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bruhimaunicorn · 5 years ago

Text

From a Grimes to a Dixon

Paring : DarylxReader

Summary : Daryl falls for Ricks daughter and this follows their story all the way to Alexandria.

Warnings : Fluff. Death ( It’s TWD so).Cursing.implied smut. Violence.

A/N : I do give the reader a certain look since she is supposed to be Ricks daughter. Such as eye color and hair type, but besides that this is still a reader insert!

He doesn’t know how you did it. How you managed to break down every piece of him so easy. Because as far as Daryl knows, he’s the complete opposite of easy and he tried to push you away,but you didn’t let him. Every time he tried, you gave him that look. That deep world altering look. The one that told him you aren’t leaving. You were the first person to make him believe it. Hell, he can’t believe that Lori’s daughter would be the very one to hold him close at night, but you were completely different from her. He knew it from the moment he met you. It’s still so clear in his mind.

It was the first night at camp. Everyone was so tired and scared, but not you. You we’re standing guard on top of Dale’s RV with your dad’s pistol with that same look. It was like you were daring one of those things to come for you or your family. You’d end them. Just like you’re dad taught you. And Daryl didn’t understand why you weren’t cowering with your mother, or hell cowering with Shane. But you didn’t need a man. You were just fine without one. And you had this black cap on, like someone who didn’t want to be seen. Another thing he didn’t understand. You were breath taking. Something Merle did not forget to let you know as soon as he met you. You had your fathers long brown curls, his clear blue eyes, and a body that should have a warning label on it. But you aren’t broadcasting it.

“ Y/N Grimes, Nice to meet Ya’ “ You responded with a grin when Merle had hit on you, holding your hand out for his. Merle shared a look with his brother as if he was going to get lucky with you and eagerly shook your hand, but what neither of the two expected is that you would almost break his hand. You twist his arm out to the side and force him to his knees, coming close to his face “ Talk that way to me again and you’re goin’ to find out real quick what it’s like to sip soup through a straw”. Daryl wanted to stop you, to demand you to take your hands off of his only family, but he didn’t because Merle deserved what you gave him. “ Do we have an understanding? “ You turn your head to the side, something Daryl would find that you learned from your father. That turn of the head? It meant you really, really screwed up.

Merle nodded slowly, the only time Daryl has ever seen him give up a fight, and you release him quickly after you are satisfied. “ I hope you’re not as delightful as this one? “ You ask, Daryl now with a wipe of your hands. Seeing as how you just made a little girl out of his brother, Daryl decides to answer you correctly “ Nah’ “. He watches you search his person as if you aren’t sure about him, but you say nothing about it. “ Y/N ! Come on! “ Shane then calls for you — his watch over you concerning Daryl. Don’t get him wrong, he didn’t know who you are or who Shane is to you or your family, but he didn’t trust it. “ Damn … What a broad “ Merle laughs in his brothers ear as you walk back to your family. Shane meets you with a smile—like you’re his whole world—and Daryl waits for you to return it, but you don’t.

And that made him curious.

—

A few weeks passed by after the altercation with Merle, but Daryl never stopped watching you. You are like drugs to him at this point. Everything you do is just .. strange. You’re a good sister—a great one even with the age gap between you and Carl. He learned Lori had you at 19 and Carl at 28, making you twenty yourself, but you still played with him. He wasn’t the annoying nine year old that Merle saw Daryl as. He’s your best friend. You make him your equal. And you pull your own weight. You hunt, fish, do laundry, and take most of the night shifts without complaint. Most women around camp gripe about everything, but no not you. He wants to know why.

You’re currently talking to, Shane about something he can tell Shane doesn’t like, but you don’t bat a eye at his argument with you. Daryl continue to skin at his squirrel from his recent hunt, but listens carefully to your conversation. “ I don’t remember asking for you to watch after me like I’m some fuckin’ kid! “ You growl at a man twice your size, but Shane doesn’t budge at your anger. “ Yeah—you didn’t ask me! But guess who did? Your dad! “ He points out and Daryl watches your face fall at the mention of your dad. Your lips twitch downward like you want to cry just at the mention of the former deputy, but instead you collect yourself and throw a glare up “ One day that line won’t work for you “. Shane falters slightly from your intensity, but stands his ground “ Yeah—well todays not that day huh? The rules stay the same. No one goes out by themselves “.

If looks could kill, he’d be ten feet under. You don’t continue the argument and Daryl figures you’ll go back to watch, but instead you stalk over towards him. He raises a eyebrow at the sight, but you’re the first to speak “ Will you come hunting with me? Apparently, I can’t go by myself anymore “. Daryl can’t hide his shock, are you actually asking him to come with you? You take his hesitation as a no, but you aren’t accepting it “ Look—I know you like to go alone and I do too,but officer do good over there won’t let me leave the premises without a man “. Tucking the squirrel away, Daryl nods “ Alrigh’. We can go now. Gettin’ real low on meat anyways”. He watches the anger fall off of your face and a small smile appear in its place. You aren’t stupid. Daryl has a whole bag of different rodents that could easily last a week. But he knows you need to get away from Shane. Or maybe everyone.

“ Thanks. I’ll owe you one “ You promise, turning on your heels to retrieve your weapons.

—

The hunting trip was quiet, but you didn’t seem to mind. You didn’t push him to make small talk like every other girl would. The quiet was nice to you. And you didn’t need him to kill for you, if you saw a squirrel you shot it. If there was a rabbit, you trapped it. It was getting close to dark when you both decide it’s probably best to head back, but you don’t seem to want to. You’re walking slower than before as if this was your death march, causing Daryl to turn back and give you a look “ You comin’ ? “. You purse your lips as if it’s a actual question “ Yeah,yeah “. You catch back up to his side , but he can still sense your reluctance. Somethings bothering you. He isn’t going to ask though—that would be weird. But you don’t need him to ask, you just come out with it “ Can I ask you something ?”.

Daryl avoids eye contact, but nods in response. “ Do you ever think about leavin? “. This stalls Daryl in his steps. He never thought you were the type to ditch your whole family. And you aren’t . He knows that. But the question still concerns him “ Why?”. You sigh through your nose as if this subject is tiresome for you “ Don’t get me wrong, I’d never leave my family behind. I’d die first. But—I— I don’t know . Forget I asked ok? “ . You begin to walk again and Daryl doesn’t push you on the subject. He just follows beside you. But he has a feeling it has to do with Shane. The whole situation rubs him wrong. Your dads best friend saves his family from geeks and says it’s what your dad would want, but then looks at you and your family the way he does… And you wanted out.

Just as you both approach the quarry and the group can be seen through the branches of the trees, Daryl stops you “ If Ya’ ever need to hunt again, come find me “.

And you smile at him again with that look, and it draws him in even deeper.

——

He got to know you a lot better with each hunt. He learned about your dad, your first dog who’s name was robber because he use to take your food, how you were going through the academy when everything fell apart to follow in your dads footsteps, and how you are one hundred percent sure big foot is real. “ Big foot? Really? “ Daryl had smirked at you, but you just rolled your eyes at him “ Alright , chupacabra don’t start something you can’t finish “. That was the first time you truly heard him laugh. He wasn’t offended and you weren’t scared to joke with him like everyone else was. He was a person when he’s with you. And it took everything in him to keep that in mind when you’re father came back.

He missed your joyful reunion—off hunting since Shane ironically put you on day shift, and he was happy for you at first. He knew how much you missed him and you were stuck to his hip at every waking moment once he was back in your life. Which caused you to start missing your hunts with Daryl, but he understood. But when he found out about Merle and that your dad had a part in it—he had to dig down deep to not hit your father in his throat. And he managed, but it was agreed that you all would help him find his brother.

And oh what a trip that was.

——

Then the CDC came, and so did the alcohol. You were all smiles at the dinner table as Daryl challenged Glenn to keep drinking, but not partaking yourself as well—your dad use to be a cop. But you knew how to have fun without it. And once you were out of the shower, Daryl found you with the kids and you proved it to him. You’re currently counting to ten as the kids squeal and try to hide whilst Daryl smiles and leans against the door frame. Once at ten, you peel your hands off your face to find him pointing to the closet where undoubtedly Sophia is hiding. You roll your eyes at him and mouth ‘ cheater’ before slowly approaching the closet “ I wonder where Sophia is? She’s so good at all this… I wonder if I should go tell everyone she’s missing! “. Giggles flood from the closet and you rip the door open, causing her to squeal.

You scoop her up and tickle her sides “ I found you! “. The girl in your arms is laughing so hard she’s crying and maybe it was the alcohol talking—but this suited you. You had a way with them. “ Now we’ve got to find Carl! “ You smile down at the girl, allowing her to climb on your shoulders. “ Be my look out Sophia! He’s a sneaky one , my brother! “. She giggles once more and you begin to search the room for your sibling. Daryl once again points out the hiding spot and sure enough Carl’s foot is sticking out from beneath the couch. This time you just wink at him , causing Daryls heart to skip for just a moment and you drop down to grab his little ankle “ Aha! There you are! “.

Your brother screams and tries to kick you out of his grip, but he’s not match for you as you gently drag him out from underneath the couch. “ And now you have to face my rath! “ You scream dramatically, and then tickle his sides as well. He laughs so loud that it attracts the attention of their mothers, who mirror Daryls actions. Your mother smiles at this brief moment of happiness between her children before he kicks at you again and you try to bite his arm “ Y/N Grimes you are a adult! Do not bite your brother! “. Daryl watches your mother go to break up your play fight as Carol follows to collect her child for bed. He wonders what you looked like as a kid. Same doe eyes most likely, but you seemed like the type that caused a whole lot of trouble.

He watches you mess up your brothers hair before giving him a goodnight hug and you then let your mom still kiss your cheek—not ashamed of the affection. Lori now marches a tired Carl out of the room, but makes sure to give Daryl a look of her own. It was the ‘ don’t hurt her’ look and he’s truly never gotten it before. It was strange. He just nods , not comfortable with the fact that they are catching on to how much he’s beginning to care for their daughter, but let’s your smile wipe away all of the doubt “ Did you come to sneak me some? “. He smirks at the second wink you give him and offers you the bottle of whiskey. You take a swig, letting it burn down your throat, before handing it back to him “ My hero “.

You’re joking, but Daryl liked the sound of it. He wouldn’t ever let you know that though. You then sit down on the couch with a content hum before motioning for him to join you. He sits as far as he can from you, but you ignore his awkwardness by putting your bare feet in his lap. He scoffs at you with a buzzed smile, but doesn’t push you away. You were comfortable with him. And he knows that’s not true for everyone around you, so he’d let you do whatever you wanted. He just wanted you near.

Rick would be the one to find you both asleep on the couch, separate, but his hand around your leg protectively. It catches him off guard at first—and he wants to rip you from his grip, but then it hits him. How he always finds you next to him, how you seem to be the only one to calm the hot head down, and how Daryl always watches over you. This wasn’t someone preying on his only daughter, it was love. Even if it was unspoken.

—-

After the cdc, there was Sophia getting lost in the woods. And that was a bad time for you. You cared for the little girl as if she were your own. You were the first one to fling yourself, unarmed, into the woods after her as the two walkers chased after her and when you couldn’t find her—you blamed yourself. This put a weight on you that wouldn’t be resolved until you found her. So, Daryl took on the task with you. But then, Carl got shot and he watched you go pale. The woman on the horse claimed she was just trying to help, but Daryl didn’t want to let you go. He didn’t know it was safe. He couldn’t protect you if he wasn’t there. “ It’s my brother,Daryl! “ You had yelled at him when he tried to stop you, yanking your arm away from him as you climb up on the horse.

You could see he was scared for you, but your brother needed you. Even with Daryl looking at you with sad eyes. This is what’s right. You rode off with the stranger, causing Daryl to curse and kick the dead walker that attacked Andrea “ So fuckin’ stubborn! “. And that’s when everyone started to realize there was something going on with you two.

Even if he didn’t want to admit it.

——

The next morning, after Carl survived the surgery, you waited for Daryl to arrive at the farm. You hope he understands why you had to go—just like he did when it came to Merle. That you can’t live with loosing your brother. “ Boy troubles? “ Maggie asks you, bringing you out of your anxiety filled thoughts. You want to deny the woman and tell her to mind her business, but she did let you all in her house so you decided to just shrug your shoulders. She smiles softly and watches you watch the dirt path anxiously “ I know that look, Y/N”. You still won’t give her the satisfaction of telling her your love life or whatever this is with Daryl, but don’t drop your eyes from the road. Kindly, she sits and waits with you since you’re not up for talking right now. That’s what made you realize that she’s good people.

Once you hear the familiar loud motor, you just about jump out of your skin. He was here. He’s followed by the rest of the group that was still at the highway and you don’t hesitate to go to him. You probably look like a stupid school girl, but you don’t care. “ Hey “ You smile at him as he gets off his bike, but he doesn’t smile back. He just gives you a stare “ Now Ya’ wanna talk? “. Your stomach twists uncomfortably, Daryls never been mad at you before. “ He made it through, he’s going to be ok “ You offer him news, but he turns that down as well. “ That’s great, Y/N . Real great . How ‘bout you go tell Shane all about it “ He spits at you. Your eyebrows knit together at the mention of Shane “ Wha- what are you talking about ? “.

He rolls his eyes like it’s obvious and turns to stalk off in another direction, but you grab his elbow as he tries “ Daryl wait- “. He then yanks his elbow from you and the look in his eyes intimidates you. He doesn’t have to say anything as him harshly removing himself from your touch says it all. He wanted to hurt you. Like watching you leave hurt him. He then continues to storm off and you blink away the tears in your eyes. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to you as everyone was just concerned about Carl. Except for Shane, he was watching the whole situation and took the chance to swoop in. He figures if he can suck up to you, you won’t mind when he figures out a way to win your mom over.

“ You alright? “ He asks, hat in hand like he could make everything better. You just shake your head and give out a cough “ I’m fine- just worried about Carl is all”. Shane knows you’re lying, but let’s you. “ He’s going to be fine. I made sure of that “ He then tells you, playing on your feelings for your brother . You want someone who understands your situation and he was going to be just that. You offer him a smile even though you’re crumbling on the inside “ Thank you”. He points to his cheek like he use to when you were a little girl and you roll your eyes “ I’m not a little girl anymore, Shane “. He just continues to smile “ I don’t care how old you get girl, I still get my kiss on the cheek”. You give him the harmless kiss as you always have and walk off to get some space , but Shane took it as progress and let you wonder off.

Leaving him to plots concerning your father.

—-

The following week, Daryl doesn’t talk to you. He ignores your existence entirely. And you begin to wonder if you imagined all of this. You thought this was going somewhere. That he understood you, but maybe you were wrong. Maybe you were wrong about all of this. And Shane was trying to hang around you more and more, only adding to your agitation. Sure, he was a family friend, but the way he looked at you and your whole family was beginning to creep you out. So, you began to look for Sophia by yourself. Even if you’re dad didn’t like it. You want to be alone. At least when you’re alone, you can hear yourself think. Even if it’s about Daryl…

You hadn’t found much on her whereabouts yet, but you aren’t giving up. Even if it kills you. And that’s what you set out to do, from sun up to sun down that’s where you are and it causes concern within the group. You hear their whispers as you pass by them at dinner, but you don’t care. You can take care of yourself and it’s better than just sitting on your ass like their doing or playing tough guy like Andrea is. The thought of the woman makes you roll your eyes, but she hadn’t hurt anyone so far. So you let it go.

And then the next day the sun rises and begins to set before she does, and it all happens so fast. First, she spots the so called walker and you demand she doesn’t fire as does your dad, but she keeps her aim set. You ignore her though, writing her off as she’s not the biggest concern right now, and you run towards the supposed walker. You’re closest, so you reach the figure before anyone else and you raise your gun on it. “ You gonna shoot me now? “ Daryl rasps at you, causing you to lower your weapon as the guys catch up to you. “ Daryl?!” You now rush to his side as he’s barely standing in front of you, and hold him up. “ How bad are you hurt ?! “ You ask him, your dad coming to help you hold him. “ Why do you c- “ He’s about to be snappy with you before a gunshot rings out, and Daryl suddenly goes limp in your arms.

Your eyes go wide “ DARYL?! “. Your dad is already yelling for help as you have no choice ,but to start moving him as fast as you can. “ Did she get him?! “ You panic at your dad, but he shakes his head no to your relief. “ Just grazed him “. Your shaking as you help drag him to Hershel, who takes it over from there. You have his blood on your hands and just from the look of it, it sends a shiver down your spine. Yes, you know he’s going to be ok, but this scared the absolute shit out of you. He could’ve easily.. This could’ve been a whole different situation if she was two inches to the left in her aim. Andrea now runs in as if she can hear your thoughts, causing a ugly side of you to boil over.

She’s pulling at her hair and holding her chest as if she’s scared. As if this could’ve hurt her. And never in your life have you felt this anger for another person. Dale walks her out of the room as Hershel needs less bodies in the room and you watch as Dale comforts her. As if she’s the one who needs comforting. Andrea finally feels your eyes on her, but it’s too late. You’re already half way to her , arm cocked back ready to punch that scared expression of her face . And you do, you get one really good punch into her mouth before your dad grabs you by your arms and she’s screaming bloody murder. “ What the fuck, Y/N?! “ She’s holding her mouth as blood begins to drip from it.

You thrash against your dads arms as he moves you all outside as inside hershels home was not the place for this to happen. “ Oh— I’M FUCKING SORRY DID YOU FORGET THAT YOU DERSERVED THAT?! THAT HE COULDVE DIED?! “ You scream, the thickness in your voice let’s her know that if you get out of your dads arms she better run. “ SOME FUCKING TOUGH GUY YOU ARE! CANT EVEN TAKE A PUCH! “ You’re yelling at her like a lunatic and your dad has to shove his hand over your mouth to keep everyone from hearing. You want everyone to see her for what she is right now.

But in reality they see you for what you are, a girl in love.

——-

The next days are spent at Daryls bedside, even if he’s still mad at you, and you even sleep at his side in the most uncomfortable chair. Which is what you’re currently doing as ,Carol brings in his dinner. His eyes dart over to the woman and he motions for her to keep quiet. Even if he was upset with you, he didn’t want anyone to wake you. You looked so tired. Carol smiles at your sleeping figure. You deserved it. Besides Daryl, you are the only one that hasn’t truly lost hope in finding her daughter. “ She’s a good one “ Carol whispers to Daryl, setting his food on the table beside him. Daryl just nods, but carol decides to push the subject further “ You know, she punched Andrea that day you got shot“. Daryl gives the older woman a confused look. When did you do this? And why hadn’t you mentioned it to him?

“ Yeah, she was so mad that Andrea shot you. She went ballistic on the poor girl “ Carol confirms, shrugging as if it’s not big deal. No one blames you for punching her. She broke the rules Hershel set and almost killed a valued member of your group. It was justified. “ Can’t imagine her doin’ that “ Daryl mumbles, looking over at you as if he’s trying to. Carol laughs slightly “ You’ve seen the way she takes down walkers, this isn’t too far fetched “. Daryl doesn’t argue with the woman and she realizes she should probably give the two of you some time to rest. But she stops just before closing the door “ You know, the two of you have done more for my little girl, than her father has her whole life “.

And with that she shuts the door, leaving Daryl alone to be with his thoughts of you. He watches you stir slightly in your sleep , moving uncomfortably in the chair, and he realizes how you deserve this bed more than he does.

You did punch someone for him.

——

The next day, you help Daryl move back into his tent. He’s currently poking holes in the net while you tidy everything up for him, but you can feel him staring at you. “ Well I’m going to get out of your hair now. Yell if you need me “ You sigh, getting back on your feet. “ Aye “ He stops you just as your about to leave and you turn to see him still staring at the holes he’s made. “ You’re talking to me now? “ You ask, hand planted on your hip. You watch him nervously toy with the holes before he takes a deep breath “ M’sorry”. You can tell this makes him uncomfortable so you let your anger slip away. He wasn’t good at this and you don’t want to push him into anything.

“ I-it’s fine, Daryl. I get it “ You tell him, your voice showing him just how tired you are. He looks up from the tent to examine your face. There’s bags under your eyes, undoubtedly from sleeping in that chair, and your cheeks are sunken in like you haven’t eaten in a couple of days. “ C’mere “ He pats the spot next to him. You shake your head “ I can’t I’ve got- “. He stops you from rambling your list of duties “ They’ll be fine for an hour. Now c’mon “. You give him a half sigh, knowing how much your needed right now, but give in and lay beside him. He moves his pillow so that you can be comfortable and you smile up at him. He narrows his eyes down at you “ Why are you smilin’”. You just shrug and let your eyes close, his scent filling your nose as you snuggle into the pillow “ Nothing “. You can hear him mumble to himself that that’s bullshit, causing your smile to stretch.

But once he believes you’re asleep, you can feel him pull his blanket over you and brush your hair out of your eyes.

——

From that point on, Daryl made it a point to be near you again. He felt bad how he treated you. You didn’t deserve that. Not for wanting to be with your brother. He was just scared to loose you. But he didn’t have to say anything, you understood him without words. When he would bring food to you at night, or when he would check you for scratches after a search for Sophia it meant I’m here. That he’s not going to let anyone hurt you. And when his hand would graze the small of your back when you looked stressed or when his hand grazed yours when you were close to him, it meant he was checking on you. And you never question him about it, you let him do as he pleases. This is how he shows his love.

But the day did come where it was known that there’s walkers in the barn. And then the day that that Sophia walked out of said barn as one of them, came as well. And you couldn’t believe your eyes. There was the little girl that you had been chasing now for weeks. The little girl who you put on your shoulders just a month ago at the CDC. Your breath caught in your throat as her dead eyes glance your way and it kills you to see her like this. She was just a kid.

The only thing that tears your attention away from the little girl, is her moms cries as Daryl holds her back. You couldn’t even imagine. Your heart breaks for the woman who had already lost so much. This wasn’t what the world was supposed to be like. That little girl was supposed to out live you all. Not this—whatever cruel joke this was.And once Sophia’s second life is sent to an end, Carol runs off in the other direction. And in that moment, you expect Daryl to walk away. That this would surely send him over the edge, but he doesn’t. Instead, he walks over to you and places his hand on your back. Instead he checks on you.

But he would push everyone else away, just not you. He’d bite everyone else’s head off, just not yours. He just made room for you. He let you sleep next to him , even if he wasn’t ready to hold you.

——-

And then the farm fell, and he couldn’t find you. And he’s never been so scared in his life. Not even when his dad use to beat him. This was you. All he could do was yell for you, kill walkers, and repeat. But you were gone. Everyone was gone. His heart is beating a thousand miles an hour, but he can’t accept it. You had to be ok. You’re a fighter. You wouldn’t give up—you wouldn’t leave him. And as fate would have it, he would find Carol who convinced him to go back to the highway. Sure enough, they you were. You were on your knees, holding Carl’s hands as if you were trying to tell him something he wouldn’t like,but as soon as you heard his bike you got off of your knees and ran straight to him.

