#and Lucy is with Lightning Strike

[coockie8]

I might have missed this but who's Leah?

Nah, you didn't miss it, this is the first time I've mentioned her haha Dark Ace has kids with a bunch of people too

[nerianasims-pleasantview]

Aaron's personality: 2 neat, 1 outgoing, 6 active, 8 playful, 8 nice. Definitely not as talkative as Natali.

Iryna starts on Aaron's potty training. It'll likely take a while, considering he's as much of a slob as his father.

Beau: Yeah, when we had that bad stove in the trailer, we used to get fires sometimes. They were pretty easy to put out though.

Lucy: Our stove's never caught fire, I don't think.

But with them sitting outside in a storm like this, Lucy did get struck by lightning. I noticed what was going on and told someone to get them inside, but then I got distracted, and next thing I knew Lucy was charred and leaving the party.

Everyone else had fun though.

[sxrgeantbarnes]

"I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.” || prompt

@nctafraid​ (Tim)

He stares at the man for a long moment, seconds too long to be considered normal. He can feel his heart beat in his chest, would perhaps be able to hear it if his senses were able to focus on any one thing in particular. It’s panic, that’s what he’s feeling. The way the plates on his left arm shift and lock with a mechanical whirr under his camouflage sleeve only help affirm his self assessment. He’s panicking because he almost shoved a knife into the side of this man’s neck while the target he is trying to keep charmed is only a few feet away, speaking to a woman. He almost ruined an entire mission— he was too focused on analyzing if this woman was a threat, that he missed the sound of someone approaching him. There are multiple weapons on him, including his own hands, it’s a testament to his social training that this man is still standing in front of him. And a reminder of how quickly one knee jerk reaction can collapse everything and send him back to the chair. Or the chamber. 

Relief doesn’t hit him yet, however he’s aware of his outward appearance— there should be no signs he is anything more than calm and anything less than approachable. That is, of course, if he is performing correctly. “It’s fine. It’s not a problem.”

[peppermintquartz]

Tommy must have been staring at his phone for far too long, because Donato pounces on him (metaphorically) in the dining area.

"I go on leave for a week and you flew a chopper into a hurricane?" Donato exclaims, punching him in the bicep.

"Ow," Tommy says out of habit. "The hurricane was mostly over by then, actually."

Donato huffs. "The things you get up to without my calming influence, Kinard."

Putting down his phone, Tommy levels a stare at his friend. "Last I remember, you're the one who scaled a cliff sans harness to get to a scared kid."

"And got chewed up for it after," Donato says brightly, holding up a finger. Her voice drops. "Seriously though. What's the brass gonna do about you guys?"

"Hopefully? Nothing. There's enough positive publicity that's got Simpson off our asses, so I'm hoping it'll blow over."

"Melton says you might be grounded for some time."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Tommy sighs and leans back in his chair. "As long as I'm not fired, I'm ok with the consequences." His lips twitch into a smile. "You'd have liked it though. I got to land the bird on an upside down cruise ship, in a storm."

"Oh fuck you, Kinard, you lucky bastard." Donato grins, her blonde bob bouncing as she jumps to her feet. "You're buying me lunch, by the way."

"Why?"

"Because you love me," she says, laughing as she jogs off to bother someone else. "Mentaiko bowl, you know the one!"

Tommy shakes his head fondly. He didn't know what about him had attracted Lucy Donato's friendship, but her effervescent energy always brightens up his day.

Which still doesn't help with Tommy's dilemma, which is one leggy firefighter named Evan Buckley. His sunny demeanor and inexplicably funny chatter in the middle of a helicopter heist and dangerous rescue had helped Tommy stay focused on the task. Afterwards, on the return journey, Tommy, Howie, Hen, Athena and Bobby caught up with one another, and both Eddie and Evan had been there, joining in the conversation whenever they can.

Tommy hopes no one actually saw him staring at Evan most of the time. It helped that they had sat opposite each other, and Evan's eyes had been so, so blue, the color of a clear summer sky, and his smile radiant. Of course it was easy to get numbers from everyone then - Tommy needed to update the ones for Athena and Bobby, and he added Eddie Diaz and Evan Buckley into his contacts.

Eddie texted him the very next day asking if Tommy's up for a quick visit to the Diaz household, because his son Christopher wanted to meet the pilot who helped save Captain Nash, and Tommy decided that, heck it, he could do with some new friends, and went.

And for the next hour or so, he listened to Christopher wax rhapsodic about "my friend Buck", how brave and funny and clever Buck is, how selfless, how he rescued Chris during the tsunami, how good a friend he was, how he loved taking Chris to the zoo and built him a structure so that Chris could skateboard, how the lightning strike gave him insane math powers, how good a cook he is...

And the photos Chris shared about Evan all show Evan grinning happily, as if there's nothing else he'd rather be doing than be with Christopher and Eddie.

For a moment Tommy had thought that Eddie and Evan were an item, until Marisol showed up at the house and kissed Eddie in the kitchen. The relief Tommy felt is disproportionate to how much he knew Evan. Which is ridiculous - Evan might have a partner already, or might not be into men, and Evan hasn't ever texted Tommy yet. Eddie's already sending dozens of messages about the upcoming reunification fight.

The phone in Tommy's hands suddenly rings and he almost drops it in shock. Cursing, he quickly swipes up to answer. "Hello, this is Kinard."

"Oh, uh, hi Tommy. It's Evan. Buckley. E-Evan Buckley."

Tommy swallows his surprise even as a huge smile blossoms on his face. "Hey. I wasn't, um, expecting you to call."

Evan chuckles. Is that nervousness in his voice? "Listen. Um, I was, uh, I was wondering if you gave, like, tours? Of the station?"

Tommy's heart skips a beat. Does this mean Evan wants to transfer to Harbor? Then he realizes it's been too long since the question so he hastily says, "Yeah, yes. I could show you around, if you want."

It's a good thing he's not hooked up to anything measuring his pulse. Tommy thinks his heart may jump out of his chest.

On the other end of the line, Evan says, "Great! Uh, you-you have my number so. Text me possible dates and times to go over?"

"Sure," Tommy replies, his mouth dry. He thinks about fawn-colored hair, blue eyes, red lips. He swallows again. "See you soon, Evan."

"See you soon, Tommy."

[anna-the-undertaker]

The living room of the House of Lamentation was unusually quiet, which was never a good sign. MC stood in the center, their expression twisted in frustration as they paced back and forth like a caged animal. The brothers watched from a safe distance, sensing the impending explosion. This wasn’t the usual kind of annoyance, like when Levi hogged the Wi-Fi or Mammon tried to steal their snacks—no, this was something else entirely.

MC suddenly stopped pacing and threw their hands in the air, letting out a dramatic groan that echoed through the room. “You know what? I’ve figured it out! I know what God really wants, dammit!”

The brothers blinked in unison, caught off guard. Satan arched an eyebrow, while Mammon looked around nervously, as if expecting lightning to strike at any moment. Asmo, always the drama enthusiast, leaned in slightly, eager to hear what was coming next.

MC’s voice grew louder, filled with exasperation. “He wants me to kill my motherfucking self!”

There was a beat of stunned silence. Beelzebub paused mid-chew on a sandwich, while Leviathan’s game controller slipped from his hands. Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing, waiting to see where this outburst was headed.

“But the joke’s on him!” MC continued, their voice rising to a near-shout as they jabbed a finger toward the ceiling, as if personally challenging the heavens. “I ain’t gone give that motherfucker the satisfaction!”

A beat, and then…

“Wait, what?” Mammon blurted out, his confusion clear as day. “Did ya just—what? MC, what the hell are ya talkin’ about?”

MC threw their hands up in mock exasperation. “You heard me! If there’s some grand cosmic plan to mess with my life, well, guess what? I’m not playing along! God can take that idea and shove it right up his ass!”

Belphegor, who had been dozing on the couch, cracked one eye open and mumbled, “Pretty sure if anyone’s getting a rise out of this, it’s you.”

MC shot him a look, but there was no real heat behind it. “Yeah, well, maybe I’m tired of getting kicked around by fate, or destiny, or whatever cosmic nonsense is at work here. I mean, what’s next? A divine memo telling me I need to take up knitting to ‘fulfill my true purpose’?”

Leviathan finally recovered from his shock, picking up his controller again. “If God’s out here trying to troll you, then maybe you should just… uninstall?” he suggested weakly, half-joking.

MC’s laugh was more of a snort. “Right! And where’s the ‘leave game’ button, huh? You see it anywhere? Because I sure don’t!”

Asmodeus sidled closer, a playful smile on his lips. “Darling, if the universe really is conspiring against you, it’s doing a pretty terrible job. I mean, look at you—you’re still here, still fabulous, and still driving us all crazy in the best possible way.”

