#and i think i may have wound up back at the first drug i had in there anyway

[redgoldblue]

hiiii, for the random wip ask game: 💖🍖❌

❤️

💖 [Heart] What is your favorite moment in this WIP?

look....... I expected this to be a difficult question to answer and it is possible my answer would change depending on mood bc there's some solid runner-ups. But it's their kiss after Steve is diagnosed in chapter 5. it's short but it's all very soft and sweet and mutual h/c and emotions-thinly-covered-in-banter and also they still haven't realised/acknowledged they're together. I would put a snippet but I want to keep it somewhat a surprise whenever I finally post it

🍖 [Meat] How many fictional people were harmed in the making of this WIP?

I wanna say... two? Steve and an OC. So far. Also Danny if we're including mental/emotional harm. I promise this is essentially a sweet and fluffy fic

❌ [Cross] What would your WIP get cancelled on Twitter for?

problematic: this author thinks cath is just kind of a cool person who can hang out in a mcdanno fic and care about steve

problematic: this author has too much medical description and some of it's poetic-licensed what is this a house md fic

problematic: this author whumps steve and then turns around and spends half their time comforting danny about it bc characters are complex and relationships should be balanced

wip asks!

[covenofagatha]

A dance with death (and her wife) (Part 5)

Agatha takes you back to her house after the realization that you may have been responsible for the recent murders

Word count: 5200

Warnings: murder, purposeful thumb dislocation, violence

A/N: this got so long so fast so I had to split this chapter into 2 parts so as of right now I'm planning for 3 more parts

You can’t stop your teeth from chattering as you slide into the passenger seat of Agatha’s car. She followed you back to the motel so you could leave yours there, her headlights shining onto you the entire time, reminding you that she was right behind you.

Her lingering presence is ominous, rather than comforting. You just can’t put your finger on why.  

You’re not cold. The opposite, really. Your body is running hot, perspiration gathering on your forehead, but you’re shaking like a leaf. She turns up the heat, but you immediately reach over and turn it off. 

“I didn’t do it,” you say, but you’re not even sure if you believe it yourself. 

Agatha snorts. “Still think you’re being framed by The Witch and Lady Death?” She asks, and your heart spikes. Rio and her have been talking. Perhaps this whole time. Does she also know her wife drugged you? 

“Maybe,” you try to argue, but you know it’s just false hope at this point. How would they have gotten his blood under your nails? 

But how could you have killed him? You were completely unconscious the whole time. 

The knife from your motel found at the crime scene. Rio washing your clothes and being secretive about what was on them. And now this. 

You know you used to sleep-walk, but is sleep-murder a possibility? 

“Why did you want me to see it first?” You question, now latching onto something else. Agatha is a detective, she should’ve called the rest of the squad as well as you. 

Does she know more than she’s letting on? 

I’m just curious about something is what Rio said as she watched you succumb to sleep. 

What is going on? 

Agatha’s knuckles tighten on the steering wheel and you’re momentarily distracted by remembering what they felt like inside you. Her fingers, Rio’s mouth, together? “Just wanted to see how you’d react,” she finally says, and it snaps you out of your fantasy about them. 

“Rio drugged me earlier,” you tell her, watching her face closely for any sign of recognition or confusion. 

She remains neutral. “Oh?” 

You grit your teeth. They are both so good at keeping their cards to their chests. “Neither of you think I’m being framed. You seemed pretty certain that the body from yesterday wasn’t from them, that it was someone new.” Your voice drops to a whisper. “Do you think I killed both of them?” 

You’re not capable of that. There’s no possible way you did. But you want to hear what she thinks. 

“I think,” she pauses to choose her words carefully. “I think that I believe you when you say you think you didn’t do it.” 

“I couldn’t have,” you say weakly, needing more than anything for it to be true. 

She glances at you with pity. “We all think we couldn’t. People can surprise you.” The look on her face matches the darkness outside. Is she speaking from experience? 

The drawer opens and your fingers wrap around the handle of one of the knives. 

“I didn’t do it,” you insist. 

You park by the woods and ask the first man you see for help finding your dog who ran into the trees. He’s wearing a flannel and pants, and has the most brilliant blue eyes. 

Agatha reaches over to pat your leg. 

The kitchen knife cuts his legs surprisingly well and he slumps back against the trees, blood rushing from his wounds. You get immense pleasure in watching the cerulean in his eyes fade. But it’s not enough. You want to send a message: a heart on his chest. A nod to the shape drawn on the sticky note from The Witch and Lady Death, and to their calling card. 

A whimper tears its way out of your throat and you clamp a hand over your mouth. Agatha hears it and looks over, raising an eyebrow. “You okay, superstar?” 

Your head is spinning. Are these memories real, or not real? Is your mind playing tricks on you?

The femoral arteries were too quick, too easy. You need something more. It’s only too easy to lure this man into the woods. 

“I don’t know,” you gasp out. You’re hyperventilating now. You were supposed to protect this town, stop the killers, but instead, you became one. 

Plunging the knife into his throat sent a thrill like you’ve never felt before tingling down your spine. You drag it down, grunting with the effort, but the blood pours out and you’re breathless. The red on the white snow is almost angelic. 

What have you done? 

Memories, dreams, images, whatever they are, come rushing into your brain, almost completely overwhelming you. 

You killed them. 

Were you really unconscious, or were you just erasing the memories to protect yourself? 

But you were asleep, at least at first. Did you wake up and decide to go on a murder spree? How does that even happen?

“Pull over,” you demand. Agatha scoffs but you say it again, more sternly. Your entire body feels awful and you know what’s about to come. 

Thankfully she obeys, and the second her car screeches to a halt, you’re throwing open the door and barely making it two steps away before you double-over and retch, puking your guts out. It burns your throat and your lungs ache, but it feels like you’re cleansing your body.

Agatha quickly runs over to you and holds back your hair while you continue to vomit. She rubs gentle circles on your back and then you’re finally able to stand up and breathe normally. 

“Did you know after the first one?” You say, wiping your mouth and turning to face her. 

She shrugs, but there’s an affirmative glint in her eyes. “Figured you were bound to snap eventually. Didn’t realize how drastic it would be until Rio told me about the bloody clothes you had her wash.” 

You’d throw up again if there was anything left in your stomach.

But she’s not done yet. 

“And then we got the call about the body with all the blood and I had a hunch. But you not knowing anything gave me a bit of pause,” she admits, swiping her thumb on your lip affectionately. “Thought you were just a really good actor. But then you said you’d been sleeping for the past few hours, so I wondered.”

You cough, still tasting acid. Things still aren’t adding up. She fucked you after thinking you murdered someone? “Why didn’t you turn me in?” Not complaining exactly, but why have they been holding onto this? “Is that why Rio drugged me? She wanted to see if…I’d what? Murder someone else?” 

Agatha tilts her head back and forth, like she’s partly agreeing, and you back up from her, the gears in your brain turning. She gives you a look as if to say Really? and starts advancing towards you. You put your hands out to stop her and flinch, and she freezes. 

“If you’re feeling better, get back in the car,” she orders, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand. She takes one more step and stops an inch away from you, eyebrow raised like she’s anticipating your next move, and you gulp before obeying. “Good girl,” she says in a low voice, closing the door on you, and you hate the way your body betrays you. 

She gets into the driver’s seat and locks the doors and it makes your heart lurch. Why do you feel so unsafe right now? 

The key gets turned in the ignition but the car won’t start. “Fuck,” Agatha swears, turning it again and again. Panic starts to climb and settle into every crack and crevice in your body; what if you have to spend the night with Agatha on the side of the road? 

What if you fall asleep and accidentally kill her? 

Is that something you do now? Can you just never sleep for the rest of your life? 

The engine finally clicks and turns on, just taking a bit longer in the snow. But Agatha is almost out of gas, so she pulls into the next gas station she finds on the way to her house. 

“Have you eaten?” She asks gruffly, something seemingly changed in the air between you. 

The moment she brings up food, your stomach grumbles. You can’t remember the last time you ate. Tony would kill you, if you had heard from him at all. It’s weird he hasn’t called you back yet. Unfortunately, you have been sleeping though. You’re not sure if he would be proud. 

Agatha gets out of the car and slams the door and you quickly scramble out too. “We’ll go get you something to eat after I’m done filling up.” 

“I can just run in now,” you offer, desperately needing a moment to yourself. You can’t breathe next to Agatha right now. 

She scoffs and presses the pump into her car. “You’re a mess, superstar. I can’t risk you confessing to her about what you’ve done, or worse.” 

You bite back a sarcastic comment, still weary of her mood shift, and you tap your foot until the pump stops. She follows you into the station, watching carefully as you pick up a slice of pizza from the hot food area. You snag a drink and walk to the cash register, where a woman is snapping her gum. 

“Hi,” you say politely, putting your stuff down. Agatha’s hot breath is on your neck. “Oh, and can I get these too?” You quickly slap down a container of cinnamon mints. 

She looks you up and down, and winks. “On the house,” she says and Agatha steps even closer to you. The cashier’s eyes flicker to her. “Anything for your mom?” 

Agatha practically growls behind you and yanks your head back by your hair so she’s able to capture your lips in a bruising kiss. You try to pull away in shock, but she holds you there and slides her tongue into your mouth. You can still taste the little flap of skin from where you bit her when she fucked you. 

After she’s sufficiently stolen all the air from your lungs, she stops and grabs your pizza and drink from the counter. “Come, pet,” she says in a low voice that makes you hotly tingle all over and you make brief eye contact with the cashier, who looks severely taken aback. You wonder if you look as flushed as you feel. 

“Sorry about that,” you say sheepishly, face hot, and slap a ten dollar bill on the counter, scampering after Agatha. “What the fuck was that?” You call after her, and she whirls around, face contorted into something scary.

“Get. In. The. Car,” she demands, seething, anger radiating off her in waves and almost knocking you back. 

There’s silence the rest of the way to her house as you eat your pizza. It’s a cute two-story house, hedges trimmed neatly out front, and another car in the driveway. 

Your heart begins to race at the thought of seeing Rio again, at the thought of dealing with them together. 

What are you doing here? Are they going to blackmail you? What could they want from you? 

You trail Agatha to the front door and then into the kitchen, where Rio is trimming a bouquet of flowers in a vase. Yellow, blue, red, and a flash of purple. 

Brows furrowing, you try to get a closer look but Rio steps to the side, unknowingly blocking your view. 

“Hey, Aggie,” she says, her back still to you. The glimpse into domesticity and the nicknames makes you feel a longing pang inside you. 

In the past, girls had been too put off by your line of work, by your fascination with female serial killers, even by the scar on your stomach. You just wanted someone that could accept every part of you. 

Agatha walks over, leaving you standing awkwardly in the entrance, and presses a kiss to Rio’s cheek, murmuring something in her ear. Rio’s body stiffens and she turns around, a wide grin stretching over her face when she sees you. 

“Welcome, doll,” she says and you fight the urge to run away. She motions to a fresh batch of cookies cooling on the stove. “Want one?” 

You don’t budge. “Did you poison them too?” 

Rio’s head tosses back with a laugh and Agatha smirks bemusedly. “Touché,” Rio says, grabs one, and chomps on it. She brushes her hands free on the crumbs once she’s done and holds them up to show you that she didn’t lace them. 

“What am I doing here?” You ask, wanting to cut to the chase. There’s some ulterior motive, one you just don’t know of yet. 

Both of them beckon you to follow them into the living room. They sit on the couch and you sit in the chair facing them. 

“‘What am I doing here?’” Agatha mocks in a deep voice and you roll your eyes. 

Rio takes all of you in, eyes flicking up and down your body several times. “Such a trivial question. Why don’t you ask something better than that?”

You think about it for a moment. What do you really want to know? “Did I kill those men?” 

“Boring. Ask something you don’t already know the answer to,” Rio criticizes and your cheeks burn. 

“Why did I?” It comes out quieter than you intended, your voice breaking. 

The two of them finally look interested. “Why do you think?” Rio asks, ever the therapist. 

“I…don’t know,” you say lamely.

Agatha snorts. “Come on, superstar, we know you’re smarter than that. Use that brilliant brain of yours.”

Knife from the drawer. Slicing through fabric to cut the arteries. Hearing a squelching sound when you plunge it into the chin. 

Blood.

More blood. 

A brilliant blaze of fire erupts. 

You jolt. Fire? “I think…” You trail off, feeling shaken by the new revelation. Is the fire something that happened in the past, or something that’s about to come? 

“Yeah?” Agatha whispers, leaning forward. 

You try to search your head for the answer. “I think I wanted to know what it felt like,” you say slowly, testing the words on your tongue, still not completely sure if they’re right. 

You’re remembering more of the murders, remembering being in a trance-like haze when you woke up, getting into your car, coming back to the room after, stripping naked from the bloodstained clothes and scrubbing your skin in the shower until it stung. And then laying back down. 

Some sort of psychosis? Or just your unconscious mind fulfilling one of your darkest fantasies? 

Rio’s breath hitches. “And? How did it feel?” 

“It felt…powerful,” you say, and you know what the feeling in the woods with Agatha was now. It was the feeling of taking in your own work, seeing what you had done, somehow remembering the feeling even when you didn’t remember doing it. 

Agatha licks her lips, her eyes dark. “Holding their life in your hands, it’s a sensation like no other. That control makes you feel like a god, doesn’t it?” 

The way she phrases it sounds like she knows how it feels. How could she? 

Can you brush it off to her being a detective? Surely she’s had to make a decision like that once in her career, but there’s a nagging in the back of your mind that is sounding alarm bells. 

You cautiously look back and forth between them, between their faces with an indescribable hunger, and things start to come together. 

The Witch and Lady Death. 

Lovers, two brunettes, one thinner and taller, the other shorter and fuller. Just like Rio and Agatha.

Both Agatha and Rio were so convinced that there was a different killer. 

Both Agatha and Rio knew that you killed someone, even before you did, yet neither of them made any effort to get you in trouble. 

If anything, they pushed you to do it again. 

Rio said she wasn’t The Witch, but you hadn’t asked if she was Lady Death. 

Which means…

Agatha is The Witch. Rio is Lady Death. And you’re in their home, with both of them.

It’s ingenious though, really. Being the lead detective on a case trying to catch yourself, able to throw a wrench into any leads that the squad may happen to get. 

That must be why she was so nitpicky with all your theories. She knew all the right details the entire time.

Although, it never really seemed like she was shooting you down, it was almost like she was guiding you. 

Did she want you to catch them?

And Rio, being your therapist to find out more about you, get inside your head and understand how the profiler on their case thinks. 

You’d almost be impressed if you weren’t scared for your life right now. 

The only question is: why? 

Why murder all those people? Why break into your motel room and leave you all that stuff? Why help you in catching them, if that’s truly what they’ve been doing? 

Why not just kill you already? Unless that’s what they’re planning on doing tonight. 

“Can I, uh, use your bathroom?” You ask, praying they can’t hear how fast your heart is beating. 

They’re both regarding you with careful looks. “Second door on the left,” Agatha says, pointing down a hallway. You nervously smile and try to walk normally out of sight. 

Just make it to the bathroom, you chant. Then you can text Tony, text the police chief, text anybody. If you can keep up the pretenses, you might be able to hang on until reinforcements come. 

But as you’re walking by the first room on the left, you see that the door is ajar ever the slightest. 

You shouldn’t. You should go to the bathroom and get help. You absolutely should not open this door. 

It creaks as you push it open and you stop breathing, waiting to hear footsteps or one of them asking if you’re okay. 

Nothing. 

The door is open just wide enough for you to slip in now, and you can’t help the loud gasp that escapes your mouth. 

Purple azaleas are in a vase on the table, along with vials upon vials. Information about every single person in Westview on one wall, red circles highlighting either victims or a list. 

But what’s most startling is the shrine they have for you on the big wall. Pictures of you, case files, every piece of information accessible that concerns you is plastered there. 

They know exactly who you are. They’ve known. 

Fighting the nausea that climbs into your throat, you step closer. There’s something that draws your attention in the bottom left area, a medical record with your name on it from Salem, Massachusetts almost fifteen years ago. You don’t remember ever being in the hospital when you lived there. 

You bend down to see what it says and 

Snow. 

The frozen creek. 

Laughter and red birds when you step on a stick. 

The person whirls around, long dark hair flipping with the momentum, blue eyes cutting through the darkness. 

Fire. Sparks fly and land at your feet, hissing in the snow. 

“Well, well, well,” a voice says behind you and you spin so fast you almost fall over. Agatha and Rio are standing in the doorway, arms crossed. “Guess the secret’s out.”

But you don’t care about that. 

Because the woman from your memory has a name now. 

“It was you,” you accuse, jabbing a finger towards Agatha. The face in the flashes was a bit younger, but you’d know her anywhere now. 

A cold feeling sinks into you when she bares her teeth in a smile. “I see my wife’s techniques have been efficient.” 

Your head starts to pound. “How…?” 