He barely has time to get off the bike before you’re throwing your arms around him “ Oh god—I thought..I didn’t see you! “. And even though you both hadn’t said anything yet, hadn’t made anything official, he grabbed you as tight as he could. “ I know” he whispers into your hair as he can still feel your body shake against him. “ If anything would’ve happened to you- “. “ Shh”. You press your face into his chest and he smoothes your hair back from your face, catching your fathers gaze. Rick looks over the two of you, but says nothing. He only gives Daryl a nod and let’s the man comfort you.

He’s glad you have someone who will take care of you if he’s not around.

——-

The next seven months aren’t the easiest. Your mom is due any day now and you can’t find a place for longer than an hour before the dead are running you off to the highway again. Food is low, water is low, and game is scarce as it seems the walkers found out that deers taste good. You scoff to yourself as you think back to that time back at the quarry, but do nothing as your stomach rumbles. Your standing guard over your mother as everyone is trying to plot where to go next and she grabs your arm “ You ok? “. She offers you a small smile and return it. Your father and brother haven’t been the nicest to her lately after Shane. Turns out she was having a whole fling with him before your dad got back. And it just put them at odds.

And while you couldn’t understand how she could even touch another man with your dad so recently gone, you didn’t judge. She needed someone in her corner and you’d give her that. “ I’m fine mom don’t worry about me”. She rubs your arm softly “ I’ll always worry about you. That’s what moms do you know? “. You place your hand on hers and try to comfort her the best you can before Daryl waves you over. “ I’ll be back “ You promise her , giving her a small squeeze before joining him. “ Gonna go hunting with your dad. Wanna come? “ He asks, collecting his stuff. Giving him a nod, you look around to keep track of everyone. “ C‘mon” He tugs on your wrist, ripping you from your worry.

You follow him off into the woods , where your dad has already gotten a head start. Both of you are quiet, the world around you the same, and you wonder if there’s any actual game out here. Usually you’d at least hear a frog, but right now ? Nothing. It was odd. Daryl seems to notice the same thing and protectively walks before you, but finds nothing wrong as you catch up to your dad. He’s got a hard expression on his face, as always, and you let him talk with Daryl as it’s obvious that’s what he wants. You don’t mind though.You just walk infront of the two and try to pin point any game whilst they talk about the true next steps.

You can only hear a little of what their saying, but it doesn’t matter as you look to your right and spot a prison. And you knew that this is why it was so quiet. Your dads in mid speech about something when you turn and point to the building. Daryl follows your gaze, but is quick to dismiss it “ Ain’t that a shame “. Yes, you can see the walkers—and there is a lot of them—but you can also see the potential. There’s gates, guard towers, undoubtedly a commissary which meant food, and hopefully a safe place to welcome your little sibling into the world. Rick is already thinking the same as you and the look on his face gives you hope. He hasn’t looked so relieved in such a long time.

——

And it would be a home. Four an entire two days before a ex inmate let the walkers into your walls. And ended up not only killing, T-dog, Possibly Carol, but your mom. As soon as you heard the baby’s cries… There was no doubt. She was gone. Daryl watches your face go pale and his stomach twists as you fall to your knees, mouth gaped open as if you’re trying to find the words. Carl runs to you instinctively and all you can do now is hold your brother tight. You have to be his rock now more than ever. Especially as your dad looses all of his will right before the both of you. Tears poor down your face, but you don’t let Carl see them. He needs you to be strong. Something your dad can’t be right now.

You watch as he runs into the prison, undoubtedly to find your mother’s body for himself and it’s like your life is on auto pilot. That everyone’s moving around you and talking, but you’re not controlling any of it. There’s a gaping hole in your chest the size of Texas- and everyone can see it - but it didn’t matter. “ Hey - hey “ You pull your brothers face up from your chest, his tears pooling from his blue eyes. “ We’re ok. We’re going to be ok “ You promise him. His lip quivers, but you just shake your head at him “ We need to take care of our little sibling now, ok? It needs us to be strong for it ok? “. He’s shaking like he’s ready to stuff his face back into your neck, but you force him to look at you “ We have to do this for mom “.

He nods slightly, but it’s clear he’d be crying himself to sleep tonight. “ We’re going to need formula—fuck do we even have clothes for it ? “ You’re brainstorming your list out loud, looking over your shoulder at Daryl. “ We’ll get sum’. There’s a daycare up the road. Bout’ twenty miles out “ He confirms, his eyes glued on you. You nod and turn back to your brother “ I’m going to have to go- “. “- No! Don’t leave! “ Carl interrupts you, his eyes as wide as the sea. You place both of your hands on his cheeks, wondering just how to get him through this, but you find the words “ I will never leave you, Carl. But this baby won’t make it without food . It won’t even survive the night “. He’s shaking like a leaf , but let’s you go. He trusts you.

You feel like you’re going to vomit, but push past it and force yourself over to Maggie. She’s holding your little brother or sister with a terrified gaze, but you just scoop her from Maggie to let her grieve. Someone should get to. You adjust the squirming baby into the proper position “ H-hi there “. It calms at your voice as if it was waiting for you and you grab it’s little hand, tears forcing their way out of your eyes. “ She’s a girl “ Maggie informs you, as it’s obvious you’re trying to find out by picking at a thin cloth someone gave her. A girl. “ I see “ you force a smile down at your sister “ So you’re here to steal my spot, huh?”. Carl’s now at your side and your comment cheers him slightly “ Y-yeah, she is “. You’re both smiling now, but Daryl can tell it’s all an act. That you’re falling apart on the inside.

And the moment you two reach the daycare, he finds out just how right he is. You’re the first to get off his bike, but as soon as you do you’re chest is heaving like you’re going to be sick. “ Y/N - “ Daryl tries to calm you, but you just rush over to the nearest bush and empty you’re stomach. Daryl runs after you and holds your hair back for you, the only thing he can truly do for you at the moment. He can feel you shake,but it’s short lived as you didn’t have enough on your stomach for it to last long. “ Fuck me “ You groan and give a wipe to your mouth, before turning back to Daryl. Your eyes are now strained,but he doesn’t expect any different. “ I can do this “ He offers, his hands coming to your hips in support. “ N-no. I can do this. She needs me “.

There’s fresh tears covering your red cheeks that say other wise and Daryl has no idea how to make you ok again. You’ve been the one putting him back together again all this time and he’s never even seen you cry. Not once. You’re grabbing at the roots of your hair now, looking to the sky for answers “ How- What do I do now, Daryl ? “. Again, he doesn’t know. His minds screaming for him to help you, but he doesn’t move. What could he possibly do? A sob finally escapes your lips “ Oh God- she’s really gone isn’t she ? What the fuck do I do?! “. And without any idea, Daryl just grabs your face so you’ll look at him. You’re eyes meet his quickly as you have no other choice. He’s inches from your face and you feel his heart beat against your chest. He wants to tell you that’s it’s going to be ok, but that’s not going to be enough. You were smarter than that.

So, he just kisses you instead. Even though you just threw up and your lips are covered with tears, he doesn’t care. He just wants to hold you together. Just like you always do. And he’s never kissed you before—not even with sleeping next to each other every night,but you take it. You let his lips move with yours for as long as he’s willing. And he knows Nothing has ever felt so right. He only pulls away to catch his breath,but let’s his forehead rest on yours. Oh, how you take his breath away so easily. “ I-I don’t know, Y/N. But we’ll figure it out “ Daryl finally gives you an answer.

You trust his words and hope to God this will all work out.

——

Months go by as obstical after obstacle presents its self, but Daryl was right. Together, you both figured out how to make it ok. Through the governor, through the fear, through Andrea and Merles deaths, and even through welcoming all of the governors people into the prison. You made a way. And now the prison is thriving. There’s running water now and plenty of food. A place for baby Judith to grow and for Carl to remember how to be a kid again. He even has a friend. Your days are full as you have plenty of people to care for now, which put you as a prime member on the council. But all of the responsibility does keep you and Daryl separate for most of the day.

You aren’t a big fan of that, but it made the nights something to look forward to. You’d always get back to your cell last, since you try to squeeze in a kiss for Judith at night, but Daryl always waits up for you. Tonight’s no different as you quietly open the curtain to your shared cell, giving him a small smile “ Hey stranger”. He looks up from a book with a smirk of his own “ S’that what I am now? “. He moves to the edge of the bed, motioning for you to come his way. “ Let me check Ya’ “. You let him do as he pleases and smile as he checks you for scratches. He knows you haven’t been outside the gates in over a week. Once you’re in the clear, you turn to face him and he raises an eyebrow at your shirt. Completely forgetting that Judith spit up on you, you laugh down at your shirt “ I’m so tired I completely forgot”.

He smiles— How precious you are sitting there with puke on you. You smile back and move to change your shirt, revealing your back to his gaze. He traces your back , his hands gripping the bottom of the bed, and you pay him no mind. This is one of the ways you show him how comfortable you are with him. And no, he’s not good at all of this. But he does notice all the little signs you give him to reassure him. Like how you’re fine undressing infront of him. And he’s never touched you in that way, but you let him know with these little actions that when he’s ready he can. “ Oh- shoot” You gasp, when you’re dragging your jeans off of your legs. Daryl automatically locks his eyes on your leg where a large bruise is forming and he’s quick to help you.

“ It’s ok , I’ve got it Dare “ You insist, hopping slightly as you try to pull the clothing off of you. He ignores you, moving forward with his instinct to take care of you and helps you tug them off “ Stop bein’ so stubborn”. You grab his shoulder for support “ You’re the one to talk “. He grumbles something at you, causing you to smirk, before he tosses your jeans to the side. His eyes drop back down to yours once he does, and you wait for him to come back at you with your usual playful banter, but it doesn’t come. And then it hits you, that even though there’s only light by candle, you can see how un-easy he is. And not because he doesn’t enjoy his view— He loves it actually. But having you this close? Without clothes?

You offer him a smile, this didn’t have to turn into that. “ Hey, lets go to bed “ You offer, completely content with having him next to you tonight. You pull a shirt over your frame and lead him to your bed, but you can tell he’s upset with himself. You can always tell when he’s upset because he won’t hold you. Sighing, you sit up on the mattress “ Daryl, it’s fine.Really “. You can practically feel him roll his eyes at you. “ Not fuckin’ fine “ He groans, turning on his side and leaving you alone for the rest of the night.

———

The next morning, you wake up alone. Which isn’t surprising since this is how it always happens, but it feels different after the small argument— or whatever that was last night. Mentally, you groan at the situation, but get up and begin your day anyways. Just cause you had a fight with your boyfriend doesn’t mean the walkers will stop for you. Tossing clothes on, you shove your M9 into your waist band and exit the cell to find Carol holding Judith. You smile at the sight of your sister and it’s clear she sees you as she squeals for you. “ Every time “ Carol laughs, offering you the girl. You accept her into your arms and Judith places her hand on your mouth. She does this every time now knowing you’ll make pig noises and bite her hand, just like your mom did with you. You grant her wishes and she giggles at you.

These little moments you cherish more than anything, but you have to give her back as you have to get to your list of many things to do. “ You ok? “ She asks once you are free of the baby. Nodding, you move towards the perch to leave, but stop as you wonder why she’s asking. She tilts her head slightly, like she was a caring mom “ Daryl was in one rare mood this morning is all. Wanted to make sure you two are good “. You just shrug at the woman you consider family “ We’re all good, Carol. Thanks for asking though “. You can feel her gaze on your back as you exit the cell block. He must be in some mood for Carol to warn you like that. You brace yourself for it as you walk towards Beth who is currently cooking something Daryl killed yesterday. Her boyfriend is there with her and you offer them both a smile as you approach “ Morning “.

Beth smiles in return, but obviously has the same thoughts as carol did. You choose to ignore it and pick at the deer meat that’s already cooked “ You coming on the run today? “. Zach nods eagerly, trying to sneak his own piece like you just did “ Yes mam “. You smirk at his choice of words and leave the couple to begin picking off the walkers at the wall. They’re starting to look overwhelmed so this would be task number one of the day. Maggie is already picking some off as you join her, but it doesn’t take long for you to notice she’s wearing a frown.You know she’s scared that she might be pregnant. She hasn’t told you, afraid of your reaction because of what happened to your mom, but you could tell. There’s just a certain look. “ Anything you want me to pick up for you on the run? “ You ask hoping she will confide in you, shoving your knife into a walkers head. You pull your arm back and continue the same action two more times before , Maggie looks at you.

You can feel her looking you up and down, before she groans “ How do you know?”. Smirking, you continue to assault the walkers “ You know I grew up with cops right? For god sakes, my dad was the sheriffs deputy. I got pretty good at reading people “. She’s glad you aren’t mad at her, but grabs your arm to stop you so she can have your full attention “ After your mom- “. You stop her by holding her hand that she grabbed you with “ Maggie it’s fine. I’m fine “. She’s searching your eyes for any sign you’re not fine, but you squeeze her hand for effect “ You and Glenn are married. I expect you to have my nieces and nephews “. She laughs as you clearly want cute little Glenn’s running around and that she’s definitely your family. It seems to relive her of her stress and you go back to picking the line. She follows your lead and shrugs to herself “ Maybe you and Daryl can give them someone to play with? “.The idea makes your heart feel warm, but you don’t respond to her.

After last night, you don’t know if that’s something he’d want for the two of you.

——-

When it came time for the run, you gave your dad and Carl a hug before finally coming face to face with Daryl. He’s currently filling up the bike with gas, but you know he can sense that your near. He just doesn’t want to face you. You believe he’s mad at you, but truly he’s just embarrassed about the whole situation. He doesn’t understand how he could have you infront of him like that, but not act the way he wants to. You fold your arms over your chest and you debate asking Zach for a ride, but it would just make this all too obvious. Daryl then drops the cap to the gas and you reach to help him, but he’s quick to make sure you can’t. You furrow your eyebrows at him. Is he really being childish ? Your lips purse and leave him to his assholeness.

Your half way to Bob and Tyreese before he’s finished with his task and calling for you “ Aye “. You turn to find him giving you a questionable look. You never rode without him. “ What? You obviously don’t want me around “. This catches Bob’s attention, but he thankfully gives y’all privacy. He narrows his eyes at Bob before you, and then rolls his eyes for you to see “ Fine! “. He swings his legs over the bike and starts it up, obviously telling you to ride with them instead and you can feel your stomach twist uncomfortably. You can feel your face drop as well, but Bob comes to your side to try and defuse the situation “ Hey, you can sit with me! We’re playing the alphabet game “. As much as you appreciate Bob’s easy going ness , right now you can’t imagine spending the next thirty minutes listening to the stupid game.

But you would. And the run wouldn’t put you in a better mood either. Usually, you love getting out of the prison even if it was just for a little bit. But that was mostly because of getting alone with Daryl. Yet, you do your job and search the stocked store. You’re in the hygiene aisle tossing soap and other necessities in your bag, but stop when your eyes land on the pregnancy tests. You debate on grabbing one for Maggie, but as you grasp one in your hands you can feel eyes on you. You know exactly who they belong to and roll your eyes mentally, deciding to just shove it in your bag and move on.

You move onto dry goods and grab a couple of jars of baby food before you hear Bob yelling for help. Your eyes widen at the sound and you rush towards it to find him pinned under a shelve.There’s a walker under it as well and you quickly try to pull the shelf off of him, groaning as you need help “ Anybody!! “. There’s loud foot steps heading your way, but they aren’t fast enough as Bob screams in fear. Daryl finally reaches you and the two of you attempt to free the man, but then you start to hear the groans. And light is starting to appear from holes in the roof. “ Daryl! “ You point out, causing him to try and lift even harder. Finally, you feel as it’s moving, but then a walker falls through the roof and the whole store descends into chaos. Daryl has to rip you away from your task as a walker gets too close to you and you slam into a near by shelf. Daryl quickly sends a bolt into its head and you have no time to catch your breath before another one staggers towards you. You push off of the shelf and shove your blade as hard as you can into the top of its head, kicking it back as soon as it’s life less.

Daryls quick to grab you again and push you towards the middle of the store, but there’s too many and you’d both have to kill at least six of them before being able to go any further. Thankfully, you can see Zach and Tyreese helping bob so this is your prime objective. You stand back to back with Daryl and begin your assault, coating yourself and the floor in various fluids. And as is if this wasn’t bad enough, you can now see a helicopter trying to fall through the roof. Daryl obviously notices too, but the two of you are getting backed up into the exact spot it’s going to fall. “ Daryl! Y/N! “ Glenn yells, clearing a path for you . You rush to take it and Daryl is right behind you.

And then you see it, Zach gets bit and there’s nothing any of you can do but run.

——

That night you waited on Daryl to come to bed. He wanted to be the one to tell Beth about Zach, so you granted his wish and gave him the space to do so, but what you didn’t count on was him getting stopped by your brother on his way back to you. Daryl was just leaving Beths cell, a distant expression on his face, and Carl knew it all to well. Daryl begins to head back to you, not realizing your brother is watching him, but stops as Carl stands infront of the perch “ I need to talk to you “. Daryl nods up to your cell “ In the mornin’. Need to talk to Y/N “. Carl puts his hand on Daryls shoulder “ It’s about her “. Daryl raises a eyebrow at the kid, but follows his lead to just outside the cell block. Carl paces slightly before announcing his reasons for stopping the hunter.

“ I wanted to say thank you for bringing Y/N back safely.. I heard it was really bad “. Daryl gives your brother a nod, but waits as there’s obviously another reason he pulled him aside. “ And- I saw what was in Y/N’s bag and I need you to know that if she is.. if she’s pregnant that it’s going to be ok. I think she’ll be a great mom “. Daryl looks your brother up and down as if he has two heads, but remembers you stashing a test in your bag. Obviously you aren’t pregnant, but looking at the hope in his eyes made Daryl wish it was true. “ She’s not. T’s for someone else “ He explains, the kid infront of him slumping slightly at the news. At this moment he looks just like you. “ Well, that’s cool too I guess “ Carl accepts. His lips are pursed slightly, but he lets the idea go. Carl begins to leave Daryl to go back to his task, but stops just to tell him something Daryl needs to hear “ You make her happy you know? And I think you’d make a cool brother in law. Even if she’s not pregnant “.

The kid smirks at the taller man and leaves the hall way to probably go hug you goodnight. You two have a nightly ritual after all. Even with Carl getting older, he never misses it. Most nights, Daryl would listen from the hallway as you let him lay on your shoulder. You’d tell him that you’re proud off him and that it’s ok to miss mom too. And that you’ll never leave him. But Daryl wonders would he make a great brother to Carl? The whole conversation leaves Daryl second guessing everything. He eventually climbs the stairs to over hear your nightly ritual. “ I told Daryl that he’d make a cool brother in law “ Carl confesses as you rub his back, just like mom use to do. You smirk down at him “ Oh yeah? You want him to be your brother now? “. He can hear Carl laugh softly, but not at any harm to Daryl.

“ Dad said you’re happy with him. That Daryl is a good man. I just wanted him to know that it’d be kinda cool to have him be one of us “ Carl explains to you and you can feel your heart swell at his words. Never before has Carl liked any of your boyfriends. Ever. “ He is one of us “ You agree, but Carl seems to have a different opinion. “ He has to propose first, stupid “. You send a fist into his shoulder “ First off, I will and can beat your ass Carl. And second, it doesn’t really work that way anymore. Family isn’t defined by a ring or a piece of paper. Especially since I’m pretty sure the aliens dropped you off on our door step and we were just too kind to leave you there “ . Carl laughs at your threat and punches you back, but doesn’t miss the fact that you consider Daryl family already.

“ So you don’t want a ring? Just dating is fine with you? “ He asks after the two of you call a cease fire. You shrug slightly, not ever really giving the idea any thought “ I don’t know. I feel like Daryl and I are good. He can give me a ring if he wants and if he doesn’t I’ll be ok. I know where we stand and that’s enough for me “. Carl seems to be confused on all of this, but is glad you know what you’re doing. “ Relationships are really weird “. Hugging him goodnight, you give a kiss to his head“ You’re not wrong,Grimes. You’re not wrong “. He leaves you to find his bed and you begin to lay down, only to sit right back up when Daryl enters the cell. He looks so tired, eyes straining to stay awake, but you resist the urge to hug him. There’s still a weird feeling in the air.

He looks your frame over before setting his things down , not really giving you a idea of what is going through his mind. “ How’d it go with, Beth? “ You ask quietly, not really knowing what else to say. His shoulders roll “ Went fine “. Mentally you want to skip to the part where everything’s good and that all this in between won’t matter. He looks over his shoulder at you, noticing that you let your hair down and that you’re scrubbed clean, and remembers the girl he met that day at the quarry. The girl who never treated him like anything other than good. It makes him sigh. God, he hated disappointing you. Those doe eyes of yours search his for any sign of a white flag, he notices. You didn’t want to fight. You just wanted him. But it’s hard for him to accept. His doubts are miles long, but you seem to always make it through them.

Shyly, you creep off of the bed and hug his back tightly to prove this point. No matter the argument he tried to put up earlier, you know his heart. Your hands smooth over his chest and he can feel you place a kiss to his back , ever so careful in your movements. His eyes close tightly in response. Always so careful with him like he’s something special. All the demons in his mind scream otherwise, but feeling your head rest on his back seems to melt them down somehow. “ I know this is all new for you, but I want you to remember that all I’ll ever need is you. You can be mad at me for the rest of my life— god willing it’s a long one— but you’re going to have to accept that. You’re my family”. Your kisses continue “ I’m never going to let you go, even when you push me away “. Your words promise a future to him. And for the first time he can feel how bad you want him to be apart of it. That you’re going to be with him and only him.

“ Just tell me that’s all you want. That you’re in this forever with me “ You ask of him. And this is the first time you’ve ever asked him to confirm his feelings for you. And fuck, he never realized how this must be for you.That he’s never asked you to be with him. That you’re just supposed to love him without any confirmation given. He slowly grabs your hands and holds them close, hoping his touch feels just as right as yours does “ Yeah, I want that “. You smile against his back, content in this alone, showing him that you have no ulterior motives. That you’ll have him in every way and never leave. “ Can we go to bed ? “ You ask , but don’t leave his grasp. He can hear a small yawn escape, but he doesn’t give you what you want.

Instead, he turns around and smoothes your hair out of your face resulting in you grinning at him like you’re just eating up any affection he’s willing to give you. And it feels good to have someone look at him like that and mean it. He places his hand on your side, slightly grabbing it so you’ll come closer, and you gladly take his hint. You take the opportunity to kiss him and he can smell the vanilla wafting off your skin, drawing him into your lips even more than before. This smell always makes him feel like he’s at home. But, you pull away all too soon reminding him of your wish to sleep. And he can’t explain what you did to him by pulling away from him, but he quickly pulls you back to him. You raise your eyebrow at him, but don’t have a chance to question his actions as his hands find your hips and he’s quick to grasp at the skin that lays beneath your shirt.

