are we supposed to fly with him?”

Natasha sighs and looks back at Hangman. “We’re not. We’re flying with Rooster,” she says firmly. If Rooster can get his act together because he’s clearly not handling having to work with Maverick well. But she can crack that nut later. Men are so fucking emotional. 

Although Bob invites her to head straight to The Hard Deck, she makes up an excuse to go back to the Navy Lodge and promises to meet him later. 

The room’s door has barely closed behind her before she’s stripping off her flight suit and undershirt. Her bra and underwear go into the pile of sweaty clothing. 

She’s in such a rush that the water is still warming up when she steps into the shower. But she can’t wait any longer remembering the bunch of Hangman’s muscles during their pushups, the trail of sweat glistening along his temple and down his neck. Her fingers work her clit while her other hand squeezes her breast, fingers pinching her hardening nipple. She’s already wet when she lifts her leg onto the ledge of the tub. Fingers tracing along her slit, Natasha gasps and presses her forehead to the tile. 

She closes her eyes and imagines that it’s Hangman's fingers pushing into her, simultaneously gratifying and inflaming her need. On overdrive, her brain flickers through his self-satisfied smile watching her mouth fall open with a cry, eyebrows lifting in curiosity before he peels her thighs wider so he can see how deep his fingers fit her, and nostrils flaring when she thrusts her hips up to take him deeper. Green eyes darken and his breath shallows while the pads of his fingers drag and massage her slickness over the demanding bundle of nerves at her core. “What the hell, Phoenix?” he asks huskily, and she thinks about how much she’s always loved the inflection he puts on her call sign. 

Fingers are not enough. Natasha clutches her lip in her teeth to soften the desperate moans rising from her throat. She wants him, wants to feel the stretch of him pushing into her, the friction of his thrusts, the frenetic subduction of their hips until he erupts long and deep inside her. And she wants to watch the look of determination on Jake Seresin’s face, track that deep furrow in his brow, the tuck of his lips, and the taut stretch of his cheeks as he forces her careening over the edge. 

Abdomen muscles contracting, Natasha hunches and rocks forward winding everything in her tighter and tighter between her thumb on her clit and the fingers pumping inside her. Water splashes into her mouth through her parted lips. She’s abandoned all attempts to be quiet and comes crying out, “Fucking dickhead!”

The fifth time it happens, it’s a surrender. 

Riptide lets Natasha’s final curl fall from the flat iron and sets it aside. Carefully, she runs her fingers through her beautiful work until the curls fall exactly the way she wants. Watching Natasha’s face in the handheld mirror, she tugs a few forward over her shoulders.  

“Girl, why are you so nervous?” Riptide laughs. She takes a step back and rests a hand on her pregnant stomach. “You’ve known this man how long now?” 

Natasha smoothes out the skirt of her sundress. “I know but dating him is different, Rip. Especially long distance.” They haven’t told the Navy yet about their relationship so it’s been nearly six months of trying to spend time together three thousand miles apart in between crazy work schedules. 

Bob rolls his eyes, and it’s like watching a mirror version of her. They’re in her bedroom where Riptide has been doing Natasha’s hair and makeup for her date with Jake tonight. He managed to get enough time off to come for the weekend. Bob’s lounging on her bed watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and lending his moral support. “Why? You talk to him every day. At this point, probably more than you talk to me.”

“I love talking to you, Bob,” she reassures him. 

“I know you do,” he smirks around a handful of popcorn. “But I’ve seen your texts and you’ve never told me–.” 

She whips a pillow at him to shut him up before he can say what he saw. He gets caught between protecting his glasses and the popcorn and sacrifices the glasses to Natasha’s aim. Riptide laughs and unplugs the flat iron before it gets knocked over. “I’m the one walking around with a stomach that screams I had sex.” 

“Is that what being pregnant really feels like?” Natasha asks curiously. 

“Why? Are you thinking about it?” 

Face burning, Natasha looks between Riptide and Bob eyeing her like she has something to tell them. Or Jake. “No! I’m not. We haven’t even…we’re nowhere near that.” 

Bob fixes his glasses. “He hasn’t said I love you yet,” he says quietly. But he doesn’t complain that this is probably what she’s talked to him most about lately. Bob is a saint of a partner. 

Understanding dawns on Riptide’s face, and she rubs Natasha’s shoulder. “You know that man can’t keep anything simple.” She has a point. Everything with him needs a touch of drama. 

Natasha puts away her makeup while Riptide cleans up from doing her hair. Bob checks his phone. “I think I better head out,” he announces. 

“I’ll leave with you,” Riptide decides. 

“You can stay until Jake gets here,” Natasha offers. “I’m not doing anything.”