“Why don’t we go back into the living room and we can talk about this?” Rio suggests gently. 

“So you can kill me?” You spit, completely disoriented. How did you know Agatha fifteen years ago? Why didn’t you remember? 

What did she do to you? 

Agatha scoffs. “Really, you think if we wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t be dead already? Honey, we could’ve had your heart the instant you stepped into town.” 

Your hand grabbles at your belt, trying to grab onto the gun that isn’t there. 

Fuck. 

You ran out of your room in such a hurry earlier that you forgot to grab it. 

“So what do you want from me?” You ask, trying to sound even the slightest bit braver than you feel. You fail. 

“We want you to join us,” Rio says, being uncharacteristically straight forward. “We see you and what you’re capable of. We’ve known it. We want you, all of you.” 

You shake your head. “No, absolutely fucking not. You two are crazy. I don’t know how you know me, or what happened in the woods all those years ago, but I would rather die than kill more people with you.” 

They both sigh like they were afraid you’d say that. They start to walk over to you and you feel prey being stalked, being hunted. 

“What are you–” 

Agatha shushes you. “You’re just confused, superstar. But don’t worry. We’ll give you some time to think about it.” 

And then they grab you and drag you kicking and screaming upstairs into their bedroom. 

This is it. This is how you’re going to die. 

“Wait, wait!” You scream as they throw you onto their bed. “I’ll do it.” You can pretend, you can make them think you want it until you can get out. 

Rio bends over and grabs your chin, scanning your teary eyes. “Oh, doll, you’re an FBI profiler and you’re still such a bad liar,” she tuts, roughly pushing your face away. 

Your body goes numb while they stretch your arms out and pull handcuffs – real handcuffs – from the nightstands and cuff you to the bedposts. 

Agatha smirks and waves the key in front of your face and you snap at it with your teeth. She chuckles darkly and puts it on the nightstand, just out of reach. 

“We’ll be back later, pet,” she says. “We have to go teach someone a lesson about taking things that don’t belong to them, and then The Witch and Lady Death are going to strike again.” 

Rio cackles and then picks up the bottom half of her skeleton mask and holds it to her face, widening her eyes at you. You strain against the handcuffs until they sting your wrist but you don’t stop struggling as they walk out of the room and close the door behind them. 

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

You are absolutely reeling. You met Agatha when you were ten years old. Something happened, something with fire? And the medical file from then, is that related? 

It can’t be a coincidence that you’re here now, working on a case in which she’s a killer. 

What happened that made you want to think like a killer? It’s the question that Rio asked when you first met her, that she swore she didn’t but now you think she was just fucking with you. 

You didn’t know the reason, couldn’t remember it at the time, but that was what made you start having these flashes of repressed memories. 

Is Agatha the reason? 

Did you see her kill someone at ten years old, but then your brain blocked it out because it was too traumatic? And then you spent the rest of your life determined to figure out what made her do that? 

It seems to make sense. 

It still doesn’t answer the real question as to what they want with you, and why they went through all this trouble. 

But you’re not going to find anything else tied up in their bed. 

The Basic Field Training Course at Quantico taught you several important things, like how to fire a gun and how to read a person’s posture and how to solve a case. But perhaps the most valuable lesson to you now was learned from a classmate, who taught you how to dislocate your thumb. 

Jimmy Woo had dislocated his thumb twice during lacrosse in high school so he could now do it whenever he wanted. It still hurt obviously, but the damage was less serious, it was easier to dislocate, and it was much easier to pop back in. 

All it took for him to teach you was a six pack of beer. You didn’t know exactly why you were so set on being able to, but you couldn’t be happier now. 

You remember the first time you did it. It had taken four shots of vodka to get your courage up before bending it back on a table. The ligaments had strained, not wanting to give, but through sweat and tears, you had persisted. 

Jimmy immediately took you to the clinic to get it wrapped up and you told them you had done it while throwing a ball with Jimmy. 

You’d only done it a few more times, but it got to the point where you could do it with minimal crying and could relocate it by yourself. 

Taking a deep breath to prepare yourself, you duck your chin down to grab ahold of your sweater between your teeth to have something to bite down before positioning your left thumb against the bedpost. Better to do it with your non-dominant hand, Jimmy always said. 

You can almost hear him encouraging you as tears spill down your cheeks and your whimpers are muffled. 

Pressing harder, a slight sheen of perspiration breaks out on your head. Fuck, you’d forgotten how much it hurts. 

Finally, finally, there’s the desired pop and pain floods up your hand. It almost entirely overwhelms you and 

Snow. 

Frozen creek. 

The woman turns toward you and looks surprised to see someone else in the woods with her. 

She waves to you and you’re pulled forward by an invisible string. When you get closer to where she’s partially hidden by shadows, you see she’s not alone. 

A younger woman with pale skin, dark hair, and wide hazel eyes. 

But there’s another woman too. 

The throbbing in your thumb pulls you out of the flashback. 

Rio.

Rio was there, too. You’ve met both Agatha and Rio before.

But you don’t know who the other woman is; you didn’t even get a good look at her. 

Focus on that later, you tell yourself, whining as you gingerly pull your hand out of the cuff. You lean over and snatch the key off the nightstand and quickly unlock the other cuff. It hurts like hell to use your dislocated thumb to turn the key, but you don’t know how else you’d use it. You take another slow, deep breath before popping that thumb back in. 

After moving it around and massaging it to get the blood flowing back in, you scramble off the bed and run downstairs. 

You need to go back to your motel room and get your gun, not even bothering to look and see if they have any, but first you need to go back into their room downstairs and see if there’s any hints about where they might be going. 

It appears that all the photos that have red circles on them are past victims, so you have absolutely no idea where they might be. 

You’re about to leave the room and go back to the motel when you remember the medical file from Massachusetts. It looks like they have pictures of a copy; how would they even get that? 

But you bend down to read it and a searing pain splits through your forehead. It hurts so bad it forces your eyes shut and you’re only able to comprehend a few words and phrases. 

Hypothermia…18 hours in the snow. 

Pneumonia. 

Head-induced trauma caused retrograde/post-traumatic amnesia. 

The pain in your head brings you to your knees as you try to make sense of the record. You remember learning about types of amnesia in your psych classes, and retrograde means you can’t remember things that happened before the accident. 

Is that why there’s a block? Or is it because of something you saw in the woods? 

Nothing is adding up. 

Why didn’t your parents ever tell you about this? Is this the reason you left Salem so quickly? 

The throbbing in your head has leveled down to a dull ache and you’re able to stand up. This is all connected somehow, you just don’t know how. 

What you do know is that you need to find them and stop them. 

You dig around the drawers in the kitchen to find a set of keys to Rio’s car, you’re guessing, and you’re peeling out of their driveway, not even caring about the speed limits. You blow through stop signs and red lights, but it’s late enough that no one else is on the road. 

Throwing the car into park once you get back to the motel, you shoulder open the door to your room and come to a halt. 

It’s the smell that hits you first. 

A sickly sweet honeysuckle scent wafts into your nose and you almost retch. Purple azaleas litter the floor in a path from the front door to the bedroom door, candles lit on both sides like a romantic rendezvous. 

They were already here. How could they have known you’d come back? Are they in the other room? 

Heart pounding, you gulp before reaching for your gun on the table and cautiously stepping toward the bedroom. You close your eyes and say a little prayer that you’re not about to be killed, and you kick it open. 

There’s more azaleas, and enough candles to perform a ritual. Your gaze scans the room, breaths getting shorter and shallower. 

And then you see the bed and your hands clamp over your mouth in order to smother the cry that comes out involuntarily. 

It’s the woman from the gas station, sprawled out like a starfish, completely naked from the waist up. There’s a lace from one of your pairs of shoes wrapped tightly around her neck, face tinted blue. 

Your body violently shakes as you walk over to her and you see her chest. 

The letter “O” is carved around her right breast. The letter “U” around her left. “R” is carved into the right side of her stomach, and “S” into the left. 

OURS. 

We have to go teach someone a lesson about taking things that don’t belong to them. 

Ignoring the heat running through your body, you spot a notecard clenched in her hand and you wrench it out. 

On one side, it says: Sorry, baby. Xoxo. On the other side, there’s an address. 

You know it’s a trap, like this right here was, and like everything else may have been, but what choice do you have? 

Your fingers tighten on your gun and you get back into Rio’s car, punching the location into your phone. 

This ends tonight. 

[belovedenzo]

back to the old house; l. berkshire

summary; inspired by the song 'back to the old house' by the smiths. when lorenzo berkshire, your childhood best friend comes back to town for christmas, you learn that he missed you just as much as you missed him.

rating; NSFW., 18+, smut!

warnings; just soft enzo sex. angst, mentions of drug abuse and mental health issues.

word count; 4.8k

notes; I hope you enjoy, this is my first fic on here! lmk what you may want to read next- check out my blog, there will be more. I accept requests and tag lists! if you have seen this post before it is because I switched accounts!

You were twelve years old when the new family moved in next door. This house had been the roof over your head your entire life, or at least since you can remember. 

  A sweet old lady had taken residence in the abode next door until she woefully passed away when you were just ten years old. You remember shedding a few tears and missing her fresh baked cookies for months after that, but as time does it healed the wound and life moved on. That house lied empty until a young couple with a son your age bought the house and began cleaning up the old memories. 

 The neighborhood had always been suppressed and solemn for a young girl but alas it’s the house your parents picked while you were still in the womb. They always told you it was a privilege to grow up in such a nice house in a tranquil area, but with age it became a cruel joke. A cruel joke that would continue as they decided to home school you, making the boring isolation even more painful as you approached your teen years. That was until that said young couple with the son your age moved into the house they had bought. 

 You were so excited to have a new kid on the block- the only other kid really. The day you watched him walk up those steps with his last few bags in hand was all you had needed to gain the confidence. His features hid behind his bouncy brunette hair, forbidding you from seeing what the stranger looked like. Your tiny little hands gripped the edge of the window, a grin threatening to take over your face at that instant as your imagination went wild. A friend, someone to talk to. 

 You may not have learned how to make friends, but you knew that you would do anything to befriend this new neighbor boy. Luckily, it seemed like he was in the same boat and needed a friend as well. 

 It didn’t take long before you did in fact become friends with the neighbor boy. After all it seemed he was in the same position as you- awkward, lonely and eager to make a friend. Lorenzo, Lorenzo Berkshire was his name. His eyes were a deep brown, but grew amber against the sun. His hair was always nicely done by his momma and he wore the same bootcut jeans that were too big for him every day. You two were inseparable to say the least, spending every moment you could together in the tree house his parents had built in his back yard. You had stared longingly as that tree house was being built, hoping you’d get to play in it some day. 

 Lorenzo was kind, funny and always played gentle unlike your boy cousins you had met at family functions. He became the ideal friend, giving you all of his attention. He was all you could ask for, and you felt lucky to have such a sweet neighbor boy to be your friend. 

 “Come on, just jump and I’ll catch you!” He shouted with a grin, ear to ear. “I mean it!”

 You closed your eyes tightly, the idea of bouncing too high on the trampoline and breaking a bone scared you. You stood at the edge of the treehouse opening, blinking a few times, hoping the distance would grow shorter but it never did. “Enzo, I don’t think I can do it!” You shouted back, watching as the boy below you stood with open arms. You weren’t sure if he was even strong enough to catch you.

 He scoffed one last time before rolling his sweet amber eyes and stretching his arms up even further, “You trust me?” He asks, eyes locking into your own. Evidently, you did trust him so before you knew it, you were mid air, hurling towards the trampoline below you. He of course wasn’t as strong as he claimed, causing a collision that ended with you both face down into the trampoline. You both began to laugh so hard that it hurt, all of the fear you had previously felt leaving your body. Lorenzo may have been a foolish child, but he never would have put you in danger. 

 You shared many moments like this, adventuring around the neighborhood, reading books in the treehouse or even eating lunch in his moms bright dining room when she’d invite you inside. For once you didn’t feel so lonesome, you had a best friend. 

 This relationship remained through middle school but feelings began to shift as puberty really hit you both. You started to notice his features in a… different way. He finally really fit those boot cut jeans and that bouncy hair grew in length to frame his new found jaw perfectly. His laugh deepened, growing less obnoxious and more charming. Before you knew it, your best friend quickly became your crush by the time you both hit fourteen. 

 “Really? You don’t think you’ll ever have a boyfriend?” His eyebrows raised, like he didn’t believe what you had just said. “All girls get a boyfriend. I mean come on, we’ll be fifteen next year!” 

 You rolled your eyes, thinking of throwing a pebble from the ground in his direction. “I just don’t want one, other boys aren’t like you y’know? They’re gross.” You weren’t lying, truly no boy you had ever met was quite like Lorenzo. 

  He smiled smugly in your direction, stopping in his tracks. The sound of rocks rolling against his sneakers filled the brief silence, his feet kicking the gravel beneath. “Maybe I’ll just have to be your boyfriend then.” 

 This time you did throw a pebble… or two. “Ew! We’re best friends!”

  He laughed, but a bright pink heat rose to your cheeks like fire. “I was just kidding- I know we’re best friends.” His hand swiftly grabbed yours, beginning a rocking motion as he led the walk to continue. No matter how much you liked Lorenzo, there was no way in hell he would ever know that. Not only were you too shy, but you knew if you did tell him you’d never hear the end of it. 

 High school became a different and more painful story. Lorenzo’s parents decided it was time for him to go to public school, and no matter how much you begged and pleaded, neither of your parents agreed to let you go to his school. You had come up with so many reasons why it would be a sizable idea, and they wouldn’t listen to a single one. Fortunately, that didn’t seem to matter at first because as you both went onto fifteen he seemed to have no interest in his school friends, or sleepovers with the boys his age. 

 “They’re cool and all, but they can be a little mean.” He stated with a shrug, plopping down onto the pillow next to that rested on the wood floor. By then you had both decorated the tree house to your liking, scattering pillows across the floor making it a perfect reading nook. 

 “They’re mean? What did they do?” You pried, interested and concerned at the idea of your best friends classmates being mean to him. According to your parents he had always been a timid boy compared to others his age, making him a perfect victim for teasing. You had always noticed the differences in him and testosterone filled adolescent boys but in your eyes he was the coolest one. 

 He shrugged again, shifting in his seat to rest his head on your shoulder. “Nothing… we just have nothing in common.” He moved away once again to look at you in the eyes. “They aren’t like you, you’re my best friend.” 

 This is always what he had said when you inquired about his new friends, which made you sad for him but also brought and odd sense of comfort… he wouldn’t leave you for his new friends. That was always a secret worry of yours, especially as you began to develop feelings that you further didn’t understand. The idea of him replacing you with the kids at school devastated you, especially the idea of girls. Girls that were prettier or more popular than you could ever be as a home schooler, they terrified you. 

 As your freshman year ended at home, the subject of you going to public school was revisited and this time with more thought. By the time summer came it was confirmed that you would be going to Lorenzo’s school that next year. 

You were both very ecstatic, the promise of going to a public school together lit you up, all of your worries would come to an end. There would be so many new faces, bringing your nerves to a boil but you knew that if you went into it with Lorenzo you would be fine. 

 The rest of the summer went by a little different than past summers, all of his attention wasn’t just given to you. Lorenzo’s new friends came around a lot, you even met them a few times and they seemed fine but Lorenzo kept you over all separate from them. You never questioned that, assuming that as he was growing up he needed ‘guy time’ as your mother called it. The excitement of going to school with him that next year oversaw any unhappiness you felt about having less time with him that summer

 You both turned sixteen before going into year ten, and that’s when things really started to change. You remember it clearly, his birthday party, a party at his house that included you and all of his new friends. They didn’t seem like a bad group of kids, but very different from Lorenzo. Not being used to boys like this, you kept to yourself, hoping Lorenzo would include you more which he didn’t- in fact he seemed to avoid you. Halfway through the party, the group of boys including your best friend had trailed off and left you alone in his back yard. When they came back he seemed different, like he had taken something or well… you weren’t sure. You had never seen that glaze in his eyes or heard that tone of his voice. No conversation was ever had about it, you didn’t want to accuse him but deep down you knew he wasn’t right for the rest of the night. 

 Little did you know, this was the start of him slowly pulling away. He seemed to eventually have more in common with these new friends than he did with you and the loneliness from years before began to resurface. Something changed in him towards the end of summer, his interest in you lessened and lessened, which hurt more than anything you had felt in a long time. However, you still held faith that this was just a phase or that you misunderstood his distance. 

 The school year began, your first school year in a public school. What was once excitement had turned to dread once you realized, you’d be going to this school virtually alone. Without your best friend, you had no one to support you. Everyone seemed to know each other and have established bonds except for you, and no body was interested in letting the weird home school girl in on their group of friends. Bullying quickly began, maybe not like the stuff you had seen on TV but definitely enough to leave a nice sting to the ego. Watching Lorenzo walk around with his friends, made it worse. So many girls seemed to like him, not just you anymore. Not only did he get taller and hotter, but he even cooler, way cooler. Everyone liked Lorenzo, a lot it seemed. He wasn’t the shy little boy you had met, but you remained the shy little girl he had met. 