MC couldn’t help but grin at that. “Damn right. I’m not going anywhere. God’s got another thing coming if He thinks I’m checking out early.”

Lucifer, who had been silently observing the entire exchange, finally spoke, his tone dry. “While I appreciate your… spirited determination, perhaps it’s best not to challenge divine entities so casually.”

MC crossed their arms, smirking. “Let them try me, Luci. I’ve got an army of demons, an endless supply of sarcasm, and enough stubbornness to outlast eternity.”

Beel shrugged and resumed eating. “I’m just glad you’re not planning on going anywhere. We’d miss your cooking too much.”

There was a collective groan from the others, but it was clear that the tension had broken. MC’s outburst, as wild and over-the-top as it was, had become just another bizarre moment in their chaotic life with the brothers. And honestly? That was just fine with them.

With a final huff, MC plopped down on the couch beside Belphie, grabbing a pillow to squeeze. “You know what? Forget divine drama. I’m just gonna focus on what’s important—like how to get Mammon to finally pay back that money he owes me.”

“Hey, what the hell!” Mammon yelped, his face turning red. “I said I’m good for it!”

MC’s laughter echoed through the house, and the brothers joined in, the earlier tension now nothing but a distant memory. After all, when you’re living in the Devildom, sometimes the only way to deal with cosmic absurdity is with a good sense of humor—and a lot of sass.

[sunny-mercya]

Water Fright

Laxus Dreyar x Male Reader

Fandom -> Fairy Tail

Masterlist

Whenever it begun to rain—the droplets of water pitter-patter downwards from the dark stormy brewing cloud filled sky and splashing onto earth below and showering them with refreshment—you felt a sense of dread in your bones.

It wasn't really dread per se, but more a feeling of heavyweight—something which pulls you down and makes you want to stay in bed, curled up in the blankets, all day long—such kind of feeling it was.

Being at home or the Guild, you had long learned how to drown out the sound of rain—busying yourself with whatever you could find and sometimes you even would let the gramophone play, just to have something much pleasant to listen to.

Natsu—bless your brother for being out of the house before the rain even had started—despite being an cheerful, carefree and kind person would only have laughed at you, saying something like that you're just being sentimental again—and although Natsu knew the truth behind it, he only means it well.

»[Name]! I'm finished with folding laundry!« exclaimed Happy, flying out from the small room and over to you—saying his thanks, when you had giving him a treat for the well done job.

Since you're not an active guild member at the moment—besides the few occasional tag alongs with your brother—you're always glad whenever Happy, since you don't have an exceel Cat of your own, decides to stay with you behind and help you around with your tasks.

»Is this the new coat for Laxus-san?« Happy, after having munched his fish shaped snack treat—tasty treats, with real fish inside, which you had personally baked for him—settles down on your head and patting his paws on you.

»You think he will like it?«

»Yeah! This new coat looks so good!«

A small smile graced your lips—as you caressing over the smooth material, turning the coat over and looking at the stitched in, albeit clumsy from you, guild sign on the inside—truly hoping Laxus will like the gift, after all his old coat looked so scruffy and worn out nowadays.

In a few days—although sort of, as you're still not completely sure what relationship you have with Laxus now, because it wasn't neither exactly broken off but nor a stable one, more something like a hold off or short termed break—would be your fourth anniversary with Laxus and a coat is the only proper gift you could think of, which you knew he would like or being fond of.

You flinched—phantom jolts of pain chorusing through your hip and all the way up to your waist, leaving a uncomfortable ache behind to linger with soon blossoming pain—when thunder boomed and a strike of lightning flashed through the sky, making you reminiscing in the past memory of last year.

While it had been a year already since Laxus fall out with the Guild—the fights you had with him during that time and his excommunication—and even though all is being forgiven now, there are still things which can't be forgotten nor fixed with an simple apology.

Because getting electrocuted—marked forever with burning scars—by your own Boyfriend, then being thrown off a cliff, falling onto a small platform—dislocating and breaking your hips and leg in the process—falling into a river (minds hazy to even take proper notice of the water below, which you feared despite the element being part of your magic) with strong currents afterwards, when Gray tried to help you and almost drowning and then, on the brink of unconsciousness, still having to perform high magic—wasn't something so kind to remember.

Happy—when you shuddered out a deep breath and hands curling up in a tight grip on the coat—had moved from your head, down into your arms—giving you cuddles, it's his duty (having being ordered by Natsu) to comfort you when Natsu himself isn't here or someone else you're comfortable with and Happy, as your friend and part of the Dragneel family takes his task very seriously.

»If Natsu brings Gary and Lucy as dinner guests, then we need to start preparing. Anything specific, besides fish, you getting some fish no worry, you want me to cook Happy?«

It's random rambling by now, to distract your mind and yourself from the sounds of stormy rain and when Happy was about to answer, the shrill sound of the doorbell took your attention away.

Standing up, Happy still in your arms, you ventured out of the living room and into the small hallway towards the front door—opening it and greeting whoever it was.

»Oh, Nokka, hello.«

~~~•~~~

»Laxus-san! Laxus-san!«

It's rare for Happy—who had came flying into the Guild in such a panicked rush and fur drenched from the heavy rain—to shout for Laxus, when it's normal Natsu's name (and occasionally Gray), when there's or might be something wrong with you and the guild knows, if in any case Laxus name being shouted by Happy, it must be something serious then.

»Now, now, Happy, how about you calm down and tell us whats wrong. What got you so worried?« Mirajane dries her hands on a rag, walking towards the blue cat—who looked really like a panicked child right now—but Happy only shook his head, flying in circles and calling out for Laxus once more.

»Dammit Cat, what's gotten into you? Watcha want?«

»Quick Laxus-san! This Nokka guy has [Name]! Forced him out in the rain! Quick!«

Nokka was a guy—an wandering guildless mage—who had set his eyes, hungry like preying wolf on a hunt, on you after Laxus and you had a sort of distance in the relationship and it's a openly known fact how the whole Guild—especially Laxus, Natsu, Gray and Mirajane—disliked Nokka with visible frowns and lowkey hostility.

Well, well, Mirajane thought, finally a reason to have Nokka punched.

»C'mon Cat. Tell me which way.« Laxus grabs Happy by the tail and walking out.

~~~•~~~

Ridiculous, Nokka thought—annoyance rising in him—absolutely ridiculous how a first generation Dragon Slayer and mage of the element water is terrified of what he's supposed to be. It's truly ridiculous, isn't it?

After almost two years of watching you—you're a wanted and highly priced object on the black market—and finally getting to interact with you socially and physically since last year, the disappointment Nokka feels—when seeing you so cowardly sitting on the riverbanks and crying like a child—was like a bucket of ice being dumped onto him.

»The fuck you mean you can't?! Huh?! You're a Water Dragon Slayer! You're a powerful source! And now you seriously wanna tell me, that you, a goddamn water mage, is afraid of water?!« Nokka screams at you, gripping your wrists tightly and shaking you as if this would make you understand what he's saying.

It was already a hassle to drag you outside through the rain and now—and gods, does Nokka wants to hit you and perhaps he might do so soon—you're being so damn difficult, when he simply asked you, to cast a mere tiny spell.

»You can't be fucking serious! I've wasted two years with a disappointing liability like you!« Nokka throws you, after pinning you onto the muddy ground—slapping your face red and bloody—into the river and while the river isn't deep, it's still deep enough that the water reach your chin.

Nokka didn't seemed to realise that the increasing of rain—once soft and light, now hard and prickly like needles—comes from you, just like the up building puddles of water which merges into a rising wave now and towering over Nokka and the riverbanks.

You hated water, hated it so much that just the thought of having to use your magic makes you even more sick than your motion sickness itself—it's paradox, you knew it is, this fear of your very own element—but after what happened, all these years ago when you were a child, it just traumatised you so much that a mere sight of even bathing or just a bucket of water sends you into a panic.

You're aware what laughingstock you must be for everyone and what shame you bring to Fairy Tail—the disappointment Natsu must always live thru with a brother like you, what liability you are in any fights and what utterly useless human and pathetic Dragon Slayer you are.

»That high price for you on the black market is ridiculous. Why do they even wanna sacrifice someone like you even?« a second after Nokka's angry muttering—which you barley registered to listen to, but the sole word “sacrifice” sends you into a new deep rooted panic—and the up building wave crashed onto him like a wall of loose bricks and the next wave was already read to come.

»Hey, Asshole!« when Nokka turns, to cuss out whomever just said that to him, he was meet with lighting and a fist hitting his face—sending him a few feet away and crashing to the ground.

