#ace merrill x reader

[shelbgrey]

- Ace Merrill aesthetic

[kissproof]

❦... A LITTLE LESS LONELY

SUMMARY: attemping to get ace to stay in for the night...

WARNINGS: heavily suggestive themes , fem!reader , needy!reader , dirty talk , implied sex

it's so hot in your house. hot in the hallway, hot in your bedroom, rising so much that the whole house was dark in hopes of fighting it with sleep, and despite all that ace quietly laces up his shoes in what he could make of the soft yellow lamplight of your little bedroom.

"ace,” you sigh, sleepily.

he hums. but doesn't look at you as you approach him from behind. he’s barred you from any attempt at hypnosis with the back of his head because of this game you love to play.

"won't you stay in with me?"

the mattress, beneath your sweetly cleaned bedsheets, dips and levels under your palms, your bended knees. and the hem of your plain nightgown hikes up and licks your thighs. your mother, the one who churched on sunday and prayed every other would cry if she took one look at the way you pedestaled, deified, and laid your love on this man. ace was a downright terror to castle rock. clearly, your understanding was much different.

"nah. i gotta go."

your arms bend around his level shoulders. you hold his body, musky with sweat that glistens off his skin and into yours; on your quiet chest like a wreath. "you always gotta go... i never know what you're doin' out there"

"it's none of your business,” he counters, quietly, slow enough to where you could hear him. he only has a bone to pick with you when you try to set him straight. your kisses find his neck. you smile against him. "why?” you pry, coyly. “you doin' bad things?"

ace twitches and turns his head, near kissing you. "what’re you buggin' me for?"

but you don’t respond. you glance at his lips, his face still so close to you, and it melts you more than this late summer heat. when he turns away, you own your breath again, but you continue to drape yourself on him. forehead, nose, then cheek curl along his back.

"i just can't understand why you wanna ride in that silly little car all night..." you mutter like a child, and he pauses before bringing himself close to you again, his nose and hair teasing your face.

“wasn’t so silly when i had your face pressed against my windows, whinin’ and squealin.’” you had him. you can hear it in the sudden gain in his breath. “what’s in it for me?” he presses, calmly. “hm?”

"anything,” you reply with a floating hitch in your throat.

"anything?” he taunts.

he could see by the rouse in your face, your delicate parted lips, hooded eyes, strands of your hair sticking to the wet sides of your glistening neck, that he had all the permission he needed to have his merry way with you.

"c'mon then.”

[myveryownfanfiction]

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery, @cryptic-michael, @onedirectionlovers2014

chapter 3

warnings: swearing, era accurate sexism and misogyny and bigotry, arguing

Ace woke up with a groan, trying to bury his head further into my neck. He stilled as he seemed to realize he wasn’t alone. Slowly pulling back, ace opened his eyes to stare back at me. His confused ones met my panicked ones before drifting down to just below my neck. I watched as his eyes widened and he rolled onto his back, throwing his arm over his eyes; other arm searching off the side of the bed.

“here.” Ace mumbled, trying to save us both the headache from our hangovers. “Put this on.” I mumbled my thanks as I threw his shirt on.

“You can look now.” I said softly as I tugged the shirt down to cover me fully. Ace peeked out at me from under his arm and I had to bite back the laugh that bubbled up. He groaned and pulled the blanket over his head. “Regretting everything?” I asked, sadness in my voice.

“no.” Ace said. “Regretting drinking so much that I can’t even remember doing it.”

“oh.” I muttered, heading towards the little kitchenette and starting breakfast. “Want something to eat? Might help the hangover.” Ace made a noise of agreement and I heard him moving around behind me, no doubt finding his pants and getting dressed. I heard a drawer open and turned in time to see ace pulling a white tshirt over his head. “I didn’t know you kept clothes here.” Ace smirked at me.

“for every occasion.” He joked. “I did tell you I used to live up here.” I nodded as I went back to making breakfast. We worked silently next to each other and sat down to eat. When I got up to start the dishes, ace put his hand over mine “Hey. Are we going to talk about what clearly happened?” I frowned and looked over at him. Ace sighed and gently pulled me over to my couch.

“Let’s just pretend nothing happened ace.” I breathed out. “It’s not like we could go out anyway. Not without someone figuring out my secret.” Ace shook his head.

“yeah we could.” He said. “There are ways we could sneak around. I used to do things like that all the time. It’s easy if you know what you’re doing.” He reached over and grabbed my hands again. “Look (Y/N), I like you. I’ve liked you since I met you. And you know your shit. How could I not like you?” Ace smiled softly at me and I shook my head, trying to fight the urge to cry because ace was being too sweet.

“I’m sorry ace…” I said, looking up at him with watery eyes. “I don’t feel…” ace cut me off with a kiss; one that had me trailing after him when he pulled away.

“that says differently sweetheart.” He breathed out, cupping my cheeks. “We’d find a way to make it work.” I grabbed his wrists and held tightly.

“ace, I’m not prepared for what could happen if we slip up.” I said. Ace watched me carefully. “One of two things happens.” He nodded. “Either my secret is out and I lose my job. I can’t pay rent and I end up on the street somewhere or worse back at the diner with men sticking their hands up my skirt.” Ace shook his head and I reached out to cup his cheeks, rubbing my thumb over his stubble.