 That next summer was dull, just as dull as the school year before and the next school year was even worse. You hated watching his style change, his attitude change, his entire demeanor really… all without you. During the summer it was easy to hide and ignore, but at school you were forced to watch him skip his classes and display rude behavior to the teachers and nerdier kids like yourself. None of this was the boy you had met and man did it hurt, more than anything it just really hurt. 

 “Berkshire?” The teacher had asked once more, hoping this time he’d announce himself. It was true though, Lorenzo Berkshire was no where to be found. This was the third time this week that he’s no where to be found actually. Not like he ever noticed you were in this class with him, but of course you noticed. 

 You’d hear the arguments coming from next door, the yelling and cussing which he previously never did. It always seemed to be about his grades and behavior at school, and why he wasn’t acting like himself. The few words you could make out always seemed the same and it worried you to pieces. Not being sure what he was going through upset you, but it’s not like he would talk to you about it anyways. 

 Eventually the time came where his teenage angst caused him to run away for a short time. You can still remember walking into the kitchen to find your mom holding his crying mother. She was in such shables, what a poor woman she was on the linoleum floor of that kitchen. They had asked you about him, but disappointingly you had nothing to say. 

While you were focused on your grades and staying emotionally afloat he was focused on doing juvenile activities with his new group of friends. 

 He eventually came home- according to his mother Lorenzo has been drinking and smoking and warned your mother to watch out for you which luckily she didn’t have to. You were never like that, and until then you never thought your best friend was either. It became clear that substances may be exactly what him and all of those new friends had in common, making the worry you had for him worsen. 

 His mother was always so sweet and inviting, so seeing her such a mess over this was saddening to both you and your own parents. She came clean about lot of issues Lorenzo had growing up, issues that he never spoke to you about… or anyone for that matter it seems. Who knew that such a beautiful boy was so sick on the inside? It hurt. 

 You had tried to approach him after that, truly worried about his well being but you weren’t expecting such a cold response. ‘Mistake’ is an understatement, you should have known he wasn’t interested in the words you had to say. 

 “I really don’t care for your concern.” He laughed in your face, making tears well in the corners of your eyes. “What? Are you gonna cry now? God- you’ve always been such a child.” With that he walked away, not a single care in the world for you as tears streamed down your cheeks. His voice was different than what you remembered, now slathered in venom. His eyes no longer shown amber but sat at its original dark brown hue. He was even more different of a person than you could have imagined, agonizing really. 

 After that you stopped trying and attempted to stop paying attention. It wasn’t that you didn’t care but that you couldn’t. So much pain was left in the pit that was your non-existent friendship with Lorenzo Berkshire- it had to burn. That fire was a hard one to set, yet inevitable.

 Your last year of high school was spent with one girl from your class that happened to move to your home town in her last year of high school. It was rough, but at least you had each other. Lorenzo made the separation easy, ignoring your every move like nothing ever had any meaning at all. 

 “Do you think you’ll ever make up with Lorenzo?” You both walk together out the back doors of your school, relieved that today would be your last day you ever had to endure it’s confinements. 

 A shrug of your shoulders is all you have as an answer, still not willing to talk about it. She knew enough, let’s leave it at that. “I don’t know girl… I don’t know.”

 Life really went on after that- you both graduated and moved away from the little home town you grew up in together. 

You’d never really forget the beautiful boy next door, your best friend and companion… you knew that. But as an adult, you had to find some peace and move on, so that you did. Friends became easier to make with age, as did possible relationships that never quite made it out of the ‘getting to know each other’ stage. You would think of him sometimes and miss him quite horribly, or at least the person you thought you knew. The feeling that lingered the most was hope- hope that he found his way out of that dark hole. You had never known about his struggle with depression, or about his problems fitting in any place they moved him too. If only the sweet boy next door would have told you how he felt… how he really felt.

 Years later you now find yourself back in your home town for Christmas break, the age of twenty one. The smell of cinnamon fills the air, green and red adorning nearly every surface it seems. Christmas time coats the atmosphere, the feeling you now associate with home since leaving your small home town. 

 Everything seemed the same as the last, and the times before that until a familiar voice invaded the room ahead. The last year you were here, Lorenzo was no where to be found, so upon watching him enter his own foyer with a smile on his face, your jaw truly dropped. 

 You watch as he waltz’ around like he hasn’t been gone for three years, hugging family and friends that you’ve known since you were kids. Your eyes scan the room, following his every move with nerves running through your veins, the drink in your hand threatening to bust as you grip it close. He comes closer towards your direction, all of the hairs on ur body standing up. You shoot the last of your spiked Christmas punch down, turning to throw it in the trash behind you. “Oh my god, look who it is.” You pause with every fiber of your being before turning to see the source of the voice. 

 “Lorenzo.” Is all you can say as he pulls you in for a hug, his warmth enveloping you. In that moment it was as if all time stopped and nothing had changed at all, you were both still twelve years old hugging in his living room at Christmas. 

 That night you both had a long talk about what happened to him that summer, what changed and what he’s been through since. “I got sober this year… early February.” He says with a bright smile, taking his last sip of the punch. “All I do is drink now.” He held up the cup with a grin, obviously quite proud of his accomplishment. He shifts awkwardly in the seat on the couch, eyes trailing to another direction. Shame had been painted on his face the entire evening, no matter how much he clearly tried hiding it. 

 You had decided the moment his arms flew around your body to forgive him. Forgiveness had taken place years before this moment even began, you could never hate Lorenzo. Especially not as you watched him animate and speak comfortably, like he never stopped loving you from the start.

 After hours of catching up and moving through lumbersome feelings, everyone began to get tired and left, the house growing quiet. “This may sound crazy, but do you want to sit in the tree house.” The silence was broken by your own voice. 

 “Thought you’d never ask.” He responded, eagerly standing to drag you towards the back door, just like he used to. 

 You both sit, facing each other in the same treehouse you sat in all those years ago, giggling about the memories you both share so personally. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry…” He didn’t go into much detail, but the look in his eyes really said all you needed to hear. The shame he was trying to hide finally spilled from his lips.

 “It’s okay, Enzo.” You said softly, eyes darting to the floor anxiously and then back up to meet his. He went to open his mouth and say something else but you gently shook your head before he could. “Really- it’s okay.” Your voice was but above a whisper, as if you’d scare him off. 

 It goes silent for a while, but comfortably. He goes to speak again, “but I’ve missed you.” He scoots closer, resting his head on your shoulder. 

  “You’re still my best friend, y’know.” You said soft, a grin sitting on your rosy cheeks. Words that you had been holding in for years, finally spilled. 

 He sits up off your shoulder, now to look you in the eyes. He stays close as he asks, “Does that mean you still trust me?” He asked, hushed. There was a tone to his voice you had never heard before, your tummy turning to knots but you can’t decide if it’s the alcohol or his hot breathe against your neck. 

 You nod at a leisurely pace, watching the amber of his eyes twinkle against the moonlight. 

 That’s all he needed to know before his lips softly make contact with the side of your neck. He nips and kisses at the tender flesh, your once wide eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. Years of pent of feelings were relinquished against your pulse point. Long fingers drag against the side of your jaw, bringing your lips to his. The way his lips move with your own tells you that after tonight, you’ll never be the same again. 

 Soft whimpers leave your lips as he now hovers over you, lips gently attacking yours. You had never really had a boyfriend, so all of this was very new to you, but Lorenzo is guiding you through it. His hands are all over you, his touch soft and warm. Before you know it, your sweater is off and while you should be cold, his arms have you caged into his own body heat. His fingers seem too easily and skillfully pop your bra off from behind as he continues to leave soft kisses on your neck. 

 His name softly draws from your lips as he hums into your neck, hands reaching to find your breasts and touch you like you had never been touched before. You can feel the heat pool between your legs while he does this, you eyes screwing shut in ecstasy and slight embarrassment. His fingers pulled at your nipples gingerly before roaming down further to tug your pants off. 

 Your eyes now open as he pulls away to look at you, pulling your pants down your legs carefully as to not hurt you, like you’re his doll.

 You’d never felt so vulnerable before, here on the treehouse floor in front of your best friend, now nearly naked. You both stare into each other’s eyes for a moment before he takes off his own button down. He leans back down, connecting your hands as he kisses you again, this time with more passion.Your nerves leave you as he does this, feeling closer to him the ever before. 

 One hand untangles from your own and makes it’s way down your body to the place you desire him most. He uses two fingers to rub over your panties, feeling the wet spot and spreading it on the rest of the fabric. He pulls away as you mewl, not used to the feeling of someone else’s hand between your legs.

 “Can I?” He asks with that same sultry seduction as before, his fingers still running up and down your clothed core. 

 You nod eagerly, grabbing his shoulder and giving it a squeeze like a silent beg for more friction. You’ve never needed him more than you do now. 

 He smirks at your excitement, pulling your panties to the side to reveal your wet pussy to the wind. Any chills are quickly replaced with his fingers as he spreads your wetness through bare folds. You bite back a soft moan as he slides his fingers in with care, watching your expression for any signs of pain. “I’ll be gentle.” 

 With skill and precision, Lorenzo moves his fingers inside of you. Every drag of his finger tips against the gummy walls draws a sound of pleasure from your core. This is a feeling you’ve never felt before and there is no one else you’d rather feel it with. 

 It take doesn’t long before you’re squirming for more than just his fingers, and he is happy to oblige. Both of your bodies feel so close as he runs his cock up and down against you. “Lorenzo- I’ve never-” You feel the need to admit, feeling nervous about losing your virginity. 

 He pauses and looks at you, but not with much surprise. He doesn’t say anything, just leans down and kisses along your jaw. If you were to lose it to anyone, it should be Lorenzo, he’s the person you wanted to lose it to since you were a teenager but the last thing you want to do is disappoint him. “Don’t worry princess, I’ll take care of everything just lay back and feel good.” His voice was soft against your jaw and it calmed your nerves.

 He linked one of your hands together, the other one rubbing circles on your arm as he slid in real slow and steady. A sound immediately left your mouth, the stretch of how thick he is really shocking and kind of painful. He gave you plenty of time to relax how ever, rubbing your arm and squeezing your fingers with his. 

When he felt the time was right he began to move god did it feel good now that the pain subsided. It’s almost like he really knows what he’s doing. 

 Lorenzo made love to you this night, holding you close and rutting into you at a passionate speed. Soft sounds left his lips into the crook of your neck. He was feeling just as good as you and he would make sure you knew that. 

 “You feel so good.”

 “I missed you so much.” 

 “I want every piece of you to be mine, you’ll always be mine.”

 His praises sing a beautiful tune against your ear lobe, pulling even more pornagraphic moans from your throat. With each sweet whisper and deep thrust you felt the knot in your stomach tighten, like it would snap any second now. 

 Your eyes search for him with a desperate, fucked out expression because you know you’re going to come soon and he lets out a soft chuckle as he catches the gaze. 

 “Go ahead baby, I’m close.” He understood your pathetic beg for release. 

 Upon hearing this, your eyes screw shut and your hands fly to grip his broad shoulders for dear life. Finally your body reaches it’s breaking point, harder than you’ve ever been able to do yourself. A sound you’ve never heard comes out of your own throat as you cum, your walls fluttering around him. 

 This is his final straw as he also comes to his climax, biting into your shoulder to hold back a whimper that you still clearly heard. He rode out his high inside of you, making sure to be zephyr-like with your overestimated and spent body. 

 With that, you were consumed by him, no piece of you has been left untouched. Lorenzo has taken it all from you, and he doesn’t plan on giving any of it back. 

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Halloween! May your days be spooky and sweet. Mo dao zu shi, please.

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Jiang Cheng can't believe that worked.

"Why is he here?" his father asks, pointing a thumb in Wen Ning's direction.

Wen Ning continues rowing the boat with that wide eyed, trusting expression. It's incredible that he hasn't been killed yet.

"Why are either of you here," his mother snaps, back straight and looming down her nose at them. Being beaten half to death hadn't done much to affect her attitude. "We gave clear instructions."

"You're welcome," Wei Wuxian says, more sarcastic than she'd normally be, but she's also bleeding quite a lot, despite Jiang Cheng's best efforts to put pressure on the wound and the packet of herbs Wen Ning had given her.

Jiang Cheng doesn't have the energy to care about his fiance and mother's sniping. He's already resigned himself to having to tune it out for the rest of his life. "How far are we from Yiling?"

He should know better, having navigated this river his whole life. But he'd been too busy with keeping Wei Wuxian alive to care.

"Not far," Wen Ning says. "Qing-jie is expecting us. Don't worry, Wei Wuxian is going to be fine."

"It's going to close soon enough on it's own," she says, poking Jiang Cheng in the chest. "Some of us have cultivated cores that are efficient like that."

He's not in the mood to be teased.

When he saw he on the floor, surrounded by all that blood, he'd thought she was dead.

"They're going to be after us," his father says. "If not for us, then in revenge. They're going to be pissed they lost Wen Zhuliu."

"Oops," Wei Wuxian says cheerfully.

Wen Zhuliu had been dead, lying far enough away that Jiang Cheng hadn't noticed him at first. Wei Wuxian insists that most of the blood had been his, but he doesn't believe her.

"You're lucky you didn't lose your core," he hisses. "You're lucky you're not dead! What were you thinking?"

"Uh, that he was right there and easy to kill?" She grimaces. "How was I supposed to know he was resistant to the drug? Also, I won, which I feel like we're all glossing over."

"Shut up," he says tiredly.

He's never going to have an obedient wife, but he'd settle for one who wasn't hell bent on giving him a heart attack.

[cbrownjc]

The one thing that I don’t get is if Devil’s Minion happened during the 70s, that means that Armand was basically leaving an heavily injured Louis alone in their house for long periods of time. In the book, Daniel and Armand basically move in together and spend all their time together. The Chase also seems like a full time job. I feel like Armand wouldn’t go do that, as he’s still madly in love with Louis during that time. He’d probably devote all of his time taking care of him. Or do vampires just heal faster, even with significant burns?

Hi!

So see, The Chase is actually why I think it was clever of the show to have Louis attempt what he did when he did, and be so severely injured by it. Because, as I said here, Louis having such extensive burns means there is really only one way for him to truly heal from them quickly and that is if he does the same thing Lestat had to do in the books when he was severely burned in the same way in the books and I feel we will see him be on the show (and probably was doing when Armand contacted him in 2x05 back in 1973) -- and that is to go underground, into the very earth itself, to sleep for a time and heal.

See, that is one reason Louis begged Armand to put him in his coffin at one point after he was hurt. Vampires heal quicker from injuries when they are in their coffins. And they heal even more quickly -- and grow even more strong in their abilities and powers -- if they go into the earth to sleep for a time.

In the books, Lestat went to sleep underground in the earth for 55 years from all the heavy injuries he got -- first when Claudia slit his throat, then when Louis set him on fire, and then, in Paris when Armand threw him off a tower. Lestat went underground, into the earth, to sleep from 1929 to 1984, to heal from all of that.

So I think Louis likely did the same thing for a short time after he and Armand left Daniel at the drug den -- Louis went into the earth to sleep and heal from his wounds.

And when a vampire is in the earth asleep, they are at their most safe from harm. Even during the burning from Akasha, the vampires who were asleep underground were not burned by her, because they couldn't be burned while within the ground. I'm only up to Chapter 15 of Prince Lestat, but that is a word and tactic that is being broadcast by Benji for all vampires to do during the worldwide second burnings -- to go into the earth, underground, if a burning begins where they are to escape it.

So in truth, Louis wouldn't actually need Armand to watch or take care of him once he was in the earth, underground, asleep. Because that's how Daniel actually first met Armand in the books. Armand was just hanging out at Lestat's house for decades, waiting for Lestat to wake up again while Lestat was asleep underground. Armand didn't need to watch or take care of Lestat as he was doing so -- Armand was just there because he had nowhere else to go. So when Daniel stumbled into Lestat's house looking for him, chasing Daniel actually gave him something to do.

And so I think the same will be true wrt the show. Once Louis goes into the earth to sleep and heal, Armand really isn't going to be needed by Louis for however long Louis sleeps underground. Just like in the books when it came to Lestat doing the same thing.

In fact, I can see a parallel with Lestat and Louis now both being underground and asleep at this point in time in the show, both healing from everything they have both gone through, as I honestly expect Lestat to also get severely burned during the events of Paris, just as we saw Louis get burned in 2x05.

So yeah, once Louis is safely underground, Armand will basically be by himself for however long that may last. And I can see his curiosity with that boy Louis called "fascinating" occupying his mind again, and him deciding to check up on that boy out of curiosity. And, as I said here, Daniel remembering the first interview still -- as well as the inspiring words he now had on repeat in his mind -- I think is going to have Daniel first looking for Louis and then, failing to find him again, will have him try to find Lestat.

