#and the vet was like 'oh well we can- i mean older dogs can do fine on radiation it's pretty targeted'

[marmotsomsierost]

The old lady is home, high as shit and Grumpy At Everything.

The puppies are Greatly Concerned.

She has to skip two days of The Good Shit (gabapentin and trazodone) because the doc wants to be sure her wobblies and resistance to standing up are from being High As Fuck and hospital stress, so if she isn't at least upright and semi-mobile by then they want to know about it. Once she is upright and on steady ground she's walking with minimal assist for short distances.

[fandomnsfw]

The Perfect Man For Us - Derek Hale x Reader

Pairing: Derek Hale x singlemother!Reader

Prompt: The new one shot teen wolf series I’m working on.

Warnings: None really its just fluff and mentions of a rape that occurred but no details. I decided not to do smut for this one because I feel like I don’t do a lot of fluff and Derek deserve a nice fluffy love not just sex. 

ENJOY!!!

*******

You couldn’t breathe, your lungs felt like they were burning, but you couldn’t stop running. You heard them behind you shouting derogative names and loading their guns. You felt tears prick your eyes as you clung to your son, your arms never faltering. He was whimpering softly as he gripped your clothing for dear life.

“Mama.” He whispered shakily into your shoulder before he looked up at you his long tear covered lashes blinking heavily.

“I know my little love. Shhh.” You whisper as you kept running.

You paused your running to look down and check your son wasn’t injured. However, before you could feel relieved you felt a sharp pain in your side. Shit. The searing pain had you stumbling a little but you quickly regain your footing and began running again, knowing that your child was in danger gave you the boost of adrenaline you needed.

You’re unsure of how long it had been since you heard the hunters, or how long you’d been running while bleeding out but that was quickly the least of your worries when a big dark skinned man came into view his golden eyes glowing as you with a warning growl.

“P-Please…I-I don’t mean any harm. H-Hunters are coming.” You felt yourself getting drowsy but you tried to fight it.

“My baby.” You whimpered as you fell to your knees begin to buckle as you clutched your son tightly.

“Oh my god! Boyd stop growling at her she’s a fucking injured mother with a baby! We need to get her to Derek now!” A female said as she came out from the trees her blonde hair swaying softly as she ran towards us.

You didn’t have time to feel relieved or even scared because you didn’t know them because you fell into a foetal position clutching your son as everything went black.

*******

“This is going to take a couple of days to heal, even as a werewolf. She’s seriously malnourished and dehydrated her son is perfect though my guess is whatever food and drink she either found or got given she gave to this little boy.” A man’s voice stated your eyes refused to open but you could hear at least six heartbeats.

“Well obviously shed do that. She’s his mother.” A female voice responded sassily making you wish you could nod in agreement.

“How do you know it could be her brother?” A younger male voice stated with just as much sass.

“She said my baby as she passed out Isaac.” She huffed as she began moving around the room.

“Wh-Wheres my baby?” You spoke as you finally managed to open your eyes.

“He’s here. Don’t worry we gave him some milk and a snack then Boyd here put him down for a nap.” She young woman stated softly as she approached your bed.

“T-Thank you so much.” You whispered tearfully as you tried sitting up but the pain in your side stopped you immediately.

“No you need to rest we have him. What’s his name?” She asked softly as a slightly older man whose face was cuddled in stubble approached.  

“I’m Y/N and that is my son, Samuel.” You muttered between catching your breath from the pain.

“I’m Erica and this is Boyd, Isaac and this is our Alpha, Derek. Oh and that is our local vet Deaton.” She chuckled as she pointed to everyone.

“A vet? Is that a dog joke?” You snorted making the younger one’s chuckle.

“No he’s actually a vet but he used to be Derek’s mom’s emissary.” She laughed humorously making you nod with a smile.

“I see.” You glanced at the Alpha who had yet to speak as he stared down at you with a poker face.

“Well we have school but Derek here can get you anything you or Samuel need. Right Derek?” Erica said softly her eyes meeting her Alphas who just nodded gruffly.

He didn’t exactly seem thrilled to have you here but you took her word for it and squeezed her hand gratefully as she pointed to where Sam was laid down on a single mattress covered in blankets. You watched as the vet and the three young betas left, what looked like an old train depot.

Once they’d gone you glanced at the alpha who was making himself busy cleaning up take away boxes and other bits and bobs. You watched the way his muscles clenched around the henley that was rolled up his arms. He was handsome but that was the last thing on your mind as you stared at your baby.

“How come hunters were after you?” Derek spoke suddenly making you jump a little.

“T-There not normal hunters. They had me captive for a few years. Beating me, torturing me…r-raping me. I-I…” You paused staring at your hands as they began shaking, your tears threatening to spill over.

“W-When I was fifteen I had a girlfriend…she was older than me in her twenties. Turned out she was a hunter using me to find out when all my family would be in one house…She burnt my entire house to the ground. I was out and so was my oldest sister Laura but everyone else…they burnt.” He stated awkwardly like it wasn’t something he ever really spoke about but you nodded in understanding when the story rung a bell in your head.

“Are you talking about the Hale fire?” You suddenly asked making the alphas head spin towards you so fast your surprised it didn’t hurt.

“H-How?” He asked fearfully making you shake your head.

“There was a little girl…she was taken in by my pack just before I was taken…What was her name? Erm, it sounded a lot like Laura…oh yeah Cora.” You stated easily as the Alpha suddenly had tears in his eyes.

“C-Cora’s alive?” He whispered and then you realied she mustve been his younger sister.  

“She should still be with my old pack. The alpha is called Demetri.” You replied with a sad smile.

“T-Thank you. I will reach out soon.” He whispered with a small smile that had your heart clenching painfully.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. I don’t have a big pack but you’re welcome to join it and Samuel obviously.” His offer melted your heart which is why you grabbed his hand and looked him in the eye.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a big pack. It matters that you care. I would be honoured to join the newest Hale alpha.” You chuckled with a gentle smile that Derek returned as a little grunt came from across the room.

“M-Mama!” Sam cried as he shakily sat up looking around the room.

“I’m here baby.” You called over to him making his eyes meet yours but before he could take a step Derek was over there picking him up.

“He’s got no shoes on. He may be a wolf but he hasn’t shifted and I don’t want him to stand on anything dangerous.” Derek muttered as he placed your son on your lap as Sam stared at Derek with wide eyes.

“Hi my little love.” You whispered into his hair as he clung to you tightly.

“This is Derek.” You said as you pointed to the dark haired man.

“D-De…Dada?” He pouted in confusion making your eyes widen.

“N-No…De-Rik.” You said sounding out the word.

“Der.” He settled on making Derek laugh softly.

“That’s close enough.” He chuckled making you flush as you chose to ignore the fact that your son had called him dada.

“Bot bot.” He demanded with a cheeky smile.

“Does he want a bottle?” Derek asked with a raised brow.

“Yeah. S-Sorry I feel useless right now.” You whispered sadly making Derek shoot you a sympathetic smile.

“It’s fine I had Cora and another younger sibling called Sophie so I don’t mind. Does he need diapers or anything else?” Derek asked gently making sure you knew not to feel bad.

“Well…I used to use whatever they brought me so honestly I have no idea. I managed to escape when they started threatening to take him it’s amazing how much strength you can have when it comes to your pup.” You chuckled darkly making Derek nod.

“Okay well if you don’t mind I know a few people who might be able to help. Good people.” Derek stated softly as he took out his phone but waited for you to give the okay first. You gave him a nod which he returned before pressing the call button on his phone.

“What do you want Derek? I’m about to walk into school.” A young man’s voice said through the phone making you chuckle.

“I have a situation and I need your moms number.” Derek stated coolly his stoic attitude back.

“Why?” He huffed sassily.

“Because I need help buying baby stuff.” Suddenly you heard another voice join the call.

“Oh my god. Did you knock someone up!?”

“No Stiles. Jesus Christ just give me you moms number Scott!” Derek growled down the phone as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Fine. I’ve text it to you. So who’s bab-”

Derek hung up and you started laughing at the whole situation which made him crack a smile before he made another call to Scott’s mother. Who stated she would be there soon without much information. Derek seemed shocked by how quickly she agreed but gave a shrug and sat down next to you and Sam.

It wasn’t long before a pretty older woman with curly hair peeked into the depot before finally spotting Derek. She seemed slightly nervous but Derek gave her an awkward smile which she returned as she moved down the stairs towards you, Sam and Derek.

“Hi, I’m Melissa, Scotts mom. I’m also a nurse.” She introduced herself with a motherly mile that made you trust her instantly.

“I’m Y/N this is my son Samuel.” You replied.

“She had Samuel in the captivity of hunters so he’s not really had the normal stuff that baby’s get and stuff. I-I need help doing some shopping for him.” Derek said calmly as he flushed a little.

“Do you know around how old he is?” Melissa asked softly her face full of sympathy.

“He’s 692 days old. I tallied them on the wall of my cell and plus they 2 days I was running so 694.” You responded easily as Sam looked at Melissa curiously.

“Okay so about 22 months. So you’re almost two! How’s his development?” Melissa asked softly as she smiled down at your son.

“He walks good, he can talk a little, only small stuff not full sentences but he likes to copy words. He eats really well and he has most of his teeth except the last 4.” You stated as you looked down at him.

“That’s pretty much on point with most babies his age. I would like to have him weighed and get him registered at the hospital I work at so he’ll get the check-ups he needs. I’d buy him a few 24-month stuff but most stuff we should get in 2T cos he’ll always grow but he won’t shrink.” She chuckled at her own comment which also had you laughing.

“I-I don’t have any money though…” You whispered with a flushed face.

“Don’t worry about that. I have money.” Derek stated simply as he began putting on his leather jacket.

“Maybe you should think about getting a house with said money.” Melissa snorted making Derek roll his eyes as he tried to hide his smirk.

“Offering to help with that too Melissa?” He joked making her eyes widen before she started laughing.

“Yeah why not. We’ll pop down to the real estate office and have a look at what there is. Then we’ll go shopping for this little cutie.” She said as she bopped your sons nose making him giggle.

*******

“Y/N? Where’s Derek and Sam?” Isaac’s voice rang out dragging you attention from the book Derek had given you.

“They went shopping with Melissa.” You said with a small smile as Erica ran downstairs to give you a hug.

"How long have they been gone?” Erica asked with a frown.

“Since about 11am. So 4 hours.” You pondered as you realised they’d been gone a while.

“What’s he buying a fucking store?” Erica snorted as she picked up the book you’d put down.

“They said something about real estate too.” You added with a small smile.

“Hmm interesting.” Boyd muttered as he flopped down onto a worn out broken couch.

It wasn’t long before you were chatting away happily with the beta’s and lost track of time completely until finally Derek and Melissa came through the entry and down the stairs two boys following her carrying so man bags your eyes almost popped out your skull.

Derek was carrying Sam as Melissa instructed the boys the put the bags in the corner. Derek put him down on the ground and Sam ran up to you. He was in a pair of acid wash jeans, a white t-shirt, doc martens and a little leather jacket. Your eyes widened as Derek seemed to flush from all they looks he was getting.

“Like Der mama.” He giggled as he pointed to his jacket and boots.

“Yes you have clothes like Derek! You look so cute!” You giggled as he snuggled up to you with a grin.

“I bought furniture but I had it delivered to the property I bought. It’ll be delivered tomorrow after I collect the keys.” Derek muttered shyly as he scratched the back of his head.

“You bought a house!?” Everyone shouted at the same time.

“Well w-we couldn’t have the pack living here all the time. We have a baby in the pack now.” He responded with a small warning growl daring them to say anything.

“Sourwolf’s gone soft.” A young man whispered making Derek rolls his eyes.

“Shut up Stiles.” Derek growled flashing his eyes at the young man who was wearing a red plaid shirt with a black t-shirt underneath and a pair of jeans and sneakers.

“So this is the whole pack? You’re Stiles and Scott?” You asked trying to ease the teasing Derek was clearly going to get.

“Yeah I was turned by Derek’s uncle when he went feral after the fire. This is Stiles he’s human but my best friend so honorary pack member by default.” Scott stated making Stiles glare at his friends.

“Stiles is the pack researcher. Not just Scott best buddie.” Derek huffed with an eye roll.

“I see. So he’s basically like an emissary just not learnt about the magic stuff yet?” You chuckled as Stiles seemed shocked by Derek’s words.

“Am I?” Stiles seemed wide eyed and confused which you thought was adorable.

“Yeah sort of. Emissary’s jobs are to help advise the pack and give them information they need the make the decisions.” Derek informed the teen gruffly.

“Oh. Well thanks sourwolf! Didn’t know you even liked me.” He snorted as he wiped a fake tear from his eye dramatically.

“Der!” Sam shouted making everyone look at the little boy in your arms.

“What?” Derek asked softly with a small smile.

“Mama stuff!” He shouted making you frown as Derek seemed to understand what he meant and grabbed two bags.

“Melissa bought you some clothes.” He mumbled with a small flush on his stoic face as he passed you the two bags.

“No Derek bought them I just picked them.” She chuckled with an affectionate eye roll.

“O-Oh thank you so much. Wow these are so pretty.” You said softly as you looked through them.

“I always wanted a daughter.” Melissa whispered playfully making her son shout in protest.

“You guys have been generous…I don’t know how to thank you.” You whispered with a sad smile making them smile back towards you.

“You’re pack now. We look out for each other.” Erica stated as she pulled you into a hug.

This is yours and Sam’s pack now and you couldn’t be happier.

******

“Sammie don’t bother Derek he’s sleeping!” You shouted as he ran away from you down the hall towards the Alpha’s room. Jeez when did he get so fast.

He barged into Derek’s room with grin on his face as he ran and dived onto the mans bed. Derek opened his eyes, giving your son a smile as he hugged him close. The whole scene melted your heart, your new feelings for Derek getting harder to ignore the more time you spend with the man.

His dark stubble was as perfect as ever as your son kissed his cheek making you wish you could do the same. He was shirtless so you tried not to focus on his abs that had dark hair littered around his pecks and the line of it leading to his…no bad Y/n stop staring, you thought with a flush.

Derek finally looked towards you and took in your outfit his eyes seemed to soften even more as he patted the bed urging you to sit. You did so carefully as not to get too close but when he touched your arm you leaned into it subconsciously.

“You look pretty today. What’s the occasion?” He asked as he stared down at your fluttery summer dress.

The dress was black with peachy pink flowers on it. It was a layered hem that reminded you of fairy dresses with small thin spaghetti straps and ‘v’ shaped neck line. You had on a pair of flat black sandals that wrapped around your ankle, a cute pair of sunglasses Erica bought you and your makeup consisted of peachy pink smoky eye and nude pink lipstick. Your hair was curled and half pined back into a bow made with your own hair which you thought looked cute.

“The girls are getting their nails done today for the dance tomorrow so I thought I’d tag along. The sheriff offered to watch Sam so I thought why not.” You chuckled softly making him frown a little which confused you.

“You should get yours done too.” Derek muttered with the small frown still on his face.

“I don’t have money Derek we’ve been over this. Once Sammy’s in kindergarten I will be getting a job then I can have luxuries. It bad enough you feed us, give us clothes and a house to live in that’s more than enough.” You stated awkwardly making his frown deepen.

“You understand I own 2 hotels, have over 13 million in the bank and a job in construction.” He stated with a raised brow which honestly shocked you. You knew he didn’t seem to struggle even feeding the whole pack but you didn’t know he was that loaded.

“You offering to be my sugar daddy Derek?” You joked making him flush as he avoided all eye contact.

“Dada Der!” Sam shouted and you suddenly realised your son was still sat in the room.

“Crap.” You snorted as Derek started laughing whole heartedly.

“No honey mama was joking.” You tried but Sam just frowned at you and clung to Derek sending oyu a glare.

“Dada.” He whispered in a sad tone that made your heart clench painfully.

“Honey you can’t ca-”

“I don’t mind. I don’t want him to feel like he did something wrong.” Derek interrupted you making your eyes widen.

“Are you sure?” You asked with a small frown on your face.

“Yeah he’ll probably forget about it later anyway.” He stated softly as he leaned over to grab his wallet. He pulled out a card and passed it to you with a small smile.

“This is for you. Use it whenever you want. If you or Sam need or want anything don’t hesitate okay? You’re basically pack mom at this point so that’s more than enough of a job. In fact, I think pack moms have the hardest job especially with as many teens there is.” He chuckled his words made you flush slightly but you nodded in acceptance.

“T-Thank you.” You whispered shyly as you took the card, your hand brushing against his causing a shiver to pass through you.

“I can hear the girls are here. You go I’ll watch Sam until Noah gets here.” He chucked as his hand came down to stroke the back of your hair affectionately.

By the time you go downstairs you blush was still full force as you thought about how Derek’s hands felt on the back of your hair and when he touched your hand. You were so focused on that, you didn’t see the girls staring at you with a smirk.

“Did Derek finally make a move?” Erica chuckled making you flush even more.

“N-No he doesn’t like me like that…” You whispered your tone turning a little sad.

“You’re just as blind as he is.” Lydia huffed as she rolled her eyes making Allison laugh.

“I-I am not!” You huffed rather childishly for the mother of a two year old.

“Whatever let’s go. I need to grab some new lingerie too.” Erica chuckled as Lydia took out her car keys with a smirk.

*****

You glared at the girls with a warning to not start once you were inside the house which they listened even if they did give you attitude. You took the small bag out the car only to turn around and see Derek stood at the door, leaning against the frame. His arms bugling as they crossed over his chest. God that shouldn’t be legal.

“Yet it is.” Allison whispered playfully making you realised you said that out loud.

As you approached the door Noah was also pulling up with Stiles and Sam getting out the back of the car. Stiles put him down and you bent down to give him a hug but he ran straight past you and straight towards to open front door.

“DADA!” He shouted as he launched at Derek causing his eyes to widen as he looked at the reaction of the pack and you.

“Well that’s just rude. You know I’m the one that carried you for 9 months and pushed you out right?” You huffed childishly as you tried to act like what had just happened was normal.

“Oh that makes sense! He’s been chatting my ear off about how dada is this and dada does that and I had no idea what he was talking about.” Stiles snorted as he scratched the back of his head.

“Yeah nice plan Der. What was it you said? He’ll probably forget about it later.” You mocked playfully making him roll his eyes with a smirk.

“You’re just salty cos he came to his daddy first.” Derek mocked his smirk still firmly in place.

His words shocked you enough to have your eyes widen as everyone seemed to realise there was a conversation that was due and everyone took there leave. You walked into the house past Derek as you placed your bag on the table in the entry way before turning to Derek as Sam ran off to play with his many toys from the pack he got for his birthday last week.

“I-I…Would you like to go on a date tomorrow maybe?” Derek stuttered awkwardly making you smile gently at him.

“I-I would really like that.” You responded shyly, looking up at him through your lashes.

“Great.” Derek responded with a full smile that showed off his cute bunny like teeth.

******

You stood in front of the mirror staring at the outfit you’d picked out with Melissa’s help, she was currently moving around you fixing up your hair, straightening sections as she went. Your knee started bouncing anxiously as you started over thinking everything. What if Derek only asked you out because her son was calling him ‘dada’? What if he realised later on he didn’t like you then you’d be stuck living with an ex? God what were you doing?

“Stop it. You guys are perfect for each other. You know when I was on my way to your room I went past Derek’s room and he was throwing his clothes everywhere huffing about how he had nothing to wear.” She laughed softly her words making you smile softly with a light flush settling on your cheeks.

“Thank you Melissa.” You whispered gratefully making you smile her usual motherly smile.

“I know it’s all a little backwards for you guys seeing as how Sammy is calling him Daddy but not everything has to fit society’s standards. As a mother you chose to put your son first and that’s amazing but us mothers deserve some fun time too.” She whispered playfully her eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

“Maybe you should consider the handsome sheriff for your fun time unless you already enjoy fun time with our dear sheriff?” You suggested with a smirk on your face making her roll her eyes.

“Do not say anything to those two. You know what there like. They already see each other as brothers I don’t need their input on our ‘fun time’.” She snorted softly making you grin up at her.

You finally finished getting ready and made your way down the stairs where Derek was already waiting, with a crisp white shirt, a fitted suit jacket and slim fit slacks with matching black shiny shoes. His first few buttons were undone leaving you flushing at how sexy he looked however he seemed to return the sentiment as he took in your outfit.

You had on a black long sleeved sleek dress that almost touched the floor, a slit in the side that reached just reach mid-thigh, a pair of nude heels and a black clutch to go with it. Your makeup was flawless thanks to Lydia earlier in the evening a nude like a nude smoky eye.

“Wow.” He said with wide eyes as you came to the bottom of the curved staircase.

“D-Do you mind if we take a picture? I have started making a s-scrap book and I wanted to put a picture of our f-first date in it.” You asked shyly as you held up your phone.

“Yeah I mean I haven’t taken a picture since before the fire so I’m not sure if I’m very photogenic.” He chuckled softly.

“You own a mirror right?” You snorted playfully as you stood close to him, dragging him towards the full length mirror in the entry way.

“How do you…” He paused and looked down at you awkwardly.

You knew he was feeling awkward so you decided to take the initiative and pull him toward you by his belt loops. You moved his right arm around your waist as you pushed yourself as close as possible. You stared into his eyes before turning to the mirror and taking the picture, you placed a soft kiss on his cheek before pulling away.

You held up the phone to show him the picture which made his eyes widen as he stared at it for a minute before speaking up.

“C-Can I have a copy of this?” He asked shyly making you smile happily.

“Of course. I’ll send it to you when we get home.” You replied softly.

******

“But did she even know the guy?” Derek asked with a carefree laugh.

“No but he played along and last I heard they were still together!” You laughed behind your glass of red wine.

“Wow. That’s hilarious.” Derek snorted as he set down his glass of water.

“I’m sorry Mr Hale we’re about to close.” The restaurant manager stated gently his smile polite.

“Oh I had no idea it was that late sorry. Thank you Gregory.” Derek chuckled softly as he stood up and held his hand out for you.

“It’s no problem Mr Hale. I had Jeff pack some more of that chocolate tart for you and your date.” He whispered playfully making Derek laugh as he patted the older man’s back affectionately.

Once you collected your desert, you both began making your way outside, your arm in Derek’s as he escorted you to the passenger side of the Camaro. He held open the door like the gentlemen he was as offered you his hand to help you into your seat. You slid into it gracefully before he closed the door and made his way round to the drivers side.

“This didn’t feel like a first date.” You suddenly blurted out making him frown like he’d done something wrong and was trying to figure out what.

“N-No I don’t mean that in a bad way…I mean its feels more like a married couple having their weekly date night…it was comfortable and it felt natural like we’d doing it our whole lives.” You rambled making him smile so wide your surprised it didn’t hurt.

“I know what you mean. It just felt right.” He chuckled as he took your hand in his.

“Well then you don’t mind if I kiss you right now then?” Derek added making you giggle softly as you leaned in.

“I thought you’d never offer Mr Hale.” You sassed back playfully making him shoot you another grin before he leaned in.