“I wouldn’t let them.” I smiled at him as he stared me down.

“you can’t be at the diner all day and night ace. You have a business to run.” I said softly.

“And the other…thing?” Ace asked. I frowned and focused on the feeling of aces stubble against my palms. “(Y/N)?”

“people will…” I started. “They’ll think…” ace waited patiently for me to finish. The memories of what it had been like even in my time played through my head. “People will say you’re…”

“say I’m what?” Ace asked softly.

“gay.” I whispered, refusing to meet his eyes. We sat in silence for a beat before ace spoke up.

“they already think that.” He said, releasing my head. His hands fell to his lap and ace shrugged. “Eyeball and I…we live together. For years now. We…our home lives were never great. And after pop died…” I finally looked up at ace. “Eyeball was the only one who believed me when I said some twilight zone shit happened. We’ve always relied on each other for everything. It’s why when I opened the garage I hired him right away. The first chambers to make something of himself. Eyeball had been there for me when no one else way. Let me borrow his clothes. Sleep in my car in his driveway.” Ace finally looked up at me. “I’m not liked in castle rock. Either because of what I did as a teen, earning the title juvenile delinquent, or because…”

“they think you’re gay.” I finished. “Ace why didn’t you say anything?” He smiled at me.

“didn’t want you to believe it either.” He said, closing himself off slightly. I leaned forward and kissed him.

“Does that prove I don’t believe it?” I asked, leaning my forehead against his. Ace smiled at me again, leaning in to kiss me again. “But ace…I don’t want my secret to get out. And I don’t want you to feel like crap if people believe it really is true this time…”

“I don’t care what those assholes think.” Ace shot back. I smoothed my hand over the back of his head.

“yes you do.” Ace opened his mouth to respond but I beat him to it. “As much as you as you don’t, you care what those sons of bitches say.” Ace shut his mouth and I pulled back. “I’m sorry ace. It isn’t I didn’t have fun or enjoy it. If the way I woke up this morning is any indication, I enjoyed it a lot. I just couldn’t live with myself if…” ace nodded.

“I get it.” He pulled away from me completely. Standing up, ace went to grab the rest of his things. “I’ll get out of your hair. Just…” ace paused to run a hand through his hair and laughed. “I want you to know it meant something to me. Even if I can’t remember it.” Ace headed towards the door and paused. “Do you want me to go?” I stood up and hugged myself, pulling the collar of the shirt up to my nose. I stared at him as he nodded and went to grab the door handle. When ace had stepped out the door, I stepped forward.

“Ace!” I called. He turned around and poked his head back in. “Please stay.” I whispered. Ace nodded and came back over to hug me. “We’ll figure this out. I just don’t…” ace pulled back to kiss me.

“It’s alright.” He promised. “I’ll take care of you.” I nodded and ace pulled me back into him.

“just one question.” I said softly. “The guys will be showing up about now. How are we going to explain this to them?” Ace froze for a second and pulled back to cup my cheeks.

“do you trust them enough with this secret?” He asked, brushing his hand down my back where the wrap should be sitting. “Think they can keep it?” I thought for a second before nodding. “then we’ll go down in an hour and tell them.”

“why an hour?” I asked. Ace smirked at me and leaned down to pick me up, wrapping my legs around his waist.

“because I want to remember last night.” Ace said, kissing me deeply to stop my laugh.

[mysadcorner]

Ace Merrill Making The Reader Flinch Headcanons

- Credit to the gifs owner - Please be specific about the characters wanted in requests and read request rules -

Masterlist Navigation

Ace is an angry guy, everyone knows how he can get when someone starts to get on his nerves or when he isn't in the best of moods, he really isn't too willing to hold himself back from any kind of threats. However, with you, he really would hold himself back a little bit. He isn't the type to outright hit you, even if the two of you are having an argument, and he definitely wouldn't want the person closest to him to feel scared of him.

Despite this, he does get quite loud and aggressive if the two of you are in an argument or having a dispute over something he may have done. This is especially the case if you're confronting him about something, he quite literally can't handle being told off calmly or take in any kind of constructive criticism without taking it the wrong way most of the time.

When you flinch at him during an argument, it will register for him immediately. He swaps between his emotions easily when he's riled up, so the thought that he'd actually hit you does make him quite upset. He's seen quite a lot of the older figures in his life be quite aggressive with each other, and he's clearly been swayed by the influences he's had, so seeing you flinch at him does snap him out of the anger he was feeling and replaces his emotions with instant remorse.

He will do his best to make it up to you in any way that he can, but he definitely won’t apologise to you in public or around anyone that he knows. If the argument happened around the guys he hands around with, he’d have to drag you away to somewhere isolated before he would even attempt to apologise to you. His reputation it’s important to him, even if it makes him seem like even more of a crappy boyfriend.

Ace probably wouldn’t talk about the incident at all after it’s happened, and may even ignore you if you bring it up. He doesn’t want to think about anything that’s made him feel guilty, even if he should reflect on it. Just know that he will work on it subtly without saying anything out loud. Talking about it would just probably cause another argument with him.

[kiittyfrey]

Thinking about…𐙚 (black!reader)

sfw ver ♡;

→𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 and how he loves showing you off, he sees you as the prettiest girl he’s ever met, your the only person he lets call him John.