Because in the books, all Daniel did to find Lestat's Garden District house -- which Lestat was sleeping under at the time -- was to go through property ownership documents in the Hall of Records in New Orleans, and find Lestat's name listed, right there, for a few properties, the Garden District house being one of them. Daniel, of course, would have never been able to actually get to Lestat himself, because Lestat was deeply buried under the earth at that time, but he still found the house easy. And then, when he arrived there, that's when Armand first caught him and locked him in the cage.

One of the things about The Chase I always wondered about before now wrt the show's version of it was what Louis would have been doing during it, as I always thought it was critical that only Armand and Daniel be involved in it. This is the main reason I thought The Chase in the show would only last a year or so, instead of the 4 years it lasts in the books.

But now, with Louis being so severely burned, I think that gives the answer. Just like Lestat, Louis will go into the earth, underground, to sleep and heal. And, just like in the books when Lestat did the same, Armand will be alone and on his own while he waits for Louis to wake up again. Which will probably take some years to happen.

And the only reason I don't think Louis will be asleep for the whole time Devil's Minion happened in the past -- which was 12 years in total -- is because of Louis calling Daniel "our boy." Meaning I think, at some point, Louis was with Armand and Daniel both sometime after Armand and Daniel fell in love and came together while Louis was asleep, and he and Daniel became even closer friends during that time. But who knows? Maybe Louis just calls Daniel "our boy" because of what took place during those 3-4 nights back in 1973 and nothing else, and Louis just sees Daniel as a "testament to their companionship" or whatever, and he really was underground asleep during almost the whole of Armand and Daniel's relationship. That is very possible as well IMO.

At any rate, I do think there might be something to Armand saying that he and Louis have been together "for 70 years" in the bedroom scene in episode 2x01, but then Louis saying they've been together "for 77 years" at the top of episode 2x02. Armand could have just been speaking in general numbers, or . . . maybe there is a 7-year gap when they weren't together. And maybe that gap is talking about the years Louis spent underground asleep and healing -- which it's clear that Louis himself wouldn't remember in the present-day, since he didn't even remember attempting to kill himself in the first place (thanks to Armand's memory reprogramming on him). And, during that 7-year gap, that is when The Chase happened, as well as 3 of the 8 years Armand and Daniel were fully together after confessing being in love with each other as well.

Which, come to think of it . . . if you do the math on that? 1973 + 7 years takes you to the year 1980. And if you look at Daniel's LinkedIn page, his writing credits didn't really start accumulating until 1981. As Daniel said himself, the 1970s are just a blur to him. And this could be why.

So I can imagine Louis waking up around 1980 or so and learning from Armand that he and Daniel are now together. And yes, I think Louis would be okay with it -- because hell, at least Armand wasn't alone while Louis was asleep healing, and Louis himself already has a fondness for Daniel anyway. (All of this happening being something Louis doesn't remember anymore now of course).

But between Daniel's growing career and Alice somehow coming into the picture sometime in the 1980s (because yes, I do think Alice is real, even if I also think a lot of Daniel's memories of her are really memories about Armand), things begin to go sour, with Daniel probably insecure because -- like in the book -- Armand kept refusing to turn Daniel so they can be together forever, and Armand reluctant to turn Daniel for a host of reasons I mentioned in this post, as well as probably not trusting Daniel to not run off and leave him once he is immortal (which is also a fear that Armand had wrt turning Daniel).

Anyway, so yeah, I actually think the reveal of Louis' burns strengthens the argument that Devil's Minion happened in the past because it now gives us an idea of what was going on with Louis not only during the time of The Chase, but also quite possibly the first 3 or so years of Armand and Daniel being a fully in-love couple. And that is that Louis went underground, into the earth, to sleep and heal. Just like Lestat was probably also doing from his own post-Paris wounds and injuries at that same time. Louis and Lestat both were safe underground in the earth -- which is the main way for vampires to heal faster from heavy wounds while being safe while they do so -- and didn't need anyone watching over them or taking care of them.

And so, just like in the book with Lestat when he was underground asleep (because in the books Armand and Louis had already long broken up and gone their separate ways when Armand was just hanging around Lestat's house waiting for him to be fully healed and wake up again), I feel the same thing likely happened on the show with Louis. Louis was asleep underground, in the earth, healing; and Armand was alone and left to his own devices because of that when The Chase between him and Daniel first began.

[indulgentdaydream]

I may request something for our Jason boy, what about a nurse!reader where he saves her and she just goes 'so, do you're the guy who makes my job a living hell'?

If you can't do it, it's fine luv 🩷

of course I can do it!

Meet Cutes

Jason Todd X fem!nurse!Reader || Fluff Word Count: 1,035

Sorry this took a couple days, university is being rough :(

Warnings: blood, death, injuries, medical tool use (needle and sutures, etc.), drug mention, broken glass, stitches

You worked for a small Gotham 24-hour walk-in clinic. You always tried not to think too much about who was coming in and out. Some patients would stumble in, covered in blood and bruises, yet not have a scratch on them. Where did the blood come from? You never asked. You would treat whoever was assigned to you and then be on your merry way.

The clinic was closer to Crime Alley than anyone would have liked, but it settled for good service. Especially once the Red Hood started patrolling. Your very first day at the clinic had you stitching up five bullet wounds on the same patient. Your first patient of the day, at that, who had stumbled in at five in the morning. He was mumbling the whole time, swearing and cussing out Red Hood's entire legacy.

Over the months you had now worked there, bullet wounds were your most common injury. Followed by any kind of broken bone. Most of them babbled about the Red Hood, saying how he gotten them. You never asked any further, hoping to never poke your neck out to far in order to gain any attention.

You stood in the back, cleaning up one of the clinic rooms after having sent another probable criminal on their way with stitches and bandages. A crash rang out from the front, making you swivel your head.

You ran out to the lobby before freezing in your tracks. A robber stood at the prescription counter, gun in hand, pointed at the pharmacist. The shattered glass of the divider lay out on the floor around them, the pharmacist assistant cowering in fear as the robber yelled at her for certain drugs.

There weren't any patients in the waiting area. There were none left in the back. No other employee had been hurt. Only badly scared.

The robber hadn't see you yet. You were close to the reception desk. You inched sideways, trying not to make a sound or any sudden movement. There was a panic button under the desk that you could press, easily alerting the authorities. It was a clinic. They would prioritize you over all other petty Gotham crimes.

It was sad, but true.

The poor pharmacist assistant, Cindy, was slowly sorting out the drugs the robber was asking for, placing them in the bag he had thrown at her. She was trying to drag things out. That much you could tell.

You were behind the desk now, reaching for the button ever so slowly.

The automatic sliding front doors of the clinic opened. The robber changed his aim. Staring down the figure in the doorway.

Red Hood aimed his own gun, his shiny red helmet reflecting the florescent lights overhead.

Both of the shots rang out at the same time. Cindy screamed, dropping the bag of pills onto the floor.

Red Hood's shot landed true. Right between the eyes. The robber's had gone astray, but still managed to shoot through the out side of the Red Hood's leather sleeve, making him flinch back as a result.

You were frozen, hand hanging over the panic button. Did you press it? Or did you let the vigilante do his work?

You were still deciding as Red Hood walked over to Cindy, making sure she was alright. Two other nurses and another pharamacist ran out to help her. You watched as Red Hood stepped back, letting them take over.

He turned around, placing his gun back in his holster as he started to walk back out. He moved his hand to his arm, clamping his hand over it.

He walked past the reception desk.

"Wait," You said.

He paused and turned to look at you.

You nodded to his arm, "Let me stitch you up."

Surprisingly enough, he followed you into the back. He sat down on the cot you told him to. Took off his jacket when you said.

You found it awkward, standing in silence with the Red Hood. You decided to speak up as you started the first stitch, "So... you're the guy who makes my job a living hell?"

He turned his head to look at you, those white eyes of the helmet boring into you. You wished you could see some sort of facial expression of his.

When he spoke, his voice was modulated, "Did I not just save your clinic from a robbery? How is that a living hell?" There was a tone of sarcasm to it.

You smiled a little, "We get a lot of criminals coming in here post-fights. I've gotten pretty good at sewing up gunshot wounds that were your doing." You glance up at the helmet's eyes, "No offence."

"You fix up those assholes?"

"I fix up those human beings," You retaliate, finishing the last stitch. You step away, "I don't know them or their pasts. To me, they're innocent people that just need some healing."

You can see the confusion in his body language, his head turning down to ponder at how quickly you had stitched him up. He stayed quiet.

You turned away from him, gathering some bandages to wrap his arm up, "Though... I will say how most of them will rant to me about how much they hate you. More often than not admitting their own faults as they do."

Something like a chuckle filters through the modulator, "You know what? I hear the same stuff."

You can't help but laugh back. You bandage him up before nodding, "You're all set."

He nods in thanks, slipping his jacket back on. He extends his gloved hand for a shake, "What's your name?"

You give it to him, a little surprised at his firm yet gentle grip, "You may want to leave out the back door. I pressed our panic button before bringing you back here."

Red Hood nods in understanding, before walking out.

This would not be the last you saw of him. Because now he had a personal nurse.

The day after every visit of his, a bill comes in from Wayne Enterprises. You look at your colleague, "This guy is straight up stealing money from the rich to pay for his medical bills."

"As he should."

"Agreed."

[rowretro]

꧁ＤＲＵＧＳ ＆ ＭＯＮＥＹ꧂

✧warnings: Yandere themes, toxic themes, drugs, drug addict reader, abuse

♤synopsis: Nishimura Riki. One of the most well feared mafia sons, is filthy rich, He was never really interested in dating, hating the idea of putting all his trust, love, blood sweat and tears into one person. Then he laid his eyes on you, a broken, barely appreciated, drug addict. (Riki's "I love you 3000" cover was playing in my head non stop while writing this- I need him in my life frfr)

✧♤✧♤✧♤𝕯𝕽𝖀𝕲𝕾 & 𝕸𝕺𝕹𝕰𝖄♤✧♤✧♤✧

Get up, get ready, clean up, go to school, get high and arrive at her apartment late as fuck. That was Y/ns daily routine. She's high 90% of the time, filling the massive hole her parents stabbed in her heart, with weed, Whiskey and pills. She had nothing to lose. Her parents always hated her, the reason never clear. So she moved out at 16, and got her own small apartment, a very decent one. Now she's yet to turn 18 in a few weeks, yet she's making bad decisions back and forth

She had fallen in love many times, but she always ended up getting hurt, or being a burden. So she'd turn to her fellow, Jack Daniels and Marijuana for some company. No one ever visited her... so she was beyond surprised when she heard her doorbell ring. High out of her mind, she answered it, not thinking of the potential dangers that may be lurking behind the door.

"Fuck- you got a first aid kit?" He asked, shutting the door and barricading it. Y/n pouted as she started to think "Clearly you're high. I'll go find it myself." He said, as he walked through the clean, plain hallways. Of course he found a brand new, unused first aid kit, however, what he didn't find was any photos of your family or at least parents. No sign of a boyfriend, or anyone else who might live there.

The strong stench of Cannabis filling his nostrils as he groaned. The male treated his own wounds that were barely painful to him. He walked into the living room only to find the girl lying on the ground, high out of her mind. Y/n had fallen asleep on the cold, marble floor despite being so high and having a fever, but she was used to it and she was too lazy to move.

Riki however, found it cute. He found her cute. God she's too cute, so short, so clueless, and so stupid. He really wanted to know what you were like when you were sober, but when examining all the munchies you had randomly scattered in the kitchen, he realized that may be a challenge. So he decided to stay until you wake up.

Never would he have ever found himself cleaning up a girl's home, picking up a girl's underwear and putting it in the laundry basket, carrying a girl to her bed and tucking her in. But I'll tell you one thing. He fucking loved it. He loves taking care of this girl, he only just practically met her but... he really wants her. He's a mafia he can have whatever the fuck he wants.

That's how Y/n found herself in a massive, luxurious mansion. Guards here and there, all her artwork in a big room with all the art supplies an artist could dream for. A perfect yet psychotic man who seems to be on a murder rampage on the daily. It has been 1 month since the male kidnapped her saying that he's in love with her and will even marry her. However the place was missing something she lived her whole life on...

"I CAN'T FUCKING DO IT FUCK SAKE RIKI! GIVE ME MY WEED FOR FUCKSAKE!" She screamed, crying and kicking her bedsheets, yanking at her hair as she screamed. The male slapped her painfully hard, pulling her to himself "FUCKING PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER Y/N!" he yelled as the girl just cried in his embrace "Y-you don't understand ki... it's hard! it hurts, I need them I really do- I'm fucking weak I can't- sobriety is so fucking overrated! please- im begging you please!" She cried as the male just hugged her closely.

With drawl is extremely hard, and for a teenager to have to go through something like that, without her parents to support her is extremely hard. But someone really loves her, a man who'd kill for her and is even willing to die for her. So she will put through it. Fighting with every last bit of energy she has. Riki would keep an eye on her when she does have alcohol, making sure she stays within a limit. He let her buy a vape, just to help her lay off of the drugs.

He knew that all this was all worth it. because when the struggle is over, Y/n will realize that he truly loves her, and no matter what crazy shit he does, she will always run into his arms, and yearn for his touch. "I love you Ki... I'm glad you kidnapped me you know?... I've never been love like this before..." She admitted, her head pressed against his chest, as her body was shielded by his loving arms.

Y/n melted in his embrace, closing her eyes with a smile when she felt his perfect, plush lips on her forehead. Those lips, the only drug she's addicted to and will never let herself get over. "I love you too my darling..." he said with a smile, cradling her in his arms, his head rested against hers, theirs eyes closed as they sat before the fireplace, comforted by the relaxing sounds of their heartbeats.

✧♤✧♤✧♤𝕯𝕽𝖀𝕲𝕾 & 𝕸𝕺𝕹𝕰𝖄♤✧♤✧♤✧

[rebelliousstories]

Old Wound

Relationship: Cooper Howard x Reader

Fandom: Fallout

Request: No

Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Mentions of Death, Brief Strong Language

Word Count: 1,167

Main Masterlist: Here

Fallout Masterlist: Here

Summary: She was supposed to be dead. He held her while she died in his arms. How is she here?

“You ever think about what’s gonna happen when we’re dead, cowpoke?” She asked.

It was a cool night, probably winter now if Cooper was remembering right. It had been so long since he felt a proper winter that he was not sure after all these years. He turned his head to the woman that was resting on his chest as they huddled around a fire to keep away the chill.

“You on drugs or somethin’?” Cooper’s serious tone made the woman burst out with laughter. She pushed herself up so that she was level with his face to look into his beautiful ocean blue eyes.

“No but, you’ve survived centuries. I may get a few decades if I’m lucky. I was just wondering if you’ve ever thought about what’ll happen when we die.” Her repeated question did not even make The Ghoul miss a beat.

“We’re gonna become food for someone or somethin’ else. That’s what’s gonna happen.” He stated, trying to get the woman to lay back down.

“I meant the afterlife, baby. Like do you think that there’s the pearly gates, or just nothingness?” She laid back down and let the man run his ungloved hand over her head, and through her hair.

“I hope there’s an afterlife, but if there is anything these last couple centuries have taught me is that God is cruel. So whatever is waiting for us, we take it as it comes.” Howard pressed a kiss in the wake of his hand and felt the woman relax into him. That answer seemed to pacify her as they settled in for the night and went to bed.

If only he could ask her what was waiting for them on the other side of death’s embrace. It had only been a couple weeks and the sting was still fresh, but you know cowpokes. They take it as it comes. Cooper had been traveling alone this entire time with a chip on his shoulder, and saddened eyes.

Walking into Filly, there was a vacancy in his pouch where his chems would be. The thought alone made him want to shoot something. She always got his chems for him because they would give the pretty girl a discount, but the ghoul behind her would get nothing. He had not needed to get his own since she began traveling with him a couple of years ago.

A sign on the door pointed him to where he needed to go. His spurs clinked against the wooden floors as he went inside the little apothecary. There was a bell that he ringed, and soon a man stepped out from behind a curtain.

“Sixty chems.” The Ghoul left no room for small talk, and set the necessary caps on the counter between them. Without a word, the man disappeared and retrieved the items for the mutant. Each man pocketed their own items and said nothing as they turned to go back to what they were doing before.

As soon as Cooper stepped out, gasps and shouts were heard through the downtown area. At first he thought it was him; ghouls were not exactly welcomed in many parts, especially him. But it was not. A woman in distressed clothing was walking around and looking for someone or something with desperation in her eyes. Looking at her from underneath the lip of his hat, The Ghoul thought that her clothing was remarkably familiar.