His lips were soft against yours as he kissed you like he meant it. You could feel all his emotions pouring into that one moment making your heart clench with utter happiness. His hand came up to cup your cheek as he dragged you into his lap sideways, your legs still draped of the console. You clutched to the open collar of his shirt clinging for dear life as his tongue brush against yours.

You’d never felt like this before with anyone but that’s what made it so perfect because no one could compare to this man.

“I need you to take me home Der.” You whispered against his lips seductively, your thighs clenching as he pulled away, his eyes half lid and filled with lust.

He didn’t say anything just gave you a no and helped your back over to your seat waiting for you to clip in before her set of silently his free hand resting on your upper thigh. You didn’t care about how sleeping with a man on the first date was bad taste because this man was already a father to your son so why should you care about what was ‘normal’.

Once you got home you barely managed to get out the car as Derek threw you over his shoulder like the caveman he was but you just giggled at his antics.

“This does not feel very gentlemanly Mr Hale.” You teased as you clung to the material of his suit.

“Well what we’re about to do doesn’t require a gentleman does it my love?” He chuckled darkly his hand coming down to playfully smack your ass.

You knew at that moment this man couldn’t be more perfect for you.

He was even the perfect father for your son and you both knew it.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Ending the Year FINE & simple

Dec 2022 Wk 4

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) 3 of 12 - Butler Dad (v.2) is going to be a problem, I can tell. Chimon is a cute, if suspicious, flirt. Palm, on the other hand, is the gentlest flirt imaginable. He wants spoiled prince + attack dog dynamic so bad. As, indeed, do I. 

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 8 of 12 - still enjoying it very much, annoyed by filler couples, WATCH ALONG HERE.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 6 of 11 - Oh, I see! The Mint storyline is to give more characters motivation to murder Dew. It’s all set up. How clumsy. Meanwhile, we got a confession right on schedule, classic romance beats. 

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 7 of 12 - Whatever. 

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 12 of 14 - Honestly? I’d DNF this show but its almost done and I've watched 12 already. Sunk cost fallacy in action. I’m not going to make this mistake with this production house again. JaFirst cry well, but I’m vetting and binging these in future.  

My School President (Fri YT) 5 of 10 - no ep this week, resumes Jan 6

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) 2 of 8 - It’s giving me life, this one. Pining boss. Drunk lesbian bestie of awesome. Plus gay player (former college heartthrob) is a fun background for the faen fatal, not to mention rainbow rice cakes. COME ON. RAINBOW RICE CAKES! 

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Thurs Viki) 1 of 20 - A cheerful kid from 1999 travels to 2022, works as a deliveryman, and meets an heir with a domineering personality. Directed by Nancy Chen (HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy). The time travel premise is interesting, the leads are giving me whipping boy vibes, but I don’t like seme’s stalker energy. It feels very HIStory franchise which means it could go any direction but sensible and I’m expecting problematic tropes. However! The sides are GREAT - they’re an office romance boss/intern relationship. And this is 20 full episodes so we will get plenty of them. Also, is that Taiwan I see giving us a femme character? I am all amazement. I think I like this show, actually. (Note; will be referring to this as H5 going forward.) 

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 5-6 of 10 - Is there a not very small part of me that wishes this were a love story between the earnest assistant baby boi, and the older anxiety-riddled rockstar? Yes. Although I did not expect Korea to go there with the lipstick mark AND an actually gay idol. What alternate reality are we currently living in? Also, is every character in this show slightly insane? Yes. Is every actor in this show slightly too pretty for my emotional well-being? Also, yes. Bring it on 2023. 

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) 3 of 8 - I think I just don’t like the photographer character much (although he’s very typically Japanese tsundere seme). Really quite a good kiss though, for Japan. On the flip side, it was nice to see the reporter being good at his job (competency porn is a very underused trope in BL). Then we get confession, immediate retraction, and a disbelief counter attack. Then more kisses. Huh. This isn’t progressing how I expect. And that’s kinda nice too. Oh Japan, you so cute & trixie. 

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on with them. I’ll wait and binge.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) 10 eps - it seems to be good but I don’t know about the ending with that kind of title, so I’m waiting.

Moonlight Chicken GMMTV’s Midnight series (Weds YT) 1 of 8 eventually - first segment has begun bit it’s not the EarthMix messy gays. Sorry all, I’m so not interested in messy hets, so I’m waiting until they grace my screen.

In Case You Missed It

Coffee Melody special feat TitNuea & Jean like it’s counterpart was rather dull, but I find this a more appealing couple than the mains so I liked it better. 

Moments Of Love - featuring SmartJames AKA LeonPhob from Don't Say No) from Foremorfilm Production supposedly aired Dec 24 directed by Golf Tanwarin (609 Bedtime Story and The Eclipse). But it has no rating on MDL so I guess not? 

Next Week Looks Like This:

2023 forthcoming BL master post is in the works... wait for it... I’m doing all the 2022 wrap ups first. Also waiting for the last of the studio announcements. 

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Mujigae-tteok (Korean rainbow rice cake) - a new item has entered my never ending food quest list. 

OhmFluke do domesticity well, gotta give them that. 

Quick end of year thoughts on 2022 BL & the future of these weekly posts: 

Honestly? Overall it’s been a fine year for BL with some good shows & and some ho shows, and also a lot of dross. But the most notable aspect was the overwhelming quantity to keep up with. My work world is opening back up with tons of travel. This plus my recent revelation that I actually prefer binge watching (especially the lower quality stuff) means that I can’t keep up with BL if it keeps up this insane pace. 

So in 2023 you can expect me to try to keep these weeklies updated with what’s airing, of course, but also pull back on how many I personally watch and summate. 

In 2022, BL sort of became my 2nd job, and it doesn't pay well enough for that.

All that said I think... 

2023 is going to be GOOD for BL. Happy new year! 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? I’ve been in a “beastly” mood recently so it’s Lee Gikwang’s (Beast, Highlight) Don’t Close Your Eyes. I forgot how fucking banging that opening rift is. Thank you Kpop gods for putting the 2nd gens through the ever eternal slut phase. 

Now just put them all though a BL phase and we’re golden. Yes, I am thinking of Unintentional Love Story (Gongchan B1A4), why do you ask? 

[samwisethewitch]

Look for a nondiscrimination statement. This should be easy to find on the group's website, Facebook page, Discord server rules, or whatever else they have. It should clearly state that the group will not tolerate discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, or any other marker of identity. A nondiscrimination statement is kind of the bare minimum for creating a safe space, so if a group doesn't have one they are not worth your time.

Check their affiliations and make sure they aren't affiliated with known hate groups. In a Heathen context, this would mean making sure the group isn't associated with the AFA and other volkish groups, for example. In a more feminist spirituality, goddess worship-y space, you'd want to make sure they aren't affiliated with TERFs. Stuff like that.

Look at their stated beliefs. Most pagan groups in big cities do classes, and even if they don't they should be willing to give you book recommendations if you ask. Then you can vet those sources the same way you'd vet any pagan resource, and decide if it's something you're comfortable being a part of.

If none of the previous steps have raised any red flags, attend one of their public events. See what it has to offer and pay attention to how it makes you feel. Be on the lookout for dog whistles, but also keep in mind that even if every person at the event is white, that may have less to do with the group's political values and more to do with the fact that paganism in America has almost exclusively been marketed to white people until very recently.

Another thing that is less of a red flag and more of a personal preference thing is "no politics" rules. I see these in designated pagan spaces a lot, and it's a huge turnoff for me personally. I do think most of these rules come from a place of wanting to create a safe space, but they end up supporting the status quo. And if you belong to a group the status quo is unkind to, it can be really discouraging. In more insidious cases, the "no politics" rule can be used to police how marginalized people express themselves. Again, not an automatic deal breaker, but not a good sign either.

One other thing I would say is to be patient with people who have good intentions but maybe aren't as far on their antiracist journey as you are. (Especially if a group has a lot of members who are a little older.) Meaning well but still having some work to do is not the same as being an out and proud white supremacist. Someone may genuinely be trying and still mess up, and that doesn't mean they and their group are bad or that you should never go to another meeting. Obviously, if you don't feel safe in a group you should leave immediately, but I'm talking more about the "I don't see color" and "we are all the Goddess's children" people here. If people are genuinely trying to do better but just aren't there yet, be patient with them.

Oh! This is a very new-to-me phenomenon so I don't have much to say on it yet, but I've recently seen a lot more groups self-identifying as progressive in their marketing. ("Progressive Wicca" is one I've seen a lot in my area, and I have to admit I'm intrigued!) That might be something to look for.

And if you're interested in creating antiracist pagan spaces or in making the spaces you're in safer for people of color, I highly, highly, highly recommend the book Bringing Race to the Table edited by Crystal Blanton, Taylor Ellwood, and Brandy Williams. It explicitly examines racism and racial biases in paganism.

Probably less of a question for you and more a question for followers.

But I just moved to a new area that has pretty diverse racial demographics. Looking through the local pagan groups online, I'm seeing a sea of white, though. Given how white I look, I'm not sure that even going to events would give me an idea of whether or not they're racist prior to getting involved.

I'd love some suggestions on how to go about finding a safe group. (As a non-black individual, I'm not comfortable imposing other spaces so just looking for black pagan groups wouldn't work sadly)

Followers, any advice?

[mayaflowerxs]

STRAYKIDS AS PETS

(Hyung Line)

Pairing: skz x reader (gender neutral)

Warnings: fluff. Lots of cute moments.

Synopsis: How you and skz member meet and how it’s been going ever since. (Only dogs or cats as pets)

Chan:

Definitely a Golden retriever. You found Chan late at night, you and your ex boyfriend had gotten into a massive fight and you ran out the house to get a fresh breath of air. While you were walking, the sun had gone down and you ended up at the park. No longer feeling safe to stay out, you also didn’t want to go back to your ex’s place. As you bring your phone out to call your best friend, you kept looking around. Goosebumps trailing up your arm as the chilly wind blew by you. “Hey y/bsf/n, Me and him got in a fight again. I’m at the park and it’s really dark, come pick me up please?” While you were on the phone, you hadn’t realized the Golden dog start approaching you from behind. He had smelled you the second you stepped foot onto the premises. He’s been eating the scraps the kids leave by the tables. Seeing & smelling you intrigued him and he couldn’t help but want to get near you. “Thank you so much! Alright see you then.” As you hanged up, it had started to get pitched black, only the distant light of your neighborhood can be seen.

As you go to turn on the flash, it had flashed onto Chan. Squealing you fall off the bench and flat on your butt. Wincing as the sharp rocks scraped your palm. Chan immediately whines as he didn’t mean to hurt and scare you. With his nose, he nudged your palm for you to open it. Wanting to see how bad your injury was. “It’s alright buddy, see? No blood.” Chan breathes out, the sudden worry slowly dissolving. “You’re pretty cute.” You say as you go to pat his head. Chan couldn’t help but wag his tail, immediately feeling a strong connection between you and him. You knew you couldn’t leave Chan there and when there was no tag you knew you had to take him home. When your best friend came to pick you up, you guys went to the vet which was pretty hard since most of the ones near you were closed. No chip. Chan panicked when you put him back inside the car and started going to the route your best friend takes to get to her place. Not realizing that it was also the route the pound ends up at. Chan felt a strong wave of ptsd washing in and started whining. Barking and scratching the door. “What’s wrong buddy?” Howling as he nuzzled his nose in your neck, in a way begging you not to take him to the pound. That never happened. Now a year later you were in your small apartment with Chan. His bright blue diamond collar around him with his name shined brightly on it. Absolutely loves the time he has spent with you. Everyday is a blessing for him, he’s the comfort you always needed. When you wake up, he immediately gets up as well. When you go to work, he walks you to the door. Looking through the window until you drive out of your parking spot. Spotting you even when you guys are on the third floor. Making sure to park somewhere in his view, the last time you didn’t. You got a complaint about a barking dog 5 minutes after you drove off. When you’re sick, he uses his body heat to keep you warm. When you sleep he makes sure to not make as much noise to not wake you. 250/10 best boy.

Minho:

He’d be a Siamese cat. Now, now. Minho was actually a stray when you found him. His mother got killed by a coyote and his siblings were caught in a fire. He was the only one who survived and he was pretty traumatized, he was always wary with his surroundings and anyone really. Never trusted anyone or anything. When a pack of dogs started chasing him, usually he would fend for himself but given that he was outnumbered and had little to no energy. He used all that he had to run to the nearest house. Fitting himself through the small fence hole as the dogs barked at him. Baring their teeth at him, running inside the small vent the house had that led under the house. Staying there until he was sure no dogs were around. Feeling so tired, he had fallen asleep. He woke up when the slam of a car door was in his ear shot. Smelling the scent of chicken, he peaked his head out and saw you holding a bag of KFC, (if you don’t eat chicken or like KFC then imagine something else haha) His stomach grumbled as he licked his lips.

It’s been almost two days since the last time he had eaten. The rats he had caught had diseases and he really didn’t want to deal with infected rats much less, eat them. As you enter your house, you were engulfed by the hot heat pent up in your house. Opening the windows to let out the hot air and in the cool air, Minho slowly crawled out of his hideout. Peaking his head out to see inside your house. Instantly spotting the bag filled with the delicious chicken he craved dearly. He had a plan, while you were in the room. He’d go in, grab a wing and rush out. But it only backfired when he got in and got carried away by the great smell of the food. Not realizing you had closed the door and windows once cool air got in. Making your way over to the kitchen. Not even hearing your footsteps, he jumps when he hears your voice. Dropping the chicken in his mouth. “Uh...hi.” He hisses at you. Your guys first interaction was a mess. He hissed and threw his paw (with claws out & everything) at you. When you let him out, he quickly ran out. Running until he wasn’t near the house anymore. When he came to a stop, he felt this lonesome feeling in the pit of his stomach. The soft voice of yours ringing in his ear. He felt bad, you were being nothing but nice but he returned your niceness with hisses and scratches. By the next morning, you open your door to get your mail when you see him sleeping on your patio. After 5 months, he was officially named Minho. His grey collar around his neck with your address imprinted on it. Spending most of his time annoying the heck out of you. But you still love him. Sometimes his tree tower gets boring so he results in napping on your lap. When you’re not home he looks out the window. Smirking at the dogs who previously chased him. They’re the same stray dogs running around like wild animals while he had a home. He has amazing food, his water is always cleaned along with a litter box how cool is that?! And he has the best human to love him even when he was cold hearted to them at first. He really was glad that piece of chicken brought him a great home and human.

Changbin:

He’s a Rottweiler for sure. He met you at a dog park, his owner was a 7 year old girl. Terrible owner, she was in a family of seven. Four siblings who were very irresponsible and very ignorant. Poor parents, they were too nice which the kids took advantage of. While the youngest of the family was busy brushing Changbin’s thin fur very aggressively, he looked out to the other dogs. Wishing he was running around freely, ironic how they came to the dog park so he can run around freely and yet he still feels the same way as he always does when he’s back at home, encaged. Trapped. As he was looking at the other dogs, he saw one in particular walk in. Jumping in excitement as it’s tail wagged and looked up at its owner. When looking in the direction the dog was staring at. He froze in his spot. The most beautiful human stood there. As if an angel had appeared before him. Like his inner wild animal had just screamed, ‘MINE’ you really were one of a kind. He didn’t know what to do, but what he did know is that if anyone was going to keep wasting more of his time, it definitely would be you. The little girl got distracted when her mother had called her name. Using this distraction, he got up and jogged his way over. The male dog you came with had ran off in joy. As you were sat on the bench and smiling as Seungmin had joined his usually park pal, Felix. You didn’t realize Changbin had made his way over to you until he sat down in front of you.

“Oh! Hello there! Aren’t you a cutie?” You say as you scratch his chin. Changbin felt his heart flutter, getting up from his spot as he got closer to you. Nuzzling his head over your legs. He didn’t know what came over him, it was wrong. Especially when the human he felt so fondly of already had a pet. Changbin smelled the scent Seungmin left on you, he did all that he can to not growl at the thought of another dog scenting you. He knew that if Seungmin were to find out he would definitely not react nicely to a random dog scenting his human. But he couldn’t stop himself, he wanted you. He wanted to go home with you. Heck, he wanted to befriend Seungmin as well and become one big family. One could only imagine. But things did go for the better. Changbin spent most of his time with you and when you had to leave. You saw the family that pertained to Changbin. Seeing how annoyed the older kids looked and how much the parents weren’t doing anything to keep them from giving attitudes to the dogs that ran past them. You had enough when you saw the girl start tugging on Changbin’s collar practically choking him. Hearing his whines broke your heart. Walking over you got the attention of the parents. “That’s no way to let your daughter treat your dog like that. Don’t you see how much he’s hurting?” The parents already looked frustrated enough that their kids were being brats. The youngest started throwing a fit about how she can’t do anything right. Finally the father had enough and exploded. “You guys are all ungrateful! If this is how you guys are with him then you guys don’t deserve him.” Grabbing his lease and clipping it on his collar he walks over and hands it to you. “Keep him, please. He already looks happier with you, I know you’ll do a better job than we can ever do.” Walking off with his family. You stood there bewildered. Mouth agape, but to Changbin he was thrilled. Tail wagging as his mouth was wide, tongue out in content. Looking up at you with adoration. In the distance, Seungmin and Felix looked at the scene before them. A confused Min wondering what the hell had happened. Adjusting was a bit difficult for Changbin. Don’t get me wrong he loved every second with you but because he scented you over the scent Seungmin left on you. He didn’t exactly have a nice bond with Min. He couldn’t be in the same place as Min without him huffing and walking away. Over time, they had gotten closer. Getting used to the fact that they were now sharing their beloved human. Having the same interests, hobbies, and the number one common thing they shared of them all. The love they have for you. Very protective boy. Now when you guys go back to the dog park, he also befriended Felix. But after a while, he runs back to you and sits by your side. Glaring at any dog who dares get a bit too close to you. Nudging your leg when you scold him for being mean to the other dogs. Looking up at you with puppy eyes as a way for you to forgive him. You can’t resist his eyes and blow a kiss at him as you coo at his adorable self. ‘My human’ he thinks. The flutter in his heart still present.

Hyunjin:

He would be a Norwegian Forest Cat. In all honesty, Hyunjin hated your guts. He didn’t know why. Well actually he did. You see he was your grandmother’s baby boy. He was like her child and let’s just say he was SPOILED. You and your family are pretty wealthy. Most of your cousins grew up to be brats and think just because they have money they get to act however they wanted. Your mother although didn’t want anything to do with the family. Ashamed at how her siblings acted and how that affected their kids. The only family member she kept in touch was your grandmother who she loved dearly. Hyunjin had to face your cousins countless of times. They were either brats and hated his presence or wanted to break and shred his bubble and hug the daylights out of him. Either way, they never treated him properly. All the pampering the maids gave him each morning which was brush his hair, put him his nice outfit for the day. Give him a message and more, all went out the window once your cousins came to treat his relaxing day a living hell. So when you came to visit he only assumed you to be just like them. But your grandmother had fallen very ill. So he couldn’t worry too much about your presence, his only concern was his mama. That was until she passed away. He was devastated when he woke up and she didn’t. And if things couldn’t get worse, the day you visited was the day your grandmother had you promise to take care of her little Jinnie for her. You couldn’t say no to her.

But you were running out of ways to get Hyunjin to like you. Or to at least not to scratch the soul out of you. Not only was he grieving for your grandmother but he had to put up with what he thought was one of the many annoying bratty grand children. In the end, you gave up in making amends with him so you kept your distance. You couldn’t give him up and even if he hated you, you made a promise and you were going to stick to it. You tried to stay out of his way most of the time. Waking up early before he did, you cleaned his water and gave him his food. The fancy kind because your grandmother believed a ‘good’ boy like him deserved more than regular dry food. The money your grandmother had left, was given to you and a portion to Hyunjin as well. It was enough to not have you work for the rest of your life but that wasn’t you. You didn’t want to stop doing what you wanted to pursue simply because of money. You still wanted to go out and do what you loved. So yeah, you kept busy. And when you got a promotion, you had less time spent at home. Hyunjin should’ve been glad. Well, he was. That was until he heard you outside. Peaking through the window he saw you crouched down. Helping a stray cat who pretended to look very ill. Cooing at them, you fed them the last bit of your lunch. Rubbing their back as they purred. He couldn’t help but feel jealous. Why were you petting some random cat and not him? You were barely home and now that you are, all the attention is onto a damn cat that doesn’t live here. He knows it was wrong to think this way but he couldn’t help it. You weren’t the annoying brat he thought you were. You were this sweet angel that did nothing but try to make him feel as safe and comfortable as possible. When you entered the house, he felt himself frown when you completely ignored him standing by the door. You didn’t realize this but for the remainder of the day, wherever you went he sorta trailed behind you. Still keeping a distance. When you laid down on your bed, you heard his little meow just as he jumped on the bed. You stopped whatever you were doing and looked at him. Waiting for a hiss or bite about to strike at you. But it never came, instead he lend out a paw on your arm. No claws clawing your arm. Only the soft fur & pad touching your arm. Inching closer and closer, he climbed on top of you and laid there. You smiled softly at him. Hesitant, but pet his head softly. His tail wagging a bit as he took a nap on your chest. Maybe living with you wasn’t so bad. He still smelled the scent on that other cat so he didn’t forget in stretching so far out that every inch of your chest, stomach and neck got covered in his scent. That atta show that stray to stay away from his human.

[unholyobsessions]

K9 Approval

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader

Description: Spencer starts crushing on the cute dog handler

Requested: Yes 

A/N: Not really falling in love, more of a meet cute but I am considering writing a short blurb as pt2 who knows

Warnings: Mentions of kidnapping, typical criminal minds stuff

Word Count: 1.8k

Masterlist 

It’s a pretty standard case. Spencer wishes he didn’t have to classify a number of women getting kidnapped and murdered as ‘standard’ but there is nothing particularly strange about it. The good thing (well not exactly good, more like convenient) is that it’s a local case and he is able to go home to his apartment every night. 

When he arrives to the BAU on their third day on the case he knows as soon as he looks at Hotch that this case just became anything but standard. 

“He sent a note,” his boss speaks and all color drains from his face. A note can either be extremely helpful, or extremely dangerous. He rushes to follow Hotch into the round table room where the rest of the team is crowded over a lined sheet of paper. 

I’ve always enjoyed a nice walk in the park. Especially those with lots of trees. Makes it easy to hide from the monsters crawling in the dark. It’s also easy for the monsters to hide their secrets. Can you find my secret? I’ll give you a hint. She’s no longer breathing. 

Spencer’s brain immediately tries to find any codes that could be hidden within the words but comes up with nothing. He picks up the plastic bag the paper is in and starts to read the note again. 

“Reid what can you tell us?” Hotch asks, arms crossed over his chest. 