»Hands off from my Boyfriend.« Laxus scoffed, sending with a snap of finger another strike of lightning towards Nokka, before turning his attention to you.

Walking into the River and standing before you, Laxus puts his coat—completely soaking wet though—around your shoulder, letting first the high towering wave crashing down onto the both you, before picking you up and making his way back to your house.

~~~•~~~

A whine, full of exhaustion, escaped your lips as Laxus tugs you out of your drenched clothes—creating a soggy pile on the bathroom floor—and guides you towards the bathtub and although you're clearly exhausted—more mentally than physically—upon seeing the water, horror struck over your face.

»Hey, I know you don't like water, but if we don't take a good hot bath we're both going to get sick. C'mon love, I hold you.« Laxus tried to ease you into the water, coaxing you with sweet words, but even in locked up fright you could be rather stubborn—so Laxus had no other choice, but to plump you into the tub in one go and getting in himself just as quick.

Once the steaming hot water—something Laxus noticed quick, was the only temperature (either warm or hot, but no cold) in your house and Laxus wants to curse your brother for this—engulfs you whole all the aches, cramps and tension you've felt seemed to leave your body at once—sighing out in relief, leaning against Laxus' chest as he had wrapped his arms around you.

„If [Name] is sleeping, let him be Natsu. Let me just wash my hands real quick and then we can–“ Lucy stopped mid-sentence, when entering the bathroom, coming face to face with a rather intimacy scene of Laxus and [Name].

»Hey, Lucy.« it's a short, nonchalant, greeting from Laxus—who only spared Lucy one glance—while [Name] remained unresponsive as if he hadn't taken notice of her.

»I'm sorry for interrupting!« Lucy almost screams it, her face erupting into a red of embarrassment, slamming the door shut—shaking you out from your slight dozing off—and shouts something along the lines of;

„We're having dinner at the guild! We're gonna sleepover at the guild! C'mon boys! [Name] needs some alone time!“

»Is Na'su home?�� you asked, remembering that you still have to make dinner.

»Not anymore.« and you only hummed in response.

~~~•~~~

Sitting naked on your bed, you watched how Laxus, clad in only way too tight boxers, rummages through your closet—grumbling about not wanting to wear tiny sized and old worn out clothes from Natsu, because that's what most of your closet consists anyways—searching for some fitting clothes for the both you.

»Aha! I knew there are some shirts of mine in there as well!« Laxus exclaims it proudly, turning around to show you his finds with a small smile on his lips—dressing you in it, before getting onto the bed as well and pulling you into his arms.

While you snuggle into him, Laxus moves his hand from your thigh, under your shirt and over your hip and waist, where the scars are—scars he had given you, scars which still would throb in pain on some days and being a reminder of what heinous acts Laxus had done to you, the person he loves the most—caressing gently over your ragged skin.

Laxus leans down towards you, capturing your lips in a long overdue kiss and ghosting more kisses over your face and neck—gods, did he have missed it, to have you this close in embrace again.

[bumblesimagines]

On the Mountain

Request: Yes or No

Summary: An injured songbird finds herself unable to fly for much longer but her luck seems neverending when she's found and nursed back to health.

