#and trying to stay very rigid when it comes to sizes is like. um. hurts my brain sometimes

[bloodsbane]

im so envious of really........ consistently-proportioned styles. i cant do that shit!!! urahhgg!!!!

[bangtan-sinnamons]

Exotic

Part 2

⤞ Paring: Snake!Jungkook x Human!reader

⤞ Summary: When you are stranded on an island full of hybrids, a little someone is excited to meet you.

⤞ Genre: Fluff, Romance, Sprinkle of angst

⤞Warning: None that I can think of.

⤞ Word count:  2,323

UMM I put a bit more angst than I planned on. Pt 2 if y’all love soft kook.

Grudgingly you tried to get up, but quickly realized how futile it was when you had to bite your lip to avoid tears from slipping out. A sharp pain pierced your head and colorful spots flashed your vision, it felt like your whole body had been worn away ceasing every movement to ache. The ground beneath you seemingly wrapped you in its coldness and your damp clothes didn’t seem to help.

For perhaps a split second, you were no longer worried about freezing to death. A rigid feeling grazed your skin and its warm touch made you cease your shaking from coldness, but the fact that you didn’t recognize what was touching you made you anxious. Your vision becomes slightly clearer and you notice someone’s arm have wrapped around your form as they lay beside you. The blood drains from your face, your eyes expanding when you finally see what seems to be a human with scaly patches covering his body.

When he noticed you had stop shaking, he glanced at your expression and he was just surprised as you were, “Oh um Hi,” He nervously breathes out. “You were shivering and I wanted to give you my warmth…I didn’t know you were awake. I’m sorry,” he rambles as he unwraps his arms around you.

“You…” Your voice came out harshly and uneven. Your eyes danced around at your surroundings noticing you were in some sort of cave. You could see the hybrid twitched involuntarily at the corner of your eyes, his mouth formed a tense pout as he awaits for your next words. “You saved me?...Thanks,” you whispered. You were parched and your voice no longer held a sustainable tone.

His eyes brimmed with joy forming little crescents at your words. He felt so full of joy from a simple thanks. That’s when he realized his life wasn’t so bad, if you were by his side. His customary cautious poker face that he had adopted throughout the years exploded into a radiant smile. How did you break his barrier so easily? He sweared he was mentally stronger than this. “I’M…” he said too loudly before stoping to contain his excitement. “I am Jungkook,” he smiles, but If he had a tail you would have seen him wag a 100 miles per hour.

“Hey…I’m Y/N,” you manage to smile back at him and he looks pleased at himself.  

He scooted a bit closer to you, to hopefully give you enough body heat again, “How did you get here?” His head tilts in curiosity. He never met a human this close on the island. Well, he didn’t really meet any of the other hybrids either, but this new experience excited him. At first, Jungkook didn’t care when he saw a lifeless human on the shore, he assumed it was one of the evil people who had brought all the hybrids here to rot in their demise, but this human didn’t wear the typical bright and ugly yellow outfit. He slid over to you out of pure curiosity, but he never realized he would bring you into his cave.

“I’m not sure. My last memory was being in a yacht,” you say as you examined the man. His eyes were round and seemed to have glowed when the moon illuminated his hues from the cave. The other noticeable feature besides his scales were his canines being slightly longer than usual. You notice Jungkook give out a soft yawn before looking at you again .“Sorry…I’m probably intruding. Shouldn’t you go to sleep? You helped me a lot already,” you say as he hands you a large leaf filled with water.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m mostly nocturnal.” He smiles as he watches you gulp down the water.

You wiped your wet stained lips when the water dribbled down. “May I ask what hybrid you are?” You heard some people back at home talking about hybrids, but you never really believed it. Now seeing one right in front of you, definitely peaked your interest.

Jungkook was shocked at the question, he didn’t expect you to ask so soon. All the reasons not to reveal his identity came flooding in, as if he would fall back into his hole of anxiety if he did. He panicked with the thought that you would leave him like all the other hybrids, when he told them that he was a snake hybrid. You were already incredibly nice and he didn’t want it to come crashing down, at least not yet.

The words didn’t come out and you noticed his eyes flickering about. “I didn’t mean to pry. Can I just say, I feel oddly inclined to trust you,” you admitted.

“You do?” He stammered. “Thanks, Y/n” The nervous tingle he felt vanish and he was back to his bubbly self.

You sighed in satisfaction when the mood was uplifted once more. “By the way, do you know a way I can get back home?”

He felt conflicted. He wanted to help you, but at the same time he hoped you would somehow stay in his lonely place he had called home. Although he wants you, needs you, maybe even love you... presumably you will have to walk away. In this world, he was never supposed to meet you anyway. He couldn’t possibly steal your happiness for his greedy heart. “Yes, I do,” a soft but audible whisper left his lips. He tells you about how the government had dumped hybrids on this island in order to keep the idea of such beings as a fantasy and away from human minds. He mentions the weekly shipment of hybrids and that’s how you could escape. All you had to do was wait for another 6 days, stand on the dock and go in their ship. Before you know it, the sun had risen and the sleep in Jungkook’s eyes becomes apparent.

“Sleep well, Kook. Thanks for everything,” you soothed as his eyelids seemed to droop.

The nickname he earned continued to soften his cold heart, but your words made him nervous. Why did it sound like a farewell? He tried to stay awake by shaking his head vigorously. The soft hand rubbing his hair didn’t help and he snoozed off into your arms. You had relocated him onto the light that seeped through the cave before stepping out into the wilderness, beyond his small cave.

You started walking, inching toward nothing in particular and enjoying the warm rays. It was different from just going into your backyard to bask in the sun. The wilderness aspect made you feel more free, besides the fact that you were moving agonizingly slow due to the aches in your legs.

Just as you saw a creek nearby, you heard heavy footsteps crunching the leaves. It got increasing louder and moved towards you. You didn’t move a muscle and you held your breathe, somehow believing it would go away if you stayed silent.

“Human?” A raspy voices calls out. “So this new smell was you,” a male hybrid walks out from behind the tree. He was very tall and his shoulder was broad. His face was engraved with a frown. He shook his head in disapproval when he noticed where you had come from. “So you met the snake,”

“Who?” Your brows creased in confusion.

“That cave,” he pointed to Jungkook’s place with a disgusted look on his face. “The snake is really sly, he really likes to size up his prey and treat them nicely before he eats them,”

“He would not. You don’t even seem to know his name, so who are you to judge,” You critizited. His round ears flopped downward before he began to walk closer to you. Way to close and for some reason even though you had talked back to him, he still had an intimidating aura that made you freeze.

  He lowered his head near your ear and you felt his breathe on your skin. “I’m just trying to help you out human,” He tries to suppress a growl, but it felt threatening nonetheless. You were afraid, but you try not to let it show. “I’m a bear hybrid I could protect you way better than that fool. Plus I saw a boat sailing nearby that’s probably looking for you. Don’t you want to go home?” he fed you lies hoping you would take it out of desperation. The bear loathed the snake, despised how strong and intelligent he was. He always made sure no hybrid came close, but for some reason you remain unaffected by his words. How dare you go against his wishes.

You backed away from the fuming bear that seemingly wanted to rip your throat , “Too bad I don’t trust you,” it was a risk to provoke a bear hybrid, but the adrenaline pulsing through you made you stick your tongue out before heading towards the creek. It was silent for a while and you had a silver of hope that you won the verbal battle. If it got physical you were fucked. The throb in your body still remained and you were starving. One punch and you are a goner for sure.

“You’re hungry right. I can help,” he made himself known again, but in a calmer manner than before. His fake personality masked over once more, a smile appearing on his face. He really thought you were oblivious to his trick.

You dipped your feet into the cool water that rushed past in a refreshing way. The bear was unwavering from his spot, he stalked you like a small prey. “Don’t need any help,”  You say as you observe the slow moving water for some fish. You were able to spot something glimmer in the early morning sun and bended down to get a hold of one. A success, you were glad that you had prior experience. You smirked, seeing the shock register on his face.

“BiTcH. Don’t cry for help when you are eaten alive,” He yells, hands bawling into fists before he shape-shifted and disappeared into the trees. He knew it was pointless to fight a mere human that had no power in the hierarchy of the hybrid world.

Meanwhile, Jungkook shotted up, eyes wandering in search for you.  When he recognized your silhouette coming towards him he smiled, but that smile only lasted for a few seconds.

Jungkook’s nose twitched. He recognized the scent coming off you and worry clouded his thoughts. “Did someone try to hurt you?” He hissed, the suffocating smell invaded his cave. Nothing good came from this scent, he had associated it with the depths of hell and the fact that it covered you angered him. He wasn’t able to protect you. “He hurt you didn’t he,” his voice raised up fifty octaves.

He bares his fangs and his forked tongue flicks out subconsciously. He didn’t even realize how all those years of repressing his animalistic side was becoming undone by the second. You watch as his pupils contracted into a vertical slit. His attention was solely focused on you, cutting off anything that could possibly distract him. That’s when he noticed how stiff you were and how your soft smile no longer condoned your facial features.

“Kook…I’m okay. I can kick ass,” you made the effort to sound reassuring, despite how weak you feel.

He sighed, you probably knew that he was a snake by now, but for some reason you didn’t act any different. All the friends that he made ran away after this scent was on them, yet you were still here. This gave him the confidence he thought he didn’t need, but now he couldn’t help but love you even more. “Thats good,” he huffed. Silence filled the cave and he insisted to hear more reassurance. “You really trust me?” he trembled.

The simple caress of his hair became a fulfillment of his desire and crave for affection. “Yes,” you said, running your hand through his hair again until he seemingly purred against your hand. That’s all he needed before his shoulder fell from its intensity and his pupil dilated back to its original state. To be trusted is a great acknowledgment than being loved. If that’s all you can offer then he would gladly accept it.

How did anyone want to hurt this little ball of sunshine? It was as if all the pain in his world had finally found a voice. “I would fight him if I needed to,” you laughed, lightening the mood.

“Fight a bear?!? Don’t do that…” he mumbled, resting his head on your shoulder.

You raised a brow and a sly face appeared, “Kook if I could..” You laughed, when you registered the shock plastered on Jungkook’s face as you shoved him to the floor, one of your hands easing into the space above his right hip. He didn’t even realize that it was where he was most ticklish. Now making him squirm and laugh uncontrollably. “If I could beat you. I can beat a god damm bear”

You were on top of him and his face was brighter than ever. Not Fair. So not fair. He loved you so much even though he’s known you for 10 hours… how can he be so hopelessly in love.

Of course he didn’t dare push you off, so he allowed your assaults to continue, until laughing brought aches in his stomach. You bended down to give a kiss on his nose before you lay beside him , “You got a very boopable nose,” you innocently acknowledge without noticing how Jungkook literally turned into putty in your hands. How was he gonna handle it when you leave him. This left a bittersweet taste in his mouth, but he was gonna enjoy this moment for now. Because there’s nothing better than deep breaths after laughing so hard. Nothing that feels as great as a sore stomach for the right reason.

Part 2

[themilky-way]

honey {din djarin}

gif credit: gameraboy1 on tumblr

pairing: din djarin/the mandalorian x female! reader

summary: the mandalorian never really cared for romance. he had never wanted it in his life, but some things are bound to change, right?

warnings: um nothing just fluff i think lmao 

author’s note: idk how many more ppl my heart can stan bc sir pedro pascal is adorable as fuck. in my mandalorian feels too lol i miss mando

-------

the sky set out in front of the razor crest was changing colors with every passing minute. a dark orange red adorning its surroundings first, and then switching to a deeper hue of orange and violet. the air around the ship was strong enough to cause some turbulence, which made the small green child aboard to yelp suddenly. 

the mandalorian, captain and designated owner of the crest, turned his helmet to see if it was alright, and when he determined he wasn’t hurt or in pain, he turned the cold stare his visor gave off back onto the controls in front of him. his chair, the pilot’s chair, was positioned directly ahead of the large front view window and he fingered with the buttons and screens for a while until he set a safe planet to land on. 

the mandalorian heard the child giggle again, but this time it wasn’t because the ship was shaking. he heard a pair of boots tread light footsteps from behind him before stopping near the child. he looked at the crib through the corner of his eyes, the action covered by the safety of his helmet, and saw a figure near it. a shadowed hand extended to pet the baby’s head, the coos growing louder with joy. his eyes turned back to look at the scene in front of him, his hands gripping the joystick just a little tighter. 

“din?” the voice behind it is faint, questioning. he doesn’t let himself look at you though, because he knows that if he just merely glances at you for half a second, he’ll drop every one of his morals. instead, all he does is force a noise from the bottom of his throat to respond. 

“you should go to bed,” you suggest. in your mind, you’re laughing at how stupid the phrase had sounded. you, a regular person with only minor knowledge in martial arts, telling a mandalorian to do something? a complete and utter joke. 

regardless, din knew what you meant. but words weren’t his thing; they never had been. so his eyes stayed planted straight ahead and just shook his head, muttering, “i’m fine.”

“no you’re not. i can take over for a couple hours. believe it or not, i’m more qualified in flying a ship than actual combat,” you assured, laughing slightly as you said the last part. you hoped that underneath that strong, emotionless armor he wore he was smiling. even the smallest curve of his lips would satisfy you, realizing that he was capable of feeling something, anything. 

you watched as din pushed a couple buttons at the colorful panel in front of him, hearing a whirring sound when a gloved finger gave a final press to a red disk. he got up, and with a gradual pace began walking over to where his cabin dwelled, and without shifting his helmet to look at you, said, “come with me.”

it sent shivers through you; your arms, your legs, the nape of your neck, they rushed cold when the sound of his words entered your system. you looked down at the child, which had a perplexed look on its face, and reached out to you with a tiny finger. you grabbed it gently, and whispered, “i know, weird right? i’ll be right back, okay honey?” the child made a noise of approval and you shook his finger lightly before letting go, striding over to where din was. 

when you got there, din was standing next to his bed with his back to you, and looking at a small shelf hung from his wall. you stood in the doorway, your hands neatly clasped together behind you, and you watched him. watched him as his hands laid rigid at his sides, his body tense like it always stood. his back, in particular, was where you believed he had the most pain, and you wished he would finally allow you to run your hands through his strained muscles to grant him some form of comfort. but the mandalorian couldn’t agree to this, regardless if he knew of your will to do it or not, for personal reasons. he respected his creed, and you respected him, so you never pushed boundaries you knew would make him uncomfortable. so once again, you pushed the idea of touching him to the back of your mind. 

“stop staring,” he ordered. his voice was rough, raspy from hardly ever speaking, yet when he directed himself at you, it had a slight tinge of tenderness. it surprised you, and even more so to him. 

“i’m not-yeah, um, okay, sorry,” you stuttered. heat rose to your cheeks and you scolded yourself for barely being able to talk right, but who could blame you? a mandalorian was making you blush without even realizing it. 

“why am i here?”

“i need to give you something.” he turns around then, and your breath catches in your throat. you’re never used to him. the effect he seems to have on you and you wonder, deep in your mind, if he ever notices. dyn lifts his palm up then, holding up an item too small and obscure in color for you to know what it is. “come,” he says. 

you start walking towards him, stopping right in front of him and close enough that he has to peer down through his helmet to see your face. “give me your hand.”

you do, too quickly for your liking, but he takes it in his gloved one lightly and rubs your palm softly with his thumb. it was instinctive to him, to touch you in such a delicate way. the action itself poured out of him without thinking, and it caught both of you off guard. how is it, that the man who belongs to one of the most merciless creeds in the galaxy, is touching me so beautifully?, you wonder. in a matter of seconds, as if he read your mind, his thumb stops moving along your skin, and places the item into your hand. 

extending it with both hands and bringing it up closer for inspection, you learn that it’s a bracelet. it’s a thin band of shiny white gold, much like his armor, and it’s decorated with multiple lavender butterfly charms all around. it’s elegant, graceful, a striking contrast to his own lifestyle. wrapping it around your wrist to clasp it, you find that it fits perfectly, recognizing that he must’ve gone into a shop during one of your many stops and had it custom made. 

“din...it’s so gorgeous. how did you-where did you ge-”

“let me help you,” he cuts you off suddenly. he doesn’t want you to ask him the question because he doesn’t want to answer it. he doesn’t want to admit that he doesn’t find you annoying anymore, he doesn’t find himself scurrying to hide in his cabin when you appear, he doesn’t dislike you at all now. it’s the opposite. maybe even more than that. 

“yeah, please. thanks.” you turn your wrist so the clasps are exposed to him, and his fingers work quickly to hook the clips together. once he’s finished, he lets his hand linger a little on yours, hesitantly almost, and you observe him. your eyes dart from his hands to back up to his visor to try and get some sort of feeling out of him. you watch as he begins to move his pointer finger from the base of your wrist down to the very tip of your middle finger. the cold leather of his glove tickles your hand a little and you smile. a childish, innocent smile. you can’t see him, but he smiles with you. the image of you like this, giggling like the baby right inside the cockpit of his ship, makes him happier than he’s ever been. 

with a sudden wave of confidence, you direct to him. “you can hold it, you know,” you voice softly, “it’s alright.”

your courage dissipates as soon as the words leave your mouth. maybe you’ve made a mistake in advising him to partake in such an intimate action. perhaps you were dreaming, this whole scene a mere conjuring of your own touch starved mind. it could also be that din didn’t even want to touch you at all, and you’ve placed him in an uncomfortable position he now has to escape from. 

but, suddenly, your hand is interlocking with his. the size of his hand envelops your own, and through the leather of his glove, it sends sparks flying in every direction. he feels warm, and through the material of his mitt, you can also feel the different shapes of his callouses. this completes him, fills him to the brim with joy; with something far stronger than liking and closer to that of desire. he tightens his grip on your hand, and you reciprocate. you drop your interlocked hands down, and your free hand starts to lightly play with the fingers of his other one. you’re smiling, a dent on your cheek forming. 

