#again do NOT feel obligated to send me anything i will survive

[onyourstageleft]

hello friends! I won't be making a GoFundMe for this, since I thankfully don't have to choose between buying groceries & getting vet care for my cat Peggy, but things are a lil *tight* bc of a series of unfortunate financial events (which I will list below the cut for those interested) so if anyone has a few bucks to spare and wants to help me offset the $485 mysterious lump removal surgery my lil baby is getting on Tuesday, I would greatly appreciate it

Cashâpp: $jessiedube (my cat Peggy Sue is my profile pic/name is Jess Bee)

Venmô: jessie_dube (Peggy is in the profile pic w/ me)

this is Peggy <3

heyoo if you wanna hear the money shit that's plagued us you are in the correct place. let us begin our chronicle in August, when I made the grand decision to go back to college for a school media specialist certification. I am enjoying it v much and do not regret it at all, but it did mean that I left my decently paying but incredibly toxic retail job and went back to getting paid beans as an adjunct professor at a community college + had to pay 3k in tuition

next Luna, my loveable but temperamental 2011 Ford Fiesta, started having Problems™️, including but not limited to: water pump replacement (which for some fuckall reason on my car requires cutting & replacing the timing belt?? which of course means it cost more), downstream oxygen sensor replacement, and a new set of front tires bc those bitches were BALD (you could literally see the steel coming out of the side). to add fuel to the fire of my ongoing anxieties, her check engine light comes on and off every few days, it's a perpetual game of chicken. when I was able to catch it on and get it checked she reported a catalytic system issue, which has in the past been cured by a bottle of cataclean, so of course she needed that too. all of which adds up to the tune of about 1.5k (thankfully she's paid off but like she's only worth 2.5k so if she keeps having issues i am SOL)

during all of the back and forth with Luna, my partner has been having dental appointments for ongoing teeth issues. we were under a time crunch to get those taken care of since she turned 26 in October, and in the great land of America that means she was kicked off of her dad's insurance on Halloween. so, after a couple appointments that included tooth extraction and the making of a denture set in exchange for CareCredit agreements, we're in 2.1k of medical debt for that (she also is now without insurance so that's fun)

and, the cherry on top and the thing that has pushed me to appeal to the Internet, a few weeks ago we found two mysterious lumps on my cat Peggy Sue's hip, which are scheduled to be removed and sent off to a lab on Tuesday. I won't retell the whole story here, but you can check the "Peggy Sue" tag on my blog for a few more in depth posts on the situation. overall her care adds up to around $900, $485 of that which is the Tuesday surgery that I'm driving to another state for (my vet was crazy expensive so I'm going to a friend's recommendation)

anyway, I know that I'm lucky to even be able to cover all of these via savings and credit cards without it threatening my food/housing, but things are, understandably, a bit tight. I hate asking for help for myself, but if anyone wants to help take care of my cat, I would greatly appreciate it

or, if you prefer to buy things, I will be listing some collectable Barbies on my eBay in the next week or so, if you're interested in that I can send you my eBay page

pic of Peggy for getting this far, thank you <3

[solelifauna]

Definitely NOT Invincible (Yandere Invincible & Reader)

Pt.5

Guys, I'm cooked. Anyways, thank you for all the kind words!!! Also Y/n's cooked too...anyways! Enjoy!

ALSO!! EVERYONE THANK @oof-spoof!! THIS SERIES IS NOW BASICALLY DEDICATED TO THEM!!! Thank you @oof-spoof for supporting me!

The group fell into a heavy silence, the weight of your words sinking in as if the world itself had pressed down on your shoulders. It wasn’t just about stopping Omni-Man and Invincible or sending that crucial tip to the Guardians of the Globe—it was about surviving long enough to make any of it matter.

The irrefutable fact lingered in the back of everyone’s mind, unspoken but looming: you might be killed again.

Your stomach churned at the thought, the memory of your father’s hand crushing your skull replaying in vivid, excruciating detail. The sound, the pressure, the blinding pain—it haunted you in ways you couldn’t even articulate. And if not that, then what? Would it be a more horrific death this time? Burned alive? Torn apart?

You looked around the table, the same realization written on the faces of your friends. Hallie was biting her lip, staring blankly at the table as her fingers drummed nervously. Connor’s jaw was clenched, his fists curled tightly on his lap. Weston was silent, his expression unreadable, but his tired eyes betrayed him.

Finally, Weston broke the silence. “I’ll figure out how to send the tip,” he said, his voice quiet but resolute. His gaze shifted between each of you before landing back on his hands. “You guys focus on keeping our… other obligation in check.”

Shit. You’d completely forgotten about the Demogorgons. Those damn things hadn’t been on your radar for the past few days, but they were still out there, roaming the town, lurking in shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Judging by the groans and sighs from Connor and Hallie, they’d forgotten too.

“Everyone still has their things, right?” you asked, already mentally cataloging what you had at home.

Hallie sat up straighter, brushing her hair out of her face. “Got my pump action and bolt action in my trunk and in my closet,” she said, her voice steadier than her posture.

Connor leaned back, rubbing his temples. “Got ammo and a G-48, Haymitch's axe, and the machete,” he listed off, his tone bordering on exhaustion.

“I still have the smoke bombs and my dad’s rifle he thinks he sold,” Weston added, his voice low but firm.

You nodded, storing the information away. “Good. We’ll need all that and more.”

The silence that followed was thick with understanding. You’d fought these monsters before. You’d survived the impossible. But this time, it wasn’t just about survival. It was about holding the line, balancing the dual threats of the Demogorgons and the looming Viltrumite takeover.

"I say we prepare for the worst," you finally say, your voice cutting through the silence. "Stock up on ammo when you can, supplies, canned food, and whatever else we’ll need. We have to be ready in case everything goes to shit again, in case… in case what we do doesn’t work—"

“Don’t.” Connor’s voice cuts you off, sharp and sudden. “Don’t say that, (Y/n).”

You flinch at the rawness in his voice, the sheer force of his words.

“Connor—” you start, but he barrels forward, his frustration spilling over like a dam breaking.

“It has to work!” he says, his voice trembling. “It has to, or else—” He looks away, jaw tight, his hands clenching into fists. “Or else that means we fought for nothing. That means all those people who died—who are going to die—died for nothing. That means we came back for nothing.”

His words hang in the air, raw and painful. You feel them hit you like a punch to the gut.

Your lips press together tightly as you try to find something—anything—to say. Connor was always the "strong" one of the group, the silent type, the brash one who rarely let anyone see how deeply he felt things. He was the backbone, the shoulder everyone else could lean on when things got tough. Seeing him like this, unraveling, hurts more than you want to admit.

“I’m—I’m sorry, Connor,” you finally manage, your voice barely above a whisper.

“No, I’m sorry,” he mutters, his eyes watery as he scrubs at his face with the back of his hand. His voice cracks slightly as he continues, “You—you’re just doing what you always do, trying to keep us alive. I’m sorry.”

“Please don’t apologize, Con,” you say quickly, leaning forward slightly, trying to catch his gaze. “I—I get it. Really, I do.”

The tension around the table is palpable. Hallie and Weston exchange uneasy glances, their worry for Connor evident in the grim lines of their faces.

“Connor,” Hallie starts gently, her voice low and careful, “nobody’s saying what happened before will happen again, but—”

“I know,” he cuts her off, his voice quieter now, almost resigned. He lets out a shaky breath and sinks back in his seat, rubbing a hand over his face. “I know. But we have to consider the high chance it will.”

The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the thought of failing—of going through all of it again—was unbearable.

But you didn’t have a choice.

You glanced at each of them in turn, taking in their tired faces, the fear lingering in their eyes. They were your family, your only anchor in a world that felt increasingly impossible to navigate.

“We’ll make it work,” you say softly, your voice steady despite the storm inside you. “I don’t know how yet, but we will.”

You don’t know if they believe you, and honestly, you’re not even sure if you believe yourself. 

Weston’s hand comes to rest on Connor’s shoulder, rubbing little circles in that gentle, soothing way he always did to calm the group down. It was such a Weston thing to do—he had always been physical with his care and affection, expressing his love in small touches and gestures that reminded you all you weren’t alone. You see Connor’s shoulders relax just slightly under Weston’s touch, though the tension doesn’t completely leave him.

You shift closer, moving to sit beside Connor, offering your silent presence as support. Across the table, Hallie slides her water bottle toward him, her brow furrowed in worry. “Here,” she says softly. Her voice doesn’t waver, but her eyes betray the depth of her concern. Connor takes the bottle with a small, muttered “thanks,” and sips from it, his gaze distant.

The weight of the moment settles over all of you, thick and suffocating. No one says anything for a while, and for a brief moment, the only sound is the distant hum of chatter from other tables in the courtyard.

Then the lunch bell rings, cutting through the stillness like a knife, signaling it’s time to go back to class. The sound sends a jolt through you, and you see the same dread reflected in everyone’s faces. None of you want to go. Yet, there was nothing you could do.

You all stand reluctantly, gathering your things in silence. Before you split up, you squeeze Connor’s shoulder gently, hoping it conveys what you can’t find the words to say. He offers a faint smile.

You walk into the crowded hallway, your mind scrambling as you try to recall your next class. What was it? You swear you knew just minutes ago, but now the information is gone, like a wisp of smoke slipping through your fingers.

You glance around desperately, hoping to recognize a familiar face, someone who might share the class with you. But the sea of students around you is a blur of faces you barely recognize. Who the hell are these people? You don’t remember their names, their voices, their stories. They’re strangers, even though you know you should know them.

Panic creeps up your spine as you weave through the hall, your breathing growing shallow. You’re losing it. You’re losing yourself, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. The realization claws at you, sharp and unrelenting.

You hate this. You hate what this world, what this second chance, has reduced you to. What it’s reduced all of you to.

Your hands tremble as you tighten your grip on your bag, willing the shaking to stop, but it doesn’t. You pass classrooms, peeking inside, hoping something will click—a desk, a teacher, a face. But nothing does.

The hallways start growing emptier as students file into their classrooms, the bustling energy fading into a deafening quiet. You glance around, the panic tightening in your chest. Where the hell were you supposed to go?

Your mind scrambles, trying to latch onto something—anything—that will tell you your next class. The answer eludes you, slipping through your fingers like sand. You fumble with your phone, attempting to log into your student portal. At least that would show your schedule, right?

Except the password isn’t auto-saved. Of course, it isn’t.

You sit there staring at the login screen, willing your brain to remember your credentials, but nothing comes. It’s just another blank void. Great. Now you can’t even see your schedule, let alone your grades. Not that grades should be at the top of your concerns right now, but still, the thought gnaws at the back of your mind. You’re so screwed.

You lean against a row of lockers, the cold metal biting into your back as you let out a frustrated sigh. What the hell do I do now? Asking the front desk for help is out of the question. It’s the middle of the school year, and no one forgets their schedule this far in. It would raise questions. And why couldn’t you just look it up yourself? The idea of facing that judgment makes you cringe.

No, you can’t do that.

Instead, you resign yourself to staying in a random, empty hallway, slumping down against the wall. The quiet envelops you, a brief respite from the overwhelming noise in your head. You close your eyes for a moment, letting the silence settle around you. God, you didn’t realize how much your eyes were burning, how much your body ached.

The idea of just staying here, hidden and still, is so tempting. Maybe you could just chill here for a while. Yeah, that sounded nice. Just a little break.

You don’t realize how much time passes as you sit there, your mind drifting between the chaos of your thoughts and the exhaustion weighing you down. For a brief moment, you feel the smallest sliver of peace.

Until a voice shatters it.

“Playing hooky, (Y/n)?”

Your stomach drops. No. Not him. Not now.

Mark’s voice carries that unmistakable mix of smugness and sharpness, the tone that always made you want to squirm. “Tch, Mom and Dad are not going to be happy. Especially after the last meeting your counselor had about your little habit of skipping classes.”

You open your eyes, and there he is, standing over you with a smirk that makes you want to curl in on yourself. His eyes bore into yours, sharp and calculating, as if he’s dissecting you piece by piece.

“W-what? When did—oh shit,” you stammer, the memory hitting you like a brick. He’s talking about the meeting. You’d skipped a bunch of classes last semester to deal with the Demogorgons. Sure, you kept your grades up, but that didn’t stop the school from calling your mom. And to say she was upset was an understatement.

Mark’s smirk widens as he watches the realization dawn on your face. “Ah, there it is,” he says mockingly, leaning against the wall. “I’m sure Mom will love hearing about this. You know how she feels about second chances.”

You glare at him, the panic in your chest now mixed with frustration. “Mark, I—look, just don’t. Please.”

His expression softens, but only slightly. There’s still that edge to his voice, that unnerving mix of concern and menace. “Don’t what? Tell her? You’re not making this easy, you know. Skipping class, hiding out like this… It’s like you want her to freak out.”

“I just—” You falter, your words failing you. The exhaustion, the stress, the sheer overwhelming nature of everything—it’s all too much. You can’t think of a good excuse, and Mark’s gaze feels like it’s cutting through every lie you might try to tell.

He crouches down, leveling his eyes with yours. “What’s going on with you, (Y/n)?” he asks, his voice softer now but no less piercing. “You’ve been off. I know you’re not telling me everything.”

You look away, unable to meet his gaze.

Mark’s words linger in the air like a trap, waiting for you to fall in. “Are you depressed or something? Maybe it’s a boy? I don’t know, (Y/n), but something’s off. I know it is,” he says, his tone dripping with faux concern. “Just tell me. Tell your big brother, and I can make it go away.”

The irony of it all hits you like a freight train, and you can’t help it—you huff, then giggle, and then it all spirals out of control. A laugh bubbles out of you, wild and uncontainable, quickly escalating into full-blown hysterics. You’re wheezing now, clutching your sides, and you know you must look insane. Maybe you are. How could you not be?

It’s funny, really. The idea that he, Mark, could fix your problems. That he could “make it go away.” It’s laughable because a massive chunk of your problems is sitting right in front of you, watching you unravel with that same calculating smirk. How utterly absurd.

Your laughter devolves into choked breaths as your chest tightens painfully. The tears come next, hot and relentless, spilling down your cheeks. You’re sobbing now, loud and ugly, your body shaking uncontrollably.

Mark’s expression shifts, surprise flickering in his eyes. Then something darker takes hold—something intrigued, almost amused. He wasn’t expecting this, but oh, was he glad. He leans in closer, his lips curling into a softer smile. There was something seriously wrong with you. He knew it now. And that knowledge only made him more eager to figure out what had happened to his weak, adorable little sister.

“Oh, (Y/n),” he coos, his voice deceptively sweet as he cups your cheek with his large, warm hand. His thumb brushes against your tear-streaked skin, wiping away the evidence of your breakdown. His touch is firm but gentle, an unnerving mix of comfort and control.

You try to flinch away, your instincts screaming at you to get out of his grasp, but your body betrays you. Exhausted and overwhelmed, you slump into his hand, your head tilting slightly as if seeking solace. You hate it. You hate yourself for it. But you’re only human, and his warmth feels like the only anchor keeping you from completely spiraling.

“St-stop this,” you choke out between sobs, your voice barely audible. “Puh-please.”

Mark tilts his head, his expression almost mockingly innocent. “Stop what, (Y/n)?” he asks softly, his voice laced with feigned confusion.

“This,” you gasp, your voice trembling. “This—what you—you’re doing. Please, it—it isn’t fair.”

His hand doesn’t move from your cheek, and his thumb continues its slow, deliberate motion, wiping away fresh tears as they fall. His smile softens further, but his eyes remain sharp, predatory.

“Fair?” he echoes, as if tasting the word. “Oh, (Y/n). Life isn’t fair. You know that.” His voice drops lower, almost a whisper. “But you don’t have to worry about that. You don’t have to worry about anything. That’s what I’m here for.”

You shake your head weakly, your sobs growing quieter but no less intense. “You—”

He interrupts you gently, his voice soothing but utterly condescending. “Shh. Just let me take care of you.”

The words send a chill down your spine, the weight of his intent pressing down on you. You know there’s no escaping him now, not when he’s latched onto you like this. Not when he’s decided you’re his problem to solve, his little sister to protect—even if it means breaking you further in the process.

Mark’s gaze lingers on your trembling form, his hand still cradling your cheek. He studies you with a mix of curiosity and calculation, the wheels turning in his mind as he contemplates your place in all of this. Maybe he could make something useful out of you. Maybe you could be shaped into something worthy of the Viltrumite cause.

But as he takes in your tear-streaked face, the way your body shakes beneath his touch, he doubts it. You’re too weak. Too small. Too soft.

It’s almost pathetic how fragile you are, how human you are.

Still, the thought lingers—what if? What if you could prove yourself? What if, against all odds, you showed even the slightest potential? Perhaps then he could convince their father to keep you after the takeover. It would be difficult, of course. Nolan had little patience for weakness, and you were the embodiment of everything the Viltrumite race despised. But if you somehow managed to prove your worth, there was a chance.

Mark’s lips curve into a faint smile, the thought of sparing you for his mother’s sake bringing him a strange sense of satisfaction. You weren’t ideal offspring, no, far from it. But you were her daughter. Debbie would appreciate having you around, he’s sure of it, especially when their father inevitably takes her away from Earth to shield her from the chaos of their conquest.

“You’re lucky, you know,” Mark murmurs, his voice low and smooth. His thumb pauses for a moment, pressing lightly against your cheekbone as his eyes bore into yours. “If it weren’t for Mom, I wouldn’t even consider giving you a chance. But maybe… maybe you’ll surprise us.”

You blink at him, your chest tightening as his words sink in. “A-a chance? Mark, what are you—”

He cuts you off, his smile widening slightly, but there’s no warmth in it. “You’ll see,” he says cryptically, pulling his hand away and standing to his full height. His shadow looms over you, and for a brief moment, you feel like you’re shrinking under his gaze.

“Just remember, (Y/n),” he adds, his tone shifting to something colder, more deliberate. “This world isn’t kind to people like you. But you’re lucky to have me. I’ll make sure you don’t get left behind.”

The words feel like a promise and a threat all at once, leaving you frozen in place as he turns and walks away, his presence lingering long after he’s gone.

You’re left alone in the empty hallway, your breaths shaky and uneven, the weight of his intentions pressing down on you like a vice. Lucky, he said. But you don’t feel lucky. You feel trapped. And no amount of tears can wash that feeling away.

