#and my boss tries to make peace between us when no. there is no peace to be had. i've tried and i ended up like this

[moonstruckme]

Hey!! I’ve spent most of my day catching up on my reading goal for the year, on your blog. I love your writing!! I wanted to know if you could write something poly!marauders where the reader comes home from work early due to chronic pain (winter weather sucks sometimes), and the boys take care of them? Pls add your own spin however you see fit! Hope your day is going well! :)

And happy holidays!

Thanks so much lovely, you're too sweet <3

modern au

poly!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 1.2k words

“Breathe, angel,” James reminds you, eyeing you worriedly as he sinks into downward dog. “Deep breaths.” 

“I’m breathing,” you sigh, following him down. The movement, the stress it puts on your legs and back, aches, but you feel better than you had when you’d come home. 

You weren’t expecting James to be here (he typically likes to get out of the house on his days off, too energetic and cabin-fever-prone to stay in) but he hasn’t let you have even a moment of peace since you’d come in the door, unannounced and several hours from the end of your workday. He’d first tried to get you to go on a walk, but the frigid weather outside is what had doomed you in the first place so he’d settled for pulling up a short, low-intensity yoga video on his laptop. 

A small part of you resents him for it, just a little. The smarter part of you is grateful. 

“Just a bit longer,” James says, likely sensing your growing discontent. “After this we can get you a warm bath. Or a massage, if you like.” 

You hum a weary thanks. Either of those sound great, but a nap would be spectacular. You want to evanesce. Sink into a sleep beyond pain. 

The serene voice on James’ laptop guides you into a cat-cow pose, but you’re only starting your first cat when you hear the click of the door opening. You turn to James in confusion. He won’t quite look at you. 

You recognize the loud clunking sound of Sirius kicking off his shoes a moment before he comes into view. 

“Ooh, yoga.” He’s smiling, but there’s a watchful quality to his gaze as he drapes himself across the sofa. “Mind an audience?” 

You shoot James an accusatory look. “Why’d you call him?” 

“Excuse me,” Sirius says, reclaiming your attention. “Do you not want me here?” 

You give up on the yoga, sitting on your mat. “I don’t want you to have to leave work,” you say quietly. 

Sirius tsks, sliding off the couch and moving closer to you. “I couldn’t have been productive while I was worried about you anyways. Figured I’d save my boss the money.” His smile slips, a tiny pucker appearing between his brows. “You alright for a hug?” 

You answer by opening your arms, and he gathers you up. He doesn’t squeeze the way he normally might, hands careful on your back, but it’s still nice. 

“How bad is it?” he asks, turning his face to mush the words lovingly into the side of your head. 

“Not bad,” you murmur. 

“I’d say it’s pretty bad,” James contends gently, “if you had to come home from work.” 

You turn your head to look at him, offering a sheepish shrug. “The yoga helped some.” 

James’ smile is lopsided, eyes flickering with relief behind his glasses. Sirius isn’t so easily convinced, loosening his grip on you so he can see your face. Despite how used to it you should be, it’s still an effort not to shrink under that gaze. You’re not sure what he’s looking for, if he finds it or he doesn’t, but a few moments later Sirius’ hands slide up to your face. He kisses the skin next to your nose lightly. 

“Let me make you some tea, sweet girl,” he says, standing. “You’ve had pain meds already, yeah?” 

You hum that you have, and James says after him, “Not the chamomile, it’ll just make her sleepy.” 

You try not to sulk as Sirius calls back, “I’m not new here, Potter.” 

James is trying to get you back into the yoga when the door opens a second time. If you hadn’t gotten there by process of elimination, the soft, considerate footfalls would have let you know who it was. 

“Oh, hi,” Remus says when he finds you and James already waiting for him. Pity softens his expression as his eyes fall on you. “How are you, dove? Is the yoga helping?”

“It was,” James grouses, though his little smile lets you both know he’s only teasing. He extends his arms out in front of him, beckoning with his hands. “Come here, give us a hug. She got to go first last time.” 

Remus doesn’t put up any argument. James stands as he comes forward, weaving one arm over Remus’ shoulders and the other under. 

“I am ailing,” you point out. When Remus angles his head on James’ shoulder to give you a concerned look, you add softly, “Not terribly, though.” 

Remus chuckles, pushing a spindly hand slowly up and down James’ spine. The other cups the back of his boyfriend’s head, sinking into his plush nap of curls. “I think you’ve worried him down to the bone,” he observes. 

There’s a noncommittal hum, followed by a muffled smacking sound as James kisses Remus’ shoulder. 

“Have you considered that I’m just soaking up all the hug I can get?” 

“Nefarious,” Remus murmurs lovingly. 

“I leave the room for two seconds, and of course a lovefest commences.” Sirius strides in with a steaming cup of tea. “It should be outlawed. I feel swindled and scorned.” 

“You got to go first,” James argues, but Remus extricates himself from his hold anyway, folding a leg under himself to sit on the couch. 

“Irrelevant.” Sirius sets your tea down on the coffee tables, using his free hand to wave James off. “Do either of you want tea?” 

“No thank you,” Remus says while James shakes his head. “You didn’t give her chamomile, did you? Because that will only—”

“No,” you all say, you rather mopily. 

You scoot towards the table and reach for your tea. Sirius settles into the couch, leaning his back against Remus’ side. 

“Alright,” James relents, shutting his laptop, “we can call it quits on the yoga. We were basically at the end of the video anyway.” His big hand lands on your shoulder, squeezing gently. “Want one of us to get a bath ready for you, lovie?” 

A whole new ache starts up, right in the center of your chest. You set your tea back on the coffee table, too hot to drink, and lean your head on James’ shoulder. Your throat clogs slightly. So, so sweet to you. A bath does sound nice, but you’re not sure you can commit to it. That’s at least a half hour between you and sleep. 

“Thank you,” you say, making sure he hears the sincerity in the words, “but I think I just want to go to bed.” 

James’ sigh is so soft you think you’re not meant to hear it. “It’s a bit early for that yet,” he says, thumb swiping back and forth on your shoulder. “How about a massage?” 

“I’m tired,” you complain, and you try not to whine but a bit of it comes through anyway.  

“I know, love,” Remus says, leaning his elbows onto his knees so that his face is nearly level with yours, “but if you nap now you won’t be able to sleep tonight, and then you’ll be tired all over again tomorrow.” He reaches across the coffee table, the tips of his fingers brushing yours. “This is to help you, I promise.” 

You let your little sigh fan cool air over your tea, raising it again to your lips as you nod. 

“Go for the massage,” Sirius says. He raises his eyebrows at you, grinning like he’s letting you in on some sort of secret. “Trust me, babe. Jamie missed his calling with that one. Hands of an angel.”

You look over, and James is grinning so hugely you wonder if his ears pop. “Alright, fine.” He shrugs, feigning reluctance. “After I’m done with her, you can have next turn.”

[igotanidea]

Home : bat!family x bat!sister

Summary: no one gets to offend my siblings and father. No one but me. I'll make sure of it.

***

Maybe it was a bad idea to apply for that Erasmus program and leave her brothers and adoptive father alone for whole three months. Sure, studying abroad, expanding knowledge, learning language and customs was an amazing experience, but it came with the cost. The price of being in fear that her family would get themselves in trouble, pain, fight they could not recover from.

The first two weeks of her adventure was the worst, since she was waking up at most random night hours, ready to jump into fight, those vigilantes instincts and habits kicking in.

Those were the nights when she was turning and tossing in her bed unable to close an eye and in result sneaking out her dorm room and walk around the campus like the ghost. The quietness and peacefulness of her surroundings at the academy were so different from those she knew in Gotham, it was almost disturbing.

There was no denying that Y/N was the smartest in the family, even Tim admitted it once (obviously not while talking to her, but she overheard his conversation with Bernard) but at times like this she was second-guessing her choices.

Due to her specific upbringing and family background she also never managed to form any deep connection with her fellow students, preferring to stay by herself, focus on the task and putting a lot of work into expanding her knowledge and skills in technology. She never complained, but from other people’s perspective she was an eremite. Kind, polite with perfect manners when someone asked her for something or while working in group, but still highly reserved. Just like her adoptive father, whose relation to she was trying to keep a secret. And it worked up to the day when one of the lecturers accidentally called her  “Miss  Wayne” in front of the whole class. The second he did it the air in the auditorium froze. She might have been in different country, but for God’s sake she was studying technology, of course everyone heard about the Wayne Enterprises and the  Bruce Wayne.

“You’re his daughter?” one of the boys in the lower row turned around and eyed her suspiciously

“Yes. Adoptive one.”

“Of course. He’s well known for taking kids in, right? Seems like some sort of complex or maybe even a disease” he smirked and it made the girl clench her fist. Her relationship with Bruce might have been rocky, but no one except her and her brothers were allowed to judge and offend him.”

“Care to elaborate on that?” she hissed, eyeing the guy with ice cold gaze

“Miss Y/L/N! Mister Olsen! Please calm down and sit down!” the teacher tried to make up for his mistake but it was far too late for that.

“You misspelled my name once, might as well keep calling me Wayne now.”  the tone of her voice matched the gaze. She was not going to let the guy easily, but getting in trouble with the dean was not a part of her plan. “Now, can we continue with the lecture? I don’t know about anyone else in her, but speaking for myself I would love to actually learn something useful.”

***

Y/N was the middle child. Younger than Dick and Jason, older than Tim and Damian which placed her literally halfway  in the family. Because of that she was a mix of responsibility and carelessness, doing her own thing, not always the right way, but still capable of getting away with a lot more than the others. Not as family oriented as Dick, feeling a bit overshadowed by Jason, highly competitive with Tim and more independent and individualistic than Damian. Still, even despite her “boss bitch” attitude, she was sandwiched between her brothers which made her the best negotiator and mediator in the family. Y/N also had a strong sense of fairness and morality and would always try her best to do the right things. Objectively, not subjectively. And making fun of her family was not one the things she could forget. However, before taking any action she had to gather intel, figure out what the guy knew and then come right at him.

***

Waiting till the end of the class was probably the greatest torture she ever had to endure, every minute stretching into infinity and when it was over the sense of relief almost made her drop the plan. Almost.

“I’m not done with you, Olsen.” she was faster to the door, stopping her potential victim from getting away.

“You want more, Wayne?”

“Please. Hit me with your best shot. What is your problem with my family, exactly?”

“Let me think” he tapped his chin. “There are so many. Like for instance, your oldest brother. What was his name again? Oh, right! Dick. Suits him quite well, doesn’t it. A prick, if you ask me. Definitely a show-off with no skills.” He scoffed “Shall I continue?”

“ Please. You got like three more people to gossip about.”

“The second in line, Jason, right? Oh, the unhinged  one. Violent, mocking, thinking he is better than anyone else around, when in reality he’s just a lost, scared child. Probably a dumbass too.”

“Pretty sure he would agree with that. Now what about Tim and Damian?”

At this point Olsen was getting a bit surprised that the girl in front of him was still unfazed. Her calmness, a sign of silent inside fury making him slightly uncomfortable.  ��Not enough to stop however.

“Drake…..” the name rolled of his tongue while the boy was wondering what words to choose “oh, he’s the gay one, right? Such a shame that the renowned Wayne family has someone like that as a member. Bet your father would never take him in, if he knew. A fairy becoming the next CEO of his renowned company. How ironic!”

“Hm.” Oh, Y/N was so much like Bruce at times and it showed in the least expected moments.

Damn that girl! How could it not make her angry?

“And …… Damian, the only biological child. Absolutely maladjusted and unaware of social norms and boundaries. Tell me, how was it like to have your youngest brother violate your boundaries and personal space?”

“It was. ….educatory. Just like it was with everything you just said. You presented yourself as someone with some serious psychological issues and possibly an unhealthy interest in my family’s life. So thank you, it truly was illuminating.”

***

“What the hell did you do Y/N?” a very alerted Dick appeared  on the other side of the screen

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” The girl sighted and fell onto the cushions bringing the computer onto her lap to see her brother better

“Don’t lie to me now, sis.”

“I wouldn’t even dream of it.”

“Bruce has been on the phone for the last fifteen minutes and from what I figured it’s about something that happened on the campus.”

“The only thing happening on the campus are students who skip classes.” She mumbled “maybe except that one time when one of the boys lost some stupid bet and blew up the fountain as some sort of punishment. That was funny.”

A little grunt was heard on Dick’s side and for a second he disappeared from the screen.

“Dick?”

“Sorry, I had a little interruption.” He rubbed his forehead “Now, back onto what you did…..”

“Did you say that someone blew the fountain?” third face appeared on the screen in the corner, taking over the conversation.

“Hello, Jason.”

“Hi sis. Maybe I should have joined you in your academic career. Seems like you have a lot of fun there. Besides, I never really finished school, since you know…. I died.”

“We know.” Y/N and Dick said in unison

“Always a good opportunity to remind you, right?” he grinned “Now, sis, tell me, how was it going full rogue on fellow student? I gotta admit I’m proud of you here.”

“So that’s what this is about?” Dick’s eyes grew wider than ever “I;m gonna ask you once again, Y/N. what did you do?”

“Nothing permanent.”

“What…..?”

“Cut her some slack, Grayson.”

“Look who decided to join us.” Y/N smirked “improved your computer skills much, Damian?”

“I got tired of being left out.”

“Since when do you care about the group?”

“Leverage, sis. Knowledge is power, I thought you knew that.”

“Ok, that is enough!” Dick finally lost his patience “I’m trying to have a conversation with my little sis here. Both of you, get out of the line!”

“Mhm, keep dreamin’ Dickhead.”

“For once I agree with Todd.”

“You have no right to…..”

“Guys…..” Y/N tried to mitigate them, but deep inside she enjoyed their bantering. It was a while since she experienced it and only now realized how familiar it was.

“I was here first!” Dick yelled “And I’m the oldest”

“No one cares Grayson! You are a Bludhaven resident now.  Just because you visit the manor does not mean you can keep Y/N busy using the wayne’s devices!”

“Don’t you have someone to kill in the crime alley, Jay?”

“Unlike you, I succeeded in all my latest missions.”

“Is that what you call coming back to your safe house bloodied and injured. You were on the verge of death!” Damian smirked “you were absolutely inept, that’s not a success.”

“You were what, now?!” Y/N shrieked. Her second oldest brother was sometimes too careless.

“It was not that bad, Y/N, I swear. And how the fuck do you know about it, demon?”

“I have my ways.”

“I would suspect Drake of spying on me, but you?”

“Speaking of the devil, I’m surprised Tim hasn’t already join us.” Dick muttered

“Oh, he did.” Y/N pointed out

“WHAT?” her brothers cried. Now there was another one fighting for her attention and it was not a secret that Tim was her favorite making the situation harder.

“I did.” Tim chuckled  “Well, to tell the truth Y/N let me in the channel. We have our ways with technology. Something none of you could ever fully understand. “

“Of course not….”

“Cheer up, Dami. You can’t monopolize all the areas.”

“I would beg to differ.”

“Ok, everyone hold up here. I think we lost the point of the conversation. The thing was that Bruce was on the phone, probably taking to the dean about….”

“Y/N played a little prank on her classmate, is that right?” of course Tim was the one who everything best.

 “He deserved it.”

“Y/n…..”

“Stop using the big brother voice on me! It’s not going to work!”

“How about we use Damian’s youngest one?” Dick teased

“I refuse to be used in this….”

“SHUT UP DAMIAN!” Dick and Jason shouted together and shared a murderous look between one another. Now they were both desperate to find out what happened since Tim would rather die than spill the bean. It was infuriating. They were the older brothers! This had to mean something.

“Ok, that’s it.” Damian stood up and the view of the empty chair in the place where his face should be was highly disturbing.

“That is not good.” Y/N said out loud something that all of them already knew. Her presumptions turned out to be right a second later when the shouting and yelling reverberated through the speakers and a blur of black and green rushed into Dick’s room.

“hey, I want to join the fight too!” Jason started up and with a speed, Wally West could be jealous of involved in the mix of limbs and screams.

“Wait! I though Dick was in Bludhaven! Tim?”

“Not today. We’re all in the manor.”

“And you idiots were talking to me through four different computers?”

“Are you actually surprised?”

“On second thought, not at all.” She sighed. It’s a good thing you are the reasonable one here…..”

“There you are, Timmy�� now the situation has turned as it was Dick who appeared in the door of Tim’s bedroom “you are not  getting out of this. If you want Y/n to yourself you have to fight me.”

“And me!” Jason tackled Dick to the ground with a loud thump

“Losers!” Damian jumped over their bodies and came right at Tim

Because of their actions, Y/N was the only one who noticed two men stepping from the shadows and exchanging some words. Apparently Bruce wasn’t capable of putting the boys in their places and asked Alfred to try this instead. And a single grunt from the butler did a miracle as all of them stood up and started explaining and apologizing. Funny as it was, Y/N knew that with Bruce’s arrival she was heading straight towards preaching from her father.

“Y/N.”

“Hello Bruce.”

“Did you break his arm?”

“You broke his arm?” Dick was halfway out but turned back immediately

“No.” Y/n shook her head “I broke his arm and hurt his legs.”

“Don’t forget that you also demolished his dorm room.”

“That wasn’t me. That was….”

“Did you go at him as a vigilante? Wow! Way to go, sis. Now I truly am proud of you.”

“Ok, both of you, out!” Bruce lost the rest of his patience pushing Dick and Jay away. “Now that we are alone…….” he sighed deeply closing the door tight  

“I;m not sorry.”

“Oh, I know. And I’m not mad, because I’m sure you had a reason to do it. So tell me, why?”

“you…. you want to know ?”

“Of course. Look Y/n, I’m aware I won’t get  a father of the year cup from you, but I care all right? Did that boy hurt you and you took retaliation? Just tell me….”

“He was talking shit about our family.”

“And you felt the urge to protect the Wayne’s honor?” Bruce smirked “this is so not like you.”

“Honor, my ass. We’ve lost that ages ago, Bruce. The only thing I was protecting was my sole privilege of mocking you. No one else is allowed to do it.”

“I’ll be sure not to tell your brothers that you miss them. “

“That would be most welcome.”

“And you have to know that we don’t miss you either, y/n.” father and daughter’s gazes met and they both nodded in silent agreement, right corners of their mouths lifting almost unnoticeable. “You coming to visit next week?”

***

Something was wrong.

Something was terribly wrong and that tingling sensation became unbearable the second she climbed the manor’s stairs and reach for the doorknob with a heartrate so fast it would send anyone else straight into cardiac arrest. Y/N however kept her cold blood, focusing on what may happened inside and considering her options and strategies for a potential fight.

She could not expect  that the moment she opened the door four figures would jump out from the shadows making the noise that would bring the dead from behind the grave. It startled her and as a result she stumbled back, hitting the wardrobe and making it shake. She could not expect that on said wardrobe there would be packets and packets of paint and that those would fall down straight on her making her look like some abstractionism painting.

“I hate you all.” She muttered while her brothers run away in four different directions.

“Welcome home, miss Y/N” Alfred approached her with a tissue so she could at least wipe the paint from her eyes.

“Home.” She whispered “Yes, it definitely feels like it.”

It was good to be back.

But she was still going after them. .....

Later. When they would least expect it.

[sleep-escapes-me]

didn't know they were dating

Imogen x Laudna

word count: 2569

a modern au told through the eyes of convenience store employee, Cynthia, and the observations she makes while working

read the full version on ao3

//

“Are you able to work independently in a fast-paced environment?”

“Yes, sir. At my previous job, my boss was impressed with how—,”

“You’re hired.”

The evening shift is Cynthia’s new home. She’s grateful for the opportunity at something different but more so for the money. Having hobbies is expensive and horses are expensive. So when your hobby is horses…well.

And school of course. Money for school.

“Welcome to Faramore’s!”

The cheery disposition is easy enough to muster. And once her manager stops randomly showing up during her shifts after the first week, Cynthia realizes the pep isn’t necessary. At least not with the crowd of customers she’s slowly getting used to.

It's a nice job for the pay. The shop she works at is located in a sleepy neighborhood on the city's outskirts so it rarely gets busy. Every night so far has been peaceful. Giving Cynthia plenty of time to finish any homework and people-watch.

She comes to recognize the regulars fairly quickly and learns all their names only because she’s nosy and the receipt is right there.