“what is it?” din asks, and you laugh. that sweet-like-honey, angelic laugh that makes his heart nearly stumble out of his chest. 

“nothing. i just like the way your hand fits in mine.”

[dopescotlandwarrior]

Bluegrass-Chapter 25

            Special thanks to @Statell for all your help and wisdom

Previous chapters at AO3

Chapter Twenty-five

(NSFW)

Rupert answered his cell phone while scooping grain into feeders and brightened up when he heard Claire’s voice.

“Well yes, I would be happy to help. Give me 30 minutes to finish feedin horses.”

The furniture Claire and Jamie purchased was delivered and now stood in a clump of sofa’s, wing back chairs, coffee tables, and end tables. She looked at all of it. What were we thinking, she wondered. These pieces would have to be moved around quite a bit to find just the right spot. There was a very large tiger skin (fake) rug that would provide a focal point and line up with the fireplace but that is all Claire remembered. She was very relieved to hear the doorbell.

An hour later, Rupert was perspiring and trying to stay positive, but he feared they would be at this all day. He called Angus who joined them a short time later. Another hour of moving very heavy couches into twenty different configurations, had both men sweating profusely.

Claire handed the men iced tea to cool them off and they all heard the front door close. Claire gasped and Rupert and Angus suddenly felt they were about to get caught doing something bad and held their breath.

“Ah, the furniture has arrived. Splendid, we can watch TV again. What are the lads doin here?”

As Jamie talked, he grabbed the end of a huge white, extra wide couch and pushed it against the wall so he could spread the tiger skin in the middle of the floor. He was still talking as he effortlessly swung the two identical couches into position and dragged the wing back chairs to either side of the chess table. He asked for help moving the new bar into place, then pointed at the two iron bar chairs indicating they go in front of the bar. The exquisite coffee table had the same type of heavy iron bottom with a cut glass top that looked like crystal.

Jamie set all the lighting against the wall for the electrician to install and stood back to survey his work. Claire had a huge smile and looked dreamily at her new living room.

“Thanks lads,” Jamie said to his men and left them all for the second level. The three who were left, looked at each other like they just witnessed a miracle. Rupert and Angus beat a hasty retreat.

“The party starts at two o’clock but come any time after that,” she called after them. Taking a last look at the living room she ran upstairs to her husband.

Jamie was laying on the sundeck lounge reading genetic reports when Claire came out. She laid next to him and told him how positively useful he was pulling a chuckle out of him. She watched him study his reports. She wasn’t sure what brought him home in the middle of the day, but she intended to make good use of the time. She ran her hand down his arm feeling the dense muscle underneath. Before she could move her hand anywhere else a cold wind picked up and dark clouds moved above them.

“Wow, what the heck is this about?”

“Come Sassenach, it’s about to rain.”

When they came back inside their room Jamie dropped the reports and pulled his wife into a hug that allowed him to walk her toward the bed. He started unbuttoning his shirt.

“Sassenach, take off yer shirt please.”

Jamie pulled his boots off and pulled his belt from the loops.

“Pants too.”

He slipped out of his jeans and pulled a naked, smiling Claire to the bed as the rain came down outside.

He kissed her from mouth to collar bone, “I love ye lass. Give me yer body while it rains.”

Jamie knew what he wanted, how he wanted it, and how long he would build her passion before releasing her. When he was in this mood Claire knew he had been in his head all morning fantasizing. She felt an edge of something barbaric in his movements. Strong, decisive, domineering, and possessive. The way he looked at her body made her weak and wanting, submissive to his pleasure.

Jamie twisted her into highly erotic positions but remained at her mouth, kissing her possessively, erotically, sending a message she was to submit to the pleasure. He pushed her against the headboard and pulled her knees over his shoulders lifting her pelvis to his mouth. Claire watched him run his tongue into her fold and against her bud taking a huge breath at the sensation.

“Watch me.”

Claire released a shaky moan as his tongue slipped inside her body and his hand pinched a nipple. She was vaguely aware of the rain pelting the windows and the wind roaring outside. When Jamie moved up to kiss her, she was begging him to make her come.

“Tell me I rule yer body love.”

He gripped a nipple and shook her breast making her gasp and plead. He turned her toward the bed and pushed her, face down, lifting one leg to open her core to him. He slid his erection against her bud while holding her down but kept her quivering on the edge of orgasm.

“Tell me love, who do ye belong to?”

“You Jamie, always and forever, please make me come.”

He pulled her back to his chest, “ssh” said into her ear as he ran his hand down the outside of her leg. “Ssh, my love, relax, and breathe.”

Claire was in a swirling, over-stimulated frame of mind as she clung to him. When he grazed her core with his hand a thousand sparklers went off in her head and her hips rose for more friction. She moaned incoherently and tried to touch him, but he moved out of reach, pulling her into a tight spoon, so she was locked into him. He entered her body slowly pushing into her cervix and making her beg for him. When he suddenly rolled onto his back, he pulled her with him, so she was laying on top of him, back to chest. He pushed into her as he spread her legs wide. Holding her hips in place he pummeled her a dozen times until she was moaning continuously.

Claire was in sensory overload where consciousness is compromised by overwhelming pulsing need. She was moving through space and felt the bed at her back, moaning for Jamie to love her. Why was he teasing her so?

“Show me where to lick Sassenach.”

Her hands reached for her core and she pushed herself open. Jamie stared at her naked bud for an entire minute before he seized her and expertly sent her into the winds of her orgasm. He laid his head on her thigh as she pulsed and dripped honey on the sheets.

She was a long time returning to him. When he thought she could take it he licked her fold and bud as she arched her back.

“That’s my girl, ye ready to go again. I love yer responsive body Sassenach.”

He rolled her onto her stomach while telling her what he was going to do; directly into her ear his breathy voice pulled her back up to the needy zone. He pushed into her, impaling her, then reached under her to massage her pulsing bud. The stokes were slow and deep until she cried out to stop the torture and make her come.

Jamie pulled her hips up and got on his knees. He watched the erotic scene as he entered her, splitting her core to accommodate his size and then closing up again as he slid out of her. He was feeding his lust a supersize of fuel watching, feeling, anticipating. His testicles felt as big as bowling balls as they slapped against the back of her thighs. He felt the stinging deep inside his core and the pressure building behind it was almost unbearable.

Claire was on her back again hearing Jamie tell her to open her legs. She pushed her legs open until her hips were protesting in pain. Jamie held her pelvis up and sunk himself inside her, deeper than he had been before. He pressed into her and she moaned with pleasure. He pushed into her over and over, he did not hear her telling him deeper, faster. When her inner body gripped him in orgasm, he lost his mind, ramming her repeatedly until he went rigid, locked in a powerful embrace inside of her.

Claire wiped the sweat from Jamie’s face, coming back to her senses she no longer heard the rain pelting the windows but noticed it still looked stormy. Must be more to come she figured. Jamie pushed his legs straight and held her to him with his head on her shoulder.

“Stay with me love.”

She closed her eyes and wrapped him in her embrace. As they slept, snow fell blanketing everything in pure white. It would be a rare white Christmas in Kentucky. Jamie slipped out of bed after an hour nap and could hardly believe the blinding white snow that had covered everything as far as the eye could see.

“Sassenach.” He whispered there was a rare surprise for her.

He watched her golden eyes open, reminding him of an exotic cat waking up. It put butterflies in his stomach to watch her intimate moments like this. He smiled at her innocent, questioning look.

“Come look out the window love.”

Claire looked outside with a gasp, “Oh! Good job, God!”

Jamie hugged her and chuckled at her comment. After his shower, she was still looking at the snow. He kissed her temple.

“I need to get back.”

“I am coming too…but not yet. Um, I will walk down in a bit.”

“As ye say Sassenach.”

When the front door closed Claire jumped into her clothes, sweater, boots, and coat, eager to get outside and play in the pristine blanket of snow. Outside, the snow was still coming down, so she stuck her tongue out to catch flakes, she kicked mounds of snow in the air and dropped to the ground to make a snow angel.

Jamie had a meeting with Lulu to start her education on how to prequalify inquiries for breeding. She learned so fast Jamie had a hard time keeping up with her. He tried to work afterward but the afternoon was waning, the horses were all inside and fed and Claire had not shown up. He pulled his coat on and started walking back, looking for his wife along the way. When he started seeing snow angels and small footprints, he knew she was close. He scanned the area in front of him and saw her pop up, smiling brightly and looking down at her latest angel. He laughed at her red cheeks and nose, blinding white teeth inside a frame of black curls. She went down again and he decided it was time to pull her away from this fun that might make her fingers and toes hurt all night.

Claire saw Jamie and started running. Her pockets were stuffed with carrots and the green leafy tops bounced with every footfall. She jumped in his arms with a huge smile and pointed to her angels that were at least twenty strong. She begged him to do a couple-angel and she bounced up to look, clapping her hands.

“What if ye looked like this love?”

Claire made a face when he scooped a round circle where her stomach would be.

“Ye want me to get really fat, right?”

Jamie held her shoulders so she would look at him. “Sassenach, I don’t know how to ask ye this, so I’ll just say it. Are ye pregnant lass?”

“Preg... of course not. Why do you ask?”

She made a face much like horror and Jamie felt his heart break. She promised at one point that she wanted a family, someday. That face was exposing a truth he didn’t want to see.

“Come to the house love, yer fingers will keep ye up tonight burning from exposure.”

Jamie tried to shake off his disappointment. He had waited so long to hear her say she was pregnant. He knew she had not had a period in two months. When she staunchly denied being with child he was crushed. Jamie felt the cold fingers of worry tighten in his stomach and blurted out his question.

“What would make ye miss yer periods completely for two months lass?”

She turned a pale face to him, “nothing good. Are you sure Jamie?”

He nodded and felt a quivering brick settle in his stomach.

Christmas was in two days so it would be a week before she could get to an OBGYN for an exam. He worried through dinner while Claire chatted about the catering and trimming the tree. Jamie could not shake his disappointment or the new worry that something was wrong with Claire.

When they settled on a new couch to watch Netflix Jamie announced he was going to check the barn temperature and be right back. Claire settled into her deliciously comfortable couch to write a last-minute to-do list.

“Sassenach.”

Claire felt his warm hand on her arm and opened her eyes, startled that she had fallen asleep. Jamie sat next to her and held a plastic bag from Walgreen's out to her. “I am worried Claire and I want to eliminate any chance of pregnancy. Will ye please take this test for me?”

She pulled the test out and looked at Jamie confused. “Yes, certainly, but I think you miss counted or something. No problem sweetheart, I’ll do it now.”

Claire’s periods were irregular at best, but she always had at least a showing of blood, sometimes a few days, sometimes less. He watched her close the door to the bathroom and sat with his thoughts, waiting. After fifteen minutes he knocked on the door.

“Are ye alright love?”

“No.”

He could tell she was crying and felt alarm bells going off in his head. “Can I come in?”

The door opened a few inches and he could see Claire sitting with her head in her hands. She was sniffling and Jamie’s heart was pounding. He walked in and knelt in front of her trying to find a reason for her tears. The box and instructions were in the sink and the test stick was wrapped in toilet paper on the counter. He picked it up and unwrapped the stick feeling his insides bottom out when he read the results.

He hugged her to him and listened to her cry. “My dearest love, yer with child, that is extraordinary news. We are havin a baby, Claire. Why do ye cry? I have never been so happy in my life!”

Claire’s sad eyes just stared at him like she had been condemned to the gallows. Jamie picked her up and carried her upstairs. He pulled her clothes off and she grabbed them and held them to her.

“I want my robe.”

They had not slept with a stitch on since the first night. Jamie handed her the robe and got into bed so he could hold her. He turned off the light and laid with his wife in the dark.

“I didn’t expect to get pregnant. I don’t want to be pregnant,” she whispered. ”A doctor told me I would have a hard time getting pregnant, but it could be done. So how did I get pregnant?”

Jamie knew nothing was more important than this, the hell with work tomorrow. If the Sassenach was talking, he would be listening intently.

“Sweetheart, ye said ye want a family when we talked about it.”

“But I’m not ready. She will be alone without us and we have to prepare Jenny.”

There was an uptick to her voice suddenly, “Molly is getting married! She will take her and love her like family!” Claire self-snuggled, “Molly won’t let her go.”

Jamie’s head was reeling. He could hear Claire falling asleep and he didn’t understand what was upsetting her and making her talk about their child living with Molly. Claire was shutting him out by falling asleep and he felt the sadness descend on him. This should be the happiest moment of his life and he was crying in the dark with a stranger in his bed. He got up and went downstairs to drink a whisky and sit in the dark.

Claire crept downstairs and curled up into Jamie’s side holding him at the waist.

“Claire, ye have more love in yer heart that anyone I know. How can ye not feel that love for yer own child?”

“It's crippling because I will love it so much and if something happens to us the child will be alone. I am already heartbroken for her…or him.”

Jamie sat without a shirt on and he placed her hand on his bicep and then flexed. “Nothing can best me sweetheart, nothing. I will use my strength and my mind to protect my family, always. We live out in the country where the air is clean, little traffic on the roads, and they have acres to play in under the watchful eyes of their loving parents. It is the safest place to raise them Sassenach.”

“Them?”

“Aye, the wee one will need a best friend to explore with and consult about life issues when they get to kindergarten and such. They will grow under yer love and protection, and mine. Does it not thrill ye to think of holding our baby in a year’s time?”

“Yes,” she whispered and leaned harder against him.

Jamie held her against him until he felt her slipping away. He had a plan to bring the reality of a child to the Sassenach. He couldn’t wait to act on it.

Claire moved around the house, adding decorations and setting out bowls for party snacks. She hummed as she moved through the morning. When the doorbell rang, she opened the door to a giant basket, full of items, and a man struggling to hold it. She let him in to place the basket on the counter and signed her name. When he left, she rushed back and couldn’t believe all the tiny things inside. She pulled newborn onesies out and draped one across her arm, imagining a baby there. Tiny socks and receiving blankets were so soft, a dozen soft cloth diapers, and an assortment of outfits.

Claire looked at each item twice. Everything was so tiny and soft. Jamie stood at the entrance to the kitchen and watched her, silently, praying she would connect to the life growing inside of her and give in to the happiness she should feel.

“Just a wee gift,” he said quietly.

Claire’s eyes were shining with tears when she looked at him, and her smile conveyed a job well done. Jamie pulled her to him and walked her to the couch for a few minutes of kissing.

“Do ye feel better lass?”

“I do, thank you, Jamie. All those things are so tiny and soft. I can’t wait. Do you have to go back right away?”

“No Sassenach, I came home to trim the tree, such a beauty she is. Just a bit more kissin first.”

On Christmas day the house looked right out of a magazine. The doorbell started ringing at two o’clock sharp and didn’t stop for the rest of the afternoon. It was drizzling in the early afternoon but as the temperature plummeted the rain turned to snow. A blazing fire crackled and guests were having a great time, so no one noticed.

Jamie and Claire passed out champagne as Jamie toasted the beautiful Claire. Veterinarian, Triple Crown winner, and now a mother to be. Claire blushed at all the well-wishers and was suddenly surrounded by the women she loved the most.

Jamie added a few logs to the fire and glanced out the window at the shocking depth of the snow. He walked outside and could barely see ten feet in front of him and it was cold, really cold. He tried to walk to the driveway and the snow was midcalf. The cars were blanketed with snow and there would be no getting out of here today.

He walked back into the house and grabbed Rupert and Angus. They spoke a bit before pulling their coats on and layered with scarves and hats from Jamie.

“What’s wrong?” Claire looked at Jamie.

“We’re goin to the barn to pull out the heaters and feed the horses. We won’t be long. Ye should turn on the television so everyone will know what we’re in the middle of. Claire swung the painting away from the wall and pulled the TV out switching it on. Everyone looked up at this unexpected action and as Claire switched channels the weather report was finally found. The guests looked out the window at their buried cars and looked to one another for some idea how to get home.

“Well, this is an unexpected turn. Please don’t worry, we have loads of room for everybody and there’s a free breakfast in the morning.”

Jamie and the men struggled against the wind that blew the mounding snow sideways into their faces. Jamie’s fingers were stiff from cold as he tried to hit the keys to disarm the alarm. To their disappointment, the interior was only somewhat warmer. Jamie remembered the turbines were still open and the three of them made a dash to close them all. The massive emergency heaters were pulled out and spaced throughout the stalls. With the fire so clear in his memory he was fearful of the propane heat generators. Both Rupert and Angus said they would stay in the barn tonight and watch the heaters. Jamie looked at each of them with such gratitude they knew exactly what it meant to him. With heaters on, feeding done, and extra bedding pitched into the stalls they headed out to ride the front loader home.

Claire was digging into closets and utility bins looking for gloves, scarves, and extra layers for the neighbors who were willing to hike it back to their homes. She wrapped them up as much as possible and wished them luck getting through the massive drifts.