You sit there, slumped against the wall, trying to process what the hell Mark was talking about. “If it weren’t for Mom?” What does that even mean? Why would she have anything to do with whether Mark decided to “give you a chance?” What kind of chance was he even talking about?

Your mind spirals as you try to make sense of his cryptic words, the unease clawing at your insides. The idea that your mother somehow factored into whatever twisted plans Mark had for you only made the knot in your stomach tighten. What was he planning? What did he mean by not getting left behind?

Your thoughts race, one question bleeding into the next as panic wells up inside you. You can’t piece it together. You don’t have enough information. But the way he looked at you—the cold calculation behind his eyes, the way his words felt like a threat wrapped in false care—it makes your skin crawl.

You bury your face in your hands, your breathing shallow as your mind loops through the interaction. What the hell is going on?

Meanwhile, Mark is on his way out of the school building, his phone already in hand. He dials the familiar number, his expression cool and composed. The phone rings only twice before the unmistakable voice of his father, Nolan, answers.

“What is it?” Omni-Man’s voice is gruff, direct, as always.

Mark leans against the wall outside, his tone calm but tinged with a quiet urgency. “It’s about (Y/n),” he begins, cutting straight to the point. “There’s something off with her. More than usual.”

On the other end of the line, Nolan sighs. His voice is bored, disinterested. “Mark, your sister has always been like this. Emotional and a bit erratic. It’s nothing new.”

Mark clenches his jaw but keeps his tone steady. “No, Dad, this is different. She’s acting weird—like, really weird. Come’on, I’m sure you’ve noticed how she’s stopped constantly asking to go out with us? Or how everytime she looks at one of us, her heart rate always increases, hell, I could smell the adrenaline rush that gets triggered.”

Nolan’s silence stretches for a moment. “Dad, why is she having a fight or flight, fear response triggered, huh?”

“Of course I’ve noticed, Mark,” Omni-man sighs out. “If it’s worth worrying about, I’ll handle it. But until then, she’s just…” He pauses, and Mark can practically see the look on his father’s face. “She’s still a human.”

Mark exhales sharply, but he doesn’t argue. He knows better than to push Nolan when he’s like this. “Fine,” he says, his voice tight. “But if I find out something important, I’ll let you know.”

“Do that,” Nolan replies curtly, and the line goes dead.

Mark slips his phone back into his pocket, his expression unreadable. He’s not entirely satisfied with his father’s response, but he’s also not surprised. Nolan has never had much patience for what he considers “mundane human nonsense.” If (Y/n)’s behavior didn’t involve anything worthy of the Viltrumite cause, it simply wasn’t a priority to him.

Still, Mark can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to this than his father realizes. And if Nolan won’t take it seriously, then Mark will.

[luvryeo]

✧ too tired — kang yeosang

afab!reader , gn!reader , smut & fluff , cw : very light sub/dom themes but it's really just yeosang taking care of reader who's sleepy (and horny) as hell, fingering, clit play, light praise , wc : 1.3K , MINORS & AGELESS BLOGS DNI — also my first time writing smut so uhhhh lmk if it doesn't (or does) suck LOL

you're tired. normally, when you're tired, you go to sleep. 

but you happen to be oh so horny. and normally, when you're oh so horny, you take care of yourself. but the knowledge that yeosang, for once, is just a room away in the shower and will come to fall asleep with you any minute is keeping your hands outside of your sweats, rather than stuck inside your panties.

so, you play the waiting game, wherein each moment curled up in bed alone causes your panties to grow just a little stickier and your clit to beg more and more to be touched, it's throbbing driving you nearly insane. you're just too tired to do anything but rest your hand over your covered cunt and let out a quiet whine.

by some miracle, you survive until the door cracks open, letting a sliver of light stream into your darkened room.

“baby?” his voice sends a mountain of different feelings through you, mostly want in all its different forms. you want him close, holding you tight and lulling you into sweet dreams. but first, you want his fingers, you want him to tug down your pajama pants and gently slide his hand into your underwear to rub your clit and let you cum then let you fall asleep in his arms.

but you don’t say a word, only letting out a soft grunt to let him know you’re tucked away in the bed.

the way he slips in behind you causes the odd feeling of both relief and increasing desperation. his bare arm wraps around your waist, pulling you close and drawing a soft whine from your lips.

“mmm, what’s wrong, love?” he whispers in your ear.

you’re both shameless and bashful in your sleepy state, ready to beg him for relief. “please, sangie. i’m so tired, but i need you, please.”

unbeknownst to you, his face flushes at your words, but you’re just so endearing and sweet he doesn’t care. he just can’t tell whether to oblige you to tease you.

“i’m right here,” he hushes, still not really sure if you want him in you or if you’re just tired and need him to hold you.

“no, sang, i need your fingers, please.” the way your voice is so breathy and quiet has him going insane, and god, he just thinks it’s too cute.

“yeah, baby?” 

you just nod, wiggling your hips due to the uncomfort between your legs.

“you’re so sleepy aren’t you?” he says, mostly to himself. “i’ve got you.” and with that he lets his hand wander to meet yours, where it still presses against your clothed core. “move your hand for me,” he tells you softly. normally he’s not too talkative, but he knows that in your tired state, you need just a bit more guidance and reassurance than usual. he’s missed you so much, and he’s more than happy to give you exactly what you want.

you oblige and move your hand, and immediately whine at the feeling of his hand where yours once was. he almost coos at you, fully aware of what a mess you’ll become within seconds of his hand inside your pants.

“please,” you whisper.

“i know, i know,” he reasures. “i’m here. i’ll make you feel good, i promise.” so he removes his hand and grabs your hips, shifting your position so you lay in between his legs, your back resting on his shirtless chest. his fingers are cold when they slip under your tank top and hit the skin of your midriff, but you couldn’t care less, because the next second his hand has climbed under your pants. he caresses your thigh lightly and kisses your neck sweetly, and you sigh at his touch. before you can beg him again to put his fingers where you really need them, he begins to trace along your slit over your underwear. he can feel you relax into him as he notes the wet spot of your panties and the shudder that runs through your body when he brushes past your clit. gently, he spends several moments just rubbing you softly through the wet cloth, taking in the quiet, desperate huffs of breath you let out.

“gonna take these off you,” he warns before removing his hand and helping you pull your pants and underwear all the way off your legs. you squirm as the cold air hits your cunt, unable to wait for the feeling of his hand over you. “shhhh, love.”

he doesn’t make you wait long, letting his fingers gather some of the wetness of your core while his other hand roams your upper body under your shirt. he rubs the wetness into your clit and you sigh in utter relief. it only takes seconds for quiet whines to come tumbling out of your mouth, and his lips meet the skin of your neck and shoulder once again. he basks in the way the tight circles he rubs over your swollen bud brings out a babble of his name mixed with incoherent moans.

even better are the tears that appear in your droopy eyes when he works a long digit inside your pussy. you cry out at the feeling and the moment he adds a second finger, the tears are spilling out onto your cheeks and quiet sobs escape your throat.

“oh, you pretty thing, i know, i know,” he comforts, the heel of his hand still hitting your clit as he works his fingers inside your pussy. the sounds of your cunt are audible even over your cries.

“wanna cum,” you beg as the knot in your stomach tightens.

“i know, baby. you can cum whenever you want. such a good little thing for me, aren’t you?”

you whine loudly, nodding desperately for approval. when he moves his other hand to rub harder on your clit, it’s everything you need to let go. the tears fall harder as your back arches. your thighs tremble and the walls of your pussy flutter then clench around yeosang’s fingers as he guides you through your orgasm. finally, you slump against him and your cum leaks out around his fingers as he stills the movements in your wetness. you shudder when he gently pulls his fingers out of you.

“there you go,” he praises. haphazardly, he wipes off his shining fingers and shifts your bodies again so he can get up.

“don’t go,” you whisper hoarsely, missing his warmth already.

“i’ll be right back, gotta get you cleaned up and then you can fall asleep, okay? stay with me until then, yeah?”

“mhmm…what about you, sang?”

“shh, i'll take care of myself, okay? just be patient,” he reassures.

you try your best to head yeosang’s instructions, but you must have failed, for you wake up to the gentle touch of a warm, slightly damp towel between your legs.

you make the attempt to mumble something, maybe an apology for falling asleep, but yeosang just hushes you and brushes a hand over your head. he tosses the towel in the laundry once done and pulls a new pair of sweatpants up your legs, then climbs in bed. pulling you close, he tilts your head up to wipe the dried tears from your face with your favorite face rag. his touch is as gentle as ever, lulling you into a state of half-conscious bliss.

finally, you’re all warm and clean to his satisfaction, so he plants a kiss to your lips and tucks your head into his chest.

“thank you, love,” you whisper.

“of course. good night, babe,” you can hear the tiredness mixed with the tender love he feels within his deep voice and smile into his chest.

“good night, sang.”

[roboticnebula]

✨Incomplete/In progress✨ Halbarry fic recs

I've been meaning to do this for a while and finally took the time! This is a list of some of my absolute favorite Halbarry fics on AO3, with a twist: all of the are in progress/ none of these are complete (yet? or never to be? who knows, that's half the fun).

These are only the ones I reread recently, but there are sooo many good ones out there. I sometimes like to filter with "works in progress only" and it's always a good time, I highly recommend it. Also if you have a WIP you like, feel free to drop a link my way. Happy reading!!

Acinonyx Juniper by ceeloilights

Love me a post-apocalyptic story where people find each other and fall in love. Very visceral writing and I really enjoy Hal and Barry's portrayals.

After 7 years of a mysterious virus outbreak, ex-Air Force pilot and scientist-hating Hal Jordan wants to reconcile with his family but ends up meeting government scientist and military-repelled Barry Allen, who leads a double life. These two, along with their ragtag team of survivors, have to find their way through a post-apocalyptic world, learning how to survive, grieve, cope, forgive, and love, all the while the government and cults try to get their asses.

What an Earl wants by finalfrontierpioneer

Your honor, they are in love. There is fencing, and a kiss on a boat. 10/10.

Barry is new to the upper echelons of polite society. Hal offers to teach him everything he needs to know in order to fit in, and it blooms into a romance neither of them expected.

Steal Your Skin by ChocolateTeapots

We're in October, the perfect time to check this out. I love the blend of GL lore with the supernatural, and Hal being a monster hunter promises shenanigans.

Monster hunter Hal Jordan is out to confront the friend who betrayed him. When he gets the chance for one last, simple hunt, he takes it and won't be deterred by a troublesome werewolf who refuses to let Hal's spectres stay buried.

Every man must build a life (and someday watch it leave) by jcp_sob_rjl_lmep

Slow burn recovery, and Halbarry + Wally family. I am on the edge of my seat when reading.

When Hal and Barry set off on their honeymoon in space, it's supposed to take a month. Six weeks, maybe, at the most. No one anticipates their return two years later. Thought to be dead, their return should be joyful, but they're obviously deeply traumatised by the time away that neither of them is willing to elaborate on. The road to recovery is difficult and riddled with obstacles that, at times, seem unsurpassable. But anything is possible when they have each other, even the slow revelation that they might never be heroes again.

Wondering where the lions are by magnetocent

Getting together, historical AU set in the 1970s. There's grief, there's loneliness but also there's love and anyways this one made me cry for all the right reasons.

Hal comes back from his cross country trip with oliver to what is possibly the most emotionally complicated year of his life. Following hal and barry's budding relationship, from 1977-1979.

Catching You by SweetApples02

Racetrack racing but with wings! I keep re-reading the scene where Barry falls because it's mesmerizing.

Racefliers, athletes who compete against the worlds best and fastest fliers for a chance of being the once in four years champion.

Barry Allen, a name that Hal only knew from his friend’s mouth as Ollie raved about the champion title and the influence “Flash” carried over fans. The racer didn’t have any significance to Hal though, at least until Ollie convinced Hal to help him vandalize the Flash track insignia the day before the first race of the year during a drunken night.

Catchers, fliers hired to catch racers in distress. The same position that Hal was forced to pretend to be in when he awoke the next day in the stadium.

Waiting out the event out of moral obligation, Hal found himself in another pickle. A collision sending the Flash crashing down- and taking Hal with him when the vandalizer turned Catcher attempted to catch him.

The legalities afterwards continued the problem. Video footage and Hal’s witness to the collision bringing a discovery that it wasn’t just an accident, but the coverup of Hal’s involvement could turn his statements futile at any turn.

And the budding looks and quiet conversations between him and the recovering champion was a whole new problem by itself.

[kittycutiehaha]

day eighteen sending love to jirais everyday until Christmas! This if for cutie-kitty-anna uh-! whatever you would like me to call you!

I’m actually late sending something today and need to get to sleep very soon so I can’t be as detailed and loving as I want.

But you are absolutely sharing your aesthetic visions perfectly, I see you all over and people really resonate with what you post, be it a vent or again whatever you think is pretty, truly, it was a matter of time until I end up sending you something. keep it up you’ve got an eye for this stuff.

Also your interests sound so interesting if that makes sense dfhhdtdfj it looks like your taste is versatile but particularly for anything unique which is always lovely to see, lovely for the alt community and stuff.

Sorry this was quite rushed, and that I didn’t look to deep into your posts or try to make anyone feel better. Also sorry if I’ve someone already done you before. It’s me not you of course I’m being very very bad and stupid. I hope you’ve got lots of mutuals who can provide what I am not. Ugh silly me.

If I survive to be a jirai Santa next year I’ll try this blog again. This is an injustice! You deserve much more!

Also your art is STUNNING btw I should have mentioned that sooner. again I can see your eye for this stuff I wish I had the motivation and the effort sorry this shouldn’t be about me.

This was the very very very bad advent jirai. But YOU are awesome and do deserve love. Again sorry that it’s all random and unprecedented. Feel no obligation to respond to this in any way, as I say to everyone :) unless you wanna Y’know. I didn’t even proofread this oh my I am sorry

Good luck, keep it up when you can, take breaks, drink water please and thank you kindly, etc…

HOOOORAAAYYYYYYY JIRAI SANTA!!!!!!!!!!11!🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅 THSNK YOU SO MUCH THIS IS MY FIRST SMILE TIDAY NEHHEEHE TGANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!1!1!!!!!!!!!1111111 I WILL POST EVEN MORE IN 2025!!!!!!1!1!!!!!!

[mermaidgirl30]

Look for the Light

Chapter 24

- Summary: Aly finds herself trying to escape the Boston QZ. What Aly doesn’t know is Tess is pairing her up with Joel to go on a dangerous mission to find Tommy. Will Aly survive the brooding, moody Joel or will she find herself falling hard for him?

Joel’s POV

The night went by in the blink of an eye as the darkness quickly turned to sunlight and the sun crept its way into the sky. Aly was passed out in your lap, her dark hair sprawled out across your jeans. She was sleeping peacefully, her breathing slow and calm.

You had stayed up the entire night thinking about everything that had taken place. The fireflies, Marlene, Ellie, the fight with Aly, and Sarah. It all had completely drained you, sending you into a dark mindset. Seeing Ellie brought back so many painful memories of Sarah. She was nothing like Sarah, but yet she reminded you so much of your baby girl.

Sarah…You missed her so goddamn much. You’d give anything to go back to that day before she was shot, would do anything to fix that. Stop it from happening in the first place, but you couldn’t. That’s not how life worked. Now all you were stuck with was grief and memories of the past.

Now you had to deal with Ellie. Cargo. She was nothing but cargo, an unassigned item to smuggle away from the fireflies. You didn’t want to do this, but now you felt obligated to. You didn’t want to let Aly down, not again. You could see she liked the kid and wanted to help her. She was a better person than you were. You probably would’ve just left her behind. To die.

The minutes passed slowly as you watched the sun make its way high in the sky, daylight covering the land now. You felt Aly shift slightly against you, and then her eyes were open as she sat up slowly next to you.

“Good morning,” she yawned sleepily.

“Mornin’,” you drawled back. “You sleep alright?”

“I slept much easier with you by my side. Thank you for letting me use your sleeping bag. It was warm and it smells just like you,” she said in a quiet, luring tone.

“Is that so?” you asked with a raised eyebrow, a smirk forming on the side of your mouth.

“Mhm,” she answered as she leaned over and planted a quick kiss on your cheek. It was warm, affectionate. Something you still couldn’t quite get used to.

“Well, feel free to use it anytime you want,” you said as you turned your body to face her. Those striking blue eyes gazed back at you, taking your breath away. You pushed back a flyaway strand of brunette hair behind her ear as you leaned in closer.

“Only if you join me…” she said as she batted her long eyelashes at you, a flirtatious smile hanging on her lips.

You smiled and shook your head at her, leaning in closer. “Such a needy girl.” Then your lips were on hers as your hand entangled her dark waves. She pulled at your plaid shirt as she brought you closer, her hand trailing against the back of your neck, right at the curling edges of your hair. You could smell her hair, lilac, as it blew in the wind. It just made you want her more…

“Can you two get a room?” Ellie yelled in disgust.

You and Aly both jumped back in surprise, breaking apart the kiss. You gave Ellie a snarl as you looked up at her, not happy she interrupted. “I didn’t know you were awake,” you huffed as you got up off the ground.

“I just woke up and that’s the first thing I saw. Are you two like married or something?” she asked curiously.

“No,” you growled in annoyance.

“But you’re boyfriend and girlfriend?” she asked as she looked between the two of you.

“Uhhhh.” The question caught you off guard. You hadn’t really talked about it. You had claimed her as yours, so you guessed that was the same thing? You didn’t know, you didn’t date. You didn’t do any of this stuff. It was all uncharted territory.

“Something like that,” Aly smiled as she looked up at you. It automatically put you at ease as you stared into her ocean eyes.

“Well, just try not to kiss much in front of me, okay? That stuff is icky,” Ellie said with a scrunched up nose.

Aly laughed at her response. “We’ll try not to, but no promises.”

“Gross,” Ellie said in reply.

You rolled your eyes as you started packing your things and loading up Shimmer. “Pack your stuff up, we’re heading out in ten minutes.”

“Already?” Ellie whined.

“We need to get back on the road. If we hurry we can reach Tommy’s before nightfall.”

“Who’s Tommy?” she asked as she came closer, crossing her arms.

“My brother.”

“Ahh so that’s why you’re headed to Wyoming? Your brother?”

“Yep,” you stated shortly.

“You have anymore family there?”

“No. Now stop asking questions. Go grab your bag and let’s go,” you said roughly.

“Alright, alright. You’re such a grump,” she huffed as she turned and headed for her bag.