“There is a lot of abbreviation. I’ve instead of I have. Lots instead of a lot. It’s casual, almost nonchalant. The pen is pressed lightly against the paper, which shows that he was calm as he wrote it. He’s confident, not worried about getting caught.” Spencer explains his findings without looking up. “Garcia are there any parks within the geographical comfort zone?” 

Garcia immediately starts typing away on her computer, not needing to look at the keyboard to click the correct keys. In a matter of seconds she’s speaking the location of two parks, both conveniently placed in the center of the comfort zone. 

“We need to get two teams of search dogs in each park. Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss go to the one on fifth avenue. Rossi and JJ you’re with me at the park on eighth. We need to find her.” 

. . . 

Arriving about twenty minutes later, the park was already crowded with search dogs and their handlers. Spencer crinkled his nose, never particularly excited to work with the dogs. He was vaguely listening to whatever Morgan was saying next to him as he let his eyes scan over the park. 

There were certainly a lot of trees and it seemed like the place children would enjoy playing hide and seek in. It wasn’t huge but it was certainly bigger than the average park and the lack of street lamps surrounding the area would have certainly made it easy for the unsub to sneak around at night. 

As he kept looking over the area, his eyes caught sight of you and the breath was knocked from his lungs. 

You have always loved animals, dogs in particular, and you have known since you were young that you wanted to be able to work with them when you were older. However, eight-year-old you never expected to look for dead bodies for a living, well you look for living people too. And technically you don’t do this for a living, you’re a veterinarian who happens to spend her time volunteering in search and rescue missions. 

The decision to start volunteering as a search dog handler came after a girl in your college went missing. Everything was okay and she was thankfully found unharmed but it was two days of your campus being crowded with search dogs. You talked to one of the officers about the job and after a few short minutes of conversation you were instantly hooked. Five years later and you cannot bring yourself to regret your choice. 

You remember when you got Ash, a gorgeous German Shepard, after your first training session. He was only three months old and the perfect age to start his training. It required you to spend all of your free time playing hide and seek in your small, one bedroom apartment, which is not as fun as it sounds after a few weeks. 

In the end it was all worth it since you are able to help people and it got you a new best friend. 

You walk around the park with a tight hold on Ash’s leash. You got the call about fifteen minutes prior and you are thankful that it is your day off from the vet. You keep your eyes on your dog, making sure to look out for any change in his behavior that may indicate that he found something. 

The small hesitation in his step was enough to make you stop walking. He started rounding one of the trees, sniffing the ground before looking up at you and giving a loud bark. 

You call Hank, one of the members of the team that is carrying the shovel over. “I think we got something.” 

Your voice not only attracted the search team, but also three FBI agents. A few seconds later there was a small crowd gathered around you as Ash used his paws to help Hank dig the hole. Once the body has been uncovered you lead Ash away from the crowd, your hand going into the fanny pack strapped around your waist. 

“Good job,” you say as you kneel next to him. You hold out the treat and he excitedly licks it off your hand. You can’t stop the smile that comes on your face even though it’s not the most appropriate reaction considering the situation. You feel a pair of eyes on you and you look up to see one of the FBI agents staring at you. He looks embarrassed at getting caught and you wave him over. He does so cautiously, keeping his eyes on Ash. 

“Hi,” he says once he gets within speaking distance. You stand up and dust your hands on the fabric of your jeans. 

“Hey, you’re from the BAU right?” You already know that he’s from the BAU, your team leader having had told you so as soon as you arrived. But he’s cute and you need a way to start a conversation. 

“Yes. I’m Dr. Reid. Uh I mean Spencer…you don’t have to call me doctor.” He looks away bashfully and you smile, finding the blush creeping up his neck endearing. 

“Well Spencer, I’m y/n.” You introduce yourself. You notice that he hasn’t taken his eyes off of Ash, who is looking up at you as if waiting for you to introduce him. “Everything okay?” 

“What? Oh yeah it’s just that dogs don’t particularly enjoy my presence. They actually kinda resent it.” He says it so casually and you are sure that this isn’t the first time he’s had to say it. He looks just about ready to run away if the need arises and he does look a tad surprised to see that Ash isn’t attacking him already. 

“Nonsense. Ash is a sweetheart and loves meeting new people. Come on,” you gesture for him to come closer with your hand. What you say is true, however Ash does look a little more vigilant than he usually does, as if he senses a threat in the FBI agent but won’t act upon it without your command. You don’t comment on it though, assuming this will only make Spencer more hesitant. Spencer approaches slowly, afraid that the dog will start barking at him. Once he’s standing next to you, you hear him audibly gulp. “Hold out your hand.” He does as you say, placing his hand out in front of him and toward Ash. 

Ash looks at you for confirmation and at the small nod of your head he leans forward, sniffing the stranger’s hand. Spencer looks completely terrified of the situation and after a few seconds, Ash leans back. Spencer is about to retreat his hand but you stop him, knowing that everything is riding on Ash’s next move. Ash lifts his left paw off the ground and places it on top of Spencer’s hand, barking once and you let out a relived sigh. If he had refused to shake Spencer’s hand and barked twice, it would have been a done deal, because even though you are attracted to him, if Ash disproves then it can’t happen. 

You smile and nudge Spencer slightly. “See, you just got the Ash stamp of approval.” The laugh that leaves his lips makes your heart flutter and you scold yourself. You just met him, get it together. 

You see the grimace on his face once Ash removes his paw and leaves a good amount of dirt on his hand. You reach into the fanny pack and take out a small pack of wipes and a small bottle of hand sanitizer, always prepared. He looks grateful at the items, immediately taking a wipe and running it against his palm. Once he’s done he turns back to look at you. Ash has settled down at your feet, happily wagging his tail and sniffing Spencer’s shoes. 

“Does this stamp of approval allow me to ask for your number?” He asks it so casually and it is such a contrast from the shy man a few second before that it takes you completely by surprise. It takes a second for your brain to properly process the question and now you are the one stuttering. Once it catches up, you turn to him with a grin. 

“Definitely.” You grab your phone from your pocket and hand it to him and he does the same, both of you typing your contact information. You stare at each other with matching grins but are inevitably broken out of your daze by a voice calling out for Spencer. 

“Reid, Hotch wants us back at the BAU. You can flirt with the pretty dog handler later.” The dark skinned agent yells across the park.

Spencer blushes furiously and turns back to you, barely stuttering out, “I have to go.” 

You nod your head in understanding. “I’ll talk to you later Spencer.” 

“Definitely.” You are pleasantly surprised when he leans down and pets Ash a couple times. “Bye Ash.” 

You keep looking at him as he walks away, too distracted to notice the new presence beside you. 

“Got a date?” Hank asks. 

You shove his shoulder, trying to feign annoyance but the large smile on your face betrays you. “Shut up.” Ash barks up at you, seemingly wanting to join in on the teasing and Hank laughs, lowering his hand to high five Ash. “I hate both of you,” you reply with a frown. 

Your façade breaks when your phone chimes with a new notification. You grin at the screen, the text sending butterflies to your stomach. 

Want to get coffee on Saturday? 

Tilting your phone away from the prying eyes of your team leader and furry friend, you type out a reply. 

It’s a date

[fleetingpieces]

My One in a Million CH 6

Here we go! Thanks for the patience and support everyone❤️

Thank you to my amazing betas @knittingdreams and @inloveoknutzy I love you both so much❤️

And thank you so much lovely @heyitssmiller for your amazing vet knowledge and kind help, I hope what I wrote makes sense!😅

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added! <3 )

@justdyingontheinside @donttouchmycarrots @heyoitslysso @whataboutmyfries @sunflowerfox87 @hereforwolfstarr @potterlocked24-7 @cheekeebabe

CW: dog getting sick

Here’s the Masterlist, and the story in Ao3 if you prefer to read there :)

Chapter 6 - Water tides

Remus let the water wrap around him lazily as he swam down the middle of Gryffindor Tower’s indoor pool at a serene pace. He was glad to have the place all to himself that late afternoon, as he was exhausted after a pretty intense workout.

His day had been fully booked; he’d been out since morning, only stopping home long enough to grab his gym bag and head to the building’s top floor. He was trying to clear his head and organize his thoughts, but just like in the past three days, his mind drifted to the gift that was still sitting face-down in his guestroom, waiting for him to figure out what the hell to do with it.

As he reached the other end of the pool, he stood there with his hands caressing the surface of the water, feeling the slight resistance it made against his palms.

Sirius had seemed so genuinely sorry and like he was really putting in the effort, and Remus didn’t know what to make of it. It was still hard to believe how fast things had changed; this was the man that had been driving him crazy for weeks... but he was also the one that was making Remus open up about his past, even if it was just a little bit. Even Cocoa liked him. It’d been really hard for Remus not to turn into a fucking pile of goo when he saw them together, and fuck if Sirius’ starstruck face didn’t do things to him. People were usually afraid of Cocoa, but Sirius had opened his arms to him straight away.

What an adorable bastard.

Remus groaned and dived underwater. He stayed in place, floating with his eyes closed. Doing this always gave him a sense of peace that very few other things could. With the exception of yoga, maybe.

It was terribly ironic how sometimes he felt like he couldn’t bring air into his lungs when he remembered that time, but being underwater felt so soothing, even if he was obviously not breathing. There was something about the stillness of it and how weightless it made him feel, as if nothing could bring him down; and having his eyes closed, he could imagine having infinite space all around him, like maybe he’d blink and he’d be floating with the stars.

A splash of bubbles that could only mean another person had jumped into the pool reached his ears.

Remus held on for a few seconds more before he stood up, breaking the surface as he passed a hand through his face and hair to get the water out of his eyes.

“Merde.”

The whispered word echoed in the big room, though Remus was probably not supposed to hear it. He froze with a hand still in his curls and turned towards the voice.

“Sorry, I thought it was empty,” Sirius said from a few feet away. He lifted a muscular arm to rub at the back of his head and frowned with a small smile. “Just how long can you hold your breath?”

Remus just stared at him. At the way the droplets of water dripped from his dark locks and ran down his chest and the planes of his stomach. He swallowed, lifting his gaze before it could travel down further and focused on the piercing grey eyes that were already staring back at him. It felt as though Sirius could see into his soul, and it shocked Remus to realise that the thought wasn’t as scary as it should be.

Remus wasn’t sure how long they stood there, it could have been a second or maybe hours, but the smile slowly faded from Sirius’ face.

“I can go?” he asked unsurely.

“No!” Remus said hastily, before clearing his throat. “No, it’s fine.”

“Ok...” Sirius seemed surprised. They stared at each other a few moments more, Remus wracking his brain for something to say but coming up short. Sirius shifted on his feet. “Well, I don’t want to get in your way, so…”

He started turning around to go to the other side of the pool. Remus took a deep breath.

“Wait.”

Stopping mid-movement, Sirius turned around, arching a perfect eyebrow.

“I…” Remus started, but closed his mouth. Sirius’ eyes softened, and Remus started again, more firmly. “I never thanked you.”

That made Sirius frown. “Why would you need to thank me?”

“For the painting,” Remus said simply, though he figured it should be obvious. He couldn’t help but add with a small crooked smile, “and for the cookies too. Even though they were awful.”

Sirius barked a laugh, covering his face with a hand, and Remus found himself wishing he didn’t. He wanted to see the way his eyes crinkled. “Yeah, well. I should have asked first before I did anything, sorry I assumed-”

“No,” Remus interrupted, shaking his head. “No, you had no way of knowing.” He stopped to take another deep breath. “I'm sorry, I overreacted.”

Sirius raised both eyebrows at that, he clearly hadn't expected an apology. He regarded Remus steadily before he shrugged. “It's important to you. I think it's perfectly reasonable to react the way you did.”

Such a simple phrase, and yet something tugged fiercely in Remus’ chest. He tried to ignore it and sank until the water covered up to his shoulders. There was something about this man that made raw emotions come to the surface, and he tried his best to control them.

“Still, you were only trying to do something nice. So thank you.”

Sirius nodded as he stared at him, a small smile on his face again.

“Maybe we can start over?” He swam closer and Remus resisted the urge to sink lower. Instead, he got up when the other man extended a hand towards him. "Hi. I'm Sirius Black, and I live in apartment 12. Nice to meet you," he grinned.

The resolution on Sirius' face made Remus smile too, before he glanced down at the outstretched hand and reached to shake it. Despite the coldness of the water, Sirius’ palm was so warm that Remus felt it in his core, and he looked back up quickly to find Sirius giving him an odd look.

“Remus Lupin. I’m in apartment 10, right next to yours. Funny that we didn’t bump into each other sooner,” he said playfully, earning himself another wholehearted laugh from the other man, his chest rising and falling with it.

“Ouais, funny that,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. He let go of Remus’ hand and promptly plunged underwater, emerging only one second later while shaking his hair like a dog and sending a wall of droplets in Remus’ face. 

“You mutt,” said Remus as he raised an arm to cover himself, making Sirius smile widely. 

God, does he ever stop grinning? 

“So, what brought you to Gryffindor?”

The casual way he asked it made Remus relax some more. He sagged back down and moved from the shallow part of the pool, treading water as he thought of everything that had led him here.

“It’s kind of a long story, but the main reason is that I wanted to expand my brand, and I thought living in a bigger city would be better for that purpose.”

Sirius nodded as though he knew exactly what Remus was talking about. “Yeah, that makes sense. Where did you live before?”

A wistful smile tugged at Remus’ mouth, and he noticed Sirius tilting his head in curiosity. “In the countryside, just outside of Gryffindor. I was born there and lived in that town my whole life until I decided to move here.”

“Do you miss it?” Sirius asked softly.

The water lapping around them was the only sound in the air as Remus looked down at his hands, weaving them just beneath the surface.

“Yeah...I miss my mum and Leo mostly. I know it’s not too far, but it’s not easy to see them either. I guess it’s hard for me not seeing them everyday.” Remus didn’t add that it made him feel lonely, or like he was back in room 308, but Sirius seemed to sense that it was making him feel sad, cause he didn’t ask more about that and moved to another question.

“What’s your hometown like?”

Remus smiled thankfully at him. “It’s really small, nothing compared to this,” he made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “But it’s beautiful. There’s this beach that Leo and I used to go to all the time when we were kids, and later on we would always find the time to go there on small camping trips, just the two of us in bedrolls, sleeping under the stars. It became a tradition. And then, there’s a forest on the other side, with these huge trees that go on for miles, and there’s a-” Remus stopped himself when he realised he’d been going on and on without a pause, blushing a bit. He looked at Sirius sheepishly. “Sorry, I got a bit carried away.”

But Sirius was just looking at him with a dopey smile. “That’s ok. I like listening to you speak.”

Remus didn’t know what to do with that, so he cleared his throat. “What about you?”

“Hm?” Sirius asked distractedly.

“Did you always live here?”

That seemed to snap him out of whatever he’d been lost in. He ran a hand through his hair, which stayed pushed back, sleeked by the water. Remus liked it. He could see more of his face like this.

“Uh, no. I grew up in Slytherin, actually. But I went to boarding school when I got older, so I spent a lot of my teenage years there. It’s where I met James and most of the guys.”

There it was again, that fond smile, and Remus found himself asking, wanting to know more, “what was it like, going to a boarding school?”

Sirius laughed at that, and walked to lean his back against the side of the pool, his forearms resting over the edge. He tilted his head back, staring up at the ceiling with a faraway look. “Oh, it was great. Not so much at the beginning though. I lived a pretty sheltered life up to that point, so you can imagine I was a bit of a snobbish dick.”

“A bit?” Remus raised a teasing eyebrow, making Sirius laugh again and focus his gaze on him.

“Trust me, whatever you think of me now, I was ten times worse.”

“I don’t really think you’re like that,” Remus replied, and was surprised to realise he meant it. Sirius’ smile faltered, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Remus beat him to it quickly, “so what made you change?”

There were a few seconds in which Sirius just stared at him with an unreadable expression. “James,” he said plainly in the end.

“James?”

“James,” Sirius agreed. “Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if we hadn’t met. He made me see I was behaving like an idiot, and everything I was missing out on.” He turned his head and gave Remus a sad smile before he continued, “I didn’t have any real friends before James.”

There was a deep pain rooted there that Remus couldn’t completely grasp, but he felt that it wasn’t his place to ask. “So you guys were friends from the start?”

“Pretty much,” he said, and then a laugh escaped him. “I tried to shove him aside at first, but he clung to me like a koala. I don’t even know why he wanted to be friends with me then.”

Remus thought about the way Sirius’ face lit up when he was close to James or when he talked about him. It was obvious to anyone that they were close, and how much it meant to Sirius.

“Well, I’m glad you found him.”

“Yeah,” Sirius said softly, “me too.”

“So how did you end up in Gryffindor?”

Sirius chuckled, “that would be James’ fault again. He grew up here, and I used to spend months at his house during the summer hols. It’s where I went when I finally ran from home; his parents took me in.”

He’d spoken casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world, but still Remus felt his heart stutter. “You...you ran away?”

Sirius’ eyes widened a bit, clearly he hadn’t realised how much he’d said. He glanced at Remus a bit wearily, who hastened to add, “I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it.”

Some of the tightness seemed to leave Sirius’ shoulders as he exhaled sharply. “No, it’s ok. I...fuck. My family and I had different views about...things. They own this big company and run in some upper circles of society that I never had any interest in.”

It was Remus’ turn to have his eyes widen like ping pong balls as the realisation hit him like a bag of wet sand. “Wait...you’re that Black? From Black Enterprises?”

The tension in Sirius’ jaw was so sudden and intense, Remus regretted his words instantly.

“No. I mean, yes. I should be. But I left that behind years ago.”

There was a crease between his brows, and Remus’ hand started stretching towards it to smooth it, but he caught himself in time and pretended to scratch at his cheek instead.

“Ah, sorry, my bad. I thought for a second that you were. But you must be the Sirius Black from Gryffindor, huh? I’ve heard great things about him,” Remus said in a light tone. At first, Sirius frowned at him as if he’d gone crazy and Remus shifted awkwardly. But slowly, it started melting away until he started laughing at Remus’ antics, one hand clutching his stomach.

“God, you’re so weird.” There was that sweet smile again, directed fully at him, and Remus’ heart stuttered for an entirely different reason.

After that, Remus lost track of time as they talked and splashed about. He felt surprisingly light. Laughter was not in short amounts, an easy banter settling between them, and sometimes he’d catch Black staring at him with an indecipherable smile on his face. It felt like they’d been friends for years and not just a few hours, which was something Remus’ brain couldn’t completely wrap around.

Their topics went from the most trivial things to some that bordered in way-too-intimate for how long they’d known each other, but it didn’t feel weird or forced.

Remus mentioned how much he enjoyed a cup of tea in the afternoon. Sirius told him that he’d started smoking at 16, and had quit three times so far but started again when he felt overwhelmed. Remus talked a bit about his mum and how hard she worked to bring money in, and how Remus had to practically beg her to let him help once his business had taken off. Sirius confessed to being afraid of spiders to which Remus couldn’t keep in a laugh.

“Really? Spiders?”

“Oh, shut up, you,” Sirius had said with no real venom as he splashed him with water, making Remus laugh harder. Remus didn’t miss how Sirius' eyes hadn’t left his face when he’d looked back up at him.

They had started drifting closer to each other, and right then Sirius was swimming backwards around Remus as he told a story about a school prank. Remus was turning around slowly on his feet to keep him in sight, entirely too conscious of the way that the movement with each backstroke made Sirius’ back look even bigger. And how the waves Sirius was making kept lapping at Remus’ lower belly.

What the fuck am I thinking?

He shook his head just in time to catch Sirius’ next question.

“Did you always know you wanted to teach yoga?”

“Oh. Well, not really. I always thought I wanted to be a writer,” Remus chuckled. “But then after...Um, a couple years ago I decided to start a healthier lifestyle, and discovered I really liked it.” He gave a small shrug. “I decided to focus on that, and I don’t regret my decision.”

Sirius hummed as he kept swimming with his eyes closed. Feeling a bit weird just staring at him, Remus pushed his legs up and started floating on his back, focusing on the ceiling instead.

“So, what do you do for a living?” he asked.

He heard more than saw Sirius stop and stand up at once.

“I um...I work as a freelancer from home.”

“That’s nice. What kind of jobs do you do?”

“Oh, all sorts of things. Y’know, I never learned to float like that,” he said in a rush, which struck Remus as a bit weird. He let his feet angle down and touch the floor, and he pulled himself upright to eye Sirius curiously. He was fidgeting, but smiled at Remus hopefully, so Remus smiled too.

“Would you like me to teach you?”

Sirius’ face lit up. “Would you?”

“If you want,” Remus shrugged.

Sirius nodded enthusiastically and took a couple steps closer.

“Ok, try to align yourself with the water, and I’ll help by holding you until you can adjust your body on your own. It’s easier to float if you take a deep breath and hold it, so let’s start with that.”

“Ok, I can do that.”

“You need to be perfectly relaxed, ok? Save that puppy energy for something else.”

“D’accord, d’accord,” Sirius rolled his eyes. Remus tried to ignore how nicely the words rolled out of his tongue.

He watched as Sirius breathed in and pulled himself into a horizontal position. He held it for barely one second before he started sinking, so Remus took a deep breath too and moved over to place one hand in the middle of his back, and the other under his head.

Soft.

It was all Remus could think as the dark strands of hair fell between his fingers.

“Tip your head back and lift your chin. There should be no tension on your neck.” Remus’ voice was mellow, automatically slipping into the tone he used for his classes. “Put your arms just like this.” He removed his hand from Sirius’ head and used it to bring the arm closest to him slightly up, Sirius’ fingers brushing against Remus’ thigh, and then placed it back in the inky hair.

“My hips keep going down,” Sirius chuckled, making the water ripple in small waves. His eyes were closed, his chin tilted up just like Remus had told him to, exposing the long lines of his neck. Remus looked away, trying to keep a blush at bay.

“Ok, I’m going to move my hand to support you better, is that ok?”

A breathy “oui” was all he got for an answer.

Remus’ hand trailed down, his fingers brushing against Sirius’ spine until he could place it more firmly against the small of his back. He could’ve sworn he felt Sirius shiver, but that could be because of the water.

Looking down at Sirius’ toes, he told him to try and relax more. His eyes went up his legs as he gave small advices on how he should place his body, passing by the blue swim trunks that clung to his thighs, then kept going up his hip bones, toned stomach and chest, telling him to try and push up. He glanced up at that long, elegant neck, until he finally stopped when he found silver eyes staring intently at him.

In that moment, with those eyes locked with his and feeling overly conscious of the skin he was touching, Remus felt a bolt go through his fingers and removed his hands instantly as if he’d been burned, and Sirius flailed his arms and sank.

He stood up spluttering, water dripping everywhere.

“Remus what the fuck-” he started complaining, but stopped short when he realised just how close they were standing.

Remus felt his breath hitch in his throat as he was engulfed in the grey once more. Wet hair fell over his eyes, and this close, he could make out all the shades, every spot in those irises. He felt like he was staring at a tempest sea, the calmness around them making him feel like he was in the eye of the hurricane, and he was about to be swept up in the storm.