There's the blue-haired guy with the nice smile, Dorian, who more often than not has a guitar strapped to his back. He usually shows up with his boyfriend, seemingly always coming from a workout at the gym, Orym. His eyes are incredibly discerning if not a little unsettling. He stares at her like he knows all her secrets. But they’re always very polite and ask how she’s holding up in the late hour. Cynthia likes them.

Protein bar Lip balm Ready-to-bake pie crust $15.99

There's the incredibly tall gorgeous woman, Fearne, who always smells like a garden of wildflowers when she walks in. Cynthia’s been scared to ask what perfume she wears after an incident where she caught the woman attempting to steal. Maybe Cynthia is just naive but she thought being caught once would deter further attempts…but that strangely wasn’t the case. She's had to let it go altogether because she just gets so flustered. One playful wink from the woman has Cynthia forgetting all about the incident to the point that she makes an effort to make sure her manager never finds out about the missing stock.

Novelty monkey lighter Cinnamon gum 3 tubes of lipstick Pack of ribbons Costume jewelry Various postcards $0

Then there’s the punk-looking one with the spikey purple hair, Ashton, who always shows up exactly at 1 AM every other night. Cynthia was weary of him at first but then he gave her some really great unsolicited advice on how to not get swindled when negotiating with flaky people. After that night he started tipping her a single dollar and imparting arbitrary wisdom. Cynthia hasn’t yet figured out if it’s some kind of prank…

Two cases of beer Travel sewing kit Toothbrush $20.06

Probably the loudest customers are the two old men who have the strangest conversations every time they enter the store. Cynthia desperately wishes to get in on whatever strange schemes the hairier one, Chetney, seems to always be involved in. Half of them can’t be true but his imagination excites her regardless. The other one rides in on a bright yellow scooter half the time and always wishes Cynthia a smiley day without fail no matter the time of day. He never brings any money or pays for anything so Cynthia doesn’t know his name aside from the obvious nickname, Letters, that she hears thrown around by Chetney. The lack of money always starts an argument between the two old men that she has to awkwardly stand and listen to. She learns new curse words all the time from them.

Wood finisher Scented body oil $18.12 Chamomile tea Cigarettes $12.87

And her favorite; the girlfriends. Or at least that’s what Cynthia assumes they are. It’s hard to tell.

The spooky-looking one, Laudna, tries to make small talk while at the register. Cynthia isn’t shy by any means but it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the odd topics of conversation. Soon enough Cynthia’s learning about her pet rat who’s so old he should be dead and how he’s always jumping off high places attempting to fly. Cynthia nods politely and keeps her opinions to herself.

Mixed seeds Red yarn Super glue $15.26

The other woman Laudna is always with, Imogen, is a bit more demure—or maybe guarded is more apt. Her eyes never leave Laudna and seems content to listen to her prattle on as they shop. She rarely buys anything. It’s usually at the behest of Laudna reminding her of some arbitrary thought.

Pencils Hand lotion $11.07

//

Imogen comes in alone for the first time since Cynthia started working. There's a nervous titter of energy around her as she runs up and down each aisle like a bat out of hell. Cynthia debates if she should ask if she needs any help before Imogen rushes to the register.

“This all for you today?” Cynthia asks habitually.

Imogen nods with a quiet sigh. “Hopefully.”

Box cake mix Candles Black sprinkles Oven mitts $14.47

Once she’s left, Cynthia muses over how sweet their relationship must be for Imogen to want to bake a cake for her girlfriend. She herself is an abysmal baker so it makes her yearn for a relationship in the future that’s just as thoughtful. She imagines Laudna walking through their front door, the house smelling of freshly baked goods. Imogen walks out of a side room with the cake decorated, candles lit, and a big smile on her face…

She speaks too soon when Imogen comes back in a little over an hour in a visibly sour mood, black crumbs stuck to her shirt.

Box cake mix Frosting $3.69

Cynthia can’t help herself as Imogen sullenly reaches for her purchase. The words tumble out of her mouth. “Havin’ trouble?”

Imogen startles at the sudden question and Cynthia holds back a grimace. She awkwardly gestures to the items she just bagged.

“Using milk instead of water makes a better box cake. More fat is supposed to improve it or something. At least that’s what my mama always says.”

Imogen frowns and checks over her shoulder toward the fridge section. She looks back at Cynthia for a solid two-count and nods.

Milk Energy drink $4.25

Imogen smiles warmly at her, taking her groceries. “Thanks.”

Cynthia beams. “Of course. Hope it turns out well.”

Imogen doesn’t show up for the rest of the night.

//

Laudna shows up alone one day in a tizzy and Cynthia instantly recognizes something is wrong. It tests her resilience as an impartial convenience store employee to not get involved in customers' business…but Laudna’s frazzled appearance and her very loud speaking over the phone at least paints Cynthia a vague picture.

“Okay, darling, I’ve just arrived. I’m walking to the medicine aisle. Ooh, those snacks Pâté likes are on sale—right, sorry. I am in the medicine aisle. Which one is it?” She pauses. “There’s a yellow label and a blue label.” Another pause. “Are you sure? The yellow label says extra strength.” Pause. “Well, I don’t care if it’s extra money! This is your health! I’m not yelling! Oh, nope. I am. Sorry, sorry. Hold on. I’m grabbing the yellow label.”

Cynthia watches Laudna do that in two more aisles.

“Okay, darling, I’m heading to the register. I’m hanging up. I have to pay.” She frowns. “I'm telling you so you don’t worry.” She looks at the phone then at Cynthia. “She hung up.”

Cynthia bites the inside of her lip to keep from laughing. “Find everything okay?”

“Oh, I hope so.” Laudna’s shoulders droop. “I get so flustered in a crisis that sometimes I forget my own name. Isn’t that just silly? I’m lucky Imogen is always so collected.” She chuckles lightly while nervously pulling at the ends of her hair.

“It’s not silly when you’re worried about someone.”

“You’re so sweet.” Laudna's eyes crinkle with a smile. “You know, I see you working whenever I come in. No matter the time. Do you always work this shift?”

“For the time being, yes.”

“You’re so young,” she muses.

Cynthia hands over the bag to Laudna. “Well, I hope everything is all right with your girlfriend.”

Laudna’s face slowly drops as she processes Cynthia’s words. “Excuse me?”

She scrambles. “Nothing. Nevermind. Here’s your change. Have a good evening.”

Laudna stares at her for a long moment before reaching for her money. Then trails out of the store in a mumbling daze.

Scar cream Pain meds Bandage wrap $25.73

Cynthia resists the urge to run in the back room. Was she wrong? Were they even dating? Were they already married? She’s never seen a ring on Imogen. Or has she? Laudna…definitely had one, right? The shine of a sparkling red ruby ring enters her mind. Fiancé?

//

Imogen enters the store alone the next night but seems perfectly normal when interacting with Cynthia. She even tells her to have a good night as she leaves.

A bag of chips Two energy drinks $6.86

It isn't until Laudna is back again at the end of the week when the fruits of her fuck up unravel. She doesn't enter with Imogen. Instead with someone Cynthia is shocked to see such a sweet woman like Laudna in cahoots with. The thief!

Cynthia watches the pair peruse the aisles aimlessly until

“Fearne!” The yell comes from the back of the shop. Laudna’s arms can be seen flailing over the tops of the shelves. Cynthia strains to listen.

“It’s all right,” Fearne says. “She doesn’t mind.”

Laudna stutters. “You still shouldn’t steal from such a sweet girl. That could be grounds for termination.”

Fearne hums. “She hasn’t been fired yet.”

Finally, the two of them make their way to the front. Fearne pivots toward the door with a familiar flirty wink before Laudna grabs her arm.

“Where are you going?” she admonishes. “We still have to pay.”

“Oh. Oops,” Fearne giggles. “Silly me. It just slipped my mind.”

Cynthia is mostly sure Fearne didn’t forget.

Laudna's eyes don’t quite look at Cynthia as they approach. Fearne seemingly takes notice and saunters up to the register.

“You must see Laudna here a lot, right?”

Cynthia feels her mouth go dry. She realizes she’s never heard Fearne’s voice this close because the other woman never comes to the register. It somehow even further adores her to the enigmatic woman. Cynthia slowly nods. “Sometimes.”

She leans across the counter. Her eyes twinkle with a mischievous sparkle. “So…are you the one who called Imogen her girlfriend?”

“Fearne! Okay!” She pushes her friend aside and drops a bill down on the counter in a fluster. “That's enough of that. I think we’re done here. Yes. Thank you so much, young lady! You have a lovely evening!”

Cynthia forgets to ring them up.

//

At this point, it’s been several weeks since seeing Imogen and Laudna enter the store together. Cynthia is so on edge thinking about the two women's situation that it’s starting to affect her sleep schedule.

The curiosity eats away at her until the next time Imogen walks in. The gentle ding from the door’s bell erupts like a blaring alarm for Cynthia. Her focus zeros in on the unsuspecting woman and tracks her around the store like a hawk. The next time she passes by the front, the word vomit hurls from Cynthia’s lips when it’s simply too much to hold back.

“Did you break up?” She blurts out instead of her usual script.

Imogen’s eyebrows furrow. “Huh?”

“Your girlfriend—uhh, or maybe fiancé?” She says it like a question and Imogen stares at her like she’s grown two heads. “Laud—the one woman you’re always here with. The spooky one?” Silence. She should really shut up. “Aren’t you together?”

The other woman goes deathly still. “No…”

Oh.

Cynthia feels the embarrassing red-hot heat flooding her cheeks. “Sorry. I thought you were. It was wrong of me to assume.”

A muscle in Imogen’s cheek tightens. Her mouth opens and closes several times before she asks, “Why would you think we were together?” Her voice is stony. “Did she say somethin’?”

“What?” She doesn’t sound accusatory or angry so Cynthia is confident she hasn’t completely insulted this woman. The word vomit continues. “No. It’s not that. I mean I did mention to her that you were her girlfriend and she never really denied it. I thought—I honestly didn’t think you were dating at first. But after a while it was hard to ignore when the two of you seemed so…” She trails off when noticing how pale Imogen has gotten.

“So?”

“In love?” Cynthia finishes lamely. Her cheeks burn with mortification.

She makes a noise somewhere between an acknowledgment and a whimper.

It’s all Cynthia gets before she turns and makes a beeline toward the back. She stands in front of the liquor aisle for an exorbitant amount of time. Cynthia has half a mind to ask if she’s all right but cowardice of saying the wrong thing again stops her. Finally, she makes a selection and Cynthia has to struggle to not cringe as she rings her up. No pleasantries are exchanged.

Box wine $8.99

She comes in the next day.

Cynthia wants to crawl into a hole.

Box wine Tissues Pain meds $14.68

And the next.

Cynthia considers quitting just to stave off the unparalleled embarrassment and shame coursing through her.

Two bottles of wine Decongestant Pint of ice cream Effervescent tablets $36.87

She never sees her again.

Mainly because Cynthia quits her job at Faramore's soon after. She’s accepted into an apprenticeship across town and can’t justify the commute anymore.

She doesn’t tell her regulars because that seems like a silly thing to do. It’s not like she talks to any of them or knows them beyond the stories she makes up in her head by their brief interactions. It’s strange when she realizes she will miss them. There’s a melancholic kind of insight she garners—missing someone you don’t really know.

Months later Cynthia finds herself in the neighborhood after an event takes her back across town. The curiosity hits her a bit too hard and soon enough she finds herself back at her old store. It’s like walking into a time capsule. She doesn’t feel any claim to the shop as it’s one of many and she’s gone to others in the franchise but it still feels strangely familiar as the bell dings when she enters.

The guy at the register is more apathetic than she cares to comment on. He rings up her items without so much as a greeting.

Gummy bears Bottle of water $4.33

On her way out, the door whooshes open and the bell dings softly. As if in slow motion, in walks Laudna, a big smile on her face, arm around a giggling Imogen’s shoulders, whose own arm is securely wrapped around Laudna’s waist. Laudna leans her head down to kiss the top of Imogen’s head. Then Imogen smoothly turns her face upward and they share a chaste kiss without breaking their stride. They don’t notice Cynthia walk past them.

Maybe Cynthia sheds a single tear later that night when she thinks about them or maybe it's just this very emotional movie she’s watching about a horse that defies all the odds in the end.

[lionlena]

I can't be everywhere (No outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader) ANGST! Part 1

Summary: You knew Joel was a busy man, but you never thought that when you needed him most you would hear, "I can't be everywhere." As if your pain meant nothing. So you decided that you couldn't be everywhere either… You couldn't be in his heart anymore.

Warnings: ANGST, miscarriage, misunderstanding, loss, mourning, broken heart, age gap (17 years), Joel is 45, depression, Joel tries hard, but… He can't show his true emotions…

A/N: I added a small cameo from 9-1-1 Texas, Tommy, Nancy, and TK ;)

Part 1

You met Joel by accident when your boss decided to renovate the offices. But no... He didn't transfer employees to another location or to work from home. NO. He decided that somehow all of you would share the space with the construction workers.

You were furious, as were the rest of the employees. You all understood that for the next few weeks, you would be distracted by the sounds of a drill, the hits of a hammer, the smell of paint...

And yet this was not the most distracting thing, at least for women. The Miller brothers turned out to be what prevented you from focusing on your work.

And while most of your friends sighed at younger brother, you couldn't take your eyes off Joel. Those broad shoulders, those biceps straining against the flannel shirt, the dark hair streaked with gray… He was the reason you fantasized during work, something you had never done before.

But you thought that the fantasies would end there. You realized that Joel was almost 17 years older than you. On top of that, he showed no interest in you... in anyone, really. He was a bit grumpy and silent, unlike Tommy who was constantly smiling and talking to all the women in the office.

Thanks to him, you found out that Joel had a daughter who went to college. So you quickly calculated that you were only about 8 years older than his daughter. This definitely didn't sound like a relationship that could work. Even the fact that Joel was single didn't make you dare to go beyond your fantasies.

Until one unlucky evening…

You stayed at work late to catch up. Joel stayed too and started renovating the women's bathroom. This meant that when you felt the need to use the bathroom, you had to use the men's bathroom. Unfortunately, you completely forgot that their toilet has a broken lock that sticks.

So when you calmly did what you had to do, you suddenly discovered that you couldn't leave. You quickly started to panic. It's not that you were claustrophobic. You could stay in tight spaces as long as you knew you could leave. That's why you avoided the elevator because you were terrified of getting stuck between floors.

So of course, being locked in the bathroom must have triggered a panic attack. On top of that, you left your phone on the desk. You stopped thinking straight very quickly. Instead of trying to open the door, you just started screaming and punching the door. You were probably there for about 5 minutes, but it felt like you had been there for an hour and you couldn't breathe.

Suddenly you heard someone's voice saying that he would help you soon. Then the door finally opened and you just ran out into the hall, hitting that person, but you had to get out.

You leaned back against the wall and tried to regain control. Suddenly you felt large, warm hands on your shoulders and you saw those warm brown eyes in front of you. It slowly dawned on you that the person who freed you was Joel.

"Hey… hey, calm down. Y/N, right?"

You nodded without even thinking when he found out your name.

“Okay, Y/N, focus on my voice. You're safe, nothing bad happened. Take a deep breath… and exhale. Yes, just like that. Very good.”

His calm, comforting voice and strong hands brought you back to reality. But the peace lasted only a moment and was quickly replaced by shame.

"Oh god! I'm sorry... I hit you when..."

Joel smiled and shook his head. "Relax. You didn't do anything I couldn't handle." He looked at you gently. "How are you feeling? You had a panic attack... Are you claustrophobic?"

Joel still had his hands on you and you couldn't help but think how good it felt.

"No... I'm just scared when I'm in a closed room... When I can't get out... Thank you for your help."

Joel finally pulled away from you and nodded in understanding. After a moment, he replied: "I'm glad I could help you. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm doing overtime."

Joel chuckled quietly. "That's the two of us."

And suddenly you couldn't help yourself and said. "Would you like some coffee? I know it's late, but since we're both going to work some more, maybe we could use some caffeine."

Joel nodded eagerly and that was how it began.

As they say: the rest is history.

One coffee turned into daily chats and an invitation to lunch. Then an invitation to dinner turned into a hot night. The hot night turned into quickies in his truck as he drove you to work.

Even though the renovation in your office was over, your romance with Joel has only just begun. And when your friends were despairing that they didn't see Tommy anymore, you thought about your next meeting with Joel with a smile on your face.

After half a year of dating, Joel suggested that you try moving in with him. There were several reasons to agree. You kept complaining about the rent. His house was closer to your work. Joel was a busy man and living with him made it easier for you to spend time together.

And you were happy. Or at least that's what you told yourself. Joel was loved. Sex with him was great. His daughter took a liking to you when she came home for a few days, so everything was in place.

You were happy... You repeated to yourself every time your friends told you how they spent the weekend with their boyfriend at the lake, or how they were at a party and you...

You were making dinner for your tired boyfriend. You told yourself it was better this way. You have an older, mature man who gives you a stable life. You couldn't see the fact that he worked hard as a flaw. But sometimes you wondered if Joel regretted his relationship with you. Did he expect something different? He just wanted adventure and then didn't want to break your heart?

And then it happened... You thought one broken condom was no big deal. Joel thought so too. He said you'd have to be very bad luck if you were to get pregnant from one accident.

But it turned out... Bad luck... Except you couldn't think about your child like that, and Joel...

His reaction was… Neutral. He smiled and assured you that he would take care of you and the baby, but he didn't say anything more. There were no happy shouts, no kisses, no belly touching. Only this peace, which you even perceived as cold.

But you consoled yourself with the thought that it wasn't really about you, it was about Sarah's mom. Joel told you about her. About how she wanted to give Sarah up for adoption right after she was born, but Joel convinced her that they would be a happy family. However, when Sarah turned two, her mother decided she had had enough of motherhood and disappeared, leaving Joel with a broken heart and a small child.

So you thought he was afraid of a repeat. You decided that when he saw that you wanted to be a mother and that you loved this child, he would start to show his feelings.

So you loved your unborn child. You stroked your belly and talked to the baby. You took care of your diet and timidly started browsing websites selling cradles.

But Joel didn't notice this because he was practically not home. He worked even harder and you had the feeling that he was doing it on purpose to avoid you. Although he justified it by having to help Sarah stay in college. You felt sidelined.

You were 12 weeks pregnant when you woke up in the morning with terrible stomach pain. You curled into a ball and moaned in pain.

"Joel!" you shouted, hoping that maybe he hadn't left the house yet.

But only silence answered you. You slowly reached for your phone and dialed his number.

'Y/N… I'm in the car, call…'

'Joel! Something's wrong... My stomach hurts terribly.'

You heard a sigh on the other end.

'Honey, calm down. It's definitely nothing serious. Lie in bed and rest.'

You felt tears gathering in your eyes.

'I need you.'

Another moment of silence.

'An investor is coming today. I have to be there, but I promise I'll be back soon. Just try to calm down. Everything will be fine.'

His voice was soothing and even brought you relief for a brief moment. You swallowed your tears and took a deep breath.

'Okay,' you said in a weak voice.

'That's my girl. I'll call you soon. Rest, darling.'

Joel hung up and you felt another painful pressure in your lower abdomen. No matter how hard you tried to calm down. It was getting worse by the minute. And when you felt the wetness between your legs, you panicked. You looked down and saw a red stain. You grabbed the phone and called 9-1-1.

Twenty minutes later, rescuers arrived at your home. A dark-skinned woman in her early 50s was the first to approach you. She smiled at you in a friendly manner.

"Hi, Sweetheart. I'm Captain Tommy Vega, and these are my paramedics, Nancy and TK. We'll do everything we can to help you."

You nodded and moaned in pain. The young man who approached you also seemed very friendly and explained everything he was doing to you. It made you feel a little better. When they helped you onto the stretcher and told you they were taking you to the hospital, you asked:

"Will I lose my baby?"

They looked at you sympathetically. Captain Vega grabbed your hand and calmly replied, "We'll take you to the hospital, they'll check everything there."

You already knew what that meant. You lost your baby, but they didn't want to upset you. They couldn't tell you the truth directly. You nodded and asked, "Can I call my boyfriend?"

Tommy replied, "Of course, but while we're in the ambulance."