→He can’t get enough of your cooking, you made him chocolate chip cookies once and he bragged about it so much he brought his friends over just to try more of your delicious cooking.

→ It being the 50s-60s interracial couples weren’t common especially in such a small town like castle rock, so when people make racist remarks he’s immediately ready to start a fight.

→ he loves watching you do your own hair, he honestly can’t get enough of tight coiley curls, when you went to the salon one time and came back with your hair blown out and straightened his distaste was apparent.

→ He loves when you call him cute pet names likes baby and pretty boy that made him melt in your hands.

nsfw ver ♡;

→He loves biting and giving you hickies, he wants everyone to know you belong to someone already, you had to wear turtle necks for almost two weeks. IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER.

→Ace loves having you ride him, the faces and noises you make him go crazy. He can’t help but smirk at the fact you were once a shy girl that used to tutor him and here you were now bouncing on his dick.

→He’s a dom 97% of the time

→He loves how deliciously sculpted your chest was, he honestly can’t get enough of your pretty perky nipples.

→ You’ve had tell too many times he can’t pull at your hair too hard when he’s rutting into you like a wolf in heat.

[ebony-blood]

Request rules :)

Characters I write for!

Ace (Stand By me)

Marko (The Lost Boys)

David (The Lost Boys)

Dwayne (The Lost Boys)

Paul (The Lost Boys)

Billy Hargrove (Stranger Things)

Eddie Munson (Stranger Things)

Steve Harrington (Stranger Things)

General horror and anything for Stranger Things, just ask I may be able to do it :)

What I write!

Headcanons

Oneshots

Series work

Rules

my blog focuses on yandere stuff btw, so unless specified otherwise all the boys have yandere undertones. Please let me know if you don't want Yandere stuff in your request.

I do not write smut or extreme violence.

my works are made for entertainment only, do not take anything I write seriously.

Some characters may be OOC, forgive me.

Requests are...OPEN!

[hypocriticaltypwriter]

"My Dad warned me about you, Ace. He told me you were a bad boy. That I shouldn't follow you around like I do. He told me that I shouldn't waste my time on people like you. But I don't listen to him... I never did... Cause I thought he was wrong. Cause maybe all those days you teased me and mocked me, or those times when we were little and you'd chase me away with snakes or pull my hair, didn't matter in the end. Cause in the end you were good to me, cause you loved me just as much as I loved you. But now I see he's right. You are a bad boy, Ace. I wished I'd never met you."

[psychotic-star-girl]

How it feels finding something to read when the fandom is either dead or unknown or the character is just underated:

[ria-coolgirl]

Awesome work @80s4life I can’t wait for the next chapter!

Not What I Had Planned

Word Count: 1,294

Status: Requested!

Fandom: Stand By Me 1986

A/N: This was an idea I had gotten from someone on Wattpad who had requested it on that platform.

Relationship: Ace Merrill x GenderNeutral!Reader (soon baby x Ace x GN!Reader)

Summary: As Ace was on his way home from a day out with the boys, he was caught by surprise as an unexpected bundle of joy was found on the side of the road.  In those very few seconds, his life flips, but is it for the best or the worst?

Warnings: language, more fluff, some angst (Ace gets in his feels)

Masterlist  Stand By Me Masterlist Part Two

{Not my gif, credits to @spinmidnight​}

Keep reading

[myveryownfanfiction]

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

tags: @illiana-mystery, @iobsessoverfictionalmen, @mikey-stardust-way

warnings: swearing, suggestive comments insinuating sex

AN: Happy 58th Birthday Kiefer!

I wandered into Irby's eyes scanning the room for the blond I was looking for. Not finding him, I walked over to the bar.

"Ace ain't here." Irby grumbled. "Cops were in here earlier. Looking for his old man."

"Damn. Thanks Irby." I said as I tapped the bar.

"Check Pop's garage." He called after me, nodding as I looked back at him. "Heard Eyeball say something about it last night. Ace been sleeping there I think."

"Thanks again Irby." I saluted him as I walked back out into the sunlight. Getting in my car, I drove to the old junk yard. I saw Ace sitting in the back of a pick up truck, cleaning parts and smoking. "Hey!" I called, standing up in my car once I had parked. "Ace!"

"What?" He grumbled, not looking up from the part in his hands. "Irby let slip I was out here?" I nodded as I climbed out of the car and headed towards him. "Dumb fuck can't keep his mouth shut."

"No he can't. But it did benefit you." I said, climbing into the truck bed. "Your old man is gonna get arrested. Cops were in Irby's looking for him earlier. And since he can't keep his mouth shut..." I smiled at him. "Best birthday present anyone could ask for am I right?" Ace scoffed.

"Who told you that?" He asked, small smirk on his face. "I'm betting Eyeball."

"Nope." I smiled at him. "Pop. Wanted to make sure you weren't alone today. He said you have a tendency to push away everyone because you don't like your birthday or something." I shrugged as I settled in next to him. Ace frowned at me. "So guess what? I'm taking you to a movie and then we're gonna go up to Castle Lake and make out a bit and maybe it will lead to something else." Ace chuckled as he shook his head, attention returning to the part in his hands.

"If you think I'm letting you take me out you're crazy." He said. I cupped his chin and turned his face back towards me. He gulped slightly as he saw the playful smirk on my face.