Pronouns: He/Him/His, M!Reader

CW/TW: Typical Hunger Games warnings, mentions of the 10th Hunger Games, implied PTSD/PTSD induced nightmares, mentions of Coriolanus Snow

~~~

Her breathing came out in short, wheezy gasps, her trembling legs threatening to buckle and give out from underneath her with each step she took through the brush. Her lips quivered, whether from the pain or the cold clinging to her wet body, she couldn't quite tell but she knew she had to stop running eventually. Her legs stung from scrapes and cuts sustained from the branches and twigs of the bushes she'd ran through, the bottom of her skirt torn up and cold to the touch from rainwater. 

She had to keep going. She had to. He'd kill her otherwise. 

Through her blurry vision, she missed the log resting along the ground and tripped over it, her body tumbling to the ground and a shriek of pain leaving her lips. She clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, silencing herself and praying Coriolanus Snow had given up his hunt. Lucy Gray rolled over onto her back with a wince and a choked sob, her shaking hand lifting from her side and lifting to hover over her face, a droplet of blood splattering onto her cheek. 

It'd been stupid, she knew that well, to wait and see if her trap had worked. All her time in the meadow, all her time learning about snakes and how to avoid them had paid off nicely. She'd almost felt guilty, listening to his worried and desperate shouts, until she watched the concern crumple into fury faster than a lightning strike. The snake had been non-venomous, of course, just a mere distraction to keep him occupied while she debated what to do. He hadn't given her much time to think after putting a bullet in her side, though. 

Lucy Gray dropped her arm down onto the forest floor, her glassy eyes staring up at the sky above her. Each breath she took felt like fire coursing through her veins and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps... it'd all been for nothing. The singing, the desperate measures to make money, surviving the Hunger Games, accepting Coriolanus into her life... leaving her friends and family behind. She wondered what they'd think, what they'd say when they figured out she'd fled... when Coriolanus returned without her. Would he lie to them? Claim she'd gone and left them behind to suffer in 12?

"Damn you, Coriolanus..." She exhaled shakily, her features contorting tightly together as the tears slipped freely from her eyes. 

Lucy Gray lied there, on the forest floor, weeping until her body gave into exhaustion, weeping for death to come quick and be more merciful than her lover had been.

Back in the godforsaken arena where she stood on the pile of fallen debris from the rebel bombings, the ground around her covered in a sea of colorful slithering snakes that almost resembled waves. She stood there, paralyzed and motionless, her eyes flickering about to ensure none of the lethal creatures slipped toward her. They'd liked her during the Games, curled around her as if seeking out her warmth rather than her death, but her heart still pumped with fear. 

"Songbird," A voice wailed, one she recognized to have once been filled with malice. Her head whirled around, eyes wide and breath catching in her throat at the sight of Carol near the edge with her arm extended out toward her pleadingly. The young girl sunk deeper and deeper into the sea of snakes, desperate wails and cries for Lucy Gray to help her falling for her lips. Lucy Gray remained frozen despite every inch of her wanting to spring into action and drag the poor girl out, forced to watch her disappear beneath scaled bodies. 

A wheezy cough came from her left and she spun her head around toward the source of the noise, a quiet whimper leaving her at the sight of Dill sitting by the edge with her back turned toward her. Another cough tore through her frail body, leaving her breathless and heaving. Lucy Gray's legs gave out from underneath her, her ruffled dress sprawling out around her like a halo. Her eyes refused to tear away from Dill, only watering with tears that fell as Dill shifted to face her, mouth bloodied from the poisoned water she'd drank. The water Lucy Gray had poisoned. 

"I'm sorry." Lucy Gray whispered, her shoulders shaking with hiccups and sobs. She hadn't meant to kill her, truly she hadn't. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm- I'm so sorry." She sobbed, her body leaning forward and hands entangling themselves in her hair. She continued weeping apologies, continued begging for forgiveness until she had no tears left. 

A slither of color caught her eye, her head lifting to search the sea of constantly moving snakes, their colors shimmering with the dim sunlight pouring in. Her breath hitched again, her heart threatening to hammer out of her chest when a pure white-scaled snake slithered out from underneath the bodies and made a direct line toward her.

Coriolanus. 

She barely had time to scream before the snake flashed its fangs and lunged for her. 

With a frightened gasp, Lucy Gray shot upright, her chest rising and falling rapidly with quick breaths. Her eyes darted around the unfamiliar room, taking in the wooden walls with paintings perched on them and the wooden floor. The only thing she recognized was her bag draped over the chair by the desk, the same bag she'd taken when she and Coriolanus planned to leave 12. Lucy Gray's brows furrowed and only furrowed further when she looked down at herself, noticing the baggy shirt she wore that she certainly hadn't packed. 

The wound, she remembered sharply and fumbled with the shirt before tugging it up and near her ribs. She blinked down at the bandages wrapped just above her hip, her fingers tracing over them curiously. Someone had found her, taken her into the room, changed her, and cared for her injury... but who? Had the Covey figured out what Coriolanus had done and searched for her? Had the violent man himself done it after a change of heart? Even if he had, she needed to leave.

Pushing the covers off her bare legs, Lucy Gray planted her feet firmly on the floor and stood up, only to plop back down when her legs wobbled. "Come on, don't fail me now." She murmured, slowly rising from the bed and extending her arms out to balance herself. Her legs wobbled and shook but nevertheless, she took a step forward and immediately stumbled right into the desk. Progress was progress, she supposed, and stumbled toward the window like a baby deer learning to walk. 

Lucy Gray braced herself against the wall and took in a breath, allowing herself a moment to gather her bearings before she peeked out the window. Her eyes locked on the figure crouched down by what appeared to be a garden, gloved hands tugging out carrots from the soil and tossing them into a basket nearby. She squinted, trying to make out their bowed head to see if she recognized them but the shadow casted over their face only blocked their features. 

Perhaps against her better judgment, she headed toward the door, still staggering but each step helped her get reacquainted with walking again. Opening the door and stepping out, she found herself in a short hallway with two doors near each other and one at the end of the hallway. More paintings hung on the wall, along with strung-up plants and leaves in what looked like small hand-made baskets. When the hallway opened up to a bigger space, she noticed a quaint kitchen on one side and a living room on the other. It all appeared homey and inviting, many things seeming to be crafted by hand with love and care. 

She spared glances around on her way to the front door, searching for pictures or anything that could inform her of the residents' identity but she found nothing. She reached the front door and looked down at her bare feet, her gaze drifting to the big boots by the door. Lucy Gray pursed her lips and then shrugged, sticking her feet into the boots and tying the laces as hard as possible so they wouldn't slip off before she stepped outside. 

Lucy Gray half-expected the hustle and bustle of 12's workers and distant machinery to fill her ears but all she heard were bugs, birds, and the occasional rustling of tree branches brushing together with the breeze. All around her were trees, tall and towering over the cabin but no signs of any nearby homes that could plant her on the outskirts of 12. She took a deep inhale of the fresh air and stepped off the porch, making her way around the cabin to the side where the garden was. 

"Hello, stranger!" She greeted, likely sounding too cheery for someone who'd been shot and left for dead. The person - her savior, she assumed - paused, his head turning to peer over his shoulder at her. He stared at her in confusion for a beat before seeming to recognize her with her.. out of place attire. He peeled the gloves off his hands and tossed them into the basket along with the vegetables, rising up to his full height and perching the basket against his hip. 

"You should be dead." He stated, carefully stepping over rows of soil. "But you're not."

"That's hardly any way to greet someone, friend." Lucy Gray laughed, swallowing down the chill that threatened to slip down her spine. Coriolanus almost killed her, after everything he'd done to help her win. "I'm Lucy Gray Baird! May I have the pleasure of knowin' your name or should I refer to you as 'my hero', hm?" 

His head tilted, likely rethinking his decision to help her. "(Y/N)." 

"(Y/N)... I like the ring of it." Lucy Gray smiled brightly, blinking when he side-stepped around her and headed toward the porch, hardly sparing a glance over at her. She followed him, careful not to trip over the heavy foots weighing her legs down, and mimicked his movements of kicking the bottoms free of dirt. "Now, could you possibly tell me where I am?" She asked, shuffling after him into the cabin once more.

"The forest." He answered simply.

"Well, I guessed as much. Anywhere specifically?"

"North, some miles off the coast. Close to Districts 12 and 3." (Y/N) told her, setting the basket on the counter and beginning to wash the vegetables he'd picked free of dirt. Lucy Gray ripped a paper towel from the holder and dried them as she listened, her actions garnering her a glance. "You've been out of it for a few days. I found you, or- well, I heard you and Thistle tracked you down. It looked like you'd been out of it for almost an hour, I'd guess. Your wound was getting infected by the time I brought you back here. You've woken up here and there, long enough to get some food in your stomach, but that fever you had until yesterday morning kept making you pass out."

"A few days..." Lucy Gray repeated quietly. Coriolanus had likely presumed her dead, then. And the Covey, too. She swallowed thickly at the thought of them mourning or searching for her and let out a soft sigh. "I assume taking care of half-dead girls isn't exactly your normal day-to-day?" 

"Depends. We've had a couple people fleeing the Districts come here seeking shelter or in need of food, mostly 12 and 6 but sometimes 3, too. Sometimes they come with cuts and scrapes or wounds from Peacekeepers. Once they have what they need, Mom or I will take them further up north to the settlements around there. The closest one is District 13 but they're still working toward repairing what was damaged during their war and primarily live underground." 

"District 13? Wasn't it bombed?"