Rupert and Angus came in to warm up while Jamie ran the shovel along the road to the gate and back again. He was a highlander and wondered why he was shaking so hard from the cold. He could see a single lane in each direction had been plowed on the public access road, but the snow continued to fall and was quickly covering the road again.

Jamie knelt in front of the fire and shook with cold. Claire was exhausted from trying to take care of everybody, but she was galvanized when she saw Jamie.

“Jamie, sweetheart you’re so cold.” She threw three logs into the fire and stoked the flame up with the poker. She brought him a whiskey, and then another.

Many guests had relatives with chains on their tires willing to pick them up. For the next hour, Jamie shuttled people to the gate and waved as they jumped into a warm vehicle. The snow wasn’t falling anymore but the temperature kept dropping.

Claire poured whisky doubles for Rupert and Angus who were holding down sleeping bags and extra blankets for their night in the barn. Claire put a glass in each of their pockets and shoved the whisky bottle between the blankets. Then handed them bags of treats and snacks to hold them over. They both smiled their thanks and left with Jamie for a ride back to the barn.

It was dark when Jamie got back, and he stumbled into the house with stiff limbs from the open-air ride back. Claire peeled the layers off of him and pulled him to the fire to warm up.

Claire took a headcount of those that were left. Steve and his father, Molly and her fiancé, Lulu and Jason. She put Molly in one guest room and Lulu and Jason in the other, the rest would have to do battle for the couches and the floor. She left all the food that would keep out on the counters and let everyone know there was juice, milk, water, and whisky available.

Molly grabbed Claire’s hand and looked closely at her face. “C’mon, you are going upstairs with me to rest for a few minutes. She pulled Claire upstairs and pointed at her bed. Claire laid down with a grateful sigh and Molly sat on the edge of the bed so they could talk a bit.

Claire shook her head with irritation because her eyelids were closing, and Molly’s image was swimming in front of her. She had never been this tired in her life and sleep pulled her under.

Molly smiled at her dearest friend and pulled the quilt up before turning off the lights. She would handle the slumber party downstairs and send Jamie up to bed as well. Maybe there was a Christmas movie they could all watch. A last look at Claire and she went back to the lower level.

Jamie, Steve, and Nicolas Romano were playing beer pong in the kitchen when Molly found them. She announced A Christmas Carol was starting if anyone wanted to watch. She told Jamie quietly that Claire was asleep, and she and Lulu would take care of everybody tonight. Jamie kissed her cheek and thanked her as he jogged for the back staircase. He called Angus and heard a lively argument in full swing, something about a girl they had gone to school with. They reported a warm environment inside the barn and promised one of them would be awake all night.

Jamie left his clothes in a pile on the floor and slid into bed, pulling Claire close to him. She breathed deeply into his neck and sighed. Then her hands were touching her shirt and pants and whimpering as she tried to get them off. Jamie kissed her hands and pulled her shirt and bra off then he slid her pants off and pulled her to him, back to chest so he could spoon her. She sighed and he knew she was smiling.

“Breastfeeding, mm hm … no private schools.” Her voice trailed off and her breathing deepened. Jamie smiled knowing she was dreaming of their child and cuddled her protectively. “Merry Christmas love,” he whispered and dropped into the darkness.

“Jamie, Jamie? Jamie, it’s time to wake up now. We forgot about presents yesterday so you have to wake up now.”

Jamie cracked an eye open and noticed his wife was tapping his arm, continuously. It was still dark outside, but she looked bright-eyed and excited trying to wake him up.

“It’s time for presents so you have to wake up.”

She had donned a short red nightgown and was sitting cross-legged on the bed. There were presents all around her and she looked like she might burst right out of her skin.

“What time is it Sassenach?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Here, open this one first.”

Jamie pulled himself up and leaned against the headboard. He tore the paper away from a chartreuse-colored lure and looked up at Claire.

“It’s a spinner and the fish really like it. Now this one.”

The paper was pulled away from a lure that looked just like a tiny fish. He unwrapped another and found a hand-tied fly lure. He picked up the next package and held it up.

“Is this a lure Sassenach?”

“No! I’m not totally one dimensional Jamie.”

He tore the paper away from another lure. Every little package that was scattered around her were all lures. The man that helped her at the sporting goods store said he could never have enough lures because the fish liked different things at different times of the year. Jamie was impossible to buy gifts for because she kept him well-stocked with clothes throughout the year and he wanted nothing. Finding the fishing store was brilliant because there was an endless supply of things to buy.

“You can teach us how to tie the lures on the string, but I don’t think I’ll ever want to really do it.”

Jamie was struggling to understand this predawn gift exchange, did she say us, teach us? He reached into the drawer of his side table and handed Claire a small long box. She tore the paper away and opened the box with great enthusiasm. Jamie watched her eyes go wide and heard her gasp. She couldn’t take her eyes off it.

“Jesus, this is beautiful.”

“Let me put it on ye Sassenach." She gave him the box and stuck her arm toward him. Watching the bracelet shoot sparkles in every direction as Jamie lifted it from the box almost made her swoon. It was two rows of diamonds going around her wrist and she moved her wrist this way and that to watch the stones come alive.

Jamie loved shopping for Claire. When he looked at the various diamond bracelets, he knew this would be a substantial purchase. She earned a bit over eight-million dollars racing the past year. A thirty-thousand dollar bracelet seemed fitting for his Sassenach.

Claire grabbed Jamie’s face and kissed it at least a dozen times until he pulled her nightgown over her head and twisted her under him. “Merry Christmas Jamie.”

He could see her eyelids drooping and cuddled her close to his heat. He thought about next year at this time, there would be a cradle next to their bed and smiled as he drifted off.

[quickspinner]

My Heart Like a Firework - Part 1

@livrever said: What about Luka drives through a puddle splashing/soaking Marinette and he stops to apologize/takes her home to change 

@justknitstuff said: Luka works in a music store and Marinette ducks into his shop to escape a downpour of rain, they start talking and while he’s showing her around to pass the time she starts getting hit with inspiration for guitar string jewelry 

This was supposed to be a quick little distraction and it turned into an entire thing and I’m not even sure if it’s anything good, but I hope it’s cute and you guys like it. Stay tuned (ha) for part 2.

Luka glanced up at the sky as he pedaled to work. He wasn’t sure what had possessed his mom to buy the music shop, but he actually kind of liked working in it. Unfortunately the metro stop nearest the boat was shut down today, and the weather was not looking so great for biking. It had been raining off and on for three days, and from the looks of the sky it wasn’t done yet. He was just hoping to get to work before the sky opened up again.

Luka was so focused on getting there quickly that he forgot something very important. As he turned the corner onto the street where their shop was located, he plunged right into a huge puddle of water that had accumulated at the blocked storm drain there. For a moment, there was chaos, and not the kind he enjoyed. The bike sent a huge wave up, someone shrieked, and the wheels skidded and went haywire. Luka somehow managed to pull off some weird maneuver between stopping the bike and jumping off of it, and ended up on his feet in the middle of the tiny lake.

“Great,” he muttered, looking down at his pants, which were now wet to the knee.

“You can say that again,” sighed a second voice, and Luka looked down.  There was a dark-haired young lady sitting in the puddle-lake, and while he was wet from the knees down, she was thoroughly soaked. It took only a moment to realize that the shriek he’d heard when he hit the puddle must have been her. He wasn’t sure how she’d ended up in it, but things happened when one got unexpectedly hit with a wave of ice cold dirty water. 

“Oh, my—I am so sorry.” Luka cringed as he reached down to offer his hands to the young woman. “I should have expected that damn lake to be there after last night, but my mind was elsewhere, and—honestly, I’m so sorry, miss. Are you hurt?”

“It’s okay, it was an accident,” she sighed. “And no, just the usual bumps and bruises.” She took his hands and he pulled her to her feet, and she gasped as her flats filled with cold water. 

“Damn,” he muttered, “Hold on.” He quickly bent, slipping an arm under her knees and lifting her up out of the puddle. She gasped again as she fell against his chest as he lifted her. “Sorry, let me just get you out of this,” he said, carrying her to the edge of the puddle and setting her on the sidewalk. “Here, hold onto me,” he said as he knelt down. “Lift up your foot.” She did, leaning on his shoulders as he slipped her shoe off and emptied it of muck. Not much of an improvement but it was better than being waterlogged. Luka helped her put it back on and did the same for the other shoe.

“I’ll get your things,” he said, getting to his feet and looking back to the bag laying half submerged. “I hope there wasn’t anything important in there—“

“It’s waterproof,” she said absently, trying to squeeze some of the water out of her skirt. “I’m kind of a magnet for this kind of thing honestly, so I’ve learned to be careful.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m glad you’re taking precautions,” Luka said, stepping carefully out into the puddle. “I’d feel awful if I ruined all your things.” At least his boots kept out the water, as long as he didn’t slosh too much. He waded carefully over to her bag and his bike. Fortunately he hadn’t been carrying anything important in the basket. “I wish the city would fix that stupid drain,” he muttered as he tried to get back out without losing anything. “I really am so sorry Miss, I hope I’m not making you late for...anything...“ He stopped short as he finally really looked at her. 

Oh hell, he thought numbly as she looked back at him.  Her makeup was running, but the black marks didn’t do anything to diminish the sweet prettiness of her face or the clear blue of her stunning eyes. 

“Marinette,” she said, smiling even though she was cold and wet and dirty, and that smile would have been enough to make his knees weak by itself. “Just Marinette. I was just on my way home, so it’s fine. Like I said, stuff like this happens to me all the time. You’ve been a lot nicer about it than most people, actually, um...sir.”

“Luka,” he told her on autopilot, feeling a stupid smile spread over his face. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Marinette, even if—“

The sky chose that moment to open up and unleash a downpour on their heads. 

Luka swore. He grabbed Marinette’s wrist in one hand and his bike in the other. “This way.” It was an awkward run into the back alley behind the shop. Luka leaned his bike against the wall and fumbled out his keys, unlocking the back door and holding it wide for Marinette to run in ahead of him. He darted in after her.

Unfortunately for both of them, the lights were off and someone had left a large crate a few feet inside the door. Marinette hit it first with a yelp, but Luka was too close behind her to stop, so Marinette fell over it and Luka promptly fell over her. 

“Shit,” he hissed, scrambling for a secure place to put his hands so he could push himself up off the poor girl he was probably crushing. “This day just gets better and better.” 

“Tell me about it,” Marinette grumbled under him. 

“Hang on, just let me—” Luka managed to lever himself off her and find his footing. “There. Sorry. Again. Don’t go anywhere, let me get the lights first.” Luka stumbled around for a moment, swearing under his breath. “Mom, you and I are going to have words about leaving shit in front of doorways,” he muttered as he finally found the light switch. “‘From chaos comes creation’” he complained in a falsetto. “More like a busted—“ he turned to find Marinette staring at him from where she knelt on the floor. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

She giggled, covering her mouth. “It’s okay.” Luka stepped around the clutter to offer her a hand up for the second time today.

“You’re freezing,” he frowned, noticing her shiver. 

“Oh, I’m—well, yeah,” she admitted, folding her arms around herself. 

“Let’s get you something dry to put on,” Luka said, leading her toward the front of the shop. 

There was a small display of t-shirts tucked in one corner of the store. 

“I don’t think I have anything small enough for you,” he said, thumbing through the shirts on the rack. “Our women’s order got put on back order, but hopefully you can find something that’ll work.” He selected a shirt in his own size and then turned and gestured her towards the rack. “Hope you like Jagged Stone. Help yourself.”

Marinette burst out laughing when she saw the shirt he was holding, and Luka raised his eyebrows. “Sorry,” she giggled. “It’s just, I um…” she blushed and Luka’s eyebrows went higher. “I work for Jagged Stone sometimes,” she said shyly, gesturing at the shirt. “I actually designed this.” She pointed to a small set of initials set in an inconspicuous part of the design. “That’s me.”

“That...is seriously cool,” Luka said wonderingly, and Marinette blushed further. She took a tentative step around Luka and he moved quickly out of her way. 

Luka gratefully peeled off his wet shirt. There was no help for his wet pants, but since they were mostly only wet from the knees down and his feet were mostly dry, he’d survive. He made a mental note to start keeping a change of clothes here just in case. There was a squeak behind him as he put his arms in the dry shirt. Startled, he looked back, but all he saw was Marinette’s rigid back as she gripped the shirt rack. 

“Everything okay?” he asked as he finished putting the dry shirt on. 

“Fine!” Marinette said quickly, grabbing a shirt off the rack. “Um, is there somewhere I can—“

“Oh, yeah, sorry, the bathroom’s right through there,” Luka pointed. “Don’t worry, I promise it’s clean.” 

“Thanks,” Marinette smiled.

“Don’t mention it,” Luka said, picking up the wet shirt from where he’d dropped it on the floor. “It’s the least I could do.” As Marinette went to the public bathroom, he took his wet shirt to the employee bathroom in the back, hanging it over the sink to dry. 

A thought occurred to him and he opened the cabinet over the sink, poking through the bottles of Juleka’s crap stacked in there.

Luka went back out to the front and knocked on the bathroom door. “Marinette?”

He heard her squeak, and then say, “Um, yes?” 

“I’m leaving some makeup remover and tissues outside the door if you want to use it. My sister practically keeps a whole cosmetic counter in the back. Do you need anything else?”

“Oh! Okay. Um, thanks, I can’t think of anything else. Oh, maybe a bag for my clothes if you have one?”

“Yeah, no problem,” Luka smiled. “I’ll hang it on the doorknob. He fetched one of the larger bags they had for merchandise and hung it on the bathroom door. Then he got a mop and cleaned the floor where they had tracked muddy water, and went about the process of opening the shop. It was a little bit late but he doubted his mother would care considering the circumstances. If she even noticed.

He glanced back automatically when he heard the bathroom door open and did a double-take, grateful that she had turned around to shut the door so she didn’t see the way his jaw dropped. 

She’d picked one of the larger sizes and belted the t-shirt around her waist to wear it like a dress so she could shed her wet skirt and stockings. It was a little short but not scandalous; girls regularly came in the shop wearing micro-minis that made the t-shirt dress look absolutely modest by comparison. Still, she had really nice legs for such a petite woman, and the collar was much too wide for her, exposing more of her neck and shoulders than the blouse she’d been wearing. She’d taken her hair out of the tails it had been in, and it hung in wet tendrils around her shoulders.

He was still staring when she turned around, though he’d managed to close his mouth at least. 

“Is it too short?” Marinette asked, tugging at the hem self-consciously, and Luka coughed. 

“No, it looks good,” he said. “Just be careful how you bend over and you’ll be fine.” God, why was he thinking about that. “You’re welcome to hang out here until the storm stops. Oh, I can put those on the heat register to dry off if you want,” he added, gesturing at the shoes dangling from her fingers. Her legs and feet were bare.

“Please,” she smiled, handing them over. Luka took them behind the counter and did as he promised. 

“Make yourself at home,” he told Marinette. “Looks like it’ll be a slow day anyway.” He nodded toward the front windows, which were being pelted by sheets of rain every time the wind gusted. “Can’t imagine many people coming out in that. Well,” he amended, “I would, if I needed new strings badly enough, but still.”

Marinette was taking things out of her bag, laying them on the counter. She paused to examine a notebook, and breathed a sigh of relief when she found it was undamaged. She took out a set of colored pencils and some other supplies, and then her phone. “What do you do when there’s no one in the shop?” 

“Lots of things,” Luka shrugged. “Inventory, restocking. I’ll probably open that crate we tripped over and get whatever’s in it out on the shelves so that we can get rid of it.” He rolled his eyes. “Mom’ll never move it if I don’t do something about it.” 

Marinette giggled. “Your mom’s the manager?” 

“She’s the owner, actually, but yeah, when she’s here, she’s technically the manager,” Luka said, opening the counter and going behind it. “So, yeah, make yourself at home, relax. Try an instrument if you want,” he grinned, gesturing towards the demo guitars. 

“Oh, no, I’d be a disaster,” she giggled, “But thanks. I’m good, I’ll just—uh…” she glanced around, and then turned around and hopped up to sit on the counter, crossing her legs and balancing her notebook across them. “This is fine, if it’s okay.”

“Sure,” Luka agreed, eyes flicking to her legs again in spite of himself. He turned away quickly. “I’ll be back in a minute.” 

When he came back Marinette was writing, or, no—maybe drawing in her notebook. He watched her for a moment, but she looked totally focused, so Luka didn’t say anything, just went on to work, and quickly fell into the routine and his own thoughts. 

Luka hummed along to the tune playing in his head as he stacked the boxes on the shelf. “And those eyes can hypnotize,” he sang, “Was designed to blow my mind—“ 

He stopped at the giggle behind him, and turned to grin at Marinette. “Sorry,” he said, “Habit. I forgot you were here.”

“I don’t mind,” Marinette giggled. “Your voice is nice.” She glanced around at the shop, eyes lingering on the guitars hanging on the display wall. “Do you play?” 

Luka grinned slowly. “I do. You want to hear?” 

“Oh,” she said, shoulders curling in. “That’s okay, you’re busy, you’re working.” 

Luka chuckled. “I’ll be right back.” 

He went in the back to get the guitar he kept here, slinging it on. He winked at Marinette as he went by her to the amp they had put for the demo instruments. He plugged in and began to tune up. “What kind of music do you like?” he asked as he worked. 

