#bennett needs a hug

[hanitje]

💔

[ryuichifoxe]

Reunion

[rockclimbinglover12107]

Hi 🤗

Saw u mention that Bonnie is not the most mistreated character on tvd and am curious who you think is mistreated the most. Cause a lot of ppl swear it's Bonnie and I wanna know why you think diferently.

That’s such a good question 🤗

I’ll start by saying that I do feel that Bonnie was mistreated to some extent by the writers, especially in terms of deaths but there were so many characters who had such tragic lives that she kind of pales in comparison.

Bonnie was never abused by a partner the same way that Caroline or Elena were. She was never turned into a vampire against her will like Stefan or Vicki were. She always had a stable group of friends unlike Katherine or Rebekah. She originally had at least one parent who cared unlike Nora or Mary Louise or Katherine or Rebekah or Matt and Vicki or Stefan and Damon. But most importantly, at the end of it all, when Elena came back to life, she got her happy ending. She didn’t die or become imprisoned or continue in a toxic relationship. And that’s why I can’t say that she was done the most dirty. Not when characters like Katherine, Vicki and Rebekah exist.

Basically, I’m saying that although Bonnie had some hugely traumatic moments, 90% of the characters on the show did, and it’s more a case of having it less badly rather than better.

[wohlbruecks]

[valeovalairs]

Got through a few more Suckening episodes, here’s more doodles

[unabashednightmarepizza]

A/N: Okay I have been playing Genshin for quite some time now, and I'm sure my eyes are hurting like a bitch, but this is a quick idea( and also a short story of a series I'm writing) since I have been reading SAGAU and Creator!Reader works a lot!

Everyone thought, just like Creator!Reader did who played Genshin for hours and built the characters, that Mondstadt would be home. With the jolly people and freedom coursing through the air, and with Venti being the Spirit of Freedom, everyone would listen at least. You were just as terrrified yet also happy and confused as anyone could be, surely they wouldn't execute you, right?

Wrong, so painfully wrong.

Instead Creator!Reader was hunted down blindlessly, who only entered the city with a big smile but left it as soon as possible with a horrified look.

But instead... Razor and Bennett found the Creator!Reader, shivering in the cold with- Was that golden blood?

Razor, since he was raised by wolves, didn't have an exact understanding of the Creator but he listened to his family talk about Them, how they thanked Them with their howls for the food and family and shelter given to them and how they praised the Golden Blood of yours to keep flowing through your very being so that one day, you would come back to Teyvat.

Therefore he knew who you were but Bennett?

Poor boy grew up with the stories of yours! How you created new worlds where there were many different creatures, magic and every kind of ores... Or how you gifted them with many new weaponary and such, how you gave them life and what they have built so far.

How you let them live in peace through their Archon.

So, to see your body covered in Gold blood with a terrified look, their first reaction was to jump up and warm you immediately, patching up any wounds so that their Creator didn't suffer anymore.

But whatever the people must have done to you, had messed you up pretty bad because you, The Creator of All, whimpered in fear and pain, still shaking with your hands up defensively.

"P-Please don't hurt m-me... I swear I didn't mean t-to..."

So, that was how you were coddled up by these two babies while they wondered with rage coursing through them that who did this to you. They weren't stupid, since they were close to their City, they knew it was them and couldn't help but feel shame for their actions. Everyone had been expecting your arrival for quite some time, preparing feasts and what they would say to you in person and then they just...

Blinded by fake religion and ideas, tried to kill you.

How funny Teyvat was more like Earth than you ever imagined?

And they didn't even want to know what would have happened to Teyvat, how angry the Winds and the ground would be at the people for killing the Divine One.

You were still aprehensive as normal, not used to the kindness they were showing you but watching as Razor bring you a very pretty shaped stone with a happy grin and offered it as a token of friendship, you couldn't bring yourself to break his heart as one of the many wolves in his family laid around you protectively.

You asked why he was doing this, when he had no understanding of who you were, when his people were hunting you, but the only answer you got was a confused tilt of his head and a soft spoken,

"You are my lupical and I want you to be happy... They are not my people, they were wrong."

Now Bennett didn't know if he should correct Razor since he was actually talking to their Creator, warn him about not to refer to you so casually, but the big and wide smile on your face as you hugged them thightly to yourself with tears in your eyes which held the stars warmed them both so affectionately and lovingly that they knew you needed this.

You needed to have friends, not worshippers.

And as they, alongside with the Traveller, Klee, Albedo( who was glad he was pulled here by Klee and help you) and Amber who was convinced of who you were by the wounds you had and how you literally breathed life into one of the many burned and ruined forest and was horrified at learning what the Mondstadt did, healed you back and helped you hide, that was when you realized that you did a good job by loving those four and building them up as much as possible.

But those traits weren't the only ones who convinced them. It was how you saw Amber's ambition and praised her for having such a strong dedication to her job to which she bashfully thanked you and cried softly because how kind and generous you were to them even when your life was in danger.

And you didn't forget to tell Lumine to let others deal with commissions and errands, to give herself a rest, with a huge amount of Mora you really didn't know where you got from but was just inside your pouch ( since I chose her and believe the Twins need to hear this) and also about what was going on with her brother and promised to explain more in depth after you were safe to which she held your hand in her warm and calloused ones softly and answered with don't worry about us, Your Grace. Just focus on your life and that's all the gift that you can give to me.

But as much as they loved to have you here and listen to your world and jokes, they also knew you couldn't stay here for much longer. Yes, the forest was big ( and the nature seemed to be hellbent on protecting you) but they knew the Knights wouldn't stop until they got you.

What a surprise that the Crux came to the City, with a frantic Kazuha searching everywhere in the dock for what the Wind whispered to him.