Riptide sets her bag on her shoulder. “It still throws me when you call him that. I’d love to stay but I’ve got some errands I need to run.”

“If you only heard what else they call one another,” Bob mutters under his breath, carefully folding up the blanket he was laying on to avoid getting crumbs on her covers. Natasha’s going to have to be more careful about what she says within his hearing. 

She walks them out through the garage. After waving them off, she checks both ends of the street hoping Hangman might get there early but only her neighbor from three doors down drives by. Trying to figure out how to keep herself preoccupied for the next hour, she heads back inside. 

Natasha stops in the hall at the sound of music. Dolly Parton sings sweetly and softly, “You waltz right in the door, just like you’ve done before and wrap my heart ‘round my little finger.”

Is that coming from inside her house? She goes toward the living room. Her heart jumps and her hands go to her mouth.

Jake waits in the middle of the room for her with a giant bouquet of her favorite flowers, dahlias in full perfect bloom. His face lights up when he sees her shock. “Surprised, Nat?” 

Beyond him she can see that he’s set up a table, lights, and white balloons in her backyard. How long has he been here? “What did you do, Jake Seresin?” she blurts.  

He sets the flowers down on the sofa and comes to take her in his arms, swaying her to the music. “Well, to start, I came to see you. ‘Cuz you’re looking better than a body has a right to.” Jake dips her, eyes locked on hers. There’s a simmering intensity in his face that she can’t look away from. “I had all these plans.” He brings her back up, his grip growing tighter to hold her closer. Natasha never wants to leave his arms because suddenly it feels as if he’s holding the whole world in them. Or maybe it’s the way he’s looking at her. “But when I really thought about it, I just wanted you to myself when I told you that we only have three more months of being apart.”

Natasha freezes, staring up at him in disbelief. It’s not what she is expecting or hoping he would say, but it is something she hasn’t considered possible. “How?” 

Jake grins. “You know the Navy likes to hurry up and wait so it took a minute before I knew for sure. But one of my buddies from the Naval Academy, he’s the new detailer. A guy out here got deep selected for lieutenant commander so they needed someone to fill his role to which I offered yours truly.”

She throws her arms around him. Only three months! “I can’t wait,” she promises. 

He strokes her hair. “Well, I think there’s something else you’ve been waiting long enough to hear,” Jake says softly. She draws back. His expression is unguarded, unusually serious and sincere. “I’ve been wanting to tell you for so long how much I love you, Natasha Trace, but when there was a chance I could show you that I actually mean it–.” 

Natasha groans at his stupidity and pulls him into a kiss that nearly knocks both of them off balance. But he steadies them and tilts her face up to deepen the kiss. Eyes still closed when they come up for air, she scolds, “What part of flying twelve hours to see each other for thirty six every month doesn’t scream I love you dickhead?” His lips part to answer, and she pulls him back in. “Don’t answer that. I love you, too, Jake Seresin.”

“Here you come again, and here I go.”

Every Time It Comes Around 

[walkingstackofbooks]

DS9 3x13 Life Support thoughts (I'm re-watching, so there may be future spoilers)

Unlucky 13 indeed...

"In fact I was thinking of cancelling them." Jake's so sweet :3

What else do you eat in a Klingon restaurant apart from gagh? Clearly I am uneducated in Klingon cuisine

"Move! Move!" Is it always like this, living on a space station? Always interesting to see things happening from a civilian pov

Odo informing Kira <3

Her unhappy little pacing :( 💔

This is such a serious scene but I cannot take the doctors seriously ever in those red surgical costumes

Julian's face of bad news is just something so important to me

Wait Bareil's dead? I thought this episode was about keeping him alive?

"I did everything I could." "I know you did." My heart...

"I appreciate your concern but I'll grieve in my own way in my own time." The way her voice is cracking.. this scene just destroyed me

"We're ready to begin the autopsy, Doctor." ... the way he just stands there

"You say that so calmly, but it's not every doctor that can lose a patient and then has him back on his feet in a few weeks." Sisko sounds so proud and impressed <3

"Well, I and the Prophets, were lucky..." :3

"And I am grateful you were not yet taken from us, Vedek Bareil." YOU'LL FORCE HIM TO DIE SOON, WINN. SHUT UP.

"So, are we going to be playing springball next month?" Kira being so pleased to see him is breaking my heart. It's not fair.

Jake being so nervous to tell Nog he's skipping on their plans but Nog being immediately like nah dating is more important. He's a good friend :3

Ohhhh, nope, he just wants to have a date too, welp

"Just promise me you won't do anything to embarrass me." Oh no, it's this episode

Julian coming in looking grim and glaring daggers at Winn

Oh. Bad news.