“Me?” She sounded surprised and he glanced up to see Marinette tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “Oh, I...well, I’m not really cool or anything, I just like whatever...it’s probably stupid, I’m sure everything I like is really mainstream…”

“What’s wrong with that?” Luka smiled at her. He checked the length of his amp cord and then went to lean on the counter next to her. “People like different things,” he continued, as she continued to look uncertain. “And mainstream stuff wouldn’t be mainstream if it didn’t speak to people in some way. I mean, a song doesn’t have to be edgy and full of symbolism and dissecting societal wrongs to be entertaining. Music can do all that, sure, but that doesn’t mean the songs that are just catchy or fun are somehow less worthy. I like a little bit of everything myself. Almost every genre has something to offer, if you’re open-minded enough to look for it. And if you’re not, that’s okay, too. You like what you like, Marinette. Don’t be ashamed of it. Certainly not for my sake.” He continued tuning, watching her out of the corner of his eye. 

“Oh,” Marinette said, and he thought he saw a hint of color on her cheeks. “Well, I like Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale…” 

“Jagged’s my favorite singer,” Luka said, strumming experimentally. “There we go.” He looked up. “So how’d you end up working for him, anyway? You’re a graphic designer?”

“I’m a freelance fashion designer, actually,” Marinette admitted, setting her notebook aside and gripping the edge of the counter. “I met him sort of by accident, while he was staying at my classmate’s hotel and—well, it’s a long story, but I ended up designing the sunglasses he wears whenever he’s in Paris. I’m sure you know the ones.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re so ostentatious.”

“They are,” Luka chuckled. “But they work for him.” 

“Well, he loved them, and then when he was ready to drop his next album, he asked me to design it, and I’ve been doing work off and on for him ever since.” 

“That is seriously awesome,” Luka shook his head. “You’re an amazing person, Marinette.”

“I was just lucky,” Marinette said.

Luka smiled down at the guitar, setting his fingers to the frets, taking a centering breath. “Luck only makes opportunities,” he said as he began to play. “It takes something else to capitalize on those opportunities.” He grinned up at her. “I still think you’re pretty cool. And, well. Pretty and cool.” He continued to riff, letting his head bob along with the music, letting the rhythm of the rain on the windows inspire him. He felt Marinette begin to sway beside him. He worked in her bright smile, and the sharp staccato of his own heart. 

“Wow,” she said, when he let it end. “That was amazing.” 

Luka felt a bit of heat in his cheeks. “It’s my passion,” he shrugged. “I’ve been playing my whole life. Since I was in diapers, practically.” He switched his tune to a familiar song, one he thought Marinette might recognize. 

She must have, because she started singing along, but it came out a little squeaky. “Ugh, sorry, that was terrible, I don’t know why I—”

“No, no, don’t be embarrassed, it was just the wrong key for you. Try this.” He began playing again, the same melody, but in a different key. He nodded at Marinette encouragingly and she sang, a little shyly. 

“If today’s the day I die, lay me down under the lights, let me fall in love, let me save a life, and let me lose my voice, singing all my favorite songs…” she trailed off, blushing but smiling, and Luka picked it up, singing the words until she was brave enough to join in again. 

“No one, no one lives forever, we will be remembered for what we do right now,” they sang together, and Luka turned to face her. She seemed to grow braver, and they sang the chorus together. Luka winked at her when they sang, “Let me kiss a stranger,” but that seemed to be too much for her, as she promptly forgot the words and spluttered, red-faced. Luka could hardly sing for laughing and their little concert stalled for a moment. 

“I’m sorry,” Luka chuckled. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” 

Marinete sniffed haughtily and looked away, running her fingers through her hair. Luka followed the motion with his eyes, but backed off a little. He strummed and sang, “Cause we’re all just kids who grew up way too fast,” and though she still wouldn’t look at him, she joined in, “Yeah the good die young but the great will always last,” and by the end of the song she was smiling again.

“That was fun, Marinette,” he said, leaning on the counter next to her and looking up into her face. “Thank you.” 

“I should be thanking you,” Marinette said, and she reached out to move a stray strand of hair off his forehead. Luka’s heartbeat sped up, but Marinette snatched her hand back. “Oh, sorry, I don’t know what I was—um…”

“I didn’t mind,” Luka said, unconsciously leaning a little closer.

Marinette fidgeted uncomfortably, and Luka snapped out of it like he’d been doused with cold water (again), straightening up. He cleared his throat and put his back to the counter again, and went back to improvising, though he couldn’t stop smiling. He glanced at the rain and couldn’t decide if he hoped it passed soon or not. Marinette might be killing him by inches but if he was honest, he was loving every minute of it.

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Met You Tonight: Kauri and Jack

CW: Electroshock, referenced abusive relationship, pet whump, dehumanization, referenced conditioning/brainwashing, frank references to prostitution, very brief reference to assumed drug use

This piece is a collaboration with @spiffythespook featuring Jack/Reid! Takes place immediately after Kauri escapes, five days after he gets away from Owen Grant. This collab has multiple parts, so you’ll see Spiffy and I posting them as we get them edited!

Tagging Kauri and Jack’s crews: @im-not-rare-im-rarr, @maybeawhumpblog, @pepperonyscience, @haro-whumps, @18-toe-beans, @burtlederp, @finder-of-rings, @giggly-evil-puppy, @whimpers-and-whumpers, @moose-teeth, @whump-it, @lumpofwhump, @pumpkinthefangirl, @castielamigos-whump-side-blog, @rivertamandspike​

It had been raining most of the day. It was the kind of pounding, pouring rain that hit hard enough to splatter and splash back up, collected outside sewage drains and ran like miniature rivers along the gutters.

By the time midnight came around, though, the rain had stopped, leaving the sound of water rushing through storm drains along the side of the streets and a heavy, oppressive humidity hanging in the air. The streets were shimmering wet, reflections from headlights bouncing right off the road, and streetlight circles looked more like puddles than actual illumination.

People found their way out onto the streets anyway. They came in cars and on foot, walking to bars or racing each other into clubs. They stumbled drunk or walked sober, congregated into clumps that giggled and talked and danced and laughed.

In rougher parts of town people still walked to the bars, but there were plenty who simply stood, too.

Women and men walked slowly along their chosen corners in the glow of streetlights or in the dark, hips jutted out or with a certain kind of stance that gave away what they were selling. The occasional car cut through the night, came to a stop along the curb. Sometimes the john got out - sometimes the woman or man on the corner got in - before the car drove away.

From one dark alley the sound of harsh, ugly laughter echoed from two or three voices at once. Underneath the laughter was scraping and whining, thumps and a soft pleading for them to please, just st-stop, I don't have any money, please.

Eventually, one of the three, a nondescript and muscular guy in a plain shirt and jeans who could have been anywhere from a rough 30 to a pretty good 45, stepped out, lit a cigarette, and glanced over his shoulder. "Come on, guys, that fucking tweaker doesn't have shit anyway. Look at him twitch, he probably spent his last dime on whatever shit he’s got in his system.”

The two others with him laughed, coming out into the light themselves, arguing good-naturedly over their destination before heading on foot towards the nearest bar.

Their noise drew the attention of a young man, clearly one of those who had been busy walking the streetcorner, still wet from the earlier weather. The young man stayed well out of view until they departed, eyeing the raucous group until the sound of the men’s voices had totally faded and they turned a corner.

From the alleyway came the sound of low, broken cursing. The young man blinked and headed a little closer to try and take a look and see what exactly had gotten the attention of the three men that had just left.

There was a boy curled up in the alleyway - a man but barely, and he was soaked to the skin. The expensive blue cashmere sweater he'd been wearing was ripped, torn, and bloody. Soft black pants were so wet they clung to his legs, and the flat slide-on sandals on his feet were at least two sizes too big.

Bloody and bruised, the boy began to push himself back up to standing when suddenly every muscle went rigid. He let out a cry and his back arched as he dropped with a hard crack of his knees back to the ground.

"Ow, ow, n-n-no, st-stop-... please, stop, pl-please," The boy begged no one who could hear him, clutching at a spot just below his neck on the right side, pressing hard with the flat of his palm. His other hand was flat on the alleyway ground, his black curls plastered to his forehead with a mix of sweat and rain.

He felt a throbbing pain in one eye that told him he'd be bruised by morning, but it was nothing compared with the agony racing through the nerves under his skin.

"Stop, I w-won't come h-h-home, stop it I w-won't," he pleaded, in his surprisingly deep soft voice, to no one, to someone, to anyone. "Y-you lied, you lied to me, you lied, I won’t...”

From the end of the alley, pressed into the shadow of the wall, the young man stepped out slowly and cleared his throat to draw the boy’s attention. His wet hair was pushed back, combed through messily with fingers and a couple wet strands hung in his face. If his tight, cropped shirt and jeans didn’t give away his profession, his naturally alluring posture did... but there was no desire in his expression, only concern.

“Hey, buddy. You look like you’re in pretty rough shape. Need a hand?”

Kauri flinched away from the voice, trying to scramble backwards, but his muscles were still so locked from pain that all he could manage was a foot or two before he froze again. He looked up, teeth ground together, to show wide, frightened blue eyes. 

He had a circle of red around one eye beginning to darken, and the young man in the cropped shirt put his hands up, trying to show he was harmless, taking in the other man’s disheveled, sopping wet appearance.

"N-no, pl-please!” Kauri’s voice was thin and strained, and his hands kept shaking, nerve endings twitching long after the pain had ended. “I don't have any m-money. I d-don't have anything! Pl-please don’t hurt me!”

He put his left hand out in some kind of supplication, sweater sleeve riding up his arm, the hint of a barcode tattoo on the inside unmistakable. "Please! Please, j-just, just ow, fuck-... aftersh-shocks, ah-”

“Did I ask for money? I don’t want anything from you, man,” the young man said. He froze at the sight of the tattoo, biting his lip anxiously and glancing over both ends of the alley to check that no one was nearby. He crouched down a couple of feet - a good safe distance - away. With his work boots on, he couldn’t quite lay his feet flat - instead, he perched on his toes. “Hey, it’s okay. Listen, um... I used to be a box boy, too, okay? I can’t prove it, they… my owner was pretty shady. The company took off my tattoo so they wouldn’t be associated with him. Anyway, I’m not gonna hurt you. I don’t… believe in that shit.”

“B-Box…” Kauri’s voice trailed off, confused. “I d-don’t-... how do you-... Oh, fuck, the news, he told the news or something…” He moved back a couple of feet, nearly crawling on his hands and knees. “D-Did you see me on the news? Is, is that how you kn-know about me?”

“Shit, no. I don’t have cable or anything-” the young man said, almost laughing. The sound died as the boy’s muscles locked again, spine curving as his head dropped towards the ground, forehead nearly touching the dirty alley pavement.

Kauri whimpered, rocking back onto his knees, unconsciously bending forwards to move into Respect.

The young man grit his teeth and hesitated, an expression of mixed distaste and old fear on his face. Again, he moved forward - nearly on his hands and knees, too, now. “Hey. I know because I saw your tattoo. I’m not gonna turn you in, man, but I can guarantee someone’s going to notice if you’re this fucked up out here alone. Lemme help you out, I’ve got an apartment. What’s happening? Is that... electroshock?”

Kauri gasped in a breath and nodded without coming up from position, trying to calm his mind, to keep a single coherent thought through the sudden rush of pain. Just as quickly as it had come, it seemed to fade out, and his breathing changed, from shallow quick gasps to deep gulps of the humid air.

“It’s-... a n-new product, I just… here.” He pushed himself up and back, kneeling resting on his heels, slowly looking back up, searching the other man’s face for a sign that this was any worse a decision than anything else he’d done in the past five days.

All he saw was concern - genuine honest concern.

He pulled the neck of his sweater down on the right side, exposing his collarbone to nearly halfway down his chest. Along the bone ran a small line of perfectly spaced circular dots, glinting like metal in the light, glowing with a faint blue light against his skin.

“I ran away from my owner,” he said, a little hoarsely. “He’s trying to get me to come home.”

The young man’s eyes widened, brow rising at the sight of the… well, they looked like piercings, but he knew better. “Damn. That’s a fancy fuckin’ product, isn’t it?” He leaned back, sat on his heels, and sighed. “Good for you, for running and not going home. You got a place to stay?”

“W-Would I… would I look like this if I had a place to stay?” The boy flinched as soon as the sarcasm was out of his mouth, like he expected an angry reaction or even for the pain to start again.

The young man grinned, tilted his head, looking happy that the other guy had a bit of spunk in him. “...fair point. But if you didn’t want a place to stay, you’d tell me you already have one.” Kauri moved to push himself weakly to his feet, and the young man watched him closely, ready to reach out in case he stumbled.

Kauri swayed a little, pale and lightheaded, but he made it to standing, one hand on the brick wall next to him to hold himself up. Some of the aging brick crumbled around his fingers as he scratched into it. “I don’t have anywhere, I’m not… I don’t know anyone. I jumped out of, of a moving car, I just have…” He looked over his shoulder. On the ground behind him, mostly hidden in shadow, was a blue backpack. “I just have that.”

The other man nodded. “Okay. So...you want a place to crash for the night or not? In case your psycho master decides to lay it on thick again. ‘Cause, uh… lemme tell you… this district is not one you wanna be stuck in overnight unless you plan to have sex of one kind or another.”

“Psycho… Mr. Owen’s not psycho, he just-” Kauri jerked again, but it didn’t last this time and he was only rigid against the wall for a few seconds before he let out a shuddering breath and turned, scooping the backpack up by the straps. It hung with surprising weight off of him when he pulled it on over his shoulders.

Sure he’s not, the other man thought, but let it slide. The shock was bad enough without someone rubbing in how warped it was that you could have electroshock piercings… maybe they were even screwed into the bone. He made a bit of a face at that idea, feeling pain in his teeth like in response to nails on a chalkboard. The heaviness of the boy’s bag told him that the guy didn’t have nothing, but that was none of his business, either.

“Um.” Kauri shifted, a little uneasily, from foot to foot. “If you… d-don’t mind, I can st-stay? Just, just for tonight? I don’t have any money, I d-don’t have anything, I j-just…” His voice trailed off, considering. “I’m… I’m Kauri.”

“I’m Jack,” the young man responded, and then promptly grinned and quirked his head. “And I’m filthy rich tonight, so don’t worry about money. C’mon, let’s go. Wanna lean on me, or are you okay?”

“I’m... okay to walk.” Kauri’s teeth were gritted, his jaw set, and he walked with a pained stiff movement that made it clear the three in the alley had landed at least a few pretty good kicks while they were having their fun, but he stayed up.

For a second, they walked in silence, Kauri glancing sidelong at Jack, curiously.

“Hey. If you were, were really… like me… then you’re n-not rich,” Kauri said, but it was with a little bit of humor lacing his voice, a hint of resilience under everything else. “We can’t live on our own, we d-don’t know anything, it’s in all the… things they made us know, to say.”

Jack nodded, then shrugged. “Speak for yourself. I am the proud possessor of one month’s rent and enough grocery money for the next couple weeks. On a rainy day, no less,” he cocked a crooked grin. It faded after a moment or two. “I dunno, man. I think my order was really strange. I’ve got memory gaps from the drugs, but all my skills are intact… well. Except the writing, still.”

Kauri was a little slow, having to move carefully against the ache from the earlier assault. It gave him time to look at Jack and try to decide if he was just lying, if he’d just turn him in. Jack didn’t seem all that bothered by the pace. He shuffled along slow enough to stay right alongside him.

“I can’t write either. If I do, um-” He gestured at his collarbone again, the little glowing circles hidden now under the wet sweater. “These go off. But I couldn’t before… is Jack your before-name? Kauri’s my name he gave me, I d-don’t have another one anymore.”

Jack nodded in understanding. How they managed to tune an electroshock device to someone’s writing, he didn’t know. It was weird. Renford could do it if she wanted - she could do anything, as far as he could tell.

“Yeah,” he nodded, shuddering for too many reasons thinking of her face… being wet and cold was the least of them. “I had a, uh, a pet name. I don’t like it. Took me a while to remember myself, but the other guys in the district knew who I was. They helped. Sorta.” He snorted. “There’s some loyalty among whores, but us gay prostitutes have too much competition and too little market, so I still watched my back.”

Kauri stumbled to a stop all at once, turning to look at him again more clearly in the light that shone from a streetlamp above their heads.

He took in the cropped shirt and tight pants, the shoes, then slowly raised his eyes back up to the man’s face. “I-I didn’t…” His voice trailed off again, staring blatantly, but the look on his face was more like wide-eyed surprise, like a child that had never seen a dandelion before, rather than any kind of judgement.

Jack turned, surprised that Kauri had stopped. When he realized why Kauri looked so surprised, he grinned and put a hand on his hip, cocked it, and smirked. “You like what you see?” Kauri’s surprise was hilarious. But that was okay...he didn’t seem grossed out.

Kauri went red. “I, um, I just… I-I, you’re… you’re okay, I just-... you went from being a, um, a pet to being… on purpose?”

Jack blinked at the question, and then gasped in understanding and shook his head. “Oh, no. I started on the streets long before I was legal - don’t tell anybody that - and then one day they picked me up. Special order for Cori fucking Fisher. You seen him on the news? Bastard. They fixed up my looks and made me take an oath, then dumped me back here - home sweet home.”

Kauri bit down on his lower lip in thought, cocking his head to the side, trying to think. Finally, he shook it. “No, sorry. Mr. Owen doesn’t watch news, I don’t… I don’t know anything. You had a bad owner? I mean, not just to you, to other people?”