Your eyes fall to his hands as the trace their way up your ribs and you notice his eyes asking for permission to remove the shirt that stops him from continuing. You remove the item without hesitation— as far as your concerned you’re his. And no, you didn’t have a ring or some piece of paper, but you would only be his for the rest of your life.You let the item fall without care and in the candle light, he counts all the little freckles he’s never noticed before. He traces them with his finger and this night would end with him finding every one of them.

—-

Every night after would be similar, until the prison fell and once again he’d loose you. You’d be know where to be seen, but he’d have to abandon the prison without you. Luckily, you got out with Michonne, but neither of you knew about each others where about. And it scared you. Days would pass by before you even caught up with your dad and brother, and while that was a joyous reunion, they could see the sadness in your eyes. You didn’t bother to talk a lot, only when needed, and it felt like you were dying inside. It was the unknown that killed you. Daryl wasn’t any better as he tried to provide , Beth with safety, but it wasn’t a life she wanted.

She hated sitting in the middle of the Forrest, eating snakes and she was quick to let Daryl know that, but he wasn’t much of a chatter box either. She wants to push him to admit he misses you and that he’s upset about the way things happened, because he’s just acting like none of it happened. And she eventually does, hitting him like a curse word with your name “ Y/N would hate to see you like this! She would be right in your face telling you to suck it up! But you don’t care right?! You don’t care that she’s gone! That Maggie’s gone! “. “ Don’t say her name! “ He would yell at her, but Beth wouldn’t let up. He needed to believe that you’re alive again. That this wasn’t all truly over. “ Why not, Daryl?! Huh? She’s out there and we’re sitting in the Forrest like bait! “.

Luckily, your family wasn’t pushing you the same way. They gave you your space and you still gave Carl the attention he needed, but you are just going along with whatever they choose. And eventually it would be terminus that they set their sights on, after your dad had to kill that man in the house you were holding up in. You don’t know what to feel about terminus, but they seemed to think it’s where everyone else would’ve headed.

Daryl would see the sign too, but it would be without Beth as she had been taken already. He was with a new group now, but it wouldn’t last. He was just surviving at this point and hoping Beth was right. That you were out there and waiting for him. And as fate would have it, he’d find you that very night. Just not in the best of situations. You were sitting around the small fire with your dad and michonne, listening to their small talk when a man would come behind you all and aim weapons at your heads. You thought this was it. That this was how you were going to die. And all you could do was look to Carl as he was pinned to the ground beneath an older man. Rick would look to you and his son in fear, but it’s Daryl that stops the scene playing out to escalate.

“ Wait— wait! “ He pleads, revealing himself from the woods causing your eyes to go wide. He briefly makes eye contact with you as the man behind you grins and grips your neck tightly. The leader of this little group would hear him out for a moment before proceeding to call him a liar and sick his men on him, causing you to scream for them to stop. You jerk in the man’s grip, but it was of no use. He grazes the knife across your skin like it pleased him and your dad was sickened at the sight, but you don’t let out any signs of fear. You needed to be strong. If you were all going to die, Carl’s last picture of you shouldn’t be crying and begging for your life. His knife would trail down your shirt as he makes it obvious he would do more than just kill you and it’s then that, Rick bites a huge chunk out of the leaders neck.

You take the opportunity to send your head back into the mans face and it sends him stumbling behind you , before picking up a large rock that was next to your foot. He looks from the rock to you “ And what do you think you’re going to do with that? “. He doesn’t think much of you, but his night would be sent to an end as you bashed his brains in with it. You let the rock drop as you finish your task, his blood covering your hands, but you don’t let it faze you as you turn to find Carl still in the grips of one of them. You’re ready to attack him, but your dad holds out a hand. He wasn’t able to kill your captive, but he would make sure to kill Carl’s. Michonne comes to your side as she holds you protectively, but you quickly rush to Carl when he’s free.

He runs to you on instinct and you accept him gladly as he’s trembling “ I’ve got you. You’re ok “. You can only rub his back and shield his face as your dad finishes off the man , the terror of the night truly at its peak. Michonne is quick to join you as you notice Daryls slumped form against your vehicle and Carl gives you the ok to go to him. You run to him and once you get to him, you’re searching him all over. Your hands come to his face, finding a forming black eye and a busted lip, but he doesn’t let you fret over it “ M’ ok”. Instead, he worries for you “ Did he hurt you ? “. He attempts to check you, but you just push his hands away and hug him to your frame.

He thinks briefly back to the time at the highway, but this was different. Men had tried to kill you. To take you away from him. You’re holding him like he’s a security blanket this time. He tries to hold you in return and give you the affection you need, but he couldn’t give you his all at the moment. “ I thought you were gone “ You whisper for only him to hear. You’re shaking against him and he realizes you must be crying, truly showing your love for him. And it’s in that moment he realizes he’s never told you he loves you. That you could’ve died without hearing those three words. “ Hey “ He whispers, bringing your teary eyes out from his shoulder. “ M’here now. S’ok “ He promises, but your lip is still trembling.

“ Don’t leave me again. Promise me. Promise me I’ll never have to live without you again “ You demand even if you sound like a child. He nods at you as he’s never seen you so panicked. “ Say it “ You demand again. He can’t believe how bad your shaking and he’d tell you anything to make you feel ok again. The fact that you were held by that man and were faced with a fear bigger than death, but you only cared to hear him promise you he’d never leave is all he needs to finally tell you. “ I’ll never leave you again” he promises grabbing your cheek so you’ll calm down “ I love you “. He expects you to be surprised as you always are when he shows you this type of love, but you just nod your head at him and lean your forehead against his “ I love you too “. There was no hesitation in you and it made this all worth it.

You don’t leave his side that night and eventually fall asleep on his chest, causing your dad to smile from Daryl’s side. Daryl looks him up and down for an answer, but Rick just shrugs “ Haven’t seen her sleep in days “. Daryl doesn’t respond to his friend, only rubs your back instead. “ She’s good with you, you know? I trust you with her life “ Rick continues making sure to acknowledge his approval. “ I almost got her killed “ Daryl objects, referring to the group of men he had been traveling with. Rick scoffs as if it’s complete lunacy “ Would you have been with them if you knew this was the outcome? Would you willingly put her or us in danger if you knew ?”. Daryl shakes his head no “ I didn’t know they were looking for you. They talked about some guy who killed one of theirs and I was just with them until.. “.

Rick throws his hand up as if this proves his point “ Exactly. Daryl I know you. She knows you. You’re not them “. Daryl has a hard time believing his words, but Rick grabs his shoulder to emphasize it “ You’re my brother, Daryl. I know you”. Daryl nods in return, agreeing with him. He then tosses his water bottle to Rick for him to clean the blood off of his face. “ We should save it “ He begins to disagree, but Daryl nods back to the car where Carl sleeps. “ They don’t need to see you like this “. Rick then splashes his face and tries to rid of the substance before you wake up and see him. After, he looks back to Daryl and bluntly asks “ You going to marry her ? “.

Daryl isn’t caught off guard by this question as he already felt that way with you, but it’s obvious Rick wanted him to make it official. “ If that’s what she wants “ He responds. Rick grabs his shoulder again “ I want to walk her down an aisle. She deserves that “.

—-

Terminus would then come and once again, you’d have to face being ripped from Daryl , but this time you fought. You fought hard. Now being reunited with your family and even some new faces, you slaughtered your way through the madness of the place. It would be a hard day, but you’d all make it through. And once outside the fences, you held Daryls hand proudly. Sure, now you had no plan and no where to go, but you had him. And that was enough. Carol eventually revealed herself to be your savior and everyone took her in a happy hug, but she would have a even bigger surprise for you.

She led you all to a small shed where Tyreese would reveal himself, holding little Judith. You couldn’t even believe your eyes. Carl and your dad told you she was gone— that walkers had gotten to her, but there she was. You rushed after her as did your dad and brother, but you were the first to hold her. She grins at you and automatically puts her hand on your mouth, but you don’t grant her wish as you have tears pouring down your face. Carl is right at your side as he grabs her foot, but you pass the baby to your dad as he truly needs to hold her at the moment. You couldn’t even imagine the pain of thinking you lost a child. You and Carl both happily cry over the baby as your dad extends his arm for the both of you. And this made the following days bearable.

You’d then find a priest in need of help , who’d invite you to his church and give you a safe place to rest your heads for the night. Everyone found their own places to rest as the sun began to set, but you sat outside where you could take a moment to catch your breath. Carl soon joined you, but he just leans on your shoulder instead of trying to make small talk. He seemed to always know when to talk and when to just sit in silence with you. Just like when you were younger. And whilst you thought he just wanted your company, really he was just keeping you busy whilst Daryl and Rick took advantage of the fact that there is a real live priest in their finger tips. And no, Daryl isn’t planning on some big event in the middle of a apocalypse, but he wanted to give you the chance to have your father walk you down the aisle.

It doesn’t take much persuading to get Gabriel to officiate the wedding, seeing as he was just about itching to redeem himself for reasons unknown to you all yet. Now all you had to do was say yes. Daryl began to walk to ask you the very question, but Rick stopped him by sliding something in his hand. Daryl looks to his hand where a small silver band is and he questions it. “ It was her moms, should fit her “ Rick explains, his eyes far away at the moment. Daryl just nods and continues to exit the church, but stops as your still sitting on the steps. You’re sitting with your brother, a tired expression on your face, but you seemed to have a small smile even with the fact that there’s barely any food or water.

Carl looks up as he notices, Daryl and gives him a nod before leaving your side. You watch your brother leave and don’t think too much of it as , Daryl takes his place. “ I was thinking we should go on a run “ You tell him. His eyes graze your neck where there’s small bruises from where that man had held you and you can tell he doesn’t like the idea. “ I’m not asking you for permission “ You smirk, pushing his shoulder slightly. He catches your hand and holds it in his own, smirking slightly his self “ Later “. You let him make that decision, but question it “ Got a hot date or something? We can go now before we loose the light “. Your choice of words is ironic. “ Mhmm “ Is all he replies with, making you narrow your eyes at him. He’s being vague and he knows your about to give him that look, but he just nods to the left “ C’mon “.

You follow him out to the empty field beside the church, holding his hand as he leads you to a non specific spot. You shiver as the wind blows for a moment, but look to Daryl as he’s obviously brought you out here for a reason. And his eyes are far away at the moment as if he’s thinking back to a different time , but he snaps back to reality “ I’ve got sum’ to give you “. He digs into his pocket , bringing the item out before placing it in your hand. Your eyebrows raise as you open your palm to find the silver band, noticing it’s your— was your mom’s. You can tell by the date initialed inside. And you can’t help, but think of all the times she’d play wedding with you and let you wear it as your dad would be your groom. He watches you blink away the tears and you look away from him “ Why are you giving me this? How did you find it? “.

You’re trying to fight the urge to cry as this band means more to you than your own life. “ I want you ta’ wear it “ He answers, so calm and steady in his words. You snap your head back to him , wanting to make sure you heard him right “ Wear it ? “. He nods, wiping the tears from your face “ Marry me “. You examine his face, your hair blowing in the breeze and those blue eyes questioning his actions “ You don’t have to do this. I told you , you’re all I need “. And that’s why he wanted to do this. You never asked him to be more than who he is or demand he change for you. His hands grab your shoulders “ I want this “. You close your palm on the ring and look up to his eyes “ Are you sure? “. He makes a humming noise to assure you before placing the ring on your finger his self.

Finally, a smile cracks on your face as you examine it on your ring finger. He doesn’t know how much having this ring means to you and for him to give it to you? It heals your heart a little more. It made you feel close to her. “ Then— yes, I’ll marry you “ you agree. And while you believe this all he has up his sleeve, you happily kiss him until your lungs demand air. You don’t miss the happy smile on his face, but you don’t have time to appreciate it as your dad and Carl make they’re presence known, little Judith already squealing for you. You turn , Daryl’s hands never leaving you, and you wonder how they seem to know what just happened. They have big smiles on their faces and you think they were watching, but when your dad hugs you and asks you “ You ready? “ you realize there’s been a whole lot of plotting behind this proposal.

“ Ready for what? “ You ask him, before turning back to Daryl who doesn’t give you the slightest hint.

——-

And that day, would be the best day you’ve had in years. Rick would walk you down the aisle and tell you how happy your mother would be right now, Carl would grin at you from Daryls side and mouth to you ‘ Loser ‘ , Judith would throw fake flowers that Gabriel had found, And Daryl would gladly say ‘ I do ‘ even though you can tell he gave Gabriel a weird look when he asked him to. The guy just rubs him the wrong way. But it was perfect. That night you’d both go out, finally taking the time to go on that run, but as soon as you two were out there and alone, you’d gladly push him against a car you found. “ I believe you owe your wife a wedding night, right? “ you’d whisper to him, already yanking his vest down his arms.

“ I believe I do “ he’d agree and kiss you hungrily. And you’d both laugh— finding the back seat of the car as good of a place as any . You felt like a teenager sneaking around again, but this time you were with the one you loved. He’d kiss you and leave marks down your chest with an “ I love you “. And you both spend the next hour showing each other how much. You’d tell him the same once it was over, smiling as you lay on his chest. His lips find your head and you’re enjoying him playing with your hair when you hear it. Daryl sits up automatically , looking out the window as a car drives by without a single thought of the two of you. And you’re relieved, but Daryl seems to recognize it. “ That’s the people who took, Beth ! “ He explains, shoving on his clothes. You do the same and climb to the passenger seat.

And if he knew how this would end, he wouldn’t have chased the car…

—-

The two of you ended back up in the streets of Atlanta, fighting not only walkers, but some guy who steals from you and then later needs you to save him. Daryl doesn’t want to save the kid after all he’s done, but you ignore his attitude and attempt to help the guy out from underneath the shelf. Though you’re not strong enough, and the walker gets through the door to end the poor guy, but Daryl finally steps in and sends a bolt into its decaying head. Once he’s safe, he reveals his name and at the sound of a car outside it’s found out that he knows where Beth is.

It turns out they were both being held in some hospital, and that would be your next destination, but first you’d all have to escape the building without them seeing you first. Your first to exit the building, seeing as Daryl needs to keep watch on Noah, and all too suddenly your hit with said car that you all were trying to escape. Daryl’s eyes go wide as you bounce off of the car and hit the pavement, your eyes shutting as soon as your head lands on the concrete. Instinctively, Daryl tries to run out to you, but Noah stops him. He’d explain that the hospital has a doctor and that this would be your only chance to survive something like that, but he couldn’t wrap his mind around watching you being taken.

Noah realizes who you must be to him and tries to walk Daryl through the next steps to save your life.

And this would include getting your father involved.

——

“ Tell me something, Y/N “ Your mom smiles at you as you help her peel the potatoes in hershels kitchen. You don’t look up from your task, but hum in response so she knows your listening. “ Do you remember, Jake ? “ She asks, causing your peeling to stop. “ Jake? The kid from around the corner “ You question, vaguely remembering the kid that use to pick on, Carl. She nods, popping a slice of cucumber in her mouth “ I’m surprised that’s all you remember about him. Seeing as you beat the poor guy so bad he had to get ten stitches in his head “. You grin to yourself as you think back to that day. You were walking down the street to retrieve the boy from his friends house, but it’s when you heard his cry that you began to run.

You’d find him surrounded by some of the neighborhood kids as they watched your brother getting kicked in the side repeatedly. Your eyes went wide and you pushed by the kids his age, only to push the teenager off of him. “ Y/N ! “ Carl yelled as you would proceed to climb on top of the guy, and lay punches into his smug face. Luckily, your dad would be pulling down the street in his patrol car and stop you before you could break his nose, but he’d end up with ten stitches anyways. Shane would grab Carl as your dad tried to make sense of the whole situation. Why would his sixteen year old daughter beat a guy only two years younger than her ? “ Next time I catch you around my brother, I will make you wish for sunlight you little shit! “ You’d scream from your fathers arms, the guy holding his head with a scowl on his face.

“ Watch your mouth! “ He’d hiss down at you, but you’d just glare up at him. “ Where were you ?! Both of you ?! “ You’d yell at both of the officers, as your brother has blood dripping from his nose.

You grab a slice of cucumber yourself and wonder why she’s bringing it up “ I felt like I had to be his protector , you know? That morning he’d heard the two of you arguing. Just like you had the past weeks and I felt like seeing him getting hurt more— I wanted to stop it “. Lori nods at you, the statement causing guilt to cover her face, but she goes back to the reason she’s bringing it all up “ Daryl looks at you the same way. Like he’s your protector “. Your lips purse and you find yourself thinking back to the hunter, but your mom continues “ You’re different around him “. You’re about to slam her with an argument as you believe she’s criticizing you, but she holds her finger up at you “ Don’t you look at me like that. You look just like your dad “.

You let the urge drop as told, but would defend Daryl if she dared to say anything bad. “ I didn’t mean anything bad by it— I think you’re happy with him. And I like that he takes care of you. One day, I won’t be able to and it gives me peace that you’ll be ok”. What was she talking about? “ Don’t say things like that “ You mumble, not liking the turn this conversation has taken, but she suddenly grabs your hand so you grasp the reality of her words.

“ Fact is, Y/N. One day, I’ll be gone. Your dad will be gone. And in this world that can happen so quickly. I know you’ll take care of your brother, but I need to know someone will take care of you. So, be good to him. Don’t ever doubt him— not even when all the odds are stacked against it “ She advises you, her face full of regret like she had failed her own advice.

Beth watches you stir in your sleep and holds your hand, hoping you can feel her near you. You looked so different from the last time she saw you , hair longer and bruises littering your skin now, but it makes her smile to see the wedding band on your finger. Daryl must’ve found you. She had been right. “ I don’t know if you can hear me, Y/N, but I just want you to know I’m not going to let them hurt you. And that I’m here “ She tells you, just in time for Dawn’s footsteps to echo in the hallway. Beth would then scurry to the floor and pretend to have no interest in you, but Dawn always seemed to see right through her.

“ You knew her, didn’t you? “ She asked, sitting next to you on your bed. Beth kept a straight face, not to let anything slip, but it seemed to answer her question. “ She looks strong, we can use her. What was she good at ? “. The question reminds her of the fact that you had once told her that you were going through the academy before all of this, but there was no way she’d give that information to Dawn. Your fate would be sealed. Luckily, for both of you the next day would bring your salvation. And you’d never forget that moment. Beth would push you in the wheelchair towards your family, causing relief to show on their faces, and you’d grip her hand to warn her to be careful. You couldn’t protect her in your state and you could feel the anger radiating off of the girl.

She squeezes back, but your attention then falls on Daryl. He’s watching your movements like a hawk as , Rick and Dawn discuss how this will go down. This could end very badly and he knows you can’t even get up to defend yourself, but you try and smile for him. “ One of mine, for one of yours “ Is declared, and it’s decided you’d go first. Beth rolls you as far as she can before it’s taken over by someone you don’t know the name of, but it’s short lived before your lifted from the chair by your dad. He gives you a relived look before passing you to, Daryl and you have to lean on him to keep from falling.

And just as it’s Beth turn, Dawn announces she wants Noah too, causing Beth to shove a pair of surgical scissors into her chest.

And on reflex, Dawn sends a bullet into the girls brain.

——

After Beth’s death, it seemed like all you could do was loose. Starting with Bob, then Beth, and then Tyreese. It was killing the group slowly and it didn’t help that there was no food or water in sight. But you’d all push through, you had no other choice. You’d been through too much to die now. And when you all stash away in the first barn you see, the message couldn’t be more clear. You take the time to sit in the hay and shut your eyes for just a moment only to have your small moment interrupted by Maggie. She plops beside you and you offer her a squeeze to her shoulder, telling her in no certain words that you’re here for her. She tries to give you a smile, but you know it’s hard for her right now. “ You look awful “ You joke, eyeing the dirt on her face. You seem to always know what to say to her and she retorts “ Oh yeah? Have you looked in the mirror lately ? “.

You don’t have to look to know you look weeks past a shower “ I know, it’s hard to be this hot “. This earns a genuine laugh from Maggie and you catch Glenn’s thankful nod from the corner of your eyes. You return the gesture as Glenn talks to your husband. “ So hows married life treating you? “ Maggie tried to keep the conversation going seeing as it’s better than thinking about how empty her stomach is. You eye your wedding ring and let a tired smile stretch across your lips “ Well, I spent my ‘ honeymoon’ getting hit by a car and I’m pretty sure I have a permanent bruise on my ass, but between you and me ? I wouldn’t change a thing “. As if Daryl knows you’re talking about him, he looks over his shoulder to check on you. He watches you chat with Maggie and attempt to keep her in a good mood even though you’re fighting to keep your eyes open. He admires your strength, especially in the coming days.

You’d limp your ass from that point on with a smile and still find the strength to tote Judith, but even you have your limits. And thankfully, just as your about to pass out from borderline exhaustion, Aaron reveals himself to the group with promises of salvation. And god help Daryl when he saw the way you held Judith when you felt the urge to protect her from the strange man. To a strangers eye, you looked like a mom protecting her small child. And in a sense you are Judiths mom. But, Alexandria proved to be true and little by little he saw you begin to relax. Daryl didn’t really feel the same way, but didn’t turn you down when you suggested he shower with you. You took his hand and lead him through the house everyone was hold up in still, earning a grin from michonne. “ I think everyone is asleep by now “ You tell him, locking the bathroom door behind you. You can tell he’s still on edge about this whole place and you don’t blame him, but you just wanted time to be with him without any of the outside world on his mind.

“ Hey “ You smile and place your hands on his waist. He offers a small smile back “ Hey”. There’s a small moment where you two just enjoy looking at each other while the water heats up and in the silence you could see a life for the two of you here. One where Judith could grow up, where Carl could sleep with both eyes closed, and where death wasn’t something you all had to be afraid of. And of course that was a life Daryl wanted to give you, but he couldn’t be sure this was where it was going to happen. “ Come on, join your wife in the shower and lets pretend my dads not in the other room “ You let out a smirk, ridding yourself of your clothes. He follows in suit before he watches you bask in the hot water with a peaceful smile. He wonders how you’re just so sure about this place, but joins you instead of asking. You hum in content as he wraps a arm around your frame and his eyes trace down the wet curls that cling to your back “ This place is going to be good for us “. Daryls eyes narrow at the back of your head “ Whys tha’ ? “.

“ It Just has to be “ You simply put. His free hand moves your hair to the side of your neck and he softly rubs your shoulder “ If it’s not? “. And like the grimes you are you reply “ I’ll make it “. You’re dead set on this being a home for those kids, but he doesn’t realize that it’s for you too. You lean your head back onto his chest and reveal those blue eyes of yours “ I know you’re skeptical and I don’t blame you, but I want this to work. I need this to work “. Just by the look on your face, Daryl knew he had to make sure this worked. Your face then twists the way it does when you’re thinking about something too hard and Daryls beginning to question the real reason you need this to place to work. “ I have to tell you something “ You sigh, turning in his arms so that you’re facing him. Whatever you have to tell him doesn’t seem to upset you much which gives Daryl a sense of relief, but when you cup his face in your hand he knows you’re trying to soften the blow.