"I'm taking you out Ace." I whispered, making sure he held my gaze. "Pop is paying. So we can do whatever it is we want."

"Or, hear me out." Ace murmured, eyeing my lips. "We take the money and we sneak into the movie. Steal some popcorn from someone else. And then we head up the backroads to Castle Lake." I nodded.

"Sounds like a good plan John." I said before kissing him softly. Ace shook his head with a chuckle as we parted.

"I'll be damned if I let you call me John though." He said. I smiled at him as I put my head on his shoulder.

"Yeah but I'm the only one you won't cut for doing it." I said with a massive grin. "So happy birthday John." I laughed while Ace continued cleaning the part, grumbling about how close he was to actually shoving me out of the truck bed.

[mysadcorner]

Ace Merrill Masterlist

Ace Merrill Dating Headcanons

Ace Merrill Making The Reader Flinch Headcanons

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

WIP Game

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your wip folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Tag as many people as you have WIPs. People send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, then post a little snippet or tell them something about it. 

Thank you so much, @quinloki , for the tag. 

Without further ado, let's get into it. Underlined titles are stories that have multiple chapters. 

Wicked Moon - A Stranger Things werewolf AU. (Billy Hargrove x OC). 

Blue Jeans - This fic mostly focuses on romantic themes and family drama. The fandom is Stand By Me/The Body. (Ace Merrill x OC).

Where the Tainted Kiss - I'm working on the final chapter of this fic. It's a Far Cry 3 fic. (Vaas Montenegro x OC). 

Nightcall - A scenario I'm playing around with in the Sonic Cinematic Universe. (Ivo Robotnik x OC). 

Sweet Sacrifice - A villain arc fic in the Batman fandom. (Johnathan Crane x OC).

Beware the Wolf - I honestly need to finish this one-shot. It's a One Piece AU. (Loki x GN Reader).

Dark Secret - Another Stand By Me/The Body fic. This is a Lovecraftian-themed AU. (Ace Merrill x OC). 

Chokehold - A Sonic CU short story. The OC is Tom's younger sister who is kidnapped by Robotnik. (Ivo Robotnik x OC). 

Sweet Calamity - This story will be a spin-off of Cyberpunk 2077 featuring an entirely new cast of characters (based on my friends). 

The Highest Cost - A Lost Boys fic featuring a psychic OC. (David x OC). 

In the Deep Woods - This story is centered around Death Note. It's an AU featuring detectives and a cryptid. (Mello x OC). 

Tagging (no pressure, of course): @shions-new-blog-of-stuff @mkdecimation @elizabethcrumb @swamplinglvr @mishwanders @savage-rhi @bonez-drabblez @kyu-honey   @lo1k-diamonds @mishwanders @the-resident-vampire and anyone else who wants to play. 

[bbyvrtx]

I'm gonna be editing my masterlist.... again. SOOO- the stuff i will be writing would include; The Lost boys (1987) Marvel The Black Phone The Boys Stand By Me The Outsiders (1983) CoD Stranger Things

Maze Runner Vikings

[ria-coolgirl]

Nice work @writinginatree

Ace Merrill x sister!reader - Fever

Summary: It's Christmas morning and you're sick. Luckily your brother likes to spoil you.

You woke up shivering, but as you sat up in bed your pajamas were stuck to your skin with sweat.

"Fuck."

You had known it would be bad for you to be outside for so long in the cold without a coat yesterday. You had still hoped you would be able to avert getting a fever, but clearly luck wasn't on your side.

It was still early, so you laid back down to sleep some more. You would ask Ace to bring you some tea later, and spend the day in bed.

But after a few seconds your eyes shot wide open again, and you jumped out of bed despite how groggy you felt.

It was Christmas morning! How could you have forgotten that?!

"Ace! Are you up yet?"

You cringed at how hoarse your voice sounded. You really should stay in bed...

Instead you barged into your brother's room and jumped onto his bed, straight into his lap.

He had been reading, but when he heard you were up he had put the magazine aside, so his hands were free to catch you.

"There you are," he greeted you. "I was starting to think you forgot it's Christmas."

Ace had already gotten up more than an hour ago, to make sure your presents would be under the tree when you'd wake up.

"I think I got a fever," you said and snuggled up to him.

Ace's hand felt miraculously cool against the skin of your forehead when he put it there, and you allowed your eyes to fall shut, but the relief only lasted a few seconds before he removed his hand.

"Yeah, you got a fever for sure."

You pouted. "You're supposed to say 'No Y/N, you're fine'."

"Sorry Baby, no can do. If you're sick, you're sick."

"But I don't wanna be sick!"

Ace chuckled.

"Liar. You love how much you get pampered when you're sick."

"Yeah, but I just like that, not the actual being sick. Can't you magically cure me somehow?"

"Nope, and unfortunately it's too late to add it to your wishlist either. C'mon now, let's check if Santa brought you anything. And after that you're going straight back to bed and I'll make you some tea."

"Don't you think I'm a little too old for that Santa bullshit, Ace?"

He shrugged. "If you don't want your presents–"

"Hold on, that's not what I said! Just because I don't believe they're from Santa doesn't mean I don't want them!"

"Hurry up, then. Whoever gets to the tree first gets the presents."

He gave you a light shove and you jumped up to run down the stairs.