Jack snorted. “Yeah, that’s putting it lightly.”

Kauri seemed to be thinking, taking Jack in. Then he started walking again, the heavy weight inside his backpack smacking against his lower back a little as he moved. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a, a gay, um, prostitute, uh… before.” Kauri’s face flushed red, visible even in the yellow streetlights they moved under. “I mean, I don’t know if I’ve seen anything before but… I feel like this is new.”

“You probably have and just couldn’t tell.” He smirked a bit at the flush on Kauri’s face. Man, he looked cute.

“So when you s-said you were rich…”

“Oh, I said I’m rich tonight. I’m a tiny bit sore, but I’m paid up for the month.” If it was possible, Kauri’s face went even redder, and Jack’s smile wider. “Worth it. Means every night I can work for the rest of the month, I’m saving. It also means we can stop at the store for supper. You hungry?”

Kauri swallowed, eyes widening a little at the offer, looking at Jack sideways again like he wasn’t sure what he should say. There was a muffled sound from inside his backpack - a soft faint beeping - and he twisted back to look at it, jostling it a little until the beeping went quiet again. “I, um. Y-Yeah, I haven’t… it’s been a, a while since I ate. This guy bought me crackers, but… Do you… I don’t have any money. I took s-some cash from Mr. Owen but, um, some people took that like the, the first day I was out. I can maybe help you? Clean or something? I have some Domestic training…”

Jack glanced uneasily at Kauri’s backpack, but decided to leave well enough alone. “Don’t worry about it, man. Like I said, I made enough today to eat for a while. I’ll make enough after a day of recovery that I won’t even worry for next month. Anyway, I had Domestic training, too, so the apartment’s in great shape.”

There were others out - women and men, some Jack’s competition probably, Kauri thought, eyeing them in a whole new light. When he’d found his way here it’d been because he’d been kicked off a bus, he had no idea where he was. He hadn’t known he was in a bad neighborhood other than the worn-down buildings and empty storefronts.  

The bars all seemed to be doing well enough, at least. And there was no shortage of cars stopping at streetcorners to pick the men and women lingering there up.

There was one woman with hair that made Kauri stare as they moved towards her, hanging most of the way down her back in shades of purple, green, and blue, nearly iridescent. She was wearing a short, tight minidress that mirrored it, the sequins almost like fish scales. “She looks like a mermaid,” Kauri breathed, but then caught himself. “I… don’t know what a mermaid is, I don’t know why I said that...”

“Uh-huh,” Jack said softly, almost under his breath, already starting to steer Kauri away.

Too late.

The woman heard them, glancing over and tossing hair over one shoulder.. “Oh thank you, honey. I worked hard to buy a wig as nice as this one.” She raised two thinly plucked eyebrows at Jack, shooting him a smile that wasn’t quite kind. “Look at you, Jack-Jack, picking up strays. Takes one to know one, I guess. Adopt don’t shop, that’s what I always say. This one’s cute.”

Jack smiled tensely back, the look a caustic and distinct leave us alone that had a mean little smile twitching onto the woman’s face in response.

Kauri shifted himself a little closer to Jack, and when the woman’s eyes went back to him, Kauri moved until he was behind the other man completely.

The woman pouted, a little, as if sad that he would hide from her. “Geez, Jackie, where’d you find him? He looks like he’s been standing out in the rain all day long.”

Kauri fought the urge to mumble two days actually, and hid himself a little more thoroughly behind Jack.

“I found him in the rain. Duh,” Jack responded, reaching back with an open hand for Kauri’s, hoping he would give it. Kauri gripped tightly onto him without hesitating, twining fingers around his and stepping as close to him as he could get. “Speaking of, I hear it’s gonna start up again pretty soon. Torrential downpour. Might wanna get you and your wig inside, Stella. See ya tomorrow.”

As they moved away from her, Stella rolled her eyes at him, shifting on her very high heels and turning back to watch the cars moving past, one hip jutted out. “Didn’t think twinks were your type, Jackie!” She called after him, and Kauri twisted around to look back at her, confused.

Jack pretended he didn’t hear her. He kept his eyes peeled for more hazards and leaned close to Kauri, voice low and cautioning. “Don’t talk to these people - you’re an outsider. They’ll eat you… and not in the fun way like I would.”

Kauri nodded solemnly, tightening his grip on Jack’s hand a little more. “Like, like the guys in the alley,” Kauri said in a half-whisper, less a question than a statement of fact. “They thought I had money, and then Mr. Owen… wanted me to miss him. That’s, that’s why he set it off, I think…”

“Yeah.”

Kauri hesitated, and then whispered, “Jack? Can, can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?”

“Um... What’s a twink?”

Jack burst out laughing and steered Kauri down a different main street. “A twink’s a skinny, young, hot guy. They usually bottom, but not necessarily. Stella’s wrong, though - my type is ‘has a dick,’” he grinned a bit.

Bottom. Has a dick, Kauri mouthed the words in echo but didn't say them out loud, his face a little red, still embarrassed. "I, I don't… I, um. D-Do I… am I… that?" He gave up on putting together a sentence that made any sense and followed Jack in embarrassed silence after that.

The convenience store was on the corner of this block, bars on the large windows but a view of the fluorescent lights and displays inside visible in between them, and Jack led Kauri in after taking a quick look around. “Hey, Bill,” he greeted the clerk, with easy familiarity and something like real affection.

“Hi, Jack,” the clerk, a man somewhere in his forties, responded without looking up from his book.

The shop had mostly canned goods, magazines, and junk food, but Jack took a basket and went right to the freezer section to pick up some meat first. Crappy meat, but better than nothing. He got a gallon of milk, some blocks of cheese, and a couple jars of pickles.

“Anything you want in here?”

Kauri kept himself close, nearly pressed against him, eyes on the floor. As far as he knew, he'd never been in a place like this before. Owen bought groceries or had them delivered, Kauri never went anywhere with him except a coffeeshop or to the Host's, or to the, the ski cabin, where he and-

Kauri cut the memory off before it could hurt, gnawing on his lower lip nervously, trying not to look like what he was - a runaway pet, something worth money. The clerk hadn't looked up but his bloodied face and ripped-up expensive clothes weren't exactly subtle.

"I, I, um… I, I don't-... whatever you want is fine, Jack," He said seriously.

There was a soft beep from inside his backpack and a muffled, slightly mechanical female voice said, Kauri pizza appreciate all kinds. Kauri sandwich appreciate but not mayonnaise. Kauri iced coffee appreciate milk.

Kauri's eyes widened back to the fear from when he'd first seen Jack and his already pale face went white.

Jack’s brow raised and he pulled Kauri behind one of the shelves, out of Bill’s view. “Please tell me you don’t have robot parts in you, too.”

Kauri’s eyes fixed on the floor, shoulders curving in a little. As his hair dried out of the rain it was beginning to frizz up, and as he shook his head he tried to smash them back down, less distinctive, less recognizable.

“I, I don’t… um.” He looked to one side and then the other, then slid the backpack off his shoulders, holding it with one arm curved around it while the other reached for the zipper. When he unzipped it, slowly, he pushed back the fabric so Jack could see inside.

Jack stared a second at Kauri, and then warily looked into the bag, half-expecting something to jump out. Part of a circle of black metal and plastic was in there, with two softly glowing red circles on the flattened top. Jack squinted.

Keira greet, the female voice said, clearly coming from the Roomba nestled into some fabric. Designation Keira. Kauri, Owner.

Kauri swallowed, shamefaced. “I, um, I stole something when I ran away from Mr. Owen.”

“... yeah. A floor cleaner. Real bright,” Jack said, bewildered, staring at the two faintly glowing red dots that seemed to stare right back. He’d realized the kid was naive, but he didn’t realize he was a dumbass. “That’ll help you a lot more than like… clothes… water… I don’t know, a knife. Whatever, man. It’s talking, though, and that’s weird. Pizza? I’ll get pizza.” Jack muttered to himself a bit, pulling a couple boxed pizzas out of the freezer. That was reasonable - he could do that. Great. Just great. Lost one psycho, gained another.

Kauri’s eyes narrowed, the first sign of any real backbone or spine he’d shown so far. “No, I took her because he was going to get rid of her,” he snapped, zipping the bag back up and throwing it angrily back over his shoulders. “And she has GPS, she could tell me directions, but I didn’t… I don’t have anywhere to go, so she doesn’t know how to direct me. I don't know anything, and she knows everything. I can't even read, I can't… I can't tell anyone I don't know how to read."

“You just told me,” Jack responded, more to be obtuse than to actually argue.  

"You used to be a pet, too!" Kauri half-hissed, half-whispered. "You should be the only one I can tell!"

There was no more beeping from the backpack. Kauri's jaw was set and angry, but even so - he never left Jack's side, shadowed him like the pet he still was, always just behind and to the side.

Jack didn’t exactly mind that, although he was starting to question Kauri’s sanity - in fact, he turned around and took a long look into Kauri’s eyes, checking for dilated or pinprick pupils. Kauri stared right back, swallowing against the way they were inches apart.

Finally, Jack sighed, seemingly satisfied with what he saw. “Okay, so she’s a computer. She could tell me the total of this stuff. If she’s right, she’ll match Bill, and then maybe I’ll believe you.” Jack listed everything off with their prices before tax and waited.

There was a brief pause.

Fifty-seven dollars and thirty-five cents pre-tax, the woman's voice spoke from inside the backpack. She might have sounded slightly smug, but that could have just been the way the mechanical, robotic edge to the voice made it seem flat. Local sales tax is 6% on food and 13% on non-food items. Total cost sixty-one dollars and fifty-nine cents.

Kauri frowned, crossing his arms in front of himself. "There, now you admit when she's right that I'm not crazy."

“I didn’t say you’re crazy,” Jack said. He hadn’t, not to Kauri’s face. He’d just been muttering that he was psycho. Which was… not different. “Okay, I did say that you’re crazy. But I don’t think she’s right.”

He took a hoodie and a pair of sweats off a hanger, and put them up on the counter. He loaded the food up. “Hey Bill, can you subtotal before these?”

Bill looked up at Jack and his company, sighed tiredly, and set down his novel before he started punching in and bagging the order. Which subtotaled, of course, to sixty-one dollars and fifty-nine cents.

“...great, thanks. Yeah, add these to the order,” he pushed the clothes. Bill added them, looked over Kauri and paused.

“Got yourself a new stray? Lookin’ kinda fancy, there,” he asked, surprised. He folded the sweats and watched Jack, who kept a straight face and tried not to look nervous. “You boys should be careful. Cops’ll be making their rounds soon. Here,” he tossed the hoodie at Kauri.

“Yeah, thanks, Bill,” Jack took out a pair of fifties and passed them to Bill, who put them in his drop box right away and counted out some change. “Have a good night, man.”

“Get some rest, Jack.” Bill paused, and the automatic doors had slid open with a sssshhhk sound when he added, "And get something over his arm."

Kauri glanced down only to realize that crossing his arms had made his sleeve ride up again, his barcode and Whumpees-R-Us product number in plain sight. He yanked the sleeve back down and cradled the hooded sweatshirt in his arms, holding it so the cloth folded over his left arm, looked perfectly natural.

“Fuck. Thanks, Bill.” Jack led Kauri back outside, looking determined and heading straight for his apartment.

"Is he�� is he going to tell?" Kauri whispered once they were outside. "H-how far is it to your place? Mr. Owen might hit the button again, I don't want to, to be obvious if he… if he asks me to come back again."

“Nah. Bill’s a good guy, pretty trustworthy. And he owes me some,” Jack shrugged. He snorted softly. “Couple buildings down this way, couple minutes’ walk. You mean when he electrocutes you for fun?”

“H-He doesn’t-” Kauri cut himself off, a look of uncertain worry on his face. “It’s not for fun. I wasn’t supposed to be able to leave him. He, he just… he just misses me, he doesn’t have any other way to say it.”

“Yeah. Sure he does.”

Kauri clutched the sweatshirt closer to his chest, pressing just a little against Jack, like he was reminding himself that Jack was right there, and this was real.

Jack looked to the side at him. Man, at least Cori had never been smart enough to make Reid think he wanted him or cared about keeping him - he just took Reid off the shelf to play with and put him back.

“I was supposed to be, um… I messed up but he didn’t get rid of me, he could have sent me for refurbishment but he didn’t, just r-repair, so… so he just wants me home. I just-... I just don’t want to go home, Jack. Home... he hurts me a lot, now.”

Refurbishment had Jack’s gut twisting. There were so many phantom pains when he thought about that place and Ruby. “So do what you want. Don’t go home,” he shrugged. “I mean, he can’t be exciting to go home to if he’s hurting you when you’re not around. Can’t imagine what he does when you are.”

Actually, he could. Very vividly.

Jack stopped by a building door and bent, took a pair of keys from out of his sock - the only keys he owned. He unlocked the door to the stairwell and led Kauri up. “Make sure that closes behind you. Don’t wanna get any bums hanging around.”

Kauri looked quickly back over his shoulder, as though there might be some of those bums already ready to leap through the second their backs were turned. He pulled the door shut firmly, listened for the loud click as it closed and locked.

Then he turned back, following Jack up quickly, hissing occasionally as it jostled what he was pretty sure was a bruised rib.

"Well, I wasn't supposed to leave. He was nice, b-before I, um, was… incorrect. Aberrant pet," he muttered to himself. "Incorrect mental process. He got mean b-because I, um, he thought I was… looking at another pet."

“Well, they usually start nice. Then there’s… something… and their real self comes out.” Jack looked back over his shoulder, brow raised. “Looking at another pet? What, like you liked another guy?”

"I don’t think we count as guys,” Kauri said, a little confused. “Besides, um, pets don't feel emotional connections. The only individual a pet can develop an emotional bond with is its owner or owners-... You probably learned that, too. S-sorry, it's automatic…"

“Oh...sure. Spent a day arguing with my handler on that one just cause I could,” Jack laughed a little and shrugged. “Emotional connections aren’t... well. Haven’t had many.”

After they were up the first flight, they walked down the hallway. Jack stopped at the third door on the right, tested the knob. All good. He unlocked it and stepped in. The moment he was in, he hung up his jacket in the small closet, beside a denim jacket and a brown leather instead of the black he’d worn tonight. Then he peeled off his crop top, back littered in scars.

Kauri swallowed, watching Jack, and when he pulled his shirt off Kauri’s eyebrows rose, just a little. It’s been days, some part of him piped up, insistent. Kauri shifted uneasily. Owen had stopped caring about whether or not Kauri felt good in bed since he’d come back home from repair, and things had been mostly painful - and now he’d been gone for five days and his body wasn’t used to that any longer…

“Deadbolt the door behind you, set your bag wherever. Your Roomba can do its thing if you want. Shoes off - the floor’s clean and I don’t wanna track dirt everywhere,” he added, going to one knee to untie his work boots. Under his left foot, in the sole of the boot, he pulled out several folded-up hundreds. He stuck those in his jean short pocket. “I’m gonna go stash this and get some clothes on.”

“Uh-huh,” Kauri said, distantly, still sort of thinking about Jack without his shirt on - the absence of a mark inside his left wrist, but also the rest of him, too - as he dropped the backpack to the floor, stepped out of the too-big slides, and let Keira out to sit on the ground. “Her, uh-” His voice cracked a little and he cleared his throat. “Her wheels are broken, she doesn’t… clean much now. That’s why he wanted to get rid of her. Um… can I… is there a place I can change, or, or out here, or…?”

Jack walked to his room - the kitchen and eating area, along with a comfortable loveseat and a tv, were all one space. The bathroom and bedroom were both small, separate rooms. “Yeah, bathroom, or out there. Wherever. I see bodies all the time, man, doesn’t bug me.”

Kauri nodded, and thought that if he weren't what he was, he would want to use the bathroom, for privacy.

But he was what he was, and so he peeled the sodden, bloody, ruined blue cashmere off of himself without hesitating further, dropping it with a wet thump into the trash can.

The little circles along his collarbone still glowed faintly, a soft pulsing light. All the new red spots that would blossom into bruises couldn't quite disguise the darker, older marks already there. All his suggestions that Owen didn't hurt him all that badly became an obvious lie when he could see the evidence left since he'd come back from repair.

Kauri had been controlled, but he had proven to Owen he could no longer be trusted, and life had been… worse, since he’d come home, and he could only lie about that as long as no one saw his skin.

He swallowed, peeling his pants off, too, shivering with damp skin in the chilly air as he dug through one of the grocery bags to pull the sweatpants out.

Just as he pulled out the simple black sweatpants, fire lit along his collarbone, racing out through his nerves.

Kauri crumpled naked back to the floor, muscles rigid. He curled into a ball, jamming his hand against the little circles, whining low in his throat at the pain.

Jack had pulled on a pair of thrifted slacks when he heard a soft noise. He paused, listening, and then decided he was imagining it and reached for a shirt.

Along Kauri’s collarbone, the line of metal suddenly turned a bright and brilliant glowing sky blue. “Ow, ow, hurts, h-hurts, ow ow ow-"

On the floor a few feet away the stationary Roomba began to call out in a loud mechanical voice HELP KAURI HELP KAURI HELP KAURI.

Jack was running back at the first cry of pain. The Roomba’s noise made things feel surreal - how could a robot asking for help not be? - but he made it quickly and dropped to his knees.

Jack hesitated, hand hovering over Kauri’s shoulder, worried the current would carry.