Once you were in the ambulance, you tried calling again, but Joel wasn't answering the phone. TK, seeing your sadness, grabbed your hand comfortingly, but it didn't help you much. You were in pain, your stomach hurt and you felt alone and scared. At the hospital, the doctor confirmed what you already knew. You lost your baby.

Joel wasn't there when you cried about it. He wasn't there when they put you in the hospital bed and gave you medication. He was gone... You finally texted him to let him know you were in the hospital and then you fell asleep.

When you woke up a few hours later, you felt someone holding your hand. You looked to the side and saw his brown, worried eyes.

“Joel… Our baby…” you sobbed.

Joel immediately stood up, hugged you, and kissed your forehead.

"Shhh, everything will be fine. Take it easy."

You cried for a few minutes in his arms and waited for something more. You wanted to hear more. That he is sorry, that he suffers too...

You looked at him hurt and asked, "Why weren't you with me?"

Joel grimaced slightly and you saw pain flash in his eyes for a moment, but then it disappeared and he replied coldly, "I can't be everywhere."

You blinked your eyes and looked at him. For a moment you thought you misheard. But his words echoed in your head and burned a mark on your heart. "I can't be everywhere." This wasn't what you expected. "I'm sorry I couldn't be with you." "I would give anything so you wouldn't have to go through this alone." Or at least just: "I'm sorry." You silently looked at him and waited. You waited for him to say something else, something that would even slightly help ease your pain, but Joel just sat next to you and held your hand as if that would be enough. But it wasn't enough. You wanted to cry and scream, but you felt so tired. You finally removed your hand from his and rolled onto your side, wrapping your arms around your belly.

"I want to sleep."

Joel was surprised for a moment, but then he stood up from his seat.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you in the morning."

He kissed your head and disappeared. And with his disappearance, any remaining illusions you had that Joel wanted this baby disappeared. And why didn't he want to? Maybe it's because he never planned on staying with you long-term, and the baby would force him to do so.

Maybe he never took you seriously. You were just a girl he wanted to play with for a while. Nobody who was important. No one whom he needed. These thoughts washed over you like a wave of a great black ocean and pulled you under. You started sobbing so hard that your whole body was shaking. You've never felt so alone... So broken.

Suddenly you felt a gentle hand on your shoulder and heard the nurse's warm voice.

"Shhh, calm down. I know it hurts. I'm sorry you lost your baby."

Her words only made you cry louder. A stranger showed you more understanding and compassion than your own boyfriend who left you alone.

And maybe Joel didn't love that baby, but you did.

The next day you left the hospital and Joel took you home. Somehow he found time for it. He even told you he took two days off.

Two days!

You didn't know whether to laugh or punch him in the face. Two days for you to heal your heart. Two days for you to come to terms with the loss and return to normal life. Was this what Joel expected?

You didn't know that because you barely talked to each other. You spent most of those two days lying on the couch and staring at the TV. And Joel walked quietly around you. He would bring you sandwiches and water, cover you with a blanket, and sit at the end of the couch. He placed your legs on his lap and massaged them gently. Maybe under normal circumstances, you would have found it sweet, but the pain in your heart and the words he said in the hospital made you grow bitter. You couldn't stand him and when he went back to work, for the first time you were actually happy about it.

For the next few days, life was the same. In the morning he would get up and kiss your head. He asked if you needed anything and you said no. When he left the house, you moved to the couch and spent half the day there. Joel returned in the evening, but unlike in the old days, there was no warm dinner waiting for him. He greeted you and looked at you with something strange in his eyes. You couldn't tell if it was disappointment, anger, or pity.

You didn't care about this. Joel couldn't be everywhere and you were slowly coming to terms with the fact that you couldn't be everywhere either.

A week after the miscarriage, you made a decision. You called your best friend who lived in Florida. You cried and told her everything and heard only one sentence: "Pack up and come immediately."

And so you did. You packed two suitcases and threw them in your car. You left a short note on the kitchen table.

"I'm going away for a while. I don't know if I'll come back. I'm sorry Joel, I can't be everywhere either."

You got into the car and took one last look at Joel's house. You felt tears sting your eyes, but you stopped yourself from crying.

You couldn't be in Joel's heart anymore.

So let me just give up So let me just let go If this isn't good for me Well, I don't wanna know Let me just stop trying Let me just stop fighting I don't want your good advice Or reasons why I'm alright You don't know what it's like You don't know what it's like Don't look at me like that Just like you understand Don't try to pull me back *Katelyn Tarver - 'You don't know'

Tag list: @fahemzzz

Part 2

[chameleon66]

For a moment it’s quiet

Word count: 1,594

Ship: HuskerDust (Husk x Angel Dust)

Summary: Angel wants cuddles from his boyfriend but it then leads to an interesting discovery.

THIS IS A TICKLE FANFICTION, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Author’s note: I just finished watching Hazbin hotel and Huskerdust is by far my favorite ship in the show so I felt I had to write something for them, I may check out Helluva Boss soon too so I may also write something for that as well depending on if I find anything interesting to write about in it. I think that’s all so happy reading!

“You know what time it is Husky?” Angel blurted out while swinging the door to his boyfriend’s bedroom open. “It is cuddle…Angel…o’clock.”

To put it simply, Angel was not expecting to see what he did when he opened the previously closed off bedroom door.

Husk was curled up on his bed in a nest of spare blankets, half empty bottles of alcohol and pillows, with one pillow tucked neatly underneath him while his arms were wrapped around it and his tail laid limp around his ankles. He wasn’t wearing his top hat or usual daytime clothes but a soft pair of two piece button up pajamas with white and black dice printed on that contrasted the dark red background of the pajamas.

Husk also didn’t seem too amused with Angel barging into his room without knocking but since it was Angel and he wouldn’t expect anything different out of him. Husk simply just sighed and replied with.

“Fine, I wish you luck in finding a spot to cuddle me, also stay away from my booze, also … Please don’t tell the others about this.”

Angel, still in a state of flustered gay shock from seeing the adorable display of his boyfriend, all sprawled out across his bed like a kitty cat. Slowly made his way over Husk’s bed and crawled onto it and over the lumps of blankets that were just barely visible in the dimness of Husk’s bedroom.

Angel never understood how Husk could live with never turning on the light switch in his room but according to Husk his vision was perfectly fine in low light environments.

Once Angel made his way over to Husk he wrapped all four of his arms around Husk, the upper pair around Husk’s neck and the lower pair circling around his waist.

And much to Angel’s surprise Husk let go of the pillow he was laying on and wrapped his arms around Angel’s shoulders in return with his resting a few inches in front of Angels as they laid parallel to each other on the bed.

Angel could feel his cheeks become pink at the close up view of his boyfriends face and he could see a tint of pink over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose but the implied emotions that the blush conveyed didn’t reach Husk’s half open yet completely awake eyes.

“You are so handsome Husky.” Angel stated aloud to Husk, which made the blush in his furry white face much more visible.

Angel smiled at his boyfriend’s reaction to being given a compliment and his smile only grew as he saw the pink tint reach up to Husk’s pointy tipped ears.

Having way too much love and affection to give to his boyfriend at that moment, Angel reached his upper right hand up to his boyfriend’s ear and began using the tips of his nails to scratch around the base of them.

The effect was instant, Husk’s muscles in Husk’s ear and the rest of his body went slack and Husk’s eyes went half lidded as a soft purr became audible in each of his exhales. Husk's head began to lean and nuzzle into Angel's hand silently pleading for the gentle scratches to not stop.

Angel had to hold back the squeal that tried to make its way up his throat and out past his lips, he didn’t want to ruin this moment of peaceful love between the two of them. So he quieted himself and kept scratching Husk’s head and ears, making sure to soak in the sound of his purring and the sight of Husk’s relaxed and spaced out facial expression.

This went on for a few minutes until Angel experimentally tried to rub the top part of Husk’s ear where the heart print and the red tip of his ear were but when he began rubbing the soft cartilage between his thumb and index finger Husk’s reaction suddenly changed.

Husk’s face morphed into a smile and made something that Angel could only describe as between a meow, squeal, and laugh in response to the touch that Husk would deny making for the rest of his life.

“OMG! Husky! That is the cutest noise ever!” Angel put the pieces together fast upon Husk’s response but he needed to see that reaction one more time to believe his theory.

“Hey! Knock it off Legs!” Husk commanded the spider sinner. Though the look in the spider’s two toned eyes told Husk exactly what he was thinking.

“Don’t even thiNK ahahahahahah! Nohohoho.” Husk’s words lost themselves as Angel’s fingers went back up to the colored parts of his ears and began to scratch and rub them.

Angel’s theory was confirmed. Husk’s ears were adorably ticklish.

Husk kept giggling while trying to get his hands free but Angel used his lower pair of arms to keep Husk’s arms pinned to his sides and keep Husk from moving away as well.

“Aww! Does that tickle darling?” Angel asked in his baby talk voice.

Husk’s face got redder at being teased but he somehow found it in him to nod his head to answer Angel’s question.

“Well all the better for me Babycakes. I just love to hear those giggles of yours.” Angel was having a lot of fun with this, after all it wasn’t everyday you got to see the grumpy yet observant bartender smiling and giggling while his ears were being tickled.

Husk would rather die a second death than admit it out loud but he was actually enjoying himself, but only a little. After all tickling is for children but Angel toying around with his ears was soothing in a way but was exhilarating in a different way.

Taking note of Husk’s ears flicking in his hand’s grasp, Angel moved his hands off his ears and brought his face closer to them. Then he took a deep breath and blew a puff of air onto Husk’s right ear.

Husk’s giggles went up an octave and his ear twitched aggressively at the contact of the cool air. Angel smirked wishing he had brought his phone to capture Husk being absolutely adorable but just seeing it in person was also great.

“You know, I’ve had clients with ‘sensitive’ ears before, but I’ve never had one with ticklish ears before. That must make you really special Husky.” Angel hummed his Husk’s ears, the vibrations of Angel’s voice causing a buzzing tickly sensation to spread throughout the canal of Husk’s ear.

As Angel kept blowing air onto Husk’s ears he couldn’t help but notice Husk actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Husk would definitely deny it if Angel asked him but he could see it in the way his tail swished back and forth with the tip thumping against Angel’s leg and his smile that was doing a poor job of hiding how genuine it was.

Though Angel decided to let Husk remain oblivious to Angel’s observation, If Husk wanted to tell him on his own terms, then Angel would accept that. At least for now.

After another minute Angel decided Husk had his fill and planted one kiss and the inner side of each of his ears, emitting one last shriek of a giggle out of Husk.

Angel Got back down face to face with Husk and watched as his boyfriend hazily giggled that last bits out of his system and met Angel’s eyes. Giving him the “You are lucky I love you otherwise I’d kill you for that” stare.

Of course Angel didn’t pay the look any mind. He did however want the soft and cuddly mood back so he reached up his hand and with two fingers scratched underneath Husk’s chin, right on the spot he knew to make any cat relax.

Once the sensation of Angel’s nails dragging back and forth under his chin clicked in his brain, Husk was reduced to a purring puddle.

His body instantly lost all of its tension from the tickling that happened earlier and out of pure feline instinct he pulled Angel closer to him and began to knead his paws over Angel’s stomach. Husk was never fond of cat-like instinct but being with Angel made him feel more comfortable with his sinner form because he knew Angel loved and respected him. That made Husk completely in love with Angel.

Angel let out a chuckle from the feeling of Husk pressing on his stomach but he couldn’t help but adore how cute Husk was being with him, he really should do this more often.

“That’s right Husky, just relax and let me take care of you. You take such good care of me, it’s only fair I do the same for you.” That part was an understatement to Angel. Husk always helps Angel with anything, making his favorite drinks for him, listening to him rant about his day and providing comfort on those tough nights after dealing with Val. Husk really does so much for him and everyone else in the Hotel. He really deserved more appreciation for everything he did for people.

That night was quiet in the hotel, at least to Angel and Husk. The noise of Nifty’s vacuum, the hum of Charlie and Lucifer talking as they walked down the hall, the subtle radiostatic that lingered in every corner of Husk’s mind, the phantom sensation ropes around Angel’s limbs had faded into the background as the two of them cuddled and for just a moment, everything seemed to be perfect and nothing was wrong.

[bellsartblog]

Sept-ingo day 23: different universe with ingo and ingo and ingo and emmet hop the multiverse by @subway-boss-jericho

ok so, part of this post was made when my thumbs was still healing. i thought if my thumbs couldn't work, i still had my other fingers so i gonna try writing sth >:"))) but i'm like really ass though so :"))) tell me how i do :))) i wanna improve this skill of mine as well for future uses.

𖨠──··· At the train station ···──𖨠

no beta read :"))) it's a reunion fic :)))

This place was.... very familiar. It's circular in shape and crowds of people and trainers were rushing to and from the large arches surrounding this space. How Ingo know which person were trainers and which were not was beyond him. 

Chimes were going on and off every now and then with rumblings of something big going by in between each interval. all of which was behind the wall he was leaning on. Ingo stands to the side of this strange circular place, preferring to stick to the brick walls so that he won't get swept into the crowds of busy people. being in such a chaotic and strange space but he can't help but find himself at peace. 

He stood just a bit taller than he would usually and allowed himself back in Hisui. Peering through the crow, he tries to search for a girl in the similiar survey corp uniform and a white bandana on her head. Akari was the one that brought him here in the first place, but she ran toward the tall pillar in the middle to try and buy some tickets for them both.  No, not Akari. It's Dawn now.   

"I'll be back! don't go anywhere" and she was off before he could deliver his own message. but it has been a while since then so he was getting a bit anxious. Nothing had changed much in the last minutes or so and the anticipation was eating at him. maybe he should go look for her... but going off the established place would make it hard for her to find him if she was already going back- 

"Hello sir!" 

a booming voice shocked him out of his almost spiral. the source of which stood just an arm length from him. Someone that wears the same coat as his! but it was shinier and more well-kept. And his face bored resemblances of his own but.... if he was younger. Was he that old already?  

"May I help you?" 

"Most certainly! I'm Subway Boss Ingo" The man gestured to himself then to his side where another man who looks like his matching copy stood. "And this is my brother, Subway Boss Emmet! We were hoping-" 

to be honest, most of what this fellow said went over ingo's head because Emmet was all he cared about right now. It was him, the man in white! His hand reached out on its own but with closer inspection, ingo slowly noticed and he withdrew his hand.  

There were smaller inconsistencies, the strips on his coat were cyan when it was supposed to be brownish-red like his. And the emblem, one of the signifiers that helped him identify himself, was different also! Two arrows, one pointed up while the other pointed down. There were more, like his tie and his hair. It was all different! All... wrong? 

“You aren’t listening” Emmet stated. Though his smile didn’t change much, and his tone was even as ever, but somehow Ingo just knew this man was being cheeky with him, "too much on your head, perhaps?” 

“Ah yes” ingo blushed a bit “my deepest apologies, I thought you were someone else.” he nodded toward Subway Boss Ingo. To which he gave a short wave. 

“No worries, Sir! It hasn’t been the first time” the man gave him a small smile. Wait, what did he mean by not the first time? “But to summarize, we were wondering why you were standing here all by yourself and we wanted to ask if you would like some assistance.”  

“Thank you but there would be no need.” Ingo stood straight, mirroring the bosses’ posture,” I came here with my niece, you see and -” realization came to him like a freight train. His niece! He was about to go look for her when the duo interrupted him. 

“Apologies but I have to go!” Ingo pushed past the bosses and dashed for the pillar in the middle of the room. But he was pulled back before he could enter the crowd. He glared at the hand holding him, it was Emmet’s. “What do you think you are doing? Unhand me!” 

Ingo shooked his hand to break free of the man’s grasp but to no avail. “i must go get her. She could be lost herself!”  

“Nope.”  Instead, with a smile, Emmet pulled him back to them and closer to the wall. Letting his arm go, Ingo pulled his hand back. Emmet and his Ingo stood in front of him, blocking his way to the pillar. Subway Boss Ingo said “Please stay behind the yellow line! you’ll get lost if you join the line with that train. And about your niece, it’s Dawn, correct?” 

“h-how did you know?” the air must not be traveling to his head because did he just hear the man spoke her name?  

“Like we mentioned, it hasn’t been the first time.” The Subway Boss gave him a small smile, one that only he could make from his own frown. “Now, if you’ll please follow us, we’ll help you reach the ticket booth.” 

As promised, the bosses and him weaved through the crowd with no fanfare, though somehow the road to the booth was a long one. 

Along the way, they didn’t talk much but he did get to see more people that dressed like him. More Ingos and Emmets, some were traveling in pairs, some were with companions! Pokemons and humans alike (he noted that the black hair woman seemed to appear a lot), some were traveling alone, waiting like he was.  

All of which didn’t help reawake any memories for Ingo but among the sea of self, ingo didn’t felt that lonely in his lost and confusion. For once in a long time, the hope in him was reignited and maybe he would get to go home.  

The pace slowed and stopped all together. Being closer, the size of the pillar finally dawned on him. It was enormous, ingo couldn’t see the top floor eve when craning his head up all the way. At the front of the pillar were a grand arch and neat queues of people lining in front of it. 

“we are here!” Emmet said, “Now to find your niece.” he climbed on his brother back, placed his hand above his eyes and gleamed over the lines. His older brother, while bend over, let out a deep sigh. 

“UNCLE INGO!” 

All three men looked over to find the girl they were looking for running at them. She ran straight to Ingo, giving him a big hug. So big that it almost toppled him over. “i’m sorry for making you wait for so long” she said not lifting her head from his stomach. “i was lost”. 

“it quite alright Dawn” with one hand pulling her tight and the other patting her head, he hoped he had conveyed to her enough of his relief. “Everything is alright” 

“Oh! I almost forget!” Daw pushed herself off her uncle and stood up, pulling her uncle with her. “Look! Look!” 

Following Dawn’s pointed finger, Ingo thought he was looking into a mirror. A true reflection, another him, with same worn coat and hat, the same tired face and the matching goatee, looking at him with his hand crossed behind his back. The reflection nodded at him and by instinct, he mirrored the action. 

“Warden! So that’s where you have been!” the subway bosses came over to “Warden’s” side. He smiled at them; they conversed quietly among each other which was quite a feat because the whole place was noisy already. 

“i thought he was you so i was lost.” Dawn explained, she quickly added” But then i noticed that the button on his head was different! And then he led me back to you!” 

 “Then we must thank him, yeah?” with a nod from Dawn, the niece and uncle duo hold hand as they went over to the three men.  Ingo bowed deeply and Dawn copied him. “Thank you for leading miss Dawn back to my station.” he spoke. 

“Thank you, mister warden.” Dawn cheerily added. 

“no need to thank me for it’s a duty of the warden to lead the astray back on the path of safety.” the Warden deeply bowed in turn. This “warden”, was he like him also? He looked like him, but his demeanor was different, calmer and more content. He also wore the same emblem as the other two bosses as well. 

“you must be pondering over our similarities, am i correct?” the Warden said as he stroked his goatee, thinking up a way to explain this whole ordeal “i would be too if i was in your position.” 

”You and i and this fellow over there” he pointed at the subway boss “are all Ingos. unlike him though, you and i were both displaced, lost in the vast space and time, but unlike me, you are on your way back to your original station now and I am very happy for you.” the warden came over and patted him on the shoulder. 

“but what about you? With those two’s help, you should be on your way too, right?” 

“correct! But we haven’t found where that is yet” he retreated his hand “We are still searching for it but we also help conduct anyone we encounter on our way to find their way back!” 

“that’s right!” the subway bosses finally joined back into the conversation “after finding mister Warden and learning about his decoupling from his family, we had made it our new objective to help those in similar situation. And this station is one of the many points that the universes intersect with each other. A stop of many where we try to look out for a line leading back to mister Warden’s station.” 

“with that all settled, i think it is time for us to depart. “Emmet said while also gesturing toward Dawn who was hang off his side, looking bored out of her mind but she was being quiet out of polite.” let us get back to our track.” 

“Right. Again, thank you for conducting miss Dawn here back to me and we wish you luck on your journey.”  

“Of course! Now Emmet, is there anything you’d like to add?” the subway boss asked. His back facing his brother’s, ingo knew what he was about to do. 

"Follow the rules and drive safely! We're headed for victory! All aboard!" The subway boss in white strike the old so familiar pose, with his left arm straight and pointing at him while his right arm straight to his side and point down. 