Sirius’ breath fanned against Remus’ face, slipping between his parted lips. His eyes darted down to stare at Sirius’ mouth, those pink lips that looked so incredibly soft that Remus wanted to reach up and touch them with his fingers. The tip of his tongue moved to wet his lips, and when he glanced up again he caught Sirius following the movement. The other man inched his face closer, torturously slow, until Remus tilted his head up slightly.

Everything around them seemed to be suspended in time, waiting, waiting… And then that same memory was flashing through his mind and Remus pulled away.

“Remus?” Sirius asked, confused, and Remus’ heart gave another painful tug.

“I...I...” Remus backed against the wall so much he wished he could just become one with it. Sirius took a step back and watched him with worried eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...Are you ok?”

“I just- I...I gotta go.”

Not waiting for any answer, Remus turned around and lifted himself out of the water, and basically bolted back to the changing rooms.

He didn’t even stop to take a shower, just changed his clothes as fast as he could, grateful that Sirius didn’t come looking for him.

Once inside his flat, he unceremoniously dropped his bag and keys on the floor, and let his head fall back against the door.

What the fuck was that?

It was so not like him to do something like this. He knew better than to get tangled in... in whatever happened at the pool was. Focus on your career, that was the goal. No time to meet anyone just to get into a relationship, get attached, and then be left broken.

But Sirius just...it felt so natural to be around him. Remus was still surprised at how comfortable he felt around the other man, given the way they’d started things off. If the image he’d had of Sirius was so far off the mark, then maybe Sirius was not like-

No.

He was done with relationships and that was that.

“Ugh, fuck,” Remus groaned, then finally glanced around his flat. “Cocoa?” he called, surprised that he hadn’t been tackled in a bear hug yet. “Cocoa, c’mon boy. Let’s go for a walk. Fuck knows I certainly need some fresh air.”

It was dark outside already, but Remus’ heart was still beating wildly, and he didn’t think he could stand to just stay inside. He needed to calm down and get his mind off dark hair, stormy eyes and wet lips.

When he still got no response, Remus frowned. It was very unlike Cocoa not to rush to greet him or come to him when called. Even if he’d been sleeping, he’d always wake up to the sound of Remus coming back home.

Remus stepped into the living room, walking around the couch to where Cocoa usually laid in his dog bed. And there he was, with his head between his paws, looking up at Remus with big, yellow eyes. He whined when Remus got close.

“Hey boy, there you ar-” Remus stopped himself with the immediate knowledge that something was wrong. Cocoa was trying to get up, but his legs were trembling and he fell over. Remus rushed forward and knelt at his side, noting how fast Cocoa’s heart was beating, and the spasms still going through his body. “What’s going on? Cocoa, what’s wrong?”

Remus was frantically trying to figure out what was happening when his eyes landed on a crumpled piece of paper. He snatched it up and his heart stopped. It was the wrapper for one of his favourite dark chocolates, and there were only a couple of bitten pieces left in it.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, how did you get this? When did you-? Oh my God, when did you eat it?” Remus wracked his brain, trying to remember if the wrapper was there when he’d stop by his flat a few hours earlier, but he had no idea. He remembered thinking Cocoa seemed a bit more energetic than usual, but he hadn’t thought too much of it.

Shaking out of the whirlpool that were his thoughts, Remus carefully picked Cocoa up and rushed to the door.

“Please hang on, boy. Please, please, please hang on.”

[oddsnendsfanfics]

Love, Uncle Sy

Genre: Fan Fiction (Sand Castle) Pairing: N/A Warnings: It’s so fluffy!  Rating: G Length: Drabble Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.  

A/N: I had fun with Sy and Willow, making Christmas cookies, so I brought them back for some adorable birthday fluff.

Henry Cavill Master List

Saturday morning, sun barely above the horizon and Sy was wide awake. As usual, his morning began in the kitchen, a pot of coffee perfuming the room while accompanied by the humid scent of dishwasher and frying bacon. He'd woke this morning, tossing and turning, a cold sweat cresting his brow. Nothing a shower and a soothing meditation tape wouldn't temporarily fix. Had he not been woke by the nightmares, Sy would have planned to sleep in – or his version of sleeping in, at least.

Waking from a nightmare on your birthday, should be criminal. Never the less, he had work to do once breakfast was over. In a few hours, he had to pack his truck with a few party favours and drive over to the local horse farm where his niece took lessons every Saturday morning. While Sy was turning older than he cared to remember, today was his niece's seventh birthday.

The grizzled Army vet loved all of his nieces and nephews, but Willow was certainly his favourite. She was his mini-me. His tiny partner in crime. His shadow, and the light of his life. From the moment Sy had held his birthday twin, he'd been in love. His heart was melting and there was nothing that he wouldn't do for that child.

Calling the dog back inside, he gave a scratch behind the ears. Plating his bacon and a piece of toast, saving a few pieces to cool as a treat for the faithful canine. Checking his watch, Sy frowned, 6AM was a little too early to call his birthday girl. He'd have to wait until he saw her later this morning, when he would also be presenting her with the most perfect present in the world.

Around 10AM Sy's truck was packed with a few birthday banners, balloons, cupcakes, and a giant pink sparkly bow. Willow's lesson ended at 11:30, if he wanted to get there and allow his sister time to set up then he had to hurry. Sy couldn't wait to see his niece's face, when he presented her with the present that he'd bought her. He could picture it now, her eyes shining and that adorable smile, ear to ear, squealing in pure delight.

Arriving while Willow was busy cleaning her tack, Sy managed to get somewhat set up. A kind parent helping to set up made it easier on Sy. One last thing to get from the truck and they were set. Sy shut the door, the case of cupcakes in his arm. Walking back to the surprise location, the last thing he'd expected when he stepped inside the barn was Willow running towards him, tears streaming down her face, sniffling and trying to contain the sobs of anguish. Stopping in his tracks, Sy removed his sunglasses, intercepting the little girl rushing towards him at the speed of light.

“Uncle Sy,” Willow rushed her uncle, tears in her eyes. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she sniffled.

“Hey Wispy, what's wrong Bub?” Sy stroked the back of her head, the braided pig tails messed from their time under her helmet.

“Oh Uncle Sy.” She wailed, bottom lip trembling. A child crying on their birthday was never a good sign. Squatting down to be the same height as his niece, Sy wiped her eyes. “Checkers.”

“What about him?”

“He's,” hiccup, “he...” she sobbed. “He's sold.”

Biting his bottom lip, Sy felt for the little girl. He wished they could have told her before now, but that would have ruined the entire birthday surprise. Of course her favourite pony had sold, the second Sy had heard that the striking spotted pony had a price tag, he called and negotiated the sale. Checkers had sold nearly two weeks ago, his new owner none the wiser that the pony even belonged to her – at her Uncle's request.

Aimee and Mike had been discussing buying their daughter her own pony, though funds and the right pony were never aligned. When Sy heard that the favourite lesson pony was going to be sold, he discussed it with his sister and knew what he had to do.

Seeing Willow sobbing uncontrollably was going to make the reveal that much sweeter. Even so, knowing something his niece did not, seeing her in such a state broke Sy's heart.

“Oh Wispy,” Sy soothed her, bringing her in for a tight hug. “I know it hurts now, but just think, Checkers is going to have a little girl of his very own. Don't ponies deserve a good home and all the love?”

“Yeah, but I'm going to miss him. I wish I could have him. I would love him forever, Uncle Sy.”

“I know bub, I know.” Gently giving her a squeeze, Sy let her go rubbing the tears away from her cheeks. “How 'bout you go finish putting your things away, then come find me and we can give Checkers some treats and tell him what a good pony he is?”

“Okay.” Willow nodded, hiccupping through a new batch of silent tears.

Close one. Sy stood, blowing out a heavy breath.

He had to hurry, if he wanted to be set up by the time Willow came back. He picked up the case of cupcakes. Delicately arranged in the shape of a pony, of course. Sy had worked hard baking, decorating, and creating the perfect birthday treat. Walking through the aisle of the small riding facility, Sy smiled seeing his sister and nephew waiting at the party site.

They had arranged to meet up after Willow's lesson, catching a few of her horsey friends before they left. Parents happy to wait for an extra hour to help the little girl celebrate her birthday. Sending Willow to the car to put her things away had been the only way Sy could get her far enough away to make their plan work.

“Sy, Happy birthday.” Aimee hugged her brother tightly. Careful not to squish the container of cupcakes that he held.

“Thank ya.” He kissed her cheek, smiling wide. Nodding to Ben, who would rather be anywhere else right now. “Wispy was pretty upset,” he commented glancing over at the pony who was standing in a holding paddock near by. “I nearly broke, Aim.”

“Oh god,” Aimee rolled her eyes, “who knew all it took to break the soldier was a crying child.”

“She's gutted,” He frowned, setting the cupcakes down on a small table decorated with a pink birthday sign, matching plates, and cups.

“Won't be for long,” Ben shrugged.

“Sure you and Mike are okay with this?” Eyeing his sister, Sy smirked adjusting his cap.

“Well, we kind of need to be. It's not like we've a choice.”

“Course you do, if you don't want  the pony, I am sure Checkers and I would get on fine.” laughing, Sy took a good look at the pony who was content to eat the hay he'd been given. The big sparkly pink bow around his neck didn't seem to hinder him any. “He's a good looking boy.”

“I'd like to see you on that pony.” Her laughing intensified, Aimee snorted slapping Sy in the arm.

Her giant of a brother would look insane on the pony, even if Checkers was on the bigger end of being a pony. Hell, the last time she'd seen Sy ride he was maybe twelve, before girls and other interests had taken over his attention. Back then he would have loved to have his own pony. Their parents had allowed Aimee to begin taking lessons, when Sy had tagged along, insisting that he be allowed to ride too. Fearless, the six year old climbed onto the horse assigned to him and didn't bother to look back. For a few years everyone had began to assume that he'd eventually end up in high school rodeo, after that he'd find a woman and settle down on a farm somewhere.

Heh. What a life that would have been. A wife and kids were evidently not in the cards for this Syverson. He loved his nieces and nephews, but the scars his life bore, it would be unfair to condemn a child to a father who was broken and haunted by war. Clouds settling in his mind, Sy cleared his throat bringing himself back to the present matter at hand. Tormenting his sister.

“I happen to be a fine rider.” Winking at Ben; Sy nudged his sister. “I remember being a much better rider than some others that I know.”

“Shut up, I was a good rider.” Defending herself, Aimee stuck her tongue out at him.

“I know you were, but I was better that's all.” grinning from ear to ear, Sy ruffled his sister's hair, checking his watch. Willow was still missing, unlike her. “Should I go find Wispy? Bring her over?”

“Uh, yeah. If you don't mind.” Aimee nodded, checking her watch. The car had been unlocked, there was no obvious reason for her daughter to be held up.

Walking to the parking area, Sy laid his sights on the suv belonging to his sister. The doors were all shut and no sign of Willow. His truck, parked beside it was also vacant. In the back of the suv, Willow's stuff was tossed in. It looked like she had thrown it and ran.

“Wispy?” his heart began to thump when the car was clear. Logically, Sy knew that she couldn't have gone far. The soldier in him told Sy that there was no need to panic. The uncle side tried to take over his wildest imagination. No, sir he was not allowing those thoughts in. Listening for a moment, he took a deep breath steadying his heart and calming the pounding in his veins. “Willow?”

Behind him, he could hear a rustling in the grass. All the dogs were around the back and this was too big to be a barn cat. Following the noise around the corner of the shed, Sy's heartbeat returned to normal finding Willow sitting in the grass. Knees to her chin, her face stained with tears, her jeans dirty, boots covered in dust.

“You coming, birthday girl?”

“Uncle Sy?” Willow sighed, rubbing her hands against her eyes.

“Yeah?”

“My heart hurts. Is this what it's like when you have a broken heart?”

“Wispy, bub.” Sinking down to sit beside her on the grass, Sy felt his chest tighten. Wishing that Aimee had never mentioned the sale.

“I miss him already.”

“I know, but for now he's still here and he wants those carrots that I brought.” Trying his best to encourage his tiny shadow, Sy smiled. “If we go see him now, it means we get to spend more time enjoying Checkers than worrying. We can't predict tomorrow.”

Leaning into her uncle, Willow sighed. “But why did he have to sell? I love him, I don't want him going to a new home and on my birthday.”

“Oh Wispy,” Sy kissed the top of her head. He wanted to tell her, reassure her that Checkers wasn't going anywhere, but he didn't want to ruin the surprise just yet. “Honestly, bub, I don't know what to tell you. What I can tell you is that it won't always hurt.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Now, your ma is waiting for us. Some of your friends have stayed, too. There are cupcakes.”

“Really? But I thought we were going to feed Checkers.”

“We are, after. I wasn't supposed to tell you about the cupcakes, but I even made them myself for you. Come on, let's go enjoy the day. It's our birthday! No tears on our birthday.” Standing, Sy held his hand out to Willow.

Grasping her Uncle's hand, she squeaked when he grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder. Laughing hysterically, Willow flopped around on his back, bracing herself with her elbows as he walked through the yard.

Seeing Sy with Willow over his shoulder, Aimee instructed Ben to grab Checkers and have him ready for his sister. Whatever. Ben crawled through the wooden fence, clipping a pink lead line onto the pony and coaxing him away from he hay. His sister was about to lose her mind. Straightening the bow, Ben smiled fondly at the thought of how happy his little sister would be.

“Happy Birthday, Wispy!” Sy announced setting her down, back to Checkers.

“Is this all mine?” Willow's eyes were wide as she stared up at her uncle.

“Sure is.” Nodding, Sy smiled with pride.

A few of the kids who had stayed were giddy with anticipation. Wishing their friend a happy birthday, waiting for the big moment. Turning to look at her mom, Willow spotted her brother with the pony. More tears in her eyes, she began to loudly sob. Her body shaking, words escaping her. Kneeling down beside his niece, Sy sniffed back his own tears.

“Happy birthday, Willow. He's all yours.”

“M-mine?”

“Yeah sweetheart, Checkers is all yours. If you want him.”

“I do. I really do, I love him so much.” Willow rushed the gate, fumbling to undo the latch. Frustrated she darted under the fence, throwing her arms around the pony's neck, hugging him tightly. “My own pony,” She whispered, causing Ben to smile. Handing his sister the lead line, Ben took a step back allowing his mom to take  photo of the moment.

“Send me a copy, will ya Aims.” Sy wiped his hand across his eyes, putting his sunglasses on to hide the tears.

“You big softie.” Aimee nudged him. “Go on, get in the photo with them.” She urged her brother.

Stepping into the small paddock, unlatching the gate – unlike his niece and nephew there was no way in hell Sy was darting through the fence boards. He stood next to Willow for a moment, stroking the spotted neck of the content pony. Whispering softly to Checkers about what a good sport he'd been.

“I can't believe it.” whispering, Willow looked up at her uncle. “He's all mine.”

“He sure is, bub.” Holding out his arms Sy smiled when Willow rushed into them. Hugging her uncle tightly. Scooping her up, Sy took the lead line from her, holding Checkers beside them while Aimee took some photos. “Happy birthday, Wispy.” Sy smiled kissing her cheek.

“Happy birthday, Uncle Sy. Sorry that I didn't get you a pony.” Willow kissed his cheek, hugging her arms around his neck.

[anoutlandishfanfic]

The Alaskan Endeavor: Ch2 - Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

So, again, this chapter update (can I call them PUPdates? they’re now PUPDATES) is in celebration of another race that finished up yesterday morning -- the Kuskokwim 300 aka The Kusko300, which is one of if not THE most competitive middle distance race in Western Alaska. We’ll get to the pups and more about racing in the next chapter but HERE WE HAVE THE MEETING Y’ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

You can find chapter one here or over at AO3!!

Claire That evening

The Murray’s residence wasn’t far from my flat above the Abernathy’s garage — nothing in this tiny hamlet was — and I decided to walk the four blocks, taking in a remarkable summer’s evening.

Joe had warned me that the shift in daylight hours was more extreme here in Kozebue — twenty-six miles above the Arctic Circle — than where we’d reconnected on Kodiak Island… and I had to admit he was right. I’d made good use of the black out curtains that were installed in the bedroom, shutting out the sun that insisted on shining well into the night and starting up again ungodly early in the morning. I knew I’d have no trouble making my way back on foot after dinner.

It would still be broad daylight.

I rounded the final corner and scanned the lane for my destination…

“It’s a blue house with white trim… second on the left,” Joe’s wife Gail had easily informed me, for the Abernathy’s and the Murray’s were old friends.

Gail’s eyes had held the same suspicious twinkle that Jenny’s had when she’d invited me for dinner and I had a sinking suspicion that I was about to be set up on a blind date, hosted by Jenny Murray herself. My new patient had mentioned she had a brother when she was in earlier and if I were the betting sort, I’d place my life savings on him being the man in question.

How on earth did you let yourself get roped into this, Beauchamp? I sighed ruefully to myself as I spotted the abode.

Crossing the street, I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady my pounding heart as I got closer to the Murray’s front door. It was no use, of course, for it had firmly lodged itself in my throat about a block and a half back, and I was left trembling slightly as I mounted the front steps.

Wiping sweaty palms on my pants, I lifted my hand and knocked. Once — twice — three times.

… Jamie

“Can you get that?” Jenny shouted from the kitchen, the usual clamor of my nieces and nephew interfering but not obscuring her words.

Passing the youngest back to her father, I stood and answered, “Aye, I’ve got it!”

I wiped at the deposit of crumbs that wee Katie had left behind on my shirtfront, tugging at the hem in an attempt to flatten out the wrinkles pressed into it by the same. I shook my head and gave it up, knowing it was useless and that it shouldn’t really matter anyway.

Rolling my eyes at the ridiculous concern for my own appearance, I turned into the front hall and padded quickly down the plush rug to the door.

I turned the knob and pulled — then stopped dead as the door opened.

Christ, she was beautiful.

Her pale cheeks were slightly flushed, which made the small smattering of freckles across her nose stand out like brilliant stars. The curls were coming out of a plait that was draped over one shoulder and it gave her a delightfully adventurous air. She was a brunette like Jenny, but not nearly quite so dark. The light streaming in from behind her set brilliant copper highlights aglow as she flipped the thick queue away, making it disappear behind her.

One perfectly arched brow rose in question of me — and I knew I was staring — but the ability to form coherent speech left me entirely as her eyes locked on to mine.

Brown would be a woefully inaccurate word to describe such a hue as hers. They were rich like a fine whisky, a deep amber that all at once soothed and pierced your soul.

Pull yerself together, you clotheid.

I cleared my throat, trying to regain some semblance of composure and took a step back, sweeping a hand to usher her in.

“You, ah, must be Dr Claire,” I stammered, my lips still not completely able to do my bidding. “I’m Jamie, Jenny’s brother.”

Comprehension lit her eyes and she chuckled softly.

God, that sound.

It sent shockwaves up and down my spine and stood the hair on the back of my neck on end.

What I wouldn’t do to make her laugh like that again.

“Tell me, Jamie,” she kept her voice low, a conspiratorial gleam sneaking into her eyes. “Have Jenny and Gail been playing matchmaker with us?”

Raking a hand through my hair, I confessed dryly, “They’ve been trying to set me up for years.”

She tipped her head back and laughed outright and freely at my confirmation, commenting, “I thought so, but then I’d only met your sister this morning.”

“I’ve known her my whole life,” I grinned back at her. “Once Jen gets an idea in her head, it’s best to let her have at it ‘til it peters out on its own... unless it involves that wee fiend of hers.”

Delicate, slender fingers lifted to her lips as the color deepened in her cheeks, amusement still high in her voice, “Are you talking about Roger?”

“Right! Yes!” It was my turn to laugh. “You’ve met the numpty yourself.”

She grinned, “I’ve had the pleasure, yes.”

“Did she tell you he’s a service dog drop out?” I shook my head in mock derision.

Her eyes grew as big as saucers, nearly dropping the bag in her hand as she burst, “No!!”

“Oh, aye!” I scoffed, but my smile crept back in and betrayed my amusement at the whole ordeal.

“Too friendly… and easily distracted.”

“Are you two done bletherin’ out here?” My brother in law Ian stuck his head into the hallway, succinctly interrupting us with a knowing look.

“The food’s gettin’ cold!”

… Claire

Tucked between Jamie and his seven year old namesake, dinner was far from a dull affair. Jenny proved to be a remarkable cook and the table conversation ranged in topics from a nuanced detail of racing — that is, mushing — to my favorite animal.

“Do you mean in general,” I tested the waters, assembling another forkful of roast and potatoes, “or in a specific class or order?”

The little boy’s eyes lit up and I knew I’d found a topic that he particularly enjoyed… which was a stroke of luck for me, being that animals and their care was my field of expertise.

Thank God it wasn’t dinosaurs.

“Mammals!” He eagerly narrowed the field, then zeroed in even further, “What’s your favorite African mammal?!”

“Oh, that’s easy! A giraffe!” I supplied, my smile matching his. “I got to see them in the wild, you know… in Tanzania.”

This caught the attention of the rest of the table and began to field questions left and right about my time on the Serengeti. I didn't mind, as they were happy memories, and soon won over both the younger Jamie and his five year old sister Maggie with tales of elephants and zebras and all of the animals they’d only read about in books or seen on television.

“Did you see any lions?” Little Maggie’s voice dropped into what I supposed was her version of a whisper — as if one were right beside us — and she nearly vibrated with excitement as she asked again, “Did you see any lions, Dr Claire?!”

I heard Jamie, the elder and my supposed date for the evening, chuckle beside me and I wondered just what sort of mischief this little one could get into when she set her mind to it.

“I did see lions too, Maggie,” I assured her, taking on her affected stage whisper. “We went in a truck at night and had big flashlights and saw them getting a drink of water.”

“Dey sirsty,” two year old Katie informed the table proudly, making all of the adults grin.

I bit my lip to keep from chuckling at her innocent attempt at being involved in the conversation, but agreed, “They get very thirsty.”

“How’d ye wind up in Alaska, then?”

This turn in conversation came from Jamie’s father, an older man by the name of Brian.

“I went to university with Joe Abernathy in Seattle,” I supplied. “We went separate ways after graduation but I ran into him again when I was visiting my uncle on Kodiak Island… Joe offered me a position at his clinic and I couldn’t refuse.”

“He’s done a lot of good wi’ that practice of his,” Brian commented. “Been a dream of his for some time now.”

Nodding, I smiled at the memory of Joe’s eager rants and rails, “He spoke quite a bit about it in school. I knew how much it meant to him and was eager to help him in his cause.”

“He almost worked himself to death before you came along,” Jenny snorted, then shot me an apologetic look. “Bein’ the only vet in the Northwest Borough made for long hours an’ no rest.”

“That’s why I wanted to come… to ease the burden a bit.”

“Well, then you’re a saint, Dr Claire,” she sighed, surmising with a shake of her head.

“No,” I assured her quietly. “I’m just plain old Claire Beauchamp.”

… Jamie. After Dinner.