Kauri twisted around to look up at him, blue eyes wide and focused on something far beyond him, making a constant helpless low whine in his throat. He reached out to grab Jack's wrist, his fingers shaking, but he gripped on tight.

Jack startled at the quick grasp, but he let Kauri take him.

"P-push, on, on it, h-helps-" Kauri tried to bring Jack's hand over the line of metal. His voice shook with the electrical current, forced out between gritted teeth with a jaw that would barely move, tears standing in his eyes. "Push on th-them-... Ow, I'm, I'm sorry, Oh-Owen, I'm so sorry-"

The Roomba dropped the volume of its voice, but it did not stop repeating its plea.

“Fuck, Kauri, you don’t need to apologize to him,” Jack muttered as Kauri pushed his hand gradually more and more firmly onto the line of metal, brow furrowed with worry. “Fuck this guy.”

The metal was warm to the touch, warmer than Kauri's skin, but as he pushed on it Kauri's locked muscles started slowly to relax.

The pressure did something - Kauri didn't know what - did something to make it hurt less, and Kauri kept his grip on Jack's wrist, breathing hard, still making low hnnnh, hnnnh sounds, tears running from the corners of his eyes towards the ground.

Jack stared at him, teeth set, worry evident as he watched Kauri cry and listened to his pain.

"No, j-just… just a second, he u-usually d-d-doesn't-" There was a tense moment, Kauri's back arching. He gasped as the metal under Jack's hand went suddenly hot.

Finally, Kauri collapsed back onto the floor.

"F-fuck, h-hate when it does this ah, after," he stammered, limbs twitching and jerking with aftershocks. "S-sorry, sorry, d-didn't mean to…"

“When it does what after? When it heats up?” Jack winced but kept the pressure, glad that he’d stupidly snatched food out of a hot frying pan with his fingers often enough to numb the ends a bit. “What didn’t you mean to do, man?”

"A-all of it… t-to, to go, to… " Kauri's voice shook, riding out the way his muscles tried to lock up, until finally he could relax enough to control his own limbs again. "H-he, ah, I j-just, hnnh." He had to concentrate to let go of Jack's wrist, slowly unwinding his fingers, still twitching as he rolled onto his back, grateful for Jack's cool clean floor.

Jack moved slowly when Kauri let go of his wrist, still leaning over him. He gently wiped the tears away from Kauri’s temple with his fingers, then slowly sat back, cross-legged.

Kauri leaned into the touch automatically, without a second thought. His eyes closed, breathing hard, but at least Jack didn’t hurt. "Hnnnh, it's, um… h-hate my voice like this, like th-the Facility… th-think he's going to bed, turned it up for th-th-that… s-s-saying g-goodnight…"

Jack stared, baffled, and shook his head. “Saying what? I definitely don’t like this guy.”

“I d-don’t want to either,” Kaui said, almost dryly, and opened his eyes again to try on a shaky smile. “I’m s-sorry, this… probably isn’t how you pic-pictured a naked tw-twink on your kitchen floor.” His shaky smile widened, just a little. “H-hey, I made a j-j-joke.”

Jack grinned and shook his head, laughing. “Do you hear me com-... complaining?” he almost had to force the word out. Which was fine. He’d force whatever they stopped in him, like he’d forced reading, thinking, saying what he thought. “Oh no, how do I deal with the naked twink on my kitchen floor getting electroshocked? A helpless hot guy in my kitchen, how terrible for me. Seriously, though, we should find a way to get that thing out. Carefully. Fuck him and his goodnights.”

"D-d-doesn't come out. They put it in me at the, when I got repaired. Th-there's a video… ugh." Kauri pushed himself up a little, resting weight on his elbows. The skin around the metal circles was reddened and looked almost like a halo of sunburn, but the glow had gone back to the usual soft blue light.  

"S-sorry. I won't… I'll get m-moving tomorrow. Thank you f-for, um, for helping me.”

“Sure, man. You’re welcome to stay, but if you wanna leave tomorrow that’s your decision,” Jack shrugged. He was a bit disappointed, but that was his own to deal with.

Kauri blinked, surprised at the offer to keep staying, and then his eyes dropped back to Jack’s body, before going back up to his eyes. “Hey, c-can I… you said you were a Romantic but y-y-you're all marked up. Did your owner do that?"

Jack laughed awkwardly and rubbed the nape of his neck. “Uh...some of it. They weren’t allowed to shock me when they trained me. Special order bullshit. So they used drugs and pain. And then some of these are from my customers, but nothing major. I was never actually trained for Romantic besides the positions. Already knew what to do for sex. But I’m stubborn like a goat, so... she had her work cut out for her with my Domestics.”

Jack look pretty pleased about that. He was stubborn. They’d changed him, but he’d fought every bit of it… except when he hadn’t. He didn’t think about that. That was Reid, and Reid didn’t belong here.

"I used to be stubborn, too," Kauri said a little wistfully, sitting up fully as the ache finally subsided the rest of the way. "I think so, anyway. I had to be, if I ran away, right? Training's supposed to get rid of it."

Kauri glanced around, searching the floor with his hands, before he found the black sweatpants behind him. Apparently he'd been laying on them the whole time. When he went to pick them up, his fingers twitched and refused to quite close. "Just like the Facility," he muttered. "H-hey, is it okay if, if I need a second? To get dressed? My, my hands are always bad after discipline."

“Yeah, sure,” Jack reached for the pants and set them on Kauri’s lap. If he let his hand linger just a little longer than necessary, Kauri either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to mind. “Let me know if you need a hand. I’ll get the food going. What are you thinking? Pizza?”

Jack had already turned away when Kauri, looking down at the black pants in his lap and with his shoulders still twitching with the occasional mild aftershock, said softly, “Mostly I’m thinking that I’m r-really fucking lucky I met you tonight.”

[morbid-mary]

What A Furry Ride

GUESS WHO’S OUT OF SCHOOL AND CAN WRITE NOW! Before I finish chapter 8 I really really rEALLY wanted to write this. I’ve been thinking about chapter 2 lately and I really want to share how I originally wanted the gas station scene to go, but I’m already at chapter 8 so i can’t really go back and change everything. Originally, I was contemplating waiting on Allison and Dani’s friendship so imagine that Dani and Allison are simply acquaintances. That being said, it would’ve gone something like this...

Derek pulls into the gas station and climbs out of the car. Dani climbs out as well and nods to him. “I’m gonna get something to drink, you want anything?” she asks. “Um, a coke” Derek says. “Be right back” she says and heads inside the gas station. A red suburban pulls up in front of Derek’s camaro and a silver one pulls up behind, boxing him in. Christopher Argent, Allison’s father climbs out of the red car. Two other men hop out of the silver suburban behind him. Hunters.

Dani comes out of the gas station, carrying two cokes as she walks back to the car. She sees the two cars boxing him in and pauses mid-stride. A small wave of fear washes over her as she slowly moves toward the camaro. “Derek?” She calls as she reaches the pump. Derek’s whole body tenses when he hears Dani call for him. His heart beats a little faster as his mind registers the potential danger of Dani getting hurt. It was a very real possibility, but there’s no way he’d let any of the hunters even breathe near her.

Mr. Argent studies Dani, a small smile playing on his lips. He looks back at Derek. “Who’s this?” he asks. Derek gently grabs Dani’s wrist, pulling her behind him. He doesn’t respond. Mr. Argent presses his lips into a thin line and gives a slight nod. “Nice car” He moves closer to the car building the tension surrounding the three vehicles. “Black cars though, very hard to keep clean..I would suggest a little more maintenance.” 

Derek can hear Dani’s heart pounding in his ears. She reeks of fear and anxiety. Dani’s trying her best to stay calm and keep her head down. She glances back at the two hunters who are sizing her up as if she’s a target. A lump forms in her throat and takes in a shaky breath as she moves closer to Derek’s body. Derek feels her brush against him and takes a small step back into her, wanting her to stay close in case the situation escalates.

“When you have something this nice-” Dani watches Mr. Argent grab the windshield cleaner from behind Derek’s broad shoulders. “You want to take care of it right?” Dani’s eyes widen slightly as she watches the man swipe along one side of the windshield. He’s touching the car. Derek flexes his jaw as he watches Mr. Argent’s every move. “Personally, I’m very protective of the things I love-” Derek stands up straighter and squares his shoulders, blocking Mr. Argent’s view of Dani with his body. “That’s something I learned from my family.” His protective stance is obvious and duly noted by the hunter as he takes a step back from the car. 

“You don’t have much of that these days..do you?” Derek’s body turns rigid and his blood boils at the hunter’s inquiry. He clenches his fists and flexes his jaw. He has no right to talk about Derek’s family. Derek’s heart pounds in his chest as he grows even angrier at the hunter’s nonchalant body language. Before he can react, Derek feels two hands; one grips his wrist and the other wraps around his fist. Startled, Derek’s head snaps around, looking down at Dani who’s eyes are squeezed shut, her nose and mouth pressing against his shoulder. It’s her. She’s trying to ground him before he goes over the edge. 

Derek closes his eyes, focusing all his attention on her. He leans his head down, feeling her hair brush against his nose. He listens to her heart pound. Her scent mixes with her fear and a sudden swell of anger of her own. Derek feels her press against his back as her thumbs slide back and forth across his skin. Derek relaxes into the contact, allowing himself to come back. He relaxes his hands and Dani slides her hand into his, giving it a small squeeze. He registers the silent thank you for controlling himself. He waits for her to calm down a little more before turning his attention back onto the hunter in front of him. 

Mr. Argent silently assesses Derek as he straightens up again, flexing his jaw. He tilts his head slightly, several questions popping into his head about the small interaction they shared. He glances down at Derek’s hands seeing no claws and he nods. “There we go” he says. Mr. Argent turn back to the camaro. “Nicer look through your windshield.” Dani glares at the man from behind Derek. “See how it makes everything so much clearer?” Mr. Argent asks, the underlying message quite clear. 

As Mr. Argent walks back to his suburban, Dani visibly relaxes. Finally, they can get out of here. “You forgot to check the oil” Derek says. All Dani’s hopes are shattered by that little comment. Dani drops her forehead against his back and thumps it in between his shoulder blades. Derek got the silent message from the three thumps, most probably spelling out, “You. Fucking. Idiot.” Derek ignores Dani’s growl of annoyance as Mr. Argent turns back around. He’s wearing that small smile again. 

Mr. Argent looks over at his two friends waiting patiently by the silver suburban. “Check the man’s oil” Mr. Argent says, amusement lingering in his tone. While Derek and Mr. Argent resume their little stand off, Dani watches the shorter man grab a shotgun out of the car. In a surge of confidence Dani comes up with a brilliant idea. As the man slowly walks up the camaro, Dani climbs back into the front seat of the camaro. Mr. Argent has all his attention focusing on Derek so he doesn’t see Dani climbing over the center console, into the driver seat. 

The hunter carrying the shotgun reaches the driver side door. Thanks to the tinted windows and the glare from the gas station’s overhead lights, he doesn’t see Dani in the car either. Dani watches him flip the shotgun over in his hands and realizes he’s going to smash the window. Dani waits for the hunter to draw back the shotgun before forcing the door open as hard as she can, slamming it into the hunter. 

The unexpected commotion pulls everyone’s attention to the hunter laying on the concrete. The other hunter draws his pistol in reaction to his partner collapsing. Dani casually climbs out of the car and looks down at the groaning hunter. “S’cuse you” she says, closing the car door and stepping over the hunter. “That’s not where you check the oil, sir” she says. Dani picks up the man’s shotgun and cocks it. She turns toward Mr. Argent and smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. "I think it’s time for you to go home Mr. Argent.” Derek stares at Dani intently, watching her every move. This is not the time for her to get ballsy. Dani can feel his eyes on her, but she doesn’t look. She knows that as soon as she does, her resolve would crumble. 

Mr. Argent doesn’t move. He carefully assesses the confident teenager threatening him, weighing his options. “Do I know you?” He asks. “No” Dani states. Dani shifts her weight from foot to foot, bumping into the hunter on the ground. She does a double take down at the pathetic man. “Would you get up? It was a car door not a bus” Dani says. Derek ducks his head trying to hide the inevitable smile spreading across his face. Dani looks back at Mr. Argent. “You got some fierce hunters here, man” she says. 

The other hunter comes up behind Dani and helps his partner off the ground. She watches them hobble back to their suburban and she shakes her head. She turns back to Mr. Argent and tosses him the shotgun. Dani challenges the hunter with his own words. “If you’re so protective of your loving family then why aren’t you at home protecting them from this monster mountain lion that’s loose?” she asks. Mr. Argent visibly tenses at her words. “I’m sure Allison would feel a lot safer with her daddy home to protect her.” An uncomfortably tense silence falls over the small group. Mr. Argent presses his lips into a thin line, glaring at Dani. She held his gaze with that smile that never reached her eyes. Dani was not about to back down. Mr. Argent takes a few steps back towards his car. “Drive safely” he says, flatly.

Dani watches the two cars pull out of the gas station. Once they’re out of view Dani lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She rubs her face growling into her hands. She turns and throws one of the bottles of Coke at Derek. “What the hell is the matter with you?!” she shouts. Derek stares, wide-eyed at her and kicks the fizzing Coke away. “What was that for?!” he asks. “We were so close, but you just had to open your mouth!” she scolds. Dani changes her voice to an annoying mock of Derek’s. “You forgot to check the oil...Who raised you?!” she says. Derek presses his lips together to hold back his amusement and looks away, dropping his chin . 

Dani sees that he’s trying not to smile. “It’s not funny Derek I was really scared!” Dani says. Derek forces a straight face and looks back at Dani. “Really?” Derek says sarcastically. “Shut up” Dani snaps. Dani walks around the front of the car and Derek makes his way around the rear, shaking his head. Dani reaches her side, scowling at him. “Forgot to check the oil... I’ll check you’re damn oil” she grumbles. Derek reaches the driver side, unable to keep the smile from spreading across his face at her frustration. “Get in the car, Dani” he says. She opens the passenger side door and pauses before climbing in. “You don’t want me to check your lights first?” she asks.

Dani has never heard Derek laugh before. His head thrown back, the biggest smile she’s ever seen, his amusement creating a lovely sound that Dani is thoroughly enjoying. She stands there, frozen. Memorizing every detail just in case she never hears that laugh again. She can’t help but smile as she watches his head rock forward, still wearing that amazing smile, shaking his head. He looks over at her, still smiling. “Just get in the car” he says, his laugh carrying each word. Dani nods and climbs into the car. She finally made him laugh. Maybe tonight wasn’t such a bust after all.

**That’s it! I hope you guys liked it! I’ll be working on finishing up chapter 8 since I’m out of school now and after that I’m hitting that prologue I had talked about! I’m so so so soooo grateful for you guys’s patience while I finished up my semester. It really meant a lot to me so thank you so much guys! <3

[afteriwake]

The Paradigm Shift (6 - 8/14)

So I’m doing three chapters today as 7 & 8 are both NSFW(ish) and would need to be under a cut anyway. So I hope you all don’t mind (I know @strangelock221b won’t).

The Paradigm Shift - After Moriarty almost kills Molly during a sexual encounter, he sends Moran to take care of things. But Moran has other ideas and Molly finds her life upended and changed forever.

Read Chapter 1 | Read Chapter 6 | Read Chapter 7 | Read Chapter 8 | Help Me Survive? | Commission Me?

Chapter 6

It didn’t take long, but soon enough there was a routine set in Seb’s home. It was nice to have a routine, even if it was a different routine than she was used to. There was something to be said for getting to lounge about all day. And the sheer amount of books Seb had definitely had given her things to occupy her time. And it wasn’t as though she was housebound all the time. They did occasionally go out to eat or catch a film, though Seb made very sure to be aware of their surroundings at all times. She almost felt bad for having these excursions with the stress it must cause him. If he wasn’t able to enjoy himself as well, what was the point?

And then something had come up at the farm, just paperwork his signature needed to be on, and his sister had supposedly wanted to show him something that they were supplying fruit for or would be if it all worked out, and he’d done everything short of assigning her an armed guard before he left to travel south.

Which, she felt, would work out well for her plans.

While he was gone she set herself about working in the now mostly familiar kitchen, making a full array of finger foods. She’d asked for some of it in advance, saying she was having cravings, but in reality, it was a surprise. She had noticed his telly had a USB port and so she used the shadier side of the internet to download a few films and tested them out to be sure they played on the television set. When they did she went and got things similar to what he had in his meager collection.

Then she really went to work.

When the door opened up she was waiting for him and half-pulled, half dragged him to the elaborate blanket fort she had made over the sofa. “We’re having a night in so you can bloody relax,” she said. “I’ve made the food, I’ve popped the popcorn and I even called in a delivery for Irish lager for us to have with dinner.”

The look on his face of sheer surprise followed by the biggest grin she’d ever seen on his face told her she’d made the right decision. He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. “Thank you, Molly. It’s been a long while since someone has done something like this for me.”

“I figured it had been in the past. I know I loved making them with my dad.” She went to the sofa and patted the seat next to her. “We have all of the Chow Yun Fat repertoire and some old school Jackie Chan. You do like old Hong Kong martial arts movies, right?”

“Have you been researching me?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Maybe I snooped a bit,” she admitted. “Alright. Settle in and I’ll get us our supper. Then I think these have subtitles so I should be good and we’ll start with whatever you want to start with. Your choices are on the thumb drive on the side of the telly.”

“Molly...” he said, and she stopped moving towards the kitchen. “Really. Thank you.”