“All aboard!”  subway boss ingo said their phrase in a voice full of excitement and mirrored his brother’s pose. They truly looked like a complete set, black and white, a two-car train. Looking at them, ingo got a glimpse of what home could be like. That, hopefully, when he finally reached his destination, returned to his rightful place, he would be able to do this with his brother as well.   

Dawn tugged at him to do the pose with her also. Ingo smiled and so they did. “All aboard!” The duo returned their excitement in full. The trio of universes hoppers waved them goodbye as Dawn led them through the arch in front of ticket booth, to where they would be waiting for their train to go home. 

When they reached the platform, it was just in time, a train had just pulled in. They quickly went in and settled themselves. Dawn was knocked out practically the moment her head hit the cushion. Ingo repositioned her so her head was on his shoulder and his arm was securing her to his side. Slowly enough, ingo began to drift out too. 

In the final moments of his consciousness, he thought over the encounter he had had. To think that out there, there was a family waiting for him at home and that there were also people and versions of him and his family helping people finding their way back home. All of it gave him such a warm feeling in his heart. His chest tightened and he brought his unoccupied hand up to muffle his hiccups. Some tears were building up on the edge of his eyes and some were traveling down his cheeks already, leaving a trail of warm wetness. 

“Please wait for me...” ingo crooked, his closed-up throat made it hard to talk, let alone be quiet about it. But he needed to say it, in the hope that his words would travel through space and reach its intended recipients. “...I'm almost home.” 

And with that, his eyes closed, and he let himself be lured to sleep by the rumble of the train, the comfort of the cushion and the warmth of his niece at his side. 

...... 

............ 

.................. 

somewhere, in a small office, deep in Gear station, a man laid under a big pile of paper. surrounding him were more papers, diagrams, maps and large symbols. he rose up abruptly, making the papers flew ever where.

“ingo?” 

[wordy-little-witch]

I am now hip deep in the Edge of Midnight campaign from legends of avantris and lemme tell you some shit -

1) I would lay down my life for Jericho Sticks without any hesitation. Torbek and Jericho are my sons now, no takesies backsies.

2) Lethica and Marius are so perfectly aligned to be end game lovers but I personally adore the idea of them being queerplatonic if only bc it's funny to watch people be confused and I think Lethica would adore that.

3) you can pry the concept of Briggsy having a some kind of magical fantasy cellphone equivalent from my cold dead hands - sending stone or smth idfk - and he's been keeping his buddy/boyfriend Torbek updated on all this like "Becky you would not BELIEVE what happened today-" ((listen I know the flirting bit between them in the yuletide one-shot was a feycurse but leave me alone it's funny as fuck))

4) briggsy @ jericho in ep 24 appropos nothing: Jerry, maybe we have to kiss ((sad, silly twinks with Literal Darksides are his type /j))

5) I have a friend-crush on Nikkie and I will never recover

6) I have an unyielding NEED to have Jericho get a final hit on a boss and yell yeehaw

7) I know stylistically Jericho doesn't have "skin" but I personally hc that his clothes aren't effectively his skin, he has a burlap body - and he has "tattoos" in the form of embroidery. It started when he had to stitch up his own cuts and stuff and he just kept it up.

8) Only Yorgrim has any constant sense of cooking in an actual kitchen-like setting. Farryn, Marius, and Briggsy can do journey or on-the-road cooking, but it's never.... great. Lethica burns everything somehow or gets the bright idea to 'experiment', and it's never good - she's fine if she's got clear end goals. Jericho is understandably skittish around fire due to his body and straw, but he is the closest to being able to cook well and do so semi regularly.

9) Virgil is a weird mix of a hater and lowkey overprotective. He does hate being imprisoned, but also he's kinda bound here so he HAS to keep this disaster of a bard safe. He refuses to admit he might have a soft spot. He is Stressed.

10) Farryn doesn't get the appeal of Girls Nights, but Jericho does!!! They join Lethica for some fun relaxation. Briggsy once asked why Jericho was allowed since he's also a dude, and Lethica just responded "he's allowed to be there - on account of him being a scarecrow and not a literal man after all." It's an inside joke which later has to be explained - Jericho is nonbinary but doesn't rightly care about stuff like that.

11) Yorgrim is the group dad, no I will not explain.

12) sometimes after a battle, Lethica and Marius will help stitch up some of Jericho's tears. Farryn may also add in random flowers she finds around because it makes him happy.

13) Briggsy is small but mighty. The only person he has yet to pick up and carry is Yorgrim - he swears that one day that tombstone will be gone and he'll be able to do it. It's all the rock's fault, he's sure of it.

Spoilers under the cut (caught up to present)

OKAY so I am caught up completely and have decided that Canon is not important leave me alone

• Yorgrim did not die - he got wounded heavily but survived.

• Farryn almost got taken but they got to her in time. She is mute for a time due to injuries and trauma - idk if she ever talks again bc we could use more sign language in the world. Maybe it comes and goes, fuck if I know, idk and idc

ONWARDS TO SILLIES

• Lethica strong armed her way into giving Jericho The Talk after he revealed he had no idea what a penis was. Scarecrows cannot blush, but apparently his fiendish glow can ebb and flow and he glows much MUCH brighter when he's embarrassed - she tries so hard not to laugh.

• Adella and Jericho btw are simply besties. His "crush" on her is a friend crush and Phillip just finds it painfully cute. ((Also -> Jericho has mommy issues and Adella always wanted a son/nephew/little brother. Peaceful alignment))

• Dark Mode Marius is a colossal flirt but still a giant dweeb. He's cool and suave until someone flirts back - then he's a mess.

• Briggsy is very happy with his Kannon & makes "shooting my shot" jokes at every and any opportunity

• Yorgrim, with his reward, manages to finally lay many souls tonrest but he still carries the tombstone on journeys - just not constantly now. He still believes he must pay penance, but it's a little easier to share the burden.

• Farryn, with her own reward, has not chosen to activate it yet. Something tells her to wait, to bide her time and remain. She does, however, get a little more at ease with the others. She and Jericho have come to an understanding, too - that being they they are a package deal, no takesies backsies, and they refer to each other as twin, much to the confusion of many, many, many people. WLW and NBLM solidarity.

• Jericho is pining HARD for Marius, but he's absolutely terrified of damaging the friendship so everyone is watching two oblivious dummies look longingly into each other.

• POLYAMORY POLYAMORY POLYAMORY

• Marius grows rather fond of Virgil, and the sentiment is very much NOT reciprocated bc this angry knight vampire is not good enough for his vessel and he's mad about it.

• Yorgrim: I've only had my friends for a few days, but if anything happened to them, I'd kill everyone in Druskenvald and then myself.

• I fully expect for Jericho to somehow befriend an enemy in disguise, not realize, and accidentally fuck up the evil plan with the powers of puns, music and friendship (/j)

• the first time the party sees Jericho presenting more feminine, he's been lended one of Lethica's dresses after his own clothes got torn up and the rest are being washed. Marius has a nosebleed and faints. Briggsy is staring somewhat respectfully. Lethica is trying valiantly not to laugh. Farryn and Yorgrim regret not dying when they had the chance.

• Marius: i cannot have a relationship because I have sworn to follow the duchess of sin

Lillith: whoa hold up, Do Not use me as an excuse to avoid the cutie pie over there. Besides, he has a demon. I'm queen of hell. I can make a small exception.

Marius: shit

• Briggsy Bi Icon: OH if ONLY Jerry here had a DASHING KNIGHT to SAVE THEM from this PERILOUS INCIDENT

Jericho: captain, I'm just getting off of a horse??

Marius: no no Briggsy has a point, no maiden should be unaccompanied or unassisted. Allow me-

Lethica&Farryn: We Know What You Are

• Yorgrim is watching all this inter party flirting and is definitely wondering if he's gonna have to have an aside with everyone about flirting tactics and communication skills. Briggsy is making it worse by enabling everyone.

• Farryn gets some sweet, succulent healing, that is all.

[leggerefiore]

Basically, this is the Subway Bosses leaving their announcement microphone on and broadcasting something they say to s/o across the gear Station

cw: sexual implication and themes in Emmet's part, 18+ content in Emmet's part

▲Ingo▼

The Gear Station was busy as always as you stood among the crowd with Ingo. He gazed around the carefully, clearly looking for anything that made need his attention. You could only shake your head. The older twin was not the time to grant himself even a moment of respite when his beloved came to see him at work. You had brought him lunch, since you felt worried that he might skip out on it today. He and you chatted absent-mindedly about assorted things for a moment, going between when he would likely be home for work and possible evening activities together. Everything was peaceful despite the situation around you both.

Well, it was until his radio perked up and a nervous voice of a train driver echoed through, alerting Ingo that there was a delay on the C-line to Opelucid City. He clicked his tongue and muttered an acknowledgement before moving to grab his portable microphone that was used for announcements. A familiar alert jingle rang out through the station alongside Ingo's voice as he gave the update that he just received to the commuters of the station. It was repeated once after to make sure it was heard and understood. He shook his head and sighed. You knew this just confirmed his feelings of being unable to rest easy on any shift.

Ingo leaned towards you to take the lunch box from your hands and press a kiss to your cheek. He looked at you with loving eyes and spoke sweetly, “I love you always, my dear, and I thank you for giving me such a kindness.” It would have made you gasp and hug him had it not been for one issue.

His voice also echoed out through the station's PA system. Ingo stood mortified for a moment before quickly moving to turn off his microphone. A few people froze and looked around the station, baffled by what they just heard. You could see Depot Agents scratching their heads as they tried to figure out just what that message meant. Ingo's face bloomed bright red as he tried to act like that had not just happened. Of course, he was denied such a thing as his radio flared to life again.

A familiar voice came out of it.

“Ingo, I love our job, too, but we cannot just confess our love to our commuters like that!” Emmet's voice was teasing even through the static on the frequency.

“I…” he picked up the radio to reply, “I am going to lock myself in our office. Please do not disturb me.” With that, he stumbled away with the lunch box to do just as he said.

You could only watch him in pity.

▽Emmet△

Emmet pinned you playfully to the office couch. He hovered above you with a teasing grin as his gloved hands danced under your shirt. You shivered at the feeling and let out a soft whine. You had come to surprise him on his break, but everything had quickly turned into something steamy as Emmet pulled you into his lap for a cuddle. A kiss became something more, and that is how you ended up pressed against the black leather as Emmet hovered above you like a predator. Before he could lean down for another kiss, his radio started up. He pouted but picked it up.

A driver on the other end spoke with a tired tone, stating there was a delay on a B-line going to Undella. Emmet gave a curt acknowledgment and whined as soon as the line was quiet. You could already tell he was not looking forward to this mess during a peak vacation season. He turned on his portable microphone and made the most dry and monotone announcement he could, declaring the delay to the Gear Station. He repeated it once more and shifted his focus back to you. It seemed he still had a quickie in mind.

His lips pressed to yours as he rutted against you, surging pleasure through your veins. You both were quickly getting hotter and hotter, so Emmet pulled away to tug up your shirt. Then, with a teasing grin and playful eyes, he asked, “Are you ready for my Eelektross, darling?” You then bucked up against him and caused him to groan. This mood, however, quickly ended as you both heard his voice echo across the station. He instantly turned off his microphone and pulled away from you, completely petrified. You did not think that you had ever seen anything manage to ruin his libido.

His radio flared to life again. A familiar angry voiced blasted out of it loudly.

“Emmet,” Ingo spoke threateningly, “What was that?”

Emmet then curled into himself and begrudgingly picked up the radio.

“I am Emmet, and I am no longer horny.”

You could not stop yourself from bursting out laughing.

[elijahs-dumps]

HUSKERDUST IS AMAZING!!! ... sort of

Okay, so, Hazbin Hotel. Obviously HUGE SPOILER WARNING ahead, but this show was fantastic! I've been a fan of Vivziepop's work for a while now, and even though I don't really enjoy Helluva Boss, I was really looking forward to Hazbin for many years. However, just because you really enjoyed something doesn't mean you can't acknowledge its flaws. And in a show with as many pacing issues as Hazbin, where do you even begin? Well, my personal main issue with the show was Huskerdust. Not because the ship isn't likeable, it's simply because most of what I didn't like about the show can link back to these two characters and their dynamic. So I guess I'm using them as my Trojan's horse in a way!

Huskerdust, which is the ship name between Husk and Angel Dust, is one of the main romances within Hazbin Hotel. Vivzie told us it would be a slow burn pretty early on, but honestly I think this ship is one of the fastest slow burns known to man. I mean, they had a cutesy little duet where they danced together in the fourth episode! This is tied to an underlying issue with the show's pacing all together. If Hazbin had more episodes like it should've, I think this "slow burn" concept would've worked better. Considering the fact we only had episodes, and the two characters still haven't really "confessed" or kissed yet, I suppose you could call it whatever you want to really.

The two characters and their dynamic is set up very early on, even in the pilot. It'll usually go something like, Angel will target Husk because he's the only one Angel can get a reaction out of in the hotel. Angel will do anything from making an innuendo, to literally sexually harassing Husk. And naturally, Husk will get frustrated because Angel is pushing his boundaries. Do I think it's weird that a show which talks about SA still uses sexual harassment as the butt of its jokes? Yeah, I think it's super weird and a little insensitive. But it's not my place to comment on such matters because I'm not properly educated, so I'm just gonna brush over it for now. It just makes this ship a little tough to swallow for me, considering Angel's blatant disregard for Husk's feelings.

However, even though Husk is the only one Angel can toy with at the hotel, Husk is also the only one who "sees through" Angel and the fake persona he uses as a means to cope and protect himself. This creates conflict, because Husk will call Angel out when Angel pushes his buttons, and Angel will get defensive and lash out. We see this in episode four; Masquerade. After a bad "shoot" with Valentino, Angel comes back to the hotel and gets into an argument with Husk which causes him to storm out. Charlie and Vaggie send Husk after him, and Husk finds Angel at a dive bar of some kind (I think).

Before we continue with Huskerdust, I've got something major I need to get off my chest about this episode. If Charlie is so "madly powerful' like Lucifer, and she knows Angel is being mistreated by Val, why can't she free Angel from his contract? Or at least try to talk to Angel about his situation after this episode? Maybe she did, and we just didn't see it because of the five-month-long time skip (which is another problem with this show's pacing), or maybe soul contracts work outside of angelic power. But I feel like it would've been nice if they told us that Charlie tried to help Angel more, just for my own peace of mind. Because to me, I just felt like Husk and Charlie brushed off the reality of Angel's situation very easily, regardless of that the fact that they're in Hell or not. I get that shitty things probably happen in Hell all the time, but c'mon!

Speaking of Charlie, this show does an awful lot of telling when it comes to Charlie's issues and not a lot of showing, Her "daddy issues" are one example of this, but right now I'm talking about how the characters often mention that Charlie solves everyone's problems to avoid her own. I thought this could be a interesting character flaw in hindsight, because wanting to solve everyone's problems for them can lead to a lot of boundaries being pushed, and character conflict arising. I was a bit surprised when Charlie immediately left the studio after Angel yelled at her, and seemed to handle is extremely maturely. She even goes as far as to blame what happened on herself when it was clearly Valentino's fault. While I think it's cool that Charlie handled everything so well, I also would've liked to see her struggle with this a little more. I think the concept of Charlie not knowing when to back off could be a good opportunity for some actual growth from her, instead of her development or growth just being explained to us every episode. Unfortunately though, Hazbin clearly didn't have the time for this kind of character work because the show is so plot heavy.

Back to the ship, once Husk finds Angel the two sing a song called Loser, Baby. Which is basically Husk trying to cheer Angel up and get him to stop self-loathing so much. I'll get a little personal for a minute and say if I was Angel this would not have worked on me at all. While I do think Angel has some self-hatred problems, his issues clearly run so much deeper than that. However, this was obviously just the first step in Angel's long road to healing I suppose, considering he only opened up to Husk so much. That being said, it's not like we even get to see Angel heal or develop further because of the time skip. Something else that rubbed me the wrong way with this whole scene was how Husk tried to relate to Angel by speaking about his own experience with Alastor. We find out that Husk used to be an Overlord, and that he lost his soul to Alastor in some kind of bet or card game. Alastor is one of our main characters, and they really put him up side by side with Valentino, out of the blue like that, like... Let's all think logically for a minute. This, combined with that one scene from episode five, made me like Alastor a little less. I understand that Alastor is sick and twisted, he's completely and undeniably evil. But seeing how his actions directly affect another member of our main cast was really off putting, and it put such a huge damper on this "found family" energy that Hazbin Hotel was clearly was aiming for.

Oh, and remember when I mentioned Valentino? Yeah, he's not safe either. I didn't even think twice about this character until one of my friends told me Val was their favorite character. It made me look back on all his scenes, and I realized something. He's actually really funny, and pretty entertaining to watch. Even the way he talks about Angel Dust when Angel Dust isn't present is played for the laughs. If anything, the way Val acted in episode four was a complete 180 from episode two. I thought this was a questionable writing choice, I'll be honest. Why would you purposefully write this character to be almost likeable to a certain extent, only to have him commit inexcusable crimes in the next episode. Look, if you're a Valentino fan, good for you. I'm not going to tell anyone not to like a certain character, because that's just not fair. I just personally disagree with the way Val was written. I think trying to paint Val as if he's just like every other character on this show whenever he's not actively abusing Angel really diminishes Angel's suffering from a viewer perspective.

I also feel like episode four kind of dug it's own grave in a sense, regardless of anything I've said so far. Because this episode is entirely about Angel Dust, he obviously gains development and growth from it. And in a show like Hazbin, with poor pacing and not enough time to flesh out characters, Angel's current development now sets him apart from anybody else in the entire series. Now even Charlie, the main character, seems one dimensional when compared to Angel Dust.

Circling back to Huskerdust again, I should probably acknowledge that Husk and Angel never even got another real one-on-one interaction after this episode for the rest of the show! Except for a really small one in episode six. But they literally exchange like three sentences, and about four or five months have passed between episode four and six, so do with that what you will. Not to mention, Husk refers to Angel as “kid” in one of these sentences. While I do think the age gap between Angel and Husk is strange, I feel like it’s easily defendable. I’m sure once Husk and Angel actually become a couple, Husk will stop calling Angel a kid. And we all know Angel isn’t a legal minor by any means. I don’t think it was necessary for the story though, and the two easily could’ve been made closer in age so this ship wouldn’t seem as… peculiar. Let's also remind ourselves that Huskerdust somehow has more substance than the main pre-existing couple. Yet again, this is just a side effect of "too much to do, not enough time to do it". But we will save the Chaggie discussion for another day...

So, do any of these things make Huskerdust bad? No, not in my opinion, at least. I'm still rooting for this ship no matter what, and I will personally be storming Prime Video HQ if they don't become canon next season. I think all ships and shows have their own problems, and for whatever reason the problems within Hazbin Hotel stood out to me more than I was expecting. Still, I did enjoy this show a lot. I might even do another post about it soon. And I'll definitely be counting down the days until season two drops!

[swanimagines]

Hi, Can I get C41 with Jerome Valeska, thanks!

Prompt: C41. “Fuck you! Get out of my house!”

EFFORT

Living in Gotham had never been easy, and some of your friends wondered why you would stay there despite all the crime, corruption, and being in some level of danger every day. You knew it might have sounded crazy, and it probably was — but you still thought of Gotham as your home, as flawed as it was.

This particular night had been a long day at work, and your boss had set you free two hours past your regular work time. He had done that a lot lately, whipping his workers to the edge, threatening to fire you if you dared to complain. So when you got home and kicked your shoes off and hung your coat into the closet, you felt at peace for the first time for hours.

You went straight to the kitchen and opened the fridge and took out the lemonade jug you had had sitting there for a few days now, sniffing it before shrugging - good enough. You poured it into the glass, adding some ice before chucking the lemonade down your dry throat. You let out a breath after swallowing, and watched the lights sprawling through your home street.

“Rough day, doll?” a voice drawled from the darkness of your living room, and you spun around, throwing the glass before even looking at the intruder — you knew exactly who it was. That fiery-haired boy had been following you for weeks, enough for you to see nightmares with his voice. You’d recognise it from anywhere.