Aly laughed as she came up beside you, hooking the black sleeping bag to your backpack. “You ever going to learn to be a little nicer to her? I think she likes you. She’s trying to get to know you, you know?” she quietly laughed as she put a hand on your arm when she was done latching the sleeping bag. She dropped her hand seconds later, and you wished the contact would’ve lasted longer.

“Well, I don’t want to get to know her. We’re just getting her somewhere safe. That’s it.” You cut the conversation off with a sharp tone.

“All I’m saying is try to be a little nicer. Can you do that?” She was now standing in front of you, staring at you with those deep blue eyes, a question glimmering in them. She was searching your face, hoping you’d break at the sight of her.

You flexed your jaw, your face tense. After looking at her for a few more seconds you went slack-jawed, relaxing all your muscles. Oh, Christ. “Fine. I’ll try.”

Aly put a hand on your scruff and ran her thumb down your jaw. “That’s my Joel,” she said as she released her hand and gave you a small smile. My Joel. You liked the sound of that, a lot.

You finished gathering up all your things from the campsite you had made and packed up Shimmer, now all you were waiting on was Ellie. “Ellie, come on!” you yelled.

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Just give me a second,” she said as she strapped her backpack on and headed your way in a sprint. “Why don’t you guys have a second horse? It’s kinda cramped up there,” she said as she pointed up to Shimmer’s shining coat.

“We found Shimmer. If we would’ve found a second horse then we’d have another one. Just be glad you don’t have to walk the entire way to Tommy’s,” you huffed in frustration.

“Hey, I’ll take what I can get,” she said as her hands shot up in defense.

You made your way atop Shimmer and helped Aly up behind you. “Come on, give me your hand,” Aly said as she stuck her hand out, waiting for Ellie to take it. Ellie quickly took her hand as she pulled Ellie up, grunting in response.

As soon as Ellie was situated on Shimmer you took off, handling the reins and letting Shimmer know it was time to get going. The weather was clear today. The sun was high in the sky, and the air was dry but still bitter as the wind blew through your hair.

“You guys wanna hear a joke?” Ellie asked excitedly from the back.

“No,” you mumbled from the front. Aly hit your leg lightly in response, but you didn’t care. You weren’t in the mood for a stupid joke.

She went ahead and told one anyways. “What do you call a pig that does karate? A pork chop! Get it? Pork chop,” she said with a thunderous laugh as she made some karate motions with her hands.

Aly laughed quietly behind you, but your face was flat. You knew it, another stupid joke. You almost laughed at how corny it was, but you didn’t let it pass your lips. “Ellie, can you keep it down back there with the jokes?”

“What if I just tell them to Aly?”

“No, I can still hear them,” you grumbled. “I’m trying to concentrate.”

“You can’t listen and concentrate at the same time?” she playfully responded.

“No, I can’t,” you said with your teeth barred.

“You’re such an old man,” she laughed. “How old are you anyways?”

“I’m 50, now enough questions,” you spat.

“Wow, you’re old as fuck!” she screamed as a voluminous laugh came out of her mouth.

“Damn right, you little shit,” you growled.

“Joel.” Aly tugged on your coat in warning. You brushed her off in response. You’d talk to Ellie however you wanted to. Besides, she was being a little shit, so you’d call her out on it.

“I’m just teasing you, don’t take it so seriously, Joel,” Ellie said with a small laugh escaping her body.

“Mhm,” you hummed from your lips, annoyance ringing in your tone.

You kept your lips pressed together as you looked around the land. There were towering trees all around you, even more on the mountain tops. It was quiet, a little too quiet, but you’d take it for now.

You dug inside your coat pocket for the folded up map and fished it out. Slowly unraveling it, you carefully moved your index finger across the blue lines of the map. In a few miles you’d come across Green River. A large, winding river that went for miles across the map. That was the only way to get over to Wyoming it looked like. That would be a challenge in itself. You sighed and folded the map back up, stuffing it back in your pocket.

“Everything okay?” Aly asked as she looked over your shoulder, staring up into your face. She must’ve caught your sigh. You were surprised she heard you with how loud Ellie was talking.

“Yeah, it just looks like we have a ways to go if we want to make it there before nightfall. Might be a couple bumps in the road. Hoping that I’m wrong though.” You steadied your hands on the reins again and slapped the leather material against Shimmer’s neck. “Come on, girl. Just a little faster.”

Shimmer picked up her pace, and Aly wrapped her arms tighter around you as the wind raced past you. The rest of the ride was more quiet, the wind too loud to really converse. You didn’t mind. You needed a break from Ellie’s endless mouth. That girl sure knew how to talk. You welcomed the quiet like a nice warm fire in the middle of an autumn night.

A couple hours passed by, the landscape changing just the slightest as the trees turned a more yellowish gold tint the further you went. You could hear rushing water not too far off.

You were making your way through some thick trees on a narrow dirt trail as the trees started opening up slightly. A few more feet and you were out of the tree maze, coming face to face with a giant rushing river.

The river went on for miles. It was roaring and was showing you just how dangerous and malicious it was. The water was crystal clear, but the water was rushing downstream so fast that it was hard to see the bottom. It had to be at least more than 20 feet deep. A death trap at best. You’d have to be careful.

“Whoa, look at that thing! It’s massive,” Ellie yelled in awe of the enormous river.

“Are we going to have to cross that?” Aly asked nervously.

“Unfortunately that seems to be the only way across to Wyoming. We’ll have to find a way to cross though. Ain’t nothin’ getting through that water without getting washed away.”

You watched as her face went from worry struck to cold blooded, her face turning pale. “Joel, are you sure that’s the only way across? There’s gotta be another way to avoid the river,” she said nervously, her blue eyes filled with fright.

“I checked the map. There’s no other way that I can see. We’ll have to do this the smart way.”

She nodded her head in response, but her nerves didn’t slow. She was scared. You had to admit you were a little nervous too. You didn’t know how this would play out, but you’d find a way. You had to if you wanted to get to Tommy.

“Let’s just keep going north a little, see where the river takes us.” You motioned Shimmer forward again, and the clop of her hooves hit the ground. A gentle dusting of dirt, snow and rocks shot up from the back of Shimmer with every step she took. She must be getting tired. You’d happily let her take a much needed long rest when she reached Tommy’s. Hopefully that’d be today, if all went well, which it never quite did.

“Hey, Aly?” Ellie asked as she stuck her head out from behind Aly’s back.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think any of the fireflies made it this far yet?” Her voice was shaky, scared. You looked back and her eyes flicked towards you, her green eyes nervously finding yours. Your back stiffened at the thought of the fireflies anywhere near here. You weren’t ready for that. Not yet.

“I hope not, but I don’t think so. I think we’re safe for now.” Aly’s hold on you tightened as soon as she turned back around to face you. She was as nervous as you about the fireflies. You slowly brought your hand over hers and gave it a squeeze, letting her know it’d be okay. We’d be okay.

“That’s good. I don’t want them following us,” Ellie said in a whisper as she looked over her shoulder as if someone was following us.

“I think we’re okay for now. I didn’t see anyone following behind us. We’re in the clear,” you responded tightly.

“So you knew Marlene before?” Ellie directed the question at you.

“I was acquainted with her for a brief period. She tried to convince me to join them, but I said hell no, and I’m sure as shit glad I didn’t follow them,” you spat.

“Marlene’s not that terrible. She had good intentions at least, but I think she went a little overboard,” Ellie replied.

“You think?” you asked with sarcasm spilling off your tongue.

As you looked back up to the road you saw an eerie looking bridge that connected from one side of the river to the other. It was narrow and looked like it had been there for years, barely hanging on for dear life with its wood panels dug into the worn dirt.

“Whoa, Shimmer.” You pulled on the reins fast and stopped her in her tracks. She came to a halt as you jumped off her back. Aly and Ellie quickly followed behind, hopping down from Shimmer and landing with their feet in the dirt.

“Is that what we’re supposed to cross?” Ellie asked in shock. You looked down and her scared little green eyes were skimming the deep, wide river. She hugged her backpack a little tighter and gulped.

“I’m afraid that might be our one way ticket to Wyoming. I don’t see anything else that’s close that’ll get us across.” You pushed back some flyaway hairs from your eyes as the wind swept across your jacket, tearing through the thick material.

Aly came up right next to you, whispering so Ellie couldn’t hear. “Joel, are you sure about this? It looks dangerous..” Her eyes swept over the flowing river, and then they landed back on you. Worry encased her features. She was scared, tense.

You clenched your jaw and hard lines appeared above your forehead. “I’m pretty sure this is the only way. If there was possibly another way, there’s no telling how long it’d take to get to. It might take days, and who knows if we’d find anything. We might be dead before we find a way around, so we need to take what’s in front of us.”

Aly chewed on the inside of her cheek as she looked from the long bridge to the rushing water beneath it. She slowly nodded and came to the solution that this was the only way. But she was nervous, so nervous.

“Hey, you trust me?” you asked as you turned her towards you, bracing your hands against her upper arms. You could see it in those blue eyes of hers that she was contemplating just what you were about to do.

“Yes,” she whispered back in a hushed tone.

“We’re going to get across that bridge, alright?” You raised your eyebrows, your eyes going wide as you searched hers, waiting for an answer.

She slowly nodded. “Yeah, okay. Let’s just get it over with then,” she said as she turned back to facing the rickety bridge.

You slowly walked up to the swaying bridge. It sat about eight feet above the water as it wavered back and forth in the breeze. The faded, light brown wood looked over a decade old as some of the sides were chipped and falling apart. The side railing weren’t really rails, they were just rope that you could hang on to. This was exactly like something you’d find on a playground, and that scared the hell out of you.

“We’re going to have to go one at a time, no one stands next to each other. We clear?” You raised your voice, specifically at Ellie as you stared her down, making sure she was paying attention. “Ellie?”

Ellie was looking over the edge into the wild river as the waves tossed and rippled over one another. “Huh?” She jumped at the mention of her voice, shooting back a few steps as she looked up at you with surprised green eyes.

“We clear?” you asked as you narrowed your eyes at her.

“Oh, yeah. We’re clear,” she said as she saluted you with her right hand. She quickly tightened her short ponytail and pulled her purple jacket down, putting her hands deep inside her pockets. She looked nervous, intimidated as she looked back and forth between you and the river.

There was something she was hiding, it was clear on her face. “What is it?” you asked as you crossed your arms and shot an eyebrow up, focusing in on her.

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just that I can’t swim…” she said in a faint whisper.

“Excuse me?” you asked as your eyes went wide.

“I…I can’t swim. I never learned how. No one ever taught me.”

“And you’re just now telling us?” Your voice was raised, anger flaring inside you.

“I didn’t think it was important.”

You put a hand across your eyes and scrunched up your face, running your hand down your face slowly. “Christ, Ellie.”

“I’m sorry…” She looked down disappointed, her converse sneakers digging into the dirt.

“It’s okay, Ellie. We’ll get you to the other side. Don’t be nervous,” Aly encouraged as she walked over and put a hand on Ellie’s shoulder, soothing her.

“But, Joel…”

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you across safely. Okay?” Aly stood there until Ellie nodded in agreement.

You rolled your eyes and looked back over the entire length of the long, narrow bridge. “Here the fuck we go,” you rasped under your breath.

“What about Shimmer? We can’t leave her,” Aly said worriedly.

“Don’t worry. I’m gonna have her cross first.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Ellie questioned you.

“It’s gonna have to be,” you seethed. “Come on, Shimmer. We need to cross. It’s alright,” you said gently as Shimmer came up to you steadily. She looked at the other side of the bridge and neighed.

You took the reins and started leading her up on the wooden bridge. It squeaked faintly as Shimmer put all her weight on it. You led her a couple more steps and then backed up, letting her cross over. “That’s it, girl. Keep going. You’re doing great.”

You watched her creep along each step, all eyes focused on her. “Come on, girl. Almost there.” A few more steps and she was over the bridge, ending up on the other side. She found a patch of grass and started nibbling at it, absentmindedly waiting on the other side for you.

You let out a sigh of relief. If it held her, it’d definitely hold all of you. “Okay, I’ll go first. Ellie, you get the middle. Aly, you take the back,” you instructed as you carefully put your full weight on the bridge.

“What happens if one of us falls?” Ellie asked warily.

“That’s not gonna happen!” Your mouth was in a tight line, eyes dark and serious. “You just follow my lead. We go slow and pay attention to our surroundings. No running, no jumping. Focus on getting across safely. Got it?” You looked from Aly to Ellie, both of them looking nervous.

“Okay, let’s get a move on then. I’ll feel better once we’re across,” Aly said as she pulled her hair up in a ponytail, her long hair falling across her right shoulder.

You stared at her for a few seconds too long, eyes bleeding into hers. She was breathing fast, her hands turning into fists at her sides. You wanted to comfort her, tell her it’d be alright. You didn’t have time though. You needed to move, now.

“Breathe,” you whispered to her, focusing only on her. She looked at you sheepishly and then nodded in response, breathing becoming a little more calm.

“Alright, follow me. Slowly,” you motioned. You turned towards the bridge, taking a careful step forward, testing the hold of the wood. It squeaked a little, but it held up. You took a few more steps, careful not to step down too hard. The bridge was old, creaky and rusty. The bottom edges of the wood were black with mold growing all over. It’s like it was barely hanging on to nothing.

There was something sinister the way the fog was dancing above the water’s surface, hanging just beneath the bridge, making it somewhat hard to see just what was lying underneath your feet. You could hear how fast the water was being tossed around and dragged downstream. A hurricane like violence as waves crashed against sharp, jagged rocks in the bank. You distracted yourself from the death trap that was just below you, setting your focus to the other side of the bridge.

You were almost halfway across now, moving as slow as a snail. You looked behind you and saw Ellie creeping right up behind you, Aly cautiously setting her pace behind her, a leery look on her face. “You two doing okay?”

“Okay as we’re gonna get,” Aly said in a shaky breath as she held out one arm to grab the tethered rope on the edge of the bridge.

“How deep do you think that water is below us?” Ellie asked tentatively as she stared down into the deep, dark depths of the river.

“I can’t honestly tell you. Probably more than 20 feet,” you said as you took your eyes off the river and back to Ellie. Her eyes went white and her face was becoming pale. “Ellie, just keep moving. Don’t worry about it. We’re gonna be fine.”

You turned and kept trekking ahead, watching your footing so you wouldn’t step on a bad piece of wood. The bridge was damp in the middle as the wood became darker, more slick. Your boot hit a slick spot, but you managed to keep your balance as you grabbed onto the rope beside you.

“Be careful, it’s a little slick up here. Go slow,” you grunted as you focused on your steps.

“Let’s just hurry up, this bridge gives me the fucking creeps,” Ellie sighed as she took careful steps behind you. Jesus, that girl had a mouth on her.

“What’d I just say? We’re going to go slow and do this the right way,” you fired back.

“Alright, just keep going. I don’t like this.”

“None of us like it, just be quiet. I’m trying to concentrate.” You looked ahead of you the rest of the way, just a few more feet. You could make it. Slowly but surely.

You took a few more steps, carefully stepping over the wet spots on the bridge. Crack. You froze, afraid to take another step. “Stop!” you yelled to Ellie and Aly.

Ellie ran into the back of you and then stopped abruptly. “What was that?” she asked with fear taking over her voice.

“Shhh,” you hushed her. You listened for another sign of any other cracking noise, but you didn’t hear anymore. “It was just the bridge. Be careful. I think it’s okay, keep moving.”

You took a few more steps forward, being overly cautious in case another sound struck across the bridge. Ellie was right behind you, right in your shadow.

“Woo, that was a close call I’d say. Hey, when we get to Tommy’s can we..” Ellie’s voice was cut off by a loud cracking noise as a few pieces of the wood broke off and landed with a crash into the water, sending Ellie falling through the gaping hole of the broken bridge. Your eyes went wide with fear as you turned and lunged in her direction.

“Ellie!” Aly screamed in terror as Ellie was hanging with her hands clamped down on a broken piece of wood, holding on for dear life.

“Joel, help me!” Ellie’s screams echoed across the river as the whites of her eyes stared up at you in horror. Holy shit.

“Ellie, just hang on, I’m coming!” you yelled as you took two steps toward her and went down on your knees, grabbing the rope with one hand and holding out your right arm for her to take. “Grab on, hurry!”

She reached up for you but slipped, grabbing back on to the broken piece of wood that was slowly getting lower, about to fall into the raging river. “Don’t let me fall, I don’t want to die yet! Please!” Tears flowed down her eyes as her legs dangled dangerously close to the water.

Panic shot through you, that protective side of you coming out strong. “Ellie, reach out for my hand, come on! You have to grab it, now! That piece of wood you’re holding on to is about to break off. You’re gonna have to trust me.”

“Fuck, my hand, I’m slipping! I can’t…” Her focus was on the piece of breaking wood and the sea of death beneath her.

“Ellie, jump NOW!” you screamed in desperation, arm reaching out as far as it’d go to her.

She snapped her attention up to you, leaving behind her fear of the unknown beneath her. Without thinking twice she swung all her weight and jumped, lunging for your hand. Your hand was sweaty as nerves ran through you, but you grabbed a hold of her and hoisted her up, fighting all the tense muscles in your back.

As soon as you pulled her up, she embraced you in a hug, throwing her arms around your neck as she clinged to you. Her eyes were wet as the tears continued to flow down, silent cries escaping her mouth.

You ever so slowly put your arms around her, hugging her back. “It’s alright. I got you in time. You’re safe,” you breathed out in gasps as you caught your breath. You caught Aly staring, her eyes saying everything they needed to. A small smile captured her mouth as she watched you embrace Ellie.

For a moment it made you think of Sarah, her warm hugs as she’d always run and crash into you after getting home from a long day of work. But then there was that dark day that she was shot. You held her lifelessly in your arms as she passed right before your eyes, no more warm hugs.

Ellie wasn’t Sarah, not even close. What the fuck were you doing right now? You didn’t care what happened to this girl. At least you didn’t think so. Maybe, just maybe you felt a little protective of her. No. Fuck that.

Aly. You needed to help Aly across. You withdrew from Ellie and held her shoulders, looking into her wide green eyes. “Go on across, just a few more steps and you’ll be off.”

“What about you?” she asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Now go on.”

She nodded her head and made her way across as the bridge squeaked with every step she took. You watched her closely, making sure she was safe. Finally she made it across, her feet back on stable ground. Thank fuck.