"Our Creator needs help. Help them. Save them."

And that was how you started to wander the streets of Liyue with Kazuha next to you, also hellbent on protecting you especially after seeing the state you were in. The City was literally glowing, and no it wasn't because of the lanterns but you, The Divine Creator who stepped in the City which was raised and built in your name.

He knew there was a famous pharmacy named Bubu Pharmacy and the owner of it was able to heal pretty much every kind of this disease, so he took you there in hopes that the fever you had been suffering from could be solved there.

And it was.

Baizhu, as the usual self-sacrificing man he was, did everything in his power to help you. You knew how his hands were already full with both his own disease and Qiqi who quickly grew on you since she has been playing with you and telling you all about what she learnt about the herbs and the City( she couldn't explain why but she just felt so close to you, as if you were like a parent to her which her caretaker also shared kind of the same love for you) and you were grateful for what they had done to you, how kind they were.

They had shown you the kindness you expected to have when you first arrived, and it wasn't given by other.

Not the most known ones, but the kindest of them all did.

So, as a token, you touched the hand of Baizhu softly one day while he worked to pack you herbs and medicine you might need, stopping him and asking him why he was doing this when he casually( though his heart was beating hard at having you touch hım so softly) replied with a I'm a doctor and you needed help.

You looked at him for some time, then a smile so bright that it made the doctor take a while to stare at you softly overtook your face and you replied You're so strong for carrying such a burden like your disease but still help people, Baizhu.

That was when his suspicions about who you were was proven, since he never told about his disease to anyone (after realizing the golden wounds and how he seemed healthier in your presence) and he immediately went to kneel but was stopped by your gentle hands on his face, rubbing soft circles under his tired yet wide open in shock eyes, his heart almost giving out when your lips touched his forehead softly and blessed hım with your warmth.

Never bow to me, thank you for all you had done for me... Now, let me pay back.

After healing him back and yet once again running away from Liyue so that you weren't hunted down, making the Crux the enemy to Liyue since they were helping you (not that they cared, they loved being pampered by the True God with love, luck and food), a certain sea monster and the eartqueaks of Liyue almost destroyed the whole City for their disrespect so much so that Zhongli had to come back as Rex Lapis and he wasn't even able to stop it until the Wind carried your soft words to Liyue and Osial and made them stop.

Don't punish and destroy them, they don't deserve it...

-- A similar situation happened back in Mondstadt when Dvalin caused chaos after learning what they had done to Divine Creator, roasting the shit out of Venti for his mistake but also was stopped by your gentle caress even from Miles away, to stop hım from harming them. He gave them their lesson anyways, he only needed to find you to protect you as he left the people of Mondstadt in Terror and fear for what they had done.

The "they" in question was obviously the Crux, Baizhu, Qiqi, Xiangling and Shenhe who showed their love and care for you, who was logical enough to listen to you and see the truth for themselves. Xiangling who made you many delicious food you never ate before, Shenhe who was comforted by you about how she wasn't a cursed child and was loved dearly by everyone and most importantly you as she cried into your chest, who believed in her purpose to fit in with humans even with her tendencies, which you found to be a beautiful part of her...( not me reflecting my Shenhe love here ehe ｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡)

Asking "why are you doing this?" had become some kind of a test, like those in fairytales in your world, to see who was kind and sincere and who wasn't.

And you used it in many nations: Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine...

Inazuma was, of course, the WORST so far since Ei was obsessed with Eternity and the Creator, not even listening at all. But even if she didn't, the Kamisato siblings, Kokomi, Gorou, and Thoma believed in you from the very beginning, with many others soon following after them.

Ayaka and Kokomi were the first ones, with Ayaka seeing the sadness in your eyes at how restricted you were, how no one seemed to believe in you and how Inazuma seemed calmer and more happy as soon as you arrived( and how you reassured her to be herself and not live according to what people would say which made her love you and convince her brother to listen, who was glad she did if not... Well, he didn't want to imagine it.) and Kokomi hearing the whispers of the ocean who was the happiest, who cheered for you and didn't stop chanting your name, which lead her to see it for herself and welcome you to Watatsumi Island as the God she worshipped. Who was also praised by you for her smartness and how she worked hard for the Island even if her career plan wasn't this, but was warned to not to overwork which she blushed at and assured Creator!Reader.

Not surprisingly enough, Sumeru was the kindest to you since Nahida knew who you were even before coming to her nation and greeted you herself excitedly, showing you around as her people( Yes, even Tighnari and Al-Haitham who was known to be stern) smiled and offered you a new home.

Fontaine was probably the happiest you had been, after Sumeru, to stay. Furina, as much as she didn't believe in herself, saw right through you and knew who you were, providing you with utmost care and protection ever alonsgide Neuvillette who always hang around you, protected you and even became your friend! Maybe it was the dragon instincts in him, once the closest to you like Zhongli but also one who wasn't blinded like him, as he stayed with you when your fears and nightmares became too much to bear.

Who knew, maybe something more would happen?

And after all the nations realized their mistake, after you defeated Celestia and came to a peace with It, and restored Khaenri'ah who always believed in you from the beginning even years ago, they feared the punishment waiting for them. They didn't want to accept their mistake, blame Celestia for all of it... But they also knew they were blinded by hard and unlogical belief and almost did the most unforgivable sin ever.

They were ready for any punishment from you, even if it included never seeing you again...

But the only answer to their question was a letter written by you, which made them shiver.

The only reason none of the nations who wronged me are not punished severely was because of the names listed below. Shall any harm come to them, your nation would see the true wrath of the Creator.

Thank you to Razor, Bennet, Amber, Klee, Albedo and dear Traveller from Mondstadt.