“Get lost, Ghoul. You ain’t welcome round here.” One of the shopkeepers shouted at the woman, who was clearly very lost. She said nothing as she kept looking around and did not even respond to the man. However she did respond when someone threw something at her. Trying to protect herself, she reached for something on her hip, only for that object to not be there. It was not until she turned around the Cooper felt his breath catch and his heart stop.

It was her. His little spitfire girl was right in front of him. There was no way though. She had bled out in his arms. She died in his arms. He felt the last breath leave her body, and her pulse stop. And yet, here she was. Standing in front of him as if nothing had happened. The sound of a gun cocking caught his attention, as well as the end of a barrel trained on the woman. In an instant, Howard shot the assailant first before he had time to harm the woman. She did not flinch, but rather calmly looked to where he stood and gasped out his name in a hushed whisper.

Cooper marched right up to her, and observed. Not a hair was different from the last time he had seen her. He did not even allow for another moment to pass as he grabbed her arm and began to drag her from the market. Once they were in a quiet part, he let go and could not hold his tongue.

“Who the hell are you? Why are you wearin’ her clothes?” Cooper demanded, holding his gun out to point at the woman.

“What- what are you talking about. Coop, it’s me. This isn’t funny.” She pleaded, feeling afraid as this was the first time in years that she had been at the end of his gun.

“Prove it,” he breathed, “what did you tell me you hoped was waiting for us in death?”

“I never told you.” She whispered. “But you told me that no matter what, we cowpokes take it as it comes, so it didn’t matter. Please Coop. Just put the gun down.”

With a deep breath in and out, he did as she asked. Cooper rushed forward and took in another deep breath, this time with the scent of her. But there was something off about her scent. It smelt much more… ghoulish. Pulling away, he saw her same eyes staring back at him. Those same eyes that he begged to open just one more time a few weeks ago.

“How?” Cooper asked, running his hands everywhere he could.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what I am, or what happened that I came back. All I know is that one minute I’m in your arms, and the next I’m picking myself up off the ground and all alone.” She repeated the process of running her hands everywhere she could as her lover was doing to her.

“Hate to break it to ya, sweetheart, but I think you’re a little like me. Who the hell knows with all the radiation bullshit.” He whispered, chuckling lightly at the face she pulled when he proposed his theory.

“I guess there are worse things to be. I’m just glad I found you again.” Cooper was brought into a tight embrace, as she buried her face into his chest and breathed in his scent.

“Me too, darlin’. Me too.” He whispered back, pressing kisses to her hair as he was glad to just hold her in his arms again.

[persevereforahappyending]

Luck Runs Out |Part 9|

Pairing: Mabel x Reader

Summary: When your luck runs out you unknowingly drag Mabel back into the life, she's so desperate to escape.

Warnings: None?

Word Count: 2.9k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Epilogue

Every inch of your body ached, if a part of you wasn’t bleeding it was bruised. Your boss was kind enough not to leave any broken bones. Though you knew that wasn’t for your benefit, you couldn’t exactly go get him his drugs if you had broken bones or were bleeding out. You even had the honor of him beating the crap out of you himself, usually he had one of his lackeys do the beating, he preferred not to get his hands dirty, but it seemed you were special.

You stood there giving Mabel what was surely a bloody smile, leaning against the doorframe to support your weight. Just because he didn’t break any of your bones didn’t mean he made it easy for you to walk. He didn’t even provide you a ride, he made you walk all the way to her apartment. You dragged yourself up the steps to her apartment and just slumped against the door, barely having the energy to even knock on the door. On the bright side the pain from your gunshot wound wasn’t as prominent now, you barely remembered it was there, except for when you moved your arm.

Mabel just stood in the doorway, tear filled eyes and hands covering her mouth. She was acting like she’d seen a ghost; you didn’t think you looked that bad, but you hadn’t had time to check yourself in a mirror yet. Before you knew it Mabel flung herself at you, causing you to groan as you stumbled back, you tried grabbing the doorframe so the both of you didn’t tumble to the floor. For such a little person the girl really packed a punch, but you couldn’t complain, her embrace felt amazing through all the pain.

“I’m mad at you,” she mumbled into your shirt.

��I know,” you mumbled, relaxing into the hug. You wrapped your good arm around her, tugging her closer.

“How are you here?” She pulled back just enough to look up at you. “What happened?”

You sighed, knowing you’d have to explain yourself and everything that happened. “May I come in first?” You asked, tilting your head with a small smile. You weren’t sure if you were capable of having this conversation while standing, it felt like your legs were going to give out any second.

As an answer Mabel tugged you into the apartment by your hoodie, her hoodie. You rested your good arm around her as you left the doorframe, placing most of your weight on her. Mabel was a lot stronger than she looked, she only stumbled when she tried to maneuver you around the furniture. You let out a groan as she tried to help guide you onto her bed. Charlie shot up from the couch, looking around, his eyes going wide when they landed on you.

“Holy shit,” Charlie yelled, jumping to his feet, and nearly tripping over the coffee table as he ran across the room. “How are you alive? How are you here? What happened?”

You opened your mouth to answer these questions when Mabel rested a hand against your cheek. Your eyes drifted from Charlie down to her, as she stared at your face, gently running a thumb over one of your bruises. She slowly pulled down your hood, turning your face in her hands to get a good look at the extent of your injuries. Your mouth hung partially open, unable to answer Charlie as you got lost in Mabel’s warm brown eyes, you couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked at you with so much care and worry, the last time someone treated you so gently.

“Guess I’ll check on you later,” Charlie mumbled, clearly reading the room. “Call if you need anything.” You heard him shuffling until finally you heard the door close behind him.

Mabel let go of your chin before making her way to the bathroom. You stayed on the bed, watching as disappeared and your eyes didn’t leave the doorway until she came back out. She carried a small white container, sitting down next to you again. You looked down, following her hands to see her pulling out cotton balls and other materials to help clean up your wounds.

The two of you sat in complete silence as Mabel got to work. She got up, getting a wet washcloth before gently wiping away the dried blood on your face. You watched her scrunched up brow as she focused on wiping away the blood under your nose and off your busted lip. You couldn’t get a read on her, she was taking care of you which was a good sign, but you knew she was already mad and what you still had to tell her was only going to make her more furious. She still looked so cute, all focused and angry.

You flinched, letting out a hiss, and trying to wince away as she rubbed the washcloth near the cut above your eye. She just gripped you by the chin again, gently, yet forcefully, making your head stay in place until she was done. When all your cuts were cleaned, she used her finger to dab ointment on them, making sure they wouldn’t get infected.

“You’re probably going to have a black eye,” Mabel said. She turned your head from side to side, getting a look at her work. “Probably two.”

“Hardly the least of my worries,” you rasped out, letting out a humorless chuckle.

“Shirt off,” she ordered, ignoring your morbid sense of humor. Your eyes widened and you leaned just a little bit further away from her. She only rolled her eyes, wiping her hands with the rag before getting up to toss it into the sink, grabbing the rest of the trash on her way.

“Stop being a baby,” she said, coming back to stand in front of you. You looked up at her as she stared down at you, her arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised. “I’ve already seen you without a shirt, remember?” You nodded, blushing as you remembered, of course she’d seen you without a shirt before, she helped you when you got shot and then had been helping you clean the wound. “Shirt off, now.”

You moved quickly, slipping off the hoodie first. You tried to pull your shirt off in one swift motion but groaned as your injured shoulder moved, it was still too early to be moving with a gunshot wound that was only about a week old now. Mabel stepped closer, helping pull the shirt off your head as you kept your injured arm stable. Mabel quickly stepped back, her eyes scanning over your body. You turned away, looking anywhere but her, you knew she was assessing your other injuries, but you couldn’t help but be self-conscious.

“Lie back,” she said softly.

Without a word you did as she asked, laying down on her bed, using your good arm to prop your head up so you could watch her work. You couldn’t see all the injuries because of the angle you were at, but your ribs were pretty much all black and blue, red patches here and there. They might not have broken your bones, but you wouldn’t have been surprised if you ended up with bruised or fractured ribs. Seeing what little you could see you weren’t surprised that you nearly collapsed on your way to Mabel’s apartment and that you could barely stand without someone or something supporting you.

“I’m going to get ice,” she mumbled.

The next thing you knew she was gone, grabbing ice from the freezer. She came back with a bag filled with ice, wrapped in a cloth. She moved to place the ice on your ribs when she stopped to look at you, the ice hovering over your injuries. You gave her a small nod, closing your eyes as you anticipated the brief pressure of something touching your injuries. You sucked in a breath at feeling the ice placed on you before quickly relaxing.

“How’s that?” She whispered.

“Better,” you rasped out, looking down at her. “Thank you.”

“This seems to be our thing.” She gave you a sad smile as she shifted to sit on the edge of the bed. “You getting injured and me patching you up.”

“It’ll be over soon.”

Mabel looked down at her hands. It was hard to see from your position, but it looked like her hands were bunched up into fists. “What happened?” She mumbled. It was barely above a whisper, if it weren’t just the two of you in the room you surely would have missed it.

“I cleaned up my mess,” you whispered back.

“What did you do?” Her voice cracked. When she turned to look at you, you could see the unshed tears already formed in her eyes, even through the dark.

“I made a deal.”

“These kind of people don’t make deals. Not without a price.”

“It’s a price I’m willing to pay. You, Charlie, the others, you’ll all be safe after this.” You were trying to keep your tone neutral, not that it mattered since you felt your own eyes start to well up.

“But at the cost of your life?” She shot to her feet, looking down as a few tears escaped, which she quickly wiped away.

“It was the only way.” Mabel crossed her arms, unable to look at you anymore. “This is my mess and if I didn’t do something they would have killed Charlie and the others.”

“This isn’t fair,” her voice broke as she looked at you again, her tears flowing freely now.

“I know,” you admitted. “I’m sorry.”

Mabel didn’t say anything else, she stormed off to the bathroom. You didn’t see her again until she came back to throw out the melted ice. She was going to bring you more, but it was getting late, and you decided it wasn’t worth it. You wanted to get a few hours of sleep on your last night alive. Mabel sat at the edge of the bed; you could just make out her profile in the dark.

“What kind of deal did you make?” She whispered, not bothering to turn to look at you.

“I told them I would take them to their drugs,” you whispered back, your eyes never leaving her. “With the condition that they let the others go.”

“What makes you think they won’t turn around and kill them?” She looked in your direction, you knew she was staring right at you, but you couldn’t see her facial expression through the dark.

“They might,” you admitted.

“So why even make the deal?”

“It saved them for now.” Your eyes darted around trying to find hers through the dark. “I tried to convince my boss that his drugs would be gone forever if it weren’t for them. That they saved me and now he had the chance at getting the shipment back.”

You could just barely make out movement. It seemed like Mabel was nodding her head. “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow morning,” you sighed, the fact that this was probably your last night alive plagued your mind. “I told them I needed to do something first. They almost didn’t agree but said they’d kill everyone if I didn’t return to the docks tomorrow on time.”

“What did you have to do?”

“Say goodbye,” you whispered. You could swear you heard a sniffle, but you couldn’t be sure. “I felt like I owed you that much.”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

You wanted to deny that, but you knew Mabel wouldn’t hear any of it. The truth was you owed her so much more than just a goodbye, a goodbye was literally the very least you could do. You didn’t think Mabel realized how much she did for you, besides just quite literally saving your life.

“Just rest,” she whispered. She hesitantly reached out, resting her hand on your knee, giving it a comforting rub.

You did as asked, snuggling further into her bed. You were going to ask if she wanted you to move to the couch, but she was already slipping into bed beside you. You froze, in that moment you were wide awake, you didn’t question her though. The only time you had technically shared a bed with her was when you were comforting her the day before. You weren’t sure if that really counted, she was crying, you were holding her, and eventually she passed out in your arms, you just continued to hold her until you decided to sneak out.

You didn’t intend to say anything, if she was okay with sharing a bed again then you were to. You enjoyed her presence and if this was your last night on earth then there was nothing you wanted more than to be next to her until the last second. You relaxed again, shifting your aching body until the softness of the mattress overtook the pain.

You glanced at Mabel, seeing her turned away from you. You stared back up at the ceiling, closing your eyes to finally try and get some sleep. Not even a minute later you felt the bed shift, the sound of Mabel silently wiggling closer filled the quiet apartment. Without opening your eyes, you too shifted a little closer to her, though you were a little less subtle considering your entire body seemed to hurt with every movement still. You and Mabel weren’t touching but you could feel her warmth.

The alarm on your phone went off, you groaned, refusing to open your eyes as you smacked around trying to shut off the alarm. When you finally hit the alarm, you let out a long sigh, you knew when you opened your eyes you’d have to get up, you’d have to make your way to the dock, then in a few hours you’d probably be dead. You turned your head, as you opened your eyes, through your still sleepy vision you caught sight of Mabel.

You blinked away the sleep, Mabel becoming clearer as the seconds passed. At some point in the night, she had rolled over and was now facing you. The both of you had also seemed to move closer to each other, that you were now touching. Mabel had managed to have her head resting on your good shoulder and somehow during the night your good arm ended up wrapped around her.

You hated to disturb the peace, but you knew you had to get moving, you couldn’t be late. You gently rubbed up and down Mabel’s arm. “Hey,” you whispered, your voice raspy from sleep. Mabel only hummed in response. “It’s time for me to go.”

Mabel slowly opened her eyes, looking down and back up at you as if realizing she was in a different position than when she went to sleep. Mabel didn’t pull away though she just let out a sigh, a pout appearing on her lips. Mabel laid her head back down on your shoulder, somehow ending up even closer to you. You sighed, continuing to run your hand up and down her arm, you could probably get away with a few more minutes of peace.

After a few minutes you reluctantly got up. Mabel got up as well when she saw you struggling to slip your shirt back on. She grabbed one side of the shirt and guided your arm into the correct hole. You smiled, silently thanking her for her help. You looked around, your eyes landing on the copy of The Odyssey Mabel had gotten you.

You picked it up before turning to Mabel. You gripped the book tight as you held it out to her. “Take care of this for me, yeah?” you asked. Mabel nodded, taking the book from you.

The two of you stood by the front door. Mabel reached up, cupping your face, turning your head slightly from side to side. “How do I look?” you asked, smiling awkwardly at her. It didn’t really matter how you looked; you were going to be dead soon anyway.

“Still cute if you ask me,” Mabel whispered. Your smile turned brighter at her words, if it was your last day on earth then you were happy, Mabel thought you were cute, considering when you first laid eyes on her you thought she was a goddess.

Your hand rested on the doorknob as you stared into Mabel’s dark brown eyes. Your eyes flicked down to her lips, hers doing the same. You both leaned in, but instead of going all the way you stopped yourself, resting your forehead against hers. You felt your nose brush against hers, you reached up, brushing a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. Mabel didn’t move, she didn’t try to complete the kiss, she just stayed there, her hand resting on your hip as her fingers played with the fabric of your shirt.

As much as you wanted to, you couldn’t kiss her. It didn’t feel right to have your first kiss with her only to leave and go get yourself killed. “Thank you,” you whispered one last time.

You pulled away, giving her one last look, seeing a tear escape from one of her eyes. You didn’t realize your own eyes had begun to fill with tears until your vision started to blur. You quickly blinked them away, not taking your eyes off her as you turned the doorknob and stepped out into the hall. You sniffled, shaking your head as you made your way out of the comfort of Mabel’s apartment and into the early morning darkness, walking to your guaranteed demise.

[notmorbid]

pushing daisies, season 1.

dialogue prompts from the first season of bryan fuller's pushing daisies.

i asked you not to use the word 'zombie'. it's disrespectful.

you're either living or you're dead.

i used to think 'masturbation' meant chewing your food.

when was the last time someone touched you with affection?

i don't remember anything from when i was ten.

you were my first kiss, too. want to be my last?

if you don't want to kiss me, it's okay.

what if you didn't have to be dead?

when people aren't being honest, their eye twitches, like yours did just now.

i always wondered if you'd come back.

i guess you came back when i needed you most.

i suppose dying's as good an excuse as any to start living.

i'd kiss you if it wouldn't kill me.

i'm not mad, i just want to know. i'll be mad if you lie to me, though.

i don't think justice was on the menu. maybe as a side dish, but not as an entrée.

you can't just touch somebody's life and be done with it.

we all have childhood issues, okay? believe me. i've got the full subscription.

i was hoisted by my own petard.

are you a drug mule?

this is fantastic. being honest is fun.