He knows you well enough to know your tactics. “ Spit it out “ He urges you, causing you to smile softly. “ Ok.. ok, but just promise me you won’t freak out “. He gives you no such promise, but you expect as much “ You remember about six weeks ago when we got stuck in that wine cellar ? “. His eyebrows knit in confusion, of course he remembers. He can’t exactly forget the sight of you on top of him with a wine bottle in your hands. “ Yeah ? “ He questions you, trying to figure out what you’re trying to spell out for him. There’s flashes in his memory of your laughter and moans, but what did that have to do with anything? “ Well— uhm “ You didn’t know exactly how to tell him. You’ve never had to do this before, but this is what you get for thinking just one time without protection wouldn’t catch up with you. “ Y/N “ He gives you a impatient look. “ You’re going to be a dad “.

Everything clicks together in the hunters mind and he realizes why you’ve been trying so hard to stay positive. His eyes search your face before dropping to your stomach and then back to your face again “ Are you sure? “. He watches you nod “ Took three tests. I’m sure “. He tries to think when you disappeared to take a test, but it’s not what he needs to be concerned about at the moment. He watches you drawl your bottom lip between your teeth and it’s a rare sight to see you nervous. He vaguely thinks back to the prison when Carl thought you were pregnant and could only imagine how happy the kid would be now to be a uncle. “ Daryl? “ You bring from his thoughts, obviously wanting some type of reaction.

But he can’t find the words just yet. All he can see is that girl you were on top of the RV. The one who drew him in and could have any guy she wanted, but choose to love him. He doesn’t know how he got lucky enough to marry you let alone be the father of your children. “ You want this right? “ He finally asks. You’re now the confused one “ Of course I do. Loving you is the best thing I’ve ever done and this baby is a result of that. How could I not? “. There’s no mistaking the small smile that appears on his lips after hearing those words and you let a relieved smile of your own come through as he leans his head down on yours “ I love you “.

“ I love you “ You repeat before your lips reach his and the next moments are spent blissfully in the same fashion that created your child.

—-

You waited some time before announcing the news to your family, but after everyone adjusted to this new life you decided it was time. It’s not like people weren’t guessing it by now since Daryl pulled out a whole other level of protection on you. If you moved, he moved. And when Spencer had the nerve to hit on you, it took all of two seconds before Daryl put him on his ass. Alerting everyone that something had to be up. So, you gathered your loved ones around after dinner one night and held Judith happily on one hip “ I’ve actually got some news for you all “. This catches everyone’s attention and you smile back at Daryl who has a hand on your hip “ We actually have some news “. Your dad looks you up and down before setting his glass down, a curious smile on his face.

You have the feeling he already knows just from that look, but you say it aloud anyways “ We’re having a baby “. Smiles spread through the room, but it’s Carl who speaks first “ Really?!”. You nod at your little brother who wasn’t that little anymore and he excitedly rushes to hug you. He’s almost eye level with you, but you can still sit your head on his own “ It’s about time! “. This earns a laugh from your husband and your loved ones line up to congratulate you both. Your dad is next to hug you and you can see the tears in his eyes “ Oh dad “. He gives you a sappy smile before pulling you into his larger frame “ I wish your mom could see this “. You cling to his shirt as it brings tears to your own eyes, but you hold them in. This was supposed to be a happy moment.

“ You’re going to be a grand pa “ You laugh lightly into his shirt at the sound. Grandpaw Rick sounds so silly. Especially since you saw him bite some guys neck out. He reluctantly pulls away to laugh at the name, his eyes flickering to Daryl’s “ You two are making me feel old “. He then proceeds to hug Daryl as well and you couldn’t deny how right this all felt. Michonne is the next one to hold you and place a hand on your stomach even though there’s no bump there yet “ I was wondering when you were going to say something “. Maggie joins at your side and the three of you begin to talk about baby names as the guys seem to congratulate the father. But all Daryl could do is nod as they did, his actual attention on you as he watched you bounce Judith on your hip whilst you seem to glow at the idea of baby names. He never thought this would be his life. A girl like you was never supposed to fall for him and give him a family.

No one ever stayed long enough to show him he deserved a night like this. Only you did. You pushed past all of his walls and all of his defenses to bring him to this very moment. And Daryl was never one to believe in fate or soulmates, but as you stood there and managed to feel his eyes on you and give him a smile, he knew that he was wrong. It was typical of you to prove him wrong though so he shouldn’t be surprised. It was the Grimes in you.

But if he thought you were special and the most hard headed grimes he ever met, he had another thing coming when you’re daughter was born…

#DarylDixon #TWD #Y/N #Reader #Daryldixonfanfiction #fan fiction #the walking dead #zombies #love #daryl dixon imagine #daryl x oc #daryl x you #daryl x y/n #norman reedus #oc #imagines

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ducktracy · 4 years ago

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183. porky’s double trouble (1937)

release date: november 13th, 1937

series: looney tunes

director: frank tashlin

starring: mel blanc (porky, killer), tedd pierce (narrator), sara berner (petunia)

the end of an era—this is the final cartoon to feature “fat porky”. though he’d been dieting since late 1936 and steadily throughout 1937 with the other directors, frank tashlin was the last one to skinny him up. ironic, since he was such a stickler for streamlined designs! nevertheless, this is an exciting change, as porky is finally completing his transformation into the pig we know and love today.

not only that, this is the final appearance of frank tashlin’s petunia as well. she’d go on a hiatus all throughout 1938, only to be revived by bob clampetts with a totally new design in 1939. unfortunately, she was only kept for two more shorts before being discarded again. parting is such sweet sorrow!

we deal with not one porky, but two: an escaped convict kidnaps porky and steals his identity in order to successfully rob a bank. it’s up to petunia to put a stop to this criminal’s crime spree... or is it?

a silhouette of a pig furtively creeps under a blanket of typography from the title card. the pig isn’t our favorite stuttering porcine, but rather a grisly, stubbly porky doppleganger attempting to escape from prison. he jumps and growls at the spotlight that shines on him, shooting at the offscreen subjects. not only does he whip out two pistols, he even flips them--such a small detail of flamboyant dramatics goes a long way.

prison guards shoot back at the convict, silhouetted against the night sky, illuminated only by the glow of the searchlight and the stylized white bullets raining down below. the composition is stellar, its flatness reminiscent of the backgrounds of the early ‘40s cartoons, primarily from the likes of frank tashlin, chuck jones, and even norm mccabe at times. a whistle screeches as the prisoners run along, rifles in hand. in all, the dramatic opening rampant with silhouettes feels quite reminiscent to the opening of little beau porky, another tashlin entry just a year prior.

callbacks are more blatant as we undergo the signature Frank Tashlin Expositional Montage, footage of cop cars racing out into the street reused from tex avery’s the blow out, while a close-up of a newspaper press is also reused from avery’s porky the wrestler. all the while, a shot of the convict, identified as “killer” by one of the newspapers in the montage, oversees the chaos, his eyes drifting along to survey the action, his lips parted in a sneer. the narration (tedd pierce?) is the cherry on top--often times, narration has a tendency to feel redundant, as if it’s a crutch to support the gags (i.e. some of tex avery’s earlier entries), but here it elevates the theatrics of the entire prison escape.

speaking of narrators, ours introduces us to a gangster hideout--an abandoned all girls school by the name of katz school for girls, a nod towards studio business manager ray katz--no doubt a place frequented by killer. tashlin’s cinematography is in full swing as we iris in on an exterior shot of the hideout before panning along the interior, an arsenal of weapons littering the schoolroom of years past. a smooth, clever transition of pans from the classroom to a grandiose hallway, focusing on a door.

killer’s lackeys crowd around a table littered with alcohol bottles and playing cards, but most importantly, newspapers highlighting killer’s escape. his cronies all mutter words of praise in thick brooklyn accents (”yeah, dis guy’s clever, jus’ like who-dun-y! he can get outta anyt’ing!”). the conversation between the gangsters is surprisingly natural and fun to listen to: one of the lackeys likens killer to “clark taylor”, a humorously false remembrance of actors clark gable and robert taylor combined.

knocking outside the door prompts the cronies to whip around with their guns drawn, all crowing “who’s ‘dere!?” in unison. outside the door stands a rather spherical caricature of mae west--if there’s a mae west cameo, it must be a ‘30s cartoon! funnily enough, tashlin gets an animation credit on buddy’s beer garden, a cartoon whose mae west caricature is relatively integral to the plot as well.

mae informs the boys that she comes peddling a message from killer. furtively, they all crowd around the door, stacking on top of each other, each peering out of their own peephole door. the silent film inspiration is strong in this shot. not only that, its composition also reminds me of some of the shots in tashlin’s porky pig’s feat, a personal favorite of mine.

all hesitation to let newcomers in is dropped once the cronies spot their curvaceous company. they’re instantly smitten, batting eyelashes and all, one of the cronies going so far as to stroke mae the messenger’s face. tashlin’s cartoons always had a promiscuous flair to them, especially in the ‘40s--here is no exception. perhaps it’s only natural, seeing as this entire cartoon is one large parody of all of the gangster pictures churning out from warner bros. at the time (marked woman, kid galahad, san quentin to name a few.)

“he said...” mae lunges a haymaker, causing all four cronies to domino together and knock into the door as mel blanc settles out of his falsetto, “NOT T’ FOOL AROUND WITH DAMES, YA LUGS!!!” killer strips out of his outfit (even removing an iron barbell from where his chest is), growling “let that loin ya a lesson!” as always, mel is fun to listen to--his falsetto voice sounds rather similar to the voice he’d use for his lou costello caricatures.

killer eyes a stray newspaper, gloating “once i was only public enemy numba NINE!” at the sight of his new title as public enemy #1. (it should be noted that in tashlin’s first picture, porky’s poultry plant, another “public enemy” gag is used. gag continuity is always fun to see!) his eyes drift over to an article on the other side of the page (if you look closely, the date is “thoisdays octember 42nd”, the paper addressing the denizens of “porkysville”.):

“hey! what’s dis? da guy looks just like me! he could be me twin brudda!” frank tashlin’s disgruntlement with porky can be felt multiple ways here. not only did he hesitate until 2.5 minutes into the cartoon to introduce him, the underscore is “puddin’ head jones”, a frequent score associated with porky on numerous occasions offering not-so-subtle commentary about his intelligence (or lack thereof.)

killer ushers his lackey to take a glimpse at his bank-teller doppelgänger, whispering a plan to them involving porky and the bank, the narrator clueing us in that “the evildoers carefully plan another hideous crime.”

it’s not a tashlin cartoon without his signature up-shot: we iris in on an impressive up-shot view of “worst national bank”, a score of “plenty of money and you” and even the extravagant car horn of a limo solidifying that yes indeed, this here’s a bank! inside, porky dutifully deposits the goods of his spherically designed patrons. even by 1937, these mathematically proportioned designs were out of style--i suppose tashlin got the memo, though, seeing as this is the final “fat porky” cartoon, indicating a transition into more modern, streamlined designs.

bob bentley animates a close-up of porky depositing the cash of a scottie dog. cue the ever prevalent “cheap scotsman” gag, the scottie’s coin purse (a sock with a lock on it) revealing a swarm of moths upon its opening. he deposits a lone dime, porky happily obliging to sign the bank book. the scottie leaves, and it only takes a few bloated seconds for porky’s brain to catch up with him, realizing that he just signed a bank book to deposit a measly dime. he smacks himself in the face, a carl stalling favorite cue of “you’re a horses ass” providing musical commentary as porky glowers into the camera, hand sliding down his pudgy face. stereotypes aside, this is a fun little scene. it gives porky some personality, accentuating his gullibility (a persistent factor of his character, no matter who is directing him), and bob bentley’s animation is extremely appealing. no discretion to volney white, who animates the next scene, but there’s a noticeable difference in bentley’s and white’s styles, bentley’s animation much more dimensional. i absolutely love how he draws porky.

secretary petunia, once again voiced by sara berner, coos at porky to come over to her desk. she wastes little time flirting with him, asking that the two “step out” for the night. volney’s animation of porky is hysterical--his discomfort is exceedingly visible. porky gets cold feet, a stuttering mess (more than usual) as he sputters “geh-eh-g-eh-g-g-gee, miss petunia, i’m, uh, buh-beh-bashful... huh...heh, you’re so eh-peh-purrty, and eh-uh-i’m, uhh... yee-you’re, uh...” cue one of my favorite deliveries ever by mel blanc as the lunch bell rings. porky grins, realizing he’s saved by the bell. he doesn’t stutter once as he declares breathlessly “it’s time for lunch, g’bye!” and rushes off. the comedic timing, both from mel’s delivery and volney’s animation, couldn’t be better.

porky strolls outside, where he stumbles across killer (disguised as mae west again) hammering away at a car. porky’s good nature prevails, which often leads to trouble: with a polite tip of the hat, he asks if the woman needs any assistance. “would you be so kind?”

as porky works on the vehicle, killer prepares to strike, hammer in hand. his motives are thwarted as porky turns to offer assurances that the car will be fixed in a jiffy, killer impatiently hiding the bludgeoner behind his back. the charade continues, porky turning and talking, putting a stop to the nefarious deeds. as porky turns to say “eh-nuh-neh-nuh-now, it’s in the beh-beh-eh-beh-bag!”, killer grunts in his normal voice “SO ARE YOU!”, kicking porky under the hood (bumpy ride!) and peeling off in the car to certain doom.

the transition from killer kidnapping porky to killer putting on porky’s clothes (who’s bound and gagged in a chair) is surprisingly snappy, yet comprehensible and smooth. of course, the narration does contribute to the clarity, but regardless, such a quick transition can be difficult to convey smoothly and clearly. tashlin does it very well.

volney white animates killer’s taunts to porky: “and, wit’ your sissy clothes on, i can rob da bank! and YOU’LL take da rap, see!? AHAHAHA!” volney’s animation is fun to watch--before i saw this cartoon for the first time, i only ever saw google images of it, this scene being one of those images. volney’s eye takes amazed me at how anachronistic they seemed, and i remember likening him to joe murray if he made cartoons in 1937. very fun eye takes indeed!

speaking of fun, bob bentley does a neat little scene involving a brawl between killer and his reflection in the mirror. he goes to check out his new pilfered duds (”now i look like da squoit!”), admiring himself in the mirror. suddenly, his reflection grows a life of its own, sticking its tongue out. real killer gets pissed (if you notice, when he does a take of surprise, you can see where the cel of the reflection gets cut off) and punches the mirror, leaving the glass broken, his reflection now touting a blackened eye. while the “reflection becoming sentient” gag may seem tired, i enjoy how interactive killer’s reflection is, all without saying a word. the staging feels incredibly natural and nonchalant.

with that, killer makes his way to the bank, whistling along to the underscore of “with plenty of money and you” beneath the words of the narrator. you can spot a bit of camera trouble as the camera pans out from the sign at porky’s desk reading “PORKY PIG -- OUT TO LUNCH”: the pan janky, the picture briefly turning blurry before resuming to normalcy. it’s more interesting than detrimental, especially considering warner bros never did retakes.

cue a montage of “porky” stowing away the goods of the townspeople into his pocket, pretending to deposit them in the bank. the minor key rendition of “puddin’ head jones” is a nice reminder of killer’s similarities and differences. similar in appearance, maybe, but not much else.

petunia engages in her routine from before, attempting to seduce “porky”. mel blanc’s genius shines as killer responds to petunia’s calls in a gruff, scratchy “YEAH, WHAT IS IT!?” he catches himself, and responds in an authentic porky voice “ye-ye-ye-yes, wuh-weh-wuh-weh-what is it?” the transition is seamless. whether it was on one take or two separate recordings, i don’t know, but it remains just as entertaining either way. i especially like how killer switches from “yeah” to “yes”--porky’s personality, while still relatively thin at this point, is certainly coming clearer. at the very least, frank tashlin knows that porky wouldn’t respond by saying “yeah”. it’s a little detail, but it says a lot.

and, just like myself, petunia also understands the distinctions between killer and porky--especially when killer plants a kiss on her as soon as she pulls the same “how ‘bout you and i stepping out tonight, big boy?” routine. killer grabs her in his arms, sneering “why wait until tonight, baby?” and gives her a kiss, prompting petunia to smack him and declare “why, you’re not porky pig!” killer’s response is full of careful wit and thoughtfulness as he so eloquently answers: “SO WHAT?”

ringing the burglar alarm, that’s what. petunia discreetly sets the alarms off, prompting a flurry of bullets to whiz at killer offscreen (they sure have good security!). killer retaliates with his own shotguns, but quickly speeds off to his hideout, goods still in his possession.

killer and his lackeys admire the treasures stacked on the table, eager to pounce. a clever pan to porky, still writhing around in his ropes as killer sneers “AND DEY ‘TINK YOU DID IT!”

tashlin’s artistry strikes again as we peer at the hideout through the bars of iron gates outside. truck out to reveal police officers crowding around outside, crouching on the ground to remain discreet. the shot is composed rather nicely, with the ground level nearing the horizon line, elevating the subjects to the middle plane. even though the shot itself doesn’t linger very long, the clarity is easy to see. a tree placed off to the side cleverly frames the two officers who are on the screen--little things like that make a big difference.

one of the lackeys notices the cops are lurking by, alerts the others, and immediately shoots his machine gun out the window. watch all of the stuff flying out of his pocket as he shoots--playing cards, knives, guns, jewelry, even a wig! definitely a fun scene to freeze frame and pick apart all the details.

the cops retaliate, and an all-out shootout occurs. a gag reused from i’m a big shot now (another gangster parody cartoon) and porky’s duck hunt ensues as a cop shoots up at the building, the impact from his rifle driving him into the ground as each shot digs the hole deeper and deeper. another rather fun gag includes a woodpecker drilling into a tree, causing the officer in the branch to clutch his heart and moan “they got me!”

in the process, stray bullets from down below shoot out of the floor, conveniently ripping the ropes bounding porky to the chair. a quick bird’s eye view of the hideout, and it’s onto porky to take action. because we all remember porky as a suave, charismatic crime fighter, it’s only natural for him to jump onto a chandelier hanging from the hallway and knock all of killer’s cronies into a door. (do cartoon characters have stunt doubles? surely they do! don’t they?)

volney white’s animation prevails for the remainder of the cartoon. porky hops down from the upstairs landing, plopping down right on top of killer himself. both come to fisticuffs, volney’s hilarious facial expressions and treg brown’s masterful sound effects combining to make quite the amusing amalgamation. certainly a scene worthy of freeze-framing for all of the funny faces!

perhaps even more amusing, however, is the drastic tone shift as soon as the cops arrive: no time is wasted during the transition between the fight and an armed cop probing “alright, who’s the killer!?” the fight breaks up in an instant off screen, and porky (his voice un-sped) pleading “i’m uh-puh-peh-puh-peh-porky!” the transition is almost too swift, but is comical over everything else, so i’m not too slighted by it. killer insists in his own gruff voice “I’M porky!”

the cop isn’t convinced, and tries again. both insist that they’re porky. that’s when it’s petunia to the rescue, who assures the cop that she knows how to find out. she cozies up to the real porky, once more enacting their “big boy” charade from earlier. as porky flops over his words in all of his collar-tugging glory, petunia gloats “that’s porky.” porky nodding along to her affirmation is a nice, subtle touch.

as we’ve repeatedly discovered, frank tashlin was no fan of porky. even though he outwardly admits that he didn’t like to work with him, there are multiple clues throughout his pictures solidifying his disdain. here is no exception, as petunia outright screws porky over.

her sultry demeanor changes from reassuring to duplicitous as she heaves a sigh and coos “how that killer can kiss!” porky rightfully grows angry, and, in a pattern we’ll observe in many a cartoon, allows his jealousy to triumph his bashful, reserved nature as he grabs petunia’s arms and pulls her in for a kiss. killer’s eye-boggling, affronted expression and porky’s triumphant, chest-puffing stance after the fact are both hilarious. volney white does a wonderful job of conveying personality through his animation.

here’s the kicker. despite getting her kiss from porky, she still isn’t satisfied. she coldly remarks “i STILL take the killer!” with that, porky can only gawk in awe as petunia and killer march arm-in-arm out the door, petunia cooing that she’ll wait until killer gets out of prison. iris out.

the voice acting steals the show in this cartoon. mel KILLS it (no pun intended) as killer, from the falsetto to the porky impersonation--which is just mel doing his regular porky voice--to killer’s evil belly laughs. sara berner does a fine job as petunia, and tedd pierce’s narration is always a joy to hear. i’m unsure of who voices the lackeys, as they don’t quite sound like mel, but nevertheless, they too are fun to listen to, especially their introductory dialogue. if anything, you should check out this short for the voice work alone.

frank tashlin’s eye for cinematography sparkles as it always does. the opening montage is particularly impressive, especially the use of silhouettes. very bold and striking. his layouts are very well structured, and the cartoon flows very nicely. it’s a snappy one, but it hardly feels like it drags. there’s a lot packed into these 7 minutes!

though i do pity porky, especially at the end, i will concede that the end IS a good shocker, even if petunia is straight up cruel. porky’s personality is slowly weeding its way out of the woods, with some traits (good natured, gullible) sticking to his character all throughout his career. progress is being made! and, as i said before, as much as i enjoy the fat porky design, i won’t shed too many tears over this being its final appearance, because it marks a new step forward for warner bros. cartoons are becoming funnier, snappier, wittier, the disney influence continually waning. good things await.

i definitely recommend you check this one out. while it’s not my all time favorite tashlin cartoon, there’s a lot to admire, from voice direction to animation to even the layouts.

link!

#lt #looney tunes #porky’s double trouble #tashlin #reviews #long post

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captain-yeet · 5 years ago

Text

Don't You Knock? (Felix Volturi x Reader One-shot)

Summary: Finding out that vampires and soulmates existing in a single day is exhausting, let alone discovering you're the mate of one. The night after the Newborns came to Forks, you get a surprise visitor in the dead of night.

Pairing: Felix x Reader

Word count: 2.8k

A little something I’ve been working on this past week and also to celebrate a wee follower milestone. Come get y’all JUICE, enjoy!

Slamming the door to your apartment with accidental unnecessary force, you shrug out of your frozen jacket and tossed it to the floor. Today had been eventful, to say the least. It began with helping out your supervisor with paperwork down at the police station and ended with a vampire practically starting a riot over you.

Oh, and vampires exist now. Neat.

You were only a few years older than Chief Swan's daughter and he had asked something rather odd of you a few months back after she returned from disappearing to Italy; "Keep an eye out for her, will ya?"

So, you found a way to insert yourself into Bella's life, like a friend with older sister vibes. She was none the wiser, and so were you in terms of what kind of shit the silly girl had gotten herself into.

Shrugging out of your pants, you let out a content sigh. "Right, relax time," you breathed. No vampires, no pyres of burning bodies. Just me and some pasta.