"Humans have a terrible knack for somehow managing to stay alive despite circumstances." (Y/N) shrugged, tucking the basket away underneath the sink and retrieving a pot. He filled it with water and set it over the stove, lighting a match and using it to get a flame started beneath the pot. 

"Thank you for helping me, (Y/N). I hope I can return the favor someday." 

"You can return it now by taking a bath and helping me start dinner. Mom's visiting 13 to trade with them and should be back before sundown just about when the stew will be finished." (Y/N) told her, the corner of his lip quirking. "I'll get a towel and some clothes for you."

Lucy Gray grinned and straightened her shoulders, giving him a nod. "Anythin' for my hero." She laughed at his eye roll and followed him to the bathroom, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders at the realization she was fine; safe and far away from Coriolanus Snow.

[hopefulatrocity]

Snow And Embers- Part 2

Note: I was not going to do a part 2 for this story but then my brain was like "Part 2? Lucy Gray's POV? Yes." and it wouldn't leave my head. This is my first full smut I've written in years so I hope it's good. Possible OOC dialogue for Coriolanus? Edited by @loganlostitall. Thank you!

Part 1

CW/TW: SMUT!! 18+ only. Unsafe P in v, creampie, breeding kink, oral sex(male receiving), fingering, use of cum as lube, light choking

Please let me know if I forgot anything.

Lucy Gray Baird was many things. Kind, resilient, stubborn, loving. But one thing she wasn't was stupid. 

After her first time with Coriolanus, she thought it was passion, an innate need to claim each other and become one. Coriolanus couldn't keep his hands off of her. Any second they were alone, he was working his hands under her dress and bringing lightning strikes to her nerve endings with every pass of his calloused fingers. To be fair, she couldn't get enough of him either. She had lovers before. But none like this. The boys before, they could hardly be called men, were only focused on themselves. They'd say all the right things but the second they got her under them, it was like she ceased to exist and all they cared for was their own pleasure. He was different. Despite his inexperience, Coryo relished in the pleasure he gave her. Every moan from her lips or arch from her back was just another piece of wood that stoked the flames of his passion for her. 

It was small things that made her realize his intentions were…. More than just being in the moment together. Her experience with men wasn't incredibly extensive but she did know that each man had their own personal desires, things that made them aroused more than others. Her first, Toby Kormin, was extremely aroused by tying Lucy Gray up. And Billy Taupe had an interesting fascination with her feet. Coriolanus…. Well she was fairly certain that Coriolanus liked the idea of getting her pregnant. 

In truth, the first time he came in her, had been a mistake. She was usually very careful in that regard. She made sure her partners knew, in no uncertain terms, they always had to pull out. Lucy Gray had the know-how to deal with any accidents if they did occur. The day she started her monthly, at the tender age of 13, her Momma sat her down and showed her all the herbs to make a preventative tea. But it wasn't fool proof. And having kids was not something she wanted anytime soon. If at all. But that first time with Coriolanus, Lucy Gray lost all common thought when it came to safe sex. All she saw were those deep blue eyes of his staring down at her with a primal need that she had never experienced before. Before she could stop herself, she was wrapping her legs tight around his hips, practically locking him in as he came deep inside her. And that happened twice more that night. 

Lucy Gray came to her senses the next morning. She drank her tea and told Coriolanus that that couldn't happen again. He needed to pull out or they would have to stick to oral or hand play. Along with a bright blush that peppered his pale skin, there was almost a look of disappointment in his eyes. He briefly glanced down at her stomach before he nodded in agreement. 

The next two times they were together, he obliged without problems. He pulled out and came on her stomach like she asked. But it almost felt…. Wrong. 

So the next time, just as Coriolanus was about to pull out, she dug her nails into his tight cheeks and pushed him back inside her. There weren't any words said, but it seemed like they both came to an understanding that night. 

Lucy Gray made sure she carried a bag of her morning-after tea, anytime she saw him. She told him that they should try to be safe if they could, but she knew how they both could get lost in the moment. It was a delusional platitude for herself though. Deep down she knew that he wasn't going to cum anywhere else but inside of her from then on. 

He didn't pull out after that, even if he promised to try. In fact, his need for her became even more evident.  

It started with innocent touches. Often, she found Coriolanus's hands hovering over her stomach. He'd rub the area slowly sometimes, almost reverently. A fight had broken out in the Hob one night, and he had placed himself in front of her. His body a barrier between her and the brawling men, that Sejanus and another peacekeeper were trying to separate. But the only thing she could think of was how his hand was slightly behind his back, pressing into her abdomen. Almost like he was protecting more than just her from the violence in front of them.  

Some nights she woke to him whispering to the area. He claimed it was to help him sleep, reciting old stories to tire his mind. But she always knew when Coriolanus was lying. The intensity of his gaze would magnify and he would press himself closer to her. 

More than once, after their coupling, she woke up to a pillow under her hips. Coriolanus's eyes would be dark as he watched her wake. The plush object had her cunt angled so not a drop of their mixed fluids could escape her. Before she could even ask why he had done it, he would be on her again, using his fingers or his cock to claim her thoroughly. 

It wasn't long before he openly admitted to his desire.

Lucy Gray could feel the orgasm building in him. Her hands pressed to his stomach and she felt the muscles clenching and his hips jerked periodically against her lips. The tightening muscles of his thighs had him bucking into her mouth. His fingers were tight in her dark curls, and she felt his nails prick her skin as he clenched them thoughtlessly.  Coriolanus was a man who loved control. She loved sucking that control straight from his cock and turning him into mud in her hands. 

“Don't you dare swallow, Lucy Gray. Keep my cum in your pretty mouth.”, he growled. His voice was radiating dominance but she knew she had him in the palm of her hands.  The vibrations of his deep voice flowed through her and she clenched her thighs together. Her nipples were peaked and bare and she wished desperately that he was touching them. She could feel the sound in her clit, throbbing in time with her pulse. Nodding slightly around his cock, she took him as deep in her mouth as possible, swallowing around the tip to create a myriad of warmth and suction.  

“I’m about to cum.”, he grunted, his hips stuttering from the familiar feeling. Coriolanus gripped her hair tightly and bucked one last time into her mouth, the tip of himself hitting the back of her throat and making her gag a small bit. Salty seed flooded her mouth and Lucy Gray had to fight not to swallow it on instinct. 

Coriolanus pulled out of her mouth, a string of their fluids leading from the tip of his cock to her pretty pink lips. Her cheeks were puffed out, holding in as much of his cum as possible, just like he told her. 

One large hand gripped under chin, his fingers cupping either side of her cheeks. He used a light pressure on the underside of her chin to wordlessly command her up onto her shaking legs. 

Blue eyes bore into her own, that dark swirl of shadow filling his irises, and he lowered his voice to a deep growl. 

“Spit.”, Coriolanus ordered, holding his other hand up to her lips, cupped to catch all the seed that dripped out. Shock and lust radiated through her body, wondering what he planned to do. The order sending heat to her pussy, and making it clench around thin air. In public, Coriolanus was sweet and needy, a typical boy in love. But behind closed doors, he became more dominate. Lucy Gray wasn't scared though. There was darkness in his eyes, but the brightness of hers tempered it out. 

Taking her lack of response for disobedience, Coriolanus tightened his fingers on both of her cheeks, pinching the skin and forcing her lips open slightly. A small amount of his white fluid slid from the pink flesh and he groaned. He'd love to show the whole Hob how she looked right now. Eyes glazed over, thighs rubbing together seeking any kind of friction, begging him to take her and he hadn't even gotten his hands on her pussy yet. 

“Spit now, Lucy Gray. Or I'll leave you here, dripping wet, and you won't get to cum. ”, they were practically nose to nose at that point. Whimpering at the thought of being left without his touch, Lucy Gray opened her lips and let his cum flow into his offered hand. The seed was warm and mixed with her own spit, a contrast of their two bodies. 

Keeping the cooling liquid in his hand, Coryo pressed a small kiss to her lips, moaning lightly at the salty taste of his cum and her smoky flavor mixed together. 

“On the bed, Songbird.”, the order rumbled from his chest. “Spread your legs. Show me how much you liked the taste of me.”

Another sound of desperation left Lucy Gray's lips and she did exactly as he asked. She quickly stripped her skirt off and tossed her panties to the side with it, landing right next to her torn shirt. The air was chilly against her heated lower lips and the mix of sensations made her thighs shake with wanton need. Part of Lucy Gray was ashamed of how she was acting. She always considered herself to be an independent woman, one who despised the idea of taking orders from a man. But Coryo was different. He was her beautiful Capitol man. The one who saved her life and made her feel things she had never felt before. 

She crawled onto the bed and rolled onto her back, rising her upper half up onto her elbows so she could see her lover's reaction. The predatory gaze from Coryo's ice blue eyes only made her wetter and she slowly parted her legs, exposing her soaking core to the cold air.  

“Fuck.”, the expletive slipped from his red lips, swollen from their heated kisses. Lucy Gray smiled sweetly at him. She loved when she was able to entice such reactions from the normally proper man. 

“Please, Coryo”, she whispered, voice barely audible. 

Coriolanus’ long legs covered the distance between them in two easy steps. His cock was already hardening again against his thigh and Lucy Gray could feel the ache inside her, begging for him. 

“You're so beautiful, Lucy Gray”, his Capitol accent was thick with desire and the sound made her hips instinctively arch up to try to get closer to him. 

With his seed still in his hand, he maneuvered himself between her legs with his knees and leaned over her, his other hand holding him up. The bed gave a loud squeak from their combined weight, but neither of them were in the head space to hear it. 

“Hold your legs apart, love. As wide as you can”, Coryo said using his eyes to look from her hands to her parted legs. 