Now you had to get Aly across. You looked back her way, analyzing the bridge. There was now a large hole in the middle of the bridge as more pieces of wood started to quickly dissolve and fall into the tumbling river below. There was no way she could just step across. She’d have to jump. It wouldn’t be easy either. There were a few feet lengths apart from where she stood on the other side. Fuck.

Her eyes were wide as she looked from the gaping hole back up to you. Conflicted on what she could do. Her grip was tight on the edge of the rope, holding on as tight as she could with white knuckles.

“You’re gonna have to jump, Aly. It’s the only way,” you said with tension in your voice.

She shook her head no as she looked back down into the deep depths of death. “It’s too far, there’s no way. I can’t.”

“You can do this, it’s the only way. I’m right here. Jump to me,” you said with urgency, your eyes looking on as terror filled them.

She took a timid step forward, and then a piece of wood went tumbling down as you heard it splash into the frigid water. Her eyes went wide as she looked down where it had dropped. She was absolutely terrified, frozen in place. Oh shit.

“Aly, you have to move. Now!”

Ellie was yelling in the background at Aly, but you were toning her out, only focused on getting Aly’s attention. She took another step, and then another piece of wood broke off right next to where she had put her foot down.

She screamed out in fear, tears right on the edge from sliding down her face. She was almost trapped as small pieces started falling apart right before your eyes. “Joel, I can’t,” she cried as a teardrop slid down her pale face. She was looking at the hungry river beneath her, tempting her to fall so it could devour her whole. You wouldn’t let the river take her. You’d jump after her, even if it meant killing yourself in the process too. You wouldn’t lose her again, you couldn’t. There was absolutely no fucking way you would let her slide through your grasp again.

“Aly, look at me. Look at me!” you screamed in desperation. “Jump. There’s no time to wait, come on. Please,” you pleaded with watery eyes. You were desperate. Desperate to get her to shore where it was safe, in your arms.

Aly took one more glance beneath her at the rickety wood and then she was staring at you, dread filling her stormy eyes. “Promise you’ll catch me?” she asked in a quiet, unnerving voice.

“I promise.” You held out your arms and motioned her forward. “Come on, baby.” You were way past the edge of desperation. You needed her safe in your arms. Now.

Creak. The bridge swayed underneath you as the wind tore against the wood that was barely holding on under your weight. Come on, baby. Come to me.

Aly took one more look beneath her, and then she was moving fast. She took two large steps and then jumped as high as she could, covering the large length between you and her. Your arms were open, waiting for her body to collide with yours.

She reached out her hand, and you snatched it just in time. Her foot catching on the edge of the massive hole that was in the bridge, but you pulled her towards you before her weight took her backwards, down to her doom. She fell into your arms as she let out a breath she had been holding, her hands finding your face.

“Joel,” she breathed heavily, her large ocean eyes gazing into yours intensely. Before you could respond the bridge made more groaning noises, and the wood began to cave in.

“Run!” you yelled as you pushed Aly ahead of you, making sure she got to safety before you did. That’s all you wanted was for her to be safe, unharmed.

“Come on guys, faster!” Ellie yelled from shore.

Aly was running as if her life depended on it, dodging spots where the wood looked like it was about to cave in. Your feet were moving as fast as they could against the uneven surface, the cold wind about to knock the breath out of you.

The more you ran, the faster the bridge was collapsing. You could hear cracks and pieces of wood land in the turbulent water. One more step and Aly was safe on solid ground. Five more steps and you were there too, tumbling in the grass as your foot caught on a loose piece of rope from the bridge.

You sat up as you watched more of the bridge collapse, crumbling to pieces as it was done for. “Holy shit,” you breathed out as you ran a hand through your untamed hair, letting all the extra adrenaline leave your body.

Aly came over and sat next to you, leaning her head on your shoulder as she sighed heavily. “Promise me we’ll never do that again?”

“Trust me, if we see another bridge like that anywhere we are going around it,” you answered back defiantly.

“I don’t think the fireflies or anyone at that will be able to get across there now,” she said as she surveyed the damage, half the bridge in shambles and half running downstream at full speed in the freezing body of water.

“They’d have to find another way around. Ain’t no way in hell they’re coming this way.” You took your hand and ran it under her chin, lifting it just enough so you could look down right into those glowing baby blues. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

A small smile crept up to the corners of her mouth, spreading to her bright eyes. “Thanks for saving me, again. You really are my hero,” she whispered as she leaned closer, heading straight for your lips.

“I’ll always be there to save you..”

You leaned in closer, almost touching her lips until Ellie jumped in between the two of you, interrupting the moment. “You two are alive, you made it!” she screamed happily as she wrapped an arm around both of you, pulling you in for a group hug.

“Alright, alright. Enough. Yes, we’re alive. Now get off,” you grunted as you pushed her away so you could get to your feet. You gave Aly a hand and pulled her up next.

“We made it, but you should really be thanking Joel. He’s the one that saved both of us,” Aly laughed as she gave Ellie another quick hug.

“Thanks again, Joel, really. I owe you.” She tried to come in for another hug, but you put your arm out, preventing her from coming any closer.

“No, you don’t owe me a damn thing. Your thank you was more than enough.”

Ellie laughed as she acknowledged you and backed off, still looking up at you. You rolled your eyes and headed over to Shimmer, patting her back to let her know everything was alright.

“We should get going again, we still have some miles to cover...”

Click. The sound you knew all too well interrupted your sentence. For Christ’s sake.

“What was that?” Ellie asked with raised eyebrows, her eyes looking around to try to find the source of the noise.

“Clickers,” Aly responded with a gulp, swallowing down the fear that was pooling inside her.

“What are clickers?”

“Nothing you want to be close to, trust me. Their heads are pretty much a flowering fungus spore and their teeth are sharp. They can’t see, they’re blind. But they can hear the sound of a pen drop from far away.” You narrowed your eyes as you pulled your rifle from your back, actioning the bolt so you could shoot when you needed to.

“Can I have a gun?” Ellie asked quickly, her voice high pitched as fear covered her vocal cords.

“Hell no!” you gnashed your teeth at her.

“But I can help,” she whined, defending her stance.

“You can help by shutting your mouth. Now be quiet. I need to listen.”

You walked forward, taking one step in front of the other. Careful not to step on anything that would make a lot of noise. Aly followed behind you with the shotgun aimed at eye level, ready to fire if needed. You looked her over, and she noticed. She took the safety off the shotgun and got into position, ready for a clicker to jump out at any second.

You took your eyes off her and focused back on the mission at hand. There was something about a woman holding a large gun that was just extremely sexy. It was hot, an enticing view you could get used to. That wasn’t just any random woman though. That was your girl. Yours.

Click. Another screech could be heard from around the corner, just feet from where you stood. You walked carefully, your rifle at the ready. “Come on out, fuckers,” you whispered silently with your teeth clenched together.

You took another cautious step and then you heard a loud crunch come from behind you. You looked back in a flash and there was Ellie. She had stepped on a fallen tree branch as you watched leaves fall apart underneath her Converse shoe. Her eyes were wide as she realized what she had just done.

Horrendous screeches shrouded the area as three clickers barreled out from behind the trees. They were fast, coming straight for the three of you. You quickly got to work, aiming the rifle at the first clicker you saw.

You pulled the trigger and shot, watching the first one go down without a fight. Aly took out the second one as it got dangerously close to her, wiping it out before it could leave a mark on her. One more came at you with raised arms and an open, gaping mouth with sharp teeth, looking for something to sink its teeth into. You quickly took the shot and blew its fungus head off, blood going all over the dirt.

You took a breath as that seemed to be all of them. Just for once you’d like to sit down in peace and not worry about what crazy event would happen next.

“Holy shit, that was insane! Did you see how fast they came at us?” she said wildly as she peeked over the top of a dead clicker, analyzing its red blossom shaped head.

You wiped some sweat from your brow and looked over at her as you caught your breath. “Be careful where you step next time, kid,” you warned.

“Let’s get out of here. This area has been nothing but bad luck for us. Maybe we should get back on the road,” Aly said as she put the safety on the shotgun and strapped it around her back.

“I couldn’t agree more. Let’s go.” Before you could move you heard some rustling noises in the trees. “For fucks sake, what is it now?!” you said angrily.

Your narrowed slits turned into wide, gaping eyes as ten fully armed men surrounded you on majestic American quarter horses. They closed in on the three of you, completely surrounding you so you couldn’t escape. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Don’t move,” a tall, brawny man with black coarse hair and dark eyes spit out. He was aiming a rifle at you specifically while the other men pointed theirs at Aly and Ellie.

You froze, having no choice but to listen to them. You were still holding your rifle up, even if the safety was off. “Drop your weapons. Slowly.” He lifted his gun higher, pointing at your rifle as he motioned you to drop it.

You ever so slowly knelt to the ground and placed the rifle carefully on the ground, Aly following next as she placed the shotgun down and emptied her pockets. You did the same with the handgun and knife that was tucked down in your jeans.

Ellie was holding up her shiny switchblade and showing it to the man, her eyes angry. “Ellie! Put it down,” you whispered in a warning.

“But…,” she tried to protest.

“Now,” you growled. She sighed and listened to you, dropping the switchblade to the ground defeatedly.

“Why are you here and what do you want?” the man on the tall horse asked, his gun still raised at you.

“We’re just passing through. I’m looking for my brother. We mean no harm,” you said with your hands raised above your head, showing you weren’t a threat.

“Daryl, search them,” he demanded. Search them? What was this, fucking TSA?

A man with greasy long hair and a blue bandana around his face passed the swarm of horses as he held a metal chained leash in his hand. An intimidating German shepherd was attached to it.

“What do you need to search us for? We already dropped our weapons!” you yelled with a bitter taste in your mouth, anger inching up your throat.

“Oh, I don’t mean search you. I mean sniff you out. See this dog? She can smell the cordyceps virus on anyone. So if you’re infected, she’ll know.”

Shit. Your face dropped as you looked to Ellie. What if the dog smelled the virus on her? Even though she wasn’t infected, it was still there dormant inside her. What if the dog set off the alarm? Would they shoot her right on the spot? And Aly. Would they shoot her dead too thinking she was infected? Oh,God.

Your breathing became rapid, but you tried to keep it together as best as you could. You couldn’t let them see you start to fall apart. They would know instantly something was up, and you couldn’t let that happen. Couldn’t let them find out just what she was. Even if you didn’t fully understand it yourself.

“We’re not infected,” Aly said desperately, moving in front of Ellie as if to protect her. Ellie looked scared as she stared at the German shepherd that was getting closer with every step it took.

“I’ll believe it after our canine decides. Now stay still,” the man said roughly as he set the leash free and the German shepherd came running at you with big chocolate eyes that were on a mission.

You stayed still as the dog circled around you and sniffed, its fluffy tail hitting you on the legs as it wagged its tail. You held your breath, afraid to move. After a few seconds the dog was leaving your side and heading towards Aly and Ellie next.

Your fists were clenched tight around your side as you watched nervously, afraid of what might happen. You couldn’t do anything. You couldn’t fight because there were too many, you were completely surrounded. So you just stood there watching in horror, waiting to see what would be released.

The dog was now sniffing at Aly’s boots, looking up into her eyes as if it was waiting to see signs of infection. After a minute the dog moved on to Ellie, its paws stopping right in front of her Converse sneakers. You were biting your tongue and then pain was radiating through your mouth, a hint of crimson going down your tongue. Get it together, Joel.

She was just a little girl. She was cargo, nothing more. So why did you care if this dog decided to rip out her throat or alert the men of infection? You shouldn’t care at all, but something deep down inside nipped at you telling you that you should care.

What if that was Sarah standing there? You wouldn’t just let her die, not again. She wasn’t Sarah though. Ah hell. You didn’t give a fuck anymore, you would get this girl to safety if it was the last thing you did.

You took a small step forward, not sure what you were doing but then you froze. The dog let out a low growl as it looked up into Ellie’s green eyes. She gulped and looked back nervously into the dog’s eyes. Fuck. But then the dog’s mannerisms changed. It jumped up onto Ellie in a playful way and started wagging its tail, wanting Ellie to play. The dog licked her on the face and let out a friendly bark. Ellie let out a joyful laugh as she started petting the dog’s head, kneeling down to hug the dog around its neck. You let out the breath you had been holding and relaxed your stance.

You could feel your heartbeat racing in your chest, a storm brewing deep inside you. You needed to sit down, to catch your breath. Today had totally wiped you out. You needed to get to Tommy’s. You had just enough.

“They’re clean,” the man called out to the rest of the group. “Now what do we do with them?”

“Just let us pass. You’ve already checked us. We’re of no harm to you. I just need to go find my brother, please.” You were being polite? Highly unlike you, but you were too tired to care. You just wanted the day to end.

“I don’t think so. Boys.” The first man that spoke to you was about to close in, but someone stopped him quick.

“Wait!” An older woman with a red bandanna and a cowboy hat on stopped the man as she rode up next to him on her spotted white horse. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes. “Who are you?”

“Joel,” you answered quickly.

She gave you a once over and had a raised eyebrow, lost in thought. And then her eyes relaxed, a surprised reaction hitting her features. “Whoa, put down your weapons, boys. That’s Tommy’s brother.”

Your eyes went wide. You didn’t recognize her, so how did she know you were who you said? “Are you sure?” the man asked as he looked you over closely.

“Positive.”

All the men lowered their guns cautiously, eyes still searching you as they were still unsure of you. “You headed to find Tommy? Is that why you’re here?” she asked, coming to stand in front of you.

“Yeah, that’s right.” You eyed her with speculation, wondering why she was being so nice.

“Well, get your stuff and let’s go. We’ll take you to him. We live in the same community as him, so that’s where we’re heading. We were just out doing some border patrol.”

You nodded in understanding and then you were grabbing up your weapons, Aly and Ellie following in sync with you as they did the same. You then rounded up Shimmer and hopped up on her back, helping Aly and Ellie up next.

As soon as you all were settled, the woman motioned her hand forward. “Follow me.” And so you did, giving Shimmer a tug of the reins to move forward. And then dozens of hooves were clanking into the ground, moving swiftly through the covered land.

Aly and Ellie stayed quiet behind you. As you continued on the journey, you looked back eyeing Aly and then Ellie, cautiously evaluating their faces. “You two okay?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Aly said as her arms hugged you tighter around the waist. “Ellie?”

“I’m fine,” she answered quickly. You studied her face to see if she was lying, but she didn’t break her features. She must really be okay. You nodded and turned back around, quiet until being spoken to.

“It’s a couple hours ride from here to town. It should be smooth, we already took out a bunch of infected. Should be smooth sailing from here,” she said leisurely.

“What’s your name?” you asked her curiously.

“Maria. I’ll give you the rundown when we get to town. I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

You nodded your head at her before she turned back around and started talking quietly to a few of the men in front of her. You just hoped all this would work out for the best. You weren’t particularly trusting of any of these people, but if they could get you to Tommy in one piece then maybe they weren’t so bad.

“Do you know her?” Aly asked as she leaned over your shoulder, resting her head in the crook of your neck.

“I have no idea who that is. But whoever she is Tommy must’ve told her about me.”

“I see. Well, that’s a good sign then. Hopefully we can actually get a good night’s sleep tonight. And by we I mean you specifically,” she said as she nodded her head at you.

“I’m fine,” you lied.

“You’re exhausted. I can see it in your face. Your eyes are so heavy that you look like you’re barely holding on to those reins.”

She was right. You were completely drained, needing sleep badly. You were even having trouble holding on tight to the reins, and she had noticed. You had to hold it together though, just a few more hours. You could sleep after you arrived there safely, under shelter, in a warm bed with Aly curled up next to you. You groaned at the mere thought of that, wanting nothing more at this moment.

She lightly placed her hand over yours, running her thumb up the side of your hand slowly. You closed your eyes just for a second, taking in her touch. It felt like a piece of heaven, something you didn’t want to let go of.

“I can sleep tonight. I’ll be okay for a while longer. Promise.”

She eyed you carefully, those blue eyes skimming over every inch of the surface of your face. She pursed her lips and then relaxed them again, going back on whatever she was about to say. “Alright. You can always lean back on me if you need to rest your eyes.”

You looked back at her, eyes locking on hers. “Aly, I’m okay. Thank you though.” You gave her a quick kiss on the cheek so Ellie wouldn’t say anything about it. She kept her hand on yours, lingering there for minutes. And you were more than okay with that.

The rest of the ride was quiet, everyone around you barely speaking to one another. You got the occasional wary glances back and forth from some of the riders, but overall they kept to themselves. You were fine with that, not really feeling like speaking to any of them.

Before long you were passing through a giant sea of deep green trees. As soon as you passed the thick area of trees you came upon a large, towering wooden gate that was guarded on each side by armed men. There was no getting through unseen, and it was too tall to climb. This must be their entrance to their town.

Maria nodded at the armed guards, and they nodded back. “Open the gates!” one of the men yelled down, and then the gates were opening with a creaking noise filling the area.

“Welcome to Jackson. Let me take you to Tommy, just follow me.” Some of the men broke off in separate directions, but some stayed. You were right behind Maria, Shimmer on her heels. You passed through the heavy gates and then you came into a town that was bustling with people.

“Whoa, look at this place!” Ellie shrieked with excitement as she looked around, eyes glowing at all the new surroundings.

You took in the sights, and your eyes went wide. There really was a lot to it. The deeper you traveled into the heart of town, the more you saw. Large houses lined every side of you. They looked nice, fancy. There was a giant greenhouse sitting to the left of the town and so many different farm animals. There was a horse stable that was bigger than the previous stable you had come upon before, earlier in your journey.

Kids ran through the crowd, filling the streets with laughter. You passed a large pack of sheep in a fenced in area and you could’ve teared up right then. That’s what you always wanted. To live in the country, in a large farmhouse with your little sheep farm to keep you company.

You took your eyes off that and noticed all the different vegetable gardens, the bustling community that surrounded you. And there was electricity. Every single house or building you took in had bright lights gleaming from their windows. This almost felt homey, somewhere where you could settle down peacefully. Fuck. You really made it.

As you passed a country style house on the corner of the street, you ended up in the middle of a crowd. You pulled on the reins and froze when you saw him. Tommy. His dark long hair was slicked back, away from his brown eyes. He had on a jean jacket, blue jeans and black boots. He was up on a platform helping someone mount a sign on a tall building.

You jumped off Shimmer and walked to the middle of the street in a trance like state, pushing away a man you almost bumped into. “Tommy!” Your voice came out scratchy, desperate as it rang through the center of town.