Thank you to Baizhu, Qiqi, Xiangling, Shenhe, the Crux, Beidou and Kazuha from Liyue

Thank you to Kamisato Ayato and Kamisato Ayaka, Thoma, Gorou, Kokomi from Inazuma.

Thank you to Sumeru, Khaenri'ah, Fontaine and Natlan people for their never ending kindness and belief.

Eternal gratitude and blessings from the Creator, who you helped to gain confidence and power...

[primofate]

10 minute quick writes - Genshin Impact

In which I put on a 10 minute timer and write as much as I can. No cheating.

Mood: How he says "I love you", without saying the actual words.

Characters: Albedo, Alhaitham, Ayato, Baizhu, Bennett, Chongyun, Cyno, Dainsleif, Diluc, Gorou, Heizou, Itto, Neuvillette, Razor, Scaramouche, Tartaglia, Thoma, Wriothesley, gn!reader

Warnings: Some silliness in some parts cause I'm sleep deprived.

Albedo

"It'll be cold up there, it'd be best to wear something warmer. Would you be a bother...? No, your company is much appreciated,"

Alhaitham

"...Why are you still awake...? ...A test?" sighs and closes your books "A clear mind is important too. Let's go,"

Ayato

"I did indeed have an important meeting with the guild today...but what kind of partner would I be if I missed such an important occasion of yours?"

Baizhu

"Yes I do have a lot of patients to tend to...but you're to tell me immediately if there's something off about your health, understood?"

Bennett

"You wanna go to the ruins tomorrow too...? With me...?" 3 second pause "You're the best Y/N!"

Chongyun

"I'll work hard! N-No not on my exorcisms! I meant...t-to protect-- nevermind!"

Cyno

"Yes... It's my most prized TCG card... No, it's alright, you can have it,"

Dainsleif

"There's no need to wait up for me, all that'll do is bring you unnecessary worry. I will be fine, and I'll come back. Always."

Diluc

"Is there something I can help with? You seem to be deep in thought today. Perhaps you should stay and rest for tonight,"

Gorou

"Thanks for the help Y/N! I'll come at the same time tomorrow!"

Heizou

"There's my favourite person! How's your day been? Hopefully better now that you've seen me,"

Itto

"Whaddyou wanna do today? Hmmm? What do I wanna do? Nah s'okay, you can pick today!"

Neuvillette

"In matters of work or miscellaneous events, I trust your judgement as I trust mine,"

Razor

A hug, I guess.

Scaramouche

"Seriously are you stupid? I told you not to go running off by yourself! In all circumstances. Wait.For.Me!"

Tartaglia

Melts in your arms after a long day. Seems to talk to an invisible force.

"...and here. Right here. Is where I call home. Don't take this away from me,"

Thoma

"What would you like to eat today? Any requests? I'll cook tonight,"

Wriothesley

"We haven't gone out together in a while, have we? I'll take an off tomorrow. Let's go to that cafe you've wanted to go to, hm?"

End!

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[altanonder]

There were platitudes that he might be able to say, some false words of encouragement that would no doubt sound as hollow to Jamie as they did in his head. The days of recklessness and freedom felt far behind them now, and he couldn't help but miss the childhood that had defined them both; when the oncoming summer meant nothing more than beach days and ice cream and playing pretend. "Maybe, who'd have thought we'd find ourselves trapped in our very own version of a fantasy novel... Seems like it was always more fun to read about the adventures of other people, not actually living in one."

A part of him still clung to the hope that it wouldn't get worse, that this was the point where things would start to turn around for them all, but given that so many people who had wanted to do harm still roamed free, Altan knew that likely wasn't the case.

The non-answer seemed to be enough on its own, and his heart ached for what Jamie had lost. It didn't seem fair that where he was gifted with something that felt like a fresh start with Poppy, Jamie's own luck had taken a downward spiral. From his own experience, Altan knew there wasn't much he could say that would soothe the pain that his friend was feeling, although perhaps it was a blessing to have a sense of finality about the whole thing.

His head gave a firm nod, Jamie's words ringing true to his own thoughts on the matter. There seemed to be little else to do than push through what they were facing, and take each day as it came. "You've got my back, I've got yours. Who knows if we'll be alright - but as long as we're protecting those we love - maybe we'll make it out alright." Although it seemed as if the Catalyst was preying on their relationships with each other, he couldn't imagine not fighting for those he loved if given the choice, and Altan knew he'd rather lose on that account rather than live with the knowledge that he hadn't done anything at all.

Psychotic. Now there was a word for it. The depth of madness the town had descended into was psychotic. Its pervasive insanity ate away at him. Chipping piece by piece at Jamie's own psyche as he bore wave after wave. The tattered sails of the ship he sailed verged upon collapse, but how did he tell anyone that? He knew the burdens they bore, too. Fear, anxiety, the same worries for a home under attack.

A heavy sigh proceeded a begrudging nod of agreement. "Yeah, I think it's only going to get worse." It felt hopeless as he recounted all the events Briar had shared. The horrors of the ball just another turn in a twisted tale. Not one soon to end. Jamie feared, but one that had just begun. "A lot worse."

Dark eyes could not meet that of his friend's. No mere acquaintance, but a brother who shared all his best memories. Kids in a small, magical town, stars in their eyes, full of hope for the future. "Me?" He asked like he didn't know exactly what Atlan was talking about. Just as he'd eluded to another sister that would not be named. Still, he just shrugged. What was there to say? They were nothing now. Not together, not working it out, not even friends; a label that was not fit to hold all the complexities of feelings he bore.