Submissively, Lucy Gray did as he asked, spreading her legs wider for him, hands grasping her thighs tightly. 

“You're so wet you're sparkling like a diamond, Lucy Gray. Is that all for me? Just from tasting me?”, his deep voice rolled through her body like an early morning breeze, making goosebumps appear on her tanned skin. 

Another whine escaped her lips and she nodded at him. “Only you, Coryo.”

She knew how much he loved hearing how she belonged to him. The narrowing of his eyes and deep intake of breath was a byproduct of that. She felt his length jump against her leg and she resisted the urge to drop her thigh and touch him. But she knew Coryo didn't like it when she didn't listen to him. He would keep his promise and not let her cum if she disobeyed.  

“I don't think we should waste this. Should we, Lucy Gray?”, he pressed his nose against hers, rubbing them together softly. He lifted his hand to indicate the white cum still cupped in his hand. She shook her head vehemently. Although she didn't have an idea as to what he had planned, her body desperately wanted to know. 

Eyes locked together, Coriolanus brought his cupped hand to his mouth and dipped his tongue into his seed, letting the white liquid coat his tongue. Moaning at the visual, Lucy Gray lifted her head and sought his lips out with her own. The salty cum had cooled and was a stark contrast to his burning mouth. And she loved it. The taste was nearly indescribable. Her tongue tangled with his and she searched for every last bit of the flavor. She was so lost in their frantic kiss that she didn't even see him moving his hand between her legs. The jolting sensation of the cold liquid meeting her overheated flesh had her gasping into his mouth. Arching her hips up to meet his hand, she tangled her fingers into his cropped hair, needing him to be closer. But his hair was too short and he easily pulled himself back, smirking at the look of frustration on her face. 

“Watch me, Lucy Gray.”, he guided her eyes down with his own to look between her legs. 

Lucy Gray panted as she watched him angle his hand up and use his fingers to guide his cum into her cunt. There was enough to cover her fluttering pussy and flow back up onto her clit. Her hips jolted at the feeling of her heated flesh being coated with him. 

“This is the only place my cum belongs. Do you hear me, Songbird?”, Coriolanus asked her, his intense blue eyes searing into her soul. He pressed the tips of his index and middle fingers inside of her tight entrance, funneling seed into it's rightful place. Her heated walls clamped down on his fingers and milked the spend off the long digits. He began a slow rhythm, pushing them in and out of her, trying to force his cum as deep as he could. He had pinned her thighs wide open with his hips and she used the reprieve to grasp onto him, needing something to anchor her floating mind. Lucy Gray's nails dug into Coriolanus’ muscled shoulders and he basked in the pain. His Lucy Gray was gentle, and the fact that he pushed her to the point of inflicting damage to him appealed to his pride. She was so lost in the feeling of taking him that she didn't care that her blunt nails were drawing blood, staining the air with a copper scent. 

“Yes, Coryo.”, she breathed out shakily. 

Lucy Gray writhed underneath him. Each press of his fingers deep inside her sent shivers down her spine. He watched her eyes fluttering shut as she pressed her hips up against his hands. 

He slowed the movements of his fingers and she whimpered in protest. “Look at me, Lucy Gray. You don't get to cum unless you're looking at me.”

His order made her clit throb even more, and she quickly opened her eyes, not wanting to lose the feeling he was invoking inside her. 

“Good girl. Always so good for me.”, Coriolanus whispered against her ear, his tongue flicking out to trace the shell of her ear. He increased the thrusts of his fingers, making sure to curl the tips so it brushed that small spongy spot inside of her. That was all it took for the pressure in her stomach to expand, shockwaves of pleasure rolled through her body as she called out his name.

Coryo didn't even wait for her inner muscles to stop clenching before he was retracting his fingers from her and replacing them with the tip of his cock. He slammed in, her wetness and grasping muscles sucking him in like he was already part of her body.  All pretense of softness was gone and his primal desire for her overtook all senses. The seed he had pushed into her with his fingers, bubbled around his cock and formed a white ring around the base of him. It glistened with every thrust and Lucy Gray watched reverently as he pushed in and out of her. 

“Feels so good, Coryo.”, she tightened her grips on his shoulders and used them for leverage to press her hips up into his. She met every thrust with a clench of her inner muscles and the reaction from him was nearly feral. 

The sound that left his mouth was almost a snarl, the hands grasping her hips dug in deep enough to bruise. 

“Fuck you're so beautiful. You're mine, Lucy Gray. Do you understand?”, each word was punctuated with a hard thrust and she swore she could feel him all the way in the back of her throat. Coriolanus was well endowed and the angle he was holding her hips had him slamming as deep inside her as possible. Each movement had his cock squelching in the mess of his previous release and her wetness. 

Her mind was so occluded with pleasure that all she could manage was a nod and a gasp. 

That wasn't enough for him though. Coriolanus growled and moved one of his hands from her hip to her throat. His long fingers, still sticky with their combined fluids, applied pressure to both sides of her neck, slowing the blood flow to her brain. The fogginess of her thoughts only increased her pleasure and she clamped down on his cock, tighter than before. 

“Your pussy is mine, Lucy Gray. Every part of you is mine,” he punctuated with a deep thrust, the tip of himself hitting the entrance to her uterus. He released a little bit of pressure on her neck, Allowing for a rush of blood to fill her head. She gasped but tried to push her throat into his fingers again. If he wasn't so lost in the pleasure of fucking her, he might have smirked.  

Coriolanus released her throat, despite her noises of protest, and brought the fingers down to where they were joined. He could feel the orgasm building inside of him. His balls were tight to his body and he knew he didn't have long. But he refused to come without her. He circled her clit, the mix of their fluids providing enough lube that he was practically slipping off the bundle of nerves with each roll of his fingers. 

“Gonna cum soon, Songbird. Fuck. I'm gonna put a baby in you. Don't care how long it takes. Want everyone to know you're mine. Stomach all full of me.”, His hips began to stutter, his thrusts frantic. His normal, proper speech pattern was husky and shortened. His only thoughts on the pleasure her pussy was causing him, and the need to breed her. 

His words sent a spike of heat right to her clit. It was something she had suspected for awhile. But to hear him say the words in the heat of the moment, it brushed a primal part of her brain that she didn't know existed. The sounds he was making in her ear, vocalizations of his ecstasy, were what sent her over the edge. Knowing that she was the one causing his pleasure–that he was using her body to get off–made her feel powerful and in control despite being pinned under him. Lucy Gray felt her pussy clamp down on him, her muscles contracting and inviting him to cum deep inside her. 

Coriolanus came with a guttural moan–the noise muffled by his face pressing into her neck. His final thrust pushed him deep inside, ropes of his seed coating her inner walls and pooling against her cervix. 

They stayed like that for awhile. Chests expanding in sync, and their breathing labored. Coriolanus still buried deep inside her, pressing soft kisses to the curve of her neck. She ran her fingers over the soft fuzz of his hair rhythmically and nuzzled her nose against his ear every minute or so. 

When he finally softened, Coriolanus pulled out of her. The wet sucking noise made her already flushed face turn a deeper shade of red. Looking down, Lucy Gray noticed that his length was coated in the remnants of his seed and her own cum. 

He pressed a deep kiss to her lips and reached over the side of the bed to grab one of the pillows he had brought. Lips still attached to hers, he lifted her hips gently, mindful of the bruises that were already beginning to form on her tanned skin, and pushed the plush cushion under her hips. He pulled back and nuzzled his nose against hers. 

“Keep your hips up, Lucy Gray. I don't want to see a drop of my seed leaving that pretty pussy of yours,” his voice was deep and laden with animal instinct. “You're mine.”

From then on, Coriolanus wasn't quiet about his intentions during their coupling, and even outside of it. His hand was constantly on her stomach, and he was consistently whispering words of his desires in her ear. Sejanus found it particularly funny watching Lucy Gray blush and fan herself during those moments. 

Despite his words and actions of his intentions to get her pregnant, Coriolanus didn't interfere with Lucy Gray drinking her morning after tea. Although the looks of disdain he shot the mug each time made a primal warmth pool in her belly. And the tea worked. 

Until it didn't. 

[theladyyavilee]

we were running out through the storm (through the night)

Or the one where Buck almost kissed Eddie at Chimney's bachelor party and Tommy was there to witness it.

read on AO3

„You almost kissed Eddie last night.” There is no trace of accusation in Tommy’s voice and somehow the words still hit Buck like a slap to the face. The hospital staircase is empty and quiet now in the middle of the night, the bright artificial light giving the moment a surreal quality, and somehow, with everything that happened after, Buck did not see this conversation coming.

(The fear and worry of the last 15 or so hours made it so easy to push the memory down and away, something for future Buck to deal with.

Something for future Buck to figure out how to fix, maybe.)

It’s only been maybe an hour since Buck watched Maddie fall asleep curled into Chimney’s side on his hospital bed, her and Chimney’s hands with their matching gold bands interlocked right over Chimney’s heart and with Chimney looking down at her like he was unable to look away. Clearly feeling like the luckiest man in the world, no matter all the horrors he had to walk through to get here to this moment.

(Only maybe an hour since Buck caught himself thinking this is love, this is what love is supposed to be.

Only maybe an hour since Buck caught himself glancing over at Eddie – curled up in one of the horrible hospital chairs and looking smaller than he should, deeply asleep and with an equally conked out Chris leaning into his shoulder – first, instead of searching out his boyfriend’s eyes and the guilt flooded back into him.)

Looking back he knows there was something in Tommy's eyes when he helped Chimney out of the helicopter and found Buck’s eyes over Maddie’s head as she rushed towards them. A slight hesitation when Buck kissed him in front of everyone that Buck thought was just surprise at the public display in front of Buck’s parents. A flicker of sadness on his face when they swayed to the soft sounds of Islands In the Stream from Hen's phone loudspeaker in Chim's hospital room, before Tommy pulled him close enough to hide his face against the side of Buck's.