You were just planning on tailing her and the gaggle of pale friends of hers to see what exactly they were up to. You'd seen them while out on a hike and immediately your suspicion grew when you saw Bella being carried down the hillside by her boyfriend Edward Cullen, accompanied by the largest wolf you'd ever seen.

Following them at a distance, the sight you stumbled across made you let out a very loud "What the fuck is going on here!?"

Bodies burning but with no horrid stench. One of the Cullen boys ripping apart a corpse with his bare hands and tossing it into the pyre. A naked boy on the ground writhing in pain, being lifted and carried off by more shirtless guys and one woman. A teenager curled up into a ball on the ground.

"Y/N what are you doing here?" Bella cried.

"What am I doing here? What the shit are you doing here, what exactly have these people roped you into?" You had snarled the last part, backing away from the two approaching Cullens.

The doctor's wife had whispered a quick explanation to you. They weren't human, but vampires. Vampires existed what the actual heck. Bella was in danger but isn't any more.

And the Volturi, the "vampire police" were arriving soon, and you had no time to leave before they did.

An hour passed and you hummed a song to yourself while you washed up the plates after having a quick dinner. The day had turned to custard and you just wanted to forget about it for a moment and go to bed.

The buzzing of your phone made you jump. Picking it up, you saw the name on the screen and sighed heavily.

Caller ID: Bella

"What now?" You groaned, leaning against the counter. You pressed the answer key and held the phone gingerly up to your ear. "Hello?"

"Y/N, are you home?" came Bella's voice through the speaker. There was a hint of urgency in her tone that had you immediately tense.

"I am, why? Has something happened?"

"Listen to me," she urged, "you need to leave, Alice has a vision that -"

Your brows knitted together in confusion. Bella had given you some information about her boyfriend having some kind of mind reading gift but you didn't realise that extended to the rest of the Cullens being gifted too. "She had a what now?"

A short sigh. "Someone is coming for you! Please just trust me and go!"

Pushing yourself off the counter, you paced in your kitchen. "Who?" you deadpanned, fear growing in your heart.

"Y/N go!"

Suddenly you heard the creak of that one rickety window in your living room shutting. You grabbed the closest thing to you; a pan. "If I don't call you back by tomorrow morning assume the worst," you murmured in a hushed voice before hanging up.

Placing your phone down, you grasped the pan firmly and stalked to the corner leading into the living room. You couldn't hear anything but the sound of a dog barking outside and the steady rain that had begun as you drove home. Taking a deep breath, you rounded the corner and entered the room.

Nothing. No one was in sight.

"You know that pan isn't going to do much," a deep voice commented from behind you.

Yelping in shock and fear, you instinctively turned and swung the pan with just the one hand at whoever it was behind you. An ice-cold hand gripped your wrist, stopping your attack.

The tall intruder raised his eyebrows at your clumsy attack, red eyes boring into your own with intensity. You were caught off guard by how ridiculously handsome, tall and muscular he was, which you knew was probably the last thing you should be thinking about right now. You swung at him with your free hand and he caught that too. Now you were pinned.

"Easy, I mean you no harm," he said firmly, his tone ringing with authority. He began walking forward, still with you firmly in his iron grip making you step backward till your back hit a wall. "If I let you go, will you calm down?"

"You broke into my apartment and you want me to be calm?" you hissed, the last word turning into a screech.

"Please, I -" the man struggled with his words for a moment. "I just want to talk. About what happened today, if you'll give me a chance."

You glared at him for a little. He could end you very quickly if that was what he wanted to do. You knew that after what you saw of him today. He was a killer, through and through.

So, you conceded with a solemn nod.

The man was pleased with your cooperation, releasing your wrists and stepping back away from you. You set your poor choice of a weapon down on a table and leaned against the wall, quickly wiping away a stray tear that began trailing down your cheek before crossing your arms and staring him down with a hard glare.

Red eyes traveled up and down your figure, at first with curiosity that dissolved into something else, something more akin to fleeting lust and you suddenly remembered your lack of pants. "Don't you vampires know how to knock? It would have given me time to make myself more decent."

A low chuckle came from the man. "That would have been a politer choice, but I guess I miscalculated things." With a pause, he added, "not that I'm complaining, it's a nice view."

He winked and you cursed yourself for the impulsive flush of heat to your cheeks. It really should be illegal to be that good looking and that infuriatingly forward.

Padding over to the couch, making sure to have the front of your body facing him and not your rear end, you made yourself at home and placed a blanket over your lower half. Resting your hands in your lap, you sheepishly looked up at him. "I'd feel more comfortable if you sat down."

Moving slowly, you assumed so he wouldn't frighten you, he sat next to you on the couch on the furthest end, giving you some space. "Where would you like me to begin? I'll answer any questions you have if you'll also grant me the same privilege."

You thought for a moment. Many pressing questions came to your mind at once. You weren't sure where to begin. "Okay," you agreed with a heavy exhale. "Well, the first question I have to start with is who are you?"

"Fair," he smiled and again your heart skipped a beat. "My name is Felix, as you know already, I'm a member of the Volturi who are tasked with enforcing the secrecy of our kind."

Your brain took a moment to process the information. "So... you're essentially the vampire police?" you concluded with a raised brow, earning another chuckle from Felix.

"I guess you could say that although we're closer to being a governing force, now let me ask the same of you."

Glancing away briefly, you let your eyes roam around your apartment before meeting his curious red ones again. "My name is Y/N and uh, I work down at the local police station here in Forks - a cadet, got in thanks to my okay-ish GPA." You felt yourself rambling so you quickly shut up before you embarrassed yourself further.

"You don't strike me as a woman who'd aspire to be a cop," he mused, his head cocking to the side.

You shrugged meekly. "Maybe so, but I've always wanted to try making a small difference and I figured why not try and work towards becoming an officer?"

"That's admirable."

Heat flushed to your face. You racked your brain for more questions. "Well, if you're a vampire, how old are you?"

"About 2,000 years old, give or take."

A strangled hysteric laugh caught itself in your throat, making him purse his lips and stare at you like you'd grown another head. "I'm sorry," you said quickly, "it's just... wow that's a... long time to be alive." Taking a moment to compose yourself, you gave him a small smile. "You look amazing for your age, I gotta say."

A grin spread across his handsome face, and again your heart skipped a beat. You couldn't deny he was incredibly handsome - ridiculously so. "Immortality does wonders," he replied with a wink, clearly enjoying making you flustered.

A question popped into your mind at that moment, one that had been plaguing your thoughts since you left that clearing "... What is a mate? Why is it so significant for, your kind?"

You recalled the moment the two of you locked eyes for the first time. You remembered Edward Cullen's hiss of anger and shock and the way this man before you stared at you. It was like he was a deer in headlights and time itself had stopped. The pyre had disappeared, every confusing new thing that had surrounded you in a matter of minutes gone.

In that finite moment, it was just you and this tall strange man who gazed at you like a blind man seeing colour for the first time.

"Straight to the point, aren't you?" He murmured, chuckling to himself. Eyes downcast, he paused to think about how he wanted to answer. "My kind lives for a very long time," he began, lifting his gaze back to you. "Some of us will find another that we connect with so intimately that nothing else compares. A mate is a life partner, someone who feels as if they were made for you."

Resting your chin on your hand, you listened to his explanation earnestly. The idea of soulmates felt like a silly girl's fantasy, but you couldn't help but feel a tug at your heartstrings at his words. "And me?" You asked softly, scooting a little closer to really lock eyes with him. "Edward said I was your mate."

Mate. The term felt so foreign to you, it rolled off your tongue strangely.

With that announcement, the clearing had become chaos. Angry snarls from both Volturi and Cullen alike sounded through the area, you'd been pulled behind a blonde golden-eyed woman.

And many protests.

"Impossible!"

"That's absurd, Felix would never become attached to a human."

The voice of reason had come from Doctor Cullen. "It isn't impossible - look at Edward and Bella. If this is true then it's up to them to decide their fates."

Felix's reaction was the one that stuck out to you the most "You seemed so angry, back in the clearing..."

During the outcry, Felix's face was the one you focused on. After moments of staring at you with thunderstruck wonder in his eyes, he balked and you could have sworn you saw him say "No," to himself, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose like he'd suddenly gotten a bad migraine.

He sighed. “It was more shock than anger. Of all the things I had prepared myself for dealing with when we arrived, meeting my mate was not one of them.” Shaking his head, he offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry that the way we met wasn’t under better circumstances. Having you see me like that on our first meeting...”

“I wish the circumstances had been better too.”

Another memory flickered in your mind. The young girl on the ground. Her screams as she cried out in pain, Felix stalking toward her with a stoic expression. There was no doubt in your mind that even if this ‘soulmate bond’ thing was true - and a tug at your heartstrings swayed you to believe that maybe it was - the man before you was dangerous.

“You killed that girl,” you stated bluntly.

“I had orders,” he retorted, the stoic mask returning. “I had no choice.”

You were shaking your head before he finished speaking. “That doesn’t mean that what you did was right!” Exasperated, you raised your hands. “Just because someone orders you to do something doesn’t mean that it’s the correct course to take! Don’t you have a mind of your own?”

Felix opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it, jaw clenched.

Okay, maybe don’t try to aggravate the vampire, Y/N, you cautioned yourself. Hands falling with a slap on your exposed thighs, you sighed. “Shit, I didn’t mean to go off like that.”

Silence followed. You watched him carefully and he watched you, neither making a single move for a while.

“You’re afraid of me.” The words left his lips calmly, not phrased as a question but rather a statement.

Lips parting slightly, you felt your face turn into a grimace. Your emotions were all over the place at this point in time and you didn’t know what to do about it or how to feel. Maybe you were scared of him - he did break into your home after all. And a rational part of your conscious knew that being afraid was probably a good thing. But at the same time? You felt a sense of hope - hope that this whole vampire mate thing may be true and that he really wasn’t here to kill you or worse.

"I guess I can’t blame you for feeling that way,” he sighed. “Do you still want an answer to your original question?”

Biting your tongue for a moment, you nodded. “Yes, tell me.”

“Meeting you was a shock, that is true. It’s just...” A pause for a moment, and in a more gentle voice he spoke once more. “I have been around for a long, long time. Centuries. In that time I thought I wouldn’t ever find my mate as I watched others find theirs - I even became somewhat promiscuous, because if I was never going to find the one, what was the point? Why not fool around with whomever? And then you appear before me and I’m shaken to my core.”

The room was silent save for the frantic beating of your heart, the patter of rainfall and the distant sounds of life around your apartment building.

“I fear I’ve ruined my chances of you accepting me as yours,” Felix confessed.

“I... may be willing to accept you - or at the very least give you, us, a chance. But you must do something for me first if you’re willing?” Is this a bad idea? A great idea? Maybe both, you concluded.

Felix’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What do you want me to do?”

You pointed at the door. “Leave my apartment and knock on the door.”

Suspicion turned into amusement. “You want me to leave and then come back in?” he repeated, playful sarcasm in his tone.

You felt your lips twitch up into a smirk. “Yes, that is indeed what I want. If we’re doing this I want to give it a real shot with a proper beginning - no attacking anyone with a pan and preferably with pants on.”

The two of you eyes each other a moment before you broke out into a fit of giggles. Felix shook his head muttering something along the lines of “Strange human” before taking your hand gently in his own, pressing his lips against your knuckles in a feather-light kiss, sending your heart beating overtime. "As you wish."

Letting your hand fall from his grasp he rose to his feet and walked away from you. Opening the door to your apartment wide, Felix faced you and stepped backward with a smirk, closing the door behind him.

When he closed the door, you stood up and rushed to find a pair of pants. Luckily you’d conveniently left some unfolded laundry out in the living room after a late-night trip to the laundromat. Shimmying into some comfy leggings, you murmured to yourself, "Feel free to knock now, big guy."

Not even five seconds later, and there was a short knock at your door. What, they have super hearing too? you chuckled to yourself.

Taking what felt like the millionth deep intake of breath for tonight, you opened the door for your “unexpected” visitor.

Pursing his lips trying not to laugh, Felix nodded in greeting. The man towered over you and for a brief moment, one of his hands running through the dark shaggy locks of hair, you wondered how his head didn’t hit the doorframe. And also how soft his hair was to touch. “Hello, may I come in?”

“Since you’re so polite, of course you may,” you greeted him, stepping back to allow him to enter.

“Does this mean you’ll give this a chance?” he took a hesitant step forward, watching you for any sign of discomfort, “you want to give a future with me a chance?”

You nodded. “It’s not every day a vampire comes to my door asking to be my lover,” you replied teasingly, winking at him as he had done to you earlier in the night. And besides... if you're serious about me being your mate, then I want to give this a go."

An earnest, genuinely happy smile lit up Felix’s face. You’d never seen a more beautiful man in your life. Beaming back at him as he entered your apartment, you knew from this night onward your life would never be the same. Were you ready for that? You weren’t quite sure.

But for now, you were certain in your feelings; if soulmates were real, you’d feel like a fool to pass up your own. Whatever the future held, you’ll face it.

You’ll face it with him.

#trying to break the writers block!#hope y'all like it #my fics #volturi #volturi imagines #felix volturi #felix volturi x reader #twilight saga #twilight saga fanfiction #volturi fanfic #the volturi

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snarkymonkeyprime · 4 years ago

Text

@magic-ramen, I managed to dredge up the beginnings of that constantine!destiel!au. I PRESENT IT TO YOU NOW. :D

Castiel wasn't quite clear on what he was doing any longer. Since meeting Desmond, he'd been wandering in a haze, following along after the man like an obedient dog. All that felt real was the man's voice, all silken softness. It curled inside him, pulling him one way and then another. Back at his home, he sighed, fingers nerveless as Desmond licked his neck. It felt . . . odd. Not sensual. Not erotic. Dark and foul. He tried to rouse but the heaviness only doubled, his vision wavering. Had he really drunk that much?

He tried to recall but the night’s events were a blank. He didn’t even remember how he’d met Desmond. Or where. All he knew was Desmond.

"What's this?" Desmond asked, tapping the notepad opened on Castiel's desk.

Head moving like an automaton, it took Castiel a moment to ponder what he asked. His dream journal. A silly idea he'd kept with since high school. "Dream," he murmured. He wanted more of Desmond's touch. Not the questions. Right? That didn't sound correct but he couldn't parse why.

"Dreams?" Desmond licked his neck again, dragging sharp teeth along hot skin. Something wet dribbled down Castiel’s neck. "What dreams, little Castiel?"

Castiel's fingers fell from Desmond and he sagged, feeling an arm cold as iron around his back. "A man," he rasped. "And light. It calls to me."

Why couldn't he see any longer? His den was well lit, wasn't it? Why did nothing but shadow come back? "I . . . it calls me. He calls me."

Desmond's fingers pierced his arm, hot like pokers. He might have screamed, if his mouth worked. Maybe he did scream.

"Who is he?" Desmond demanded. His voice no longer warmed Castiel with passion. It stung like ice, harsh and vile.

"Dunno," he admitted, slurring. The only consistency had been the man’s appearance. Tall, brown hair, green eyes. A shroud of nightmares around him even while he shone like the sun. And then the light of blue that reached for him. Cut through the man and tugged at Castiel. The dreams had begun to plague him following his thirtieth birthday two months prior. Hadn't stopped since. Could almost hear the voice during the day.

A hiss of sound. A laugh? "Oh, pretty thing. You tried so hard this time, didn't you?" Desmond's tongue burned as it scraped down Castiel's cheek. "Don't worry, little bird. I'll make sure you can't feel it when I rip your intestines out."

Desmond’s hand drove into Castiel’s stomach, tearing skin. Castiel grunted, even as blood fell in runnels down his groin and thighs. Desmond’s hand clenched inside him and only then did he cry out, though it erupted broken and weak.

“At least this time they sent a pretty weapon.”

Castiel sank into shadow, his body leaden, head swollen with darkness. His head cracked against his desk. He knew he should fight. Wanted to fight. But the will to do so bled out of him like oil, heavy and slick. And like the clarion call of a hawk, green shattered the shadows.

His body shook in echo of the violent noise that erupted. Screaming. Someone screaming, though it gurgled and bubbled. Something warm and wet spilled down his cheek and he groaned, struggling out from the poisonous weight that pulled at him. Vision tilted, he saw Desmond; or, rather, what was left of him.

The lower half of Desmond's face hung crazily, teeth shattered and bone split. But Desmond, rather than fall, only narrowed vile red eyes. Though his jaw was nearly gone, Desmond's voice boomed in the bright room.

"You dare?!"

"Yeah, I have that problem sometimes," came a new voice. The sound of a gun's hammer drawn back. "You look a little uneven. Think I should fix that?" Another blast, shivering through Castiel's very bones. To his bleary horror, Desmond's ruined jaw lay on Castiel's chest and had he the ability, he would have retched violently. Instead, he groaned and rolled, falling from the desk Desmond had pinned him to. Sprawled on the wood floor of his den, he squinted, trying to see the newcomer.

The familiarity cut through his stupor. Tall. Brown hair. Green eyes. It couldn't be. Could it? "It's . . . you," he rasped, his voice little more than a whisper. Green eyes swung to him, brighter than the lights above.

"Juliet," he called, wariness leaving it sharp, "guard."

A shadow darker than night shifted into Castiel's line of sight. It reeked of sulfur and stone. Heat poured off like the burn of smoldering coals. Twin red eyes, shining like hellfire. Castiel reached up, touching shadow, feeling a tongue that burned like acid. He tried to see the man who'd saved him. To thank him. But the shadows had returned, softer this time as they crowded around him.

Castiel swallowed, trying to call out, even as he heard Desmond scream in rage. The sound of a violent struggle. All too soon, though, Castiel could hear nothing but a thunderous heartbeat out of the darkness.

~~*~~

When Castiel woke, his gut burned. He gasped, eyes snapping open only to shut immediately. Bright, sterile lights. Glaring walls. Not his den. Not his home.

"Mr. Novak?"

An unfamiliar but kind voice. Castiel tried again, squinting at the speaker. Tall, brown hair. Dressed in a suit and overcoat. The man held out a dark wallet with a badge and shield. Not the green-eyed man. He didn’t recognize this one.

"Mr. Novak, I'm Agent Sam Winchester." He retrieved his badge and tucked it into his overcoat. Pointing to another man, this one slim and blond, he continued. "This is my partner, Agent Balthazar Elgin."

Castiel frowned and rasped, "Police?"

Agent Winchester smiled sourly. "FBI, actually. Your coworker, Anna, called your attack in. She apparently stopped by your home this morning when you didn't come to work."

Licking his lips, Castiel continued to furrow his brow. "Why . . . is the FBI interested . . . in what happened to me?"

Agent Winchester took a deep breath. "The man who attacked you? Desmond Reynolds? He's a wanted serial killer. You're the first to survive." He pulled out a small notepad. "Can you tell me what you remember?"

Shadows. Fire. Dreams. He lifted a hand, dismayed to see an IV rammed into the too-pale skin. He vaguely remembered being stabbed. Shot? He shuddered. No, this Desmond, had thrust his hand into Castiel's stomach. His fingers crawled across the clean white sheets. He could feel thick padding beneath it. How had he survived?

"Mr. Novak? Desmond was long gone by the time we got there. He apparently believed you dead." He cleared his throat. "Actually, we're lucky Anna found you when she did."

No, that wasn't right. Someone had been there. Someone had saved him. He mumbled as much to the agent.

The man smiled patiently. "We only found evidence of you and Desmond; and, well, Anna. No one else was in the home." He glanced past his partner to the uniformed office that stood in the doorway. "We have witnesses that saw Desmond intercept your glass at the bar. We think he drugged you in order to make you his next victim."

It hadn't been that. Desmond had simply touched him and he'd slipped into a sickly fog. While in the throes of it he couldn’t recall what had happened, but now, away from the man, he recounted everything. He’d stopped at a bar for dinner. Had only stepped inside when Desmond came up to him and touched his hand. After that, it was as though he watched all that happened from hundreds of miles away. He could recall with eerie detachment how Desmond had gored him. He'd fallen against his desk, legs gone. Blood warm and slick around him.

Castiel opened his mouth to say as much but stopped at the sharp look of warning in the agent's eyes. He swallowed and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he husked. "I can't really remember much."

"Well, I'd say it's a simple case of our lad getting sloppy," Agent Elgin commented. He smiled at Castiel. "Lucky for you, you took quite a wound but, not that deep.” He folded his arms. “All the same, we do ask you stay in touch, hm?”

Castiel nodded, confused. “But . . . it wasn’t a knife.”

Balthazar’s eyes sharpened, as though in caution. “Not a tiny one, no. Rather large, by my judge.”

What? Castiel didn’t protest, however, given the expression on the agent’s face. “Oh,” he replied, sagging in his bed.

“Dramatic git, I’ll give him that.” He patted Agent Winchester on the shoulder. "I'll speak with our darling locals, Sam." With a flip of the fingers, he slid out the door, taking the officer with him.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Agent Winchester tucked his notepad away and shoved his too-long hair off his forehead. He looked at Castiel gravely. “What did he use?”

Castiel shivered, still seeing his own insides in the man’s hands. “His . . . hand.”

Sam winced. “Shit. I was afraid of that.”

“How?”

The agent pursed his lips before walking to the door and checking that it remained secure. He ignored Castiels question and asked one of his own. “You saw him, didn't you?"

"Who?" Startled by the sudden change, he clenched his fingers atop the blanket.

"Dean. My brother."

"Your . . ?"

The agent took a seat at Castiel's bedside and rubbed his face. "Brother," he mumbled. "Dean. Tall, like me. Brown hair. Green eyes?" He snorted. "Smartass loudmouth?"

That definitely rang familiar. The eyes stuck out for him the most. He nodded. Lifting a hand, he waved it around his chin. "Desmond's jaw . . . was . . . it was gone."

"But he still spoke, didn't he?"

Shivering, Castiel nodded. "What was he?"

"I don't know what they're called; Dean calls them every name in the book but what they actually are.” He sighed. “Balthazar and I were sure Desmond would be one of them; I’m just sorry you had to witness it, too.”

Castiel’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

Sam jerked a thumb to the closed door. “It’s Dean who usually gives us a head’s up on these things; even though he stays away for the most part." He leaned back, his fingers laced over his stomach. "He’ll leave a clue of some kind, though, when it's not a normal crime."

That didn’t answer anything. Why did this agent appear to know what Desmond was? Why did both of them? And just what was Dean and the shadow that followed him? "What did he want with me?"

"You'd have to ask Dean that," Agent Winchester squinted at Castiel. "Come to think of it, I'm surprised he hasn't shown his face yet. He's kind of arrogant. He'd want you to know he saved your ass." The agent said it with warm amusement, however.

But, Castiel should have been dead. What had this Dean done to save him? He remembered, vaguely, dark smoke and brilliant red eyes. A heavy weight that surrounded him. The name Juliet. He rubbed his forehead, trembling again. "It wasn't human, was it?"