“Wait just a minute,” I protested. “You walked here?!”

We were at the front door again, this time in full control of my faculties, but the woman before me was quickly turning out to be more of an complexity than I ever imagined possible.

Her brow furrowed at this, as if she hadn’t thought of the incongruity of her walking the mile from the Abernathy’s to here on foot.

“Yes… why?”

“Well, it’s… it’s just that…'' I stammered, flummoxed. “Don’t you have somethin’ to drive?”

“Of course,” she looked at me as if I’d sprouted five heads from my shoulders. “I have a perfectly good vehicle, but why drive it four blocks when it’s beautiful outside and I can walk?”

I opened my mouth to respond to this and found I didn’t have a reasonable answer. She found great amusement in this and crossed her arms, waiting for me to respond.

Shaking my head, I gave it up and couldn’t help but smile as I offered to walk her home.

This took her by complete surprise and her jaw dropped, “Why?!”

“Well,” I pulled at the back of my neck, trying to come up with something and shrugged helplessly, “like you said… it’s a beautiful evening.”

Her brows nearly rose to her hairline, not buying this for one moment.

“Look, it’s the polite thing to do, aye? I know you live at the Abernathy’s because Joe told me… I’ll leave just as soon as you’ve made it to the front door, I promise,” I insisted. “Nothin more.”

She contemplated this, then clarified, “Just a walk?”

I dropped my hands, swinging my hands away from my sides in a clearing motion and then against them again with a soft pat.

“Just a walk.”

[wonder-kid-pugh]

First Words - (Rose Lavelle x reader)

Being one of the younger players on the team always meant that the older player and the vets were always going to be protective of you. But with me they took it to a whole other level. I joined the team the same time as Mal. But when I came onto the team everyone on the team thought I hated them.

"Why won't she talk to us?" Emily pouts as I walk over to a table with my headphones in. I guess they thought I couldn't hear them. "Has anyone actually heard her say a word since she's being here?" Kelley asks. Everyone shakes their head before they all turn to Becky who's my roommate but she just shrugs, "She's hasn't said anything to me". "She doesn't even call for the ball in practice" Pinoe sighs. Tobin shrugs, "Maybe she's just shy. I mean she's seems cool". Although I do stay near Becky and Alyssa I do drift near Tobin always finding the two of of us juggling the ball together before training.

"But what if we did something wrong?" Christen frowns. I bite the inside of my cheek as I pretend to check my phone. I never meant for them to think they did something wrong. They had been so welcoming and kind trying to involve me in their conversations or inviting me to hang out with them. They always tried to get me to talk to them and I wanted to.

It was the fact that I couldn't

I guessed I must of zoned out as I'm snapped out of it by someone sitting across from me. I look up from my plate to see Rose was now sitting across from me with a smile, "Can I ask you a question?" I just nod my head expected her to ask me the obvious question. But I'm surprised when instead she shows me her phone, "Which dog do you think is cuter?"

I look at her in shock and I guess she sees that as she frowns, "What? Please don't tell me your a cat person". I let out a snort and shake my head making her smile, "Good now which one do you think?" She asks again. I lean in front and look at her phone. The first one was Siberian husky puppy with adorable bright blue eyes. While the other was a Pembroke Welsh corgi with white and brown fur. I look over both of them for a few more seconds before pointing at the husky.

A big grin spreads across her face, "I knew it! Lindsey kept saying the corgi but just look at his little blue eyes! I mean they're both adorable but I just can't get over how blue his eyes are". She starts to ramble on about the puppy and I can't help but smile at her. She kept ranting about the blue eyed puppy which was ironic as her own blue eyes seemed to sparkle talking about the dogs.

"Y/n? You okay?" She asks making me shake my head at the thoughts. I just point at her, "Me? She asks pointing at herself. I bite my lip and grab my phone before quickly typing out a message and passing her my phone. She tilts her head at me before taking the phone. I try to ignore the spark when her fingers graze mine. Instead I chuckle at the blush on her face as she reads the message.

"Your eyes sparkle just like the husky's"

Honestly after that some of the team didn't know what to do with me. Some left me alone just happy that they hadn't done something wrong to make me feel out of place. But people like Kelley and Sonnett made it their mission to get me to talk to them.

"So who are you rooting for to win the league this year Y/n?" Sonnett asks. Kelley and Sonnett thought that if they kept asking me open ended questions that I it would force me to speak to them. I had become their latest challenge as they were determined to be the one to get me to talk.

If only they knew

"Definitely the Royals right Y/n?" Kelley grins looking at me but I just shake my head. "Who are you supporting so?" I tug on Rose's sweatshirt making her look at me only for me to point at the badge over her heart making the two frat daddies scoff, "Your cheering for the Spirit?" I nod making Rose smile beside me as Mal teases Kelley and Sonnett.

I cuddle in beside Rose as they are about to start the film and I smile widely as I feel Rose wrap her arm around me as well. As the movie ends and everyone's about to head back to their room Sonnett turns to me, "Did you like the movie Y/n?" I nod as I get up and walk over to Becky who's waiting for me by the door. But before we leave i hear Emily sigh.

"Are you ever going to talk to us?"

I freeze for a second before I continue walking not even stopping to wave goodbye to them. I can hear Becky follow me as I walk into my room and dropping onto my bed. "You okay Y/n?" The centre back asks as she looks at me with concern. I just nod lightly before looking down and playing with my fingers. I hear her sigh before she sits down beside me, "Don't listen to Kelley and Emily. They're idiots and they don't understand that not everyone is loud like them. You don't have to do anything your not comfortable with. We just want to make sure that your happy and working hard with the team okay?"

I nod and smile at her before surprising her with a hug which she returns. As she leaves for the bathroom to get ready for bed, I check my phone as the screen lights up with a message.

Are you okay?

I smile at my phone my heart lifting at the thought of the spirit midfielder worried about me. I shake my head ridding it of any thoughts of her remotely returning my feelings and send off a quick message before turning in for the night.

👍🏻

I think after that the team just accepted that's how I was. Kelley and Sonnett although they kept trying they dialed it back no doubt due to the team talking to them. It was only at my second camp that they learned the true reason behind my silence. They were shocked to say the least.

"Yes Clicker!" Tobin laughs as I nutmeg Lindsey before I continue running down the wing. I couldn't help but laugh at the nickname the team gave me. Tobin called me that after practice one day when everytime I wanted the ball I would click my fingers. After that it just stuck with the rest of the team calling me that as well.

Sonnett steps up trying to tackle the ball off of me but I keep close control of the ball and I end up putting Sonnett on her ass before crossing the ball for Christen to volley it into the net.

I grin and jog over and hug Christen before they call an end to practice with my team winning. "That was incredible Clicks!" Tobin laughs as she wraps her arms around me and Christen making the forward laugh, "That was an amazing run Y/n". I blush at their compliments before beaming up at them.

"Better look out for this one Heath. She'll be coming for your title soon" Pinoe jokes. "I hear your starting in the match against Mexico. Are your parents coming to watch?" Ali asks me. The smile on my face drops and I just shake my head. This makes the other frown as well, "Why not?" I just shrug and look down at my cleats digging them into the turf.

Kelley sensing that I was uncomfortable with the topic tries to lighten it up. "Well if you play like you did today then they don't stand a chance. I think the best part was when she put Sonnett on her ass" Kelley sniggered making everyone else laugh while Sonnett pouts. The blonde defender looks at me but I just wink at her making her wrap me in a headlock.

I squirm before I push her off my harshly as I look at her in fear. I pushed her so hard that she fell to the ground making everyone look at us. Emily looks at me bewildered as my breathing starts to get heavy as I out my hand on my neck. I close my eyes trying to calm down enough to get my breathing normal but nothing works.

Next thing I know is someone grabs my hand dragging me away. I let them pull me along wanting to be anywhere else but here at the moment. When we finally stop in the hallway to the dressing room I feel them hug me tightly guiding my head into the crook of their neck. "Hey it's okay. Everything's okay. Your safe I promise. Now I need you to breathe with me okay?" They say soothingly. I recognize her voice instantly and the smell of her perfume relaxes me slightly as I nod into her neck. Her hands rub up and down my back as she coos in my ear, "Follow my breathing. In and out. That's it. That's good Y/n".

I keep following her breathing for a bit longer before it finally goes back to normal and I sink into her embrace. She just holds me a little while longer before she pulls back just enough to look at me, "You okay Y/n?" I just nod finding comfort in her bright blue eyes. "I'm going to bring you to Dawn okay?" She asks and I just nod again.

She takes my hand again but this time walking beside me rubbing her thumb over the back of my hand reassuringly. She brings us over to the sideline where Dawn looks up at us worried, "What wrong Y/n?" I just lean into Rose laying my head on her shoulder as she explains, "Sonnett got her in a headlock and freaked her out a bit".

Dawn looks at me with pity, "I'm getting that triggered it?" I just nod making Rose look at me in concern, "Triggered what?" Before Dawn can say anything the rest of the team come over. "You okay Y/n?" Becky asks looking me up and down. I nod while Alex looks at me, "What happened?"

I sigh and look at Dawn, "Want me to tell them?" I nod and she looks at me softly, "All of it?" I gulp but nod before leaning back into Rose who wraps her arms around me.

Dawn sighs as she looks at the rest of the woman, "Y/n grew up in foster care. She never knew her parents and she was moved around a lot as a kid. She didn't have the best experience living in the system". Dawn pauses for a second before steeling herself and continuing, "In one of those homes it wasn't great. Her foster parents verbally abused her. And one night her foster father attacked her and nearly choked her to death".

Everyone is quiet as they all digest what Dawn has told them. I can feel Rose's arms hold me tighter. "Oh Y/n" Becky breathes out who looks on the verge of tears. Christen who is crying lets out a few sniffles along with some other players. "She's hasn't spoken since then and doctors says that she was so scared and traumatized by it that she developed selective mutism because of it".

Kelley frowns looking extremely guilty, "That's why you haven't talked to us. Because you can't". I just nod while Sonnett looks at me with tears streaming down her face, "I'm so sorry Y/n". Everyone is quiet no one quiet knowing what to say. That is until Rose pulls back from me taking my face in her hands, "This doesn't change anything. Your still the same person as before. This doesn't change who you are".

She looks at me so determined making sure I know she means her words that I can't help but stare back at her in awe. Only tearing my eyes away from her as Becky puts her hand in my shoulder, "She's right. We're your family now".

I start to cry as I pull the two them into a hug which leads to the rest of the team joining in. I nestle my head into Rose's neck as for the first time I finally felt at Home.

And that led them to be extremely protective of me. Whether it be from other teams, fans or the media. They wouldn't tolerate anything negative about me or my unwillingness to speak. Even after 2 years they were still extremely protective of me. They made me feel the safest I've ever felt. And as I sit in my cubbie I realise how important this team is to me.

"Hey, you okay?" Rose asks putting a hand on my leg. I look down at her hand and put my hand on hers and interlock our fingers making the both of us smile.

"I love you guys"

Everyone stops talking and instead looks in our direction looking at me I shock. But I instead just look down at our enjoined hands playing with her fingers like I usually do. "Did you....just talk?" Rose whispers out. I nod and look up to her dazzling cerulean eyes which are starting to water.

"Yeah"

"Oh my god Y/n! You just spoke!" She exclaims picking me up out of the locker and spins me around in her arms making me laugh. Everyone crowds around us as she puts me back down on the ground, "I just wanted to tell you guys how much I love you. Your like my family". Rose cups my cheeks making me smile and hold her wrists, "God I love the sound of your voice".

Not being able to hold myself back any longer I stare deep into her eyes, "Can I kiss you?" Rose lets out a watery laugh before she nods. I waste no time smashing my lips into hers and she happily returns it. As we break away the entire team cheers us on and smiling at us while I smirk down at Rose who's now breathing heavy unable to speak.

"Looks like I left you Speechless"

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Queen of Masks ~ Alfie Solomons

Life as a woman, in any country really, isn’t the best, unless you score a jackpot with the most gentle, sweetest man and you become his housewife and agree to be some kind of baby factory and a maid, should he not have enough to provide for one, and a chef, nonetheless.

However, there are enough ambitious women who have enough spite in their veins to trample over anyone standing in their path of success, and would spit on graves and crush cadavers under their heeled boots that they wear with much pride and conviction.

That is exactly the case of Y/N, a gorgeous woman who won against all odds and became a Veterinary Physician in London, Camden, to be precise, and had to work under an older man who had a clinic - But it was fine, she got to learn loads, and interacting with animals on a daily basis was enough to keep her going and not to answer to any provocation from her male colleague who was far inferior to her, intellectually and intuitively speaking.

And one day, after tending to a gorgeous black race stallion, a tall and broad man walked in with a Bullmastiff boy who, upon seeing her, managed to snatch away his chain leash and jumped on her, trampling her to the ground and licking her all over her face.

The man jumped in shock, trying to pry away his pet from the poor woman, only to notice she was laughing and that he face was bright like the sun, as she tried to wipe away all the slobber from her face.

“I’m so sorry, aye, he’s never done somethin’ like this before. Here, let me help you up, right.” the man extended his hand for her to take, helping raise her up, then reprimanded his dog. “Don’t worry, mister, it’s quite alright. I kinda like when animals act so affectionate, it makes it feel as if I’m doing something right. What’s your name, darling? Let’s get you up on the table...Arghh...What a heavy baby...You’re gonna break every bone in my body...” the woman sweet talked the dog, struggling to hold him in her arms like a baby so she could put in on the table to examine. “He’s name’s Cyril, I got him last year. ‘S just a routine check up, but I think there’s a bump on his neck, yeah, right here.” the man explained, letting the girl palpate his dog and continuing to sweet talk him to calm him down. “Thyroid Carcinoma.” the male doctor spoke, which made the girl whip her head to him with a disturbed look. “Thyroid Cancer? Surely, you must be joking. Have you even been to Vet school?!” Y/N protested, shaking her head in protest at his sudden diagnosis. “What else could a bump in the thyroid area mean? Don’t play smart, just be humble and accept when you’re wrong.” the man rolled his eyes, not lifting his head from his papers. “First of all, even if it IS a tumour, it doesn’t HAVE to be cancer, it can still be completely harmless, thus, benign. Secondly, out of all tumours a dog can have, thyroid cancer is the least common one, the percentage going to maximum 2%. Therefore, NOT cancer! Besides, it could be hyperthyroidism, if you want to go over the top, but again, it could just be something the owner felt because something got stuck in his neck and-....Oh.” the girl then carefully touched the neck area, and smiled widely, looking down, nodding to herself. “What? You shut up ‘cause you finally realised I was right, despite your useless statistics?” the doctor grumbled in annoyance, not caring, obviously. “Wanna bet 100 pounds that it’s not cancer?” she asked, kissing Cyril’s head and playing with his floppy ears, action which made the dog bark playfully. “Ah, sorry, mister, I didn’t ask for your name and whether you find it insensitive or not for us to bet on a diagnosis.” she smiled awkwardly, extending her hand towards the bearded man who was watching the interaction carefully. “Alfie Solomons, lass, but call me just Alfie, right? So, yeah, ‘s fine, bet all you want, just make my boy better, eh?” Alfie shook the girl’s hand, seeing her cunningly going to the other doctor and spitting in her hand to shake and make the bet go through.  “Okay, Alfie, you might want to step to the side a bit...If you value your shoes, that it. They look pretty new.” she chuckled softly, signing him with her head to move to the side, and so he did, as she made the dog vomit, and thus, revealing a small ball. “Oi, I can’t believe it! You stupid dog, Cyril, aye, how could you manage to swallow your own toy, yeah?!” Alfie gasped, his brows furrowing from shock. “Weirdly enough, dogs, especially big ones, are prone to swallowing little things, just like human babies are. It was small enough to just make him cough, but it’s a good thing you got him here in time.” the girl started quickly cleaning up the floor as she explained everything, as the Jew was still staring in shock at the idiocy of some animals. “Well, lass, thank you for solving the mystery, yeah, of whatever the hell this was, right. So, then, tell me how much I have to pay you for this consult, aye.” Alfie asked, which made her snap her head upwards, looking up at him, her eyes wide in shock. “No, God, no, nothing, it’s on me! I mean, if it weren’t for you...” Y/N smirked, reminding Alfie of a vixen, as she twirled around and went to snatch away the hundred pounds banknotes from her employer’s hand, who was looking at her with anger and bitterness. “I wouldn’t have been paid more than I’m paid in 3 months in just one day! It’s the least I can do to thank you...And to also see Cyril again, because I think it’s a connection. Right, Cyril? You’re such a sweet baby boy-....ARGH, GODS, NO-...!” but before the girl could compose herself, Cyril jumped on her torso, knocking her down again, coating her face in yet another sleek coat of drool from the lickings. “Damn it, Cyril, you’re impossible! Let the poor lass live, eh? I know, I know, she’s pretty, but leave her alone, alright?” after he finally managed to pry away the canine, he helped the girl up, who, once again, was laughing. “Let me make it up to you, yeah, for all the trouble this prankster’s been giving you, right. I’ve this bakery, y’know, the one nearby, so, anything you want, yeah, anything, you ask for it, you say my name, right, you say Alfie owes you a favour, and it’s all on the house, eh. How’s that.” he spoke, and he could see that her overly confident and extra demeanour shattered in an instant, making her look down, her beautiful, long hair hiding her features, as she was most likely blushing and smiling. “O-Oh, then, if that’s your bakery, means I’ve heard of you, you’re THE Alfie Solomons. Yeah, I’d love that, if you’d have me, but I told you, you don’t have to. I used you to get money worth of about 3 months, or more, so really, I should be thanking you somehow, but I don’t really have anything else to offer, other than to pay for the consult myself.” her serious, boastful voice turned very soft and shy, as fast as the flick of her fingers, as she walked him out of the clinic, so only he would hear. “Your boss there...He seemed kinda...Angry, eh. Are you gonna be fine dealing with him, lass?” he asked, bending down a bit, speaking to her tone level. “I guess. What’s the worst he can do, anyway. Besides, I care more about this conversation right now, and...About this.” she smirked softly, showing off the rolled pounds from her coat’s chest pocket. “So, Mr. Gangster, is there any specific time you’d be okay with me coming by the bakery? Maybe...Under the pretext of yet another regular check up on Cyril? Or...The smell of freshly baked cookies just captured me enough to find myself senselessly walking into the place?” she asked, diving her hands into her pockets, waiting for an answer, too timid to look him in the eye. “Ahhh, I see you’ve heard of me. Well, lass, I guess I can’t pretend to be some ordinary man, right, but maybe we can still enjoy a nice chat once in a while, eh, it would be nice, right?” the corner of Alfie’s mouth turned upwards, extending his hand for her to shake. “Y/N L/N, it’s great meeting you, Alfie. And yeah, it would be great. I’ll be seeing you around, alright? Hope I’ll see you soon and maybe we can have a nice cup of tea and anything that you’ve baked. I’m looking forward to that.” she shook his hand, smiling brightly at him, gesture which he turned. “And I’ll be seeing you as well, sweetheart.” with that, she kissed Cyril’s head once again, before waving Alfie goodbye and walking back into the clinic. “And I’ll be seeing you too...Y/N.” the gangster muttered, grinning at his dog and praising him with a few pats on his head. “Cyril, my boy, you’re my lucky charm.”

A week passed, and Y/N walked into the bakery - However, it wasn’t the front up, the bakery shop that smelled heavenly - It meant the gangster warehouse where Alfie would usually conduct his business meetings. And, of course, it was shocking to him when heard the click of heels and saw a beautiful, slender woman, dressed in high-waisted pants, with a black turtleneck tucked in her pants, beautiful brown leather boots with heels and a black trench coat that elegantly, yet imposingly hung from her shoulders, as if she was some kind of mafia Queen - Elegant, but deadly.

“Hello, Alfie. I heard you have a job around this place. Not sure what it is...Medic? Secretary? Dog-walker? Maybe you could fill me in.” she asked, her hands in her pants, fidgeting in her spot. “Where’ve you heard about this...Supposed job, eh, lass? And why’d you quit your job from the clinic, eh?” he asked, his fingers intertwining as he leaned forward, elbows rested on his desk. “Ah, well...Y’know...I got my medical license pulled, so I need a way to make money, and you’re the only one that I trusted not to treat me like garbage, so here I am. I know there’s no job, but I had to try my luck and be comedic in a way. It’s probably about the only thing I’m good at, sort of. It’s fine if you don’t want to give me a job, I mean, you can’t trust me with your business info after just speaking to me once, I can imagine, and - “ she kept on ranting, until Alfie raised both his hands in the air to calm her down and stop her speaking, before he raised to his feet, getting in front of the desk and leaning back on it. “Well, I did owe you a favour, right, so, sure, you’re hired, right, I’ll find you something. While we’re at it, can you, yeah, can you fire a gun?” he asked, with a mix of seriousness and playfulness in his voice. “Is it...In the job requirements?” she asked, looking around the place with a fake kind of curiosity. “There’s no job seeking, yeah, so, therefore, no job requirements. I was just being curious, alright, y’know, I have to know what everyone around is capable of, okay.” he explained, which made her smirk and turn on her heel to look at him. “That’s only fair. After all, now that you know that I’m particularly incapable of defending myself against people in general, you’ll just have to be extra careful to keep me safe, right, Alfie? We wouldn’t want Cyril to grieve over me, would we?” she chuckled, extending her arms to her side in a dramatic manner. “Haha, yes, lass, I s’ppose you’re right. Can you handle more than one job, eh? I can hire you as a physician, right, but we don’t always have wounded men, yeah, so, you’re a smart woman, alright, I’m sure you are very capable of reading, writing, doing calculus and other stuff that involves using your head, right, so, I don’t know what name will this job have, but, maybe an assistant of sort, eh? Ollie here helps me out a lot, yeah, but he can’t do everything, he ain’t some God, y’know.” Alfie gesticulated, pointing towards Ollie, then tried to explain to her that things are serious, and not to be taken lightly. “Guess this is gonna be the thrill of my life, huh? I’m in, Alfie. At least I can get along with you without fearing having my license pulled-...Oh, wait, I have nothing to fear about anymore.” she chuckled in a self-deprecating way, making Alfie cross his arms to his chest. “You never told me what happened. Go on, tell me. I’m sure you didn’t kill a dog, or somethin’, you’re too smart a doctor to fuck up.” his curiosity got the better of him, as he saw her turning to look at him, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape, and he could almost see her brain gears moving, trying to think of a witty answer. “Didn’t you say something about freshly baked goodies and tea? I bet that’s gonna be a much more...Hospitable way of chatting with your new employee, wouldn’t it? Or better said, friendlier? I mean, this place is so...Ugly and humid...Only good for gangster business. The echo here, if you shout, can intimidate anyone, I’m sure. Come on, show me the actual bakery...And you better have a gramophone. I like music.” she smiled up at him, hooking her arm to his, pulling him in a random direction to urge him to guide her to the bakery, where the beautiful smell of bread and cookies mesmerised her, and she playfully swooned in her chair. “I see you’re enjoying this place very much, eh. Well, can’t say I expected you coming today, so I didn’t bake them myself, yeah, but I’ll make it up to you. Sure you want tea and not rum or somethin’?” Alfie asked, a bit awkward staying at the cute little table, with a cute, little cup of tea in his bear-like hands. “Yes, I’m quite sure, Alfie. But it’s fine, you don’t have to drink what I’m drinking, I won’t think of you any differently. In your home, you do as you please.” she chuckled at him, watching as he nodded solemnly, only to down that tea in one go, small droplets of liquid embedding themselves in his beard. “Right, right, I understand, y’er a people pleaser, you want everyone to like you, unless it goes against whatever scheme you have. You’re smart, alright. Very smart, and you’ve sharp eyes, and are cunning. I need someone like you around, yeah. But tell me, how’d you manage to lose your dream job in a week?” Alfie asked, extending his hand to gently grab her chin, pulling it so he could peer right into her gorgeous, vixen-like eyes. “Remember the bet I did when you came around with Cyril? Well, apparently that jerk got mad at me for, to quote, steal his money, so he filed a malpractice lawsuit to get his money back, 5 times more, and pulled away my license, to get revenge on me for humiliating him in front of a customer...Allegedly. Very petty, I know, but, as they say...C’est la vie. Not much to do about it, really. Now I’m seen as a con-artist thief who kills animals, so I have no way of getting a job anywhere anymore, hence why I’m here. Lovely, innit?” she snorted as she took a bit of the cookie, closing her eyes to savour it’s flavour. “And now, I think I died and went to heaven, ‘cause this is the best thing I’ve eaten in my life.” “You’re so hired, lass. Did ya pay the 500 pounds?” he asked, propping his jaw on his hand. “Yeah, thankfully. And by that, I mean I to sell my apartment so now I’m using my saving to stay at a cheap hotel, but, y’know, life’s life. At least I know I won and I was right. Maybe if I had the right connections, I could have won 10 times what I lost...But what do I know. I don’t really know how non-legal things go by.” she chuckled softly, scratching the back of her head in a playfully guilty manner. “Y’know, Y/N...I think we can solve that fairly quick, yeah. Tell me the name, and I’ll make sure things are sold. In the meantime, I’ve a nice, warm room where you can stay, right, and surely, Cyril’s gonna love your company.” Alfie smiled at her, signaling for her to follow him.