“I just...you’ve taken me out of the house and I know it’s been no fun for you but you don’t want me cooped up here. But I could do something, even if it’s just something little.”

“You could do something else,” he said.

“Oh?” she asked.

He bit his bottom lip and then patted the spot she’d vacated. “Stay here and let me stay close.”

“No food?” she asked.

“Not yet.” She moved back over and sat next to him, curling up into him, and he put an arm around her shoulders, letting her shift position so she was resting her head on his shoulder, almost into the crook of his neck. She realized just how comfortable this was as he lifted up the remote and turned the telly on, looking at their choices of what to watch. It wasn’t just that Seb was comfortable, though he was, but it was...all of it. This almost felt like an honest to God date.

And in the back of her mind, as she snuggled just a bit closer, she hoped he was feeling the same way.

Chapters 7 & 8

She paced around in front of the door to the bathroom suite a few days after the not date date, nervous. She fancied Seb. She did. And Lord, she wanted to tell him. But shouldn’t she do that first instead of making her way into the bathroom and trying her hand at seducing him? That’s what normally happened in relationships.

But then again, nothing between them had ever been normal, and she highly doubted now was the time it would start.

Before she could make a decision, however, Seb opened the door and adjusted the towel around his waist. His hair was wet and there were droplets of water on his shoulders and chest. “Loo’s free,” he said.

“Shower?” she asked, surprised her voice worked at all.

“All yours,” he said with a nod.

“Um...” She stared at his rather defined muscles for a moment. “Join me?”

He looked at her with mild surprise for just a moment before the heat in his eyes took over. “Hot tub or bath might be better. We can keep the water low, not have to worry about splashing.” He let the towel drop from his waist and she could see he was already hard. No seeing her stark naked, no kissing, nothing more than the simple request to join her had made his length rigid and dear Lord, he had been blessed with a magnificent cock.

She stepped closer, running her finger down his length and he groaned in a way that made her think he was doing everything in his power not to take her against the wall and fuck her into insensibility. She wasn’t sure what she wanted more at the moment, slow and sensual or hard and fast.

After a moment he gave into some of his urges, pulling her against him and kissing her urgently, his tongue slipping past her teeth into her mouth and soon she was clinging to him, his cock pressed against her abdomen. Oh, he was a phenomenal kisser, taking her breath away as she felt a familiar wetness pool between her legs. These knickers were going to be useless, but she didn’t care.

Soon he lifted her up to carry her to the bed, his hands cupping her arse and his thumbs sliding into her knickers. She deepened the kiss and ground against his cock, eliciting groans into her mouth from him. Soon he set her on the bed and she quickly pulled her sundress off, leaving her in just the lace knickers that were now soaked through and through.

He moved in front of her, and she was thankful the bed wasn’t raised too high because his mouth was on her breast, licking and sucking and lightly biting, leaving his mark on her. She knew his marks would never be deep or painful enough to hurt her. Seb would never ever harm her, even in the heat of the moment. She ran her fingers through his hair, running her long nails along his scalp and occasionally tugging to move his mouth back to a particularly sensitive spot.

He moved to her other breast and gave it equal attention as one of his hands slipped into her knickers. “Christ,” he said as he let his finger slide along her folds, teasing the nub of flesh that was begging for attention. Soon his lips moved away and traveled lower, tasting her skin before ending up on the sopping wet lace. She had never wanted an article of clothing to be off of her more than she had in that instant, but he used the rougher lace to tease her, pressing his tongue to it to tease her clit.

“Seb,” she cried out, massaging her own breasts and tweaking her nipples to keep the sensation. “Please...”

“Please what?” he asked, swiping his tongue up.

“Please,” she gasped out, unable to articulate what she wanted from him any better than lifting her hips slightly. He took the hint and his fingers went to the sides of her knickers. He tried to get them down in one piece but one of the sides ripped and in the end, he just ripped the other side and pulled away. She whimpered when she realized he was going away from the bed, but soon she realized he went to get a condom when she heard the telltale sound of the wrapper being opened. She watched him roll the condom along his rigid cock, getting wetter if that was even possible, and soon he was over her, nudging her legs apart and letting them hang off the edge of the bed.

And then he was entering her, slowly, letting her get used to his size. He certainly was one of the bigger men she had been with and he filled her completely in a way not even Jim had done, and he had been fairly well endowed himself. He remained mostly upright and gently lifted her left leg off the bed with one arm and hooked it over his shoulder before pulling out and then entering her again, taking his time. He used his other hand to tease her clit and she was enjoying every second of this intimate torment.

But she wanted him to fuck her, sooner rather than later.

“Sebastian,” she got out as she felt the twinges that meant she was going to come soon. “Please Sebastian...faster. Pleeeease!”

The sound of her begging didn’t seem to egg him on and he kept his slow, deliberate pace until she came around his shaft, moaning as each wave of pleasure crashed over her. She started to come down and only then did his thrusts become more deliberate and faster. He’d held himself back until she’d felt pleasure first, something most men never did. She gripped his shoulder and the side of his neck, pulling him closer to her and digging her nails into his skin in the process.

That was what set him off because soon she was being thoroughly fucked, just as she wanted. She let her hands slide down slightly, nails scraping his skin without meaning to hurt him but still make him feel pain, and his lips crashed on hers as he thrust one last time, stiffening up as he came before dropping onto her slightly.

He pulled away from the kiss, breathing heavily, and she cradled his head, pressing light kisses on his skin where she could as he caught his breath. “That wasn’t how I imagined...” he started.

“Worse?” she asked.

He shook his head. “More romantic.”

She laughed softly and he lifted his head up, resting his chin on her. “Sebastian Moran, honestly, it was perfect.”

“I can do better,” he said.

“Can you?” she asked with a smirk. She got a passionate kiss in return and felt his cock harden while still inside her. She just rather hoped he had a stash of condoms if this was going to be how it went because dear Lord, she wanted nothing more than to have him inside her as often as possible.

They laid in a mess of blankets and sheets, the bed linens lazily wrapped around them to give them some modicum of decency. She had her head on his chest over his heart, listening to the steady beat as he dozed. He’d spent their second time pleasing her over and over with fingers and lips and tongue, drawing her to orgasm after orgasm until she decided enough was enough and she begged and pleaded with him to please please have her again, and this time he’d taken her from behind, never quickening his pace, until they came together. It was a bath after that and they laid in the water and soaked, teasing a bit but mostly relaxing until the temptation was too much, and the third time she took the reins, riding him and knowing soon enough there were going to be marks all over their bodies. She could still see her teeth marks near his clavicle, and she moved her head to press her lips against his skin, causing him to stir. “Once more?” he asked, pressing a kiss into her hair.

“Lord knows you’re willing,” she said as she moved her hand to the now tented bedsheet covering his hips. “But maybe we’ll do something different a little later.” She let her hand tease the curly hair above his shaft for a moment before idly tracing his hips. “How long?”

“How long what?” he asked.

“How long have you wanted to shag me?” she asked.

“About when you started your online diary,” he said quietly, running his fingers through her hair. “That was when Jim decided to use you to get to Holmes and he set me to watch you. One night you were in the kitchen with a bottle of wine and you were cooking and dancing around singing at the top of your lungs. That was when I knew if Jim dragged you into this I’d make sure nothing happened to you.”

She sat up and hovered over him, looking him in the eye. “That was a long while ago.”

“I’ve been in love with you for a long time then,” He ran a finger around the faded bruise marks around her neck from Jim. They were barely noticeable, easily covered with concealer, but they could be seen even in the light of the setting sun. “And I think he knew. That’s why he didn’t stop your relationship after Holmes found out the truth. He had me, he had you, we couldn’t do anything about any attraction there might be between us...he liked to torture people. That was his way of torturing me, I suppose.”

She leaned in, kissing him softly in a way that she hoped made clear that she didn’t want a sexual interlude to spring from the kiss. And there was tenderness in the way he returned the kiss, tenderness in the way he cupped her cheek and then carded his fingers through her hair. Jim had never been tender; none of her lovers had. But this…

She had made the wrong choice before, but if she hadn’t made that choice she wouldn’t have this, would she?

When the kiss ended she set her head back down on his chest, moving her fingers up to trail them in the faint hairs on his abdomen. “I always thought...or rather, I hoped...he would not treat me harshly. I mean, I knew that you two were an item and what we had wasn’t exclusive, but I thought he cared a bit. I suppose I was wrong.”

“He may have, in his own twisted way,” Seb replied. “He may even have cared for me. But I knew just how dangerous he was, more than you. I think that’s why so much of my life I kept separate. I was his ghost lover, you were his bait. In the end, it didn’t matter to him what happened to us.”

She was quiet for a long moment. “He wanted you to see if I was dead, didn’t he?” she asked, her voice uncertain and soft.

“And to ensure you were,” Seb said, the slight nodding of his head moving his shoulders. “I told him I would instead of telling him to go to Hell, and I think he knew I wouldn’t do it.”

“So why did he let you get me?”

“I was already in the flat across that day, just...keeping watch. Things are escalating between him and Holmes. He assumed I was on the other side of London. I didn’t give him time to set anyone else on you. The minute I agreed I hung up and came over to see just what he’d done.”

“We’re such a pair,” she said, a trace of bitterness in her voice. “Flies caught in his web who cared for the spider and expected not to be eaten.”

“I’ll make sure the web is gone if it’s the last thing I do,” he said. “And he’ll never hurt you again. I swear.”

She lifted her head up to nod and then moved closer to kiss him again. If Seb made a promise, she knew he would keep it, especially one like that. He’d give his life to make sure she was safe and though she feared it might get to that point, she’d do her own best to make sure it didn’t come to that.

[multireality]

Mystery

Summary: Negan was a mystery which Lucy was determined to unfold.

Author:  Multireality

Pairing(s): Negan x reader (Lucy, OFC)

Word Count: 1962

Warnings: Smut, unprotected sex, slight daddy kink, fluff

Author’s Notes: I really liked how this one turned out. Requested by @ask-kakashihatake , hope you all like it. I love writing for Negan!

I hadn’t had much of a chance to experience the new world.

He ruled the new world.

I had lived in Alexandria since the beginning so I was pretty innocent. I had never killed a walker or really been close to one. But I wasn’t afraid, well that’s what I told myself. If I was faced with a walker I could kill it. If I was faced with danger I would react accordingly. Hopefully.

Alexandria gained a terrible atmosphere ever since the events of Negan, especially after he killed Abraham and Glenn. I didn’t know them well but they were nice, good people who always tried to protect our group. Rick our leader was broken ever since that night.

I wasn’t there when it happened, I didn’t leave Alexandria often. I ran the nursery here at Alexandria so I stayed behind. I never got the chance to meet Negan. The infamous bat wielding Negan.

I suppose that was a good thing. Yet it created a mystery about him. One that I wanted to expose.

However, today was the day he was due to come collect his half of our goods that we as a group had scavenged. Even now I doubt that I would see him in person. It was my job to stay with the kids and keep them all quiet and contained. Out of Negan’s way.

Things didn’t go to plan. Well, they didn’t go to Rick’s plan. Negan wanted to explore and therefore took a stroll around Alexandria. He came to a stop when he saw the nursery, his interest peaked.

I saw him through the window. His dark hair slicked back, a black leather jacket adorned his slender yet muscular frame. The infamous Lucille propped on his shoulder in all her glory. A white shirt beneath his leather jacket showed a spattering of chest hair. God was he beautiful. and the beard with a mixture of black and gray made him even more appealing. But he was the danger that I knew I needed to avoid. Yet who could avoid such an exotic creature?

“Now who is this beautiful little thing? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet, sweetheart.” His deep gruff voice sent a mixture of desire and anxiety to the pit of my stomach. How could a killer be gifted with such grace?

I looked behind me to double check if he was talking to me, and found nobody else who he could have been talking to. This earned me a deep chuckle from Negan, his eyes sparkle with excitement.

“You sweetheart, what’s your name?” he asked again.

“Lucy” I spoke, trying to sound calm, and certain.

His face hardened and his shoulders squared. His entire posture went rigid. What did I do wrong? Then his posture relaxed and his face softened his eyes shining once again. This man was crazy. But was it the good kind of crazy?

After my encounter with Negan, he demanded that I come and live with him at the sanctuary stating that the nursery there needed someone like me. He didn’t leave me with a choice, it wasn’t my decision if I wanted to go or not. It was his. Negans.

That was around about four months ago. Time was a puzzle in the new world. It was almost non-existent. Nobody cared what time it was or how many days had past, just that they made it to tomorrow alive.

Negan and I had developed a strong bond over time. He was protective over me and therefore I was protected within the sanctuary. But I didn’t really need protection most people liked me as I did my part – I took care of the kids and therefore helped many of the saviors when dealing with their infants and teens.

I was simply minding my own business, exploring the sanctuary even though by now I knew it like the back of my hand when Negan came sauntering down the corridor. We were usually very friendly but recently we have been arguing, all because of his wives. I didn’t like that he had them or that he forced them to be there in a passive progressive sort of way. Even though he claimed he was innocent.

We’ve had many heated arguments over the past couple of days about his wives. Usually ending in him telling me I have no control over what happens in the sanctuary and I am simply a guest who someday won’t be needed. That’s what hurt, we bonded yet still he spoke about me as if I was replaceable.

“Hey sweetheart” he spoke as soon as he saw me. I simply ignored him and kept walking, avoiding eye contact in order to escape as quickly as I could. “Oh, come on, sweetheart. You still mad at me?” his playful tone was noted on my behalf.

“I don’t have anything more to say, Negan. You do what you want to do.” I replied. He was walking next to me now following me where I was walking, his body millimeters from mine.

“Come on baby, you know I didn’t mean what I said. It was just me being me.”

“As I said you do what you want to do Negan, I’m done playing these games with you”

“Baby don't be like this you know you mean more to me than any of them.”

“Sure I do. Actions speak louder than words Negan.”

It had been a couple of days since I last saw Negan, I knew I liked him and he liked me but I wasn’t going to compete with five wives. If he wanted to be with me he had to be with only me. Which in my opinion wasn’t asking a lot from him.

I was laying on my bed in my room reading a book I stole from Negans collection when a knock at the door broke me of my concentration.

I made my way over to the door and opened it to be greeted by Negans megawatt smile beaming down at me – since I was about a foot shorter than him. “Hey, doll.” He spoke confidently trying to contain his smile yet failing miserably.

“Hi” I replied in confusion.

“I got something to tell you doll, can I come in?”

“Um… sure"

And with that he strode into my moderately sized room – it was nicely decorated due to whenever Negan went on runs he brought me stuff to decorate and furnish it with. His tall frame made my room look smaller than it was in reality.

“What did you have to tell me Negan?”

“Well, you know those fucking wives that you don’t want around? Well, I got rid of them. Just me and fucking you now sugar.”

My mouth fell open in surprise at his news, did he really do that for me? I guess he deserves more credit than I give. I mirrored his smile and hugged him so tightly, I was surprised he could still breathe.

“I told you Lucy, baby. I’ll do anything and everything for you.” I pulled back from our hug and leaned up to press my lips on his, the kiss sweet and passionate. He pushed me back so that I was laying on my bed, while he stood looking down at me.

He stripped of his white t-shirt and jeans, leaving him in black boxers which kept him concealed from me. The smirk that was etched onto his face was dangerous as he tilted his head to the side – a silent command for me to get undressed also. I stood up and pushed him back, giving me room to undress. I pulled the white t-shirt that I had on off revealing to him my pale blue lacy bra that I had acquired after Negan went on a run and allowed me to have the first pick of his finds.

I began unfastening my jeans when he slapped my hands out of the way – a sign that he wanted to do it himself. “Let daddy open up his fucking present doll.” He spoke in a lust filled voice which caused my insides to tingle and my things clenched together to alleviate the pressure building in my core.

He yanked my jeans down my body and lowered his body with them as he inhaled deeply at the apex of my thighs. Now millimeters away from my drenched core. My matching lace blue panties were ripped from my body by his bare hands. “Sorry doll, I’ll find you some new ones.” Was his simple excuse for his impatience.

I pushed him on the bed this time and looked down at him. I slowly pushed down my panties and unhooked my bra leaving me bare for him. Ready for him to claim.

“Doll, you got to hurry the fuck up. I’ve been a patient man for four months. I need you fucking now.”

With that, he kicked off his own boxers and sighed at the alleviated pressure off of his throbbing erection. God, he was big. Intimidatingly big. He saw me looking at his with apprehension, “Lucy, baby, we’ll take it slow, okay? Nice and fucking slow.”

I climbed onto the bed and straddled his hips, his large cock pressed up against my core. I raised myself up and placed his throbbing tip at my entrance and slowly slid down on him. Once I was all the way down my breathing was heavy and coming out in harsh pants trying to accommodate to his large girth.

He tilted my chin up and made me look at him, our eyes meeting caused me to relax and allowed my walls to relax around his cock and make it more comfortable. “You’re so fucking tight baby, so good for daddy” he spoke in a strained whispered.

I lifted myself up slowly and then dropped back down suddenly which caused us both to gasp in delight. I continued this rhythm while he whispered filthy things in my ear as well as praise which sent tingles straight to my core.

The coil in my stomach was tightening and I needed to find release. Negan suddenly flipped us over so that he was on top and began mercilessly pounding into my tight heat. He held my hand above my head and lay his weight on me as his thrusts were short and hard. It was incredible.