And sure enough, it was him. He dodged the glass easily as it hurled into the wall behind him. He lounged on your couch, clearly anticipating you throwing something but he laughed anyway. “Woah, you have an odd way to greet your guests.”

“Jerome,” you growled, lifting the lemonade jug for protection. “What are you doing here?”

He stood up, smoothing out his jacket. “I saw your boss shouting at you today. Not very nice of him. I’m planning to give him a talk later, but I first wanted to check on you.”

“Fuck you! Get out of my house!” you shouted, waving the lemonade jug at him.

He pouted at you. “Am I really that unwelcome here? But I made all this effort to find you, to get into your apartment — I could get used to hanging out here occasionally, if you let me.”

You ignored it, turning to your bag for your phone, but Jerome reached you with a few quick strides, taking a hold of your wrist and pried the lemonade jug away from you, placing it on the counter. “Ah, ah, ah. Let’s not make this difficult. We could have so much fun, you wouldn’t want the police involved in our fun, would you?”

You tried to pull your wrist off his hold, but he just tightened his hold. You took a step closer to him. “Let me go, or I will make sure your balls will never again function.”

He tilted his head. “I just want to get to know you better.”

You tried to struggle yourself free as you seethed, “The feeling isn’t mutual.”

His smile disappeared for a moment. “That’s not very nice to say. I’ve been watching you for weeks. I know every little quirk and habit of yours. Doesn’t my effort mean anything to you?”

“You’re sick.”

His grip tightened again for a moment before he slowly let go, and you pulled your hand back as soon as his grip loosened enough, rubbing the red marks he left on you. He stepped back and sighed. “You know, you aren’t the first person to tell me that, and won’t be the last either.”

You took one more step further from him, your spine colliding with your kitchen counter. “What do you want from me? Why me?”

His grin returned immediately, trapping you in between himself and the counter. At that moment, you wished you would have been one of the people they experimented with in Arkham, that you could just… melt through the floor to escape, or something like that. He lifted his hand, caressing your cheek. “Isn’t it obvious? I want to study you. I want to learn what makes you tick. Why aren’t you like the others, others are boring but you… you’re like a puzzle. And I love puzzles.”

Your gaze jumped around the kitchen as you tried to make up a way to get past him. The kitchen knife was tucked away with your cutting board next to the sink, and your phone was still in your bag over your shoulder, but with Jerome so close that you could almost feel his breath… not a chance.

“S-stay away from me,” you stuttered out, grimacing internally at your attempt to sound brave. “I-I mean it, I’m, I’m going to get you locked up, I…”

He pouted again, cupping your chin. “Oh, doll. It’s cute how innocent you are sometimes, do you really think the police will find me? Or if they even bother looking properly just for you? Have you forgotten where you live?”

You swallowed, knowing he was right. The police wouldn’t have time to protect you like that, you weren’t important in any way.

“My friends will notice if I disappear,” you squeaked out, and he hummed.

“That’s the best part of it. The thrill of being chased. But don’t worry doll, I’m not here to take you away. Not tonight, anyway.” He took a step back again, and looked around. “But I see you’re in no mood of company today, so I'd better get going. Your boss waits for me anyway, that warehouse is cozy for me but for my guests, it’s… less cozy.”

He walked to the door, and you stared at him as he went. You finally found a piece of courage, and asked, “What are you going to do with him?”

He turned to you slightly, raising his eyebrows. “Your boss? Well, let’s just say… he may not come to work tomorrow. Or ever, depending on my mood. Don’t be too surprised if that happens, he needs to learn that my doll deserves some respect.”

Your heart jumped, and before you even had time to consider it, you took two steps towards him. “Jerome, I may lose my job if you kill him. And I can’t pay my rent, or bills, or food if that happens.”

He looked at you, and smirked. “Leave all that up to me. Just sit tight, all of your worries will be gone by tomorrow.”

Before you could reply, he was out, his steps echoing in your stairwell — and even when you knew it was wrong, you were unable to dash after him and plead with him to not kill your boss. You just stood there frozen and only went back inside when you heard the stairwell door close. You closed your door with a soft click and leaned against it, taking in deep breaths.

You knew you should call the police. Or even one of your friends. Tell someone. You knew it, but yet you just stood there like an idiot. A thought that filled your head, that you should just let him do it. It was true that your boss was being unfair, forcing you to work like slaves. Overtime without bonuses, knowing his workers wouldn’t be able to afford to get fired. And his superiors didn’t care about it. As long as money was pouring in, your boss was allowed to do whatever he wanted.

So maybe… this was a way out. Maybe you should just let Jerome do what he will to the boss. And it wasn’t like you knew which warehouse he was talking about, there were hundreds in Gotham. You could just pretend to be shocked when the news rang out about what happened.

You knew it was still wrong, and it may be that this was exactly what Jerome was after, but you couldn’t help it, the feeling of finding a way out.

So, you closed your eyes for a moment before you straightened up and made your way to the couch, moving it to clean the shattered glass from the floor — and you found yourself being intrigued about his next visit, even when you tried to shoo yourself from thinking about it.

---

Requests are open! FANDOM LIST | PROMPT LIST(S) | RULES (READ!!!)

[something-tofightfor]

Snow and Mistletoe - Part 3

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

No Outbreak AU.

Word Count: 10,235

Rating: M - as a whole for language and innuendo... and maybe things get a little steamy toward the end.

A/N: This is a continuation of the @pedrostories Secret Santa fic gift exchange for @burntheedges. It got a little long, but that's how these things go.

Thank you to everyone that's read so far. I really enjoyed this chapter a LOT. (THE CAMEOS.)

Only the epilogue left ... and that one's nowhere near as long as this, I promise.

Summary: Joel's work party gives you an opportunity to spend more time together in a very different setting. Not only do you learn more about him, but you also get to see what he does... and what it means to him.

The two of you have an opportunity to take things to the next level in a few different ways... will you capitalize on them?

Part 1 / Part 2

You were in the worst mood you’d been in in months by the time you left work the following afternoon.

Even Ellie  - whose shift was scheduled to end an hour after yours - hadn’t tried to cheer you up with humor that day, which said a lot. Instead, she gave you a wave and a nod when you left, the girl wrapped up in a conversation with a couple that were deciding between two guitars for their daughter. I know it’s bad when even she doesn’t try to butt in. 

It shouldn’t have surprised you - the day before Christmas Eve was always a shitshow, with people that had waited until the last minute expecting you to feel the same sense of urgency that they were. 

Instead of that, though, you were frustrated, each irate customer making you question whether or not owning the shop was worthwhile. It is, you reminded yourself as you pulled out of the lot, someone honking their horn at you as you merged into traffic. It’s a good  job and I’m my own boss, and … 

You repeated those things to yourself the entire drive home through gritted teeth and an almost painful grip on the steering wheel. It wasn’t until you parked in the garage and turned the car off that you finally relaxed. 

There was no work until the 27th. You didn’t have to worry about customers for three days, and you had a date with Joel that night. An overnight one, you reminded yourself. With a half hour drive each way. 

It was enough to get you out of the car and into the house, heart pounding at the prospect of spending an entire night with Joel, even if it meant staying in two separate rooms. You wondered if that would be necessary - or if it was what he actually wanted. Instead of dwelling on that, you decided to take a shower, using the heat of the water to soothe you and giving you an extra twenty minutes of peace and relaxation before you started getting ready. 

And you were glad that you did, because by the time 4:30 rolled around and Ellie got home, you were a bundle of raw nerves.  You’d applied and then removed your makeup twice, packed your overnight bag and then repacked it, trying to plan for anything that came up over the course of the following eighteen hours. But how do you plan for this? How do you plan for … him? 

Her voice was what brought you back into focus, and when Ellie peeked her head in your door and asked if you were alright, you knew that there was no point in lying, because she’d see right through it. “Where … where are you going tonight?” She stepped into your bedroom, her arms crossed over her chest. “Why do you have a bag packed? Are we leaving? Do I need to -”

“Ellie.” Turning on your chair, you clasped your hands together in your lap. “I’m going to a Christmas party tonight.” She looked confused but stayed quiet, waiting. “With Joel.” At that, her eyes widened, the teenager’s jaw dropping. “He invited me to -”

“His work party. No shit.” She laughed and sat down on the end of your bed. “Sarah was telling me about that last week. She heard him and Tommy talking about it. When did he invite you?”

“Monday.” You shrugged. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d make a big deal about it, and …” Rolling your eyes, you sighed heavily. “And I didn’t want to hear you gloating for a week.” Her laugh was loud and genuine, Ellie’s face lighting up. 

“Me? Gloat? Never.” She leaned closer, biting her lower lip. “God, it’s about time.” She stood abruptly, heading for the door. “Wait, are you spending the night?”

“It’s at a hotel about a half hour away.” You turned back to the mirror, watching her through it. “I packed a bag just in case. I might be home, I might not.” You tried to say it casually, but at the words, you felt a flicker of excitement in your chest. She knows now. It’s real. It… wow. 

“Can Sarah spend the night? It’s her last night to practice.” She cocked her head to the right and then continued. “I mean, since we’ll both be home by ourselves tonight otherwise, because you and Joel are leaving us all alone to -”

“It’s fine with me if it’s fine with Joel.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, but you weren’t really upset. “And I really appreciate you being so mature about this,  Ellie.” 

“Speaking of mature…” She cleared her throat. “When two people really like each other, sometimes they might want to -”

Your groan drowned her out. A few seconds later you heard her laughing as she headed down the hallway and toward her room, leaving you to finish getting ready with a smile on your face. She was a handful at times, but you wouldn’t trade her presence in your life for anything. And hopefully, I’ll never have to. 

— 

By 5:30, you were downstairs waiting, your packed bag by the front door. Ellie was in her room with the door shut, though you heard her talking. She sounded animated - her voice rising and falling, but you were so nervous that you didn’t focus on it, instead pacing back and forth in your kitchen, trying to force yourself to take deep breaths. 

Ellie - and likely Sarah by that point - knowing what was happening was a relief, but it was Joel that was making you anxious, even though you knew there was no real reason to be. It’s going to be fine, you reminded yourself as you drummed your fingers on the countertop. It’s a first date. There’s no expectation. There’s no reason to worry. He would never do anything to make me feel…

Your phone lit up with an alert followed by the ring of the doorbell, and at the sound, you sucked in a breath. “Here we go.” Letting it out in a slow whoosh, you steadied yourself and walked to the front door, fingers closing about the knob to pull it open. 

And at the sight of him on the porch, you froze in place, eyes going wide. “Holy shit, Joel.” Meeting his eyes, you shook your head. “Wow.” 

“I could say the same damn thing.” His lips twitched as he tried to hide a smile, and when you let out a quiet laugh, he visibly relaxed. “Shit.” 

He was wearing a pair of dark pants and a black suit jacket, open over a dress shirt in deep burgundy that had all but the top button done. You’d never seen him so dressed up, and you didn’t even know where to begin. But wait. “Didn’t you say we had a long drive? Won’t wearing the -”

“About that.” He sighed, lips set into a thin line. “We’re -”

“Oh, good.” Ellie’s voice came from behind you, along with the sound of feet descending the stairs. “Perfect.” What the - “Ok, you two…” She appeared next to you, camera in hand. “Time for some pictures.” 

You laughed and then Joel followed suit, his nervous expression changing into one of relief. By the time Sarah appeared, too, the girl rounding the front of your house and coming to stand beside him, you were outside, your overnight back sitting on the step and Ellie close behind. “This is payback, right? For all the times I took pictures of you before -”

“Yep.” She grinned. “Now go stand in front of that tree. Together.” You snuck a look at Joel, who wasn’t even trying to conceal his amusement - or look away from you.

“We gotta do what she says, right?” He reached out, extending one hand and you took it, his fingers closing around yours and squeezing. “You got five minutes, Ellie. We’ll be late if you take any longer.”

“That’s all we need.” Sarah was grinning, too, her eyes shining as she watched you. “Now put your arm around her, Dad. Don’t make it weird.” 

You and Joel posed for the girls for a few minutes, all four of you laughing together as they instructed you to adopt new poses and keep your eyes on the camera. But Joel’s hand never left you, the tips of his fingers finding the slit in the back of your shirt without even trying, and resting against your bare skin. 

You’d opted for a more casual look, pairing black high-waisted, wide legged dress pants with an off-the-shoulder top in a deep green. It technically had two short sleeves, though one of them was more a bow than an actual sleeve, and when the light hit it just right, it had a vaguely metallic sheen - just like his jacket. We match. We didn’t even realize and … “Ok, all done. Have fun, you two!” Ellie tucked her camera into her back pocket, looking at Sarah. “Come on, we’re gonna order a pizza.” 

Sarah paused, though, looking up at Joel, who turned his head to smile at her. “See you tomorrow?” She nodded, and before he could say anything else, she was hugging him, the girl’s arms tightly wound around his body. You watched for a second, not wanting to interrupt - and when Sarah pulled back, she was smiling again. “Text me if you need -”

“She’ll be fine.” Ellie waved him off, sighing. “We’ll be fine. Joel.” 

He grumbled but finally agreed, and then a few seconds later, the two of you watched as the door closed behind the girls, leaving you and Joel standing on your front lawn. “Something tells me they’re happy about this.”

“Oh, Sarah’s thrilled.” He reached for your hand again, linking his fingers with yours. “Couldn’t get her shit packed fast enough to come over here with me.” His smile widened, Joel’s eyes sweeping over your face. “You look real pretty.” 

“Thank you.” You felt heat rising in your cheeks, his compliment simple but having the desired effect on you. “I like the red.” 

“Me too. And I’m gonna like it even more when I can take this jacket off for good tonight and hang it over the back of my chair.” You snorted at his words, not doubting them for a second. “But we really need to get going. Might be traffic, and I don’t want to be too late.” 

Only a few minutes later, you were comfortably in the front seat of Joel’s truck, the radio playing softly in the background. His jacket and your bag were in the back seat, and he’d unbuttoned the cuffs of his sleeves, though he hadn’t rolled them up to drive. 

The nerves had dissipated almost entirely, and as you put more miles between you and your house, so did the lingering annoyance at the bad day you’d had. Good. Because I want to enjoy this. “I never thought teenagers would be so … interested in what old people are doing.” 

You snorted, shrugging. “Are we old, Joel?” 

“To them, probably.” He glanced over, one hand on the steering wheel, the other elbow resting on the window frame. “Sarah’s never really been …curious about the people I’ve gone out with before. But they planned this, and you know it.” 

“They did.” You nodded, eyes on the road ahead of you. “Ellie’s… pleased with herself. That girl’s got more of her mother in her than she knows. 

“Anna was a year younger than you, right?” You nodded, knowing he could see the movement. “I didn’t know her well. Wish I would have, though.” 

“Amanda wouldn’t have liked that.” It slipped out before you could stop it, and though you winced at your words, Joel took them in stride.

“No, she wouldn’t have.” His fingers tightened on the wheel. “And knowing that shoulda been the first sign that I needed to -”

“Joel, teenagers are inherently jealous of each other. And you were one of the best looking guys in school, of course she was going to be … worried.” 

“One of?” He looked over at you again, one brow arched. “Who else?”

“Nate.” You spoke up immediately, humming in approval. “And Zach, and -”

“Interesting.” He hummed, nodding. “Haven’t thought of those guys in a long time.” 

You hadn’t, either. 

After high school, most of your class had dispersed, leaving Texas to chase their dreams in other cities and states. You’d kept up with them through Facebook for a while, but as the years passed, updates became less frequent. Only a few of you had stayed in Austin - and of those few, the number had dwindled further as more time went by. “You definitely had an edge, though.” 

“Did I?” He kept his eyes on the road. “How?”

“You played guitar. You played football. You were funny. We all knew you were off limits, but it didn’t stop us from looking.” He was quiet for almost a minute, and then said your name. 

“Part of me regrets spendin’ almost my entire time in high school with ‘manda. But then I think about Sarah, and it’s … hard to feel that way.” You understood. When Amanda left him, the woman disappearing with little warning and moving to Seattle with someone she’d met at college, Joel had gone from a man that seemed to have everything figured out to one that was scrambling to survive. 

He’d dropped out of college to become a single, full-time parent. He’d devoted his life to raising his daughter with some help from Tommy and his parents. And from what you knew thanks to Marlene, though he didn’t talk about Amanda much with Sarah, he’d never outright badmouthed her in front of the girl, either, because that’s the kind of man he was. “At least you got something great from your high school romance, Joel. Not all of us are that lucky.” 

‘I did. She’s a pain in my ass sometimes, but I am damn lucky to have a kid like Sarah.” He cleared his throat. “We did say that we weren’t gonna talk about them tonight, though.” 

“We did.” Biting your lip, you paused. But what do we pivot to? Glancing at the clock, you saw that it was just after 6:15, meaning that you were a little more than halfway to your destination. “Does Tommy know you’re coming with me tonight?” You traced a fingertip around one of the golden buttons on your pants, thinking. “I haven’t seen him in months, and -”

“He does.” Joel reached over, changing the radio station. “Seemed excited I was bringin’ a date, but I don’t know if that’s because he’s like Sarah and Ellie, or because it means that he can find someone else to hang out with tonight and doesn’t have to stick with me the whole time.” Joel nodded, his smile growing again. “I think it’s the second thing. And I think I know who he’s going to try to impress.” 

“You do?” He nodded again, looking over at you briefly. “Will you tell me? And also, is there … anyone I need to know about that’ll be here tonight? Anything I should avoid talking about?” 

“It’ll be easier to show you.” He shrugged.”There are a lot of people that’ll be here tonight that I don’t know. But there are plenty I can introduce you to when we see ‘em. If I just give you names, it’ll get confusing.” That made sense, and you told him as much, watching as you passed the sign for Ribelin Ranch Road. “We’re about ten minutes away.”  Joel reached over, switching hands on the wheel so that he could settle his right one on your knee. “And like I said, we can go back tonight if you want. But there are two rooms, so -” No. 

“I’m not going to ruin their sleepover.” You set your hand on top of his, the tip of your thumb rubbing over his knuckles. “We’ll stay. I don’t want you to keep yourself from having a good time just because you’re waiting to see if I want to go back.” Watching the path of your finger, you noticed a scar on the top of his hand, near the base of his thumb. Wonder what that’s from. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” 

“Alright.” He sighed. “If you say so.” 

— 

The inside of the resort was gorgeous, and you didn’t know where you were supposed to look as you and Joel made your way through the lobby and toward the registration desk. “There are pictures of it everywhere, from before and after.” He pointed at a row of easels, large canvases with images displayed on each of them. “We had nothin’ to do with the guest rooms. Tommy an’ I were in charge of all the common areas, though. Out here. The dining room. Hallways. The ballroom and conference spaces.” 

He gestured with one large hand, his smile growing, and when you looked over at him, you were grinning, too. “It’s beautiful, Joel. Your guys did amazing work from what I can see.” 

“Wait til you see the room where the party is.” He settled his hand on your lower back, urging you forward. “C’mon. Let’s get our stuff upstairs so we can get a drink and onea those little cheese plates.” 

But it wasn’t that simple - and the two of you were in for a surprise when you reached the check in desk.

“Your brother has already checked in.” The man behind the counter shook his head. “He said to leave the extra key down here for you.” He slid it across the counter in a small, dark green envelope. “Fifth floor.” 

“It’s supposed to be two rooms.” Joel frowned, his head shaking back and forth. “There are three of us, and -”

“There was …” He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “An unfortunate accident with one of the bathtubs on the fourth floor, and an entire set of rooms is now unavailable. You felt Joel deflate next to you, the man’s hand rising to pinch at the bridge of his nose. “So unfortunately, instead of two separate rooms, there is only one allocated for you. But the good news is that the fifth floor are -”

“The suites.” He laughed. “Got it.” Joel straightened up and took the key, tapping his fingers on the countertop. “Thanks for your help.” 

You didn’t say anything as you headed for the elevators, and neither did Joel. So we only have one room. And that includes Tommy. Interesting. 

When the doors slid shut, Joel finally swore, scrubbing a hand over his face and letting his overnight bag fall to the floor. “It’s going to be really cozy in that room, hmm?” You tried to lighten the mood, wincing as you leaned against the railing. “You and me and -”

“We’ll just drive back. I’m not makin’ you share a room with us.” 