At that time, she had no idea this was actually his home, but when she did find out, she was more than grateful, if not, a bit awkward, for  having to rely so much on his kindness. However, just as he promised, Alfie managed to get that jerk of a doctor to pay her 10 times the money she paid him, and thus, she would have been able to get a very modern and luxurious place, only for herself, and even buy a dog, a cat, or hell, more of them.

But she refused, and asked to continue staying with him, if she wasn’t too much of a burden, since she really enjoyed spending time with him, and she had no idea, other than working 200% of her capabilities for her job, whatever that was, at the moment, and, of course, she would have missed Cyril too much.

It didn’t take long for Alfie’s people to realise the obvious chemistry between the two, and Ollie kept trying to convince him to ask her out, but things are always so difficult, aren’t they? Business and logics are much easier than subjective emotions.

It became sort of a routine for everyone around to see their boss writing and reading documents at his desk, while Y/N would sit on the desk, her legs resting on his chair’s back rest, as she would write on her clipboard whatever relevant things she thought were worth noting down, and would occasionally express her opinions regarding ideas that Alfie had, or some businesses that he was dealing with at the moment - All that, with, of course, the frequent witty comments they would exchange - And it was never anything hurtful, or reproachful jabs, only playful and domestic comments that always made her laugh.

“You never told me why you always look down when you interact with people, y’know, and by that, I don’t mean when you’re being some dramatic Queen, but when you’re being yourself. I mean, I haven’t seen women who let their hair so long these days, right, so I was curious about you. You do things much differently than most people, y’know that, don’t you?” Alfie asked, raising his head to look up at her, only to see, once again, trying to think of how to explain things that don’t rely on rational and objective behaviours. “Ah...Well...Uh...Y’know...I’m...My face is very expressive, y’know. So, like...I get embarrassed easily, or...Uhm...When I lie, or something, I tend to grin or laugh. I’m a messy failure who can’t do a pokerface, like, ever, so, since most people are taller than me, if I let my hair cover my face, they won’t see the truth. Or, well, y’know, at least that’s what I hope. I can’t look at them while hiding, so I’ve no way of telling whether it works or not. Contrary to me being flashy and dramatic, I’m kinda shy and terrible around people.” she chuckled awkwardly, looking away from him, bringing up her clipboard to cover half of her face. “Ahhh, I see, I see, so you go to real great lengths, yeah, to get what you want, and so far, you’ve done really well, eh. Is there anything you can’t do, lass? You’ve been doing this job for over a year, and business has improved with...Uh...Lemme see, how much did you say...Ah, yes, here, it says 23%.” he had his glasses on as his eyes scanned the documents on his desk. “I...Can’t socialise, I guess. And I can’t relax. I don’t know how to have fun. Uhm...I can’t human, I guess? I don’t know what to call it, but I think you get what I’m saying. Anyway, we have business work now, so read this paragraph here, I think we have to talk threaten Sabini a bit, he’s over his head now with power, someone has to humble him, give us a better percentage of his business, and -” Y/N tried to quickly redirect the conversation, hating when she had to talk about herself, but obviously, she couldn’t say no to the man who was always so kind and sweet with her, could she? “Nahhh, it’s fine, Y/N, let’s take a little break, right? We’ve been working since early morning, it’s evening now. Ollie, go make tea and bring those treats made today, eh. Now, lass, why don’t you tell me how did you get around to practicing medicine? I’ve always been curious by that, you know, you don’t see many women unafraid of stuff like that, yeah.” he pointed out, letting himself fall down on his chair’s seat, looking up at her. “Y’know, Y/N, you say you can hide your emotions when you hide your face from people taller than you, yeah? But what happens when they look at you from below? Gotta say, Y/N, sometimes, your worried face is rather pretty...Better now, let me look at you when you speak, yeah, we’re equals, when you go all meek on me, you make me feel like some kind o’ merciless boss or somethin’.” he chuckled, raising a bit to put her hair behind her ears, revealing a soft blush coating her cheeks, and god damn, he could feel his heart beating a bit faster. “Uhm...Okay, fine, sure, I owe you that much. Uhm...My dad was a medic too, so it became a family business for a while. And, uhm...Dad was recruited as a war medic, and went with my brother, while I and mum continued to take care of the people and animals from our city. When it was all over, I decided to get to London to practice properly, get more money and provide for my family better. They’re getting old and they need someone to take care of them, somehow.” she explained, but her eyes were darting around, and he could feel she was still hiding something because of her hesitance, but he wasn’t sure what exactly was it that she was trying to hide.

But before either of them could say anything about it anymore, a loud bang echoed through the warehouse, somewhere from the entrance, which made the girl jump in her place with a mouse-like squeak, slapping her hands over her ears.

It’s true, any person would get frightened by a gunshot that resounded so loudly through that place - And yet, this one looked like a panicked, scared fawn in the headlights - And Alfie, of course, noticed that and came to a few conclusions for himself.

However, before he could say anything, a man entered their field of vision, and he could feel Y/N tensing up, her face showing shock and disgust at the person who she clearly recognise. She turned her head to look at Alfie, and with pleading eyes, mouthing a few simple words that may or may not have shocked him.

“Let me kill him” she tried to say, but this mystery man spoke out faster than expected, and it was clear she was getting more and more angry and embarrassed by the moment. “Y/N, darling, what are you doing here? Whoring around with other men, getting into illicit business, thinking you’re superior to men just because you have some over the top ambitions that are completely unreachable, and now you think you can get rich by staying around wealthy old men, huh?” the man kept speaking, igniting an infernal fire into her eyes. “Alfie, I pride myself with my never ending patience, but I swear to God, if you don’t let me kill him...I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” Y/N muttered between her gritted teeth, shocking Alfie since he never saw her as the violent type. “I’m not doing any business with him, alright, do what you feel like doing, Y/N, he’s all yours.” Alfie sat back in his chair, his fingers intertwined over his stomach, watching with interest whatever she was going to do.

Y/N jumped off the desk and slowly prowled around it, her head hanging low, before she snapped it up, glaring lightnings at the man.

“Fuck off. Now. Or you’re dead. Do you understand this simple language, or do I need to put it in words that even a monkey would understand?” she crossed her arms, spitting poison at him. “What, can’t I be angry at my own girlfriend for being a bitch and leaving me alone? I mean, you really fucked up, y’know? You left me when I needed you the most, how tragic is that?!” he yelled at her, but she only rolled her eyes, scoffing. “Yeah, I left you ‘cause you were abusing me. The way I see it, you’re the one who sucks, not me. Now get the hell out of here. Before I do something you will regret.” her voice went an octave lower, threatening him the same way she learnt from Alfie over the time of business making. “Woaw, Y/N, woaw, that’s pathetic, even for you. You’ve never been able to even raise your voice at anyone. You were nothing more than a crybaby who couldn’t step up to anyone, and then you went to war, and what, you think you changed? You didn’t! Underneath this dumb, tough facade that you’re trying to pull in front of everyone else, you’re nothing more than the frightened little girl who needed to have everything in control and grasp a bit of power to feel superior to others after you got beaten up and had a gun pointed at your head by the Germa-” but he couldn’t continue speaking for, in the blink of an eye, she pulled out a gun for her trench coat and shot him in the head, his blood and brains shooting everywhere, all over her, on the walls and floor. “Well...Ask me anything and I will provide you with an answer that is completely honest this time. But, uhm...Take of your shirt, will you?” she had a solemn, pissed off expression as she threw off her coat before hurriedly taking off her shirt, nonchalantly cleaning up her face, then pulling it into a ball, throwing it on the cadaver, then stepped in front of a very shocked, yet impressed Alfie. “Go on, take off your shirt, will you? It’s clean. You promised I’ll never have to shoot a gun, and yet, I did, therefore I need a clean top, right? So, while I tell you the truth, don’t let me stay like this in front of you, okay?” extending her hand in front of her, while her other arm was over her chest, trying to cover her pretty white laced bra, it took a mirthful laugh out of the Jew for him to finally take off his shirt and put it around her, not caring that he was the topless one now. “Will you ever stop impressing and surprising me, lass?” Alfie asked, petting her head as a way to say she did well. “Once I stop shocking myself, sure. Until then...I believe you want to say something, don’t you?” she asked, slowly stepping in front of him, looking up at him as she properly put on his shirt that looked like a dress on her. “Yeah, lass, I think I did.”

With a gentle smile, he cupped her face, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on her lips, one hand stroking his fingers through her beautiful long hair, while the other caressed her soft visage. The tender look in his blue-green eyes felt like the safest, warmest haven she ever felt, and with an impulse decision that her heart made, she leaned forward, her arms slowly snaking around his torso, her head resting on his shoulder, and closing her eyes, she could finally feel her heart calming, for the first time in her life.

“It was you who went to war, wasn’t it?” Alfie muttered in her hair, holding her tightly. “Yeah. I don’t have a brother. It was me who went with my father to war, but he died, so I had to be the backbone of the troops. When I got home, my mum was devastated and she died of grief. I left that place to get rid of memories...And get rid of that fuckass. War left me with traumas, but it also made me strong enough to face up to who I am and stop taking everyone’s shit just because they think I’m lesser than them. Sometimes...When you talk about your time as a captain...I remember my time there...And...I realise how much I respect you...And also, how different you are from all the people I had contact with there.” she explained, her grip tightening around him, her heart quivering from the deep emotions she was feeling. “You’ve been through quite a lot in your life, haven’t you, lass? And you managed to make a life all for yourself, from the scratch, right, so, I think you’ve been doing great. France?” he asked, guiding her to a more private room, much warmer and cozier, while Ollie was to find him another shirt. “Yeah, France. Thing is...You went through all that, and it was worse for you, since you were a Captain, and you must have felt responsible for every death from your troops...And yet...Ever since we met, you’ve been sweeter than anyone has ever been, and that includes my own family. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them, but maybe...Maybe I’m just a bit softer than I let others think. And you managed to hit the right spot, in the good way, I mean. War changes everyone, and yet, you’re...I have no fitting word to describe how much I appreciate you, Alfie, but here...This thing here feels it, and I think you can feel what I’m feeling too.” she explained, resting her head on his shoulder once they sat down on the sofa, as he pulled her closer to his side, kissing her temple lovingly. “You know, Y/N...You’re not wrong. I tried not to think about my time there and the horrors I’ve seen, yeah, so, maybe it doesn’t come off as anything fantastic, and I still don’t think that being a decent person, right, to people who are close to me, is a big deal. But maybe sometimes we take things for granted, don’t we, so, maybe, you’re right. But that guy has no excuse for being a bastard. You’re safe now, Y/N, and when some day, when we’re done with this gangster mess...We can go to Margate and live a normal life there, eh. You, me and Cyril, and the sandy beach and the waves, right, and maybe, if we get bored, we can shoot those damned seagulls, yeah? They’re so annoying, I’m telling ya!” Alfie chuckled, which, in turn, made her grin at him lovingly. “I’d love to go to Margate with you, Alfie, and have seagull shooting contests together, and run barefoot on the shore, and if it’s enough light from the moon, we can swim a bit. Sounds like the perfect life if you ask me.” Y/N kissed his cheek, lovingly caressing his face before hugging his side. “That’s what I like to hear, lass. I’m sure Cyril would bark like a mad dog from happiness if he was hear, right. S’gonna be fun when we get home, eh.”

[archangeldraws]

Reunion

Since some were so interested in the story of King Ghidorah and their human Eva, this is their story. Please, enjoy (also give me feedback as I don’t usually write stories ^^)

A King Ghidorah fanfiction 

Dorat AU

„Wake up. Come on Ni, wake up boy. Time for walkies!“ A soft voice rings through the air, tickling Ni's ear. The Dorat stirs, sleepily opening one eye and looking around the living room. “Come on Ni-Ni! Don't you want to go outside?” His gaze falls upon a young human girl, standing by the door, hastily putting on her shoes and leashes on two other Dorats like him. His brothers watch him, waiting for him to move. Ni yawns, stretching his golden wings and climbs off the comfortable couch he was sleeping on, trotting over to his master.

She smiles, putting a red collar and leash on the third Dorat, giving him a pet on his fluffy head. “Good boy. Lets go!”

It's a sunny day today, the air is crisp and fresh. It's spring! Eva, their little master, loves this season the most. And they love seeing her happy.

The walk is the same as always. Passing by the same houses, going down the same streets, towards the park.

The park is great. It's big, big enough to stretch their wings and fly around all they want and play.

San, the youngest Dorat loves visiting the park. He's always so eager, flapping up and down, back and forth, almost crashing into his brothers and trilling happily.

Unlike their older brother Ichi, who glides gracefully through the air, looking down on all the passerby.

At the park, Eva lets her Dorats fly free and unzips her backpack, pulling out their toys, a blanket and some drinks and snacks.

Everything is great. They play, enjoy the sunshine and food. Master brought those fish crackers they like.

Ni is chasing another Dorat, a brown one, around the park. That one dared to take a toy! That thief! That one will pay!

A shriek pierces the air, disrupting the chase. Perplexed, Ni looks back. Master?

He watches in horror as a dog, a filthy beast, is attacking Eva. That thing dares to harm HIS MASTER?!

In a rage Ni races towards that monster, flying as fast as he can, not stopping for a second. He doesn't even notice Ichi and San also trying to get in between the girl and the dog.

Ni crashes into the foul beast, bearing his teeth and snarling. The thing yelps, rolling on the ground after the collision. The Dorat, though a bit smaller than the wild dog, put himself between the animal and the girl.

San and Ichi stay with Eva, hissing and screeching angrily, not moving from her side as she weeps and cries in pain, a puddle of blood already forming around her leg on the ground.

Ni growls, daring the dog to move. Do it! Come on! I'll tear you limp from limp!

Not that the dog would have understood it anyway.

In a flash the animal was upon Ni, biting and snapping at him. But Ni isn't afraid. All he sees is red. He bites and claws at it, chomping down on the beasts neck and shaking violently. Ni himself gets thrown around, bitten and scratched. It doesn't matter. He doesn't even feel it. Ni snaps at the soft neck of his opponent, biting and shaking him over and over. The dog screams, letting go of the smaller Dorat and jumps back. In a defiant stance, Ni stays between it and the girl. He growls. And finally his enemy yields and runs.

“NI! OH MY GOD! NIII!! NO!”

Ni turns, Eva approaches him with a limp and she wraps her arms around him.

“Ni! You're hurt! Oh my god, your ear! Your eye!”

A few hours later, Ni wakes up again. Was it a dream? He is in his bed, but something is blocking his view. Why can't he open his left eye? What is that thing?

“Be still, brother. Don't move. You need to heal.” Who is that? Oh, right. It's Ichi. Ichi looks down from his spot at the wall. He likes sitting there. San comes rushing to Ni's side, gently grooming him in a comforting manner. “Are you ok? That fight was really bad! You were lucky you didn't lose your eye, Ni!”

Fight? Oh, yes. Right. That dog. But, what about Eva? Is she ok? Ni looks around the bedroom, trying to see past that weird, round thing around his head. There she is. On the bed. “Ni. You're awake? I'm so glad you're ok!” She smiles, walking towards him and petting him, carefully stroking his back fur.

“The vet said you were really lucky! That dog almost got your eye with it's teeth. But your ear wasn't as lucky, half of it is missing.... Oh Ni, you were so brave! Thank you! I was so scared!”

She quivers, wiping off the tears from her soft, round face.

“You're my hero!”

Ni, not wanting to see her cry leans into her small hand and purrs reassuringly.

“You were hurt.” “It's ok, my leg is better now. Don't worry, everything is ok now. See?” She grins, showing hims her bandaged leg. “Rest now. You'll get a big treat later, ok? You're a good boy, Ni. I love you”

I love you

I love you

I love you....

Ni groans, opening his eyes and stretching his long, powerful neck. Groggily he looks around, spotting his brothers by his side. They've curled up around each other, still sleeping.

As always. Ni, first one to wake up and last one to fall asleep. He hates sleeping. Not sure when it started, but it's been a long time. Sleep brings dreams, memories he'd rather not see.

And now he has to wait for Ichi and San to wake. He sighs, keeping look out. Ni isn't known for being the patient one, but he can be. Not that he has much of a choice. It's not like he could just, get up and walk around. Not anymore. He could wake Ichi. A good bunt in the head would do. But that would also mean getting bit in the snout and right now he wasn't in the mood for a fight. Usually, yeah. But not right now.

His mood was too sour for that.

“Good morning Ni!” San has risen from his slumber and yawns, stretching and rubbing his head against his big brother in a greeting. “Did you sleep well?” Ni sighs. “Same as usual. You?” “Uhm.... I guess so. Got enough sleep at least.”

Ni wasn't the only one plagued by bad memories. San's weren't just memories. They were nightmares. Nightmares that had happened.

Sometimes the youngest brother would wake up screaming and thrashing during the night, begging to be “let out” and biting if you came too close. Ichi and Ni would have to subdue him together, just until the left head would calm down again.

Poor guy had been through a lot. They all have been. But it seems fate has been more cruel to the younger one. He had lost his head, quite literally, many times. Each time he lost more and more of his happy go lucky attitude, if only slowly.

But since that fat lizard had ripped him off last.... They know the memories. They weren't there, but San shared what had happened to him with them, after they reformed that last time.

Last time.... Was the worst. Things are a bit confusing, since they regenerated from a dead head, from a brain that had been dead for some time. They knew their old version had fought on, but their memories stopped after San's death, only to resurface once the humans did something to his brain, feeding him with the energy needed to come back to life.

They know of the pain and fear San had endured, being nothing but a thought in his own mind. Again. Again humans tried to control them, their minds, making them their toys!

But San didn't share everything with them, that they knew... Or they would know of the things he dreamed about and woke from, screaming for help.

They also heard what had happened to their old self. That that one was completely destroyed by the “King” of the monsters, with the help of his Queen.

It is weird to know that you did something, without being there yourself... Never before have they been.... two Ghidorahs. Can they even call it that? Are they themselves even real? Or just a copy?

They know each time a head dies, it grows back with all it's memories. But there had never been a time where.... They had to regenerate their whole being. Until now....

Ichi wakes, shifting and yawning before looking at San and Ni.

“How long have you two been awake?” “Oh hey Ichi, good morning. Not long yet. How was your night?” San smiles at the middle head, greeting him like he greeted Ni with a head rub.

“Luckily, uneventful. Full night rests have become rare” “Yeah.... sorry about that.” “Don't be, San. It's not your fault... Well, now that we're up, let's get out of here. I need some fresh air.”

With that, Ghidorah rose to their feet and walked out of the cave they had carved themselves some time ago. After they had regenerated, they had traveled the world for a while, not knowing what to do with themselves. They were thinking of going after Godzilla again, but..... They were just tired. So they made themselves a small home, if you could call it that, on monster island. They had made an agreement with Godzilla. While they would never yield and submit to him, they promised to stay out of his way and leave the humans alone. As long as they didn't destroy anything, they could be at piece.

Or at least by left alone. And the other Titans did leave them alone.

Wherever they went, the other Kaiju would run and hide. No one dared to try and talk with them.

Except for Godzilla, who would sometimes pass by and check if they still hold their part of the deal.

Sometimes Rodan would come and try to talk with them. That firebird is a huge chatterbox.

Right now Ghidorah made their way down the mountain they had made their cave in, living high above the others, where they had a good view over the island.

“Brothers, look there. A boat” Ni and Ichi look towards the sea, where San was pointing at. “Ugh, humans.... Those pests. They better not think about stepping on this island!” “Calm down brother. What do we care what they do? As long as they leave us alone, I don't give a crap.” Ichi snorts, moving their body down and to the other side of the mountain.

They walk towards a lake and San has a little drink. They don't really NEED to drink and eat, but it's a nice treat and it gives them something to do. One of the few things they can still enjoy, since destroying and conquering is now off the table. At least for now.

Ni looks at his reflection. It's him. But it's also not.

Gone is the round face and the big eyes, gone is the little snout and ears. Gone is the fur on his head and back.

Instead there is a long, strong snout, filled with rows of sharp teeth. His eyes are beady and red and his head adorned with jagged horns, sharp and deadly. Everything on them is sharp and deadly.

But the scar is still there.

He remembers, like in his dream. The scar that made him unique, a hero in that little girl's eyes.

But she's gone now, long dead.

Why is the scar still there? They can heal. And it was gone. But he made it again. For some reason, even though he wants to forget.... He scars himself over and over again, each time it heals, he takes one of their spiked tails to his face and draws blood. He's done it many time, he knows exactly where to cut, how to cut it. Each time a perfect copy.

And his horn. The second horn on the left, he always breaks it off. Where half his ear used to be.