Ace followed you, making sure to stay behind you even if you were a little slow today.

When you had reached the living room you sat down under the tree and reached for the first of your presents, ripping it open before your butt had even met the floor.

It was a book you had been waiting for for a long time, the next in a series you loved, and while you eagerly turned it in your hands to take in all the pretty details of the cover art, you used your foot to push the present you'd gotten for Ace toward him.

He could already tell from the shape of the package that it was a vinyl record, and when he opened it he saw he'd guessed right: You'd gotten him the newest Elvis Album.

"Thanks, Sweetie."

"You'll let me listen to it too, right?"

Of course your reasons for choosing this gift for your brother hadn't been entirely unselfish; you loved Elvis.

But Ace didn't mind.

"Of course."

When all of the presents were unwrapped and had been sufficiently admired, Ace shooed you back to your room and into bed.

You complied without complaint, but when he turned to leave the room you sat back up.

"Hey, where're you going," you complained.

"To make you some tea. Or do you want hot chocolate?"

"Hot chocolate. And then you have to cuddle with me."

Ace chuckled. "That an order, Princess?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then. I'll bring the new record too, so I don't die from boredom while you play koala clinging to me..."

You rolled your eyes and threw your pillow at him.

"Shut up and make me my hot chocolate now."

He gave you a mock salute and headed for the door.

"Wait! I want my pillow back!"

He picked it up and threw it back, right in your face. "Can I finally go to the kitchen now?"

"Yeah."

He was halfway down the corridor when you yelled after him, "bring me some cookies too! ...and do we have cough drops? My throat is sore."

[queenlakiefer]

Wendell Goddard (Woman Wanted) clip 4. Argument at the dinner table:

Just rewatched this clip before I uploaded it and I never noticed how Richard (Wendell’s father) is staring creepily at Emma 🫤😰

Ugh, save me Wendell! 😣

[briefinquiries]

Tyler Owens x Reader: Read Between the Lines

Request: anonymous said: "I was wondering maybeeee if you could write some protective bf Tyler ( because i would be swooning ) maybe either someone keeps hitting on her so he steps in or someone maybe in another storm chasing crew is being mean so he steps in and defends her <3 idk"

Word count: 3.9k

Warnings: language, mild fighting i guess?? slight angst

A/N: sorry I haven't been posting as frequently! I started work up again and ya girl has been BUSY. Anyyywayyy, thank you for reading! please keep the comments coming! I love to see all your requests and I promise i'm getting to them as quickly as i can :)

“Need anything?” Tyler asked, leaning against the hood of the truck in a way that shouldn’t be as adorable as it is. 

“I’m good,” you said, offering him a gentle smile before brushing a few loose strands of hair from your sticky forehead. 

“You wanna come in with me then?” 

You shook your head– the idea of sitting in a stale diner with no AC was just about as unbearable as the thought of driving another second. “No, I think I’ll stretch my legs out here.”

“Okay,” he said in a tone that indicated you’d be missing out. He gave the truck a pat before adding, “We won’t be long.”

“Take your time,” you assured him. 

He offered one final nod before turning and following Dani, Boone, and Lily across the parking lot. Dexter also stayed behind. Instead of shitty diner food, he’s opted to take a nap inside the RV accompanied by his noise canceling headphones and a fan blasting right at his face. 

You were exhausted, down to your bones. You and the rest of the team had driven nearly six hours that day tracking a cell that hadn’t ended up amounting to anything. You were stiff and tired and irritable– just like everyone else. But you hoped that some time alone outside might help at least level out your mood.

You extended your arms over your head, groaning when you felt something lightly pop in your back, before craning your neck from side to side. The air was stifling– thick and humid with little to no breeze for any sort of relief. The heat hadn’t broken in nearly a week, and unfortunately for just about everyone, the truck’s AC didn’t work as well as it used to. 

The parking lot to the diner was relatively empty. Aside from the crew’s RV and truck, there was an SUV parked in one of the front spots and a small sports car with a steady cloud of smoke pouring out the cracked window.  

You let your eyes wander past the diner parking lot at the sprawling field across the road. The windmills were agonizingly still in the stale air– like even they were desperate for some reprieve. 

Your eyes fell shut as you took a few deep breaths, trying to get your bearings. 

Your peace lasted for about thirty seconds. And then the sound of blaring music and screeching tires had you turning your pulsing head. Instantly, you rolled your eyes at the sight of the familiar vans pulling into the lot beside you. 

Merrill Anderson and his crew started chasing in the area almost thirteen months ago. You knew because each and every moment that you’d known about their existence had been more painful than the last. 

Anderson was a meteorologist out of Texas that wore a cowboy hat almost as big as his mouth and an inflated ego to match it. He made sure you and everyone else around him knew that he had a PhD, and therefore, in his opinion, was automatically more entitled to chase. Him and Tyler had hated each other from the moment they met while chasing an EF2 in Arkansas– their feud only grew each time their paths crossed. 

Anderson was grinning at you through the window as soon as his van rolled by. You did your best to avert your gaze– hoping that lack of eye contact would avoid any sort of conversation. 

Unfortunately, you weren’t so lucky. 

“There she is,” he announced, boots scuffing against the dirt parking lot as he hopped out from the driver’s seat. 