“If it’s a suite, maybe it has a pull out couch or a chaise or -”

“It does.” He laughed. “The suites on five have one king bed and a second sleeper in the main room.” He met your eyes. “And you’re not sleepin’ on a couch while I take a bed.” The doors opened, both of you stepping out into the hallway - which admittedly, was beautifully decorated. When you reached the door of your room, Joel swiped the card, waiting for it to beep before he pushed it open. “You first.” 

You gasped when you stepped inside, dropping your bag before your steps quickened. 

It was not only beautiful, but fully decorated for the holidays with greenery and soft lighting throughout, along with vibrant floral arrangements in key spaces. The room felt warm, and you detected a faint cinnamon smell, too, the scent pleasant and comforting. This is amazing. You crossed the room and went straight to the balcony door, settling your hand on the glass. “This view is … woah.” 

He came up behind you, leaving just enough space to be appropriate, but you could feel him there, one of his arms rising so that he could point. “There’s a dock, over there.” You inhaled, leaning back slightly. “It’ll be lit up soon.” He pointed in a slightly different direction, humming. “There’s a pool that way, you can’t see it with the building in the way, but it’s nice.” 

You could smell his cologne, the scent even stronger than it had been in his truck… but it was rich, enveloping you in the same type of warmth that Joel’s laugh did. “I bet it is.” You murmured the words, turning your head slightly toward his. “I’ll see it tomorrow morning.” 

“No you won’t, because we’re goin’ home. I told you, you’re not sleepin’ on a couch.” 

“Joel.” You turned to face him, the cool glass of the door making contact with the bared skin of your upper back. “There’s a solution here.” He blinked slowly, eyes moving over your face, though he stayed silent. “Would you and Tommy sleep on the couch together?” 

His eyes flashed but he started laughing almost immediately, straight teeth visible before he ducked his head and took a half step closer. “Hilarious.” For the first time that night, you felt the pull between you strengthen - the tension dissipating within a few seconds and Joel’s laugh warming you from head to toe. 

“You laugh, Miller, but I’m serious.” You weren’t - the real solution was that you and Joel shared the bed while Tommy slept on the couch, but you weren’t anywhere near brave enough to bring that up. Yet. Not yet. “Honestly, though. If you’re going to be worrying about us having to drive back, you won’t have fun. And if you won’t have fun, there’s no point in us being here.” Deciding to back up the point you were making, you reached out, setting your hand at the center of his chest, one of the buttons there pressing into the heel of your palm. “And I want to be here, Joel. With you.” 

It took a few seconds, but Joel settled his hand atop yours, squeezing. He met your eyes again, a glint of playfulness back in them. “I want to be here with you, too.” He tilted his head to the right, hand sliding down just enough so that he could wrap his fingers around your thumb, grip tightening. “Somethin’ else I want to do, too.” 

“You should do it then.” It felt like the air in the room was gone, Joel’s presence - and the look on his face enough to freeze you in place. But maybe he doesn’t mean… 

He did, though - Joel barely waiting for your reply before he was leaning in, eyes flicking down to your lips and then back up. It was different than the one in the truck had been; much more intimate and somehow more meaningful. 

It was you that moved to deepen it, your lips parting as you inhaled through your nose - free hand going to his hip and Joel’s lifting to rest against your cheek. You licked into his mouth, the motion deliberate, and Joel didn’t hesitate with his response. His body language changed when you initiated the intimacy, the man crowding you against the door and squeezing your hand, the thump of his heart steady beneath it. 

And you didn’t mind - you wanted more, if you were being honest. More kisses, more of his weight against you, more of the sounds he made deep in his throat - more of him. You wanted to share the bed with him that night and other nights, and even though it was only the second date, you were certain of it. 

“We can’t do this now.” He backed away enough so that he could tilt his head down and press his forehead to yours, his sigh loud. “We have to go downstairs. We have to go to the party.” You wondered if he was trying to convince you or himself, and decided that it didn’t matter - because he wasn’t doing a very good job of following through. He was still touching your face, thumb stroking over your cheek and jawline. “I want you to see all the hard work my guys did.” I want to see what you did. 

“We do.” You nodded, though you also angled your head so that you could kiss him again, that one brief, Joel chasing your lips when you pulled away. “It would look really bad if you didn’t show up. And Tommy could walk in here at any second, which would be weird.” 

That was what got him moving - Joel releasing you and backing away entirely, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. “Yeah. You’re right. We should get downstairs.” 

“And to those cheese things.” You laughed, pushing yourself away from the door. “Whatever they are.” He watched you as you passed by, unzipping your bag and pulling out the smaller purse you’d brought specifically for the party - phone tucked safely inside already. You also grabbed the room key and slipped it into the front pocket, turning to face Joel again. “But I need to be honest with you.” 

“About?” He finally moved, re-buttoning his shirt cuffs before grabbing his jacket and pulling it on, straightening the arms and shoulders even as he walked toward where you stood. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah.” You reached for the door handle, still facing him. “I just wanted to tell you that … if you wanted to kiss me again tonight, I wouldn’t be that upset about it.” It wasn’t what he’d expected, and you were thrilled to have surprised him with your words, but Joel recovered quickly, closing the distance between you. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Nodding once, he gestured to the door. “Let’s go downstairs.” 

—  

The first 40 minutes of the party was a whirlwind of introductions. Joel led you around the large ballroom, stopping you when you met people that he’d worked with or to point out his favorite parts of the architecture and the ones he’d had a hand in building and perfecting. 

From what you could see, he was incredibly skilled. There were details in the wood that he’d hand carved - leaves and flowers and even a few smaller animals on a statement piece that was attached above the mantle of the oversized fireplace in the room next to the ballroom - a private lounge that was open for service that evening. 

You’d found the cheese plates and a bunch of other assorted appetizers, too, both of you indulging while you mingled. Unlike the Chamber party, Joel rarely left your side that night… and if he did, it was barely for more than a few minutes at a time. 

He seemed much more comfortable around you, and that included in showing affection. It wasn’t anything over the top, but he touched you often - a hand on your waist or his fingers running over the bare skin of your arms, his elbow bumping against yours when you stood side by side to converse with whoever it was that you happened to be speaking with. 

That in turn emboldened you and encouraged you to touch him more - laying a hand on his bicep, reaching over to straighten the lapels of his jacket when he turned away from the fireplace to get your opinion on it… even linking your fingers with his while you walked between rooms and parts of rooms. 

He didn’t shy away from it, which was a little bit of a surprise to you. But I won’t question it. I don’t want to. By the time you were making your way to the dining room for dinner, you and Joel were comfortable, the topic of going home instead of staying not coming up. You hadn’t run into Tommy, which was a shock, but that changed when you reached your table, the dark-haired man already sitting and deep in conversation with two other men. 

“Joel! Hey!” One of the two - a man with piercing blue eyes and a jawline that could have been carved from marble - looked up and grinned, lifting a hand in a quick wave. “We were wondering when you’d get here.” 

“Frank.” Joel smiled back and reached out, pulling your chair back from the table as he introduced you by name. “I was showin’ her around, and we lost track of time.” 

“Sure you did.” Tommy laughed, looking away from the other man and up at you, the smile on his face wide and the corners of his eyes crinkled just like Joel’s. “Was she impressed?”

“She was.” You thanked Joel and then sat, eyes on Tommy. “But she also had a really crappy day at work and wanted dinner.” He laughed at you and when Joel took his seat to your right, Tommy’s eyes moved in that direction. 

“Didn’t get much better when you got here did it, big brother?” He cocked an eyebrow, raising his glass to take a drink. “The one-room fiasco?” 

“You and Joel are sleeping on the couch.” You didn’t pause before answering, eyes locked with his. “That bed looked really comfortable, so I’ll have to tell you all about it later.” Frank snorted, trying to disguise the sound by taking a drink, but everyone heard it. 

“I sure as shit am not sleeping on the couch.” Tommy grinned, looking past you and lifting one finger. “Hell, I’m not even staying in that room tonight.” You didn’t understand, and if the confused hum from Joel was any indication, he didn’t either. But only moments later, another person appeared, dropping into the chair next to Tommy and immediately scooting closer. “Frank, Bill and Joel already know her, but this is Maria. She works in legal for the company that owns this place.” 

You connected the dots immediately. Maria was the woman that Joel had mentioned in the car earlier, which meant he was right. And that means that it’ll be just me and Joel in there tonight, and... And that opened up possibilities - the two of you sharing the bed, one of you on the bed and the other on the couch, neither of you sleeping and instead staying up all night talking. I know which of those I’d prefer.

“It’s nice to meet you,” you murmured, nodding at the woman. “All of you, actually. I’ve been introduced to so many people tonight that it’s hard to keep up. But I think I’m going to remember all of your names, no problem.” Frank smiled broadly, raising his glass in a salute, but he used his other hand to squeeze Bill’s shoulder, his attention going to the slightly older - and much more stony-faced man. 

“Same with you. And even though it might take him a minute to say it, Bill feels the same.” 

“Sure.” The third man finally spoke up, his gaze sharp as he looked you over. “Any friend of Joels is …” He shrugged. “Welcome.” It startled you, but Tommy waved his hand, laughing. 

“That’s just how Bill is, don’t take it personal.” Tommy winked at you. “But get him talking about what he did for this place, and he might never stop.” 

“Yeah?” You sipped your drink, eyes moving between Bill and Frank as Tommy and Maria started talking. “I know Joel and Tommy actually worked on the construction, so how were you two involved?”

“I was commissioned to do a bunch of paintings.” Frank interjected, using one finger to swipe over his bottom lip. “But I wasn’t inspired when I first got here… at least until this one,” he continued, looking over at Bill and letting his expression soften. Oh… are they together? I never would have guessed. “He metaphorically pulled me out of a hole, and showed me more of the insides of this place and let me look through older pictures and files that had been packed away during the renovations. Don’t let him fool you, he’s prepared for anything.” 

“I work in logistics.” Bill cleared his throat, eyes on you. “I like to plan. I like to be on top of things, so that I always know what to expect.” Frank nodded and so did Tommy, shooting a look at Joel and then at you. “This project was challenging, but that’s what I prefer.” 

You didn’t get a chance to reply before servers began bringing food to the table along with bottles of red wine. Everything looked and smelled delicious, and as you started to eat and the conversation at the table picked up between couples again, you turned your attention to Joel. 

“I’m having a good time.” Reaching over with one hand, you let it rest on his knee. “And I told you that everything would work out with the room.” He nodded twice, fork held between his fingers. “It looks like we’ve got it to ourselves.” His eyes widened at your words, the fork wavering slightly. You saw interest in his eyes, though, almost like the man was just realizing the potential impact of Tommy’s decision to stay with Maria. 

“Hmm.” He took a bite, finally breaking eye contact. “We do, don’t we.” 

“So what do you do?” Frank cut in, saying your name. “You know what we all do, but you haven’t mentioned your job.” You didn’t mind the interruption, and you were almost positive Joel didn’t either. Especially since there are so many other people in this room and at this table. With one final squeeze to his knee, you cleared your throat and turned you attention back to the others. Later. We’ll deal with … the implication of that later. 

“I own a music store.” You watched Frank’s eyes widen further and Bill’s take on an actual glimmer of interest, so you continued. “It belonged to my friend Anna’s family. And when her parents weren’t able to keep up with it anymore, I took over.” Bill nodded, steepling his fingers together. “It’s been a few years but I like it. Keeps me busy, and even on bad days, like today, it’s worthwhile.” 

“The best things in life usually are.” Frank raised his glass and the rest of you followed suit. 

As dinner continued, the six of you delved deeper into conversation. You were even more at ease around Joel and his friends, and you knew that he could tell. A few times, he reached over and let his fingers trail over the space between your shoulderblades, the warmth of his fingers a welcome distraction, and something you watched Tommy take note of, the man meeting your gaze instead of Joel’s and giving you an almost imperceptible nod. 

It was a little thing, but it was enough - Tommy’s approval was important to you, and you knew it was to Joel, as well.

But when the dinner plates had been cleared and people began to get up, you were unsure of what came next. 

That turned out to be Tommy pulling you off to the side and leaving Joel to talk to Frank and Bill, the three men staying at the table while you walked away and toward the bar. 

He didn’t pull any punches with his words, Tommy’s arms crossed over his chest as he eyed you. “You like him, don’t you.” 

“I do.” You nodded, not looking away. “Ellie and Sarah are responsible for this, but I’m glad that it’s happening.”

“Heard about that.” He smiled wider, running his fingers through his curly hair. “I stopped over for breakfast this week, and she was gloating. But he didn’t give her shit the way he usually does when she teases him. He just kind of … seemed excited. I thought it was just the Commerce party, but then he told me about tonight.” Excited? That’s… interesting. “And that’s why when they told me we only had one room, I wanted to make sure I didn’t fuck this up for you.” 

“Tommy, you’re not -” 

“Stop. I mean it. It’s no big deal. I don’t know if Joel told you, but I’ve been into Maria for months, and since we’re not workin’ together right now… I’ve got a shot.” 

“Well then I don’t want to ruin that for you. Do you need to come back in and get your stuff?” He shook his head no, his eyes moving off and to the right before they returned to your face. “Why -”

“Incoming.” He winked and then reached out, squeezing both of your arms. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Before you had a chance to reply, he was gone, leaving you standing in front of a fake, though well decorated tree. What was that about? 

“Hey. He botherin’ you?” Spinning around toward the sound of the voice, you were met with the sight of Joel, his arms hanging by his slides. But wait, he… He’d removed the jacket and undone another of the buttons on his shirt, making him look a little less put together but no less handsome. And he rolled up the sleeves. Wow. He looks … “Hmm?”

“No.” You swallowed, closing your eyes. “No, he was just telling me that now he’s in on the matchmaking, because as soon as he found out about the room, he made other plans so we could be alone.”

“Of course he did.” Joel shook his head slowly, glancing down. “Shit.” You had to laugh with him, leaning forward and taking one of his hands. He let you, curling his fingers around yours and then releasing them, the man angling his hand so that he could then lace your fingers together. “I’m not complainin’.” 

He went quiet, the two of you just staring at each other as Carol of the Bells played softly in the background. You wanted to keep that moment going - wanted to prolong the two of you standing in a room that he’d helped to build with the sights and smells of Christmas around you, Joel’s attention focused entirely on you. But we can’t. We can’t, and we need to get back to the party. “I’m not either.” Giving his hand one last squeeze, you let it go, watching as Joel crossed his strong arms over his chest, still watching you. 

“D’you wanna come with me?” He gestured with one thumb to the main ballroom, brow furrowed thoughtfully. “I wanna introduce you to the project manager. She’s the last person I want you to meet, and then we can … relax.” You wondered if he meant at the party or somewhere else, but decided it didn’t matter. 

“Yes. Introduce me.” You nodded, looking over his shoulder. “Where is -”

That was as far as you got, because Joel moved quickly, stepping toward you and slipping an arm around your waist to pull you closer. You gasped in surprise, both brows shooting up - but caught the smirk on his face before he kissed you again, the taste of bourbon and coffee on his tongue.

He didn’t seem to care that there were people around - which was a difference from the previous night - and you were thankful. 

Because you wanted to keep kissing him. You wanted to wrap yourself in him, for the two of you to keep each other occupied long into the night. And even though you were careful to keep your hands above his waist; one of them settled against his exposed forearm and the other arm slung over his shoulder so that you could twist the ends of his hair around your fingertips, you allowed yourself to press your body to his. 

His fingers pressed into your lower back - the edges of his nails digging into your skin, though not painfully - and when he sighed against your lips, you realized that not only was he making good on his promise from earlier, he was expanding on it. And that’s good. You hummed when you pulled back, swallowing before you let out a shaky breath, eyes opening to meet his. “Joel?” 

“Yeah?” The pressure of his hand decreased, his touch once again light, but still reassuring. Go for it. He needs to hear it. “What’s -”

“If you kiss me like that again, you better not stop.” 

He froze at your words, his eyes flashing, but then with a single nod he agreed, leaning in to kiss the corner of your mouth. 

“Let’s go talk to the boss, and then we’ll see how long you keep askin’ me not to stop.” It was your turn to freeze, your stomach bottoming out at the innuendo.  “Alright?” 

You made the decision in a split second, your hand sliding down Joel’s arm until you could take his hand, linking your fingers together. “Alright.” 

You walked through the room and into the second of the two lounges - the one that would serve as the lobby bar - and Joel paused in the doorway, head turning from side to side. You took the opportunity to take in the decor there - dark wood and bronze throughout, an even darker floor, flickering lights that were hung from exposed beams overhead. 

The entire thing was designed to be rustic and cozy, and when your eyes lingered on the wall behind the bar - latticework in one of the most intricate designs you’d ever seen - you gasped. “What?” He turned his head toward you, frowning. “You ok?”

“You did that, didn’t you.” You let go of his hand, stepping forward and resting your elbows on the edge of the smooth bartop. “All of that carving. All of the -”

“He did.” A female voice cut in from your right, and it was full of pride. “Spent three weeks gettin’ it just right.” Turning toward the sound, you met warm hazel eyes, the woman nodding. “I knew hiring Joel would get the job done, but I had no idea he’d do it so well.” She extended her hand, her smile widening. “I’m Tess Servopoulos. They refer to me as the boss around here.” 

You shook her hand, giving yourself a moment to stare before introducing yourself. She was extraordinarily pretty, maybe a few years older than Joel at most - hair in a half updo, curls cascading over her shoulders. She was petite but looked strong, and when she nodded, the smile turning into a smirk, you felt her squeeze your hand before she let go. 

“We came in here to find you, Tess.” Looking over at Joel, you smiled, too. “He wanted to introduce me, but I got distracted by the -”

“It’s just some latticework.” Joel moved to stand next to you, his hand once again resting at your waist while the other reached upward to rub at the back of his neck. “And the mirrors cover up a lot of it, so -”

“Give yourself some damn credit, Joel.” Tess rolled her eyes, looking briefly at him and then back at you. “He also built the bar himself. And the wine rack, and the liquor shelves. He was ahead of schedule with the rest of it, so I gave him the go ahead to do whatever he wanted in here, and…” She gestured with one hand, and for the first time you saw the diamond on her finger, accompanied by a wedding band as it glinted in the light shining down from the garland above. “I couldn’t be happier if I fuckin’ tried.” 

You laughed at how blunt she was, but you could tell she was serious - and you appreciated it. “From what I’ve seen, this place is beautiful. All of it… not just the parts he did.” Looking back at Joel again, you saw that he was watching you with curiosity, head tilted slightly downward and his chin tucked against the top of his shoulder. “I bet you’ll be booked solid when you open.”

“We are.” She nodded, the note of pride coming back into her voice. “Grand opening’s January 5th, and we’re booked solid through Valentine’s Day already.” It didn’t surprise you, especially after everything you’d seen, and you took the opportunity to slip your arm around Joel’s waist, the soft material of his shirt smooth under your palm. “I’m disappointed my husband and son won’t get to see it before we open, but …” Tess shrugged. “Ice storm closed the airport in Detroit, so they couldn’t make it tonight.” 

“Aw, Tess. I’m sorry.” Joel sighed from next to you. “I know you haven’t seen ‘em in a while since you’ve been out here. You were lookin’ forward to -”

“I was.” She smiled, though the expression was sad. “I’m actually flying out tomorrow. I found a last minute flight to Cleveland, and it’s only a couple hours back by car. There’s no way in Hell I’d make Avery drive and then fly and then drive with Jake, so…” She shrugged again, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “They’ll get  to be at the opening of the next one.” Her eyes slid to Joel, lingering for a second before they moved back to you. “And maybe you will, too. With Joel.” 

“What?” You were confused, frowning before you tilted your head to the side. “I don’t know what you mean. Why would -”

“You didn’t tell her?” Tess laughed, her eyes widening. “Brought her here as a date, and didn’t tell -”

“I haven’t told anyone yet.” Joel cleared his throat. “I was waitin’ until we knew for sure, and that call last night confirmed it, but …” He said your name, fingers curling slightly. “Guess it’s time.” 

“What Joel isn’t saying is that we… my company, I mean … has decided to keep Miller Contracting on retainer for the next five years. We have a lot of projects coming up, and after seeing the work that Tommy and Joel did here, we’d be fools to let them go. He might be the muscle, but I’m the brains of the operation, and …” Her smile warmed as she focused on Joel again. “I’m not an idiot. I know I need ‘em.” 