Ichi keeps a look out, watching the smaller kaiju hiding in the shadows of the trees, waiting for them to leave and have a drink.

As they should. Useless lot, they are beneath them. Look at them quivering, shaken to their very core by their fear, Ghidorah's presence almost crushing them like little worms.

Ichi has always enjoyed looking down on others. Since he was a cup, he'd find the highest places and sit there, watching the others. He's always been more cruel than his brothers, that's just who he is. Not that he doesn't know how to be compassionate. He loves his brothers.

Sure, he reprimands them often, especially Ni, as he likes to act up and square off with Ichi.

But he still cares. And he'd do anything to protect them.

Once he cared for someone else. A little someone, though bigger than them at the time, but so small and fragile.

Somehow she made him want to protect her. To love her. And he did. He loved and protected and cared and vowed to stay forever-.... Until forever was over.

Gone were the good days, the days filled with happiness and love and care. Replaced with fear and pain and numbness instead.

They were like her. But they were not like her. Not soft and sweet and loving and warm. No high voices carrying nothing but goodness to his ear but instead, cries and screams and yells of malice and horror and the stench of rotting flesh and dry blood.

Their new “masters” were nothing like her. They never gave them the feeling of being safe. Only fear. Only pain. Only rage!

And then.... Nothing. Sleep without dreams, dreams without sleeping. Moving but unmoving.

Pain but no feeling.

And then they woke up. They woke at a cold place, nothing but ice and piercing cold and blinding white. No humans in sight. No... Her..... Alone. They were alone. And they were one.

They knew they were, have been for long. But now that they were awake, it was strange. Having to learn how to move again.

And the urge.... The urge to.... kill... destroy.... It was ebbed into their mind so deep, into their very core.... All they could think about was “Find Godilla. Kill him. Destroy him. Kill. Destroy. Kill. Destroy. Destroy. Destroy. Destroy. Destroy. Destroy destroy destroy destroydestroydestroyde-....”

The thought was still there, once jackhammering in their head, now a soft drumming... They had found Godzilla. But that one was not the same they knew now. That one fought long and hard, made them weak and trapped them in the ice, where they had awoken the first time. And they slept.

And now.... The same thing. They found Godzilla, a different one, fought and lost again. Were killed this time and somehow they came back.

You'd think knowing that you were able to cheat death like this would make you stronger, would make you want to try again.... And maybe they will, one day. But now they're just tired....

“Hello?.... Are you there?” They look up. “Yes? What is it?” San looks to Ichi. “I didn't call you.” They look at Ni. “Wasn't me” “Can you hear me?”

Confused they look around. Was it one of them? One of the small ones hiding in the shadows?

“What do you want?” Ichi growls at the trees and the little kaiju skitter away quickly.

“It's me. I'm here.”

“Who the fuck is calling us?! Who is it?” They stand and Ni snarls and snaps at nothing.

“Come to me. I'm here. Are you there?”

“What the fuck?” Ichi grows more and more irritated, looking around but seeing no one.

“Come find me. Were you waiting?”

“Ichi.... I think it's coming from there.” San points back at the ocean again. Is it a water Titan? Manda perhaps?

“I swear if that snake is out making a fool of us then we'll have it for breakfast!”

“Good idea Ichi, sound delicious!”

They follow the voice, down to the shore. They don't see Manda, but the human boat is still there.

“Ohoh, it's the humans! It must be them. Of course. Why am I not surprised?”

“Wouldn't be the first time, Ni.” “Should we kill them?” “We can't, Godzilla-” “I know San, I know! But he never said we can't defend ourselves. If they try to attack us, it's free game!”

“My sweets....” They freeze. What did they just call them? No one ever called them that but-... No. No, she's gone.

“Can't you hear me? Please answer me. Remember our promise? I promised I'd come find you”

No... No, no no no, no! It's not true! This is a trick! They are tricking us!

San leans closer, looking down at the boat and the humans on board.

“Ichi... Ni... San.... Do you remember me?”

They stare. They stare at the human woman with the dark hair and eyes. The eyes they know, the eyes they only see in their dreams.

“It's her!” Sam rears ups, shocked and confused. It's her. She's back! She's come!

“Ichi, Ni, it's her! It's her! Master!” “NO! Get a grip San, it isn't!” Ichi roars, staring down at San. “This is a trick, clearly!”

“But-”

Ichi doesn't believe, doesn't trust. Ni wants to believe, wants to trust. San believes, San trusts.

San bends down again, trying to reach the boat, he needs to see her, smell her, touch her. “Master!”

“NO!” Ichi snaps, he grabs San by the scruff of his neck and pulls him away. They stagger, their body, twitching. The heads fight.

Middle tries to dominate left, biting and power grooming him into submission. Usually San would yield, but not this time. He rises, roaring at his brother in fury.

“STOP IT ICHI! It is her, I know it!”

“IT CAN'T BE SAN, SHE IS DEAD!” They are torn apart, feeling an array of feelings.

Yes! No! Want! Don't! Believe! Fear! Trust! Rage! Can't be! It is!

“STOP!!”

They stop. Ichi and San look at Ni. He glares at them. Is this what happens when they see a glint of what had been? It tears them apart just like this? How weak have they become, how low have they fallen?

“Brothers.... Please.... Who else could talk with us like that?” San pleads at Ichi and Ni, lowering his head. His eyes displaying nothing but sadness.

“Our connection is still there... After all this time, all those years our link is still strong. Who else but her could speak with us? Who else knows the names she gave us?”

All three heads turn to look back at the boat. The humans, pointing their weak little weapons at them, stare, waiting for them to move.

Except the woman. She stands at the railing, tears in her eyes, her face contorted as if in pain.

“Please, don't fight... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you. I promised you, remember? That I would find you, no matter what. I said I would come. And I am here now, my sweets.... Please forgive me....”

She cries. No humans ever cried for them but....

“Eva...?”

Her head snaps back up so fast, you could almost hear it crack. Ghidorah leans down towards the boat, all three heads until their noses almost touch it.

They look at her. The face, the scar of the dog bite on her leg. The way she smiles. They smell her.

Like spring. She smells like spring. Like her favorite season. And fish crackers. She reaches out, placing her soft, small hand on Ichi's snout and smiles that smile that sings of love and happy memories.

“I'm sorry.... Did you wait long?”

[troped-fanfic-challenge]

Round One

It’s time to read & vote!

The 13 fics that we received for this round can be found below, or on AO3 here! Each fic follows the theme [New Adult], includes the tropes [Roommates] and [Based on a Children’s Book Series], and has a central character focus on [Octavia Blake]! When you vote, please be sure to take into consideration the USE of all these elements, because, as with all other TROPED events, the purpose is to select the authors who best utilize the requirements!

The structure for voting is simple! Please rank the thirteen (13) fics, first (1) being your top choice, and thirteen (13) being your last choice! The first poll, you will be asked to rank all 13 fics, the way you did in the Qualifying Round. This will help us to break any ties, and we will use this ranking to reorder the authors for the Bunker Brackets for Round 2. The second poll will have five head-to-head pairings and 3 BYEs this round. Please select which author of the two fics you think deserves to move on to Round 2!

You can vote here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/57WNY9B

————

the daughter of war  (Rated T) [Octavia & Niylah]

Summary: Octavia's been at Camp Half-Blood for half her life, and she has no interest in leaving. It takes a war, a near-fatal injury and the kindness of an unwanted roommate to show her that she has the strength to forge her own path.

You Choose Your Race (And Then You Run) (Rated T) [Octavia & Carole]

Summary: Octavia has always lived in her older brother’s shadow. Everyone knew her just as Bellamy’s little sister -- if they knew her at all. Homeschooled for most of her life, she had few friends of her own and was so excited to finally step out into the world and follow in her brother’s footsteps to be a political science major at Boston University.

Until she flunked out of college. She realized she isn’t her brother, can’t be her brother, and wants to run as far as she can in the other direction. She leaves the university with no direction and winds up in Willow Creek, Virginia, rooming with Carole Hanson who is taking a gap year to work at Pine Hollow and save up for vet school.

We Are The Wild Youth (Rated T) [Octavia & Josephine]

Summary: Between what has to be the worst roommate ever, and trying to find her place on the school equestrian program, Octavia is struggling to find her place in her second year of college. When she finds out she is finally going to get to compete in her first ever horse show, will anything actually go right?

courage, dear heart (Rated T) [Gen Fic]

Summary: Now, this is a story you may know...

There were four children who went through a magical wardrobe, and became kings and queens of a magical land.

To the glistening eastern sea, I give you Queen Raven the Resourceful. To the great western woods, King Wells the Wise. To the radiant southern sun, Queen Clarke the Commanding. And to the clear northern skies, I give you King Bellamy the Benevolent. Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia

....but this is not the story to be told. This story is of a fifth child, who was hidden and forgotten.

To the holder of the compass, Octavia the Osleya, I give you the Champion of Narnia.

choices made in sp[r]ite (Rated T) [Octavia/Murphy]

Summary: Octavia scowled, lying back down on the bed, wishing for nothing more than to wake up from whatever nightmare she was currently residing in.  Sure, she had been a little bit unhinged since graduating from Haven City Prep School, but that didn’t mean Bellamy had to leave her in a cell just because she got in another fight!

or... and they were cellmates (oh my god, they were cellmates)

Once a king or queen of Narnia... (Rated T) [Octavia & Bellamy]

Summary: They grow up together. Twice. That would mess with anyone's head.

laying down my past i scream (this is not the end of me) (Rated T) [Octavia & Murphy]

Summary: The last person Octavia wanted to be stuck in a cell with was Murphy.

Not after he betrayed her, turned to the enemy's side.

Tried to kill her.

But maybe she didn't yet know the full story.

- or the Eragon/100 crossover where Octavia has a dragon and so does Murphy and they're stuck in a cell together

and now we're grown-up orphans (that never knew their names) (Rated T) [Octavia & Clarke]

Summary: In a world where every person is allowed to have only one child, Octavia Blake has lived her whole life in hiding. But when she's nineteen, she gets the salvation she'd given up on: a new identity.

Specifically, the identity of the recently deceased Josephine Griffin.

Even In Death May You Be Triumphant (Rated T) [Octavia & Indra]

Summary: Octavia was woken by the soft rustling of dirt being moved above her. The sound was methodical, growing louder and closer, before the thud of the shovel hitting her coffin lid signaled the start of her new life. Indra had come for her.

OR

Octavia and Indra Vampire AU based on the Cirque du Freak series (Mainly the Vampire Blood Trilogy)

It's about growing up (Rated G) [Octavia & Bellamy]

Summary: Bellamy and Octavia have spent every moment of her life together, but a trip back in time in a treehouse they had played in as a kid helps to finally break open the tense air between them, and lets them find new footing.

cause the big dog's moving in (Rated T) [Octavia x Murphy]

Summary: Murphy's new roommate came with a dog, which was really the best kind of bonus.

"He's a red lab," Octavia had told him when he'd asked. "And he's big."

Murphy had seen labs before and while, yeah, they were decently large, they weren't that big, but, really, he was just excited to have a dog by association.

Maybe he should have asked for at least pictures or something, though, because he definitely hadn't anticipated just how big Octavia's big red dog really was.

Do act mysterious. (Rated T) [Octavia x Levitt]

Summary: Octavia has learned a lot over her years in college.

She's learned that she has a knack for solving mysteries, that she wants to make a steady income in sleuthing once she graduates with her criminal justice degree, and most recently, that she has a thing for her roommate, Levitt.

So when Levitt's entire life implodes against his will, Octavia finds herself diving head first into solving the mystery of who the culprit is, determined to restore Levitt's name and bring the guilty party to justice.

(She just wishes it didn't involve interacting with all of her college exes in the process.)

The Unshakable Queen, Her Broken Mind, And a Heart Long Since Castaway (Rated T) [Gen Fic]

Summary: Octavia kom Wonkru has had a rough week. Well more like a rough past six years, but who's counting? Prettyu soon though she finds the solace she's been looking for and she gets dragged into a fairytale, literally!

A land of stories and the 100 crossover that no one wanted but you got anyways!

[bts-trash-blog]

Golden: Part 1~ Moon

Summary: Watercolor splashes, and yet all that splashed on your skin was ink, while his was gold. Cold and warm. Sweet and sour. Love and lust. Yet it made so much sense..sadly he couldn’t see it.

Pariing: Min Yoongi X Chubby Reader

Warnings: Angst, mentions of depression, inscrurites, smut and some mentions of past toxic relationships. Just poor Yoongi tbh.

STORY PREVIEW ._. NEXT

You always had a tenacity to overstay your welcome in this little coffee shop down the street from your apartment, especially when you get busy reading a new story, always nursing on a cup of coffee that is ice cold just to watch the sun set. You always apologized profusely as you offered to buy a leftover pastry for overstaying, though Namjoon, the owner, had grown accustomed to your watch full eyes. Always letting you stay as he closes up, even telling you some new books you should check out, Namjoon had deemed you his friend within a month of watching your schedule. You worked early mornings at a shelter as a vet tech, working too many hours for such little pay. Yet you always came to his coffee shop after you had gone home from your shift, changed from your scrubs, and sat down ordering the same old black coffee with four sugars. He nicknamed you ‘moon’, he always called you it when topping off your cup, for free, catching your attention.  When you asked him as to why he called you moon he couldn’t help but smile his wide bright dimple smile your way.

“The moon is a hidden, and overlooked beauty.”  His words had your round cheeks turn pink, as you looked down at the book in your lap, shaking your head you looked back up at him and gave him a tight lipped smile.

“If only that was true Namjoon.” Your words were followed by a slight bow to the head, as you stood up and left, Namjoon left standing there curious as to why that had affected you the way it did. But he waited for your return the next day, yet that didn't come. In fact you did arrive back to your beloved coffee spot for over a week. When you did, your friend Jimin was following after you, his bright pink hair catching the older males attention, watching your skin, and when no color appeared he couldn’t help but frown. Hoping that was the reason you didn’t come in for a week, that your soulmate had taken up your free time and not his supposed to be soft and kind words. But the latter seemed to have been the case.

“Jimin, I swear the Shiba wanted me dead, all I needed to do was give it a nail trim and it was acting as if I wanted to cut it open.” Your voice floats through his ears as he comes by your table, your regular cup of black coffee in hand making you smile at him. “Thanks Joon, this past week has been a pain and I’ve missed this place.”

“Well then why didn’t you come in?” His question had Jimin chuckling as you let out a groan and smile at Namjoon.

“I decided I would pick up a double shift at the clinic for spay and neuter week, and let me tell you, I will not be doing that again. Jimin over here  was my saving grace, but the black coffee he got me was just not like the ones you brew.” Your words had his cheek dust rose, as he looked at Jimin.

“Is there anything you would like to drink?”

“I’ll take a passion tea, and a lemon cake if you have any.” Your eyes widened with what seemed to be joy, as you looked to Namjoon with a child like gleam in your eyes.

“Oh my, yeah can I have some lemon cake too, today Joon?” He chuckles as he nods, turning away from you, you watch as the brasita and owner of the shop walk away.

“Have you touched skin yet? Any color?” Jimins question had you frown as you looked down in the mug of coffee and shook your head.

“Yeah, no color, it kinda disappointed me at first, cause a tech with a coffee shop owner would be a match made in heaven. But I guess it isn’t.” Jimin nods in understanding as he looks at you, worry laced behind his eyes as you smile his way. “But it doesn’t mean I can’t be friends with him, which I am.”

“You have friends outside of the clinic?” His words had you pouting as you giggled and pasted your lips.

“Yes I do, I don’t want to talk about dog testicals and abeses all day, I would like to have a normal conversation without the mentions of an animal's bowel movements in it.” Your words had Jimin's crescent moon laughter, doubling over onto the table as he shook his head on top of his arm. “What? Is that a lie?”

“No, no it's not, it's just I love you that's all.” His words had you shake your head. Namjoon came back around, Jimin sitting up as he thanked him. When a new body behind the counter caught your eyes. Your lingering eyes on the board back had Namjoon spinning around, a large smile gracing his face as he saw his Soulmate working behind the counter.

“That's Jin, my partner in both business and personal life.” His words had you and Jimin staring at him in aw, realization that you have a friend who has actually found his soulmate. His eyes widen as he slowly realizes that too, especially as he watched as you and  Jimin seemingly communicating with one another through your looks. “Oh boy.”

“Soulmates, huh.” You said slightly leaning back, only for the chair you were in to slightly wobble, making Jimin almost spit out the sip of tea he had just sipped. The noise of your squeal, and Namjoons steading hands had some other customers look your way, making you blush as you stared down at the table, embarrassment smashing through your chest, but so was laughter.

“I can’t take you anywhere.” Jimin stated, as Namjoon kept his hands on your shoulders, no warmth, no color spreading down your bare skin where his skin touched. Though you understood. You still felt a little disappointed.

“First off, I dragged you here, secondly I can’t take myself anywhere, I always seem to trip or do what I just did. I’m a idiot.” You mumbled, a small smile playing on your lips, as Namjoon finally let you go. “Anyway, back to what I was saying before I almost wobbled down to my death.”

“Something about soulmates.” Jimin said, making you nod as Namjoon sighed and grabbed a chair, decided it was the best time to take a break.

“Ah yes!” You said with a smile, breaking off a piece of the lemon bread, almost moaning at the taste once it hit your lips. “You and that Jin fellow.”

“Yes, yes we’re soulmates, I’m red and he’s pink.” His quick reply had you frowning almost, not wanting to bug him with questions that many others had probably asked. “Sorry if that came out rude, I just like getting it out there you know?” Both you and Jimin nod in response as Namjoon smiles. “So any questions?”

“What do the colors feel like?” Jimin asked, making you lean in slightly as you sip onto your coffee.

“Warmth, but also...its a bit hard to explain..but fireworkey almost.” His words have you smiling brightly as you watch the board man move around, in the back, making orders. “It also took my family a while to accept us, heck I still don’t think they fully do.. even as soulmates, being gay isn’t always seen as okay.” His words had Jimin and you frown, you hand reaching out for one of his, Jimins doing the same. “I love Seokjin, I love him so much. But my family just doesn’t..I lost friends.”

“Well, you’re not losing me.” Your words had his eyes snap up, a smile spreading across his face, as you give him a similar look. “You can’t help who you love, let alone who your soulmate is.”

“Yeah, I know we just met but I would love to be friends with you.” Jimin said, his eyes lingering on the older man as he smiled, when all of sudden, you watch a baby pink spread across his neck, fingers resting on his skin as it slowly spread across his cheek from where you watch plush red lips press against.

“It’s time for my break baby.” The voice of you could only assume was Seokjin, Namjoon smile bright, his own hand pressing against his soulmate's skin, a bright fire like red spread across his skin. Splashing as he let out, watching the color on their skin slowly evaporate within seconds.

“Of course my love, welp it's time for me to work. It was nice to meet you Jimin, I hope I’ll see you soon Moon.” Namjoons words had Seokjin's eyes snap to you, a smile growing on his lips.

“So this is ms moon.” His words had you blushing as you looked down to your almost empty cup of coffee, you watched as Namjoon smiled and left to the counter to take orders.  Seokjin smiled as he took his soulmate's seat, his eyes bright as he stared at you. “I’m Seokjin, but you can call me Jin.” You nodded as you watch him reach his hand out, following you take your hand with him.

“I’m Y/n..or as Joon calls me Moon.” You chuckle a bit at the nickname as Jin smiled brightly at you.

“Joon is a mess, but at last I love him.”  You nod as you took the last sip of your coffee, your phone dinging making you slightly jump, as the two boys fall into conversation.  Looking at your phone you see it was from your roommate, Hoseok. A dance teacher at an art school, though he was young he was one of the best there was to be, he worked with people his age and younger, sometimes even a bit older than him. You and him had been friends since  high school, he took care of you, becoming your older brother figure. He was a dork, and kind of an idiot, but he was also your sunshine.

Hobi: Do you need anything at the store?

      Y/n: Can you pick up some more banana milk and some black noodle instant ramen? Thank you hobi

Hobi: No problem kid, I’ll see you at home.

Smiling you see Jin staring at you, a raised eyebrow as he looks between your smiling face and your phone. “Soulmate?” Letting out a laugh you shake your head as Jimin follows.

“Roomate, I haven’t found mine yet.”He nods as he looks to the counter and smiles.

“Well our sweet Moon, when you found them. I hope you understand to cherish them, and I hope you understand that you need to also cherish yourself.”

[deathonyourtongue]

Willow Run | Ch. 2

Summary: On a horse ranch in Texas, life is far simpler than on the streets of Bakubah, but Syverson has a bad habit of taking in strays of all kinds, no matter what demons may be after them. Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC Word Count: 3.3K Warnings: Nothing in this chapter. A/N: You guys!!!! Thank you so much for all the love you’ve shown on this fic! It means a lot and I appreciate each and every one of y’all! CHAPTER 1 |

_______________________________________________ 

 Message me if you’d like to be added/removed from the tag list!

@fumbling-fanfics @skiesfallithurts@pinkpenguin7@madmedusa178 @crushed-pink-petals @fangoria@bluestarego@caffeinated-writer @my–own–personal–paradise@tastingmellow @honeychicana @lua-latina @angelicapriscilla @swiftyhowlz @schreiberpablo @pinkwatchblueshoes @kirasmomsstuff @prettypascal @blacklotus-of-the-black-kingdom @nardahsb @playbucky @veryfastspeedz @queen-of-the-kastle @freyahelps @cajunpeach @godlikeentity @captainsamwlsn @nakusaych9@katerka88 @katerka88 @kirasmomsstuff@melaninmimii@alienor-romanova @downtowndk @redhairedmoiraandtheliferuiners @safiras @agniavateira @henryfanfics101 @fatefuldestinies @iloveyouyen  @justaboringadult @xxxxxerrorxxxxx @readings-of-a-cavill-lover @alyxkbrl @bloodyinspiredfuck @peakygroupie @stxphmxlls @trippedmetaldetector @radaofrivia @speakerforthedead0-blog @oddsnendsfanfics @shadyskit @snowbellexx @leilabeaux @cavillunraveled​ @kmhappybunny​

Wolf did the trick, and though it took her an extra moment to be convinced, Sasha allowed Syverson to carry her inside, the house blessedly cool thanks to an HVAC system that had been retrofitted a few years prior.

Once inside, Syverson set her onto one of the high chairs that took up one side of the kitchen counter. Like most everything else in the house, the kitchen was bright, airy and spacious. Curiously, the appliances seemed to come straight from the past; the sink, the fridge, even the oven all dated back to at least the fifties in appearance though they had all been fitted with new technology.

"Bathroom's just down at the end of the hall if you need it. Lemme just wash my hands and I'll fix somethin' up real quick," he explained, pointing down the hall before moving to the old farmhouse sink to start washing up.

As he prepped, the sound of two sets of paws grew louder and louder, nails clicking on the hardwood flooring. A quick glance over his shoulder and Syverson's smile grew tenfold, although he quickly took action, blocking the path of the two puppies who were eager not only for scraps, but to find out who the new human was.