“Now what're you doin’ out here all by yourself? Your team finally leave you behind? Realized they didn’t need two uni drop outs on their team?” he asked, tone already dripping in sarcasm. 

He was an antagonizer who got off on provoking others. And although you and Anderson had your fair share of unpleasant exchanges, you knew he only ever bothered you to get under Tyler’s skin. 

Tyler’s biggest weakness was that he was endlessly protective of the people he loved. You saw this particular trait as a strength– but you knew that Anderson fed off Tyler's anger, which you could only imagine was his intention now. Thankfully Tyler was in the diner– hopefully gorging on raspberry pancakes as you spoke. Because if he were to see Anderson talking to you– you knew this whole interaction would escalate quickly. 

“Anderson,” you sighed, leaning casually against the hood of Tyler’s truck. The smile you forced on your face was almost painful. “So lovely to see you, as always.”

You hoped if you withheld from his taunting, he might move on quicker. 

Instead, to your despair, he backtracked from his van to stand across from you. “You guys go ahead,” he instructed his crew. “I’m gonna spend some time with my friend here.”

They nodded before heading towards the diner, leaving the two of you alone. 

“You should teach that hillbilly- boyfriend of yours some manners. If I remember correctly, last time I saw him, he drove through a puddle to splash me.”

You bit back a grin as you recalled the moment he was referring to. “I’m sure it wasn’t on purpose,” you lied (it was absolutely on purpose). 

Anderson chuckled. “You know– I don’t know if we’ve ever had a conversation just us, without him lingering around. You’re much more pleasant. Both in conversation and in looks.” 

You felt a chill run down the length of your spine at his words– but the way he was looking at you was infinitely worse. You watched as his eyes flickered from your face to your chest– currently more exposed than you would like in the tanktop you wore in the stifling Oklahoma heat. You wished you had grabbed a shirt to cover up in– but they were all either dirty and packed away somewhere in your duffel. 

Clearing your throat, you stood up straight and crossed your arms, attempting to shield yourself from his lingering gaze. 

“Oh, hey now darlin’, don’t cover up. I’ve been stuck in the van all day with these jokers, this is the most action I’ve gotten all summer.” 

You could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks as you tried desperately to remain level headed. Anderson was a jerk– and he’d definitely make you uncomfortable… but you couldn’t imagine that he’d ever actually do anything to harm you.  

Then again, you’d never interacted with him for longer than a minute or two with Tyler and the rest of the crew at your side. This was uncharted territory that you didn’t care to explore. You felt your earlier determination to handle him on your own fade away with uneasiness.  

You turned your head towards the diner, hoping you might catch Tyler’s gaze through the window or something. Of course you were too far away for that– all you caught was the glare from the sun. 

“You know I’m not used to seeing you in clothes like this, usually you’re all covered up,” Anderson whistled. 

As soon as he took a step closer, you instinctively moved too. Except your legs collided with Tyler’s truck– preventing you from actually going anywhere. For some dumb reason, you felt obligated to hold your ground– to not let him see how uncomfortable he was really making you. But with each passing comment, you grew more and more fearful. 

Anderson now had his body angled towards you with a look that could only be described as predatorial. “God, it’s true you don’t know what you’re missin’ til you see it. We should have these heat waves more often if it means I get to take a look at this every day.”

You tried and failed to remain stoic. You wanted to yell– to tell him to shut the fuck up. But for some reason, your body and brain weren’t connecting. 

“C’mon, where is she?” he taunted. “You know, your sweet side has its perks. But I much prefer ‘em a little spicy.” 

He took another few steps closer to you. It was subtle, but you noticed. Anderson was so obviously getting a kick out of whatever the hell he was doing here, and you were doing a piss-poor job at withholding from it, like you’d originally planned. 

“Why don’t you come on back in my van with me,” he winked. “I’m not sure how your hillbilly does it, but I can show ya a real good time.” 

Get away from me, you wanted to scream. But your mouth wouldn’t move– your voice was lost somewhere inside of you. And all you could get your body to do was lean away from him slightly. 

“Don’t be like that, darlin’,” he cooed. He was so close that you could almost smell his breath. Your brain told you to fight– to shove or kick or do something to get him away from you. But all those previous instincts you had to fight back faded into paralyzing fear. 

Anderson reached across the space between you to move a loose strand of hair from your face as you began to tremble. “And don’t be afraid, baby doll. I don’t bite… too hard. Owens ain’t gotta know–”

“Anderson!” 

Your head snapped at the sound of a familiar voice… Not just any familiar voice– Tyler’s voice. He was currently storming across the parking lot with a look of pure hatred across his face. The second his eyes landed on you– undoubtedly and obviously terrified, that anger only intensified. 

“Get the fuck away from her,” he demanded. His eyes were narrowed and shockingly darker than their normal shade of sage. 

“Here he is!” Anderson taunted. “Her douche bag in shining armor.”

You couldn’t help but notice Anderson didn’t step away. In fact, if anything, he looked like he was about to step closer, just to really test his limits. But then, to your relief, you saw Boone, Dani, and Lily storming out of the diner in Tyler’s wake– all coming to your rescue. 

In an instant, Tyler was there, stepping between you and Anderson– forming the protective barrier you needed to finally feel safe again. Without thinking, you fisted the back of Tyler’s T-shirt for good measure. 