The bar would've been a better choice than the gym. Endorphins weren't enough to quell the war waging inside himself. A confusing mess of heartache, worry, and fear. Jamie wanted to run. To get the fuck out of their stupid town and never look back again, but Jamie knew he couldn't do that. Not again. He had a responsibility to the people he loved to stay and fight. To help restore peace to the only place in the whole world, left, safe.

"What can we do?" He reflectively mused. "But persist." In all situations he couldn't bring himself to talk about. All he, or anyone else could do, was move on. Take it all, day by day. Enjoying what they could, when they could, for as long as they could. "Hope we'll all.. be okay."

[elixrr]

ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛꜱ ☆ ɢᴇɴꜱʜɪɴ ᴍᴇɴ

ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴡ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜ.

ꜰᴛ. Genshin men (via alphabet)

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ: Movie nights with the modern genshin boys <3

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: Headcanons! I love! Headcanons!! I'm writing this before I write for any other character so.. I hope I have enough tags available for everyone 💔💔

☆ ALBEDO ☆

— Albedo would usually watch something more educational, but when you're with him, he's open to most things. Usually, when the movie's not too dramatic or action based, he'll lean onto the arm of the couch and let you lean on him. It's basically the same when it's action based and/or dramatic, even with horror movies, because no matter how gorey it gets, Albedo would remain unphased. He'd let you hug him if need be, though.

Educational, though? Lay your head on his shoulder and fall asleep if you want, but he's taking notes.

☆ ALHAITHAM ☆

— Unphased by any movie, but amused by your reactions and/or commentary. He physically could not care less about the movie. Sometimes, it's interesting, but most of the time, his eyes are on you, his phone, or a book. He would only mildly care if it was My Little Pony or something, but other than that, he doesn't care. Alhaitham would only agree simply because you're cute when you're invested. Especially with horror films. When you're scared, he just loves to tease you.

He'd let you hold him most of the time, but when he feels a jumpscare coming up, he'll "leave for the bathroom," but just secretly watch your face when it comes up, internally laughing if you jump at the sight.

☆ AYATO ☆

— Please, he would be all over dramas. Ayato already loves watching people's faces as he pulls the strings, but to see other people do so and see the result of their actions with so much drama at detail? It's delightful and heavenly. He wouldn't be super straightforward with it, but he'll definitely chuckle or smile deviously when he sees a plan in action. Still, sometimes he'll turn his eyes away from the television and look at you, especially when you're invested.

Immediately, he'll tell you to put your arms around him and cuddle with him while you both watch the movie or series. It's a very comfortable way for him to enjoy the television tension, all the while enjoying and basking in your presence.

☆ BAIZHU ☆

— In all absolute, pure honesty, I don't know what he'd be into. Baizhu would definitely watch whatever you put on, but he'll probably like watching dramas or movies with some sort of injury or medical condition because he'll definitely make comments on the things that the character(s) do. He'd probably spontaneously sit down and turn on the TV to watch something he found interesting and then invite you to join him, though you'd probably invite yourself in anyway.

By the way, you'll probably fall asleep mid-movie, especially if it's a documentary, but that's because his voice is extra soothing when he makes comments. It sort of... puts you to sleep? Oh well. Nice voice :)

☆ BENNETT ☆

— He's so invested! It's adorable <3

Whenever Bennett hears the words "movie night," his reaction is akin to that of a dog's when they see a treat. He'll cheer, yipee, and then he'll hop onto the couch, excited for the movie and to snuggle up with you. He really liked action movies, and while he doesn't mind romance or dramas, he'd prefer if it was more intense.

Still, don't let him near horror movies. He'd absolutely crumble just watching one. Bennett would cling to you and nearly begin to cry when— of course, mid jumpscare, thunder strikes outside, and the lights go out. Good luck out there, because you'll have a terrified, teary Bennett clinging to your arm as you both try to find a way to fix the issue.

☆ CHILDE ☆

— I feel like... when Childe sees a cool move in an action movie, he would immediately tries to replicate it, but add 10x more pizazz. He would also critique how someone uses weapons or how someone fights. Other than that, he's just there to sit down, lay down, and hug his love to death! Childe would be very unphased when seeing any gore, heavy or not. But when he watches a Pixar of Disney film that's wholesome and has the most bittersweet, tearful ending, he might start crying. He'd play it cocky, acting like he doesn't care, but at the end, he'll go quiet because there's a little tear trickling down his cheek.

He'll never admit defeat, though. No way he's cried to these movies more than you have!

☆ CHONGYUN ☆

— He does enjoy movies, but he does explicitly ask that they're not on super interesting topics or that they're not too exciting. Otherwise, he'll literally lose himself. This also includes horror films that feature ghosts. Chongyun still remembers when he'd watch little childish cartoons as a kid, of course, before he started training to be an exorcist. He would watch simple little children's shows, and once his friends came over— only to see Chongyun running around and getting all ecstatic whenever he would answer a question right from the cartoon.

Once, you wanted to tease him, so you had Chongyun close his eyes as you selected one of his old favorites. He'll open his eyes to see the character that he once deemed as his superhero. Chongyun hasn't ever let you near the remote after that.

☆ CYNO ☆

— He's definitely going to sleep through movies. No matter how interesting or intense the plot is, Cyno will always fall asleep during the most important climaxes of the movie. He does his best to stay awake, but because of his job and because of his semi-lack of interest in the movie, he's drifting off anyway.

Sometimes, when you're watching a horror film with Cyno, he'll stay awake to comfort you, but on the occasion where he doesn't, have fun fending for yourself. He's not going to wake up 100% if you scream or yell, and the best part? Sometimes Cyno is awake, but he doesn't do anything because you're adorable when you cling to him.