He lowered his hand to my clit and began rubbing figure eights which caused me to moan and mewl. Shaking in delight.

The only sounds that could be heard in the otherwise quiet room were the slapping of skin and our mixed moans and breathless pleas as we united as one.

The coil in my stomach exploded as white bursts of light cloaked my vision. Negan continued to pound into me chasing his everlasting release. “Oh god, baby, you feel so good. My gorgeous girl.” He sped up his brutal pace and finally, he exploded inside of me as he shouted “mine” in ecstasy.

And he was speaking the truth – I belonged to him and he belonged to me.

We lay cuddled together on my bed as we soaked in the remaining bliss. I was tracing his tattoo on his chest with my finger as he nuzzled his face into my neck. He raised his head and tilted my chin up so that I was eye-level with him. “I love you” he spoke sincerely and it was my turn to show him my megawatt smile, “I love you too, Negan”

We lay together for hours, holding each other. And the last words I heard before I fell asleep nestled against Negans neck were the hushed murmurs of “I love you, Lucy, I won’t ever leave you.”

@negans-network

[outtacommission]

Natsume returns several names before going to school. Giving back so many so quickly has exhausted him & at school there seems to be a bug going around. Natsume catches it & nearly passes out on Tanuma as they're walking home.

omg i cranked this out p fast for me. it’s 3.2k!!

The numbers on the blackboard blur in and out of focus no matter how hard Natsume stares and blinks at them. The teacher is working through math problems and he really needs to pay attention, but the pain is making it so difficult.

He supposes he should’ve listened to Sensei and stayed home today. When he’d woken up that morning with a sore throat, he was convinced he could tough it out—he didn’t want to make anyone worry unnecessarily, and he’s already taken so many sick days. But now he’ll admit he probably should have taken another one. His health has been declining steadily since he got out of bed, and he knows that by now he’s far too sick to be at school. He should really go to the nurse… But that would mean raising his hand and asking to be excused, and then actually walking all the way to the nurse’s office, and then having the nurse call Touko-san, and none of that sounds appealing at all. The day is almost over anyway. He’ll just wait—no need to trouble anyone.

He blinks owlishly and tries to resist groaning aloud. His throat hurts something awful. Every time he swallows it’s like a razor being dragged down swollen, tender flesh. His head is heavy and his body aches and he’s so, so cold sitting there beside the window. He longs for the muffler Touko had wrapped around his neck that morning, and maybe a mug of hot tea. The thought of walking home in this condition through the snow and ice makes him drop his head onto his folded arms.

He supposes he should have seen this coming. There’s been an infection going around and he’d hoped it would pass him by, but of course it hadn’t. Kitamoto was the first of their friends to come down with it, and Tanuma hadn’t been far behind. Natsume had been pretty healthy recently; it had been a while since he’d had a run-in with a spirit that impacted his health. But of course he couldn’t hope for that to last too long.

This illness may not be caused by spirits directly, but he fully blames it on all the visitors that came to his room during the middle of the night last week. The sudden onslaught of them that had arrived practically knocking down his window was puzzling, and Sensei has told him more than once that he shouldn’t return so many names in such a short span of time, but of course Natsume couldn’t say no when there was a tiny rabbit spirit with huge, teary eyes looking up at him so imploringly. He hadn’t even been given a choice when an algae spirit kept knocking on his window and refused to return later. The rest came after Natsume was wide awake and the selfless part of him just didn’t want to turn them away. He’s never been good at enforcing his boundaries.

The exhaustion that came afterward had been incredible. He fell asleep immediately and slept through Touko calling him the next morning. He felt bad when she had to come all the way up to his room to wake him up. She was, unsurprisingly, worried by how fatigued he was, but he’d assured her he was alright and went to school regardless.

It seems he’s paying a heavier price for it now. If he could get a decent night’s sleep, maybe his immune system would do a better job of warding off contagion.

“Natsume? Hey, Natsume.”

Natsume’s head snaps up instantly, an apology ready on his lips, but all he sees is Nishimura peering at him with a worried crease between his brows. When he looks around, the classroom is mostly empty. A few students are milling around talking, but most are already out the door.

Class is…over?

A confused, choked noise leaves his mouth and his hand automatically shoots up to his throat as if it will soothe the stinging ache there.

“You okay, Natsume?” Nishimura says, looking genuinely concerned.

Despite definitely not being okay, Natsume nods groggily.

“You were fast asleep.” The boy tilts his head, a very uncharacteristic frown taking up his face. He stares wordlessly for a moment, and Natsume squirms under the scrutiny. He gets these looks too often from his friends. Before he can twist away, Nishimura reaches out and presses his palm against Natsume’s forehead. “Oh, no,” he says, more disappointment than surprise in his voice. “You’ve caught it too, haven’t you?”

Frustration boils in Natsume’s gut along with a growing nausea. He had really been hoping to slip out and get home before anyone could cause a fuss. Well, there’s no point in trying to hide it now. He looks up at Nishimura sheepishly and tries to smile. “I…I think I have.”

His hand is immediately on his throat again. His voice sounds hoarse and painful, a rough whisper that grates against his enflamed esophagus. Talking hurt.

Nishimura winces. “You sound awful. And you’re burning up—you should really go home.”

Natsume nods and bends down to collect his bag. “Y-yeah.”

“Do you need someone to go with you? You don’t look too steady…”

“I’ll be okay.” He grins, but he’s not sure if it looks reassuring or more like a grimace. “Thanks, Nishimura.”

The other boy sighs like he’s exasperated. “At least let me walk you to the front gate.”

Natsume doesn’t have the energy to resist. Once they’re in their shoes and coats and he’s blessedly bundled up in his wool muffler, Nishimura walks outside with him, keeping a careful and obvious watch.

Truthfully, Natsume doesn’t feel very steady. The fever’s making him dizzy and the wintry breeze makes him tremble like a leaf and his stomach is beginning to ache. He probably shouldn’t try to walk home on his own, but he’s sure he’ll manage. He’ll have to.

Beside him, Nishimura suddenly stops and waves an arm over his head. “Hey! Tanuma! C’mere for a sec!”

Natsume goes rigid. Tanuma is the last person he wants to see right now. He’d already been on Natsume earlier about taking precautions against the illness going around, since he’d been one of the first to catch it. He had only been able to return to school recently—it took most people a mere few days to recover from, but Tanuma had been knocked flat on his back for a solid week. Every time Natsume tried to visit him while he was ill, he’d been turned away. Tanuma-san said his son didn’t want Natsume exposed any more than he had to be, and Natsume wasn’t surprised. They were both far too familiar with illness.

If Tanuma finds out Natsume caught it regardless, he’ll just worry needlessly. Natsume doesn’t want him to worry.

“Nishimura,” he rasps quietly, tugging on his friend’s sleeve. “Please don’t say anything to him. I’m begging you.”

He looks at him strangely for a beat too long, and then sighs again in the same exasperated manner. “You two are so weird.”

Natsume only gives him a tiny smile. “Please.”

It’s at that moment that Tanuma walks up to them, grinning brightly. Despite himself, Natsume’s stomach flips in his gut. Tanuma still looks a bit pale, but healthy overall, and he exudes a kind of ethereal beauty in the white of winter with snowflakes drifting lazily around him, catching in his dark hair and eyelashes.

Natsume drops his gaze to the ground when he feels his face heat up uncomfortably.

“Hey,” Tanuma says. “What’s up?”

Nishimura, as usual, doesn’t miss a single beat. He claps both of them on the shoulders and gives a big grin. “I just thought the two of you should walk home together, since you live out the same way.”

Natsume resists the urge to cover his face with his hand.

Tanuma blinks. “Uh… Sure. Okay. If Natsume wants to.”

Natsume opens his mouth to protest (and hope he can make his voice sound somewhat normal), but Nishimura throws an arm around his shoulders before he can get a word out. “He’d love to! He was just telling me how he missed you while you were out sick.” Without a hint of shyness, he grabs both Tanuma and Natsume’s hands and brings them together, wrapping Tanuma’s long fingers around Natsume’s shorter ones. “Make sure he gets home safely, okay, Tanuma?”

Tanuma, whose cheeks have lit up a burning red, merely nods.

Nishimura runs off with a wave. The two boys are left frozen by the school gate, hand in hand, and Natsume can’t move. His heart flutters rapidly in his chest, alarm coursing through him, every sense screaming that he needs to break this contact because Tanuma probably doesn’t want it and he can’t let on that he’s ill. But Tanuma’s hand is so warm around his…

No sooner had the thought entered his head than Tanuma tenses and lets go. Natsume can’t help but feel a little disappointed when his fingers are once again exposed to the icy air. The taller boy laughs nervously and rubs the back of his neck. “Well, um… Shall we get going? I mean, you don’t have to walk with me if you don’t want to…”

Nishimura sure has put them in an awkward position. Natsume looks down again, hoping his face isn’t as flushed as it feels, whether due to fever or embarrassment. “No, it’s…”

And just like that, his focus is once again brought back to how awful he feels. He swallows and tries not to let pain show in his face, but it’s getting worse. His throat feels like it’s swollen to the size of a pencil eraser, raw and sore and miserably enflamed. The blurriness hasn’t left the edges of his vision and his head is still pounding and the nauseous feeling is only getting stronger. He supposes he should be grateful that Nishimura hadn’t gone so far as to tell Tanuma that he’s sick, but he’s not thrilled about putting up the pretense of being healthy, either. But he can’t refuse Tanuma, so he straightens his shoulders and lifts his head high. “It’s fine. I’d…I’d like to walk with you.”

A flicker of something that looks like relief passes over Tanuma’s face. “Good. I haven’t seen you in a while. I’ve been a little worried, to be honest.”

Natsume eyes snap to him. “Why?”

“Well…” Tanuma ducks his head, rubs a finger under his nose. “I always get worried when I haven’t seen you for a while. I can’t help thinking that something might’ve happened.”

He’s talking about spirits, Natsume realizes. Not his favorite topic to discuss, but better to steer away from the fact that he’s becoming more lightheaded by the second. “Oh. Well, don’t worry. Nothing too interesting has happened lately.”

Tanuma gives him a dubious look. “Really?”

“Really!” Natsume smiles. “I promise.”

“You’d tell me if something had?”

At that, Natsume bites his lip. Tanuma knows he’s not always honest, and he’s alright with that. Or at least, Natsume thinks he is. It’s for his own protection, after all, not because Natsume just wants to keep things from him. He doesn’t like lying to Tanuma. But if it’s for his own good, he’ll gladly cover things up. And keeping him from worrying definitely falls under that category. “I would tell you if I thought you needed to know.”

There’s a flash of disappointment in Tanuma’s face, but he only nods and says nothing.

They walk in silence for a ways. Natsume pretends to be enjoying the snowfall, but he’s really just trying to take his mind off of how sick he feels. The longer they walk, the worse it gets. His throat feels almost entirely closed up. He can barely make himself swallow, and he thanks his lucky stars that Tanuma isn’t talkative. The headache is drilling into his temples, and chills wrack his body. His stomach doesn’t feel any better either, and now he’s getting worried he actually might throw up.

Worst of all, though, is the fact that he’s feeling so dizzy. He breathes in steadily through his nose and out his mouth, but it doesn’t help. He shuts his eyes tight and begs for it to leave, but when he opens them again the brightness of the snow only seems to make it worse. His palms are sweating and his lips are numb and his vision is becoming more and more clouded with black dots. But they’re almost halfway to his house. He can make it.

“Are you cold?” Tanuma asks suddenly.

Natsume blinks at him, cursing his traitorous body when the image refuses to focus. “Huh?”

“You’re shivering pretty badly.” The dark haired boy frowns. “Are you alright?”

“Oh.” Talking is so painful. Natsume tries to dig up the strength again to act perfectly fine, but he’s fading. It’s harder than he thought. “I’m a little cold.”

He curses himself for admitting it when Tanuma shrugs out of his coat. “Here.” He drapes it over Natsume’s shoulders and pulls it close around his chest.

“Oh, uh…” His brain feels so foggy. He should be flustered by this development, but all he feels is a little bit warmer. He stops walking and looks down at himself. “You don’t…”

“Take it.” He smiles brightly. “I’m not that cold. It’s okay.”

Natsume just stares, vision blurring and sharpening over and over again in dizzying waves. He’s still shaking inside Tanuma’s large coat that hangs halfway down his thighs. The longer he stares, the less he can remember what he was about to say, or what he was doing.

“Natsume?”

God, his throat hurts. He wants more than anything to lie down. He needs to go home, to crawl under his blankets on his futon and get warm and go to sleep. He takes a step forward, and then another, feeling alarmingly unsteady on his feet.  

“Natsume? Hey, are you okay?”

Suddenly he’s doubling over and heaving the contents of his stomach onto the snow. His throat burns and he can’t breathe and it must be too much for his senses, because once he’s done vomiting the dizziness overwhelms him and he can’t hold himself up anymore.

He falls into a pair of arms.

“Natsume! Hey! Can you hear me?! Natsume!”

When his senses begin to come back and his vision clears, he realizes he’s sitting on the sidewalk with snow soaking into his pants and Tanuma’s arms holding him up. “…Huh…?”

“Jeez, why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”

He can’t tell if Tanuma is talking to him or not, so he doesn’t answer. The arms around him shift a little, and Tanuma’s face appears before him. It’s marred by a worried frown and a wild note of fear in his midnight eyes.

A warm hand covers his brow.

“Oh, Natsume. You’re burning up.” Tanuma looks so sad as he brushes Natsume’s bangs aside. “I was really hoping you wouldn’t catch it…”

In his dazed state, the only thing Natsume can get out of his mouth is, “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t do that.” Tanuma pulls him in and hugs him tightly. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. I’m gonna take you home, okay? Do you think you can stand up?”

Natsume nods against his chest, though he isn’t sure if he can or not. Tanuma takes most of his weight and they rise to their feet slowly. When Natsume’s knees buckle, he’s caught by the arms around his waist.

“Okay, change of plan,” Tanuma says, his mouth close to Natsume’s ear. “I’m going to carry you. Is that alright?”

Natsume nods again. The pain is really the only thing he’s aware of right now. He wants to be out of the snow, out of the cold. It seems like they’ve been walking for miles.

Somehow, Tanuma is able to heft Natsume’s limp body onto his back and wrap his arms under his thighs. Like this, Natsume can smell Tanuma’s shampoo, can feel the warmth of his skin against his cheek. It’s not exactly comfortable, being carried this way, but since he quite literally can’t support his own weight, it’s kind of nice. Maybe he should thank Nishimura for setting them up. He can feel every sway of Tanuma’s steps. He’s a good deal warmer, pressed against him. The coat is still around his shoulders, too.

He’s half asleep by the time they reach his house. He hears Touko’s cry of alarm, but he can’t reassure her that he’s alright because his throat is on fire and he can’t event think about speaking anymore without making it hurt worse.

Tanuma carries him upstairs to his room. It’s when he’s laying him down on the futon Touko hastily spread out that he finds the energy to laugh a little and hears himself saying, “I didn’t know you were so strong, Tanuma.”

Through the fever haze, he sees the taller boy blush. “I’m not that strong. Just rest, okay?”

It’s an easy order to follow.

Tanuma is still sitting there when Touko brings her usual equipment up to the room. It’s a little pathetic how used Natsume is to this routine. She puts the hot water bottle under his head and pulls the quilt up to his chin, and then gently places the thermometer under his tongue. He hears her cry of dismay and is instantly slammed with guilt. Touko should never be unhappy; he should never, ever make her unhappy.

“What is it?” Tanuma says quietly.

“39 degrees,” Touko replies.

Tanuma makes a low, displeased noise. “He’s definitely caught it.”

“Oh, dear.” Touko smoothes a cool hand over his forehead. “I thought he was acting a bit strange this morning. I should have made him stay home.”

“I would have made him go to the nurse if I’d known.”

“He can be stubborn when he wants to be.” Touko sighs. “Thank you for looking after him, Kaname-kun. I can handle things from here, if you need to go on home.”

“I’d actually like to stay for a while, if that’s okay. I could help out.”

“Oh. Well, that would be lovely. Would you mind finishing this, then? I’ll go down and make some tea.”

“Of course, Touko-san.”

Natsume listens to Touko’s soft footsteps leaving the room, and then he hears the slosh of water. A few seconds later, a cool cloth is being placed on his brow.

“You make everyone worry more when you hide things, you know.” Tanuma’s voice is so soft that Natsume isn’t sure whether he thinks he’s already asleep.

Somehow, he finds the strength to open his heavy eyes. “M’sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“Shh.” Tanuma drags the cloth over his forehead and down his cheek. “Don’t talk. It’s bad for your throat.”

Natsume gazes up at him. The light from above shines in a halo behind his head, illuminating the ends of his hair. It looks kind of angelic. “You…”

Tanuma gives him a warning look as he wets the cloth again. “I mean it, Natsume.”

He closes his eyes again, relishing the feeling of Tanuma caring for him like this. “You’re beautiful.”

Above him, Tanuma makes a noise somewhere between a gasp and a cough. “You’re delirious.”

“M’not.” He should stop talking, really, but the words just come spilling from his lips. “I’m lucky…to have you, Tanuma…”

“Quiet.” Long fingers comb through his hair gently, slowly. “You should sleep.”

He nods weakly. This isn’t so bad, he thinks. If Tanuma will take care of him like this, he doesn’t mind being sick.

“Just rest, Natsume. I’ll be here when you wake up.”