Agent Winchester's humor faded. He shook his head. "Maybe at one point?" He winced. "Like I said, Dean knows more. Bal and I do what we can on this end but, he’s not always up front on what these things are. The most I get is some odd message now and again so that I know he's still kicking."

"Is your brother human?"

Agent Winchester's open countenance immediately closed. "I think that's enough for today. I'll check in with you again tomorrow, Mr. Novak." The man stood and waved a hand. "We'll have a guard stationed until you're released. In the meantime, rest."

Castiel watched him go, all the more unsettled.

#strange bedfellows #destiel #constantine!destiel!au #horror #graphic depictions of violence #body horror

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aro-throughyourchest · 5 years ago

Text

LIES

Chapter 2

WORD COUNT: 1,299

WARNINGS: Arm injury?

Still based @thesunflowerchild-varian‘s AU which I don’t think has a name yet

I’m gonna need Be Very Afraid and Great Expotations after this-

Varian stared up at the wall. The hole the rocks made had been patched up, but they hadn’t done a good job. Perfect for climbing. A pit in his stomach formed. He was leaving Corona, the only home he’s ever known. Not that it was home anymore; still, he had no idea what was beyond that wall. But it was better than being stuck here.

Ruddiger chattered as if to ask, “Are you sure?”

Varian responded, “There’s no turning back, Ruddiger.”

He began to scale the wall, the sick feeling in his stomach growing. The rough edges hurt his hands, but he didn’t want to stay here any longer. He reached the top and looked out over the horizon of Corona. He gripped the strap of his bag and trembled. No one would miss him. No one. Not even his dad.

He hugged his arms and bit back a sob. Everyone in that stupid kingdom treated him like dirt for 2 months- heck, way longer than that, and the FEW people he thought he could trust- Ruddiger nuzzled him in an attempt to comfort him. Varian snapped out of his thoughts and sighed. He smiled weakly and said, “Sorry, buddy.”

He looked over the edge, Ruddiger recoiling on his shoulder.

“Aw, come on, buddy, it’s not that high...”

He pulled out a rope and began to climb down the side. Took a few minutes, and he jumped down, not realizing how high he was. Instead of landing on his feet, he landed on his arm, sending a surge of pain. He groaned.

That wasn’t going away any time soon. Looking up, he spotted Ruddiger a few feet away, who looked very peeved. “Agh, sorry, Ruddiger...”

Ruddiger dragged over Varian’s bag, which had also fallen out of Varian’s grasp. Varian slipped on the bag, wincing, and picked up his pet.

Although it was sunset, the looming shadow of the wall cast a darkness that made it look nighttime. He gulped and pressed on.

Beginning to explore the forest, everything looked pretty. The water was sparkling, the trees radiated an aura that looked like they were made for climbing; he missed this feeling of just being by himself except for Ruddiger and the ‘open world.’ (Again, he’s never been outside Corona walls.)

He remembered two years ago when he’d recently adopted Ruddiger as a pet, they’d explore the Corona forests together. It was mainly to collect materials for his experiments, but they enjoyed it. It was one of the only good memories he had at 14. He kinda forgot the rest. (Or they’d been stained with bad connotations...)

He pursed his lips, not wanting to think about the mess that was 2 years ago. He stared into a pond of water and examined himself. How long had those eyebags been there? Probably ever since he started crying himself to sleep.

Ignoring the fact that crying himself to sleep on a regular basis wasn’t healthy, he glanced at the sky. He should probably find shelter or something before night hit him. Oh God, he had no plan of where he was going. His breathing became rapid; was this a bad idea?

Before he could get out another worrying thought, he spotted something moving out of the corner of his eye. He looked up, and his eyes widened in outrage. That squirrel! He hadn’t seen him in over a month.

Varian huffed and slouched. The squirrel stared up at him, ears twitching.

“What are you gonna do? Steal from me again?”

The squirrel seemed offended, as much as a squirrel could be, and hit Varian with water.

“Hey!”

Varian narrowed his eyes in anger, but the squirrel grinned as if it was delighted with itself.

Varian groaned and glared at the creature. He couldn’t help but blame the squirrel just a little for getting him into this mess. But hey, it wasn’t the squirrel’s fault his ‘friends’ hated him...

He stood up and dusted himself off. “I’m gonna go find a place to set up a tent...”

He pointed a finger at the squirrel. “Don’t follow me.”

Like the nuisance it was, the squirrel followed him. Dumb, nuisance squirrel.

Ruddiger seemed as annoyed as Varian with the squirrel but just stewed in anger on Varian’s shoulder. Varian set up the tent under a set of trees as best he could; he kind of... Forgot how to do that too. He didn’t think it’d be a useful thing to remember, alright?

The squirrel soon left, and Varian sighed. He crawled under in and put down a sleeping mat. Ruddiger laid outside as a sort of guard dog. (Guard raccoon?)

Varian winced and tried to lay down without moving his arm much. He stared at the roof of the tent quietly. He had little money, his only protection was Ruddiger (no offense to him,) he only had some fruits and vegetables to keep him from starvation, and no one was coming to get him. His dad wasn’t calling from the front door like when he was little and tried to run away. His eyes welled up with tears. Everything was peachy.

He turned on his side, (the one without the hurt arm,) and tried to get some rest.

<•>

Varian shot up in the middle of the night, looking around. He crawled out of the tent and stared into the night. He heard something.

Sure, it was the forest; he was BOUND to hear something, but this sounded like a voice.

He grabbed his bag, planning to use it as a weapon. (It was fairly heavy.)

Some part of his head wished it was his ‘friends,’ coming to tell him that everything was a dream, and everything would be OK. But the realistic part knew that wasn’t happening anytime soon, and he should be fine with that. He LEFT them for a reason...

He hid behind a tree and listened for the voice.

“Alright, the ... should be around here.”

Not thinking, he swung the bag as hard he could, and he heard a shriek. He brushed a strand of hair out of his face, gulping. Oh gosh, did he kill him?! He heard the guy still breathing and looked at him.

He sighed in relief and dragged the guy into the moonlight.

“Ew,” he whispered.

<•>

Rapunzel paced around the castle, mumbling. The potion Varian gave her parents hadn’t kicked in, and she was worried Varian played her. She kept mumbling to herself until Eugene opened the door to her room. “Are they OK?!”

Eugene sighed and leaned against the frame.

“Well, Blondie, they’re getting there. I don’t think Varian’s potion had any negative effects on them, which is nice to know.”

Lance followed up, “I can’t believe y’all just LET him leave. He’s still a kid who has, what, 0% experience outside Corona? I get he’s not wanted around here, but-“

Rapunzel sighed and sat down. “Lance, it’s not as simple as that. He made his choice. By the time, we read the note, he was gone. We have no idea where he went afterward.” (It was as simple as that.)

Lance began to say something, but he knew nothing about this kid. The only ones who had a connection with him were Eugene, Cass, and Rapunzel, so what did he have to say on the matter?

Lance shrugged and said, “Maybe it’s as simple as that, but hey, what do I know?”

He left to go get breakfast, and Eugene and Raps exchanged worried glances. They couldn’t exactly send a search party over a kid who didn’t want to be found. (Yes, they could.) Quirin seemed to be doing fine after his son’s disappearance; (he wasn’t.)

No one seemed to want him back; to be honest, they didn’t want him back either...

AGH

Beginning - Next Chapter

#varian #ruddiger #hugo the human #rapunzel #eugene fitzherbert #lance strongbow #cassandra #quirin #angst #fic #Smiles of Lies AU #tangled the series #tangled #varian and the seven kingdoms

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robinsdoghouseofwhump · 5 years ago

Text

Gabriel's Dangerous New Owners (AU)

(Aaaaaah! We finally finished this! Me and miss @whumping-every-day have been working on this piece since November! I'm soso glad to be able to work with her again)

(So backstory, this piece came from an ask that I sent her and it turned into a full blown project. This is the only chapter of this but I think it's my best writing yet. All characters belong to @whumping-every-day)

"Here it is," A small thing was shoved to the floor in front of the cherry wood desk with a thud. "It’s in very good condition, and very well behaved."

The woman behind the desk was impassive. “This is what you’re trying to trade us?” She pursed her lips, eyes cold. “What do you think, Stefan?”

The second figure looming behind her didn’t respond at first, except to cross his arms and frown. “Doesn’t look worth thirty grand to me.”

“No, it doesn’t, does he.” The first man shifted uneasily; this was his last-ditch effort, after all. He didn’t have thirty grand to give them.

“I assure you that it’s worth it. I’ve had a few pets, this one is by far the most obedient. And still so responsive.” The man fisted a hand in the kneeling figure’s hair; there was a small whimper, but no other sound. The narrowing of Stefan’s eyes and the tensing of Maria’s shoulders could almost be mistaken for a trick of the light.

“Here’s a thought,” Maria purred. She leaned forward against the desk, and despite her being perhaps half the weight of the two men in the room, she radiated danger. “We take your boy. And in exchange, instead of breaking every bone in your body and then dumping it into a vat of acid, you can have another month to get us our money.”

“But-” The man balked, and indignation flared in his eyes. “That wasn’t the deal. I’ll give him to you in exchange for waiving my debt.”

“Mmm…” Maria paused, cocked her head, smiled. “Nope.”

Stefan outright laughed behind her, shaking his head. “There you have it. We’ll take what you’re offering… and then, if you haven’t found a way to pay us properly within a month, we’ll take everything else.”

“Really, you’re getting a better deal than most.” Her nails drummed a tat-tat-tat pattern against the polished cherry as Maria spoke. “See, normally when people can’t pay, they don’t walk out in one peice.”

The threat, as tame as it was, elicited another tiny whimper from the boy kneeling on their floor.

"Come on, please, I need more than a month for that much money! Please give me more time." The man's voice wavered a bit, and the two siblings smirked at his begging.

"If you thought that one of your old pets was going to cut it, you're wrong." Stefen frowned. "Come on Todd, I thought you knew how we operate. Human property will buy you an extension. That’s all." The sound of a gun being clicked made the boy duck his head down and cower where he knelt.

Tod went pale, took a step back. “Oh, come on… I’ve got a month, right? I can make that work.” His voice shook ever so slightly, giving away his fear. “I can get your money.”

“Oh?” Maria’s lips pulled up in a grin, saccharine and threatening. “Well now, that’s a change in tune. You have a month. No more.” The man nodded frantically, apparently having given up on words, and Maria waved a hand. “That’s good enough for me, then. You, get out.” The words are very clearly directed at Todd. “And of course, leave your pet plaything.”

Todd nodded shakily, and there was a visible tremor in his hands as he backed away, eyes still fixed on the weapon at Stefan’s hip.

“I’ll get your money,” he squeaked. Then he was at the door, and a guard opened it from the outside. It thudded shut behind him, and then the two siblings were alone with the quivering boy on the floor.

Stefan sighed, and his hand fell from the butt of his weapon. Then he crouched down in front of the little thing. "Hey bud, look at me." The man tipped his chin up with a finger, and frightened blue sapphires welled up with tears met his eyes. "Are you alright?"

No response.

"I asked you a question little one, can you answer for me?" His tone turned softer, but firmer. "Do you have a name?"

The boy only whimpered and shook as tears washed down his dirty cheeks. He was trembling faintly, something distant in his eyes.

"Do you think he's mute?" Maria looked down at the boy and ran a hand along his dark curls. "I wouldn't be surprised, Todd doesn't take very good care of his possessions."

"No, I think he's just scared." Stefan frowned a bit and tapped the boy's chin. "He has a right to be, though. We did just send his owner running like a beaten dog."

“Mm.”

At the mention of a beating, even in passing, the boy trembled harder. It seemed like he was doing his best to be quiet, but he couldn’t help the way his breath was shaky, or the little not-quite-whimpers that escaped every few seconds.

“You’re not going to calm him down right away,” Maria said, pushing to her feet from the plush chair. “I’ll tell you what. Here’s what I think might help…”

She crossed out from behind the desk, and even though she was smaller than her brother, the fluidity in her motions spoke to something deadly. Stefan stepped aside automatically.

The leather of the boy’s collar was stiff against her fingers. Maria tested the give of it as gently as possible, frowning at the state of his neck; it had been rubbed raw from the tightness of it. "Up, little one. Don't be shy." Her words were soft, and the boy shakily scrambled up to his feet, sheer terror etched in sapphire eyes.

"Good boy. Now come along, we need to get you fed and bathed." A warm smile starkly contrasted her demeanor from earlier as she rubbed a thumb along his cheek. "And definitely some rest in a proper bed. These bags aren't flattering at all under your pretty eyes."

"Maria? What are you doing? I thought we were gonna put him with the rest of the other pets." Stefan's tone turned sharper, clearly not amused with the idea of keeping a house pet in their mansion.

"Oh come, brother, can I not give our new guest some comfort?" The woman gently took hold of the boy's hand, noting the redness and bruises on his wrist. "Come along, little one." She led him out of the room with a warm and gentle hand towards the bathroom, the boy trying not to look in awe at the lavish mansion hallway they walked down.

“This is the public wing,” Maria explained as they walked. “This is where we entertain guests, throw balls, conduct business.” And threaten people who owed them money, she finished in her head.

They passed two security guards on the way, both silent and shadowed. They both nodded to Maria as they passed, and she waved them off, signalling that everything was okay. The boy watched them with big, hollow eyes, before refastening his gaze to the carpet.

“And this,” Maria continued like she had never stopped, “is the private wing.” They stopped in front of a pair of oak doors, and they opened soundlessly when she pushed.

There was a lot to see; rich colors, expensive furnishings, decorative rugs and soft throws. But Maria just took the boy’s shoulder and guided him with her to the upstairs bathroom.

He was trembling when they stopped.

"There there, let's get you in the bath, little one." Maria sat on the edge of the tub and turned the dial on the faucet. Warm, steamy water rushed out and quickly filled the marble bath.

"Can you take your clothes off for me?" She gave a gentle smile, and her eyes were warm, dimples showing in olive skin. "We need to get you cleaned up. Then I’ll have one of the kitchen staff bring us something to eat.”

His stomach growled audibly at the mention of food, and the boy’s eyes widened in horror at the sound. But Maria only shook her head.

“Clothes now, food soon,” she murmured, and he nodded quickly and stiffly began pulling his clothes off. “Can you talk, hmm?” The question was gentle, but the boy still flinched, ducked his head. Maria watched him carefully, and her eyes were serious under the warmth.

He seemed to be waiting for something, stuck halfway with one arm in his shirt and one out. They were cheap clothes, Maria noted with displeasure; dirty and ill-fitted. She would get him something nicer soon, perhaps something loose and silky…

"How about you tell me your name? Don't be shy, little bird." Maria ran a hand along his dark curls gently as she helped guide the shirt over his head properly. Then she offered a hand, and the boy hesitated, but still held on tightly as she helped him into the warm tub. The water made him tense up as goosebumps travelled up his bare skin, but he settled in the tub without a fuss.

"I bet you have a beautiful name, and a beautiful voice too." She tried to coax him with a tender tone as she slid a hand down his back with a washcloth, wiping off a sheet of dirt and blood.

"Todd needs to take better care of his things, huh." It wasn’t really a question, and the boy’s big eyes followed her hands as she reached up to stroke his cheek, tenderly tracing across a yellowing bruise. “But then… you’re not Todd’s anymore, are you.” The boy shivered, dropped his eyes, and Maria just smiled faintly.

He didn’t seem inclined to speak; in fact, the boy still looked utterly terrified, and Maria’s smile faded.

“Oh, sweetheart. It’s going to be better here,” she promised gently. More silence. “Come on, then,” she added after a moment. “Time to clean you up. You're doing great, pumpkin. Can you lift your arms so I can wash you down?" She took a shower sponge and pressed it against the bruises on his back, (which was pretty much the entirety of it) gently getting all the dirt and caked on blood off.

Soon, the bath water turned to an ugly brownish-grey.

“Hair next,” she said, and the boy flinched. Maria frowned, but she just squirted the shampoo onto her hands and gently instructed the boy to lie back. “There you go, good.” His hair was oily and dirty, and Maria washed it twice, being careful of the knots and tangles. When it was done she had him sit up, and then offered a hand to help him out of the bathtub. "Oh, sweet thing. You're shivering like a kitten." She wrapped Stefan's heavy robe around him, easily burying the boy in soft and fluffy material.

He looked younger like that, somehow; fresh-faced and shivering, despite the bruises and bloodied lip.

"There, now I can see your handsome face better." She pushed his wet hair past his eyes, still tired and dark. "Let's get you dressed and then we can get you fed. We have lots of fruit and sweets for good boys like you." A hand grabbed his as she led him out to the foyer, where a fresh change of clothes were already set out by the servants.

"I can take it from here, if you want." Stefan's voice came from behind them, and the boy jumped, earning a chuckle from the giant man. "He didn't give you trouble, did he?"

Maria just laughed. “Trouble? From this one?” She shook her head, reached out to gently pet the boy’s wet curls. “You might as well expect trouble from a skittish puppy.”

"That's good at least. He still hasn't spoken, has he?" The question was directed to his sibling, but the pet shrunk down at his tone as Stefan walked over with a clean set of clothes in hand.

He was holding out the silky bottoms in front of the boy, expecting him to step in them. "Come on buddy, one foot first, then the other."

Beside him, Maria raised an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t want to keep a pet in the manor? You were grouchy about it.”

Stefan huffed, didn’t meet her eyes. “Don’t buy too much into it,” he muttered. Then, to the pet, “You, in the pants, come on. Hold on to me if you have to.”

The boy only looked at the larger man with terror in his eyes, but he reached out with a shaking hand to steady himself against Stefan’s shoulder, then clumsily stepped into the pants.

In the end, the boy was swimming in the clothes. The shirt hung off of his skinny frame, slipping down one shoulder to showcase delicate collarbones and the ring of bruises around his neck.

“Poor thing,” Maria murmured. “Stefan, love, would you ask the kitchen staff to send something up to eat? Something light on his stomach?”

"Some fruit and oatmeal sounds nice doesn't it?" Stefan rang the bell on the wall, signaling the servants to come up. "But I would like him to ask for the food himself."

The boy looked up with wide eyes as a pitiful whine came out of his throat. Nonononono please… don't make me talk.

"Stefan, you can't ask him to do that, he hasn't spoken a word since he's been here." Maria wrapped her arms around the shaking boy, stilling him as she ran her fingers past his curls more. "We'll work on getting him to talk later, right now he needs to eat."

The boy only trembled in her arms, eyes darting fearfully between Stefan and the floor. He didn’t understand what was going on. These two were strange; the woman had been gentle with him so far, but Gabriel knew that it wouldn’t last for long. And the man… the man frightened him. These two had frightened his Master - or, his former Master, now.

The servants came in silently as Stefan ordered dinner for the boy. “Stefan, I’m going to take him upstairs,” she murmured. “Meet us there?” She waited for a nod, before gently steering the boy out of the room.

He still wouldn’t look up at her. His wrist was limp where she held his hand, and every time she reached out to steady him, he would flinch away minutely before going still. Maria was careful not to let her calm demeanor falter, but her lips thinned just a little as the extent of the boy’s treatment. He really did act like a beaten dog, head-shy and scared out of his mind.

She got him upstairs, and for a moment, she hesitated between the small, private living room or one of the spare bedrooms. Beside her, the boy’s eyes drifted down the hall, past open doors, to one of the beds - his eyes fastened on it, and he immediately went pale.

“No no, hey,” Maria murmured quickly. “This way, sweetheart.” She pulled him along gently, and it took a few moments, but the stricken, horrified expression eventually shuttered and dimmed. “Here we go, sit.”

She tried to steer him to the couch, but the boy dropped like a stone at the command to sit. He folded to his knees on the plush carpet, and then he huddled there, like he was trying to make himself as small as possible.

“I - hmm.” Maria opened her mouth, hesitated, thought better of it. Instead of objecting, she slid around him and sunk onto the couch herself. The position put them at a considerable height difference, but the boy only shied away at her movement and then froze.

Neither of them moved for a long moment, but soon Stefan came upstairs with a silver tray of food. Golden pineapple slices, ruby red cherries, and juicy strawberries adorned the plate, and a large bowl of oatmeal sat in the center of it all. A swirl of maple syrup in it, like liquid amber made the food look so good. Off to the side was a tall glass of a weird brown liquid that bubbled and fizzed and popped.

"Hey there bud, we have food for you." The tall man smiled and set it down on the coffee table. Maria beckoned him to sit as well while her brother got on the other side of the white velvet couch. "Good boys use the furniture here, don't worry."

"That's right, so come up here so we can get some food in that stomach of yours." Stefan's voice was much more soft than it was downstairs, which either made the boy less scared or more uneasy, which seemed like the latter was happening.

“We should send for one of the doctors, tomorrow,” Maria said, mostly ignoring the quiet panic that the boy was having.

The boy knew that pets didn’t belong on the furniture. He had been punished for this before, a snapped backhand to the face if he was lucky, a caning or burns if he wasn’t. Tears rose in his eyes as he hung there in confusion.

He wanted to be good. But good boys use the furniture here - that’s what his new Mistress had said. Was this a new test? Was this his first lesson, to be learned and re-learned until it stuck?

The boy sniffled softly. He wanted to be good. And to be good, this time… he had to do as he was told.

His trembling instantly worsened at the feeling of soft fabric under his hands. He slunk up into the couch like a wounded animal, and when Maria smiled and went to pat his hair again, the boy yelped and twisted his face away to avoid the slap.

“... Yikes.” Stefan raised an eyebrow, frowning at where the boy was still waiting for a blow that wasn’t coming.

“I’m not going to hit you, baby.” There’s an undeniable sadness in Maria’s voice. The boy’s face was still all scrunched up, but he peeled an eye open as the seconds kept ticking by and no slap came.

There were so many bruises staining his skin that Maria didn’t blame him.

"Let's just get him fed and off to bed, I'm too tired for this." Stefen set the platter down on the coffee table, right in front of the shaking boy.

The food smelled so good, and it looked like better food than he had ever had in his life. But… he still couldn't eat until…

"Go on hun, it's all for you." That same sweet voice beckoned him, urged him to take a bite, and he did.

He let a shaky hand pick up a slice of pineapple, yellow like the sun, and not unlike some of the bruises on his neck. He brought the sweet fruit to his teeth and bit down, letting a torrent of nectar burst out and into his mouth. It tasted so good, and soon, the whole platter was cleared of fruit. The bowl of oatmeal was next, and that proved to be a bigger challenge to him. His shaking hand couldn't grip the spoon very well and it kept falling back on the platter. Eventually Stefan had to take the spoon himself and feed the boy.

"You know, the last thing I thought I was going to do tonight was baby a pet too scared to feed himself oatmeal." The dark haired man had a slightly flippant tone, which made the boy fold in on himself even more.

"Brother, be nice to him, you can't blame him for being like this. I mean, who would want to be around a smelly oaf like Todd? I would be shaking too." Maria's voice was less flippant and more sarcastic, but it wasn't directed towards the boy.