☆ DILUC ☆

— He's chill with anything as long as it's not My Little Pony or any straightforward kids' movies. Actually, Diluc would probably find himself invested in Marvel movies or the batman series. Any action movie would have him sit up, rest his chin atop his hands, and stare intensely at the screen. Diluc nearly starts glaring at it, but you know that it's just his RBF. He would probably have you sit on his lap or something, either that or you just lean your entire body on him, and he'll sit there, unphased.

Also, if you ever watch a horror movie with him, rest assured, Diluc will pause the movie if you get too scared. He'll let you take a break for a bit, get some tea or hot cocoa, and then he'll resume. If you don't want to watch it anymore, he'll advise you to put on music and go into another room because he'd like to finish the movie.

☆ FREMINET ☆

— Freminet would love things from Pixar, Disney, any fantastic fairy-tale or wholesome story. He won't force you to watch if you don't want to, but if you're willing, he'd be so giddy inside. Freminet would never tell you, of course, but if you took your eyes off of the TV and looked at his face, his eyes would glow brighter than the screen.

He'd cuddle with you under blankets and watch the movie, but he'll also be holding Pers close to him when watching, and he'll probably give him a little (gentle) squeeze whenever there's a depressing point in the movie. Oh well, he'll have his best friend Pers and you, his lover, to be there by his side when things get sad. There'll be a happy ending to look forward to anyways, right?

☆ GOROU ☆

— He's really fine with anything, except for horror movies. Trust me, Gorou will lie all he can about his taste in movies, but you'll never miss how his eyes glow when something sweet or wholesome comes up. He doesn't mind action movies and dramas, but when a wholesome moment in the movie shows up, his excitement is parallel to that of a lonely dog finally seeing its owner again. Gorou would let you hold him, and he'd hold you too, and as long as you're into the movie and holding him close, he doesn't care what movie you two watch.

...Until a horror movie starts playing. He says he doesn't care; he swears it. Yet, no matter how many times he tries to convince you that he doesn't care, he'll always shriek at jumpscares. He'd jump at the slightest of scares but scream at bigger ones. Be careful and try not to let your ears explode!

☆ HEIZOU ☆

— True crime. Murder mysteries. Documentaries. No questions asked. Heizou would absolutely research movies and anything interesting when you announce movie night, and he'd find the most appealing thing to watch. If there's nothing interesting that day, which seldom ever happens, he'd just play something dramatic with a lot of action, and he'd hold you close while being super reactive about each scene.

Heizou would be such an English teacher about it. Anything remotely eye-catching or eyebrow-raising would be the highlight of the movie until the next interesting thing happens. If you don't mind, great! If you do, shut him up with kisses. It works every time. Sometimes, it works a little too much...

☆ ITTO ☆

— It's either he watches something super fantastical and wonderful with you, something that pumps him up with pure unicorn energy, or he watches something intriguing... and falls asleep halfway through the movie. Oh, and of course, Itto will always somehow manage to fall asleep on you, regardless of your height. It'd be nice to hold him, but he's too jumpy for that. He fiddles in his seat, gets loud and excited, and to be honest, you're probably all for it. If not, a quick lecture and a kiss will do the trick for a good five minutes or so.

Still, it's wholesome when Itto gets all melted and almost gushy when things get nice in the movie. He wouldn't like romances, but with something like a Pixar movie, he'd definitely start tearing up— albeit he would never admit that. It's also quite peaceful when he's asleep in your arms. You get to finish the movie while he's sound asleep, either on you or shoved to the side of the couch (lovingly).

Oh, also, don't watch horror movies with him. It's all he'll ever be able to think about for the next two weeks.

☆ KAEYA ☆

— Kaeya would watch the movie– he doesn't entirely care what movie, but he'll only watch it to wait for the perfect moments for flirting with / teasing you. That's if the movie isn't too interesting to him, but he likes having an excuse to see your flustered face. Kaeya enjoys seeing your eyes tear from the screen and find their way to him; it's extra amusing to watch.

But he still relishes in your presence. Though he may never show it, being around you makes him feel complete. Kaeya can be real around you, and he can finally let his guard down without a drink or two. He loves movie nights, as they're just an extra excuse to spend some time with you.

☆ KAVEH ☆

— He's such a romantic movie guy. Kaveh wouldn't be too into action-based movies, but he would absolutely love dramas. As long as the plot doesn't suck and it's dramatic— extra points if it's romantic— he will absolutely love it. When cuddling with you and holding you close, he'll be pointing out key information or anything intriguing that happens, or that is said. Something about the drama fuels him, and if he would allow himself to, he'd start kicking his feet around with pure excitement. But he'll control himself. For you.

Anyways, Kaveh and horror movies could go two ways. He'll be cocky at first for both ways, but he might end up terrified, screaming to terrifying things and clinging onto you in fear for his life. But there's the rare chance where he's so invested that he just looks possessed by the movie. He'll sit up straight with both hands on both legs, and he'll just stare blankly at the screen. It somewhat scares you, but he'll snap out of it if you say his name. Albeit he'll revert back to his usual self, terrified of everything after his mini trance.

☆ KAZUHA ☆

— He's so chill; it's unreal. Kazuha would be invested and whatnot, but he wouldn't be super surprised unless there's a huge plot twist. Quick note that he would genuinely be the best cuddler in this list, and if you don't want to be held / hold him, then that's okay, too! At some point, though, he'll let go of you and just watch the movie when it gets really intense, but you can hold him whenever that happens. Kazuha would also have a lot to say about... anything, really. He's big on commentary, but his voice is so soothing that you simply don't care.

Fair warning, though. Should there ever be a sad moment where a character loses their best friend, Kazuha may go quiet, depending on how sad the moment is. If it's dramatic, extra sorrowful, then he will absolutely stay silent until something else catches his mind.