_____ always wanted to get away.

didn't i kill you?

i just thought my world would be a better place if you were in it.

do you have any last words or thoughts or requests?

don't you want to know about me? i want to know everything about you.

i hate having secrets, and now i am one.

you never can completely erase anything.

the dead don't talk. usually.

that wasn't the truth bus, that was the bitchy crosstown express.

do you think dying has made me morbid?

that was a very mean thing you did.

i didn't actively kill. i'm not an active killer. i'm not a killer.

you killed someone for me?

any neuroses? pathologies?

i didn't murder anyone. there was no malice or forethought.

we make choices and we live with the consequences. if someone gets hurt along the way, we ask for forgiveness. it's the best we can do.

i'm here as a concerned citizen of the world.

don't contradict an old man. it's disrespectful.

what is this, the idiot brigade?

i can't imagine anything about you that isn't something that i like.

you know you want to read it.

there's so much i'm learning about you.

i think heaven's closer than you think.

did you just kick me under the table?

i thought if i locked it all away, i could forget.

do you remember very much about my father?

then why do i still miss him?

we see what i want to see?

sometimes you have to keep a secret, even if it means hurting someone.

you really don't have to stay. i can totally take care of myself.

bourbon is just flashy chamomile.

thank you for respecting my secret.

you should run. save yourself.

i had to confront a ghost today.

were you watching me sleep?

i've been watching you. not obsessively, but i've been paying attention.

if you feel something, it's real.

haven't you ever used someone for commercial gain?

we are an 'us', aren't we?

you can say it all you want. i've stopped listening.

time can take forever.

'surprise' has never been a very good word for me.

isn't it great we can joke?

moods, plural. not all of them good.

i don't do 'loose'. i prefer 'tightly wound'.

while i have you here, would you take my photo?

we're not at that stage of our friendship yet. please don't cry in front of me.

you'd be surprised what you can hear when you press your ear to the right pipe.

i think it's brave to try to be happy.

you are so sweet. somebody could get a cavity standing next to you.

you let your emotions get away from you, and everything falls apart.

you didn't come here to apologize at all, did you?

you know how to pick a lock?

why are you dressed like a cat burglar?

sometimes a crime of passion is not seeing the passion in time.

i think you were my phantom limb.

it may be romantic, but it's not dignified.

go clean yourself up. you look like crap.

you know you have a tell when you lie?

i need to tell someone the truth, even if they don't believe me.

i have to hate you a little. just for a little while.

i'm sorry. i thought i pulled it together, but then i came apart.

it can be so exhausting carrying a secret.

do i look like a damn ouija board to you?

[wraithchic]

Hii! Can i request rosa diaz x fem doctor reader wherein they are dating and one day reader suddenly sees rosa in the hospital (confined due to an injury during a chase) and the rest is up to u!!

Heyy. Thanks for being my first request!

Anyways, I'm not used to established relationships so this might be kind of weird but I hope you enjoy it.

EHR=Electronic Health Record

Healing Touch

Ship: Rosa Díaz x doctor!reader

Wordcount: 538

Working in the ER is not an easy job; it’s a whirlwind of long shifts, high pressure, and barely any breaks. The relentless pace can be exhausting, and the emotional toll can sometimes be overwhelming. Yet, despite the challenges, it fulfills me in ways I could never have imagined. Each day, I am reminded of why I chose this path.

Being a doctor was my lifelong dream. From a young age, I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to helping others. The journey to get here was long and arduous, filled with years of rigorous study, sleepless nights, and countless sacrifices. But every moment was worth it. Being an emergency pediatrician is all I ever wanted.

Now I’m standing in the middle of the ER on a Friday night. Fridays are always the busiest nights. The rooms are filled with victims of road accidents, drunks, sick kids and junkies trying to get some prescription drugs.

I hear my name being paged, in the busy shifts I usually help with older patients, even if that’s not my specialty. Alex, one of the nurses, filled me in in the situation: a group of police officers ambushed a drug deal and they were met with a barrage of gunfire. Chaos erupted, and several officers were injured.

My heart starts to beat faster and I suddenly feel nauseous. My girlfriend, Rosa, didn’t answer my last two calls and now it makes sense, she may be injured. So, I check the EHR, there I find her: Rosa Díaz | Room 765 |Bullet Wound

A tear threatens to fall from my eyes as I struggle to keep my emotions in check. The feeling of powerlessness weighs heavily on my shoulders, but I know I need to remain professional. I force myself to focus on my duties, pacing around the rooms, checking on each patient, and tending to their needs with as much care and attention as I can muster. The busywork helps to distract me, but the knot in my stomach only tightens as I approach Room 765.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. This is the room I've been dreading, the one that holds the person who means the most to me. Summoning all my courage, I finally open the door and step inside.

There I find her, she had bandages around her torso, she lifts herself from the stretcher and winces from the pain. I walk faster to be by her side.

- “Are you okay? I mean, how do you feel?” – I brush her cheek lightly with the back of my hand.

- “Yeah, yeah. I just have one extra hole on my body.” – She chuckles but I don’t find it particularly humorous.

- “Glad to see the wound is purely physical, then.” – I smile.

-” Well Ms. Doctor, know that you mention it. I there’s a light pain on my lips, and I think a kiss would make me feel better.” – I smile wider and inch closer to her face.

- “Oh, Officer Díaz, that would be highly unprofessional and unethical on my part bec…” – That’s as far as I got on my ironically professional speech before Rosa graved my neck and connected our lips.

[strangerthings-haventhappened]

Batman x AFTG pt 2.

continuing on from this post

Neil uses the fact that he is from Gotham to explain away anything the team thinks is weird about him. Why does he have so many scars? Well this one on his ribs is from when he got mugged on his way home from school and the iron burn was from that time with the Riddler. The bullet wound? Did he ever tell you about how he met red hood? The foxes don't know that he is a Wayne and only know that he got adopted by someone he calls B and that he was homeless after his mom died. A lot of the weirdness about him is wayne weird not Gotham weird. The couple of other students who came from Gotham keep trying to tell people that he isn't normal for Gotham but nobody believes them.

When the monsters take him to the club and try to drug him he's very condescendingly like I'm from Gotham do you really think I'd have survived this long if I were that easy to drug? He leaves them there and walks/hitch hikes his way back to campus like in the books but this time in the dark. He gets back and everyone is panicking like Neil you could have died. Neil: why are you so worried there isn't even any real danger here and I had my weapons on me.

When they go on Kathy's show and he insults riko and everyone is like why would you do that he is going to kill you. Neil's response is to say riko is just a nepo baby throwing a tantrum he can't compare to the average Gotham goon much less the rouges. Neil will be fine.

Neil is fine. Seth is not.

After Seth dies Neil is like oh okay i guess I'm taking on the Moriamas. I was going to stay out of it but they just made it my problem. He knows that he could use the bat resources to get the adults arrested but he really wants to take down riko in the way that will hurt him the most. So obviously the foxes need to beat the ravens. He motivates and unites the team the same way he does in the books except this time he has his family helping him take down the rest of the family in the background and getting proof of everything that is happening in the nest.

Unfortunately the monsters go to see nicky's parents the same weekend that there is a major arkham breakout so they don't notice it's a set up in time. Fortunately Neil is a Wayne and he is able to make sure that Andrew is going to a good place where all the doctors have been thoroughly vetted so he doesn't get assaulted again. Neil because he is a martyr still goes to the nest over Christmas so that he can collect more evidence. Does riko know that Neil is Nathaniel or not i don't know that's up to you. What's important is that Neil and Jean bond and that Neil still gets a bit tortured. Dick and Jason are ready to storm the nest and kill everyone when they find out what happened. Neil gets back to palmetto and acts like what happened is fine because he has had worse. Allison is ready to help him with makeup to cover the bruises on his face but Neil tells her he can do it himself because it's not the first time he has had to cover up injuries like this.

The team had already thought that Neil's adopted family was abusive because he doesn't really talk about them much and he has all those scars. After Christmas in the nest they are convinced that they must be. But then some of his siblings show up (Jason and Duke as the ones least likely to be recognized as Wayne's) and they basically smother him and make sure he is taking care of himself. The foxes are so confused. Like sure Jason is weirdly violent about forcing the kid into self care and may have threatened Kevin for being the reason Neil got draged into all of this, but it doesn't seem like either of them would let their brother be abused. So why is Neil so cagey about his family and how does he keep ending up with such horrific injuries? The betting pool is getting intense because nobody can figure out what is going on.

Neil still ends up getting kidnapped just before spring break. He knows that he could probably keep them from taking him if he fought back immediately but he also knows that his teammates will get hurt if he does that so he lets his father's men lead him outside. It's not until the riot separates him from the rest of the foxes that he starts to fight and since he has vigilante training it's more effective than in the books but it's not enough. They end up drugging him which has the upside of meaning Lola doesn't spend the car ride torturing him since he's unconscious but downside is that he can't try to escape before they get to Nathan.

When Neil wakes up he is already in the basement chained to a chair. Nathan does the whole torture thing and Neil is trying to figure out the best way to get out and incapacitat Nathan and also if this justifies braking Bruce's no kill rule. Neil is morally fine with killing Nathan but he also realy doesn't want his real dad to be disappointed in him because Nathan isn't worth that. In the end it doesn't matter what he wants because uncle Stewart show up and kills Nathan for him.

When he is getting questioned by the cops Bruce shows up and demands that they let Neil go see his family and team. The cops try to argue that Bruce has no authority because technically he isn't Neil's dad since he was using a fake identity when he was adopted. It does not go well for the cops Bruce isn't going to let anyone sy that he isn't his kids dad especially not right after one of them has been tortured and needs to be with family.

Neil gets taken to the hotel where his team is waiting and Bruce and all of his siblings follow. Neil explains to the team about being Nathaniel and how he had been running from Nathan since he was ten and everything that came with that. He explains ending up in Gotham after his mom's death and how he ended up being taken in by Bruce when he was 14. He tells them that he kept quiet about being a Wayne because was worried that the media attention that would come with that would lead to Nathan finding him. The team understands but also they are tiny bit upset because none of them won any of the bets about his past or his family.

They go on their team vacation. Jean gets rescued from the ravens and Neil decides it's time to enact the final stage of operation take down riko. He and his family gather all of the evidence that they have on what's been going on in the nest and give it to their favorite reporter(Clark) so that an article revealing all the abuse and the police cover ups and everything gets released just before the championship game starts. Neil has full faith in the teams ability to beat the ravens and he knows that riko will be upset enough about loosing that he won't be able to even try to cover up the article. Neil expects that when riko is asked about the article right after the ravens loose he won't be able to hide his hatred and violence. Neil does not expect riko to try to murder him on national t.v. before he even finds out about the article. Andrew saves him and hey it got the point across so he counts it as a win.

The Moriamas are scrambling trying to do damage control knowing that they won't he able to use the ravens as a front for their illegal activity anymore. They try to use the whole Kevin, Jean, and Neil are Moriama property thing to regain control and Neil tells icharo that he was able to do this much damage to the family's business in only a few months and that he won't stop until either they let him Kevin and Jean go completely or he has destroyed their entire operation and the family has nothing left. Icharo tries to call Neil's bluff at first but Neil reminds him there is a reason their organization has never even tried to touch Gotham. In the end all three boys end up free to heal and live their lives completely free of mafia ties. Neil tells Kevin and Jean that if they have any issues in the future to let him know and he can call someone to deal with it.

The foxes + Jean all end the series a little bit happier and a lot more scared of Neil than they originally did, but it works out.

[sharkwidow]

The Monster's Gone | Natasha Romanoff

‧₊˚🕷‧₊˚Summary: You may not be able to save yourself, but she'll try as many times as it takes.

‧₊˚🕷‧₊˚Content warning: Mention and description of drug addiction, emotional distress, sensitive content.

‧₊˚🕷‧₊˚Word count: 694

---

The night was so thick it seemed to swallow the lights. Natasha felt every second stabbing into her chest, stabbing, sharp, desperate. She knew something was wrong. She felt it from the moment she walked into your house and couldn't find you. The silence was too great. Your jacket was still hanging, but your presence wasn't.

And then she knew.

The red room had taken you back. Not with its weapons, not with its orders, but with the inner voice that left scars deeper than any wound. The one that whispered that you were worthless. The one that drove you to destroy yourself.

It searched for you for hours. His motorcycle roared through the city like a furious beast, his eyes scanning every corner, every shadow, every alley. Fear rose in his throat like icy fire. He didn't want to imagine you lying on some corner, alone, your pupils dilated and your soul shattered.

Until she saw you.

You were crossing the road, completely out of your mind, your steps clumsy, your body staggering as if the wind might carry you away. A car was coming fast, too fast.

“No—!” she yelled, jumping off the motorcycle without thinking.

His arms wrapped around you just in time, dragging you to the side of the road as the car's brakes squealed as it passed. You fell together to the ground, you on his chest, panting. Natasha held you as if you were all she had left in the world.

Your body was shaking. You were broken. Your pupils were like saucers. Cold sweat on your forehead. Tears fell, silent, heavy. You were so wrapped up in it you couldn't even speak properly, but you knew who was holding you. Who was saving you. Again.

“S-sorry,” you stammered, like a little girl. “I messed up again…”

Natasha didn't let you go.

“No, my love. No. You didn't mess up. I have you, I have you, do you hear me?”

You rocked in her arms as if you were still running away. From the drugs. From your mind. From yourself.

And then, her voice broke.

“Sorry, my beautiful baby,” she murmured, kissing your head. “I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner. Sorry I didn't protect you from that too.”

Her fingers trembled as they caressed your cheek. You were crying and crying. You couldn't stop it, you couldn't lie to her, you couldn't hide. Not now. Not with her.

“It was okay… just a little… I just needed…” you murmured, but your words tangled like broken wires in your chest.

“Shh…” Natasha hugged you tighter. Her heart pounded beneath your ear. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m here. I’m not leaving.”

The drugs were still coursing through your veins like a wild river, but in her arms, for the first time in hours, you felt something resembling calm. Or at least, hope.

“I’m breaking…” you whispered, barely audible.

“Then I’ll hold you until you put yourself back together,” she said, without hesitation.

And she meant it. With every cell in her body.

Because you were her daughter. Because no matter what you’d done, no matter how dark the pit, she was going to keep going down for you. Again and again.

And that night, under the cold lights of an empty street, amidst sobs, sweat, and methamphetamine, you weren't a broken ex-spy.

You were his baby.

His precious, beautiful, brave baby.

[lousypotatoes]

when will the next chapter of duncans fic come out? love ur work btw!

Tonight Bring All Your Friends

"But if I just showed up at your party

Would you have me? Would you want me?

Would you tell me to go fuck myself

Or lead me to the garden~"

betty - Taylor Swift

Previous

Next

Dear Mom and Dad

I'm doing fine

You guys are on my mind

You asked me what I wanted to be

And I think the answer is clear to see

I wanna be famous

I wanna live close to the sun

So pack your bags 'cause I've already won

Nothing to do, nothing in my way

I'll get there one day

I wanna be famous

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

I wanna be

I wanna be

I wanna be famous

I wanna be

I wanna be

I wanna be famous

I wanna be

I wanna be

I wanna be famous~

So far, this day has absolutely sucked ass.

Y/N had a massive headache, there was a rip in her skirt, Courtney was whining about something stupid, and Heather was shooting her dirty looks.

Whatever, it was totally worth it though. Y/N was satisfied when she saw bug bites all over her arms and legs. She felt proud of herself for giving Gwen the idea to put Harold's ant farm in Heather's bed.

Very satisfied indeed.

Right now, all the campers were surrounded around the campfire, waiting for Chris to tell them about the next challenge. He hadn't said a word yet, for the dramatic effect.

Damn, this guy was really getting on her nerves.

"What's got you so mad?" Duncan whispered.

"Bad morning, that's all," Y/N muttered.

"Campers, today's challenge will test your outdoor survival skills," Chris smiled, standing in front of them all. "I'm not going to lie to you, some of you may not come back alive.

Some of the campers, like Owen and Beth, gasped, their eyes wide. Y/N just rolled her eyes. How hard could it be to survive in the woods anyway?

"Just joking," Chris giggled, making everyone sigh in relief. "All you have to do is spend one night in the woods. Everything you need is at your team's campsite in the forest. You just have to find it."

Chris pulled out of a backpack (who knows where he got it), and tossed out a map and a compass to the respective teams. Y/N caught the map and Duncan caught the compass, making Courtney glare at the two of them.

"Oh, and watch out for bears," Chris added. "Lost a couple of interns in pre-production."

Courtney snatched the map right out of Y/N's hands, a frown on her face.

"Rude," Y/N muttered.

"First team back fro breakfast wins invincibility," Chris finished, pulling out an air horn and using it. "Well, off you go."

"Did he say there are bears up in here?" Leshawna shakily asked.

"I had a little encounter with a bear once!" Owen bragged. "Let's just say his head looks real nice on my mantel."

"Oh! This one time I saw a bear eating our garbage!" Izzy exclaimed. "He had old spaghetti noodles hanging from his big, huge teeth and it looked like blood and guts! It was so gross and we thought he was eating the neighbor's cat, Simba! But it turned out he was just lost for a week."

Y/N stared at Izzy with wide eyes.

"Wow," Y/N stuttered. "Wow, that's uh, that's something."

"You're telling me," Duncan muttered. "Either she got dropped on her head as a kid, or she's on some sort of drug."