"In your condition, it could even be fatal." "But it would allow me to function normally for the next few days?" Dammit, Bareil, don;t choose this

Ohhh, Julian. He has such a troubled face <3

"There are no Bajoran prisoners." HAH, a likely story

Detainees? What happened to swift Cardassian justice?

"What... sort of property?" (This space station for instance?) This is the right question to ask

I don't think the Cardassians are doing this in good faith...

"He's up to something." For once, Winn, I agree with you!

"If he dies, then peace with Cardassia dies with him." Sisko's eye roll at that was impressive

Ughhhh Nog is horrible

Pause pause pause. I can't watch this scene.

Nooooo. The second hand embarrassment for Jake is too real.

I know they eventually grow and get past this but this is so awful agggghgh

Okay. Let's go again.

Those girls did the right thing. Proud of them for standing up for themselves.

"His attention has been wandering. He's in pain. Give him more of the drug." You horrible, horrible woman. You don't care about him one whit.

"Now, you can either leave here willingly or I'll call security and have you thrown out." "You won't need to call them. I'll do it myself." KIRA <3 <3 <3 Please bodily throw this woman out of your station.

"Put yourself in the hands of the Prophets, Bareil. They will not forsake you." YOU MANIPULATIVE WOMAN I HATE YOU

I mean, it is very much Bareil's choice it seems and not just Winn forcing him herself, but she should have SOMEONE who is capable of doing the role Bareil was playing rather than having to run him to his death

"He should be awake within the hour. Oh, good. There are still several points I have to discuss with him before the next negotiating session." Your oh good should be followed with concern for his health not satisfaction you can keep politicking with him!

"I want you to tell him that you don't need him." Julian is just so good

"Now, if that's a lie, then so be it." "That doesn't sound like a Starfleet officer." "I'm a doctor first."

Sisko being a good dad <3 Telling Jake to talk this through and recognising how important Nog is to him.

"Do the surgery, Julian. Let him finish what he started." Oh Kira, I'm sorry you're in such a difficult position <3 You're doing great, sweetie <3

"I want to be arrested." XD Odo's face of confusion is marvellous

Odo is enjoying this way too much

"When you touch me it doesn't seem real." Oh Kira. how do you cope with something like this?

His out of touch acting is sure something

"I guess I just forgot you're a Ferengi." "You forgot? To most people, the lobes are a dead giveaway." XD This episode being saturated with these two's nonsense sure is something

I really like the moral of respecting each other's differences, and that humans aren't automatically right and better, but in this particular episode it's also kind of icky.... It's taken me a while to put my finger on it, but I don't think humans should have to respect the ferengi's misogyny, just because it's their culture. Your right to have your traditions respected ends when your traditions hurt or harm other beings.

"Great, so we both disgust each other." XD

"I don't want to lose you as s friend." awwww

"Now can we get out of here?" "Sure. Odo? Odo? He's just playing around. Odo!" Do you boys even know Odo? XD

I'm glad the treaty was signed at least. I've been so worried his death would be for nothing.

"I can't imagine what I've done deserves celebration." Oh, my love. you're too good.

Jadzia hugging him :3 He should get more hugs. Look at his lil face

"Kai Winn, allow me to introduce Kai Winn." "I don't understand." "In honour of the occasion, I've named my latest creation after you." I really can't guess how she'll feel about that.

"I won't remove whatever last shred of humanity Bareil has left." I wonder how close this hits with his own feelings of not being human due to his augmentations?

"Sure. You've got your peace treaty, your place in history. You don't need Bareil anymore." SAY IT, KIRA. GO FOR HER

"I share your pain." SHUT UP. The hell you do!

"Julian, you can't give up now. You have to keep going." "Nerys, if I remove the rest of his brain ... He'll be dead. And I'll be the one who killed him." This conversation is KILLING me. These two. Both of you having so many feelings. Oh my darlings <3

"But if we do nothing he'll die." "That's right, he will." I cannot. His voice is just too gentle. I love him

What I don't get is why didn't they ask Bareil while he was still conscious what he would want to do if the other half of his brain failed? I guess Julian probably wouldn't have wanted to risk hearing the request to replace the whole of his brain....

"I just wish we'd had more time for us." 💔 Oh, Kira.

" I realised you were just as confused as the rest of us. You just accepted your confusion better than anyone I've ever known. That's when I realised I loved you."

This episode is just. Feels. I'm crying. Nerys and Julian, my beloveds.

There are quite a few fics about this episode, but this one was just SO good, it read as a completely believable, canonical part 2, and I have to share it.