☆ KUNI (WANDERER) ☆

— Kuni would make fun of your movie taste half of the time, especially if he finds them distasteful, so he'll usually pick the movies. He wouldn't automatically cuddle with you, though, and at most, he would let you rest your head on his shoulder, or he would let you hold his hand, but he would not move an INCH during those times. He would also be rather... stony faced when watching movies, except for times he'd gag at romantic scenes or complain about how there's too much gore.

If you fell asleep during a movie, Kuni would watch only a minute or so more to see if it catches his interest, but then he'll pause and turn off the TV to hold you close to him secretly. He thinks you're adorable, and he thinks the movie is irrelevant in comparison to just being with you.

☆ LYNEY ☆

— He'd watch most things, and he'll be extra open to movie genres, as long as he's with you. Lyney wouldn't mind if it bored him because he'll have you to hold and keep him company! What better than to be snuggling with your own lover than... watching a documentary on how paper is made. But whatever, he thinks, he'd take this over children's shows. Also, he'd be really expressive with whatever happens in the movies, like in dramas, he would be shocked at plot twists or suspension build-ups... he would also be quite scared and horror movies that he would find scary.

To be honest, Lyney wouldn't really find most horror movies scary, but when it's on a topic he's somewhat sensitive about, and especially when it's a psychological horror movie, he would be scarred for a few days. No more carefree magician Lyney for the time being, you'd suppose.

☆ NEUVILLETTE ☆

— It's hard to tell what he's into. Neuvillette could like court cases or mysteries, but maybe he would like to watch something that takes his mind off of work. You're well aware that Neuvillette seldom ever gets the chance for a break, so watching something wholesome might be up his alley for relaxing, especially with you. Just be sure he won't cry at super sad scenes; you might have to skim through the movie first. Otherwise, you'll get an upset lover instead of a relaxed one. By the way, he wouldn't, again, be too into horror movies. They're scary, maybe to you, but he's somehow unphased by the terror. He'd only feel for any lives lost at the hands of the antagonist(s).

Anyways, I can't see him being too into cuddles like other people would be, but he wouldn't mind hugs or hand-holding. He'd let you lean on his arm or shoulder if you're tall enough, and maybe when you do, you'll be lucky to feel his tense shoulders relax themselves for once.

☆ THOMA ☆

— Loves loves, loves commentary, but will quiet down when something big happens. Thoma would be expressive. He'll show he's shocked when he's shocked; he'll show his sorrow when there's sorrow. Funnily enough, he won't say much when something wholesome happens in the movie, but he'll definitely smile and/or chuckle at the sweetness.

Just beware: he likes theorizing with murder mysteries / horror movies. If Thoma feels like this or that is gonna happen, he might blurt it out loud. Or maybe if he thinks the ending will go like this or perhaps like that, then that will also be spoiled, too. If you like commentary, great! If you don't, politely kiss him on the cheek and make it known.

☆ TIGHNARI ☆

— He's so critical, it's everything. Unless Tighnari genuinely likes the movie, any flaws in the acting or in the plot that he finds, he will comment on. He almost lectures the screen on how to make the movie better and how to make the plot more effective / attractive for the viewers. He'll even throw in some sarcastic remarks here and there, but when it gets good, it gets good. If you like the movie, he'll shit on it just a little bit, but he won't really care or judge you for it. Just don't force him to watch something like Dora. Otherwise, he won't trust you on movie night selection for a while.

Tighnari isn't crazy about cuddles while watching because most of his attention is focused on the TV, but he doesn't mind romantic gestures like, say, holding his hands, or maybe even running your fingers through his tail, sometimes it gets him to quiet down and just watch the movie. It's soothing, you're soothing, the couch is soothing, and he isn't. Well, for watching movies he isn't.

☆ VENTI ☆

— He's drunk and watching Frozen with you, no questions asked. Venti would absolutely love childrens movies, not just because the plots are near harmless and easy to follow, but because there are usually songs and good sound tracks to them that he could sing along to, and with a breath that smells of wine and a heart full of passion, he will sing: “Let it goooo, let it gooo!! Can't hold it back anymoooore–”

Anyways, when Venti recovers from his fun little goofy private concert, he'll plop back down on the couch and just wrap his entire being around you. He'll hold you so tight, but it's Venti, so you don't mind too much. He'll say a few things here and there, express a few opinions and theories on the movie, but not too much. Just enough that you know he's paying attention to the movie and not just you, but not too much where he bombards you with a little detective hat on his head, and he starts analyzing everything. Not that you would mind, though... Right?

☆ WRIOTHESLEY ☆

— He seems like the type of person to watch things on criminal cases and whatnot, but honestly? Wriothesley's down for anything. He finally has a break, and he wants it to be spent well, so he'll watch whatever you want to watch with him, but he'll always give his second opinion before the actual selection. He doesn't care what genre to be honest, he's really only there because you're watching a movie with him and he gets a good hour or so of time to just cuddle with you while watching something. Just, if you want him to stay awake, listen to his opinions and select something that the both of you would enjoy. Also, don't fall asleep either because he may or may not fall asleep with you, too.

That fact alone is really sweet, considering the things he might have to hear as a prison guard. Wriothesley would hear the inmates sneer at him and insult him either to his face or behind his back, and having to go through that every day as a job can be rough every so often, so just being able to watch something nice with you in his arms is quite the refreshment.

☆ XIAO ☆

— He's not a big movie person, and he's already well picky enough, so be wise with picking movies! Don't watch horror movies with Xiao, but don't watch something too comical or dramatic. Something more mundane may suit him, strangely enough. He's not too big with romance, but something wholesome like a Hallmarks Christmas movie would bring the slightest and most subtle of smiles on his face. Your presence is honestly one of the biggest contributing factors, though.