Tommy looked up and found you in the middle of the crowd fast. His jaw fell open, and he looked like whatever he was seeing couldn’t be real. You couldn’t be real, but you were here. You made it. “Joel?”

He dropped the screwdriver that was in his hand as it went crashing down to the ground, leaving the man he was helping alone to get the job done by himself. Tommy jumped down the metal stairs and ran to you, clearing his path as he pushed past the women and men that stood in his way.

He knocked all his weight into you, embracing you in a tight hug as his arms crushed against you. “Joel Miller, my long lost big brother, holy shit! I can’t believe it.”

A cold teardrop escaped your eyes as it fell on his jean jacket. You were so overwhelmed with emotions you couldn’t quite contain yourself. You didn’t realize how much you had missed your brother until you were standing back in front of him. It was so surreal, almost like this wasn’t really happening.

“It’s been a long time, Tommy.” Your throat was all choked up, but you spit the words out all while trying to hold back tears.

“You’re damn right it has. I can’t even tell you how many years it’s been now. Too long.” He released you from his tight grip and pulled back, his hands braced on your shoulders. “Let me take a good look at you.” He took a long glance at you as he took in all your features, his brown eyes hazy. “You haven’t changed much except you’re old now. And you look like shit.”

You hit him playfully in the arm as you shot back, “Shut up. That’s what happens when you’ve been fighting for your life in an apocalyptic world.”

“You know I’m just messing with you,” Tommy said as he hit you back just the same way. He looked past you at Shimmer, trying to weigh in on who the two new faces were that had followed you here. “And just who might these two be?” he asked as he nodded his head to Aly and Ellie, eyebrows raised in question.

“That’s Aly and Ellie, they’re with me.” They were watching the two of you carefully, listening in on the conversation. Not wanting to miss the big reunion with your brother.

“Ain’t that something. Well, come on. You must be starving. Let me show y’all to the bar. Seth’s got some real nice chicken stew cooking in the kitchen right now. I’ll get you some drinks too.”

“That’d be great. Thanks, Tommy.” Your stomach had been growling ever since this morning. You were ready to devour anything you could get your hands on. You motioned Aly and Ellie forward, and they jumped down from Shimmer, coming over to join you.

“I’ll have Maria take your things and get you all settled. We have an empty house right now with your name on it. It’s yours, if you want it.”

“A house? With electricity? Fuck yeah!” Ellie shouted with excitement.

You gave her a warning glare, telling her to tone it down. “That one’s got a mouth on her I see,” Tommy laughed. “She your daughter?” he asked with questions filling his eyes.

“No!” The word left you fast. Your voice coming out bitter and harsh.

“Could’ve fooled me. She’s got your same mannerisms.”

“No, she does not,” you snarled.

“Whoa, cool it. It was just an assessment. Chill out.”

You gulped back any other words you were about to spit out. He didn’t mean anything by it. He just wanted to know if she was yours. Hell, he hadn’t seen you in over a decade so how would he know if you had a daughter or not? He was just trying to get to know you again. You needed to calm down. But she was not your daughter, period.

“Hey Jerry, why don’t you take their horse to the stables and fix her up with a good meal and some water? Make sure she fits right in with the other horses,” Tommy yelled across the way as a man with a blue cap and long winter coat nodded his head and hurried over. He came over fast and led Shimmer into the direction of the stables, Maria coming to take your things.

“Well come on now, follow me,” Tommy said as he led the three of you through town. The streets were still crowded, different faces staring and gawking at the newcomers in town. You glanced at a few of them as you passed them by, but you mostly kept your sights on Tommy.

“This place is so big,” Aly stammered as she looked around the busy town, walking right next to you.

“It sure is. Me and Maria helped build this place. I guess you could say it’s our community. We wanted somewhere safe where people could live out their lives peacefully, without fear. We wanted something special, so we made it,” Tommy said with pride showing on his face.

“You and Maria, are you two together?” Aly asked shyly.

“We’re married. She’s my other half, so yes, we are.” That’s when you saw the shining golden band wrapped around his finger on his left hand.

Your eyes went wide. You hadn’t expected Tommy to be married. It was actually shocking, but you accepted it. She seemed like a reasonable woman with a head on her shoulders. “How long?” you asked as you followed behind him.

“A couple years. It was a long time coming, but I knew pretty quick she was the one. I’ve known her for years. Just took me a little longer to make it official.”

“Well…Congrats, little brother.” You patted him hard on the back, your strong grip dipping into his jean jacket.

“Thank you, Joel. Means a lot coming from you.” He looked back at you with a gleam in his eye, nodding his head to you. You nodded back in return.

After a couple of minutes of walking you came upon a large bar. The outside was made from wood, double barn-like doors were open in the front, and a large sign that said Tipsy Bison was lit up. You could smell the stench of whiskey from the entry way as the inside was packed with people.

“Welcome to the Tipsy Bison, one of my favorite places in the town. It’s open pretty much 24/7, and there’s a hot meal anytime you need one. If you ever just need a place to chill out then this is the place. It’s very homey here, people are real friendly. But come on, there’s a table in the corner open. Follow me.”

The three of you followed after him, winding through the crowd and white wooden tables. People were chattering amongst themselves, and there were families sitting together. Two men at the bar were throwing back shots and coursing with laughter, their faces bright red from the alcohol and jokes. You could get used to this. It was so much different than the Boston QZ, more relaxed, calm, no FEDRA around. There was peace, finally.

Behind the bar stood a man busy pouring drinks for customers and chatting with two noisy men that sat on high top bar stools. The bar top was made of dark wood and behind it sat a large collection of different bottles of alcohol. A wide mirror sat behind the bottles, reflecting just how busy the bar was in its image.

In the middle of the building sat a sweeping wooden floor that could be used to hold dances or big events. Dim lights hung low from the ceiling, lighting up every dark corner of the bar. You couldn’t quite wrap your head around just how grand this place was. What Tommy had built. Your little brother, quite the handyman. You had taught him well.

“Tommy, this is really something. You built this place?” You were impressed. Actually, you were more than impressed. You were hanging in a daze.

“All from scratch.” He gave you a wink as he sat down at an empty table in the corner. You, Aly and Ellie sat down across from him.

“I’m impressed.”

Tommy gave you a smile before yelling at the man behind the bar. “Seth, have someone bring us some waters and soup. We’ve got some special guests with us tonight.” Seth called out to someone in the back of the bar, and they went back into the kitchen area, preparing to bring out a meal.

An older woman with a red apron around her waist brought out some waters and passed them around, smiling at us one by one. “Who’s this, Tommy?”

“This here is Joel, my brother. And this is Aly and Ellie.”

“So nice to have you all here, especially you, Joel. Welcome. My name’s Kathryn. Holler if you need me anytime. I’m always here.” You nodded your head in thanks as she turned to attend another table.

Tommy took a large drink from his cup and then looked over at Aly. Questions about to slip from his mouth. “So, Aly is it? How long you been traveling with my brother?” He watched her carefully, eyes focused on hers.

She took a sip of her water and then set the glass back on the table, hand staying around the bottom of the rim. “Close to two months now.”

“And where did you two happen to meet?”

“The Boston QZ.”

“Ahh. So you finally got out of there. They just let you out willingly?” He was looking at you now, waiting for more information.

“Not exactly…”

“Joel snuck us out one night. We barely got past FEDRA, but we made it,” Aly finished your sentence for you, thankfully.

“You two just get sick of the place or what?” Tommy asked as he took another swig of water, leaning back against the chair.

“Something like that,” you mumbled.

“What was your reasoning for leaving?” he asked as he sat forward, elbows on the table.

“I got sick of the FEDRA bullshit and the smuggling. I had enough, but my main intention was to go find you,” you said carefully, looking up into his honed in eyes.

Tommy sat there for a minute, clasping his hands together as he brought them up and rested them under his chin. “After all this time you decided to come find me…how’d you do it? We didn’t exactly keep in contact…” His voice went silent after the last word, eyes looking sad. Regret clear on his face.

“We traveled to Salt Lake City, hoping to find you there, but all we found were the fireflies and Marlene.”

“Marlene? Hell, I haven’t talked to her in years. She told you I was here?”

“Mhm. Might’ve been harder to find you if we didn’t run into Maria and your pack of men first.”

“I see…”

“What happened between you and the fireflies, Tommy?”

He gulped back a breath before answering. “Just didn’t really agree with all their morals. It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later, alright?”

“Alright..”

Kathryn came back with a tray filled with bowls of steaming chicken stew with spoons in each dish. “Dinner is served, eat up. There’s plenty to go around,” she said as she passed out a bowl to each of you, placing it in front of you. Everyone said their thanks as she turned around and walked off in the opposite direction, going to pick up empty plates and cups on the table next to you.

“Dig in, it’s the best soup in town,” Tommy smiled as he scooped up a large spoonful and placed it in his mouth, chasing the bite down with his glass of water. “Delicious,” he said as he licked his lips clean.

You picked up your spoon and scooped up some broth and chicken and brought it up to your mouth, swallowing fast. It was hot, fresh and smelled amazing. The flavor was rich and tasted better than it looked.

Ellie was on your left side shoving spoonful after spoonful in her mouth, barely coming up for air. “Slow down, you’re not a dog,” you warned her, an annoyed tone ringing in your voice as you shook your head.

“Shit, I’m sorry but this is really good!” she said excitedly as she shoved another bite down her throat.

“Just slow down, alright? Don’t need you getting all choked up.” Tommy was watching the two of you carefully, crossing his arms as he leaned back to inspect. “What?” you asked annoyed.

“Nothing, just…nothing.” He smiled again, looking like he wanted to say something else. You swear if he said anything about her being your daughter again you were gonna throw something.

“How’d you come across this girl anyways?”

You thought for a few seconds before speaking, not wanting to say anything about the fireflies or how she had ended up in the middle of nowhere. “Found her on her own back in Utah. Thought I’d get her to safety.”

He raised an eyebrow and watched your features to see if they’d change. To see if you were lying, but he let it pass. “You’re telling me you just helped her for no reason?” he questioned.

“That’s what I’m saying, Tommy. Now drop it.” Your voice was deeper, your eyes slightly narrowing. That was a warning on its own, and Tommy got the message. He looked like he wanted to argue and say something back, but he kept it to himself.

“Alright, I believe you.” He took another good look between you and Ellie and then turned to Aly. “You two must’ve gone through hell going all the way across the damn map to get here.”

“You have no idea…” Aly answered with her gaze down, eyes fixed on the glass of water in front of her, fingers lightly skimming the damp glass.

She looked like she was lost in her thoughts, thinking back to the hell she went through back in Colorado. You could see it in her worried blue eyes. The ghost of the past reflecting in her vision.

You reached out your hand and placed it on top of hers, pulling her fingers from the cup and breaking the spell she was under. She broke her stare and looked up at you, her aura automatically calming. “You good?” you asked with worried eyes.

“Mhm,” she nodded up at you as she relaxed her raised shoulders.

Tommy stared at the hand that was placed on Aly’s, a lightbulb forming in his head. “You two, are you dating?”

You ran your tongue over your teeth before you answered, not really wanting to go in deep on that conversation. “We’re together,” you confirmed, moving your thumb over the side of her smooth hand. You looked back at Aly and she was looking at you under long eyelashes, her smile forming dimples on the sides of her mouth. You smirked back, eyes beaming into her dark blues irises. Her smile took your breath away.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Tommy said as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Joel Miller, my big brother, has a lady? Shit. I never thought I’d live to see the day,” he said with a loud laugh as he shook his head again.

“What? Joel not the type to have girlfriends or something?” Aly asked with a confused look on her face.

“Joel definitely ain’t the type to have no women come knocking at his door. Oh no, he ain’t the type at all. It’s a miracle he pulled you. He’s always been such a hard ass. I didn’t know there was even a single affectionate bone in his body.”

“Shut up, Tommy.” You shot daggers at him, telling him to stop.

“What? I’m just amazed, that's all. You’re not exactly a ray of sunshine to be around. You know damn well that I’m right.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, now shut the hell up.” The hard line on your face broke as Tommy laughed again. Without thinking you let out a small laugh as you looked at your brother. God you missed this. Missed having him around.

“Cut him some slack. He’s not so bad,” Aly cut in as she smiled up at you while leaning against your arm on the table. You gave her a quick squeeze to the hand as you went back to finishing the bowl of warm soup.

“I missed you, Joel. It’s good to have you back,” Tommy said with watering eyes, tears right on the verge of breaking.

“So did I, Tommy. So did I.”

He quickly wiped his eyes as Maria waltzed into the bar, stopping at your table. “You guys ready to go see the house?”

“You all must be exhausted. I’ll let Maria take you to the house and get you settled. Take a long shower, Joel. You look like shit,” Tommy laughed.

“Watch it tough guy,” you glazed over him, pointing your finger in his direction.

“I’ll see y’all tomorrow. Get some good rest.”

“See ya tomorrow!” Ellie yelled.

“Nice meeting you, Aly. I look forward to getting to know you better,” Tommy said with a small smile.

Aly smiled shyly and nodded in his direction. “It was good meeting you too. See you tomorrow.”

Before you could step far, Tommy pulled you back away from the others. “Meet me here tomorrow morning. Doesn’t matter what time. I’ll be around. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. And come alone. It’d be nice to just have the two of us talk things out. I know we didn’t exactly leave things on good terms.”

Your face went grave as you tightened your jaw. You knew you had to tie up old loose ends, you just weren’t prepared for that talk. “We definitely didn’t end on good terms, but I’ll be here. We’ll talk. I’ll see you tomorrow, Tommy.” You gave him a strong pat on the back before you turned and joined the others outside the bar.

“This way, I’ll show you the house,” Maria said cheerfully as she led you down the busy street. You passed multiple houses of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some were larger than others, some were built newer than the next house over, but they were all standing. All seemed like a decent house to stay in.

Maria took a sharp turn left and walked right up to a big white two story house. You could tell it was one of the newer ones and it was huge. There was a wrap-around porch that stood in front with a hanging swing and brown wooden railings with three sloping stairs that led to the front door.

She opened the screen door and then unlocked the sturdy dark brown door that had a small fiberglass window design at the top. If the sun was shining through it’d probably make wall designs on the inside that’d turn to rainbows with the sunset.

You stepped inside the house and it was even better than you could’ve imagined. As soon as you walked in you came to a large living room area with a grey sectional sofa that backed up to the ivory wall.

In the next room was a big, open kitchen with a wide butcher block countertop that was light in color. A small wooden table sat in the corner of the room along with some dark dining room chairs. A refrigerator that was working was in the left hand corner of the room, and on the back countertop sat a black coffee maker. Your eyes went wide at the sight. A real coffee maker? Was this really happening?

Maria laughed when she saw the way you were staring. “Tommy told me how much you loved coffee. Up in the top cabinet is everything you’ll need to make some fresh pots. There’s some things stocked in the refrigerator as well along with silverware in the drawers.”

“How is this even possible?” you asked amazed.

“We have a way of getting resources. Ellie, there’s a room down here for you. Right in the next room. Here, let me show you.” She walked off with Ellie and gave her a tour.

“Wow my own room, and there’s fresh clothes and my own bathroom? This is sick!” You could hear her excitement all the way in the kitchen. You shook your head and laughed lightly.

“This is unbelievable,” Aly said in wonder as she took a few steps and circled the room. “This isn’t like any of the QZs. This actually feels like a real home. What is this place…” She was lost in awe, not believing what she stepped into.

“Definitely better than the QZ,” you agreed.

Maria came back out with Ellie. You caught the last of whatever discussion they were having. “If you like horses so much then why don’t you meet me in the morning at the stables? One of our horses just had a baby foal earlier this week. You could help me out, and maybe I could introduce you to some of the community kids? I think you’d like Jesse and Dina, they’re around your age.”

“Hell yeah, I’ll be there!” Ellie jumped with excitement as she turned to you. “You hear that, Joel? I get to help with the horses!” She was buzzing with energy as she came over and tugged on your sleeve.

“Whoa now, calm down. You’re gonna scare all the horses with that kind of energy.” You tugged your sleeve back as she released her grip on you.

“You’re right. Sorry, I’m just really excited. This is all just so cool.”

You held back a smile and tried to show restraint. No breaking in front of Ellie. You had to not show too much interest. You didn’t need her getting close to you. Besides, she was only supposed to be cargo. Right? But the lines were getting blurred. Maybe you’d let her stay just a little while longer with you and Aly. Maybe just maybe…

Maria interrupted your chaotic thoughts. “I’ll show you two your room upstairs. Follow me.” She turned back to Ellie before climbing the staircase. “I’ll see you bright and early, right?”

“Yes, ma’am! I’m gonna go wash up in the bathroom, but I’ll see you later. I can’t wait!” She left the room with a huge grin on her face as she slammed the door tight to the bathroom next to her room.

“I already like that one. She’s a cute kid. Definitely has a lot of energy. And that mouth of hers, she knows how to use her words alright. You raise her like that?”

You stopped on the wooden step you were on and it squeaked when you came to a halt. Your hand was tight on the wooden railing as you felt your fingers dig into the smooth edges. “She’s not mine. I didn’t raise her.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I just assumed she was yours. She’s a lot like you it seems.”

She wasn’t like you. There was no way in hell. You didn’t see it, you couldn’t. Even if there were parts of her that reminded you of yourself, you blocked them out. You weren’t gonna get close to this girl. You refused. You already lost Sarah, you wouldn’t lose another little girl.

“We found her in Utah out in the middle of nowhere. We were just helping her, but she’s staying with us for the meantime,” Aly said quickly.

“Poor thing. Well, I’m glad you two are helping her. She’s a good kid. Seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders. Anyways, come on. Let me show you where you’ll be staying.”

You dropped the subject and followed after Maria and Aly. When you got up to the second level you turned the corner and came into a master bedroom with a bathroom attached to it. The room was huge. There were luminous, long windows in the corner that overlooked the front yard. A giant oak tree could be seen right outside the window. Long white lace curtains were hung over the windows to keep the sun from beaming in when it was morning time.

A king sized bed lay in the middle of the room with made up clean sheets and a cotton comforter laying over the bed with two fluffy pillows that sat at the top. A bedside lamp was turned on beside it, and a good sized walk in closet sat next to the bathroom.