"You're such an ass," Y/N giggled, slightly hitting his shoulder.

"Whatever," Duncan smirked. "You know I'm right."

"Uh huh," Y/N said, walking away from him. "C'mon let's go find that stupid campsite."

"Yes ma'am,"

The Killer Bass had been walking in the woods for about twenty minutes now. Y/N wished that she had brought a water bottle with her, because it was hot and she was beginning to get thirsty.

"Bridgette," she whined. "Do you by any chance have a water bottle with you?"

"Why would I have a water bottle?" Bridgette asked. 

"'Cause you're the best?" Y/N said, batting her eyelashes. 

"No, I don't have a water bottle," Bridgette sighed. 

"Aw man,"

"You're too much sometimes,"

"Oh, how you wound me,"

Another ten minutes went by. Now Y/N had really wished she had brought some sort of drink with her. She was used to being exhausted, being on the track team in high school, but she always made sure to drink plenty of water before she ran.

And to make things worst, it was super fucking hot and sweat was dripping down her back.

"I hate hiking," Y/N muttered.

"Don't you do track?" Duncan asked, walking besides her. "You should be used to this."

"Hiking is different than running,"

"Oh yeah? How so?"

"Uhhh," Y/N blanked out. How was running different from hiking? Both of the required you to move your legs. But also, you burned more energy from running.

So why was she so tired from hiking for only thirty minutes?

"It's not that hard of a question," Duncan chuckled.

"Well then you should be able to answer it yourself," Y/N said.

"I'm not the one who hates hiking,"

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did, since you hate everything else,"

"You're so observant,"

"And you're dumber than a rock,"

Four hours.

Four long, excruciating, hours.

That's how long it took for the Killer Bass to find the campsite.

Whoever was in charge of directions deserved to be burnt alive.

Mostly everyone was busy setting up camp. Y/N and Duncan were trying to make a fire (Duncan mostly watched though), Tyler was unpacking the backpack, and Geoff, Courtney and Bridgette were setting up the tent.

"Wow," Geoff said to Bridgette. "You pitch a tent like a guy."

It took everything in Y/N not to bust out laughing. She liked Geoff and thought he was cool but he did NOT know how to talk to girls.

"Real smooth," Duncan chuckled.

"I mean, you're not all girly about getting girly and stuff," Geoff corrected himself.

"Gee thanks," Bridgette said, a bored look on her face.

"What's for dinner woman? I'm starving," Duncan said to Courtney.

"I hope you don't expect me dignify that with a response," Courtney glared.

"Hey guys! Look what I found!" DJ exclaimed, carrying the cutest bunny Y/N had ever seen.

"Aww! He's so cute!" Y/N gushed.

"Well, I never had rabbit stew before, but what the hell, I'm game," Duncan said.

DJ and Y/N both scoffed, Y/N kicking him in the shin.

"This is my new pet! I'm calling him Bunny!"

"You couldn't find any food?" Courtney sighed. "Then it looks like we're eating grubs and berries for dinner."

"Speaking of grubs, has anyone seen tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber?" Y/N asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Great," Y/N murmured. "We have two missing teammates."

"They were dead weight anyway," Duncan said.

"Mhmm, I guess you're right," Y/N said. "They probably already fell of a cliff."

Duncan nodded in agreement. "You wanna go find some berries for dinner?"

"There's a berry bush over there," Y/N pointed to behind the tent, where there was indeed, a big berry bush.

"Yeah, but," Duncan stuttered. "The better berries are deeper in the woods."

"How would you know that?"

"'Cause I know everything, duh,"

"As much as I would love to go into the dark creepy woods, with a gentleman such as yourself," Y/N started. "I'm gonna have to pass. Maybe next time."

"Yeah, for sure," Duncan said, a little disappointed.

It was now official. Even though Duncan had only known Y/N for like three weeks, he was officially super down bad for Y/N.

But he would rather die than let anyone know. Especially Y/N.

Even if she did find out, there was no reason to ask her out. The two of them lived 3 hours from each other, and it wasn't like they were going to see each other again after the show was over.

So for now, Duncan was just going to bury those feelings, deep, deep, deep inside him.

They had got the fire started, which was good.

But they didn't have any food besides bugs and berries, that was bad.

The Killer Bass were sitting around the fire, talking, but mostly complaining about the challenge,

Even though surviving the night seemed easy, Chris definitely did not make it all easy for any of the campers. Y/N hoped that the other team were suffering as much as her team was.

Y/N was sitting between Duncan and Bridgette. Bridgette had a nervous look on her face and gasped when she heard an owl hoot.

Y/N knew that the woods freaked her out, so she put her arm around her shoulder to comfort her, Bridgette shooting her a grateful smile.

"Be cool, it's just an owl," DJ smiled.

"Sorry, I just get really freaked out in the forest," Bridgette explained.

"This reminds me of this really scary story I heard once," Duncan spoke up.

"Awesome, tell it, man," Geoff said.

"Are you sure?" Duncan asked. "Because the story I'm thinking of is pretty hardcore."

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Oooh, we're so scared,"

Duncan shrugged his shoulders. "All right. But don't say I didn't warn you,"

"One night, a lot like this one..."

"So suddenly, they, they heard this tap tap tapping on the side on the side of the car. The girl started to freak out, and by this time, even the guy was getting a bit scared. So he turned the car on and he stepped on it."

Everyone seemed invested and terrified of the story. Even Y/N, who loved reading Stephen King and watching horror movies, was a bit scared of the story.

"When they got back to the girl's house...she opened the door and screamed! Because there....hanging from the door handle....was the bloody hook! They say that this killer is still alive, wandering these very woods. He could be just about anywhere really. Maybe even right....here!"

Duncan pulled out a hook from behind his back, making everyone scream. Y/N (and a bunch of other people), hid behind DJ, wanting to get away from Duncan and his stupid story.

Duncan roared with laughter, holding his stomach due to how hard he was laughing.

"You asshole!" Y/N glared, marching up to him. "That wasn't funny!"

"Oh yes it was!" Duncan smirked. "I just wish it was all on camera! Oh wait, it is!"

"You are so vile!" Courtney spat, still hiding behind DJ. "Do your parents even like you?"

"I don't know Jumpy McChicken," Duncan chuckled. "I haven't asked them lately."

"Whatever," Y/N grumbled, pushing Duncan slightly. "Your story was still terrible."

"Sweetheart, you literally screamed like a goat," Duncan smirked, stepping closer. "My story was anything but terrible."

"You're insufferable, you know that?"

"Oh yeah? Well you're a dumbass,"

The two of them were in each other's faces, smirking at each other, their noses almost touching. It was then that Y/N began to realize more of Duncan's facial feature.

'Have his eyes always been that blue?' she thought. 'They're really pretty.'

Someone, she didn't know who, but one of the Bass cleared their throats. Y/N and Duncan turned away from each other to see that everyone on the team were looking at them, DJ and Harold had awkward looks on their faces, Bridgette and Geoff had smirks, wiggling their eyebrows, and Courtney had just pure rage on her face.

Y/N covered her red face with her hand. "I'm going to bed now. You guys do whatever I don't care."

Y/N went into the tent, everyone else still outside, now staring at Duncan.

"What are you guys staring at?" Duncan asked.

"What was that?" Courtney hissed.

"What was what?"

"That little moment that the two of you had!"

Duncan blushed, scratching his neck. "Yeah, what about it?"

Courtney narrowed her eyes. "You like her, don't you?"

Duncan's eyes widened, his face turning even more red than it already was. But before he could answer, Geoff interrupted. "Guys, it's getting pretty late. I think we should head to bed."

Courtney rolled her eyes before sighing. "Yeah I guess you're right. C'mon, everyone in the tent."

Duncan begrudgingly followed Courtney in the tent. He was surprised to find that Y/N was already sleeping.

'What a weirdo,' he thought, but he couldn't help smiling at her. Geoff elbowed his side, a smirk on his face. In response, Duncan rolled his eyes and punched his shoulder.

"Whatever man," Duncan muttered, laying down on the hard tent floor.

"Y/N?"

Y/N slowly opened up her eyes, seeing Bridgette above her. "Yeah?"

"Can you go pee with me? I'm too freaked out to leave the tent by myself."

"Yeah, of course."

After trying not to trip over anybody, the two of them made it out the tent. "Hey Bridge, it's okay, nothing's gonna happen to you."

"Yeah I know, it's just-" Bridgette gasped, a flock a bats coming towards the two of them, one of the landing on Bridgette's face.

Bridgette started stumbling around, Y/N trying her best to scare the bat away so it would fly off Bridgette's face. Eventually the bat did fly away, but Bridgette fell on the ground, accidentally kicking a hot coal up against the tent, which quickly lit on fire and disintegrated into nothing.

Everyone turned towards Bridgette (besides Duncan, he was somehow still asleep), who waved towards them in embarrassment.

"Great," Courtney snapped. "That's just great Bridgette! Now we have nowhere to sleep!"

"Hey you need to calm down," Y/N said, trying to diffuse the situation. "Obviously she didn't mean to, it's fine."

"Fine? It's fine!?" Courtney yelled. "Things could not possibly get worse!"

Things did in fact get worse.

It started to rain. Y/N was mad that is started to rain, but also was satisfied at Courtney's reaction to the rain, her yelling out in frustration.

Y/N barely got any sleep that night. How could you when the only shelter you had was DJ holding up a giant leaf? She didn't know how, but eventually she did fall asleep. It wasn't very good, how good could it get on the forest floor, but it was enough to keep her energized to finish the challenge.

What she didn't expect was to wake up cuddled on Duncan's chest, his arm around her.

"Woah! Get off me!" Y/N blushed, pushing herself off Duncan.

"You were the one that was cuddling up to me," Duncan said groggily, waking up.

"Your arm was around me, you pig,"

"Whatever, I've been called worse,"

"Troll? Homewrecker? Any of those ring a bell?"

"You have such a nice way with words," Duncan rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Only learned it from the best,"

--

~Confessionals~

"I swear that is not what it looked like,"Y/N  said, her hands covering her face. "Nothing happened, everything's fine, I swear!"

--

They ran. And they ran as fast as they could.

Y/N couldn't remember the last time she ran that fast for anything. Yeah she was fast, but normally she wouldn't run that fast.

The Killer Bass were the first ones to camp. Y/N smiled, seeing Chris mess with the fire pit in the distance.

"We're the first ones back!" Courtney cheered.

The Screaming Gophers were right behind them, all of them disappointed that they weren't the first team to arrive.

And also why was Izzy in a bear costume? Who knows. Izzy was a strange human.

"Oh no! They beat us here!" Heather groaned, pushing Owen, making Izzy giggle. "This is all your fault!"

"Not so fast, goforinos," Chris spoke up. "It seems that the Killer Bass are missing a few fish."

"Are you talking about Katie and Sadie?" Y/N asked. "I'm pretty sure they got eaten by wolves twenty minutes in."

"Damn shame," Duncan shook his head. And as if God was having a good laugh and wanted to torture the Killer Bass, Katie and Sadie came running into camp, babbling about how they got lost and how they got into a fight and made up.

Y/N wanted to drown the two of them in the lake.

"Are you two finished with your little love fest?" Courtney cleared her throat. Katie and Sadie nodded, wrapped in each others embrace and big smiles on their faces. "Good. Because thanks to you, we just lost the challenge!"

"All right Killer Bass, one of your fishy butts is going home!" Chris announced. "Gophers, you're going on an all expense paid trip to the Tuck Shop!"

All the Screaming Gophers screamed in excitement, running off with huge grins on their faces. Everyone on the Killer Bass stared after them with shock, then turned to look at Katie and Sadie with anger.

Oh yeah, one of them was definitely going home tonight.

But the question was, who was Y/N going to vote for?

They were both really nice, but they were also both really, really dense.

This was going to be very hard indeed.

"Who did you vote for?" Duncan asked, sitting next to Y/N under a tree.

There was around twenty minutes left until it was time to vote, the two of them hanging out to pass the time.

"I actually can't remember," Y/N chuckled. "It's hard to tell the two of them apart."

"Can't believe we lost because those two idiots got lost in the woods," Duncan muttered, throwing a rock in the distance. "There has to be some kind of rule against that kind of shit."

"What do you expect? This show sucks," Y/N sighed.

"Do you wish you didn't sign up to compete?"

"Sometimes. But if I didn't, I wouldn't of met you or Bridgette or anyone else here."

Duncan smirked, hoping Y/N wouldn't notice his blush. "Aww you're making me blush, princess."

Y/N smiled, rolling her eyes. "You're so smooth,"

"Yeah, I know,"

It was finally time for the elimination ceremony, all of the Killer Bass sitting on the tree stumps, the fire illuminating all their faces.

Sadie and Katie sat next to each other, fear and disappointment on their faces. Even they knew that one of them was going home.

"You've all cast your votes," Chris said. "The camper who does not receive a marshmallow must immediately, hit the dock of shame, grab the boat of losers, and get the heck outta here!" 

"And you can't come back. Ever!"

"Now, I can see you're all tired, so tonight, I'll just throw them to you," Chris said, holding up marshmallows. "Courtney, Duncan, Y/N, Bridgette, DJ, Harold, Geoff, Tyler."

"Ladies," Chris said ominously. Sadie and Katie hugged each other, nervous looks on their faces, their teeth chattering. "This is the final marshmallow of the evening."

He waited for a moment before announcing who got the final marshmallow.

"Sadie,"

"No! Why Katie!" Sadie cried. "Why her!?"

"It's so unfair!" Katie sobbed, making Y/N roll her eyes.

"I so can't do this! I've never been anywhere without Katie. We have to be together or I'll totally die!"

Katie grabbed onto Sadie's shoulders. "Sadie, listen to me, you can do this. You are strong and beautiful and like, maybe even smarter than me. You're like the funnest girl I know! You have to do this for both of us."

Sadie started to tear up. Y/N fake gagged over to Duncan, the two of them giggling quietly like little schoolgirls.

Sadie walked Katie to the dock of shame, Chris and a few Killer Bass following them.

"That was so draining," Y/N yawned.

"You're telling me," Duncan also yawned. "I'm so glad that one of those idiots is gone."

Y/N nodded getting up.

"Where are you going?" Duncan asked.

"I'm gonna go on a little walk," Y/N answered. "You wanna come?"

"Sure,"

this chapter all feels like ass

stay safe and drink lots of water <33

xoxo, Izzy

Taglist 👾

@sc4rrc @casualluminaryobject

if you would like to be added to the taglist, lemme know <33

[joelsgoodgirl]

Tell Me Where It Hurts

Pairing: Jack Daniels (Agent Whiskey) x f!reader

Rating: M

WC: 2,655

Summary: You and Whiskey are hurt on a mission. Holed up in a small motel, you help patch each other's wounds.

Tags: Minor descriptions of violence. Blood. Agent!Reader. Kissing. Mentions of a past.

A/n: This was written for @penvisions give a little love writing challenge! I rarely do romance so this was certainly out of my comfort zone! My trope was minor accident!

My first time writing Agent Whiskey despite him being my first Pedro crush! Hope y'all enjoy!

“Would you sit still?” You clench your jaw, tugging on the man’s chin again as you jerk his face forward again. “Quit starin’ at my tits.” 

Whiskey lets out a low huff of air, training his doe eyes on you as you dab at the cuts and bruises across his face. The fluorescent lights made his skin glow a sickly color, the cool countertop of the bathroom sink digging at your hip.  “Sorry, Moonshine.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all, of course. “You’re just so beautiful.”

You pull back slightly, raising an eyebrow as you give him an incredulous look. “You hit your head during the fight?” 

There had been a minor explosion while you were raiding a high-stakes combination drug den and exotic animal tradepost. An odd combination sure, but certainly ones that raked in big money. 

You’d both gotten injured in the fight, but Whiskey had taken a lot of shrapnel. Nothing was near lethal, just some deep cuts and bruises. 

He gives you a lopsided grin, your eyes rolling out of habit. “Nope, just a huge flirt as usual.” You mutter, tossing the bloodied gauze into a trashcan. “Take off your shirt.” You command him, stepping back from him, his eyes following your every move. 

His grin is widening, wiggling his eyebrows at you. “Thought you’d never ask.” 

“You have cuts on your shoulders, dipshit.” You mutter, averting your eyes as he strips off his bloody shirt. There’s small gashes all over his back, one on his side that looks a little deeper than you’d like. 

You sigh to yourself as you think of your supplies back at base. A full three hour drive away. 

Your mission had gone awry, so you were holed up in a run down motel in the middle of nowhere. It was undignified for a Statesman, but Vodka had barked his orders and you’d agreed begrudgingly. 

You take a calming breath as you study his back, finally taking a step forward and dabbing at his wounds with a new gauze pad. He stands stoic, unmoving as you tend to the deep cut on his side. You patch it up, being as gentle as you possibly can.