"You're not afraid of dogs, are you? I completely forgot, I'm so sorry," he stammered, Syverson starting to herd them back towards his office which was just a few steps away from the kitchen. One of them was clearly the boss as he pushed right past Syverson with an upturned nose, trotted over to Sasha, sat down and grunted as though asking her who she was. Syverson chuckled, a little embarrassed as he turned his attention to the little mastiff, picking him up easily before tucking him into his chest.

"Don't mind the grunting. He does that when he wants something from someone."

The other dog, a hearty little guy, followed his buddy's example and sat down next to Sasha’s feet, looking up at her with curiosity.

"This is Hudson, and that down there, is Goliath," he introduced, each dog making a noise as his name was called. "They're strays. Up on all their shots though. Perks of knowing a vet."

Syverson set the puppy down just as a third set of paws clipped along the ground, the sound much heartier than either of the two pups. Although curious about the newcomer, the older dog simply sniffed at Sasha’s general direction before sitting down in her dog bed by the back door of the kitchen. With age came wisdom, and the four year old German Shepard knew full well her owner never went a morning meal without giving her at least a piece of bacon. 

“And this beautiful lil’ lady is Aika. She’s been with me since...For a long time,” he asserted, catching himself before divulging information he wasn’t sure Sasha was ready to hear yet. Given her injuries, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she believed the stereotype of military men being prone to violence. Keeping it to himself was his best option at the moment. 

“They’re all so cute!” Sasha smiled, her eyes still bright, every moment that passed leaving her feeling more and more relaxed around Syverson, something she didn’t even notice as she watched the puppies frolic around Aika, who paid them no heed and let them bounce all over her and her very comfy-looking bed.

After making sure the puppies wouldn’t get into any mischief while he cooked, Syverson washed his hands again, drying off before extending a hand to Sasha.

“I never did get your name,” he smiled sheepishly.

“Oh, right. It’s Sasha. Sasha Bettencourt. How ‘bout you?”

“Kyle Syverson. You can just call me Sy, though. Everyone does.” Shaking hands with Sasha, he couldn’t help but let his smile get a little bigger, mirroring the one he was getting from the young woman.

“Sy, can I use your bathroom?” Sasha asked once they’d let go of each other's hands, her own expression slightly embarrassed since she knew just how dirty she was. Given what the house looked like both inside and out, she couldn’t imagine the bathroom being anything less than spotless.

“Of course!” Syverson said, moving around the counter in a hurry, ready to steady her as she got down off the chair. “You alright to make it there on your own?” He asked, the concern returning to his expression as he waited to see if she’d drop like she had outside. “Take your time,” he told her gently, the words spoken not only as a warning not to walk quickly, but as a reminder that she no longer needed to rush now that she was safe and out of the sun.

Testing her legs, Sasha found them working well enough and with a nod, she ambled her way down, relieved to have her body functioning at least somewhat close to normal again. Finding the door easily enough, Sasha closed and locked it behind her, taking a moment just to breathe. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she was surprised Syverson had let her anywhere near his property, let alone inside his house. Gruesome was putting it mildly. 

The bathroom was charming and just as beautifully-appointed as the rest of the house. Sasha wondered, not for the first time, if Syverson had a wife who’d done all the decorating. For a man who was so, well, masculine, the house screamed of a woman’s touch. She reminded herself to ask him after she got out. 

Though she was only planning on washing her face, Sasha took one look at the sunflower-sized shower head that sat on top of the clawfoot tub and was taking off her dirty clothes without a second thought. 

Syverson heard the shower going and couldn’t help but smile; he'd have done the exact same thing. Shaking his head, he began preparing breakfast for two; something he hadn’t done in a long time. 

Soon enough, Sy was operating at full steam. Eggs in a skillet, hash browns frying and sausages turning a delicious golden brown. He managed everything with the ease of someone who'd taken classes at the very least and as he worked, he sang an unrecognizable tune, the soft smile never leaving his face. It was easy for anyone to see that the man was at peace in his own home, and that he wasn't the type to sit idly for any length of time. 

As the cool water poured over her still-overheated skin, Sasha couldn’t help but sigh in utter contentment, finding her muscles truly loosening and the panic in her veins dissipating for the first time all day. She’d unknowingly walked to a haven, and while she still felt guilty for putting Sy out, especially since he was out there cooking her breakfast, Sasha vowed not to be so hurried to leave if he didn’t want her to. 

There was one stark problem that Sasha only realized once she got out of the shower; she had no clean clothes to wear. Feeling stupid for her lack of foresight, she begrudgingly put her dirty clothes back on after quickly shaking them off in the tub, hoping to get at least some of the dust off. Though she felt a million times better, memories of the road still clung to her, leaving Sasha pensive and quiet as she left the bathroom.

“Feelin’ better, mama?” Sy asked with a wry smile, his back still to her as he began to plate breakfast, giving both plates a generous helping of eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and pancakes. Though Sy was known to eat like a horse, he never worried about his portions, knowing he’d work it all off down at the stables. 

“I’m sorry. I just...I was so dirty.” Sasha stammered, looking as though she’d stolen something out of the house, even though she’d done nothing of the sort. 

Turning, he gave her a bright smile which quickly turned into an impressed look at the visible difference. She was beautiful, even with all the cuts and bruises that marred her otherwise-smooth skin.

"It-It's no problem. Should've told me, I would've grabbed you some clothes to wear while I threw yours in the wash," he answered after coming back to his senses, Syverson shaking his head as though he'd been startled out of a dream.

A closer inspection of her clothes showed that the washer wouldn't do much good. Tattered and dirty as they were, she was better off throwing them out. Syverson knew it probably wouldn't happen though, as girls were attached to their clothing like guys were attached to their cars. Still, he would broach the topic again after they'd eaten.

"Here we go. One Syverson special, on the bar," he grinned at her as he slid her plate in front of her seat at the kitchen counter, Sy setting his own plate down next to hers. Grabbing his coffee, a glass of orange juice for her, and a bottle of his favorite hot sauce, Sy made sure the salt, pepper, syrup, and napkins were all within reach before taking his seat. 

“Go on, dig in,” He urged, pointing at Sasha’s plate with his chin, Syverson wondering when the last time she ate was. She was thin, almost alarmingly so, and aside from her swollen belly, there wasn’t nearly enough meat on her bones to be carrying another human. If she stayed, Syverson knew he’d see to it personally that she ate her three squares a day, and that she got as many nutrients as she needed to grow the little one inside her. 

Tentatively, Sasha took a bite of the pancake first, hers slathered in syrup the same way Sy’s were, something she thought endearing. Her eyes rolled back and she practically swooned as the familiar taste hit her tongue, Sasha melting a little in her seat. 

“This is really good,” she managed to say after swallowing, her face showing nothing but awe that Sy had made it all himself. Where she came from, men were never in the kitchen unless they were getting a beer. It shocked her, to say the least. 

“Thank you, again, for all of this. I don’t...I don’t have any way of repaying you,” Sasha murmured after another bite, looking up at Sy with regret. She had to do something in return for all his generosity, she just didn’t know what she’d be able to manage, given she’d left her home with just the shirt on her back. 

“There’s no need, honest. I’m not doing this ‘cause I’m lookin’ for something in return. I’m doing it ‘cause it’s the right thing to do. Couldn’t just leave ya to burn to death out there. What kinda animal would I be if I did that? Nah, no repayment necessary, mama. Just...don’t go walkin’ into the middle ‘a nowhere without water and cover again. That’s all I ask,” Syverson replied, biting his tongue to keep from saying what he actually wanted to say, knowing that doing so would spook her. Asking a near-stranger to stay as long as she needed and not worry about lifting a finger while doing so usually didn’t go over well in most circles.

They ate in silence for a bit, Sasha taking in the house and occasionally slipping a bit of food to one of the dogs, making sure Sy wasn’t looking while she did so. 

“Your home is beautiful. Looks like it’s straight out of a magazine,” she mused, blushing slightly when she realized how silly she must’ve sounded. 

"Thank you. It belonged to my parents, but they've decided to live the high life down in Florida now. Boating, fishing, tanning, the usual retirement stuff. They visit every now and then, but they've got their own little house not far from here, so the place is all mine," he replied with a big smile, Syverson not even realizing that he was divulging so much information in one answer. Despite years of military training on how to keep mum about personal and secure information, at home, Syverson was an open book who wore his heart on his sleeve.

“As for it lookin’ like it’s out of a magazine...Well, that’s ‘cause it’s been in a few. Couple ‘a years back, some hoity toity types came and shot the place. It ended up in a few rags. Mom’s got ‘em all stashed away somewhere.” 

Feeling brave when her comment wasn’t met with ridicule, Sasha remembered her question from earlier, a smirk crossing her face as she spoke. 

“I find it really hard to believe it’s just you here.” 

Sy laughed heartily at the idea of there being someone else on the ranch. Sure he occasionally had help (aside from his two stable hands), especially during foaling season, but that usually just consisted of his friends coming down for a few days.

"It's just me, the dogs, and the horses. I’ve got some guys that help with the stables, but they don’t live here," he assured her, shaking his head in amusement before taking another bite.

“It’s just….Well, it’s so clean and decorated so nice,” Sasha said the words without thinking, instantly looking down and away, fully expecting that she’d offended him by assuming he couldn’t look after himself. 

“The place has a woman’s touch ‘cause my mom decorated it and I couldn’t be bothered to change it. As for the cleaning, well, I don’t like livin’ in filth any more than anyone else, so I clean a bit everyday and by the end of the week, everything’s spick and span. It becomes a routine after a while.” Sy chuckled, answering the underlying question of why it didn’t look like every bachelor pad ever. 

Sasha grinned, blushing as she nodded her understanding. “I figured you had a wife, but mom works too.” 

“Yeah, don’t got one of those.” Syverson shook his head, eyebrows going up comically as he finished his last bite. 

“What? You have something against the institution of marriage?” Sasha laughed. 

“First off, calling it an ‘institution’ makes it sound like a loony bin. Secondly, I have nothing against it. All the women I’ve dated have seemed to hate the idea though, hence no ring.” He explained with a shrug, giving her a wink as he stood and loaded his plate into the dishwasher before leaning against the other side of the counter, waiting for Sasha to finish her own meal. 

“I’m gonna go get Wolf, as promised. Stay here where it’s nice and cool, and I’ll come grab ya when I’m back.” Sy explained once she was done,  taking her plate and swapping it for a glass of water, the liquid cool enough to make the glass sweat near-instantly. Sasha nodded, the excitement returning to her eyes at the prospect of meeting the horse.

Slipping on his boots, Sy stopped and gave Aika a piece of sausage before giving her the command to stay. Though his eldest dog usually followed him everywhere, he wanted her to look after Sasha while he was gone, if only for his own peace of mind. 

Sy took the ATV down to the stables and made quick work of tacking up Wolf, speaking to the horse in gentle, hushed tones the whole time. 

“There’s someone I want you to meet, bud. You gotta be gentle, ‘cause she’s hurt pretty bad, okay?” He said once he’d given the straps one last check, smiling up at his Friesian and giving him a good pat to the shoulders. Climbing on, gave the stable a quick check before riding out, going an easy pace until he crested the hill. 

Sasha knew she should have waited inside, but curiosity got the better of her and she wandered out, wanting to see Syverson come up from the stables. She wasn’t disappointed at what she saw. With his red plaid shirt, fitted jeans, boots, and baseball cap, he was every inch the modern cowboy and Sasha couldn’t stop the butterflies that filled her stomach even if she’d wanted to. 

Sy saw her the moment he got to the top of the hill and with a shake of his head and a beaming smile, he signaled Wolf to gallop, knowing he had plenty of time to slow down before he hit the house. There was no feeling like riding a horse at full speed, and never once did Sy think he’d grow tired of the exhilaration it brought; it was better than any rollercoaster and no one could tell him different. 

“Didn’t I tell you to stay inside, mama?” He called as he came within earshot, Sy slowing Wolf with ease and grace, the two coming to a full stop a few steps from the porch. 

Blushing but smiling ear-to-ear, Sasha nodded, knowing she’d been caught.

“I couldn’t help it. I wanted to see y’all two coming down the hill.”  She admitted, taking slow, tentative steps towards the massive horse and his equally big rider. 

“Like you would a dog. Palm up, let ‘im give you a sniff,” Sy instructed gently, patting Wolf’s neck as he watched Sasha approach. 

“Hi, Wolf. You’re a very handsome boy,” Sasha smiled, extending her hand and giggling softly when Wolf sniffed at it with enthusiasm. After a moment, Wolf nuzzled first at Sasha’s face and then at her belly, seeming to know that the new person Sy had been talking about was carrying another person with her. 

Sy’s smile was sappy as he watched the interaction, knowing for certain that if his favorite horse liked Sasha, then she was good people. Horses never had a reason to feign affection, and they were smart enough to only offer it when the person was right. By Wolf’s account, Sasha was second only to Sy himself. 

“He likes you,” Sy murmured, adjusting one of Wolf’s long braids, letting Sasha take her time. 

“Feeling’s mutual, isn’t it, Wolf?” Sasha beamed, nodding her head in time with Wolf, laughing happily when the horse let his head slump onto her shoulder. 

“Alright, that’s enough there, mister. Layin’ it on a lil’ thick,” Sy joked, patting his neck, his eyes never once leaving Sasha’s smile; he wouldn’t admit to being smitten just yet, but her having Wolf’s approval didn’t hurt matters in the slightest. 

“I gotta get the rest of the bunch turned out to pasture. I’ll be back around one for lunch, but until then, why don’t you head on in and have a rest? There’s clean clothes in the laundry room if you wanna change into something a lil’ more comfortable. Pretty sure there’s some basketball shorts in there with a drawstring so they don’t fall off ya,” Sy gave her a wink, “and if you wanna take a dip, the pool’s good to go, though I don’t got a bathin’ suit for  ya, unfortunately.” 

As he spoke, he turned on a pair of walkie-talkies, Syverson bending down to hand Sasha one. “Keep this close, and just press the button to talk. I’ve got mine on my belt, so I’ll hear ya no matter what. Just lay back and relax. You’re good here, for however long you need.”

By the time he was finished speaking, Sasha had tears of gratitude in her eyes, and giving Wolf a final scratch to his nose, she nodded, managing to give her rescuer a big smile. 

“Thank you. So much,” she whispered, not trusting her voice to get louder. Sy nodded, his eyes gentle and understanding. A moment of silent connection passed between them before Sy clicked his teeth and tugged at the rein, turning Wolf with ease. 

“No walkin’ out in the sun, mama. I mean it!” Sy called over his shoulder with a wide grin, waving as he nudged Wolf back into a full gallop, the pair making it up the hill in no time at all before disappearing over the horizon, leaving Sasha with a warmth that spread throughout every fiber of her being, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in years.

[kayywinchester]

This Life

Jack Kline x Reader

Word Count: 1,768

Warnings: fluff, heavy kissing. That’s pretty much it.

Also on AO3

The cool ground beneath you soothed your skin. The stifling, humid air around you wasn’t cooling off nearly fast enough. Even now, at just after midnight, there was a thin layer of sweat down your chest as across your brow.

But, the slight discomfort was very much worth it. The stars were so visible from the hunter’s safe house that Jody had asked Dean to meet her at earlier in the day. And now, you were stuck there for the night.

Southeastern Kentucky was nothing like the bright lights you had lived under for most of your life. The Los Angeles skies were riddled with light pollution, and you rarely had any luck finding a quiet place to relax anywhere in that city. The red clay dirt and tree-lined mountains that surrounded you were oddly calming and incredibly beautiful.

And, the best thing was, Jack loved looking at the stars just as much as you did. Sam had given him a book about astronomy a few months back, so Jack took advantage of every opportunity to show off his newly acquired knowledge.

“And up there, that’s Venus,” he whispered beside you, his light golden locks resting gently on his hand. “It has the slowest rotation of any planet we know about, and takes about two thirds of an Earth year to rotate just once. Oh, and its days are longer than its years!” You turned towards him just in time to catch the sweet grin across his lips. You found the information interesting but found it hard to focus.

But, that’s how it usually went when you were around Jack.

You turned back to the sky but didn’t ask another question. You just laid there and enjoyed one of the few moments you had alone with the handsome young Nephilim.

Jack let out a deep sigh and turned his head towards you. “Y/N, if you could be anything, what would you be?”

You chuckled and turned to him. “You mean, for a living? Besides being a hunter?” Jack nodded. “Huh, I never really thought about it.”

“Why not?” he asked innocently. You shrugged.

“I don’t know. I mean, I studied Anthropology in college, but that was only because my dad urged me to.” You stretched an arm above you for a moment, then turned yourself a little bit more towards Jack.

“He urged you to go to college, even though he trained you to be a hunter?” Jack questioned, tilting his head ever so slightly.

“Yep. It was all part of the plan. You learn a lot of useful information in Anthropology classes, even if it’s only described as ‘folklore’.” Jack slowly nodded, but you were confident he was still a little confused. But, it didn’t matter. You didn’t want to talk about school. Those weren’t exactly the years you reminisced about as you drifted off to sleep each night.

“But, to answer your question, I’d probably work with animals. Like, as a vet or something,” you explained, enjoying the hint of a daydream that clouded your mind.

“You like animals? Did you have pets as a kid?” Boy, he was full of questions, wasn’t he?

“I had a dog, a terrier thing that my dad adopted from the pound when I was in seventh grade. We named her Sugar, and we had her for ten years or so. She went on hunts with my dad every once in a while, but usually stayed home with me and mom.” You cleared your throat. “But, that was it. I really like cats, but never had the chance to own one.”

Jack nodded, still smiling. “I like animals too. Cats are a little hard to read, but I’ve met a few that have walked up to me when I go on walks. I really like old dogs. I feel like they have amazing stories that they can never tell us.” You giggled as you unknowingly scooted a little closer to Jack.

“What about you, Jack? What would you want to do with your life? If you could choose?” Jack pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, then smiled yet again.

“I would like to explore space,” Jack answered innocently.

“As an astronaut? Like, actually going up into space?” Jack nodded.

“I’d also love to help discover new planets and stars. Maybe they would name one after me!” you laughed, making Jack laugh a little.

“I think that would be a great idea, Jack.” You turned back up to the sky, rolling back onto your back. “That sounds really cool.”

“Yeah, but I like this life better,” Jack rebutted. You turned your face back to him.

“Oh yeah? And why is that?” Jack was quiet for a moment.

“Well, because I met you in this life. And I don’t want to live a life without you in it.” Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest at his words. Sure, you had only known Jack for a little while, and like Dean, believed he was evil at first. But now, he felt just like a peer, like a hunter in training, eager to learn.

And, above all else, he was a friend.

You stared up at the sky in a state of shock. “Um, wow, I don’t know what to say to that, Jack.”

“You don’t agree?” You shot back to him.

“What? No! I mean, of course I agree! I just didn’t think you felt that strongly about me.” You let out a long, deep sigh.

“What do you mean? Of course, I do! You’re my friend. And I’m really happy when I’m around you. I want to spend time with you, like all the time. And I’m sad when you’re hurt or when you’re not around,” Jack rambled. He rolled completely onto his side and smiled over to you. “I always have the urge to be near you, like sitting next to you or hugging you.” That last sentence almost made your stomach leap into your throat.

“You—really?” You pursed your lips, then turned onto your side to face Jack.

“Yeah. And, um—” Jack swallowed hard. “I’ve also thought about kissing you.” That was it, your heart was going to burst through your chest. There was no question.

“K-Kiss me? Wow.”

Jack’s eyes suddenly widened. “Is that not okay?”

You shot up onto your left arm and shook your head violently. “No! I mean, yes! Jack, that’s totally fine. I just, I didn’t know you felt the same way.” You paused for a moment, watching the sweet smile return to his face.

“The same way? You want to kiss me too?” You simply nodded, fighting the urge to giggle. You felt like you had a middle school crush again.

“Yeah, Jack. I have for a while.”

Jack inched forward a little. “Do you mind if I kiss you now?” he whispered. His gaze flicked down to your lips. You grinned and nodded.

“Go ahead.”

Jack blinked, then leaned in, stopping just short of your face. A shuttered breath escaped him before he closed the gap between you, pressing his lips firmly against yours. At first, his movements were awkward, applying a little too much pressure. But, he quickly captured your lip between his teeth, unleashing a completely different side of him.

Jack pulled away abruptly, panting a little. You stared at him with wide eyes and huffed.

“Where the hell did you learn that?” you breathed in shock. Jack’s cheeks reddened and he turned away.

“I watch a lot of romance movies. I like to pretend it’s you and me.” You couldn’t help but giggle at how cheesy he sounded, but it didn’t matter. You loved the softness and hint of edginess that was radiating from him.

“That’s… adorable.” You reached out and took his hand in yours. Jack blushed and quickly looked away again. You tried to follow his gaze but squeezed his hand instead. “Would you like to kiss me again?” His eyes snapped back to you.

“Yes,” he breathed just as he leaned in, without hesitation this time.

Jack’s movements were a little frantic, but you didn’t mind taking the reins. Jack pulled his hand from yours, smoothing it up your arm, shoulder, neck. The moment his hands snaked up into your hair, you leaned back, pulling him down with you. He quickly found his way on top of you, hovering over you as he slowed down, softening his touches.

You both stayed like that for what felt like an hour. But, the sound of footsteps on the dirt behind you quickly ripped the two of you apart.

“Oh, I wondered where you two went. Watching the stars, huh?” Dean chuckled mockingly. “I can see you’re very interested in the stars.”

“Oh, shut it, Dean,” you hissed, lifting yourself from the ground. You patted the dust off you and turned towards the older Winchester.

“We were watching the stars most of the time,” Jack defended innocently.

“Oh, I bet you were seeing all sorts of stars,” Dean teased as he turned to walk away. “Glad you two are alive. Goodnight,” he saluted, heading back for the small cabin. You rolled your eyes then turned back to Jack.

“He really knows how to spoil a special moment.” You ran your fingers through your hair and waited for Jack to dust himself off. His hair stuck up in a few places, making you smile.

“Yeah, but we’ll have another chance to do that, right?” Jack met your gaze. You nodded.

“Oh yeah, I think I can make that work.” You shot him a wink, then held out your hand. “C’mon. Let’s get to sleep. I’m sure it’s well into the morning right now.” Jack took your hand.

“Are we all going to fit into the cabin?” Jack asked, suddenly concerned.

“We’re gonna have to. I have a sleeping bag, and I found another one for you. Sam and Dean claimed the rooms, since there’s only one twin bed in each room. The couch is open too, but it’s a loveseat, so it’s a little bit small. Cas said he’s just going to hang out in one of the chairs. So, we have the luxury of sleeping on the floor in the main room.” You led Jack up the front steps of the tiny cabin and reached for the door.

“That doesn’t sound too bad. As long as you’re there too.” His sweetness made your stomach flutter.

“Oh, I’m here. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Jack stared at you in confusion. You huffed a laugh, then leaned over, pressing a kiss onto his cheek.