“There’s some clean sets of clothes for you two in the closet. I’d say at least a week or more worth of clothes. You can bring me your dirty clothes tomorrow, and we’ll get them all washed for you. Let me show you the bathroom, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”

She led you two into the bathroom, and a low whistle escaped your lips. There was a large white acrylic hourglass shaped bathtub that was attached to the shower. The shower walls were coated in white marble and the side of the bathtub had full containers of shampoo and soap, along with washcloths and towels hanging over the edge. The bathtub was so big that two people could practically lay down in it and still have room to move around.

There was a double sink vanity with lights that surrounded the wide mirror, and next to that sat a fully functioning toilet. “Well, this is it. It’s all yours for however long you plan to stay. I’ll let you two get settled and get some sleep.”

“Maria, thank you. This is all wonderful. I can’t thank you enough.” Aly grabbed ahold of Maria’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze, showing her appreciation.

“Don’t mention it. It’s the least we can do. It’s not every day Tommy’s brother shows up with company. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She gave Aly a tight smile and started walking out of the bathroom.

“Aly, go ahead and shower first. I’m gonna walk Maria out,” you said as you stepped out of the bathroom.

“Alright. See you tomorrow, Maria!”

Maria waved as she walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. You followed Maria down the stairs and stopped her before she reached the front door.

“Maria, thank you so much. We really appreciate this.”

“Really, Joel, it’s my pleasure. You know Tommy talked about you a lot ever since I met him a few years ago. He really has missed you.”

“Really?” Honestly you were shocked. You thought Tommy hated you.

Her face got serious as her lip curled. “Look, I know you two had a falling out, but this is your chance to make it right.”

You clenched your jaw and nodded. “That’s what I plan to do. I came back to make things right with my brother, so don’t worry.”

“Oh, good. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Joel. Goodnight.”

With that she walked out the door with the screen door shutting behind her as she disappeared down the street. A pile of orange and yellow leaves sat in the front yard as the swing on the porch swayed back and forth in the wind. You could get used to this and quick.

You closed the front door up and headed for the couch, collapsing down onto soft velvety material. You leaned your head back and closed your eyes, finally able to rest a little.

The silence didn’t last long as Ellie came barreling out of the bathroom in a set of purple pajamas along with fuzzy blue socks. She made her way to the couch and jumped on it, making your head jolt against the back of the wall.

“Ellie, be careful!”

“Sorry, did I wake you? I thought you were awake.”

“Barely,” you growled. “Why don’t you go lay down? You must be tired.”

“I mean I guess I am. I was just seeing what you were up to,” she said as she adjusted her position on the couch, grabbing a small pillow and hugging it against her as she sunk into the corner of the couch.

“I was trying to relax,” you huffed out.

“Right. Well always, do you like dinosaurs?”

“What?” Dinosaurs? What was she asking such a silly question for?

“The question was simple. Do you like dinosaurs?”

“They’re alright.”

“I think they’re incredible. I once read a book that showed all about how they used to roam the earth and how T-Rexes were pretty much rulers of the land.”

“That’s nice, I guess, Ellie.”

“My favorite dinosaur is in fact a T-Rex. Wouldn’t that be awesome to see one in person?” she asked as excitement filled her green eyes as she stared up at the ceiling lost in thought.

You couldn’t help but smile at her in that moment. Damn kid telling you about dinosaurs. You shook your head as you let out a big yawn, rubbing your eyes to stay awake.

“You gonna make it back upstairs old man?” Ellie asked as a giggle left her lips when you looked over at her.

“This old man is going to go upstairs to shower and go to bed. I suggest you get to bed as well.” With that you got up and walked up to the staircase. Before you walked back up Ellie stopped you.

“Goodnight, Joel. See you in the morning.”

You turned to look at her as she got up from the couch and headed to her room, lightly closing the door behind her.

“Night, kid,” you whispered behind the closed doors. You heard Aly shuffling around upstairs, so you made your way back up. When you opened the door and stepped into the bedroom, you saw Aly brushing her wet hair in the bathroom mirror.

She had on clean clothes that Maria had given us. You walked over to the bathroom and stood in the open door, hanging on the side as you took in Aly’s image. She was wearing a pink tank top and matching pajama shorts that were laced with a pink bow, keeping them secured to her curvy hips.

Your eyes traced down her long legs as they seemed to glow from the bathroom lighting. Those legs could stop a whole crowd in the middle of a busy, crowded hallway. They were so long…so toned. You could get lost in those legs, your hands running up and down until you couldn’t contain yourself anymore.

Aly caught you staring. She was looking back at you through the mirror as she continued to pull the brush through her long locks. You couldn’t quite tell what was going on in the look she was giving you, but you knew you had been caught red handed staring. You could’ve sworn you saw a smirk play at the corners of her mouth, but maybe you were just imagining things. You were exhausted and needed rest, but first you needed a shower.

“What?” she asked with a smile as she continued staring at you.

“Nothing. Just…you’re beautiful.”

She put down her brush on the sink and turned around to face you, making her way over to you slowly. She placed a hand softly behind your neck as she came dangerously close to your lips.

“You’re sweet.” She leaned in and gave you a quick kiss on the lips, digging her fingers into the hair that stood on the back of your neck.

You wanted to stay right here disappearing into her kiss, but sleep was trying to take over fast so you pulled away. “As much as I’d like to stay right here, I really need to shower. I don’t think my eyes will stay open much longer,” you yawned as you pushed away from her and grabbed some clean clothes from the closet. You settled on a plain white t-shirt and some green plaid pajama bottoms. A pair of black briefs sat in a pile that was made for you. It’d be so nice to have some actual clean clothes on for a change.

“Enjoy the shower. It’s heavenly,” she said with a sing song lull to her voice and a big smile forming on her lips.

“Oh, I’m sure it will be.” You gave her a quick smile as you closed the bathroom door behind you.

You turned the water on high and stripped down, stepping over the tub and into the shower. The water was hot and felt perfect against your dirt encased skin. You let the water run over you as you lathered up some soap on the washcloth, quickly washing from your head to your toes. Making sure every part of you was clean and spotless.

You stayed in there for probably half an hour as you were enjoying the way the water was making your body relax. You were almost dozing as you closed your eyes and leaned back against the marble wall.

You finally decided to get out as you cut the water off and dried off with the burgundy towel. You quickly got dressed and brushed your teeth in the sink, almost ready to get to bed.

As soon as you cut the lights off and opened the bathroom door, you walked over to the bed and collapsed with a thump on the left side of the cloud like mattress. You were completely worn out, feeling like a truck had just run over you.

Aly rolled over and looked at you, her hand brushing back your greying locks of hair that fell to the side. “You’re completely wrecked,” she said with concerned eyes as she ran her hands through your hair. It felt so damn good that she could put you to sleep if she kept doing that.

“I am beyond tired, but keep doing that and I’ll be asleep in no time.” You closed your eyes and soaked in her touch as her fingers continued to rub against the sensitive parts on the top of your head. She was hitting all the right spots as a slight groan left your mouth.

“I’ll do it all night long if you want me to,” she said in a quiet voice. As nice as that sounded, you wanted her in your arms.

“I can think of something a little better than that.” You grabbed her and scooped her up against your chest, sliding your arms around her waist as she let out a squeal.

“Now this is more I like it,” you breathed into her ear as you rested your head on the crook of her shoulder.

“Mmmmm yeah, I’d say I like this better too.”

“Good cause I’m not letting you go.” You hugged her tighter as she brought the blanket up around you, snuggling deep inside the warmth.

“I could get used to this. Sleeping in a comfortable bed with you right next to me. This is…perfect,” Aly said with bliss filling her voice.

“Well, get used to it cause I don’t plan on going anywhere else anytime soon.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

You found one of her hands as you entangled your fingers through hers. You were fading fast, sleep almost consuming you. “Night, baby. Sweet dreams,” you said with a deep sleepy tone.

“Night, Joel.” You closed your eyes and it didn’t take long for the darkness to take you. Less than a minute and then you were out like a lightbulb.

Chapter 25

Series Masterlist

[shadyhouse]

hey guys, i hate having to do this all the time but im scary broke again 😞 i've been applying to jobs all week, i even applied to a temp agency, but i havent had any luck with work... i havent gotten a commission in over two weeks now, probably because it's con season, so i've been barely scraping by. i'm trans and i have no family to help me out so i'm trying to survive on my own pretty much

i just woke up this text and im freaking out. i have bills coming up, and i only have $4 in my bank account. i need to start paying next month's bills in a week!! hopefully i can score a project with the temp agency soon but it doesn't seem likely so far

i'm still applying to jobs but since i can only get jobs on my bus route i have to find things in my area which has been difficult. i've been working on commissions daily and trying to get through my queue as fast as i can.

if anyone wants to help me at all, i'd really appreciate it... anything at all helps. i'm open for commissions too! my turnaround time is 1-2 months depending on complexity. you can see my art here https://furaffinity.net/user/shadyhouse (warning: most of what i make is nsfw, please only commission me if youre 18+)

if you want to just donate and help me out, even a couple of dollars will help me, you can send it here

paypal.me/bewearrr

venmo: @tobias_leviathan

ko-fi.com/shadyhouse

otherwise, i'd really appreciate reblogs 🙏 please don't feel obligated to donate if you cant afford to, i'd like for you to be able to survive as well!

thank you for reading this far, i'm sorry i have to do this all the time, i really wish it wasn't the case. i'll update if things start to look up for me

[originemesis]

@deathinfeathers xxx

"Are you going to keep rubbing that shit in my face for the rest of our brimstone besprinkled lives? I wasn't hunting you down! You were dead!! I was hunting down the bitch who I assumed was wearing your GODDAMNED GRUB EATEN SKIN!!" It sounds significantly more deranged when you say it out loud, doesn't it? But it seemed reasonable enough of an assumption at the time. More reasonable than the notion that he'd survived the pygmy slut's assault and crawled off to suck on some flat-faced degenerate plutocrat in a shitty suit anyhow. "And for your information--" There she goes, swinging her legs over the lip of the sill she'd been riveted to for the past five hours and taking to her feet. An accusatory finger is jabbed in his direction like the business end of a blessed spear. She presses onwards. "--he was actually pretty torn up about the whole ordeal!" Torn up about how torn up she was, rather, but torn up all the same. Of course that had changed when the true extent of his dirty dealings had come to light...at this point in time she wouldn't put it past Michael to do a little celebratory jig if he did manage to relieve Adam of his head. God, his fatalistic frame of mind is infuriating. She wants to fight, make no mistake about that. She wants the catharsis that always accompanies a good ol' noisy squabble, it never lasts but it feels good in the moment; a release. But she wants to feel bad afterwards, because she was unduly cruel, maybe stew in it for an hour or two before the compulsion to apologize takes the reigns and she drags her feet over to do just that. Apoligize. And when she has said her sorries, and he has said his, then she wants everything to be alright again. To bid adieu to another shitty ass day, crawl under the sheets and fall asleep to the smell of his skin, the sound of his breathing, the feeling of his warmth seeping into her flesh... She wants to fight—but it's all so exhausting. That scornful digit falls from the air to hang limply at her side like a popped balloon, before she has a chance to prod at his chest with it. "Adam—" A breath squeezed through pinched lips, she turns to hunch over the kitchen counter, elbows on the edge, head planted firmly in the cradle of her palms. "—can you please—please try to work with me here. Or, alternatively, tell me to fuck off if that's what you'd prefer...to go back to whatever life and identity you've carved out for yourself here? I will. I'll leave you be if you tell me to...I'll handle Michael, he's not going to be a persistent hurdle to you...but I need to hear you say it...if you don't want me around i need you to tell me—right now."

"I JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE 'THAT BITCH'- in case you forgot!? Like shit, Lute! I mean, I appreciate the sentiment and all, but you really couldn't recognize me? MY helmet at least stayed the fucking same!" Unlike hers...her whole being, really. He's still not sure what sorts of angel steroids that Sera could have sprinkled her with, but the evidence of a promotion that never was supposed to come to pass under his leadership was evident even now without all the frills of a uniform in place. Granted, he was never supposed to end up face first in a used condom filled ditch in hell either, so maybe she was on to something... grotesque as she had to put it- like always.

Sending a still sore about it scowl over towards her perch, it's with a lesson learned back pivot that he slides the hulking weight of his frame back onto a heel as she jabs at him. Her angelic weapon might not be out for another branding round, but he'd had enough of an encounter with it skinning the neck flap of his helmet that even the gesture of a spear had his remaining feathers fluffed in alarm. "Please- it's not like you're obligated to pat my ass down here. We both know he could give zero fucks with that mic-ropenis of his." No, he wasn't against making Mic-centric jokes still. If anything, they helped smooth his feathers down as he paced the length of the apartment under her unrelenting gaze. Considering he's all she has left now up behind the big, pearly-gates, the late Commander's not sure she'll share in his cathartic name calling, but it can't hurt that its brought his voice down a couple of octaves and the weight of his gaze light enough to swivel up under heavy lashes to listlessly consider her next round of tumultuous tweets.

"Babe—?"

He huffs back before she can project more of what he can only assume is more of her frustrations with the situation-... with him. Her complaints don't fall on deaf ears, though the hints of hell-grown feathers near where the tufts of his hair and the tops of his lobes meet flare backwards as if to cover them or at least filter the tone of her request until it convinced him to ride the long, hissing exhale of his lungs to a patch of level ground between them- mainly the counter top. Tucking in beside her, he propped his chin up on a palm and a fanned set of talons while the golden pinpricks in his toasted gaze swiveled sideways to regard her the way an entirely too tired cat might observe a bird through a bay window. "I didn't carve shit, y'know? I never wanted you to have to be around me like...well-" Gaze dropping to study the curves of the set of claws he rested upon the counter in front of him, he curled their tips under the harmless ends of hell-charred knuckles and sighed. "-like this...zero dick energy disaster." A light shuffle of his weight from one shoulder to the one closest to her indicated he still felt some magnetism to her despite the shame-riddled sentiment. "But that never changed the fact that I needed you...that I don't know how to even be without you. All this life you say I carved? Was just me clawing the fuck out of everything just to keep my head above the surface of this complete and utter shit show!"

With a dropped sigh, he scooted the balled up fist over to where she'd tucked her head. A light press of knuckles against the side of her cheek coaxed another cautious rumble out of his chest. "You gotta understand- I been through this before. Always falling short of what they wanted...expected. Ending up alone. I can't handle it again- not with you. Because unlike my previous 'tasks' from heaven, I actually chose this. I chose YOU...so I can't be here when you decide this-" A soft grunt aimed down at himself and the flick of a tail as it coiled around his calf signaled his unease, but he shook at it like a wet dog. "-was never what you wanted in the end."

With a shift, he swiveled on the barstool to face inwards, cheek still propped precariously in his palm as he addressed her with a strained frown, lips a twitch from parting into a puff. "Because I-...fucking hell, Lute..." Thoughts of her perched in his lap with clumsy fingers lingering over the notes on an old bass he'd insisted on showing her coaxed the lightest quirk to the corner of his mouth, his eyes flashing with the sentiment his lips seemed hung on.

I fucking love you. "...don't leave."

[milkberryroll]

in a heartbeat.

She wants to blame herself for making him worried sick, for this. But, if he knew, he'd tell her she's the pot calling the kettle black.

also in AO3

Two gunshots ring in the middle of the night in Karakura. Hitsugaya Toshiro closes his eyes and accepts his fate.

Silence follows.

When he opens his eyes, expecting a bullet to hit him, he sees Kuchiki Rukia, gun in hand, and the shooter down, bullet to and through his skull. And his partner, in a sea of scarlet, holding him down to the ground.

The eerie tranquil is torn by a flurry of voices, panic and chaos.

"Officer down! Send an ambulance here to Mashiba Sakurabashi Intersection, near the middle school! Hurry!"

Toshiro becomes painfully aware of the blood soaking into his clothes, his hands painted red, and his partner's weakening grip on his shirt wth every passing second.

Applying pressure on her back, where the bullet came in, he tries to staunch the bleeding. It's working, barely.

"Kurosaki, you can't die on me. I've got you. Hold on. Please."

He thinks she shouldn't be this weak, her hands shouldn't feel this cold, and she shouldn't be dying here, in his arms, because he was about to get shot.

He shouldn't have had to see Karin, red spilling from her back like a waterfall, unable to breathe — bullet hitting lung, hitting her.

She shouldn't have gotten in the line of fire just to shield him from a bullet.

It should've been him.

Kurosaki Karin tries to reassure him, tell him she's fine. But her body betrays her, and everytime she opens her mouth to speak, she loses more air and blood.

The whole time he's waiting for an ambulance, he feels like it's torture.

//

She survives. But the doctors say she's lost too much blood. They don't know when she'll wake up, or if she'll be herself when she does.

It's a waiting game.

Yuzu places snapdragons in the vase of Karin's room. She says it's to give her room some color, and as a symbol of strength, much like her dear Karin.

Isshin and Ichigo arrange and rearrange the room, only allowed due to their connection to the hospital director. Karin can't have her room looking too plain, too sad, the two men say.

He asks Yuzu if he could do something, anything, to help. To make his sin lighter. He can't keep standing on one corner, doing nothing, again.

She tells him it's fine, and he needs to rest too. He needs to get a doctor's evaluation, too. He's got wounds and bruises, too. But he knows, she can only keep straining a smile for long. The dark circles under her eyes suggest everything else but fine.

All he wants is to apologize. To Yuzu, her brother, and father. Maybe they could ask him to pay for damages, at least.

Instead, Isshin invites him out of the room for a cigarette. He refuses the nicotine stick, but obliges to his offer for a walk.

"My daughter being someone who could sacrifice to save someone dear to her, son, it makes me proud. You shouldn't feel any guilt." Isshin tells Toshiro, gaze piercing, bringing him back to when he was a new officer under the older man's captaincy. Funny how the man has been retired for years and himself, now a lieutenant, yet the thought of him as his higher up feels as right as before.

"But, Sir, I—. I am to blame for this. No one else. It's only right that you do."

"Why would I? Even if I wanted to, I know Karin herself wouldn't.” Isshin takes a drag of his cigarette, lets the smoke fill his lungs, and lets it out.

Her family doesn't blame him. He wishes they did.

//

Toshiro types away forms after forms, fills paperwork after paperwork in his office desk. Stares at his computer monitor until his eyes water in retaliation.

His chief, Shunsui, delegates him to desk work. Says he's not fit for his usual suspect searching, criminal chasing work. He thinks its funny — he's not the one who got shot, and he's fine.

Much unlike Karin.