Xiao would 100% enjoy the movie more if you're expressive. Not over the top where you jump out of the couch every five minutes, but as long as you're not stone faced and you find yourself smiling or tearing up at times, it makes things a little better for him. Your smile is infectious to him, anyway. So, key tip? Smile when something sweet happens, Xiao will glance from the TV to you and see your smile, and his heart will immediately swell with pure adoration.

☆ XINQIU ☆

— He always looks forward to movie night. Not just because he can watch movies and cool films with you, but because he's written and read so many romance novels that he's just trying his best to recreate them. Xinqiu would pick old romantic movies or (occasionally) horror movies whenever he felt like being smooth. Of course, horror movies seldom ever work out because one of you ends up jumping on the other, eyes filled with tears and lips trembling like there's no tomorrow.

It's fun, though. You know Xinqiu well enough that you automatically see through his plans whenever he picks out a movie. You enjoy messing around and "innocently" making him improvise the plan, catching him off guard when you make the first move or do more romantic gestures. Eventually, you'll just kiss him and say that you simply want to watch the movie with him normally, and he'll agree... for the most part.

☆ ZHONGLI ☆

— He's an oldie, old-fashioned with his way of holding you when you're both on the couch, watching whatever films pique your interests. Zhongli's willing to know more about how movies are now, so he'll usually let you pick the movies for the night, and he'll watch the nostalgic, old, heartwarming ones on his own so to not bore you. But if he finds out you're into them, then he'll let himself pick the movies occasionally, and he'll watch them with you. Still, he doesn't watch movies too often. He'd prefer to do things that involve more interaction, but movies can be quite nice.

It'd also be a great idea to not watch any horror movies with him because he's just... stoic. Throughout them. He'll comfort you if you're scared, but he'll wonder why people like horror movies when watching them. Unless it's based on real cases, then he'll be interested. Zhongli will be sure to hold you closer to them, though. It's nice for him to know that you're with him; you love him; you're safe here with him.

[alltheirdamn]

Killing Me Softly | (Joel x teacher!f!reader)

Chap. 8 Stages

Summary: The truth is the hardest pill to swallow. Rating: 18+ Word Count: 9.5k Warnings: **THIS CONTAINS SERIES SPOILERS** violence, blood, angst x1000, language, brief hospital setting, mentions of alcohol, stages of grief, heavy emotions A/N: This was one of the most cathartic and emotional pieces of writing I've ever done.

Masterlist | Ko-fi

You didn’t realize how white your knuckles were until you glanced down at your hands gripping the steering wheel. You hadn’t moved the car a single inch since you saw Bennett’s car. It was the same piece of shit silver sedan he always drove; you’d know it in a heartbeat. Even if you didn’t recognize it, you could spot his floppy blonde hair and lean frame standing on your porch. You mindlessly searched your purse for your phone, dialing Joel’s number. You’d hate yourself for this later, but you needed to lie. 

“Everythin’ okay?” Joel answered. 

“Yeah, everything is fine,” you lied. For your sake, you hoped that your voice wouldn’t be as shaky as your body. “I didn’t mean to freak you out earlier. Why don’t you come over later, okay? I just got home, and my head is pounding.” 

“I was ‘bout to leave my house, baby. Can I come over with some medicine and some food? I’ll take care of you,” Joel insisted. 

“No!” You panicked. “No, it’s okay. I’ll call you later, and you can come over. I promise.”

“Baby, y’sure you’re okay?”

You inhaled sharply, your eyes glued to Bennett only yards away. God, you were terrible at lying, but if Joel knew Bennett was here, you’d be left with a dead body in your front yard. 

“I’m fine, Joel,” you sighed. “Just need some rest.”

“I’ll be waitin’ for you to call,” Joel said. You could hear the defeat in his voice. 

“I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

“See you later, baby.”

You couldn’t hang up the phone fast enough. Joel would hate you for lying, but you needed to do this—whatever it was—alone. Everything in your life had been flipped on its head in just a week, and now, the man who had broken your heart beyond amends was standing at your front door. You weren’t sure if you would survive this.

Taking your foot off the brake, you rolled your car into the driveway. Bennett glanced at your car as you put it in park, his blue eyes piercing through the distance between your bodies. The coldness of his stare was just the same as it was two years ago; nothing about him had changed. 

Your legs could barely hold up your trembling body as you exited the car and made your way to the porch. Bennett wore a casual business suit, the pale blue dress shirt unbuttoned at the top, and his black slacks hugged his long legs. He hadn’t changed one bit. He was always the businessman. 

“What the fuck are you doing here?” You questioned, bounding up the porch steps.

Bennett eyed you as you got closer, shifting his weight and drinking you in. You were well aware of your appearance: the long work day had left your hair tousled and your blouse wrinkled from sitting at your desk. You spent two years imagining what seeing him again would be like, and in every stupid imagination, you weren’t looking worn down and tired. You imagined you’d be triumphant and strong, but you were small again in his shadow. 

“Hello to you, too,” Bennett grinned. Your name off his tongue was venomous, a slow, poisonous drip that ran through your veins. Compared to Joel’s accent drawling out your name, Bennett said it like a curse. 

“I’ll ask you again, Bennett. What the fuck are you doing here?”

Bennett’s hands twisted together in front of his body, and your eyes caught the sun’s light radiating off a golden band sitting snugly on his left hand. He was married. You steadied your body's sway, your vision blurring around the edges. 

“You’re— you’re married,” you stammered. 

Bennett glanced at his hand, his eyes roaming back to yours with a smug grin.