"Whatever, let's just get this over with. Where should we put him?" Stefan fed him the last spoonful of oatmeal, his face now a tad messy from the hot cereal.

“I was thinking the second spare room,” Maria answered. “It’s a bit smaller, might be less overwhelming.”

"A spare bedroom? Have you lost your mind sis?" Stefan practically scoffed at the idea of a pet staying in one of their spare bedrooms. "Why not the garage?"

Maria went very still for a moment, and she looked across at her brother with something like disbelief in her eyes. Then her expression clouded and went dark.

“Why a bedroom? Because we live in a goddamn mansion, Stefan. We have so many extra rooms to spare. Also, and I feel like perhaps you have forgotten this, but…” Maria lifted a hand to rest carefully at the back of the boy’s neck, just over the crude collar. “This one isn’t for resale,” she reminded. “This one is ours, personally. So he stays in a bedroom, where he’s close, and he’s getting a custom collar tomorrow.” The words end of story were pretty clear, if unspoken.

"Whatever. He can stay here in a bedroom, but I don't want to be responsible for him." Stefan knew not to argue with his sis too much, he could attest that to the amount of bodies she's racked up alone.

“Fine, you don’t have to be here.” There was a healthy amount of displeasure in Maria’s voice - but then there was a soft whimper and a tremor from beside her, and she winced. The boy had gone ashen pale, and he was hugging his middle, shoulders hunched up around his ears. Maria grit her teeth and made a conscious effort to even out her tone.

“Stefan, if you’re not going to help, you are free to go. I am going to help little mouse here get settled.”

She didn’t wait for her brother’s response; instead she climbed off the couch, and then snapped her fingers gently and patted her thigh.

Clearly the boy had at least some proper training, because as soon as she clicked her fingers he was tripping over himself to follow. He gave Stefan a wide berth on the way past; the boy trembled in the man’s shadow, and there was a wide-eyed terror in his eyes that did not ease till they were out of the room.

Maria took the boy's hand once he was at her side. She led him down the private wing of the mansion and into a narrow hallway. A click of a doorknob, and the creaking of unoiled hinges made way for a small bedroom, though significantly nicer than the small boy thought possible for someone like him.

"This will be your room sweetheart. I hope it'll be ok for you. There is a small bathroom attached that you can use if you need." Maria's warm hands guided him to the bed, and pulled the satin covers back. "Now, you need your sleep. Off to bed with you, chop chop."

For the first time that night the boy hesitated, staring at the soft mattress. It was a test, surely. He couldn’t simply go to bed like he was their guest. He needed to be helpful, useful, good. He balked when his new Mistress gave him a gentle nudge towards the bed, and that made him whimper, because resistance of any kind was bad.

“What’s the matter, love?” Maria wasn’t impatient; not yet, anyway. She reached up to pet her fingers through his hair, and the boy squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and quivered. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you,” she told him softly.

"P-please M-Mistress…" The boy finally whimpered out, though it was nearly too soft to hear. "I-I w-want, want to help, I don't want to be bad."

"Well there we are, I was beginning to think you couldn't talk at all." The woman smiled a bit. "Why don't you just lie down for me and then we'll talk about being useful tomorrow.”

The boy looked up with big, scared blue eyes at that, afraid that he’s done something wrong.

"Come on. Please?" She cupped his cheek gently. "If you be a good boy and go to sleep then I promise I'll give you something to help me with tomorrow. Sound fair?"

It took a moment, and the boy clearly didn’t trust her word. But in the end, his drive to obey her was stronger than his fear of the bed. He crawled in slowly, like the sheets might bite him, and curled into a little ball.

“There you go.” Maria smiled down at him proudly and tucked the blanket in around him. The fluffy blanket dwarfed the boy; he was curled up so small that the lump he made could have just been another fold of the blanket.

“Good boy, sweetheart,” Maria murmured, one last time. She could already tell that praise and encouragement would work wonders with this one. She stroked his soft curls away from his neck softly, and cooed inwardly at the way he shivered. “Sleep well.”

She left him like that, curled up small on the softest mattress he’d ever laid on, under the softest blanket he’d ever touched. A click of the bedroom lock was soon heard, and for a moment, the little boy felt a bit safer in his now brand new home.

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talesmaniac89 · 5 years ago

Text

Choices - Sam - Back Door

New to Choices? Start Here

Pairing: Sam x Reader

Summary: Choices is an interactive Supernatural choose your own adventure story where your choices determine the outcome and whether it’s a Dean x Reader or Sam x Reader.. Go to the intro to start your story now!

Triggers: Swearing, heartbreak, worry

Choice: [You chose to sneak in through the back door]

Y/N = Your Name | Y/E/C = Your Eye Colour | Y/H/C = Your Hair Colour

---

“I’ll go around the back. With all the windows in this place I think I have the best chance of sneaking around unnoticed,” You finally spoke up when the silence had stretched on for long enough. Knowing full well that Sam wouldn’t make the choice for you as he squared his jaw stubbornly, worry painting his eyes a darker shade.

Giving the overprotective hunter in front of you a tired sigh, you checked and rechecked the weapon in your hand and patted across the backup weapons on your body. Like you always did when the nervous energy coursed through your veins before a hunt. Rolling your shoulders, you pushed the air out of your lungs through pursed lips. Steeling yourself for the fight.

Time for a witch hunt.

“(Y/N)...” Sam’s voice was only a low whisper next to you. But in his whispered version of your name you could glean all his reasoning. Every excuse he’d cooked up for you to sit the fight out, every half-baked plan leaving one door unchecked. And you wouldn’t hear them. Not when sitting out could end up with him hurt somewhere in that massive mansion. You’d promised yourself you would never abandon Sam Winchester. Even if he set those damned worried puppy dog eyes in you.

Even if you could never make yourself tell Sam how you felt about him. Letting him carry your heart safety pinned to his sleeve instead. You’d also never leave him. And that included leaving him to go fight the battles on your behalf. If he was a fortress, hiding a small, scared boy, then you would be damned sure to be his sentinel. Standing guard outside and ensuring that his walls weren’t torn down by the cold and unfeeling world you were forced to live in.

“No Sam. We need all hands on deck. I’ll… See you in there, ok?” You sighed, giving the big guy a small smile to soften the words and the harsh way they’d left you. None of which was aimed at him. With your gun in your hand and your shoulders tense, you were already ready to fight, and that unreleased ball of tense energy had tainted your words as well.

“Alright, just… Promise me you’ll stay safe?”

“Always Sam. I’m not going anywhere,” You were already moving when Sam spoke up, so you threw the words over your shoulder along with a bright, confident smile as you quickly backpedalled towards the Impala to follow the tree line around to the back. Staying out of sight from the house would be your best bet.

Crouching low, you kept your weapon at your side as you ran for the trees. Even though your pace was slow, your pulse was racing. The beat of it heavy in your throat and loud in your head from the heat pouring through your t-shirt into your back. Your body was reacting to Sam’s eyes as they burned into you. The worry radiating out from them and caressing your back like feathery soft prayers for your safety as you kept your eyes on the woods in front of you.

You had to keep moving forward, keep your eyes on the forest. If you turned around to catch those warm worried eyes, you’d just end up running towards him again. Back to where he was standing, sunshine eyes clouded in the uncountable what ifs that wouldn’t leave him until he was sure that Dean and you were safe. That you hadn’t left him in that achingly permanent way that every new hunt and every new monster tried to force you into.

No, you had to keep your eyes on the green in front of you, not the hazel behind you. If not you’d be back by his side in a heartbeat. To have his back, as you should be, instead of running away from him. To be by his side, like your heart was.

Clenching your jaw, you broke into a quiet jog. The faster you got in the house, the sooner you’d be back to his side.

---

Walking around the house took longer than you wanted it to.

The farmhouse itself was large, sure, but more than just that, the grounds were fucking hellishly huge. They could have built the house three times larger and still not kissed the edge of the tree line. Which of course had made it much harder to sneak up towards the backdoor on a house that was at least 30% glass.

The slightest wrong move could see you spotted by the witches and your whole plan ruined. So, you’d had to carefully move even further back than planned before following one of the few windowless walls back to the door you were meant to go in.

As you pushed the heavy wooden door open, your shoulders stayed tense and your breath locked in your chest. The boys had to be inside already. But you’d heard no sounds or signs of a fight as you stealthily kept sneaking up on the house. And the inside was just as deathly quiet as the grounds had been. So, clearly your cover was still secure as you stepped into the beautiful kitchen.

It was a stunning room; big and bright. Bigger even than your industrial sized kitchen in the bunker, which had all three of you (albeit secretly and all pretending you didn’t see the others) bouncing in hyperactive glee. Either at the thought of homemade burgers, Dean, something other than diner food for once, Sam, or the promise of home baked goodies, you. And it was also definitely a hell of a lot prettier than the steel on… Well, more steel, set-up in the bunker.

The former owners had made the room bright and easy to navigate across, with barely any splashes of colour. Just a hint of bright pastels breaking up the whole room, and, from what you could see, the adjoining dining room. Clearly one of the former residents had been a fan of white. The room was the colour of fresh snow as far as the eye could see.

Called it; hell to clean.

You smirked to yourself at the thought as you scanned the room, keeping low behind the white kitchen island before walking softly towards the first door you spotted. It seemed to lead deeper into the mansion, so it was your best bet at finding Sam and Dean.

Even just the thought of the Winchester brothers somewhere in the big mansion had your hand twitching around the grip of the gun. Your body wanted to run and find them, to find Sam, as soon as possible. But you knew you had a job to do. And you were a damned good hunter. You had to move slow, cover your bases. Witches were tricky; you needed military precision. Not the heavy pulsing steps and loud actions of beating love-sick hearts.

No, for now you’d just have to remind yourself that you’d already slipped him your heart a long time ago. For situations just like this one, when you couldn’t be by his side. Safety-pinned precariously to his sleeve, just out of sight from the hunter’s bright, attentive eyes.

Stopping by the door you held your breath. Listening through the wood for any sounds. The house was quiet. But it did little to quell your worry and fear for Sam’s safety, for both the Winchester’s. Sure, you knew they could take care of themselves, but that didn’t stop you from worrying, from wanting them to be happy and safe, even when outside of the four walls of the secure bunker.

Dean was your best friend, you loved him like a big brother, and Sam was… Sam. The only man whose smile could wipe all the clouds from the sky and replace them with warm sunlight again. The strongest fragile and broken man you knew.

You’d promised to make them a home, but Sam Winchester was your home. Though he still found himself searching for one. Unaware that both Dean and you felt the most comfortable, the most at home, wherever he was.

Shaking free from your worried thoughts you took a quiet breath, shifting your hold on your gun just enough to open the door a crack before placing your hand back on the weapon. Letting the heavy feel of it ground you as you steadied it with both hands you looked out into the hallway. Barely giving it a cursory glance before letting the steel toe of your heavy boots open the door the rest of the way.

Empty.

Pushing out the breath you hadn’t realised you were holding; you kept your gun aimed steadily in front of you. Your finger resting on the trigger guard as you took a careful step into the brightly lit hallway.

It had been a happy home, you noted. Pictures of the two hex bag recipients were smiling down at you from the walls, all the way down the long hallway. Happy and in love. Unaware of the monsters that were coming for them. Clenching your jaw, you quietly seethed as your knuckles whitened around the gun.

Two innocent lives, cut brutally short just because two damned monsters wanted a free AirBnB for a little while. You’d kill those damned bastards. And, if you could find some way to make it happen, you’d even charge ‘em the clean-up fee from their new little not-so-cosy homes in hell.

Witches like these were why you stayed in the business. You needed to make the world better, brighter... Safer. Both for the many civilians, sleeping soundly in their beds and going on with their lives, unaware of what was hiding in the shadows, and for the Winchester brothers. For Sam.

With Sam’s bright eyes as your driving force, you quietly walked down the hallway. Keeping both your ears and eyes sharp as you moved towards the first door. The damned house was just too big. It would take a small eternity to check every room.

Sliding against the wall, you kept your back flush with the cream coloured wallpaper as your hand reached out to carefully open the first door. Barely feeling the wood move under your fingers before you pushed off the wall and spun to face the room. Gun lifted and ready to redecorate some wicked witch’s face.

Study… Empty.

Casting a quick glance around the room you groaned internally. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with large mahogany bookcases. Filled to the breaking point with books. You really hoped the spell books weren’t hiding somewhere in that mess. It would be hell to go through all of those later. Either way, your temp job as a supernatural librarian would have to wait till you ganked the witches.

Turning, you stepped back into the hallway. Continuing down it with increasing worry from the silence pressing down on you. The boys still hadn’t found them? How big was this fucking house anyway? Speeding up as much as you could while still keeping quiet, you kept walking. Looking into each extravagantly furnished room as you got to it.

All empty.

You only stopped in your stealthily frantic search when you noticed the door coming up to your right. Unlike the many others, this one had been left slightly ajar. Not good.

Holding your breath, you kept your gun aimed at the door as you slowly approached it, nudging it fully open with your foot. Your finger rested on the trigger, ready to fire at a moment’s notice. Only when another empty room came into view did you move your finger back to the trigger guard and breathe an annoyed sigh at the game of hide and seek this hunt was quickly turning into.

No Sabrina the not-so-teenage squatter there either. But… Bingo. This was clearly their little ‘workspace’. What had once been a small home office had gotten a bit of a grotesque makeover.

Jars of things you didn’t want to look too closely at were spread out across the desk along with different shaped bowls and unidentifiable tools. They’d dragged a small side table into the middle of the room, the carpet pushed aside to litter the floor with intricate runes and warding symbols. And, there, right out in the open for the world to see...

Spell books.

They really shouldn’t have. Your gracious, unaware hosts had made it too easy for you. Grinning you shot a quick glance at the open door before carefully closing it until it was left just a bit ajar again.

Listening for anything out of the ordinary, you dropped one hand from your gun and unceremoniously picked up the brittle, old books. Placing them into one of the larger, more sturdy stone bowls instead.

The bottom of the chosen bowl was coated in something dry and red that you really hoped wasn’t human as you scrunched your nose at it and busied yourself with finding the lighter fluid in the breast pocket of your jacket. Since the books were so easy to find. You could just as well take care of them before continuing the hunt.

Two birds, one very flammable bowl of brittle paper and lighter fluid.

Dousing the books in a generous dose of arson in a can, you fought the urge to hum a little campfire tune to yourself as you fished the zippo out of your pocket. Flicking it open and on without any issues before dropping the whole lighter in the bowl. A waste of a perfectly good lighter, maybe, but you needed to keep moving and fast.

Your need for action was solidified just as the first flames licked up the spines of the old tomes. The sight of searing flames accompanied by a loud explosion of sound. The single gunshot sounded louder in the previously deathly quiet house as it rang out from somewhere deeper in the labyrinthian hallways.

Shit.

Casting one last glance at the flames tearing the spell books apart, you turned on your heel and ran. The faces of the two men in your life tattooed across panicked (Y/E/C) eyes as you hurried down the hallway towards the sound. It was just one gunshot. They’d be fine. They’d probably taken out the witch without much of a fight. But until you could see that with your own eyes, the heavy nauseous feeling in your stomach just wouldn’t let up.

It wasn’t hard to find the source of the noise.

The wide-open door, near the winding staircase leading into the second level, was a clear sign as you slid to a full stop just out of view of whatever was happening in the room. Keeping your gun raised, you stepped closer. Ready to pepper the whole room in bullets at even the slightest hint at something being wrong. You weren’t taking any chances as you kept your breath steady against the onslaught of early panic and stepped into view of the room. Tense shoulders relaxing as your eyes, and gun, met with green eyes and a similar weapon pointed in your direction.

Once your best friend came fully into view you lowered your revolver with a relieved sigh. The dead witch by Dean’s feet a testament to what had happened as green eyes brightened to give you a cocky grin. Clearly you looked as frazzled as you felt, if Dean’s raised eyebrow was anything to go by.

Rolling your eyes at the hunter in front of you, you kept your focus on the dead witch. The man looked to be in his mid 30s. Perfectly ordinary in every way. If you looked past the bullet lodged in his brain that was.

If this was the male counterpart to the pair, that meant the woman was elsewhere in the house. Since your briefing had made it clear that the two of them imagined themselves to be somewhat of a wicked Bonnie and Clyde duo. Thinking their love alone was reason enough to turn the world on its head.

“One down, one to go,”

After the gunshot had clearly signalled that you were there, you didn’t even bother keeping your voice low as you casually stepped over the body to give your friend a quick hug. The seconds always dragged on and felt like small pockets of eternity whenever you had to split up with the boys on a hunt. Knowing your best friend was safe was already enough to calm your nerves a bit. Though the fact that Sam hadn’t come running at the sound of the gunshot was… Disconcerting.

No. You couldn’t let yourself panic. Panicking led to mistakes. Sometimes deadly mistakes. You couldn’t let your mind stray from the hunt that way. Hopefully he was just busy keeping the other witch away from you. Or maybe keeping to the shadows to catch her off guard when she came running for you to avenge the lover boy by your feet. Dean had, after all, put a permanent end to their relationship status…

Maybe you should petition Facebook to add a relationship status option for ‘currently avenging my evil, dead lover’? Considering you’d ended more than one relationship the permanent way, you knew a few monsters that would appreciate the option. Ok… So, your mind was spiralling, and you were definitely panicking.

“Jigs up. The other one had to have heard that…”

Dean brought you out of your rambling thoughts, his eyes on the door as he spoke. Though the words were clearly meant for you, as there was still no sign of big hazel eyes and comforting smiles in the empty doorway.

“Let’s find Sam and clean house,”

You kept the worst of your fears out of your voice and your eyes away from the worried ones of the older Winchester by rechecking the safety on your gun. You both knew that the silence following the explosively loud gunshot couldn’t be good. But neither of you would vocalize it. No, you just had to find Sam. Everything would be fine again when you were all together. Everything was always fine when the three of you were together.

“You take the upstairs; I’ll keep going down here and come join you,” Dean’s voice was hard as he stepped towards the door. Ready to head down the hallway that snaked under the stairs and missing your quick nod as you hurried after him. Maybe splitting up wasn’t the best tactical choice. But the house was just too damn big, and you had to find Sam. Fast.

Trying to still keep somewhat quiet to not alert the witch of your exact location, you ran for the stairs. Even taking the steps two at the time, the damned winding staircase was an endless nightmare to your panicking mind. You would have been up in half the time if the original owners hadn’t tried so fucking hard to be bourgeois.

Once you finally reached the top, you had to bite the inside of your mouth to keep from screaming out loud in frustration. Of course, the upstairs section was just as big of a mess of hallways and rooms as downstairs. Hadn’t the damned homeowners ever heard about open plan concepts?

No choice, start searching (Y/N).

Sam would be fine. He had Dean, he had you. The two of you would never leave him behind. Sam had to be fine.

---

You’d barely started looking through the first few rooms, and one accidental peek into a linen closet the size of your bunker bedroom, when Sam’s voice echoed down the hallway from somewhere far ahead. The swear words followed by your name and Dean’s were unmistakable and sounded heartbreakingly terrified.

Something was very wrong.

Forcing your body into action, you threw yourself down the hallway. Your breath sticking in your throat as you kept your gun drawn and aimed ahead of you. He was still breathing; he could still speak. That was all that mattered. You could deal with anything else. Now you just had to get to him.

You weren’t even keeping up the facade of being quiet anymore as you let your boots hit the hallway floor with heavy panicked steps. Grateful for the thick carpet that was still somehow swallowing up the sound from your desperate sprint towards the man you loved.

Sam was afraid. That was all the driving force you needed. Your always strong and steady hunter with the kindest heart of any man you knew was afraid.

As you slid to a halt in front of the door that Sam’s voice was bleeding through, sounding more and more agitated with every broken shout of your name, you took a shaky breath. Hell, you barely even bothered steadying yourself as you aimed your gun. Saying to hell with slow, steady and quiet, you kept your gun aimed at the wood as you lifted a booted foot and kicked in the door.

---

The weapon in your hands easily found the witch as soon as the door swung open with a violent crack against the wall. Clearly she’d been in the middle of a spell. Your grand entrance however, had shook her concentration as she looked up at you with angry eyes and a twisted sneer. Facing down the lethal steel pointed right between her eyes as if it was nothing more than a harmless toy.

But the vicious hatred in steel blue eyes barely even registered with you. Not when Sam was right there. Standing next to her, yet not attacking her or even fighting back. He wasn’t even looking over at where you’d just kicked the damned door in. His body was completely still with only his head moving, hands fisted into tight balls at his side as he looked everywhere but directly at you. Brown hair whipping around his face in his frantic search.

As you watched him, watched the heart-breaking loss in hazel eyes, the realisation hit you like a straight punch to your diaphragm right before his words could. Forcing the breath out of your lungs as a choked groan. Sam couldn’t see you.

“(Y/N)? Dean? Where are you!?” Sam’s voice sounded small and broken. Just a shadow of its usual strength as his eyes went straight past you, not stopping to take you in. Just the whisper of a broken boy, lost in the nightmares of his shadows. Abandoned and alone.

“Sam?” You could hear the frantic panic in your own raised voice. You knew it wasn’t good to show the damned bitch she had the upper hand. But watching the man you loved stand terrified and alone in the middle of the room, not even noticing the witch next to him that could easily end his life, you just couldn’t make yourself give a damn about hunter 101s and protocols. Nothing fucking mattered if Sam was hurting.

But no recognition warmed hazel eyes at your words. His head didn’t even turn in your direction. It wasn’t that Sam couldn’t see you. He couldn’t even hear you. Sam Winchester was trapped in his own head, and none of your repeated, increasingly louder shouts of his name could break through the darkness that surrounded him.

Sam was lost.

Whipping your head around and ignoring the way (Y/H/C) strands stuck to your damp cheeks from tears you hadn’t even realised you were crying, you channelled all your protective fury and worried rage through your eyes and directly into the monster who did this to him. Your grip around the revolver tightened as your finger rested against the trigger. A silent warning that you could blow her brains out between one breath and the next.

“What did you do to him bitch?!” You didn’t like the broken, high-pitched tint to your voice. You’d wanted to sound threatening, not panicked. But it was hard to breathe around the heartbreak and Sam’s constant broken attempts of finding you through the darkness. Your finger twitched against the trigger, nearly making the gun go off in your hands as you took a shaky breath to steady yourself. You wanted her to hurt. A bullet to the brain was too quick, too easy, for her.

“He can’t see you or hear you. He can’t see anyone he cares about… Or me for that matter,” The blue-eyed witch in front of you were smirking. The sickening smile on painted red lips nauseating when paired with Sam’s broken voice ringing in your ears. She thought she’d won. She thought she'd beat the Winchesters.

“Fix. It. Right fucking now,” You spoke through gritted teeth as you took another step into the room. Letting your fury keep you moving as your eyes burned into the witch. Her overconfident smirk faltered as she flinched and stepped back when hit with the uncontrolled rage that was rolling off of you in searing hot waves.