Breaking his thoughts, Rukia plops down a mug of warm, black coffee, along an egg and vegetable sandwich, beside his hand. Another one to the growing collection on his desk.

She knows she can't keep on feeding into his coffee binging, but he doesn't need berating now.

"That's with one sugar. Drink up."

"How'd you know?" He takes a sip, silently thanking the younger Kuchiki, soon to be Kurosaki, courtesy of Ichigo.

"Karin's mentioned it in passing before. Never thought her stories about you would come in handy." Rukia chuckles, while gathering her things, calling it a day.

She takes a glance at the younger man, looking tired and soulless. He's been working for 72 hours straight, only taking bathroom and coffee breaks. He looks. Unkempt.

"I'll visit her on the weekend." Toshiro says after a brief moment of silence.

"Sure, I'll tell Ichigo. You two should get some proper meals together. Please. Both of you need to eat." She taps on his shoulder to say goodbye.

"Oh, and. Take a rest. She wouldn't want to see you like this."

His hands stop moving. She leaves without him saying a word.

//

It takes months before she manages to open her eyes.

The first thing she sees is white. The walls, the ceiling, the gown she'd wearing, the blanket on her.

His hair. His lashes. His hands on hers. Pale, she notes.

Him.

Move, her brain commands her hand and all she manages was a twitch of a finger.

He doesn't miss it.

Scrambling, Toshiro immediately stands up, making sure she's awake, alive. She's alive.

"Kurosaki?" He calls her.

She manages to croak out his name, voice like sand and throat scratchy from disuse.

It's the happiest he's felt in weeks.

//

"You look. Disheveled." Karin comments.

"It's an image change." He strikes back, smirking. An attempt to keep himself from tearing up.

She laughs.

He's scared he's almost gotten used to him talking all by himself. Only her breaths and the beeping of the machine monitors greeting him back.

He's missed this — her candid quips, their banter. He's glad he can hear her now.

She coughs and chokes on her own saliva from laughing after weeks of disuse. He more than gladly fetches her a glass of water. She drinks it up like its her saving grace.

"Thanks, Toshiro." She places the glass on the desk beside her, watching as Toshiro sits on the chair beside her bed.

"I should be the one thanking you." He says as he helps Karin sit back down on the inclined bed.

"What for?"

"Saving me."

"I only did what I had to do, Toshiro. It's nothing special."

He places a hand on her hers. She feels it trembling.

"I... was scared to lose you, Kurosaki. You could've —" It dissolves in his throat, her and that word in the same sentence just doesn't sit right with him.

"Died?" She finishes it for him.

He takes her into his embrace, and suddenly all feels right in the world.

She's here, she's alright.

He nods in confirmation, and buries his head in the bend between her neck and shoulder.

Her chest tightens, and her breathing quickens. Her wounds ache, but she pays it no mind.

"I know." She squeezes him back, accepts and receives him.

I'm still here. She leaves them unsaid, and rubs circles on his back for comfort.

Toshiro mumbles words of apology with his lips grazing her skin. She ignores the feeling of warmth spreading on her neck and asks him why.

"You're here because of me. It should've been me."

Karin breaks herself free from his hold, and grabs his collar, pulling him close.

"You weren't the one who shot me, Hitsugaya Toshiro. So shut up, and listen to me."

She holds his face and seizes his lips with her own, chapped as they were.

He doesn't hate it.

"I did it not only because I had to. I wanted to, Toshiro. My only thought was to protect you." She says after she breaks the kiss. Toshiro immediately misses the feel of her mouth on his.

“And I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.” She caresses his face and smiles at him, driving her point home.

Toshiro dives in to take a taste of her lips again, vowing himself to her, from this point on. He feels whole, like she was the missing piece to his self and he can never let go.

He holds her in his arms tighter, and listens to her little noises as she tries to breath with her mouth locked with his, and their tongues tangled.

He has half a mind to stop with his ministrations, reminding himself his partner is currently in recovery. He very much wishes she was in perfect health, though.

He settles for a hug, with her head on his chest. She clutches onto him like a lifeline, trying to hide the rouge warmth of her face.

With her in his nuzzle, she notices how much thinner he's gotten. She wants to blame herself for making him worried sick, for this. But, if he knew, he'd tell her she's the pot calling the kettle black.

"Do not do this again, Toshiro. Stop blaming yourself. No one would want to see you beat yourself over this."

Not me.

"Don't hope for a repeat of this, Kurosaki. Just stay alive."

Please.

Karin only smiles at him without a word, despite waves crashing on rocks — his eyes locked onto hers, pleading, asking.

She doesn't make promises she's not sure she can keep, after all.

[rotpretty]

(Not an ask, just some appreciation)

Today for sending kind anons to jirais everyday till Christmas I’ve chosen you, decaying corpse (in a not mean way) (I mean the thing said ask the corpse) I hope this doesn’t bother you, and feel no obligation to respond in any way. You haven’t posted in a while (don’t feel forced to! Please. Sorry this is very annoying) and mayhaps I wanted you to have something nice to see in case you just generally haven’t been online. People will always love you regardless <3 I hope that doesn’t sound creepy either-

Uh you’re a real one, one of the realest jirais I’ve seen. I think you’re so strong for going through everything and surviving goddamn, I hope you think so too. It’s silly because I really can’t help with anything and I doubt that makes anything better uh. I like that you come out and say things, like your post about messy jirais, I hope you can tell how many people feel heard and reassured by that. I’m gonna pray that men and anyone else stops bothering you [i do a little jirai salute] [amd then start praying]

I really like that you listed your likes in your pinned not enough people do that (this is very helpful for the advent jirai) (thank you) also your blog has stood out and been in my mind specially which like, in a community of people who all understandably like similar looking things, it’s good that I can pick you out (it’s mostly me being stupid and not looking hard enough) (that wasn’t really a good enough compliment) well I don’t wanna make anything look forced so I’ll relay the truths again:

Keep going, you’re an inspiration and I really mean that. I hope this could make you smile. I was also gonna recommend you listen to nashimoto ui (realest vocaloid producer, you specifically again made me think of them and I really really like them so that’s high praise to you) but eh I don’t really mind. It’s also very kind of you to like little bugs that’s very thoughtful I could never. Look after yourself where possible, because god it’s hard to do that. This was the advent jirai, and you are my favourite rotting corpse.

This is such a sweet thing to come back to after being offline for so long, thank you so much! Idk who you are anon, but I wanna thank you even more than I possibly can with words!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, life got really tough so it's hard to be online! But this makes me wanna post more again

[toxetta]

sesbian lex

(is it someth to do w arcane??? The hot woman and the other hot woman?)

You’re incredible, a household jirai name, iconic, me fr, funny, in a funny way (good. Confusing! Impressive, I like it v much.), I’ll send some much better attention eventually, I’m already late today (excuse excuse excuse) so here, I’ll give you perfectly sweet dreams about cute Pokémon or any good-likeable-favourite Pokémon and lots of skittles. I do that sometimes dw abt it. I’m the advent jirai, I send love to a different random jirai every day of December until Christmas and will reveal my identity on Christmas Eve, though at this point I’d rather again next year oh I’d love to do it forever so maybe I’ll stay anonymous. Idk, what do you think, if you think anything particular about it. I love being anon, the jirai community needs a great, exciting, not harmful in any way mystery. And a mystery secret Santa is fitting imo. Like a serial killer but not about killing. Ah, And I wanna give out more dreams now that I’ve decided I can do that. Unfortunately, most dreams are forgotten, like people, so you won’t remember it but know I did and that you were extremely happy and all those good feelings are still possible for you. It’s also your reminder to sleep.

There’s a few Pokémon that give you dreams I bet. See I’m on topic. Anyway. Manifesting for you rn. Thanks for your peak mood posts, humour, and general safe space for nerds like myself. Again, I’ll send some better, more thought out and researched love next year if I survive. You REALKY deserve the most like seriously I really like your blog. And there’s never any obligation to interact or respond to any of my anons if you don’t want to.

<3

waaahhh sorry i meant to respond earlier but i completely forgor lol

that's a lot of praise, i rlly rlly appreciate all of that💛💛!! musharna is a pokémon that gives people dreams, so maybe i'll dream abt them tonight (sorry special interest mentioned lol). if you ever want to send more attention i'd love that, but don't feel you have to if you don't want. ^-^

if you decide to reveal yourself christmas eve, i'd love to be moots if we aren't already so i can send you attention back, cuz you seem really cool advent jirai, whoever you may be. and if you do that you can still send asks around next year on or off anon, love is always appreciated (⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ

i really like this idea of a mystery jirai secret santa btw, very creative /gen. whether you decide to reveal yourself or not, i hope to see more of you next year and i hope you enjoy your christmas!! <3

[aphroditelovesu]

I hope it’s okay to ask , but what do you think about a baby reader being the surviving twin of baby Baelon? It would probably be another reason for Viserys to remarry as the small council believes the baby needs a mother. It would make the greens and the blacks equally overprotective of baby- for team black it’s the last living piece of Aemma. However Team green would view baby as their child/grandchild , after all , Alicent was the only mother baby have ever known.

I love it when you guys send me concepts, so don't worry, it's always a pleasure to read what you think!! ❤️❤️❤️👏👏

Both Aemma and little Baelon died, but you lived, the surviving twin of Viserys's son and your father would not let anything happen to you. You are the last thing that has left of Viserys's beloved wife and the little baby, so you can be sure nothing will happen to you.

Viserys didn't want to marry again, that was very obvious to everyone, he loved Aemma deeply and couldn't imagine marrying again, but he was a King and he had obligations to fulfill whether he liked it or not. He also understood that you needed a mother, but he couldn't imagine you having a mother other than Aemma. Your older sister, Rhaenyra, was the one who helped take care of you the most. At first she was concerned of the idea, but she grew to love her younger sibiling very much and she felt more and more possessive of you. Why would you need a mother, no, a stepmother when you already had her and Viserys in your life?

Everyone thought that the chosen one would be Laena, but it was Alicent instead. Rhaenyra felt betrayed by her father and her best friend, but she still had you and would make sure not to let anyone turn you against her. Alicent felt distressed at first, she helped take care of you, she genuinely liked you a lot, maybe a little too much, but she didn't want to ruin her friendship with Rhaenyra but couldn't help but feel happy at the idea of ​​being your mother. She would love you so much. I can see her and the Greens, especially Otto, trying to convince you that she really is your mother, not Aemma as others say. Alicent was the only mother you've ever known, so if it weren't for Rhaenyra and Viserys, you'd really think she was your real mother.

Otto sees you as his grandchild, his beloved and precious grandchild, and depending on the extent of your bond, I can see him supporting your claim to the Iron Throne, regardless of your gender, he can override Rhaenyra and Aegon to place you on the Throne. You may not be of his blood, but you were raised by his family, you share the same values, and you would be a perfect ruler with him by your side. Don't get him wrong, he loves you more than anything and would do anything for you, but he's still an ambitious man and always will be, but maybe, just this time, he'll be willing to back you up to become the next King/Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

For The Blacks, you must be cared for and protected at all costs. You're the only thing left of Aemma and they won't let anything happen to you. Rhaenyra loves you very much, although at first she was worried and apprehensive about the idea of ​​having a sibling, she has grown to love you so much that she would do anything to ensure your happiness. Viserys is your father and he favors you above everyone and everything, he loves you very much and is always worrying about you and is totally against the idea of ​​you leaving his side. He can't risk losing you, not the way he lost your twin brother and mother.

Both sides will fight over you a lot. Alicent wants you with her, because she's your mother, and mothers should never be separated from their children, right? Viserys will agree to this, as he agrees that you must remain with him in King's Landing, where he knows you will be safe. Rhaenyra wants to get your attention and maybe take you to Dragonstone with her, which will cause a lot of conflict between her, Alicent, Otto and Viserys.

Nothing else will matter than you. Once you survived the deaths of your mother and brother, you became a source of possessiveness, overprotection, and unhealthy love. Everything will be put to the test for you and your yan!family is never willing to let you go.

You belong to them and will always have.

~ Lady L

[mischiefmanaged71]

The Great War (3/10)

Summary: After landing in a place he has no idea about, Tom comes across someone who can finally help him get back to Manchester

Pairing: Tom Bennett x fem! reader

The sun dipped through the window, dressing the room in its warm glow. Tom relaxed against his pillow, wondering when he would get out of this place. Each day he spent here was another test of his patience given the ever-growing threat of the Nazi occupation. He stared at the ceiling with a blank expression, anxiety stirring in his chest. Doctor O’Connor laid on the bed opposite while the blood transfusion took place. He had hoped Y/N would continue her daily visits, her conversation and presence being one of the few comforting things in this distressing situation. 

Tom admitted he was out of his depths here. A British soldier in a German-occupied country. In these circumstances, it wasn’t expected that any British persons would be shown mercy with the lines drawn in this war, should he be caught. Tom was anything if not determined to leave as Doctor O’Connor explained the plan they devised.

“You register as an injured prisoner of war.” Doctor O’Conner said.

“Then what?” Tom asked

“You die.” his voice deadpanned.

Tom fell silent, glancing over at the man with an astonished look, “Well, I hate to be picky. This will work will it?” 

“You’ll know before I do. We’ve never actually tried before.”

An exasperated laugh escaped Tom’s mouth as he sighed, turning away from the man. “Great.”

The sound of approaching footsteps caused his head to turn. Y/N approached, dressed in a coat and pants, aside from her usual nurse's gown. Tom’s eyebrows raised at her attire, comforted at her soft smile. 

“How are we today?” She directed this at Tom.

“He’s fine. I, however, am ready to leave his presence.” Doctor remarked, earning a chuckle from the woman. She held Tom’s gaze, checking with him. An apologetic look as she awaited an answer.

“Doin’ okay.”  her heart clenched at the defeat in his tone.

She nodded, glancing between the men, “Did I interrupt something?”

“Nothing-Doctor here was just telling me-”

Doctor O’Connor shushed him, sending Y/N an exasperated look as she helped him remove the needle from his arm. A nurse passed the group, interrupting the conversation to escort the Doctor away. Y/N fixed her eyes on Tom, recognising a hopeless look behind his facade of calm. She took a seat on the bed opposite his.

“I’m sorry I’ve been absent these past days.” bringing his eyes to her’s, “I’ve been trying to sort some things out that took longer than I expected.”

“It’s alright, love. Not like your obligated to keep in my company.”

“I didn’t want you to think I just left.”

Something twisted in his chest, unfamiliar with this feeling of want aside from the devotion of family. Outside that, Tom had always felt alone. 

“I’ve come to understand that feeling. People move in and out of your life. How things are.”

She bit her lip, understanding that feeling all too well with how all her loved ones had turned and left at one point. Many of them taken from her in the depths of war and internal battles. He watched her clasp her hands, pondering over thoughts. 

“Why did you serve in the first place?” she posed the question.

“The truth?” he exhaled, drawing his hands to his chest. “I’m always in trouble and it finally caught up to me.” he exhaled, “It was either this or a permanent spot in a cell for something petty. And I...”

“And...”

“Well, I understand I was wrong about some things.” Tom swallowed, “The things I saw, well- I’d rather not see it again.”

“If I’ve learned anything recently its that conflict, it brings out a new side in people. You’ll find new parts of yourself to use to survive.” she said.

Tom reflected on that moment on the beach. When the bullet tore through his shoulder, the blood spilling from his wound. The dizzying impact of his head cracking against the ground, and feeling this overwhelming crash of thoughts. What ifs? What had he done with his short life that had just started? His thoughts had darted to his dad and Lois. All of the things he had wished to tell them. How much he appreciated and loved them both. All of the unsaid words that he wouldn’t get to tell them if he died on that shore.

“I’m sure he’s proud of you.” she said, noticing his distant eyes, “Your father.”

“Don’t know what he thinks half of the time.” Tom shook his head. “I’m sure him and Lois are glad to have the breathing room.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” she smiled warmly, “There are many words left unsaid between family. In my experience...best to not leave them unsaid.”

Tom glanced at her expectantly as she bent down and grasped the bag on the floor. A bag was placed between them, though Y/N held onto it with hesitance. 

“What’s the bag for?”

“For you.”

His eyebrows perked up in slight surprise, “What’s inside?”

“You’ll have to open it.” 

***

“What the fuck is this outfit?” his Manchester accent coming across strong in his exasperated tone.

“Something wrong?” she smirked, finding amusement in his response.

“I look ridiculous.”

Y/N had her back turned to him as he changed. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you are making it out.”

The sound of his shoes stepping closer caused her to turn, glancing at Tom in his clean clothes that she brought. He looked perfectly fine in them. Clean and simple, which is precisely what she was aiming for. It was a mixture of beige and green. He certainly did not look bad in the outfit. He could probably make anything look good with his looks.

“They’re simple and plain. They don’t stand out which won’t separate you from the rest.” she confirmed, stepping closer to tug the collar up and flatten it down. She felt Tom’s gaze on her as she adjusted it, averting her eyes.

“Now the only thing separating you is your accent.”

“So...” he looked down at her, “keep my mouth shut.”

“You’re learning.” she quipped with a smile, the charming smile she received almost leaving her breathless. Y/N grabbed the bag from the floor, bringing Tom’s attention to it with a confused glance.

“What’s that one for?”

“This one’s mine.” she pulled the bag over her shoulders.

“What’d you need that for?” his face twisted in confusion.

“Well I can’t exactly make the trip without supplies.” she replied.

His face softened, “You’re serious?”

“I know we haven’t known each other for more than a few days-so, yes. I’m very serious.”

“It’ll be dangerous. More than I can ask of you.” he breathed.

“I’m a nurse in a war zone. I’m no stranger to it. You need a way out, and I speak the language. I’ve lived here my whole life. If you have any chance of getting out of here, it’s with my help.”

“But why?” his voice cutting through the air.

Now she was the one dumbfounded as she stared at him, “What?”

“Why would you help me?”

She wet her lips, stepping closer to him “I understand the risks and I’m going with you.”

“It could get you killed if we’re caught. You realise that?”

“Yes, but someone has to make the trip. If this route works, then many others can leave too. I know what I’m doing. Do you trust me?”

A moment of silence passed as he studied her expression, his blue eyes glossing over her features.

His warm breath brushed against her cheek, “Guess I’ll have to.”

“It certainly won’t be easy and...” she paused, a flush running over her cheeks.  She pulled something from her pocket, the sound of something clicking against each other as she held open her hand.