But Tommy wasn’t supposed to know, not yet, not until Buck figure out how to tell him.

Because that had never been in question, only the when and how.

Only apparently Tommy already knows.

And Buck feels like there suddenly isn’t enough air in the room to form words.

“I—I didn’t—I didn’t though, Tommy, you have to know I—”

“I know, hey, Evan, I know,” Tommy reassures and his voice is so gentle it makes something ache deep inside Buck’s chest. Maybe this would be easier if Tommy was angry. “I saw your face right after, I know you wouldn’t have done it knowingly, but for a moment there I don’t think you remembered.”

everything else, is—has been—stuck in that space between one breath and the next, flipping through every single visceral snapshot memory impression.

How he had felt terrifyingly sober for just that one moment, before letting himself fall even harder into drunkenness to forget.

That lightning strike realization when he caught on to what he was about to do, when he realized that for a second he had completely forgotten where he was and that he had a boyfriend.

(It had been so different from when he kissed Lucy, because then he had remembered Taylor for every single second of it and kissed Lucy anyways and he’s not sure if that was worse or this is.)

The fact that apparently Tommy was right there and saw that moment play out over Buck’s face? Yeah, that is definitely worse, even if Buck was immediately disgusted at himself.

Because he still almost did it and Tommy saw that too.

read the rest on AO3

[biasbuck]

BiAsBuck’s ficrec Fridays

shhhh pretend you do not see what day of the week it is (dear brain, please get back into a routine!) Happy Frunday? Back again with another round of the fic I've been reading this month. Deep in my 'Chris' away, now what' feels. You can find previous rec lists here.

14 July 2024

not a demon, there's a reason by @ithilien-writes oooooh my god I love 'kid learns about their parent's past' fic, and the Chris season 8 set up is just a gold mine for it. Here's an absolutely incredible entry into the fic canon, in which Chris, bored and lonely in Texas, stumbles upon Eddie's teenage diary. He reads it as a conduit to learning more about Shannon than his Dad has ever told him, and in doing so comes to understand Eddie like he never did before. (I would also recommend reading other fic from this author for some lovely interconnected story telling and further insight into some of Eddie's teenage secrets.)

kid, you better come home by @wildehacked is a short one shot with Buck's POV on Chris being away, navigating calls to him, established but relatively new bucktommy, and how Buck copes with all that whilst looking after Eddie and nurturing their queerplatonic family set up. A really interesting exploration of Chris and Buck's relationship with the basis that 'Every other time Chris has fought with Eddie, he’s gone to Buck.' I love Chris' voice in this, it's so well captured.

i’ve seen a couple suns that set forever by @cal-daisies-and-briars '“So?” Chris asks. “You’ve said things are going to change before, and it always ends up with people leaving, and me feeling terrible all over again. How is it different now?”' in which Chris and Eddie go to family therapy, and Eddie comes out. Really wonderful exploration of how not everything is fixed so easily, and Eddie working to repair the damage whilst Chris works on understanding his Dad and coming to a place of forgiveness, whilst dealing with his own abandonment issues. Luckily a conversation with Bobby helps him look at his Dad in a new light.

my home is your body by @coldbam 'This is Buck’s first Pride. Sue him, he’s excited. He’s going all out.' After Buck and Tommy have a rather acrimonious split during Buck's first pride out, he discovers Eddie has had a very different night. There as an ally, Eddie embarks on some steep self discovery learning curves. Exploring grindr leads to a serious friends with benefits situationship, but of course there's no miscommunication over feelings here...right? Oh Buddie...what are we gonna do with you. A delightful comedy of errors whilst also being hot. Loved this!

let the world have its way with you and thousand times (which isn’t half enough) by @shitouttabuck in which Eddie convinces Buck to seize the day post-lightning strike by making a bucket list and helping him make his wishes a reality, from the smallest hopes to the biggest dreams. With a heaping of Buckley-Diaz family and firefam time, so much pining and longing and heart...and the most sweetly loving tree root metaphor I've ever read. Now with a gorgeous follow up fic to answer some of those lingering questions!

so far away but still so near by @exhuastedpigeon yes, yessss Eddie and Lucy and Ravi bestieism. In which, based on Frank's advice, 'Eddie Diaz learns who he is outside of being a father, builds some new friendships, and loves his best friend.' I really loved the dynamic that Eddie built up here, his tentative steps into finding friends outside of the support system he'd previously relied on, and the way it peeled back new facets of himself in order to love his loudest. Gorgeously written as always! Ravi and Lucy are just absolute bestie goals.

I know the words, I know the sounds by @try-set-me-on-fire in which 'Buck and Eddie dance at Tommy’s wedding.' Oh yeah, I see you SalTommy shippers, and I absolutely get it. As does Buck...sometimes the heart just wants what it wants, and what are you gonna do? Exploring the 'what if Tommy's the one to run off with his best friend' prompt to hilarious and heartwarming ends.

good pretender by @likeshipsonthesea an oldie but a goodie circa season 5, in which Buck and Ravi are secret fully platonic friends with casual sex benefits, Eddie pines A LOT, and everyone is just failing to communicate. I love the introspection here, what each character learns about themselves along the way, and how everything is eventually worked out. Give me season 8 Ravi main please show, I'm begging.

That's it for this week but I'm once again putting out a call for any Hen POV or henren ficrecs (please feel free to self rec), buddietommy, and canon compliant Tommy POV because I've fallen out of the loop!

[nqueso-emergency]

murdoc's post that you keep in your blog is dated on Mar 13, 2023. That's one full year (more or less) before we got bi Buck on 7x04. According to 9-1-1 Fandom site, Mar 13, 2023 is the date when episode 6x10 was on air (the episode where Buck was struck by lightning). That episode and its follow up (where Eddie smuggled Christopher to visit Buck in the hospital) are often hailed by BoBs as an important landmarks in Buddie's relationship journey. It is interesting that murdoc made a post about him knowing that Buddie would never be canon around the same time when the on-air episodes were Buddie positive. I'm also sure that in Mar 2023 Tim hasn't even thought about bringing Tommy/Lou back on screen (SAG-AFTRA strike was from July 14 to November 9, 2023, so murdoc's post was before the strike). Assuming murdoc actually knew something from the inside of the show, does it mean Tim Minear had made-up his mind to not making Buddie canon by that time? We also know that Tommy was supposed to be paired with Eddie, but the plan fell through (Lou's own words). Assuming the plan WAS NOT fell through, then would we get Eddie x Tommy and Buck x Natalia/Lucy at least for a while, but we would never get Buddie? Otherwise, why murdoc post that revelation in such particular time, when everything seemed positive for Buddie to be canon?

I'd say that when asked why Eddie wasn't in the upcoming coma dream (because those episodes were filmed together) Tim made it clear that Buddie wasn't a romantic pairing.

It's also why now Murdoc only discusses Ryliver.

[canonicallyobserving911]

“I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 31 is now available on AO3.

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

“I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Currently 31 chapters completed: 1.83M Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

___________

Here's a snippet from Chapter 31 of a conversation Eddie, the 118, Maddie and Athena ar having about the things that happened to Buck while he was in Super Target with Chris.

___________

“Stop! Did you all see that?” Eddie asks in a voice full of emotion.

Hen asks, “What is she doing?”

“It looks like she just injected him with something because as soon as she moves her hand, you can see Buck say, “Ow” then he leans over a little and puts his hand on his shoulder.” Eddie loudly explains.

“But what did she inject him with?” Chimney asks.

Ravi replies, “I don’t know but from the looks of it, whatever it was… Buck collapsed not long afterwards. It’s easy to see he was fighting to stay awake and alert.”

“If she injected him… where’s the needle?” Demetrius asks.

Eddie replies, “Demetrius, do you remember seeing examples of small hypodermic needles in your EMT training?”

“Yeah, I do remember that.” He replies with a nod.

While Eddie was explaining the size differences in hypodermic needles, Hen and Chimney look at each other with their eyebrows raised and they have a quick silent conversation. After a few seconds, Chimney asks, “Could she have dosed him with Adenosine?”

“Why do you think it was Adenosine?” Eddie asks.

“Because the night Jonah took us, he injected it twice into Chimney’s IV. He used it to stop his heart.” Hen replies a little louder than she intends to because memories of that night still haunt both of them.

Will anyone figure out the name of the drug Lucy injected Buck with before it's too late? 🤷🏽‍♀️

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This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

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Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.

Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?

Chapter 26 - Buck and Eddie are once again faced with their greatest fear of losing each other but this time it could be permanent and if it is, then they won’t be able to spend the rest of their lives together.

Chapter 27 - After Buck resumes therapy, he’ll continue to face the fact that he “DIED” in March 2023 and during those sessions, he’ll learn about the 7 stages of grief. As he continues his healing journey, Eddie will be right by his side just like he promised and the Diaz family will start to deal with their three minutes and seventeen seconds loss as a family.

Chapter 28 - Two years ago, Eddie was asked, “What are you afraid of?”; twice, once by Frank and once by Buck but he only answered one of them without deflecting. Since that time, he’s been to therapy and him and Buck got married but the question resurfaces when Frank asks Buck the same question and Buck asks it of Eddie for the second time. However, when Buck asks, his reasoning will be about something else entirely.

Chapter 29 - After Buck and Eddie have an emotionally intimate conversation regarding their dreams, they make several decisions that will affect their future. When everything falls into place, they’ll realize one of those decisions will result in them no longer being work partners.

Chapter 30 - In 2018, Buck and Eddie met at the 118 and after some initial apprehensions on Buck’s part, they became work partners and they agreed to have each other’s backs. It’s been more than 6 ½ years, a lot’s happened, they got married in December 2023 and they have the family they both chose. With Eddie leaving the 118 in 3 months and Buck getting closer to moving past his grief, what will him losing his work partner mean for him?