“Easy, Rambo,” Anderson sneered. “I was just tellin’ your sweetheart here how much I enjoy her new look. Who knew she had all this hidin’ under those baggy shirts? That the reason you keep her hangin’ around, Owens? I knew she had to be good for something–”

But Anderson didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Because before you knew what was happening, Tyler was lunging forward and connecting his fist with Anderson’s nose. 

The crack as it broke was deafening, you released Tyler’s shirt to cover your mouth in shock. Tyler hit him with enough force that he went staggering back a few steps, his hands instantly moving to cup his face. 

Tyler was still shaking off his hand when Anderson stood up straight, blood pouring out of both nostrils. 

“Damn, that bitch must be as good as she looks if she’s worth all this,” Anderson continued to taunt. Even with a broken nose, he didn’t back down.  

Without even hesitating, Tyler moved to strike again. But as soon as he did, Boone and Dani were both stepping in front of him to break things up. 

“Easy, T–” Boone said. 

“Stay the fuck away from her,” Tyler snarled in warning, pointing his finger over Boone’s shoulder. You’d never quite heard his voice so malicious or threatening before, and even though it was in your defense, it sent shivers down your spine.   

Suddenly, Lily grabbed your hand from the side, causing you to flinch. “It’s okay,” she said, tugging you a few steps away from the chaos– like she knew how badly you needed space from everything. “You alright?”

You nodded, flustered.  

“Next time you want to settle this without your little army of strays, you let me know, Owens. And next time you want a good time, Y/N, you know where to find me,” Anderson said, offering you a wink that churned your stomach. With that, he wiped some blood from his nose and began sauntering back towards his van. 

“I’m gonna fucking kill him,” Tyler snarled, still being physically held back by Dani and Boone. 

“Yeah, and he’d deserve it. But he’s not worth catchin’ a charge,” Boone said. “It’s been a slow season and we don’t got the kind of money to bail you out of jail.”

“Take a breath, T,” Dani said. “He’s walkin’ away. Take a breath.”

You watched Tyler slowly come back to his body. He listened to Dani and took a deep breath– his shoulders visibly relaxing when he exhaled. It seemed to be enough for his friends to finally release him. 

As soon as he was free from their grasp, Tyler turned around– his attention landing on you. “Are you okay?” he asked, his previously menacing voice now laced with so much care and concern. He stood in front of you– his body blocking all views of Anderson and their vans. His hands moved to cup your cheeks gently. 

“I’m fine,” you said, attempting to convince yourself more than anyone else. But even you knew it didn’t sound convincing. Your voice subtly cracked on the final word. 

Tyler stroked his thumb along your skin. The look on his face told you he didn’t quite believe you as his eyes flickered down to your trembling hands. Thankfully he didn’t ask more. 

“I gotta say that was a nasty right hook, T,” Boone said, clapping Tyler on the back as he approached. “I didn’t know you had it in ya.”

“What’d that asshat say to you?” Lily asked. “You looked really shaken up when we saw you out the diner window.”

“Nothing,” you mumbled, too embarrassed to repeat his taunts. You were shocked by how self-conscious you suddenly felt with everyone’s eyes on you. Anderson’s previous words had made you incredibly aware of every inch of yourself– like there was an electrical current humming underneath the surface of your skin. 

“Just the usual shit,” you tried to brush it off.  

You felt grateful when they didn’t push. 

Eventually, the crew disassembled– everyone focused on getting their stuff together to hit the road again. Anderson didn’t reemerge from his van, but as you sat idly in the passenger seat of Tyler’s truck, you didn’t take your eyes off from where it was parked– like you were anticipating some sort of retaliation. 

You remained hidden from the team– feeling so awkward and uncomfortable– like you didn’t want to be perceived or noticed by anyone. And you hated that Anderson’s words were the ones to make you feel that way. You couldn’t find any shirts in your duffel bag that weren’t disgusting. And currently you didn’t have the time or patience to dig through your second bag in the RV. So instead, you wrapped your arms awkwardly over your chest, trying to make yourself as small as possible just as Tyler climbed into the front seat. 

“Everyone else is riding in the RV, it’s just us,” he said, eyes lingering on you. 

“Okay,” you said, trying your best to sound casual. You wondered if he ordered everyone in the RV so that you’d feel more comfortable. You made a mental note to thank him for that later, he was always so good at reading between the lines.  

Tyler instantly noticed your uneasiness. “Baby, what’d he say to you?” 

You shrugged, refusing to meet his gaze out of sheer embarrassment. “I mean, I think you caught the gist of it at the end there… Just a lot of that.”

You heard his loud exhale. “Just say the word and I’ll barge into that stupid van and kill him right now.”

The corner of your lip tugged into a small smile. “I just want you to stay here,” you admitted. 

He nodded solemnly. Without another word, Tyler passed you something he had scrunched up in his fist. It was one of his T-shirts– like he knew you wanted to cover up without even having to say it. You took the shirt– the thanks you wanted to offer him remained stuck in your throat, but Tyler didn’t seem to mind. 

Instead, he pretended to fiddle with the radio while you silently slipped the shirt on. Almost instantly, you felt like you could relax underneath the fabric of his clothes. 

You curled your arms around yourself and tucked your knees to your chest. When Tyler asked if you were ready to head out, you nodded without another word. 