“You proposing already, love? I’m flattered, but its a bit soon isn’t it?” as she held out the rings in her palm. Her face flushed at the comment, forcing herself to remain neutral at his flirtatious smile.

“This was the only option I could think of to disguise you. I know it’s a bit uncomfortable, but-”

“Who said there was a problem? You can do whatever you like, love.” he had this enchanting effect with his words and his smile that caused her to flush.

She shook her head, grabbing his hand. “You are now my husband, and I, your wife. Hopefully we won’t be pulled aside, if all goes as planned. That is our cover.” slipping the band on his ring finger.

He leaned forward, meeting her gaze, their lips inches apart, “And in the case that doesn’t work?”

“Plan B.” she said, gripping onto the straps of her bag.

“What’s that?”

She remained silent, leaving the room.

“It’s not very nice to leave your husband behind. You’re not gonna answer my questions?”

Y/N sighed, licking her lips. This would not be an easy trip. Certainly with the way that man sent butterflies soaring in her stomach.

“Plan B is exactly that. An alternative that I’d rather not have to use.” she absolved, looking up at him who stared at her with a teasing smile.

“And you’re not gonna let me into it?”

“Not here.” she began walking, allowing him to walk beside her “First, we make it through the city without being spotted. We’ll meet a correspondent who can get us to the next spot. From there, we’ll be on our own.”

“And you’re sure about this?” he asked, glancing at the bands on their hands, “What are the odds we actually make it to the border?”

“There aren’t many other options, so I’ll guess we’ll have to try.” 

TAGS

@pearlstiare @dothrckis @aemonds-sapphire @xcharlottemikaelsonx @amnesiiiac @khaleesihavilliard @filipinamultifandom​ @padfooteyes​ @aemondsvhagar @batsyforyou @yentroucnagol @darkarya964 @cl-0-vr @viviartsy

[silverbladexyz]

Feel free to ignore my ask if you end up getting overwhelmed with requests. I demand that you prioritize your health and wellbeing over anything else I request!

So, I’ve been in the mood for love triangles recently, particularly Soukoku x reader or Fyodor x reader x Dazai (cuz I love their competitive nature over things they mutually care about) however, let’s make the reader naive and oblivious to a lot of what goes on around them so whenever the two people from whichever threesome you pick to write are competing behind their back or even in front of the reader, they’re just like, “hey Dazai, isn’t the sunset super pretty today?” And if it’s not too much to ask, could we make the reader have epilepsy who gets embarrassed every time they have a seizure in public or end up causing trouble for other people with their disorder? (Message me if you need details on what it’s like if you don’t know) but like, I always see anxiety, depression, bad thoughts, and that kind of stuff, but not once have I come across an epileptic reader before so as someone with incurable epilepsy, it would be nice to read at least one

Again, don’t feel obligated to write this request if it’s too difficult or it makes you uncomfortable or especially if it takes a toll on you health. Stay healthy and take care of yourself!

Shadowww!! Welcome back, and ofc I'm perfectly happy to write this for you ^-^ This is Dazai and Chuuya with reader btw

The image does not belong to me. It belongs to it's original owner.

TW: Threats, mentions of death, Soukoku being competitive idiots

Dazai and Chuuya in love with reader

-So I think that you would know them both back when Dazai was still in the Port Mafia, and still continued to keep in contact up to the present time

-You were just a normal civilian, however, you had somehow managed to befriend and even catch the eye of two particular hot men. And when they both figured out that the other had feelings for you, oh boy did the drama escalate x10

-Basically they would be bickering and throwing insults at each other a lot more, and sometimes it might even have ended up in Chuuya beating up Dazai if it weren’t for your intervention. It still doesn’t stop them from sending death glares at each other though, and anybody could literally feel the death vibes emitting from the both of them

-Even though they were both fighting over you, they had a mutual agreement to work together to protect you from any dangers. Many times you had survived countless incidents because of Dazai’s swift brain and Chuuya’s extraordinary ability to fight

-But what was so frustrating was your obliviousness and your naive personality. Dazai could be outright telling you that he loved you while Chuuya would bring you to all these fancy places as an indirect message of his feelings towards you, however, you had always brushed it off and thanked them, saying ‘you’re such a good friend’. Both are ready to shoot themselves if they get friendzoned one more time (lmao dw they won’t)

-However, the first time you had a seizure in a public place, both stopped their bickering at once. Dazai helped you to get into a position that wouldn’t put you at any risk of harming yourself, while Chuuya did call for medical help/got your medicines for you. They were confused on why you were embarrassed about your epilepsy, but when they learned the reason, nobody is going to get away with making fun of you, or even staring for a second too long in public

-If anyone dares to make fun of you or bully you for your epilepsy... don’t forget that there is an ex-mafia executive with his former partner who wouldn’t hesitate to do unspeakable things for you. That person would consider themselves lucky if they weren't already given a warning by a certain bandaged detective

-I feel like they would learn more about epilepsy and what to do, so that the next time you had a seizure, they would know what to do. It still doesn’t stop them from bickering on who gets to roll you into the recovery position though... but these bickers are normally very short because their number one priority is to help you

-Dazai would verbally cheer you up whenever you were feeling down, and Chuuya will buy you nice things and take you to beautiful places to help you feel better. Both are trying so hard to tell you how much they love you without directly saying it because of social anxiety actually it’s fear of rejection and losing to the other person

-However, there are a few moments where they both finally get along, and it is when they see you gazing at something with clear admiration in your eyes. Normally it’s the pretty sunset, and both finally shut up because they don’t want to ruin the moment for you. The air is finally peaceful for once

-But don’t think you’ll be in peace for too long. Some time or later, they’re both going to confess to you, and you’ll have to choose which one you’ll accept into your life romantically

-Or just reject both of them and slay as a single pringle 💅 slay with me bestie xD

@sariel626 @pixyys @pianotross @the-mourning-stars @nekokinax @yuugen-benni @xxelfmamaxx @lakeside-paradise @catzlivedforbsd

[queeniecook]

March 22 - Part 2

By the time James made it upstairs, he could hear the heated discussion between the Vatore’s and his reluctant host.

Caleb Vatore eerily smiles at James. He wants nothing more than to drain James dry, something he hasn’t felt the urge to do in years. He had left his pregnant wife at their home, following her wishes. At least she isn’t alone but Caleb isn’t sure Vera will forgive him this time. It’s mostly his fault, he realizes. He should have told her about Inna. It’s not the first time he’s withheld the truth from Vera.

“If I were alive, I’m sure I’d have a massive headache from listening to the three of you bicker.” Lilith says, rubbing her forehead in irritation.

Caleb and James ignore her for the most part, as males often do until there’s an outburst of anger or upset.

“It was not my idea to host James and his crew of misfits.” The Count states for the record, glancing briefly at Lilith. So brief the normal human eye would miss it but Lilith saw it.

“I actually believe that.” Caleb states. He is not a fan of the Count but he knows diabolical vampire doesn’t care for company in his home.

James rolls his eyes and shakes his head, sending a glare at Vladislaus who ignores the warlock.

“I would like to speak to James. Alone.” Caleb tells his sister and the master of the estate.

“Oh yes, that’s a great idea.” Lilith sasses. More out of worry than anything. If something goes down, it’d be her and her brother versus James, Liberty and Asa. She wasn’t sure if Straud would stay out of it or join the others so his Mansion didn’t get wrecked. She’d like to think that maybe he’d alley with them due to their past.

“It will be okay, Lilith. Do not worry.” Caleb assures her, flashing his fangs briefly at James.

After his sister and the Count leave the room, Caleb turns to James. “I bet you are pleased with yourself.”

“Just a little bit.” James admits with a small smirk.

“I assume I do not get to talk to Liberty about all of this.” Caleb states, staring down the warlock by him. He really does want to speak to Liberty to try to work out everything. He feels awful for what she’s endured that he’s not even mad at her for bringing up Inna.

“That’s her choice actually, believe it or not. She’s had a lot of anger towards you for a long time.” James tells him honestly. Something he doesn’t always do.

“Whose fault is that, really? Yes, I am responsible for biting her. For almost killing her. You are the one who hid her away!” Caleb started his sentence calm but was furious by the end of it. Things would have been different if he had known Liberty had survived, albeit as a vampire.

“She didn’t want to see you. Then we fell in love.” James tells Caleb. Granted it was only for a few years. Then she wanted to kill Caleb. Feelings did develop between himself and Liberty. Are all they all based on truths? “Besides, if you had known about her. How different would things have been? Are you really going to stand there and tell me you would have loved her? Married her? Be with her now? Then Vera would be married to Dakota and having his child. Not yours.”

That stopped Caleb from saying anything else. Deep down, he knows he would have tried to be with Liberty out of obligation but once he met Vera he wouldn’t have been able to stay away from her. He would have hurt Liberty again.

Meanwhile…..

“It’s been awhile since you’ve been here.” Vladislaus Straud comments, with what passes for a smile coming from him, sitting in his favorite place. In front of his pipe organ.

“You don’t exactly call and invite me over, Vlad.” Lilith counters.

He doesn’t respond at first, he plays a few keys instead. “You wouldn’t want to now. You have Jackson.”

“Jealous?” Lilith questions him.

“Jealousy is not a suit I wear, Miss Vatore.” Count Straud tells her before turning his attention to his pipe organ. Caleb calls for Lilith to leave with him as Vladislaus plays a haunting melody. One of the ones he plays the best.

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Crimson Ties (Bela Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 3

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for language Warnings: Typical Vampire shenanigans + mentions of animal death Genre: Hurt + comfort Summary: Time to meet the family! What exactly has Cassandra told her mother? Can Bela convince her family to calm the hell down? We'll find out! Spoiler: there's the start of a cute date afterwards Notes: Once more we visit Bela's private study, which I first described in a chapter of Serenade. Added a few more details this time. PS reader is probably low-key a theater nerd with a hint of a goth phase, just saying. Also this chap is a little short, sorry. Previous Chapters: 1: Stem the Flow, 2: Tangled Strands

3: Rumbling Thunder

Heart racing, you step into the dining room, just behind Bela. Both of you are nervous, but find comfort in each other. Still, what you see upon entering only makes you feel worse. At the head of a large table stands none other than Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. Besides her is her middle daughter, the one who confronted you earlier, who sends you a knowing smirk as you walk in. Lady Dimitrescu, on the other hand, is scowling. Her eyes are squinted in a clear display of disapproval. If not for Bela’s hand squeezing your own, it was likely that you would have fainted from fear.

“I see Cassandra has wasted no time in spreading rumors,” Bela said bitterly. You’re amazed by her ability to stand tall in the face of her family’s tension. Yet there was a part of you that wondered if you were worth the struggle, at least for your soulmate. Thankfully, you are not given much time to ponder the thought. No, you’re being pulled towards the closest side of the tabe, guided next to an ornate seat. Neither Bela nor yourself sit yet, however. “Please, mother, do not be hasty to make your judgement. I promise that-”

“Do not presume to tell me of my own business, daughter. The timing of my judgement is my prerogative, not yours,” Lady Dimitrescu interrupted, staring right at you. A shiver runs down your spine at the eye contact. What did Cassandra say to her? You wonder, struggling to breathe past the lump in your throat. Even Bela becomes visibly nervous at the interaction. “Now… are you certain, without a doubt, that this is your soulmate?” Did she really even have to ask? What were the chances that Bela would save you, one person out of at least a dozen in the cellar, for any other reason? Still, your soulmate straightens up at the attention, and replies as confidently as possible.

“Yes, of course, mother. I would not dare risk your anger for any lesser reason,” Bela assured. Then she gives your hand another soft squeeze, before pulling hers back a little, catching the thread that bound you together with her fingers. Lifting it, she tugs it somewhat absentmindedly. Out of habit you immediately return the action. Unfortunately, those around you would be unable to see the display. For all they knew, the two of you could be faking it, simply attempting to get out of the situation unscathed. Surprisingly though, you see Alcina hesitate. Her left hand twitches as if she was thinking of her own red string. Has she ever met her partner? Did she know the pure joy that her daughter had so recently felt?... Maybe she’d be more sympathetic to your situation if she had.

“We will see if your defiance pans out in time, Bela. For now… Why don’t we hear what your pet has to say about themselves, hmm?” Lady Dimitrescu suggested, giving a somewhat devious smile. Next to you, Bela grimaces, then sends you a pleading look. Alas, you cannot read her mind, and can only guess as to how you’re supposed to respond. Bowing is a sign of respect in virtually all cultures, you think, probably a good place to start.

“It is an immeasurable pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Lady Dimitrescu,” you said, before giving your full name. Then you rise from your bow, once more making eye contact. Out of the corner of your vision you see Cassandra rolling her eyes. “I know that I am a mere human, and hardly the epitome of a prime specimen. But I am determined to prove my worth, for there is no prize on this earth more grand than being allowed to love Lady Bela. Every ounce of my willpower is prepared to devote myself to this task, entirely, so that I may give Lady Bela the courtship and happiness that she is deserving. It is both an obligation and an honor.” Hopefully your soulmate wouldn’t mind you using the same line twice, at least under these circumstances.

In the seconds that follow, several things happen: One, you see Cassandra frown a little, and refuse to look in your direction. Two, Lady Dimitrescu makes a surprised face, but quickly shifts into an expression of satisfaction. Thirdly, Bela’s hand finds your own again, giving it an incredibly soft squeeze. Last but not least… someone you haven’t seen before enters the room. She has red hair, a green pendant around her neck, and eyes that light up with curiosity when she sees you. If you had to guess, you’d assume that she was another one of Bela’s sisters. Here’s hoping she’s a tad bit friendlier, you think.

“Did I miss anything? Ooh, please tell me we’re having this lovely stranger for breakfast?” She asked, grinning maniacally. So much for being friendlier, you think, figuring that she was being literal. Based on the way Bela tenses up in response, you’re probably right. Before she can protest, however, Lady Dimitrescu clears her throat and speaks.

“Ah, Daniela… This stranger-” she says the word with far less venom than you anticipated, but it is venom nonetheless- “is your dear sister’s soulmate. We will not be draining them of blood. Again. Assuming that they behave themselves. Is that clear?” She asked, staring down at the newcomer. There’s a slight pause, tension still lingering in the air, followed by a sigh of relief from Bela. Much to your surprise, neither Cassandra nor Daniela seem particularly upset by this announcement. In fact, the latter simply shrugs and takes her seat at the table. Next thing you know everyone else is sitting as well, including Bela, who gestures for you to follow suit. “I’ll have one of the servants fetch you some more… appropriate food. Cynthia, my dear?” Soon enough a maiden, perhaps a decade or two older than yourself, hurriedly enters the room. With a bow, she addresses Alcina.

“Yes, Lady Dimitrescu?”

“Have Miss Bouregard make an extra plate of whatever it is you sort eat, and bring it here. We have an… unexpected guest,” Alcina explained. At that, Cynthia glances at you, her eyes briefly widening in surprise. Without another word she turns away, giving another bow before heading away to fulfill her task. Once more you’re the only human in the room. Oddly enough, you manage to feel quite at ease, as if surviving one round was enough to guarantee you’d win the overall game. Well, at the very least you now had a chance. Regardless of what was to come, you were glad for that, for this opportunity to be with your soulmate. At the end of the day… little else mattered to you.

———————————

Much to your relief, the rest of breakfast proceeded smoothly. Conversation was sparse, with most of it being hushed whispers from the other side of the table, but you hardly minded. Normally you would find it rude. Now, you were simply pleased that they weren’t being up front with their hostility. More so, it allowed you and Bela to have your own conversation, which mainly pertained to your plans for the day. Several times during your discussion, a glance elsewhere would show you that Alcina was paying attention. Exactly once you even saw her attempting to hide a smile. A sense of pride had swelled in your chest at the sight.

It has remained there, even until now, as you move into Bela’s private study. One quick survey of the room tells you a thousand things about your soulmate. For starters, it’s clear that she’s musically inclined. There’s a harp in one corner, adjacent to a folded music stand, as well as a small bookshelf dedicated entirely to sheet music. A couple medium sized instrument cases are nearby, but you don’t immediately recognize their shape. Further into the room is a rather old looking desk, slightly worn, yet clearly cared for. Possibly passed down the generations? Next to the desk is a massive window with a couple spare chairs. All across the walls were bookshelves and mementos, including several skulls (at least one of them human). Every book you looked over appeared to be well read, with many bookmarks inside, some held together by tape and prayers.

“This… this is sublime, my darling. I could rest here for a month and hardly finish cherishing half the space!” You said, grinning at your soulmate. She’s equally pleased, seeming a tad relieved as well. Perhaps she had worried you’d be thrown off by the skulls? Wanting to reassure her, you approach that particular shelf, examining them closely. However, you do not touch them, not wanting to risk damaging her collection. “Truly marvellous. Dare I ask where you got these specimens?” It’s a joke, but Bela stiffens nonetheless, making you quickly redact your statement. “My apologies, I meant it as a jest. Though you are welcome to tell me more about them if you so desire! I will listen with rapt attention, I promise.”

“Most of them are gifts from Cassandra. During the summers we hunt, her more so than Daniela or myself. I… dislike wasting anything, and there’s only so much to be done with most bones. They have quite a few ornamental uses, however. Useful for study, as well,” Bela mentioned, smiling softly. Then she moves to stand next to you, carefully reaching to grab one of the skulls. “This was from one of our hounds, actually. I raised her from puppy to adult, took her on every hunt, even let her sleep in my quarters on colder nights. When she got sick I…” A pause, mouth open but unmoving, eyes slipping shut. “I couldn’t bring myself to put her down. Even argued with my mother, night after night, begging for another choice. None came, of course, and in the end even I could not deny her the softest embrace of death… Still, you must think me strange, to keep such a thing as a reminder of her.”

“Not at all, my dear. We all remember, and grieve, in our own ways. I’ve often found myself intrigued by skulls, of all sorts,” you admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck with your hand. “All we are, our minds or mayhap our souls, contained in one hard shell. It’s incredible, and terrifying, all at the same time, to hold one in my hands, or even merely examine one. Oh, what stories these bones could tell, if only they could talk… Though I suppose there are entire fields of science devoted to such a thought…” With that said, you look back at Bela just in time to see her staring fondly at the canine skull. Then she places it back on its perch, dusting her hands off afterwards, taking one last moment to appreciate her collection.

“I’m glad you and I agree on this,” she said softly. Once more she’s looking at you, smiling wide. “Now let’s make memories of our own, to hold in our bones forevermore, yes?”