Chapter 31 - As Buck’s life hangs in the balance from what’s suspected to be another bradycardia event, Eddie’s by his bedside, their son is being cared for by relatives and their found family is in the waiting room. During this time, many questions will surface that could possibly lead to the truth but will everything be revealed before it’s too late?

Chapter 32 - Will be posted soon.

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Read chapters 1-31; they're available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

[zeusthelightninggod]

*After a few seconds of Triages mumbling, Zeus shrugged.*

Huh. I must have been hearing things.

*Zeus outstretched his hand over the steak, seeming to concentrate on something, but nothing happened.*

Oh, right. No longer the god of lightning. Forgot about that.

*Triage stood intront of the same temple him and Zeus met the last time, holding a small bag in his hand that contained a few paprika bottles*

I wonder why he needs paprika...

*Not having any door to knock, cause typical huge temple thing, Triage eventually had to use his voice to make anyone notice his presence*

Zeus? Are you home? I'm here, me and the item you challenged me to find!

-Triage🩹

*Zeus ran down the steps of Mount Olympus, stopping before Triage.*

Hello, Triage. Thank you for purchasing the paprika.

*He took the paprika out of Triages hand.*

I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes.

[anna-the-undertaker]

Y'all gone hate it here.

Diavolo and the boys have been turned human while in the human realm, cause unknown, and they just so happen to be in Florida with a southern MC who has to babysit while Barbatos and Lucifer search for a way to reverse it:

The boys holding a fruit they found: These look delicious!

They go to take a bite, but MC interrupts them: BOYS! Where did y'all get those?!

Startled, they nearly drop the fruits, turning to see an irritated MC.

Diavolo: What's wrong?

MC: Now, dadgummit, have y'all eaten them yet?

Mammon, confused: No...

MC: Throw them away right now.

Beel: But it smells really good...

MC: That is from a manchineel tree.

Belphie: And?

MC: That fruit is called a manzanilla de la muerte.

Levi: You speak spanish?

MC: I went to public school. I didn't have a choice.

Belphie: But what the hell does it mean?

MC: Uhh, "little apple of death." Boys, y'all are human for the moment, so the entire tree will kill you. It's the most dangerous tree on the planet.

Asmo: What?

MC: The fruit is toxic, the sap is toxic, the bark is toxic.

Satan: and their native to Florida?

MC, exasperated, hoping Barb and Luci will return soon: Yes. The sap is so poisonous that the smallest contact can cause horrible blisters. It can cause you to go blind, so can the smoke if you choose to burn the bark. You can't even stand under the dang tree while it rains in case the raindrops collect any sap on the way down.

Mammon: Well, why can't you just eradicate them?

MC: Oh, honey, their endangered! We protect 'em.

Levi: What? You protect a killer tree?

MC: Well, they fight beach erosion.

Satan: So what happens when there's a thunderstorm and you're beside this tree?

MC: You stand out in the storm I guess.

Diavolo: That doesn't sound safe at all.

MC: Oh, it ain't cause your close to lightning alley too.

Asmo: Excuse me? Lightning Alley?

MC: Mhmm. We see the highest frequency of cloud to ground lighting strikes more than any other area in the continent of the United states.

Satan: So you're telling us we have to choose between the reverse tree of life and electrocution?

MC: Oh, welcome to Florida, baby. I believe I told y'all before the Devildom is a vacation from this fine state. Y'all gone hate it here.

[needsmth]

Hey! I’m KINDA new here so Idk how it works? But Anyway could i request a Edmund x g/n reader. Where there’s a storm and Edmund is looking for reader beacuse he’s worried, and finally he finds them in the middle of courtyard just to see them having the best time of their life running dancing spinning and enjoying the weather? (i like to Imagine that at that moment he would think something like "I wanna be theirs” iykyk)

If it’s not a problem ofc! And thank you <333

Thank you so much omg!! I loved writing this one and I look forward to getting to know you more :)

A disclaimer to all the others reading though, the reader will identify as she/her as I'm not very good at writing with non-binary pronouns. I deeply apologise.

Also, I highly recommend that you read this with the song 'Lovers Rock' by TV Girl. It just fits the mood and I swear you won't regret it <3

!! WARNINGS !!

- slight cussing (literally just one swear word)

- tooth-rotting fluff :p

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Edmund is not worried, alright? In fact, he's been feeling himself as of late. But that's the problem. He's only been feeling himself when she's around.

And yes, there's very heavy rain today so there's plenty of reason to worry. Especially since Lucy last recalled seeing his best friend in the courtyard, which, he'd gladly remind to anyone, is open-air.

And no, he's definitely not speeding down the long, pristine hallways of Cair Paravel towards the courtyard. He simply isn't. He's just... Walking at a faster pace.

Edmund pays no mind as he passes the meeting room, the throne room, his own bedroom. That's not important right now.

When he reaches the steps that lead to the courtyard, he takes note of the very heavy rain. (Susan, being the most helpful person in the world says there is probably a high chance of lightning striking.)

Edmund eyes at his navy blue silk and cream-coloured linen outfit and then back to the rain. 'Fuck it,' he thinks, stepping out into the unmerciful rain that instantly ruins his hair and clothes.

Never mind that, he needs to find her.

His dress-boots stomp against the slosh that was grass and tried avoiding puddles as best as he could. Lord knows what Peter would say to him later.

The young king shakes his mind off his older brother. Not the time, he reminds himself.

Now that he's finally here in the courtyard himself, he realises how much he's never spent his time here. (A bad situation to be finally realising this, but oh well) He made up his mind on how he's going exploring again when he's not in such a state and when the fields are dry and the sun is peeking from the sky.

He continues wandering for a good three minutes before noticing the spin of a light-pink dress in the distance.

His dark eyes widen, little specks of hope visible in the irises. He rushed to where he saw it, and there you were.

But instead of the cold, wet, miserable you that he'd previously imagined, it was actually quite the opposite.

You twirled yourself around, his presence to you unknown. Your eyes were closed, but your smile shone just as bright. Occasionally, Edmund would hear a little laugh from you, an indication of the fun you were having.

His eyes widen again, but instead of surprise, it's filled with cheeky, malicious intent.

Tip-toeing quietly so you don't hear him, (although the rain made it hard to hear anything, really) his strong arms wrap around your waist, enveloping you into a hug.

You open your eyes with adrenaline, before recognising his strong jaw and milky-white skin. You laugh in relief, pulling him impossibly closer to you. When you open your eyes again, he has a handsome grin playing at his lips before he leads you to dance.

It's not like any other dance you've learned to teach yourself for all the balls and parties you and the Pevensies had been invited to.

It's a ridiculous dance, really, if you think hard about it.

The way Edmund just keeps shimmying you around him and twirling you in ways you never thought he could, it's childish of him. A side he rarely shows but will always be open to you.

Although, you did recognise some of the steps from the more elegant dances, like the waltz. When asked, he smiles wistfully and replies, "Once a king, always a king."

Most of the time your laughter filled the air, only the dark clouds and trees as your witness.

Suddenly, you stop your feet from moving. Edmund catches onto this and stops as well. His hands were still very much around your wrist and on your lower back, however.

You hear each other's panting and the both of you look up to see a wide smile on the other's face.

You take the moment of silence as an excuse to drag your eyes around his lean figure, studying the way his wet hair shone (Very attractively, though you wouldn't admit it to him. Ever.)

God, she's beautiful, he thinks, oblivious to your shifty eyes and red face. Just how much I want her by my side... He continues in his head, How much I want her to be mine.

Of course, he hadn't said this out loud. That's just plain stupid.

But one day, he'll say it. He will. It's a promise.

And with the beam of your face that you make every time you see him... Oh yes, it's a promise.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Hope you enjoyed!! Special thanks to @lidlowa for requesting this in the first place. Your prompt had me kicking my feet in the air and shi.

[cappuccinoandglitter]

Lightning Strikes Twice

Lightning Strikes Twice (2336 words) by Wolf Chapters: 1/6 Fandom: 9-1-1 (TV), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020), The Old Guard (Movie 2020), Highlander: The Series Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Tommy Kinard, Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Lucy Donato & Tommy Kinard, Lucy Donato & Evan Buckley, Lucy Donato & Evan Buckley & Tommy Kinard Characters: Evan "Buck" Buckley, Tommy Kinard, Lucy Donato, TK Strand, Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Andy | Andromache of Scythia, Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Additional Tags: Immortal Tommy Kinard, Immortal Lucy Donato, Swordfights, sexual innuendo involving honey, Future Fic, mindmeld shit, graphic depictions of tabletop gaming, Highlander AU, Methos could have been there but Joe vetoed that, Tommy and Buck are on vacation - no actual firefighting takes place Series: Part 2 of Who Wants To Live Forever? Summary:

2024:

"Nobody wants to fight you," Buck said. "Your sword fight club is stupid."

"Is this really how you want to spend eternity?" Tommy asked the immortal Alistair Kral. "Fight after fight until you finally lose?"

"Lucy? You're in sword fight club too?"

"We don't talk about sword fight club." She grabbed his arm. "How are you at climbing?"

"You mean go back the way you came?"

She nodded.

"Fuck no," he said. "Tommy needs help."

"Tommy needs you safe."

"I need him safe."

He grabbed the knife from Lucy's hand, shocked that he actually succeeded, and ran. But Lucy, true to her nature, tackled Buck to the ground, struggled to regain the knife. "Lucy, let me go!" he grunted, his face against the concrete floor. He bucked up against her, throwing her off, scrambling for the knife.

She jumped on him again, pinning his legs.

And then lightning struck again.

For a moment, Buck was back on that ladder in the rain again, feeling the buzz of ozone in the air before everything went bright and dark at once. 'This is it,' he thought, 'I'm not surviving fucking lightning a second time.'

Wave upon wave of electricity coursed through him and Lucy. He screamed, Lucy screamed.

But he didn't die…