…

It was only seven when you arrived at the motel. Tyler went into the lobby to book the rooms while everyone else hung back. Boone and Lily were going on and on about using the pool later that night, but once you’d grabbed your bags from the truck, you sort of tuned it all out. 

Tyler found you sitting on the curb once he’d passed out everyone else’s room keys. He picked up your duffel from the ground before speaking for the first time in almost an hour. 

“You ready for bed?”

You nodded, offering him your best attempt at a convincing smile.  

“C’mon,” he motioned his head to the left. “We’re upstairs.”

Tyler led the way to your room– and even though this was a dingy motel, you’d never seen anything more perfect. The shades were dark, the AC worked, and there was a single, plush-looking queen bed in the middle of the room just screaming your name. 

Tyler let you shower first. And when you emerged from the bathroom, all the sweat and grime finally washed from your skin, he was gone. But in his place, he’d laid out one of his T-shirts and a pair of his boxers on the bed for you to use. You almost teared up at the sight of just how thoughtful he was… Still reading between the lines. 

You’d spent the entire duration of your shower trying to convince yourself that what had happened earlier wasn’t that big of a deal. Anderson was a jerk– of course he was going to say some jerk-ish things. It shouldn’t have been a surprise– and yet, you couldn’t shake the discomfort you felt. It was like all the words he’d said to you had nestled underneath your skin and made a home for themselves. 

In an attempt to shake the thoughts away, you quickly shrugged on Tyler’s clothes before sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping your arms around yourself. 

Almost as soon as you sat down, you heard the front door to the motel open up. Tyler stepped into the room carrying his own bag and a couple of water bottles he must’ve grabbed for the two of you. 

“Better?” he asked, handing you one. 

You nodded and cracked it open. “Much.”

Tyler sighed before joining you on the edge of the bed. “Baby, are you sure you’re okay?” 

“I-” you started and then stopped. Your hands were shaking, but you jumped when you felt Tyler’s hand close around yours, steadying them. His touch gave you just an ounce of courage to speak. 

“It wasn’t even anything that bad–” you admitted. “I meant it earlier, you heard the worst of it… I just, I don't know, I can't explain it. But everything he said made me feel so gross… and dirty, and…” And, well, you didn’t quite know what else. Words were hard to come by tonight. 

“Oh, baby,” Tyler exhaled. He released your hand to wind his arm around your shoulders, tugging you to his chest instead.  

It wasn’t until he shushed you that you even realized you were crying, but it came out in a rush. You clung to him, instantly impressed by his ability to just make you feel so much safer. 

“I’m sorry,” you said. 

“You don’t have to be sorry,” he assured you, only squeezing tighter. 

“I don’t know why this bothered me so much–” 

“Because Anderson is an asshole and he intentionally said some gross shit to shake you up,” he answered for you. “You’re allowed to be upset by that.” 

You exhaled against his shirt, and when you licked your lips, you tasted salt. 

“I’m the sorry one,” he said. 

“What?” you shook your head. “You don’t have to be sorry–”

“I should have been there.”

“You were there,” you reminded him. “Unless I blacked out or something and I was really the one who punched him in the nose…”

Tyler chuckled softly, you felt the vibration against your chest– instantly soothing you. 

You sighed after a moment, trying to decide if you wanted to share what was really bothering you. You bit the inside of your cheek. It was so tempting to keep it to yourself, but more tempting than that was the idea of finally feeling a little more at ease again after just telling Tyler the truth. 

“I just–” you paused again. “I–” 

“Hey,” he said. You looked up at him briefly. “It’s just me.” 

That was the problem– it was Tyler. And you didn’t want Tyler thinking less of you because of what had happened. 

“I didn’t fight back,” you said quietly. “I just froze up– it was like I couldn’t even think straight. And he kept going and going, and I just stood there– taking it.”

Tyler ran his hand up and down your arm reassuringly. “What are you talking about?”

“It just felt like…” your voice tapered off. 

Tyler waited a moment before asking gently, “Like what?” 

“It just felt like I didn’t do anything to stop it,” you whispered so quietly you weren’t even sure he’d heard you. “Like I let it happen.”

“Baby,” Tyler sighed. “Baby, no. Anderson is such a jackass, it wouldn’t have mattered what you said–”

“But I could have told him to get the fuck away from me–”

“You were just trying to keep yourself safe. Baby, we can’t control how we react when we’re scared. It’s fight or flight–”

“Or freeze,” you mumbled, embarrassed. 

“Or freeze. I’m pretty sure fawning is one too, now,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter– what matters is you can’t control that you froze. Just like–”

“Just like you couldn’t control punching him in the face?” you asked. 

You glanced up just in time to see Tyler’s lips tug into a smile. “Exactly,” he said. 

“I just wish my fear reaction was a little more effective,” you pouted. “Freezing didn’t do much.”

You let your eyes fall shut when Tyler tugged you closed to his chest. “I guess it’s a good thing you have a douchebag in shining armor to come help whenever you need it,” he smirked. 

“Thanks for protecting me,” you said quietly. 

“I’ll always protect you, you know that,” he said, planting a soft kiss on the top of your head. 

You smiled against his chest. You really did know that. “And thanks for punching him in the nose.”

Tyler snorted. “Anderson’s had that coming for a long time.”