You cringe as you think of how very far from sterile this place is, applying antibiotic cream to some of the lighter cuts. With your focus on his back now, you watch as his muscles ripple, tensing as you lightly dab at the cuts. 

You were playing a dangerous game, you both knew it. 

Your bare skin against his bringing back that night.

Three months ago, you’d lost Champ. He hadn’t gone out in glory for the safety of everyone. No, he’d been taken out by a fucking heart attack. By God’s own hand. That night, you’d shown up at your partner’s door, already drunk and angry rambling at him. One thing led to another and you’d somehow ended up between the sheets with him. 

You’d slipped out the next morning, regret and grief thick in your veins. No regrets held over the sex, regret over allowing yourself to indulge in something you knew you could never have. 

You’d never acknowledged it again, both of you skirting around it like it had never happened. 

You were thankful for it until now. 

You’d nearly watched him die, throw himself in front of you as glass and wood splintered around you. Catching you in his arms as he shielded you as best he could. 

All you wanted to do now was hug him, thank him profusely. Because it may not have been necessary, but he’d still protected you. Taken the brunt of the force and had not uttered a single phrase of complaint. 

Your name as a soft question pulls you from your thoughts, realizing your hand had stilled on his back. “Sorry.” You mutter before you keep tending to him. You feel the tension in the air change, going from the playful banter to something more serious. “Thank you.” You say softly, going back to work. 

“For what, sugar?” He asks, straightening up a little more so you don’t have to bend too far to get the wounds on his lower back. 

You pause for half a moment, unsure how to proceed. “Protecting me.” You decide the words aren’t too heavy, being as true as they are.

He turns his head enough to see you out of the corner of his eye. “And I’d do it all over again.” He says it so nonchalantly it almost startles you. 

You train your eyes back on his back, fixing up the last few of his cuts. “You’re all good.” You take a step back, allowing him to turn around. “I wanna keep an eye on the cut on your side for now. Get it checked out when we get back.” 

His hand is reaching to tilt up your chin before you realize what he’s doing, his gaze studying your face. “Let me fix you up, ‘Shine.” 

Your brow furrows the slightest, your eyes locking on his. “I’m fine.” 

His thumb brushes across your cheek as his expression matches yours. He pulls away his hand, a small smear of blood decorating his thumb now. “You’re hurt.” 

You wince as he rubs his thumb along the cut; you hadn’t felt it until now. “Shit, is it bad?” You sound genuinely worried, but the way his lips quirk, you know it isn’t. 

He reaches for some gauze, dabbing a little bit of the cream on it. his hand under your chin, his gaze intense. “I’m afraid it is. Looks like you’re gonna bleed out.” 

You huff a short laugh, loving the way his eyes crinkle with his own smile. He finishes up, his hand tilting your chin again as he checks over you again. 

You let him maneuver your head, watching as his eyes flick over your face. “I think I’m good, Jack.”

This breaks his revere, but his hand remains on your face. He startles himself out of his staring, stepping away from you, already turning to leave the bathroom when your hand shoots out to wrap around his wrist. 

You don’t think, you just do. Pull his body to yours, wrapping your arms around his waist as you hug him. He barely stiffens before he’s hugging you back, cradling the back of your head as you gently dig your fingertips into the bare skin you find. “Thank you.” You whisper again, your breath fanning over his bare chest, warmth filling you both physically and emotionally. 

You feel his arms wrap tighter around you, almost squishing your face into his chest. “Thought I was gonna lose you, b-sweetheart.” 

You hear the trip up, the way his voice wavers just the slightest. You burrow closer to his chest, your hands sliding up his back to his shoulders. You hook them around his back, pulling yourself up just enough to bury your face in his neck. Breathing his name there as his hand slides to your lower back. 

You stay like that for a few moments before you pull away, taking a step away from him. “We should get some rest. Contact Vodka in the morning.” The words come out mumbled, almost restrained. 

You’re stepping past him to leave the bathroom when his hand wraps around your wrist, halting you. 

“I can’t do this anymore, Shine.” His voice wavers a little bit, your eyes snapping up to meet a look of silent desperation. “Having you parading around me every day-” He cuts himself off, snapping his mouth shut. “We need to talk about what happened because I don’t know where the hell we stand.” 

You study his face for a moment, just trying to figure out what to say to him. “Where do you want us to stand?” 

He shakes his head, his brows just barely creasing. “You’re the one who snuck out the next morning. You’re the one who went back to actin’ like nothin’ happened. You need to tell me if that’s really what you want.” 

“Why wouldn’t it be?” You ask him, freeing your wrist from his grip gently. “I know I was just another notch in the bedpost. I don’t-”

He cuts you off, his face twisting into something close to pain. “You weren’t. I never would have-” He stops abruptly, leaving his words hanging. After a heavy sigh, he continues. “You mean more to me than that.” 

His admission shocks you to your core, your face falling in shock. “I-” You let your mouth hang slightly open, your breath frozen in your chest. 

His face falls a little, and you watch him swallow before you snap back to yourself. 

“Jack, that’s not-” You inhale a shuddering breath, closing your eyes for a moment as you try to calm your thoughts. “I could only follow your reputation. I wanted to save myself the humiliation of being kicked out in the morning.” 

“You’re the only one I’ve let stay.” He says it so quietly, so low, you almost think you’ve hallucinated it. “I’ve never wanted anyone to stay.” 

You realize it’s a quiet admission. He’s bearing his soul to you, his eyes boring into yours as the truth spills from his lips. That he cares for you. The womanizer, the man who always seems like nothing can knock down his cocky attitude, your partner of three years, the man you’ve been in love with since you were a lowly intern five years ago…

“Please say somethin’.” 

You hadn’t realized how long you’d been staring at him, your lips still parted and your eyes glazed over in thought. “What do you want from me?” You ask, your heart stuttering at the very notion that he might tell you what you’ve been wanting to hear. 

His eyes dance over your face for a moment, settling on your lips before looking back up to your eyes. “Whatever you’ll give me.” He breathes out a huff, frowning slightly. You practically watch as courage inflates him, his eyes becoming more determined. “I want you. And not just your body, as much as I can’t stop thinkin’ about it.” His lip twitches, your cheeks heating in response. “I want to wine and dine you. Take you out on romantic dates and picnics and cuddle with you on the couch while we watch romantic movies and make you breakfast and-” 

You cut him off with a little laugh, cupping his face in your hands as you finally allow yourself to smile. “Hey, breathe.” You trace your thumbs along his cheekbones, grinning fully now. “Where the hell did this come from?” 

He’s matching your smile now, his body relaxing into your touch. “To be honest, I don’t know. Something clicked that night. Like I’d been lyin’ to myself this whole time. Shovin’ down every flicker of wantin’ more because I couldn’t bear it if you didn’t. I haven’t-” He sighs, closing his eyes and leaning into your touch as his face falls. “I lost my wife and unborn son. I haven’t wanted to love anyone since.” 

You let out a sympathetic breath, your brows furrowing as you gently swipe at his cheek again. “You’re not going to lose me.” You say, watching as he opens his eyes, the hopeful looking in them nearly sending your knees buckling. “I want to give as much as I take, too. I want to stay.” You’re both leaning in, his arm wrapping around your waist to pull you in as his lips connect with yours. 

It’s slow, barely a brush at first. Testing the waters you’ve already swam in. It surprises the both of you when you’re the first to fully press in, molding your lips to his as your hands slide to the back of his neck. 

You stay there, pressed against him, allowing yourselves to feel. When you finally pull away to take a full breath, the look in his eyes nearly sweeps you off your feet. 

The heavy look of adoration, the soft smile on his lips. You’re finally seeing the real Jack Daniels. 

He reaches up, tucking your hair behind your ear and cradling your face. “You’re beautiful.” He leans in, pressing his lips to your forehead as he tilts your face up, lingering there. “I’m sorry I ever made you feel like you weren’t worth something to me.” 

You let out a slow breath, your eyes closing as your arms wrap around his waist. “We went about this the wrong way, didn’t we?” 

A deep rumble vibrates through his chest as he pulls you to him, hugging your body close to his. 

You can hear his heart in his chest, thumping against his ribcage, the sound lulling you into peace. 

Your body melts into his, the feeling of his fingers threading through your hair as his other arm wraps around your lower back.

He hums thoughtfully, his voice soft when he finally speaks. “I want to do this right.” He pulls his face back enough to study your eyes. 

When he fully pulls away, it almost stops your heart. But he extends his hand and leads you toward the beds, sitting down as he pats the spot next to him. You sit quietly, your eyes studying him as he stares down at his boots, deep in thought. 

When his gaze meets yours again, there is determination in his eyes. Determination, and something deeper. Something akin to the feeling blooming in your chest.

Love.

And that scares you. But not in a way that makes you run.

No, this is the type of fear that settles over you, the type of fear that gives way to the hope in your chest. It blooms and tangles in your limbs, wrapping around every part of you that had held room for him all these years. Like the look he’s given you had finally made everything make sense. “You want to be my boyfriend?” You tease, your eyes locked on his. 

His answering grin leaves your stomach full of butterflies, the crinkle at the corner of them igniting your body again. “Yeah, I think I’d really like that.” 

You nod, meeting in the middle as you both go in for another kiss. You pull away and laugh, falling back on the bed. “I’m sorry, this is insane.” 

He follows you a moment later, turning his head toward you. “What is?”

With a small sigh, you turn on your side, propping your elbow on your arm, pulling your legs up on the bed. “This. Us. Everything that’s happened tonight.” 

He mirrors you, his expression thoughtful as his eyes wander over you. “It really is, isn’t it? Never thought I’d be the type of man for love confessions ever again. You make-” He cuts himself off with a short laugh and a grin. “You know why I call you Shine?” 

You cock your head to the side, your eyes meeting his once they reach your face again. “My agent name is Moonshine, Jack. It isn’t that big of a secret.” 

He shakes his head a little, reaching out almost hesitantly to take your hand in his, weaving your fingers together. “You remember the first time we met? That day in the office?” 

You try to think back, but it’s all a blur. Being in New York City for the first time, just passed training, still young and naive. “Not really?” 

He hums in response, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. “Well, you were hummin’ a song that’s been stuck in my head ever since.” 

Your face scrunches a little more in concentration, trying to remember what song it would have been. “I don’t remember…” 

He hums it back to you, and your heart expands. Feels too big for your chest as you launch yourself forward and kiss him. 

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.

[mj-iza-writer]

Warning: swear words used.

The team burst through Caretaker's office carrying something wrapped in blankets.

"Geesh, I don't need a heartattack you know", Caretaker held his chest, "what is that?"

"Not a what, a who", Leader laid the blob down carefully.

Caretaker jumped up quickly, "wh-who did we lose?"

"I don't know, it's not a teammate, but I couldn't leave them there. I didn't know if we could help them, but at least they won't die alone", Leader sighed, "th... they're in bad shape, I'm afraid."

The team and Caretaker started peeling away the blankets. The farther in they were, the more blood gushed out from whoever was in the cocoon.

Caretaker frowned when they finally found the victim.

Leader watched, "I'm sorry Caretaker, I feel like I bring the hardest projects to you."

Caretaker breathed a heavy sigh, "it's okay, um, I will try my best. I'll let you know what happens within an hour or so. Please give me some space to work."

When the team left, Caretaker peeled away a piece of tattered clothing from the person's ribs.

"You son of a bitch", Caretaker sighed, "I had a feeling this was your handiwork", he gently rubbed his finger along an old scar carved into their skin.

Leader came by a bit later to see how it was going.

"Hey Caretaker", Leader whispered as they closed the door, "how is it going? I know I'm early, I've been nervously pacing for the last forty-five minutes though. "

"They're still alive if that's what you're wondering", Caretaker sighed, "they're a fighter, I'll be monitoring them through the night, if they make it to morning I think they have a good chance of recovery."

Leader watched as Caretaker gently sponged away dried blood from the victims body.

"You are always so gentle, no matter what you are doing. You can see the care you put into your work", Leader sighed, "that's why I brought them. I figured you could either save them or give them comfort before they passed."

The victim whimpered a little at the last words Leader said.

"Please don't talk about them dying, it's a scary subject", Caretaker gently rested the person's arm on the table, then carefully moved to another part to begin cleaning, "you know of some of my history, and I had to heal my own wounds. When you know the pain first hand, you work hard to ensure you don't cause anymore."

Leader nodded, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be saying such negative things. We need to think positively", Leader gave a gentle smile.

"I'm giving them pain medication and something to help them rest", Caretaker pulled out some viles, "if you could wait for a bit, we need to talk."

"Yes of course", Leader sat down, "hand me that sponge. I'll start cleaning them up over here."

Leader stroked the sponge along the victims skin, they tried as hard as possible to be gentle.

The victim squirmed a little when Leader pressed a little to firmly.

"I'm so sorry", Leader quickly lifted their hands away.

Caretaker reached his hand over.

Leader started to give them the sponge back.

Caretaker gently grabbed Leader's wrist, "the idea is to gently remove the looser grime and blood", he guided Leader's hand down and showed how much pressure to add, "we may have to do several sponge baths before they start looking clean, and wait for them to be strong enough to do a full bath. This first sponge bath just helps feel better. You can also use this time to inspect the body better."

Leader nodded as Caretaker guided their hand along the victims body.

"Do we have a name yet", Leader took the sponge and eyed the victim, who seemed to be taking to the drugs nicely.

"They whispered it, I believe it's Whumpee", Caretaker took the dirty water to replace it, "I need to talk to you though. We have a problem."

Leader watched as Caretaker revealed the carved scar on Whumpee.

"Is that?" Leader whispered and quickly looked around.

Caretaker lifted their shirt to reveal they had the same scar etched into their rib.

"It's their calling card", Caretaker sighed and lowered his and Whumpee's shirt, "I knew right when I saw Whumpee that this was their handiwork. That asshole is back."

Leader frowned and looked at Whumpee, "I know you don't like talking about your past, and I respect that."

Caretaker nodded.

"What do we do now?", Leader frowned.

"We first help this one. This is a fresh victim. They only strike once a month. They've probably had this one for a week or two and had their fun, then left them. They will begin hunting for the next one soon. Who knows how many victims there have been before Whumpee."

Leader nodded.

"They are easier to hunt when they're hunting. They go into hiding with their prey", Caretaker explained.

"First", Whumpee mumbled quietly.

"What was that Whumpee?", Caretaker got down near them to hear.

"I... was.... the fir...st.... mmm...victim", Whumpee groaned weakly.

Leader nodded, "we've fought them before. We know what to do now. Caretaker, we will start looking for them. Please update me and let me know how Whumpee is doing in the morning. We are heading out now, we don't want to chance them starting early and taking someone else."

Leader exchanged a few more plans with Caretaker. They gently rubbed Whumpee's arm, then started to leave.

"Please be careful", Caretaker called after them, "all of you."

"Wh..at... if.... th-they... don't make it?", Whumpee gave a concerned look.

"We can't think like that", Caretaker frowned, "you and I both know what they have done to us. Leader and the team have faced them before they know what to do to stop them."

Whumpee weakly nodded.

"Let's get you cleaned up a little more, then we can have you take a nap", Caretaker sighed, "this will be a long night for everyone."

The next morning Caretaker called Leader.

"This is Leader, go ahead", they almost seemed out of breath.

"It's Caretaker... what's going on?"

"We found them... we have been fighting most of the morning", Leader answered, "how is Whumpee?"

"This isn't a good time.... I'll call back", Caretaker frowned, "I need you to be paying attention. That asshole is slippery."

"No its fine, we are almost done. How is Whumpee, you'll give me a boost of energy", Leader replied.

"It was a long night, but Whumpee made it. I think they will be just fine", Caretaker smiled, "please be careful, and kill them this time."

"Trust me, I plan on it", Leader chuckled.

Caretaker turned to Whumpee after they hung up.

"They are fighting them right now.. they seem to be winning", Caretaker smiled.

"Tha-thank... goodness", Whumpee whispered, "I... hope.... they're.... safe."

"Me too", Caretaker reached for a towel, "let's get a little more off of you while we wait."

Whumpee nodded.

After a few minutes Whumpee fell asleep again.

Leader came into the room hours later with the team.

"They're dead", Leader announced, "I made sure of it this time."

Caretaker looked over the team.

"Whoever has injuries line up", Caretaker watched as several lined up.

Leader went and sat on a chair next to Whumpee.

"I'll wait until they are taken care of, I just need some bandages and maybe some stitches", Leader smiled as they saw Whumpee looking at them.

"Tha-thankyou... for... saving... me, and... anyone... else...they could... have gotten", Whumpee whispered with tears in their eyes.

"You're welcome, I'm happy we found you, and brought you here. This is your family and home now.... at least if you want it to be."

Whumpee nodded again, "thankyou."

Caretaker glanced up at Leader and Whumpee while they worked on one of the teammates.

"Thank goodness", Caretaker mumbled under their breath, 'this is a better outcome than what I was dreading', they thought to themself.

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

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