Perfectly manicured, fidgeting hands busied themselves with smoothing down the satin of her simple, elegant dress, ala 1950s Audrey Hepburn. Black, simple and timeless, paired with matching heels. Trying to keep up an illusion that she still had some semblance of control. It was the kind of dress women wear when going to war against the world. But paired with her terrified big eyes, the dress looked ill-fitting and out of place. Like a child playing dress up in boots way too big for her.

“No can do… Call it an insurance policy...” The witch took a while to find her voice again and the strength to push back from the avalanche that was your protective rage. But when she did her words did nothing except infuriate you more as she trailed off in a scared whimper.

Casting a quick glance in Sam’s direction you felt the trigger under your finger. Letting your eyes soften for just a split second as you watched him before turning hard as steel again when they shifted to focus on the witch.

Sam was trapped. His world had gone dark, stopped existing even though he was standing right there. In the same room as you. Calling for you, calling for Dean. Yet not finding you. Even if you were right there.

Sam Winchester was lost in his own worst nightmare. Where everyone he loved had finally abandoned him. Like he always thought they would. It was killing you, shattering the heart still pinned to the lost man’s sleeve.

And it was all her fault.

---

Make your choice below to move the story along:

What do you do?

[Run to Sam’s side] or [Kill the witch]

---

Confused or New to Choices? Start Here Choices is an interactive Supernatural choose your own adventure story where you pick your Winchester brother and go on a hunt for one of 8 different endings in total. Four for Sam and four for Dean (2 happy and 2 bad endings per brother). Go to the intro to start your story!

---

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xfandomwritingsx · 4 years ago

Text

Loose Ends - F!Hawke/Varric

-gif source unknown-

Description: After Hawke and Varric have finally settled down, an old friend makes an unexpected appearance.

Warnings/Labels: Anders isn’t a good guy here... just fair warning. Mentions of slavery and death and orphans and not fun stuff.

Approx. Word Count: 4,500

A/N: Sequel to Reuniting (https://archiveofourown.org/works/17554700/chapters/41368289) and Scars, but not necessary to read them first.

~~~

Varric could hear Hawke start humming happily as she started to wash up. He closed the bathroom door and smiled to himself. It was a wonder how they ended up here, cohabitating fairly blissfully in her estate after both seemingly starting and stopping the end of the world. Corypheus was defeated. Hawke had come back to Kirkwall. Varric was somehow Viscount. (Even he still wasn’t exactly sure how that one happened.) Everything was weird. But in a good way. Things were finally good.

He tied the sash of his robe around his waist before exiting her - no, wait. - their bedroom. (He was still getting used to that too.) The door closed with a soft click behind him and he walked towards the stairs. When he got close to the railing, he immediately noticed a man in a cloak staring into the fire with Hawke’s oh-so-fantastic guard dog, Moose, laying contently by his feet.

At first he thought it was Fenris. They were expecting him afterall, but not for another couple of days and certainly not at this hour. Varric started to descend the staircase casually for two reasons. The first being he wasn’t too worried about the intruder. For all his buffoonery, Moose wouldn’t let just anyone in. The second was because he had left Bianca in the study and alerting an intruder by running to his weapon was not on his survival how-to list.

“You know it’s not polite to let yourself in,” he called lightly about halfway down the stairs. Moose perked his head up and the man turned away from the fire to look at Varric. His features were clouded by the shadows, but Varric recognized him instantly and his blood ran cold for only a moment before it ran hot. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Hello, Varric,” Anders greeted him, voice solemn and a little surprised. The dwarf was obviously not who he expected.

“You’re really making me regret not having Bianca on me at all times.” Varric planted himself at the bottom of the stairs, body stiff as he tried to control the anger coursing through him. “And you,” he addressed Moose. “I thought I told you not to let strangers in.” Moose whined and Anders eyes fell to the floor, the bitter way Varric spit the word hitting the intended nerve. “Why are you here?” Just for the extra sting, Varric snapped his fingers and motioned for Moose to come to his side, away from Anders. The hound happily obeyed and sat beside him.

“I…” he paused, searching for the right words. Varric noticed his eyes looked tired and his blond hair had grown, peaking out of his hood down around his shoulders. “I need to speak with Hawke.” Varric nearly laughed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“The lack of response to your letters wasn’t an invitation.” He really just wanted to punch the mage, but he would feel bad about the blood on the floor.

“I know, but this isn’t about me,” Anders tried to explain.

“It never is, is it?” Hawke’s voice came from the second floor. Both men looked up to see her standing at the railing in her bedclothes, hands gripping the wooden edge and peering down. “Nothing you do is ever about you.” The sarcastic bitterness wasn’t missed by either of them, making Anders wince and Varric bite back a smile. If he was honest, a part of him was looking forward to seeing how this reunion would play out. “Selfless healer who sacrificed everything and everyone for the better good, isn’t that right?”

Hawke’s descent down the stairs was chilling. She kept her hard eyes on Anders the entire time, staring him down and forcing his eyes to the floor. She walked down slow, with purpose, wanting to watch him squirm for just a little while longer.

“I don’t take kindly to intruders in my home.” She came to stand besides Varric. He watched Anders carefully, looking to see if he noticed how closely she stood. He hadn’t seemed to question the fact that Varric had been in her mansion at such a late hour (in a robe, no less!) but perhaps that simply spoke to how close he and Hawke had been before their relationship began.

“There are refugees just outside the city,” Anders began, taking the hint that she wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries.

“There are refugees everywhere,” she countered quickly.

“Partly thanks to you,” Varric added, taking a small pleasure in the way Anders shoulders slumped at them ganging up on him.

“They could use your help,” he kept going, pushing through the guilt they laid on him. “They have family here, but the city guards won’t let them in and I can’t sneak them all in myself.”

“So why not appeal to Aveline?” Hawke quipped even though they all knew the answer. The smallest forced smile graced Ander’s lips.

“I think the only way to appeal to her would be to present my head on a platter.” He watched uneasily as Varric and Hawke looked at each other and shrugged, having an entire conversation without words at his expense. “If you’re willing, I’m meeting a contact tomorrow night at the docks.” When neither of them responded, Anders slowly stepped towards the door. “For what it’s worth,” he paused, looking back at Hawke. “I’m glad you’re doing well.”

“Oh, I’m doing very well.” Her arm bumped lightly into Varric’s and Anders eyes were instantly drawn to their hands as their fingers slowly linked together. Realization finally dawned on his face and Varric didn’t even try to hold back his smirk.

“You know the way out,” Varric dismissed him easily, giving Hawke’s hand a squeeze and enjoying the way Ander’s eyes lingered there. It took him an extra moment, but he left without another word. Once they heard the front door shut, Varric turned his attention to the woman at his side. “You need to teach the dog how to guard a bit better. Foolish thing let him walk right in.” Moose whined at his feet and Varric patted his head.

“And yet he growls when he sees Fenris,” she teased. “He’s just got bad taste in men.”

“So, what exactly does that say about me?” Varric laughed as Moose slobbered on his hand. Both he and Hawke chuckled. “Bed?” he suggested.

“Bed.”

~~~

“Is it bad that I’m considering it?” Hawke asked as they lay together in the darkness.

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t,” he assured her, turning under the sheets to face her. She gazed at the pale ceiling, watching the small shadows from the last flickers of the firelight. “It’s not like we have any other pressing engagements tomorrow. We could grab Moose and Daisy and it’d be just like old times.” She shook her head softly.

“No,” she said firmly. “Just us. I don’t want to pull Merrill from the alienage and Moose is clearly untrustworthy.” She called the last bit over the end of the bed and Moose whined from his place on the floor; a plush dog bed near the foot that Varric had painfully trained him to sleep in. He chuckled at the poor hound.

“Probably better that way. Daisy is bound to spill to Aveline anyways.” A light smile appeared on her lips and it was enough to satisfy him. He rolled to his back and closed his eyes.

“If Anders has any delusions about staying in Kirkwall…” He could feel her tense up beside him so he reached under the sheets and squeezed her forearm.

“He’ll have an arrow or a knife in his back. Possibly a sword. All depends on who gets to him first.” Her body relaxed and with a slight laugh, she brought her hand up to hold onto his.

“Goodnight, Varric.”

~~~

Once night fell, Hawke and Varric slipped their gear on, slung their respective weapons over their backs, and headed for the docks. The streets hadn’t changed too much. There were roads and building that needed rebuilt, but most nights it still looked the same. Sometimes it felt like the place was getting cleaned up, but mostly Kirkwall was still riddled with the same amount of crime as before. Only difference now was that casual looters and thieves didn’t want to try their luck on Hawke as often.

The docks were quiet. It made it quite easy to hear the hushed sounds of Anders arguing with a man in a dim corner near the edge of the water. Varric and Hawke looked at each other, listening to the disagreement before making themselves know.

“You weren’t supposed to bring them yet!” Anders hissed. “They aren’t safe! I don’t have a place for them yet!”

“This was when we agreed to originally. Now give me my money or I’ll sell your cargo to someone else.” Hawke didn’t like the way this man said cargo so casually or the way Anders’ eyes widened in a slight panic. She glanced at the man’s ship and noted that it did a good job of looking like a regular trading ship. There were just a few details that put a sour twist in Hawke’s gut.

“I’d like to see the cargo,” Hawke announced. Normally she would have made such a comment much more jauntily, but if Anders was involved with what she thought he was, there was no humor to be had. The man turned to look at her and grinned, showing off a missing front tooth.

“A lady ready to do business! I like it!” He waved her and Varric forward, but Anders stepped in to protest.

“Hawke, that’s not necessary,” he tried. She pulled a small purse from her waist and shook it, little metals jingling inside.

“I’ve got coin,” she told the man. “I want to see the cargo.”

“Right this way.” As she suspected, the man followed the lead of who put the most coin up front. She followed him across the small board walkway onto his ship. Sensing Anders’ nerves, Varric nudged him ahead, keeping him between himself and Hawke as they walked aboard. “This is some fine stock that lousy mage collected.”

The few crew members on deck scattered as they walked by, but Hawke caught sight of others lurking in shadows. Armed. Watching. She resisted the urge to reach for her staff. She did, however take a look behind her and notice Varric was seeing the same things she was.

The man came to a cellar door at the back of the ship. He unlocked it and swung it open proudly, allowing Hawke to peer inside. Her stomach churned as the moonlight poured inside, lighting up dirty, scared faces of children. All of them. Children.

“I can explain,” Anders said from behind her, already in a haste. “They needed help. They’re mages, all of them. They need refuge.”

“So you hired slavers to bring them in?” Hawke could see the man slowly reach for the dagger in his waistband when he heard the disgust in her tone. She gave the kids an apologetic look before gently closing the cellar door.

“I had a plan,” Anders defended.

“Is someone going to pay me for the cargo or am I taking my crew elsewhere?” The man asked, already drawing his dagger. Varric was quicker than him though and had a bolt through the side of his skull before he could even threaten to use it.

“I’ll deal with you after we deal with them,” Hawke sneered, pulling her staff from her back as the guards came out of the woodwork.

It was an easy fight, most of the crew, probably unaware of what kind of ship they had been serving, abandoned the deck quickly. The guards that put up a fight, were nothing special. They’d handled people like that dozens of times. Anders, however noticed a distinct change in the fighting style between the former teammates. When he turned to look for Hawke, she wasn’t by his side like she once was. She was in tandem with Varric.

When the last guard fell, Varric and Hawke approached Anders. They didn’t aim their weapons at him, but they made no move to holster them either. He released his staff, hoping to keep things peaceful.

“I don’t think an explanation is needed,” Varric told him.

“How silly I was to think that when you said refugees you meant adults and that just outside the city didn’t mean on a slaver’s ship.” Hawke’s sarcasm had a sharp bite to it.

“It was the quickest way to get them all here at once.” She rolled her eyes at the poor excuse. “I had a contact on the ship. They were safe.” He sounded like he actually believed it and there was a subtle, repressed darkness in his voice that made Hawke wonder just how much of this was Justice.

“Where did they come from?” Varric asked, finger itching to touch the trigger.

“Various places all over the Free Marches,” he told them. “Some were abandoned and orphaned. Others were rescued from the grip of Templars.” His glanced almost regretfully to the cellar door. “They needed help.”

“So you’ve said,” Varric cut him off shortly. “A lot, I might add.” Anders’ brows knitted together and there was a slight twitch in his hand that Hawke didn’t like.

“Leave,” she commanded. “This is the last time I’m letting you go.” She took her staff in both hands, standing more aggressively. “If I see you in Kirkwall again, if you come anywhere near any of us, if you so much as write to us, I will have you killed.” She paused, searching his eyes. “Both of you.” She wasn’t confident if she was speaking to Anders or Justice or if there was even a difference anymore. His tension softened at her threat and he gave her a look that just for a moment, made her heart ache.

“Hawke,” he tried. “I’m sorry.” She knew he was honest. The sound of his voice and the look in his eyes reminded her of the old Anders, of the one she fell in love with. Her tender nostalgia was quashed when his eyes turned to Varric. The subtle look of jealousy gave her a twisted pleasure. Anders turned to leave, but paused for a moment and turned to address Varric. “Please just… take care of her.”

“Oh, Blondie,” Varric chuckled. “The irony here is that you don’t realize I’ve always taken care of her. Even when it should have been you doing it.” While the brutality of the words caused a sting in Anders, it brought an affectionate pang to Hawke and she resisted the urge to throw her arms around the dwarf and kiss him. Anders retreated quickly off the ship and into the darkness of the night. Hawke let out a heavy sigh before turning to the cellar door again.

“Let’s get these kids somewhere safe,” she said to Varric.

When the moonlight poured onto their faces again, they looked up at her hopefully. A taller boy, perhaps just shy of being of age, came forward through the group, pushing littler ones behind him protectively.

“It’s alright,” Hawke assured him gently.

“You’re in Kirkwall,” Varric said beside her. “Maybe not the most luxurious of places, but you’re safe at least.” The boy’s eyes were trained on their clothes and when Hawke looked down, she realized the sight of blood on them was likely not a good sign to the kids.

“We uhhh… took care of the slavers,” she offered for reasoning.

“Where’s the man? The one who took us?” the boy asked. His voice sounded dry. He needed water.

“Anders is gone,” she told him gently, not noticing how Varric scrunched his brow at the boy’s question. “We’re going to take care of you.” A little girl with a stuffed toy peeked around the boys legs.

“Can we go home?” she squeaked. The boy patted her head gently before looking up at Hawke again.

“Are you going to take us all home?” There was hope in his voice and the way it shone in all of their eyes made Hawke ache. They hadn’t agreed to go with Anders. They were taken.

“Hawke,” Varric whispered. “I think now would be a good time to go get Aveline.” Her eyes turned to him slowly and there was harshness, a bloodthirsty look on her face that Varric felt reflected in his core.

“I could still catch him,” she whispered. “If you stay here, I can catch up to him and finish it.” As much as he wanted to let her go, he reached out and wrapped his hand over her forearm.

“We will hunt him down later,” he promised. “We need to take care of them first.” She looked between Varric and the hull of children before sighing. She knew he was right. These kids were the pressing priority.

“Okay,” she conceded. “Go get Aveline. I’ll get these kids up onto the dock.”

~~~

Varric had to tell Aveline to “lecture him later” about three too many times in the short span it took to get her and her guards to the docks. He’d eventually tuned her out and fell back behind her guard just to get out of earshot.

When they arrived, all the torches lit up the docks so it was practically daylight out. There were kids everywhere, mostly huddled in little bunches and they tried to keep to the shadows as best they could. It was hard to watch and even harder to look away. So instead, he looked for Hawke.

It took him a minute to find her and when he did, he felt like his heart might burst. She was sitting on a stack of crates, using a slight bit of magic to keep the area dim for the child who was sleeping with his head in her lap. She looked so different in that moment; legs folded up underneath her, running her fingers through the dirty hair of a small boy taking comfort in her arms.

“I know you have a habit of taking in strays,” he joked quietly as he approached them. “But something tells me this one belongs somewhere.” She gave him a muted glare and didn’t stop stroking the boy’s head.

“He was scared and so tired,” she told him. Varric scrambled up onto the crate next to her and leaned against her shoulder, looking down at the boy. He had shaggy hair that Varric guessed was sandy colored when it was clean and clothes that seemed fairly new. “He was one of the last ones Anders brought in.” Hawke shared. “Some of them were with him for far too long.”

“Any time with Anders is far too long.” Varric reached out and moved some the boy’s hair off his face.

“He wouldn’t tell me about his parents.” There was a slight tremor in her voice that pulled Varric’s eyes to hers. “I think Anders might have…” Dread ran through him. He looked out at the dock of kids giving their information to the guards and wondered just how many of them were orphaned now.

“I already sent a contact to track him.” He told her lowly. An arrow would be too good for him. Varric much preferred the idea of wrapping his hands around his throat. “Aveline will make sure everyone gets back to their families. We’ll get them safe for the night and get everything moving in the morning.”

“Tell Aveline the mansion has extra beds.” His eyebrows raised at that. “These kids shouldn’t be put in the barracks. It’s cold and dingy and a place for soldiers, not kids. The mansion has room.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and rubbed his hand on her back.

“We don’t have room for all of them.”

“We have room for most of them. Orana will love having people to fuss over and Moose will love the attention.” She looked down at the boy, her stroking pauses for a moment. “It’s my fault they’re here.” Varric squeezed her in a half-hug. “I let him go free. I shouldn’t have.” He thought about telling her otherwise, about taking some of the blame himself, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. So he sighed instead and looked out at the docks again.

“Hawke Estate: Orphanage for Lost Mages.” They both smiled softly before he hopped back off the crate to go give the Guard Captain her orders.

~~~

It took weeks to get all the kids back to their families or in some cases, what was left of them. The look on Fenris’s face when he arrived and saw the mansion filled with little ones was an expression Varric would never forget. All of the chaos was almost worth it just for that.

They’d found the Aunt and Uncle of the little boy that had fallen asleep on Hawke’s lap, whose name they learned was Arthur, shortly before Fenris was set to depart. As they were located in the direction he was headed, he offered to escort the boy there. Varric watched from the top of the stairs as Hawke and Arthur said their goodbyes. As Varric suspected they would, they had grown close in the time Arthur stayed with them.

“Fenris is going to make sure you get home safely,” Hawke assured him for what had to be the tenth time that morning. “I know he looks all pointy and scary and unfriendly, but he’s one of the best men I know.” With Hawke on her knees and her attention on Arthur, she didn’t notice how Fenris looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. Varric chuckled softly to himself.

“Thank you,” he whispered before flinging his arms around her neck and nearly knocking her off balance. Varric felt a sad warmth, a yearning even, fill his belly as she returned the little boy’s hug. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too,” she said into his, now clean hair. She reluctantly pulled away from him and brushed a couple of tears off of his cheeks. “Make sure your Aunt and Uncle write me, okay?” He nodded earnestly. “Now off you go. Time to go home.” She stood up and Fenris outstretched his hand for Arthur to take. He hesitated only a moment, looking at Fenris’s pointed gloves with question, before remember what Hawke had said.

Before walking through the archway, Arthur turned to look over his shoulder at Varric. “Thank you, Mr. Varric!” he called. Varric gave him a wave.

“Anytime, kid.” He had to admit he’d grown a soft spot for him. Varric never fancied himself anything of a father or anything, but damned if he didn’t love teaching the kid to play cards or the look on his face when Varric bought him new clothes. “Take care.” With one more look to Hawke, Arthur followed Fenris out.

~~~

It was a night nearly a month after all the kids had left, that Varric looked at Hawke and asked the question that scared him.

“Do you ever think about kids?” Hawke scrunched her nose and looked at him like she didn’t understand the question. She shuffled some papers around his desk. They were going over the intel on Anders. The bastard was quick, but Varric called in a favor from Leliana who called in a favor from a Crow and they about had him pinned down.

“You mean like Arthur?” she asked, setting some of the papers down.

“Not exactly.” Varric shifted in his chair. “I meant… having kids.” Her eyes widened just a little when she caught up with him.

“Oh! You mean with…” Her fingers pointed rapidly between the two of them. “Can we even… Is that possible?” He watched as she wracked her brain, trying to recall any sort of knowledge on cross-species reproduction and coming up wildly short of any useful information.

“I was putting logistics aside.” He watched as she contemplated the question.

“I never thought I’d make a good mother,” she admits, finally putting the rest of the papers onto his desk.

“Never thought I’d make a good father either and if my bones creaking is any indication, I’m getting old as dirt.” She cracked a smile at him. “But all those kids I think, Arthur in particular, prove there’s no shortage of lonely, lost children around Thedas that could use two semi-stable adult figures in their lives and we didn’t do so bad with them.”

“You were good with Arthur.” She smiled warmly. “It would mean settling down. No more running around to stop the world from ending.” He took a moment to look around the room they were in; an office of sorts in the corner of the mansion’s library.

“I think we’ve pretty much already settled down,” he chuckled. She shrugged in silent agreement. “And having kids would be its own adventure.”

“Wouldn’t that be the truth?” A wide smile burst onto her lips and she barked out a laugh. “Could you just imagine; Aunt Isabela?” He had to laugh with her.

“You think Rivaini would be bad? She’d be a saint compared to Sera!” Their laughter filled the quiet room and Varric felt it heat his chest. One thing was for sure, he never wanted to be anywhere else but by Hawke’s side ever again. Losing that feeling of love and laughter would surely kill him.

“It would certainly be interesting, to say the least,” she mused as the laughter died down. “It’s something to definitely consider,” She drew his eyes away from him and back to the map on his desk. “After we tie up some loose ends.”

“Let’s get to it then,” he told her with one more smile.

He watched her delve back into the papers and mark spots on the map. She studied everything intently. This was the final piece of her past she needed to shut the door on once and for all and he was more than happy to help her do it. Taking care of Anders was going to give them the peace they needed. They peace she deserved.

“Marian,” he called softly, pulling her once more from the papers. He reached out over the surface of the desk and extended his hand to her. She slipped her hand into his and he held on tightly. “You would make a wonderful mother.” A blush actually reached up onto her cheeks and she returned the firm hold on his hand.

“And you would make one hell of a father.”

They’d been adding onto their makeshift family for years. Both of them had more friends than they ever imagined having before. Their family was immense. But maybe, just maybe, one day there would be room for another little member. Should they be married first? Probably. That’s what normal society dictated anyways. But that’s exactly why he’d sent his family signet ring out to be cleaned last week.

One thing at a time, he reminded himself, forcing his eyes away from her face and back to the papers.

------

Thanks for reading! This seriously threatened to delve into very dark and depressing places with Anders kidnapping kids, but I tried to keep it light despite that. Hopefully I succeeded. If you’ve enjoyed, I ask that you like, comment, reblog, or if you’re really feeling generous, buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/writerashley

Keep up with my progress on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/thatfandomwriter/

#Varric Tethras #hawke/varric #hawke x varric #Female Hawke x Varric #dragon age #dragon age imagine

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