You were simultaneously thrilled for him and saddened by the fact that such extensive work likely meant he’d be gone for months at a time. But it’s what he wants. Success. Stability. Work for him and Tommy that’ll allow him to pay for Sarah’s college. “That’s… wow.” You nodded, wetting your lips. “You’re lucky to have him, Tess. That sounds like an incredible opportunity.” 

“It is.” Joel spoke again, his voice low. “It’s the one we’ve been waitin’ for.” He cleared his throat, continuing. “But we’ll let you get on with your night, Tess. Don’t want to take up too much more of your time. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of people to mingle with, and I need another drink, so…”

“Yeah. I should get out there.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “It was nice to meet you, though. I hope you enjoy the rest of the party.” You replied with the same and assured her that you would, and  then you watched as Tess turned and slipped away through the crowd, leaving you and Joel where you stood. 

Neither of you spoke, but he turned to face you, his hand moving from your back to your hip and settling into place. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. That call I had to step out last night to take was them officially offerin’ the contract to me, and I had to bring Tommy in on it, and …” He shrugged. “I was gonna tell Sarah on Christmas, and …”

“You don’t need to apologize.” Frowning, you bit down on the inside of your lower lip. “This is an amazing opportunity for you, Joel. And you did say that you didn’t date much because you’ve been focused on work, so I can’t be surprised, and -” He reached up, sliding his palm along your jaw and tilting your head. “Joel?”

“This means that I won’t need to take as many little projects to make money as I used to.” His eyes locked with yours, he kept speaking. “I can focus on the big ones. Tess is bein’ real generous with us, and havin’ her company backin’ us means we can move forward a lot faster when it comes to supplies and findin’ people locally to work. It ain’t all on me anymore, and I can spend more time doin’ what I’m good at.” He turned your head toward the bar, his touch gentle. “Like that. Woodworkin’. Building things. I can supervise and -”

“Joel.” You turned your head back to meet his eyes, and he moved his hand to rest it on your shoulder. “You don’t owe me an explanation. This is a good thing. I’m happy for you. I’m excited.” You were - it was the truth. But you were also sad, because over the course of the previous week, you’d allowed yourself to imagine more of him in your life. And now he’ll be traveling for work more often, so that might not be possible. “Think of how many people will see your work. Think about how proud Sarah’s going to be.”

“Yeah.” He closed his eyes, taking and then releasing a deep breath. “Do you want to get another drink? I hope that didn’t ruin the night. I don’t want it to.” He paused. “That’s actually the last damn thing I …” 

He meant it. You heard it in his voice and saw the look in his eyes, realizing that Joel had also likely thought about what more travel meant once he was talking about it with you in front of him. And that’s enough. “You ruined nothing, Joel.” Taking a step back from him, you gave him what you hoped was a convincing smile. “Now let’s go and get that drink and you can tell me more about what this new contract means.” 

— 

An hour and a half later, you and Joel had had two additional drinks, and you’d learned much more about what Tess’ offer entailed. 

He was enthusiastic about the opportunity - about what it meant for him and Tommy, and by extension, Sarah, even though she’d likely be out of the house to begin college before he had to be onsite full time for the first project. 

Much of the work could be done remotely during the planning stages, meaning that Joel’s extensive time away from home would only fall during the actual construction months. He’d spend the majority of his time in Texas, where he was free to work on whatever he chose to do - as long as it didn’t interfere with the work for Tess. The first project wasn’t scheduled to begin until the end of February, and it was close - in Colorado Springs.

“How do you feel about it?” He leaned against the bar, elbow resting on the top of it and his chin firmly settled on the knuckles of his balled-up fist. “About the -”

“I’m excited for you.” You sipped your drink, letting your eyes wander around the room. “I hope you’ll show me pictures of what you -”

He interrupted you, the look in his eyes going hard, even though you saw the apprehension in them, too. “No. I mean… how do you feel about spendin’ more time now with someone that might be gone a lot later?” Oh. Oh, he … Your mouth opened but nothing came out, eyes locked on his face. “I know we’ve only gone out twice, but …” Joel shrugged, sitting up straight and lowering his hand to run his fingertips over the smooth wood between the two of you. “But I’d like it to be more than that. I just don’t know how you feel about … there bein’ months where I’m out of state. Where I’m busy. I know you can’t just leave the shop, but …” 

“Joel, I …” You blinked, covering your mouth in surprise. “I dont…” He was putting you on the spot, there was no question about it. And with anyone else, this would feel … strange. It would be too much, too soon. But … But it was Joel, and he’d always been honest. He didn’t have time to beat around the bush, or sugarcoat things. He had to be upfront when it came to his life and what it was possible for him to give to anyone else in it. And he’s not asking for a commitment, just … trying to see how I feel. “It changes nothing for me.” 

It felt good to say the words - and to mean them - and you saw the look in his eyes change at your admission. “What?” 

“You heard me.” Sliding your hand forward, you found his, fingers gliding up and settling atop his knuckles. You traced over the scar you’d seen earlier with the tip of your thumb, glancing down and then back up, meeting his eyes. “You already told me that you didn’t like texting, so at least I know I’d get to hear your voice over the phone while you were gone.” You pressed down, letting the weight of your hand rest heaving on his. “And Colorado’s only a short flight away, right? If … if it got to that point, flying back and forth wouldn’t be … terrible.” 

It wasn’t something you’d thought about for more than a few minutes, but as the words spilled from your lips, you realized that they were your honest feelings. “You’d want that?” 

“I’d definitely be willing to try it.” You nodded, scooting closer. “I’ve had a lot of fun with you the last two nights, Joel. And that’s been with all of this holiday bullshit and the pressure of them being first dates. It’s not like you’re moving across the country or would be gone six months out of the year back to back.” 

“Good.” Joel wet his lips, and then used his free hand to raise his drink, tipping his head back to finish it off in one long gulp. “I was hopin’ you’d say that.” Using his thumb to swipe at his lips, Joel got to his feet, looking down at where you still sat. “Want to go back into the other room? See if we can find Tommy or Bill’n Frank?” You glanced away from him and at the clock, idly stirring the remaining ice cubes in your mostly-gone drink. 

It was only a little after ten, and you knew the party would likely go on for hours, since most of the attendees were staying in the hotel. “We could do that.” You nodded, feeling your heartbeat quicken as you locked eyes with him again. All he can do is say no. All he can do is … “But there’s something I’d like to do even more than that, Joel.” 

You turned in your seat, facing him head on and watching as Joel stepped closer again, one hand on his hip. “Yeah? What’s that?” He’d been receptive to everything you’d said previously - every suggestion and reply had been met with interest at the very least and enthusiasm in most cases. And that’s good. It means he might … want this too. 

“You can say no.” You paused, biting the inside of your lower lip and closing your eyes briefly. “But I’d … we have the room to ourselves tonight, Joel. This is the most privacy we’ll have for …” You wrinkled your nose and he did the same, holding back a smile, his lips twitching with the effort. “For who knows how long. And I wouldn’t be opposed to taking advantage of that.” 

“That’s what you want to do?” You nodded, sucking in a quick breath at the way his voice dropped, his eyes darkening. “Well then what the hell are we waitin’ for?” 

You didn’t have an answer. And when he reached out, waiting for you to take his hand so that he could help you to your feet, you couldn’t look away from him, matching the smile on his face with one of your own. Is this happening? Is it really … shit. 

To get back to the elevators, you had to walk through the main ballroom, where various groups of people were gathered. Some of them - like Tommy and Maria - were dancing, others were just drinking - but you caught Bill and Frank sitting on a couch together by the fireplace, the older man holding an almost full tumbler of something between his fingers, his eyes on Frank, who was animatedly talking to Tess, who sat on a chair across from them.

But you and Joel went straight past them and into the main hallway, the man only stopping as you were about to pass the photo booth that was set up toward the reception area. “What?” Looking over, you tipped your head to the right. “Why’d you stop?” 

“We should get our picture taken.” He blinked twice, squaring his shoulders. “I put the jacket back upstairs already, but …” You didn’t care - and to be honest, thought he looked better without it, the rolled up sleeves and partially unbuttoned dress shirt only making him more attractive. “Be a good thing to have, hmm?” 

You were surprised at the suggestion but agreed, squeezing Joel’s hand and joining the short line without saying anything else. 

It was your turn after only a few minutes, and when you and Joel stepped in front of the shimmering golden backdrop, he didn’t hesitate to put his arm around you, pulling you closer. It made you laugh, one hand moving over to steady yourself against his broad frame - and during that laugh, you saw the camera flash twice before you got yourself under control. “Two more shots for the strip.” The woman behind the camera spoke up, peeking around the edge of it. “Those two were good, though.” 

“Just do a normal smile,” you mumbled, repositioning yourself with one arm around his waist as Joel draped one of his over your shoulders. That was an easy photo, but once it was taken, Joel said your name, urging you to turn toward him. “What?” 

He surprised you when he leaned in, eyes partially closed, the hand on your shoulder moving to the back of your neck to angle your head perfectly, the press of his lips to yours a welcome result of the guidance. 

You were aware of the flash but didn’t care, continuing to kiss Joel until he pulled back, resting his forehead against yours and grinning. “That’s enough.” You laughed too, hoping to disguise your shaky breath. “Don’t wanna traumatize the poor camera woman.” 

“Thanks for that.” The girl laughed. “You can pick up the pictures from the table to the right. Do you want two of them?” 

He agreed, nodding as he backed away and thanked her. But when you met the girl’s eyes she was grinning, giving you a not-so-subtle thumbs up and a wink as you followed him. It only took a few seconds for the machine to spit them out - two copies of the four-picture strips, followed by two more prints of him with his forehead pressed to yours and dopey smiles on both of your faces. Look at us. 

Joel handed both sets to you, wrinkling his nose. “You keep these safe. Was plannin’ on showing them to Sarah, but now …” 

“Maybe we ease into it, hmm?” You groaned, stepping beside him as he pushed the button to call the elevator. “Show them the first two of us laughing, and then in a little while, after they’ve seen us spend some more time together in person, we can show ‘em the other two.” 

“There are three,” he replied as he tapped his foot on the ground, waiting. “That last one is -”

“Not for the seventeen year olds.” No, that’s just for us. “Not yet.” He agreed a few seconds later, and when the doors slid open revealing an empty elevator, Joel didn’t hesitate to pull you inside, crowding you against the railing inside. “Joel, what -”

He reached over and somehow pushed the right button without backing away from you, and when you began to ascend, he kissed you again, that one much less gentle than for the photos. You groaned against his lips, both hands grasping at his shirt and pulling him closer. This is happening. 

He didn’t break the kiss even when you stepped out and onto your floor, Joel leading you down the hall and to the room before reaching into his back pocket for the key with one hand, his tongue stroking along yours before he took your lower lip between his teeth, tugging it outward at the same time as he swiped the key through the lock. 

You were dizzy from his proximity when you stumbled over the threshold and into the room, the door closing moments later and Joel pressing your back against it the same way he had against the glass earlier, though that press was accompanied by a slow rocking of his hips against yours, too. “You tell me to stop and I will.” He forced the words out, grunting quietly before kissing you again. “But I want -” 

Pushing him away with one hand, you blinked the man into focus, letting out a slow breath as you eyed him in the dim glow of the Christmas lights that were hung throughout the room, the light surrounding his head - and the hair you’d disheveled with your hands - like a halo. “What did I say before, Joel?” He smiled, the expression spreading over his face slowly. “You better not stop.” 

---

The drink Joel was drinking is real and it sounds both delicious and perfect for him: The Revolver

[antimatterz]

I really love, love, love your self-aware posts 🙃 That one with Bladie, was perfect!!! (I don't know if sending an request again that soon is okay, but i got another idea!) [After looking at your rules again, i am unsure if this request is okay with u. So i understand, if u refuse]

Listen. What if, Blade and Dan Heng would have some kind of rivalry, while they are in the same team. Like, actually trying to show off who is cooler and stuff.

But after seeing their competition, u just tell them, they are both wonderful and strong boys. (I know their heart would melt at that, hehe)

- Anon K🤪

solve what seems unsolveable

dan heng + blade x gn!reader

summary: it's a well-known fact that blade and dan heng cannot stand each other, but as someone who loves them both, you try to create peace.

cw: humor, fluff, rivalry, self-aware au

enyo's note: it's never to soon to request again, don't worry ! this was super fun to write hehe so thanks for sending this in ^^.

content under the cut | masterlist

these two already have a history together, resulting in quite some tension between them. now, it would be easy to avoid conflict; just don't put them on the same team, bringing their interactions to a minimum.

the catch? they both happen to be your favorite characters and you refuse to have only one of them on your team.

of course you know about their rivalry. it's so obvious. it can't be missed. the glares, the way blade keeps trying to provoke dan heng (and the always so calm dan heng. genuinely looks like he's about to snap), the way they refuse to cooperate in battle.

they're both so strong, equipped with your best relics and all, so together with your healer and shielder your team should be pretty much invincible right?

well, sike, it isn't. far from, actually.

your team is completely out of harmony, as the continuous tension affects the others as well. the rivalry is getting on everyone's nerves, making them irritable and out-of-focus.

it gets to a point where they beg you to kick either one of them from your team, preferably blade because he's the detonater while dan heng just tries to avoid conflict.

but eventually even dan heng snaps, giving in to blade's near-bullying.

something new starts, something that leaves you astounded.

instead of continuously going for each other's throat, they're now trying to prove to you who's the best by showing off big-time.

huge numbers of damage fly across your screen as they each try to prove their worth. with each strike, they surpass each other's damage and you can't help but stare at your screen in awe.

even the rest of your team stands back, watching in utter amazement how blade and dan heng mercilessly assault and defeat boss after boss, hitting insane numbers you've never seen before.

they're getting reckless, though, and it's getting out of hand. their health bars are glowing red since they don't leave any gaps for your shielder and healer to step in.

you know you have to intervene now.

you finalize the battle using the pause button and both dan heng and blade look at you in a daze, confused by the sudden interruption of the intense battle that had them completely immersed.

you lead them away from their teammates because it's about time you have a good talk with them.

"guys, this isn't working," you sigh.

they feel a little ashamed as they see the disappointment on your face, but they still refuse to look at each other. especially dan heng looks so done, having his arms crossed and all. so petty, hehe.

"look, you're both my favorite characters and i love you both so much. there really is no need to prove yourself, nor is there any reason to fight. you're both wonderful and strong and i don't want to feel like i have to choose between you two."

your words surely have their impact on them, especially when you pout at them through the screen. in the heat of their rivalry, they totally forgot to take into consideration how you felt.

"i'm sorry, y/n, i was blinded," dan heng mutters.

"you're confessing to us both? spicy," blade smirks, but his slight blush is so obvious lol.

"please try to work together, okay? you'd be unstoppable."

"anything for you, babe," blade grins, and now it's your turn to blush. okay, he still sounds a little hesitant, but it's a start.

"for you, y/n," dan heng agrees with a small sigh.

an idea pops up in your mind, and you smile.

"okay, and now hug each other," you pipe up.

"what?!" blade and dan heng ask in unison.

"you heard me," you giggle. "everything for me, right?"

much to your surprise, they actually oblige, awkwardly inching closer to each other before hugging aversively. the dismay is so obvious, but they're hugging without chocking each other or beating each other to pulp!

smiling widely, you hug your screen, engaging in some sort of interdimensional group hug. you sincerely hope this is the beginning of a new era, one in which your faves could put their rivalry aside and work together, carrying you through the game with ease.

[lilydaisylily]

Hi, so umm this is my 2nd writing, which has a lot of wording from the previous one. I'm still learning and trying to put the perfect word for this story and I hope you enjoy it!

Lots of love,

Lily♡

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Title: I love you (part 1)

Pairing: Choi Seungcheol x Y/N (readers)

Genre: Angst, smut

Thanks and happy reading!

Do not copy. All right reserved.

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"Congratulation to Svt Inc. for winning their nth win-"

You don't know how many awards there is that Svt Inc. have won for this past 2 weeks. You tried to avoid taking part in any of them as Choi Seungcheol, the Svt Inc.'s president/CEO and your now ex boyfriend, just broke up with you over a very heartbroken breakup.

"Y/N, I think I can't do this anymore."

You stop everything that you do when you heard his voice through the call that you've answered.

"What do you mean by that, Cheollie?" You tried to sound clueless with his sudden statement although you always knew that this day will come biting you anytime soon. You already felt something was off when many days back, he tried to avoid as many skinship as possible between the two of you.

From your experience dating him for almost 2 years now, Choi Seungcheol that you knew will not let any hand holding and pecking your lips when you two meet up to go to waste. He will ALWAYS, ALWAYS be the one whose most eager to do so. But these past few days makes you wonder where on earth does this relationship went wrong as the both of you are giving a balanced give and take part between each other.

Both of you are the most peaceful and harmonized couple there is, based on what other Svt Inc.'s bosses slash Seungcheol's best friends and your own besties said. So where is the fault in this relationship that has grown you and Seungcheol apart, you wonder.

"I don't think I want to continue this relationship with you anymore, Kim Y/N." Seungcheol stated the very sentence that break your heart into pieces.

"Why are saying this? Don't you love me anymore?" You tried very hard to hold back your tears as you questioned him.

There's a moment of silent on the other side of the line and you knew that this will be the final goodbye. "May I know the reason why you are doing this?" You asked him softly to avoid any more heart break.

"I just don't feel the same for you anymore, y/n-ya. I tried to mend it, tried to salvage any love that I have left for you, but I just can't. The love is gone, y/n, and the last thing I want is to hurt you because of me. That's why I'm being honest with you right now to avoid any more hurt between us in the future."

"Is that all the reason you can think of? Just like that? How can you think you hurt me less with whatever bullshit that you're saying right now?"

Still greeted with a silent moment from the other side that you've decided to just end this drama once and for all.

With a freshly shattered heart, you muster up any little energy that you have left and said the final word to him,

"I always thought or tried to think that you need your own space, which I respect that and give in to you always. But turns out I was wrong,"

You pause your word for a second before continue.

"I always thought that we can be like this forever. Gosh, maybe forever is never going to be enough for us. You have no idea how many times do I always think to settle down with you, knowing that I have never fall in love this deep with anybody else other than you. If you think that being honest with me like this won't hurt me, well, let me tell you that it hurts like hell, Cheol-ah. You broke my heart, Choi Seungcheol. You really did. If you really want this to be over between us, that you have no more feelings for me, then I have no other words to say to you. But let me make this clear. It is you who want to end this, and I hope you won't regret it, Choi Seungcheol. I knew there is a new owner of your heart now, and I fully understand. Thank you for the past 2 years, Choi Seungcheol. I hope you find your freedom and happiness you've always dream of. Sorry for everything."

That was the very last words from you and you end the call before he can even revert.

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It's been over 2 weeks after the breakup call and Choi Seungcheol's dark circle becoming even more visible and obvious.

"Dude, you look terrible." Kwon Soonyoung, one of the big bosses at Svt Inc. that just come by to put whatever award that he received on behalf of this soon-to-be-panda on the award shelves.

Another footsteps heard coming from the door revealing Joshua and Jeonghan, the dashing duo whom looked alike, and think so much alike too.

"What on earth are you guys doing here exactly?" Sighing, Seungcheol lean on his dark blue leather chair, closing his eyes.

"Well, we're here to beat some sense in you of course. You know, after the UNANNOUNCED breakup call." Mingyu suddenly popped out of nowhere and voiced out his utmost discontent. "How could you do this to her, hyung? She's my best friend for god sake!" He continued.

"Cut it off, Gyu. I've heard enough of this." Warn Seungcheol. After the breakup call, he told all the other 12 friends of his and well, the news did not settle well between them. Honestly, it did not settle well with himself too. He's feeling somewhat discomfort and unsettling regret after the final words that you've said on that day. He keeps on replaying your words over and over again until he's losing sleep, resulting to his current dark circle.

"I just want to know one thing, though. Why on earth are you breaking up with Y/N exactly? It can't be because of your slutty, shitty little new secretary right?" The question asked by Joshua really hit the nail on the head.

Silence engulfed the spacious space, leaving only some soft murmur from the people working outside to be heard.

"It does related to that, huh? How could you, hyung? Does Y/N still not enough for you? She's beautiful, smart, funny, kind hearted, and shit, she's hella cool CEO too for god sake! What more could you ask for?" Mingyu snarled.

"Gyu has a point, Cheol-ah. Compared to that slutty secretary, Y/N obviously the winner here. That Jessica can only provide you temporary happiness while she's counting your money along the way. And from my calculation, you'll regret losing Y/N in the end, and that my friend, is a statement and you can count on my words." Said Jeonghan, smirking.

"Are you guys done?" Seungcheol opened his eyes and sigh, again.

After all the bosses retreating back to their offices, Jessica knock on Seungcheol's door and proceed to open it after she got a response from the man inside.

Closing the door and locked it, she's making her way to Seungcheol's desk, swaying her hips while unbuttoning her tight shirt's top two button to reveal her luscious cleavage.

Seungcheol eyes turned into a shade darker with lust, following her every move.

"You seems so stressed out, baby." Stopping behind his big chair, Jessica's slender fingers starting to massage Seungcheol's tense shoulder while having one hand unbuttoning his shirt. Seungcheol close his eyes as a burning sensation starting to pool around his stomach with every little touch from Jessica on his body.

"Let me make you feel better, baby." Jessica whisper a sultry remarks to Seungcheol's ear and soon soft moan and growl can be heard in the room.

Jessica is stradlling Seungcheol's lap while making out. The sexy moan that comes out from Jessica's mouth makes Seungcheol loosing his control and her grinding on his crotch is not helping. He rips her blouse apart and skillfully unhooked her bra, tossing it after. Her delicious tits comes in view and Seungcheol's head is clouded with strong desire to fuck her until she know nothing than to scream his name.

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Your hardly gained good night sleep is rudely interrupted by the sound of the bell ringing endlessly. Whoever that is at the door better have some good thing to say or else, you are going berserk. Tiredly dragging your body out of the bed, you checked your monitor screen before unlocking your door.

"What do you guys want?" You open up the door for Mingyu, Wonwoo and Bethany to step in and make themselves at home.

"Well, we are here to drag you out of course! You've been in this cave for long enough and I'm -well, we, are going to take you out for some sunshine and it looks to me that you really need some." Said Bethany while proceed to open your wall-length curtain that blocking the Sun from gracing your penthouse.

"I'm fine here Beth, don't worry." You said softly while yawning.

"You are not okay sweetheart, and we know it. I know you purposely avoiding office to avoid meeting that dumbass Seungcheol hyung. But you need to get out from here or else you'll get sick!" Mingyu stating his concern as you have become so quiet these past few weeks and it bothers him a lot.

Wonwoo's unsuccessful attempt to drag you out last week has brought him to bring these two people to his rescue as he know you can't ressist them no matter the excuse is.

Sighing, you just let Beth to drag you back into your room while bossing you to go take a shower. After making sure your water is running, Bethany proceed to your walk-in wardrobe to choose your outfit for today's outing.

A cute summer dress with puff sleeve has come to her view and she knows it will complement your figure perfectly.

Right on cue, the bathroom door opened, revealing your freshen up figure. Beth pull your hand and make you sit infront of your vanity table to doll you up. She told you to wear that summer dress she chose and you're giving her a-are you joking-look.

"What? Its pink, its cute and its perfect! I know my taste babygirl and you have to wear it! No excuse accepted." After touching up your makeup and boss you around some more, she exit your room for you to change your clothes.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" A bit of reluctant shading Wonwoo's eyes as he's afraid you won't agree with this plan that they arranged for you.

"She need to get back to her usual happy self, hyung or else her parents will kill us! They knew what happened between her and that dumbass of a hyung and they are not letting it escaping their mind, knowing their only daughter being hurt." Wonwoo and Beth can't help but to agree on Mingyu's statement.

You guys are close to each other because of your families's relationship. All family related with each other businesses and you guys can't help to be the best of friend because of that.

In the next second, the door of your room opened, revealing you in an outfit that will make all eyes on you in a good way possible. You are styling the pink summer dress Beth has chosen for you with a white bow gracing your low wavy ponytail, a cute white beads earring and a mini pink Dior leather handbag.

All your three best friend stunned for a while and you heard Mingyu said "If you looked THIS good before you start being my best friend, I might make you my girlfriend, babe. I really want to know what on earth does Cheol hyung think to breakup with you like that. Urghh, it's still pissing me off!" He grunted.

You tried to ignore Mingyu's remark about Seungcheol to avoid any more tears coming out from your already tired eyes.

"Where are guys taking me?"

Beth, Mingyu and Wonwoo's face suddenly sparkling up when you popped out the question and a naughty cheeky smile starting to grace their lips.

Mingyu and Wonwoo both making their ways to you and hooked their arm with yours, as a way of trapping you.

"You, my pretty girl, will be going on a date with someone we've arranged at a fancy cute cafe, where perhaps that cold heart of yours will be bloomed and happy again." Beth happily stating the idea and you starting to struggle out from those both muscular giant's grasp.

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1 | 2

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Stay tuned!

Thank you for reading!

I love you guys!♡

[subliminalbo]

Minds of Romero #2: Dana at Your Service

One of Sonya Serrano's most popular girls, Dana's first hypnotic encounter occurred long before she was recruited to work at Marjorie's. As a student at Carpenter State University, Dana tended bar at The Lone Pine to pay her way through college. Though her regulars were mostly off the clock lumberjacks and factory workers, her time there took a bizarre turn when she arrived to her shift one evening to find the joint closed down and her boss, Wendy, taking orders from Madison Wells. Dana tried to escape, but was cornered by a couple of Madison's Alphas. Dana wasn't present that evening for the fateful confrontation between Corbin Arroyo and Madison Wells. Instead, she was in the Alphas basement, subjugated to the same VR helmet conditioning that all of Madison's Alphas went through.

Unlike most of her slaves, Madison released Dana from the Alphas house to return to her regular life, having no memory of her encounter at The Lone Pine. Fragments of her conditioning remained, however, ensuring the Madison had loyal slaves outside of the sorority. When the Alphas collapsed, Dana and Wendy played major roles in Madison's escape from University justice, hiding her away in the apartment above the bar until they could arrange for safe passage out of town.

Dana was later discovered by Sonya. Wendy's preference for bar tenders with big tits and tight shirts had made The Lone Pine a lucrative spot for scouting new hires. Sonya recognized Dana's value immediately, and after a couple of drinks and some casual conversation, she offered the young woman a position at Marjorie's on the spot. Dana was skeptical, of course. Her experience at The Lone Pine would make serving at Marjorie's a natural transition. But Marjorie's girls were expected to do more than tend bar. Sonya was honest with Dana. She wanted her because she was hot, and she was too hot not to put to work fucking her important clients. "Place like this?" Sonya said. "Sure, the tips are nice, but the money you'll make at my club in just one year will pay off your student loans in full."

It was true. Girls were always going to work at Marjorie's to pay off their debt, and Sonya was happy to let them go whenever they wanted. It never seemed to be difficult for her to recruit new girls anyway. Sonya's eyes seemed to glow as Dana spoke with her across the bar. Dana didn't have a chance. Just one glance into those eyes, and her soul belonged to Sonya. Her apprehension began to fade away. She found peace in the idea of being used by strangers.

"Everyone calls me Madam Sonya," her new boss said. "But you'll call me Mistress."

"Yes, Mistress Sonya," Dana replied, eager to begin her new life.

A year has passed since their first encounter, and though Dana has earned enough to pay off her debt and live comfortably, she's far too happy to ever dream of leaving Marjorie's.

[key201303]

Pairing: Woosung x reader Word count: 890 words Warnings: None! Just a bunch of fluff. Plot: Tour is over, Woosung's back at home and you could make it to convince your bosses to give you vacation before Woosung has to go back to practicing. It seems like the stars have aligned and you can have some time together finally. And after discussing if it was worth enough getting out of bed or not, you could finally do something together. Making smoothies was not what you exactly had in mind but as long as you're together, you're sure it'll be a perfect day. Playlist: Kim Woosung - Lazy. Taglist -> Let me know if you want to be added!

The dim sunlight was finally starting to make its way through the dark curtains of your small shared room. You had an extended discussion last night with Woosung so he let you leave the shutters up to wake up with the sunlight. He always loved the dark so much that he couldn’t accept sleeping with any type of light entering the room. But you promised he would love the color palette the sun rays made when hitting the perfect spots of the room. And you were right. The orange and red colors started to make their way through the black, grays and dark colors that bathed the room creating a perfect harmony between dark and light. You couldn’t understand how such opposite elements could look so in tune. But that was the magic of nature. It was such a pity that Woosung wasn’t enjoying the view due to his heavy eyelids that kept him in deep sleep.

The orange light also hit his half naked body perfectly. His cheeks had a perfect pinkish tone due to the warm sunlight embracing his delicate skin. His hair was messy yet beautiful as it got spread all over the covers as he moved to face you, giving you total access to admire how ethereal and amazing he looked in such a natural and peaceful scene. His tattoos looked so inviting to trail their silhouette with your index finger in an unconscious attempt of waking the boy up so he could enjoy the colors dawn created with you. His parted lips looked so inviting as well, tempting you to kiss them and taste the sweetness they held once again, just like you could do every single day. And in the end, you couldn’t resist yourself, moving closer to the man you loved and placing a soft kiss on his cherry lips. 

That kiss was enough to wake the boy up which made you quite surprised. Woosung was the type of person to take a long time to actually wake up, and it didn’t look like him when he opened his eyes as soon as you cut the kiss. “If this is how you’ll wake me up if I let you leave the shutters up then I’m down.” He said with a low and husky voice, a smile appearing in his lips, making him look even better if that was possible. “Good morning to you too.” You said laughing, about to move away from him to leave him some space to stretch just like he did every morning. But he didn’t let you. He was glued to your body, like he used some super glue to linger your body to his. “Don’t go. You could admire me while I slept, I want to do the same with you now.” He said as he pulled you closer to him. You couldn’t resist snuggling into his arms, feeling the warmth of his body, his breath and heartbeat almost making you fall into a deep slumber once again. Now it was his turn to admire your figure, enhanced with the dawn light. “Dawn is definitely your color palette.” He said, playing with your hair, leaving soft caresses here and there from time to time. You could just giggle at his comments, and hide in the crook of his neck so he wouldn’t see your cheeks turning red.

You could stay like that forever. Just the two of you enjoying each other’s presence and existence. But you had to get moving in order to start the one and only day off you could both have together in ages. And you hated it. But Woosung hated it more. “You know my perfect day is doing nothing. Why can’t we just stay here and forget about everything.” Woosung whined as you tried to get off bed, not being able to do it because of his strong grip around you. “At least we have to eat.” You said laughing, giving into his arms again, not really wanting to get away from his embrace. You were right and he hated to admit it. “Okay but once we eat we come back, deal?” He said, finally easing his grip. “Deal.” You said, leaning in one last time to peck his lips and get off bed.

Making smoothies was not what you expected to have as a breakfast on a day like today but Woosung insisted that it was the easiest and fastest way to eat something nutritious and so you could go back to being the lazy selves you both were, just like you agreed to do a few minutes ago upstairs. Semi loud music was playing on your speakers, his voice was softly humming to your favorite songs as you threw random fruit you find in your fridge into the blender as you both shared lovely kisses every now and then. 

You were both so fond of each other. Intertwined by destiny as days pass by. You had so much love and admiration for each other that it wouldn’t fit any book in this world if you had to describe it with words. You were just perfectly made for each other and you would definitely not be the same if life ever puts you apart. Just like the sun and the moon. Just like dark and light. You need each other to exist.

[sixgunluvr]

A Love To Protect

Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Mature Age 18+ Readers ONLY (for the whole story).

This chapter isn't very explicit.

Pairing Arthur with a female reader.

There may be errors. I read through these a couple times but I still may miss things.

The night had been peaceful, but now the morning brought a new threat. 

Your eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the early morning light that filtered through the tent.

At first, you couldn't make out the voices outside, but as your senses came into focus, you realized that there was shouting coming from beyond the canvas walls of your shelter.

You sat up abruptly, your heart racing as you reached for the flap of the tent and pulled it aside. The cool air hit your face like a slap, and you gasped at the scene before you.

Arthur, Dutch, Javier, and all of the other guys stood in a circle with Micah in the center. Micah looked disheveled and dirty, but he held himself with a certain smugness that made your skin crawl.

Lenny glanced over and saw you peering out of your tent. 

He broke away from the group and walked towards you.  

"How you doin' girl?" he asked ushering you back into the tent. 

Lenny had always been protective of you and was always there to offer a comforting word, a reassuring smile or a gentle touch during trying times.  He was a loyal friend, and his presence was always a source of comfort.

Lenny tried guiding you back to your bed. " I don't think you need to see this sweetie," he said, his eyes filled with concern.

But you shook your head. You needed to know what was going on, even if it meant facing the man who had hurt you.

Arthur glanced over at you, his eyes softening for a moment before he turned back to Micah.

Micah barked out a laugh. "You think I'm afraid of you, boy?" he taunted. "I've taken down bigger and badder than you."

The tension in the air was palpable as the two men glared at each other, neither one backing down.

Dutch and Javier, who had been standing guard the entire night, stepped in closer to Arthur, anticipating any sudden movements from Micah.

But it wasn't just Micah's smugness that made you uneasy; it was the look in his eyes. There was something sinister lurking beneath his confident exterior, a darkness that sent a shiver down your spine.

"I told you what happened, Boss," Micah said with confidence to Dutch, all the while looking you in the eye.

It was as if he was daring you to prove him wrong, hoping you would crumble under the weight of his lies.

Arthur's hand moved towards the revolver at his side, and you could feel the tension in the air thicken. Dutch raised a hand to stop him, and Arthur looked at him, his eyes full of unspoken warning.

Dutch caught the look and stepped between them, speaking in a low voice. "Not here, not now." He turned to Micah, his eyes narrowing as he studied him.

Arthur reluctantly relented.  His green eyes flashed with anger and disappointment, but Dutch's command was clear. 

"What exactly did happen then, Micah?" Arthur asked through gritted teeth.

"I want to hear it from your lips."

Micah shrugged, his smugness never wavering. "I was out riding when I heard shouting and went to check it out. There she was," he said pointing towards you, "fighting off some prick. Like a gentleman and the man of honor that I am," he added smugly, "I stopped him and rescued her," pointing to me again.   "She even thanked me and clung to me for safety afterward." 

He looked me dead in the eye and smiled.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and the bile rose in my throat. I wanted to scream, to run, to hide. But I was frozen, unable to do anything but watch as he spun his web of lies.

"Then what?" Dutch asked, sounding less convinced than before.

Micah shrugged nonchalantly. "Then, I guess she was so scared and shaken up she took off running and I chased after her. She fell and hit her head on a rock. I had to help her back to the camp and that's when you saw us," he finished looking at me again with a grin that made me sick to my core.

Arthur clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. I could tell he was fighting against the urge to pummel Micah then and there.

"That's not how it happened!" I shouted, desperate to be heard and believed. "He attacked me! He's lying!"

But it seemed like no one heard me or maybe they just chose not to listen. I couldn't blame them, really. Micah had always been good at crafting lies, twisting stories in his favor. It was what made him so dangerous.

Micah had a way of spinning tales that made him seem like the hero, even when he was anything but. He knew how to play on people's fears and insecurities, making them question their own perception of reality.

But Arthur wasn't fooled. He could see the truth behind Micah's lies, and he wasn't going to let him get away with it any longer.

"Micah," he said, his voice dangerously low.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time. What happened out there with my girl?"

Micah sneered at Arthur, his eyes glittering with malice. "Fine, I'll tell you what you want to hear. I didn't attack your precious little whore. She came onto me, begging for a taste of this," he said, grabbing his crotch suggestively.

Arthur snapped, launching himself at Micah with a guttural growl.

The men around them jumped into action, trying to separate the two enraged men.

But in the chaos, Michel slipped out of their grasp and swung at Arthur, clocking him in the jaw and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Dutch grabbed Micah from behind, pulling him back as Javier restrained Arthur.

"You're done here," Dutch snarled in Micah's ear, his voice low and dangerous.

"You'd better start running, because if I ever lay eyes on you again, it'll be the last thing you see."

Micah smirked, but his confident facade cracked slightly. He knew he was outnumbered, and that he had pushed Arthur too far this time. Dutch let him go with a shove, and Micah stumbled backwards a few steps before turning on his heel and sauntering off into the trees.

The tension in the air dissipated as soon as Micah was out of sight, replaced by a quiet unease among the remaining members of the gang.

Arthur got up slowly, spitting a mouthful of blood on the ground and rubbing his sore jaw. His green eyes never left the spot where Micah had disappeared, his anger barely contained under the surface.

"Why'd you let him go?!" Arthur raged at Dutch.

"He can't get away with this. He has to pay for what he did to her."

Dutch rested a hand on Arthur's shoulder, attempting to calm him down. "We'll handle Micah when the time comes, but right now, we need to focus on looking after your girl."

Arthur nodded reluctantly, nodding towards your tent where you had been watching the altercation from the flap. You looked shaken, your eyes wide with fear and shock.

Arthur's face softened as he saw you, all his anger towards Micah momentarily forgotten. He strode over to you and pulled you into his arms, holding you close as if he could shelter you from all the terrors of the world.

"It's alright, sweetheart," he murmured into your hair, "I'm here now. Nothing's going to hurt you again."

At his words you broke. The tears began to flow, sobs shook your body.  Arthur's arms tightened around you, his chin resting on top of your head as he whispered soothing words. It was in moments like these that you truly felt cherished and protected by the ruggedly handsome outlaw cowboy.

"Arthur, everything he said was a lie," you cried. "What are the others going to think of me? Arthur, you have to believe me," your voice urgent and  pleading, your hands gripping the fabric of Arthur's shirt as if trying to hold on to the last bit of safety that you had left.

Arthur's jaw tightened, but he didn't release you. Instead, he pulled back and looked into your eyes. "I believe you," he said softly. "We all know Micah can't be trusted."

You breathed a sigh of relief at his words, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted off your shoulders. But just as quickly, that relief turned to guilt.

Guilt for putting everyone in this situation in the first place. Guilt for causing tension and division among the group. And guilt for allowing Micah's manipulations to get so far out of hand.

Arthur sensed your shift in emotions, and he gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. His green eyes searched yours, as if trying to communicate just how much he loved you in that instant. "None of this is your fault," he said softly, his voice firm with conviction.

"Micah is a master manipulator, and you were his target."

Dutch, Javier, and the rest of the men stood nearby, giving the two of you space while still keeping a close eye on the situation. They watched as Arthur pulled you closer, his hand reaching up to gently cup your cheek as he leaned in to press his lips to yours.

It was a kiss filled with passion and a promise of protection, the kind that only he could give.

The group looked on in silence, unsure of how to proceed. But despite the tension, there was an underlying sense of unity among them. They were a family, bound together through thick and thin - and they would stand behind Arthur in this moment, no matter what happened next.

Arthur broke the kiss, resting his forehead against yours as he wrapped his arms tightly around you. "I'll make sure he can never hurt you or anyone else again," he said, his voice low and serious.

You knew that Arthur meant every word, and it filled you with a sense of safety and belonging like no other. His loyalty and devotion towards you were unwavering, and you felt grateful to have him in your life.

Arthur released you then, taking your hand in his as he turned to face the group. "We need to talk about Micah," he said firmly.

Dutch nodded solemnly, his face etched with concern. "It's clear he's become a liability," he agreed.

"Not just that," Arthur interjected. "He needs to be stopped, before he can hurt anyone else."

Javier spoke up then, his voice calm and steady. "Perhaps it would be best if Micah were to meet with an unfortunate accident," he suggested. "One that could be traced back to him."

Arthur considered Javier's words for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"It's a harsh fate, but one that he's brought upon himself," he said solemnly.

"Everyone, listen up," Dutch announced.

"You all keep your eyes and ears open for any signs of Micah. You hear or see anything you let everyone know. It's hard to tell where he might've gone but I have a feeling he won't be far. He knows he can't outrun all of us, and I plan on making sure justice is served."

Arthur turned to you, "I need you to stay close to me from now on. I can't help but want to keep you near, protect you."

You smiled up at him, feeling grateful but also scared. You knew Micah was dangerous, and the thought of him lurking somewhere in the shadows was terrifying.

But you had faith that Arthur and the others would keep you safe.