“Just tied the knot in May,” he shrugged. 

“To who? What—. I don’t understand why you’re here.” Your mind was reeling. 

“Her name is Natalie. We met through work about a year ago. We hit it off immediately, and I knew she was the one.”

Your knees threatened to buckle, and the strong composure you tried to maintain slipped. Bennett was married. He was in love. And it was to someone else. 

“If she’s the one, then why are you here? At my house?”

Bennett looked up at the porch overhang, his eyes tracking over the flowers planted in the yard on the walkway leading to the front door. You saw it in his eyes; you had made this a home. 

“Your house,” Bennett echoed. 

“Yes, Bennett. My fucking house. The one you abandoned when you ran away.”

Bennett scoffed, tucking his hands into his pocket. 

“You still don’t remember, huh?” He asked, tilting his head as he looked at you.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” you seethed. You stepped forward, baring your teeth.

Not only was Bennett here, but he was taunting your memory. Nothing had fucking changed. 

“A friend of mine saw you out to dinner with someone a couple of weeks ago,” Bennett started. “I was curious and figured I’d drop by and ask about it.”

You laughed.

“Not only did you leave me, but you got married. And now you want to act like you give a shit about who I date?” You accused. “Are you that fucking cruel, Bennett? Do you have any clue how fucking insane you sound? You have no control over my life anymore. Who I date and what I do is none of your business! You decided that the day you left.”

“I’m here because I care about you,” he defended.

“You never cared about me!” You yelled. “You left me! You have no right to come back. Not now. Not ever.”

Bennett stepped forward, both of you toe to toe. You couldn’t decipher the look in his eyes. Something about the way he stared at you made you rethink his words. He looked concerned; he looked at you like he did care. It was a look you hadn’t seen since before the accident. 

“You really don’t know anything, do you?” He asked. 

“Know what, Bennett? Stop being so fucking cryptic!”

Bennett opened his mouth to speak, but the words were drowned out by the sound of tires squealing. Your head whipped to the side, your eyes widening as you saw Joel barreling out of his truck and up the yard. 

“Joel?” You exhaled.

You told him you’d call him later. You told him not to come here. Why didn’t he fucking listen? Why now?

“Bennett!” He shouted, running up the front steps. 

You barely made it out of the way before Joel’s fist sailed into Bennett’s jaw, the sound of bones cracking echoing around you. There was no time to recover or react as Joel grabbed Bennett by the shirt collar, spinning him into the wall and shoving him on his toes. Joel was only a few inches taller than Bennett, but in his grip, Bennett looked smaller than you had ever seen him. Blood dripped from his lip as he whimpered in Joel’s grasp, a deep purple bruise blooming across his cheek and jaw. 

“Joel!” You gasped, your voice finally returning. 

You ran toward his body, trying to tear him off Bennett’s body. Joel only shrugged away your hands, his fists tightening around Bennett’s collar.

“I told you I’d kill you if you ever came back,” Joel snarled.

You staggered back after hearing his words. What did Joel mean? What was he saying?

Bennett smiled through bloodied teeth, pushing his face closer to Joel’s. His eyes shifted between yours and Joel's, and his lips curled back.

“We both agreed to stay away,” Bennett said. “Then I find out you just couldn’t give up. You came right back to her. Does she even know?”

“Y’have no fuckin’ business to be back here, Bennett,” Joel snapped. 

Joel used brute strength to wrangle Bennett to the ground, his arm winding back before he assaulted him with another pound of his fist. Bennett’s face snapped to the side, blood spurting onto the wood-paneled floor. Joel delivered an onslaught of punches, an explosive display of his anger shown in the form of sadistic violence. Never did you imagine Joel to be so cruel, so unforgiving… so terrifying. You watched in horror as Joel terrorized Bennett with strike after strike. You couldn’t stomach it, your body swirling with nausea as more blood pooled around Bennett’s face.

“Joel! Stop it!” You finally screamed.

You threw yourself at him, yanking at his shoulders to try and tear him away from Bennett’s limp body. Bennett’s eyes were hardly open, shallow groans escaping his mouth as he shook his head back and forth. He was hardly recognizable. 

“Joel!” You pleaded. “Stop it, please!”

Finally, Joel relented, rocking back onto his heels with blood splattered on his hands and shirt. This wasn’t the man you loved. This was someone else… someone terrifying. 

“I’m calling the cops,” you panted, your breath ragged as you tried to swallow down the vomit rising in your throat.

“Don’t,” Joel argued. You didn’t recognize the tone of his voice; it was so harsh and angry.

“I can’t just leave him like this, Joel! Don’t you see what you did to him? I don’t—I don’t know what the fuck just happened. I told you to stay home. I can’t… We need to call an ambulance.”

Joel stood to his full height, glancing down at his hands, their tanned skin battered and bloody. Whoever this man was before you, it was not the man you were falling in love with. 

“What are you gonna tell them, baby? Because if they see me like this, I’m goin’ to jail.”

“Are you threatening me right now, Joel?” You gaped. “After everything you just did.”

His eyes met yours, the darkness inside them drowning out the brown you were so familiar with. His eyebrows furrowed together, scrutinizing your body language and disgust as you stared at him. 

“Call them,” he grunted. “I don’t give a fuck. I told him what to expect if he ever came back.”

There it was again. That same sentence that confused the hell out of you. It jarred you in an unsettling way, but you pushed it down and focused on the man lying unconscious on the porch. You ran to your car, dug for your phone, and dialed 911.

You remained by your car until the police showed up, their flashing lights and sirens lighting up the fading sun as it drifted into duskfall. Joel sat on the porch steps, his head hung low and bruised hands in his lap. Neither of you had spoken a word since you called the police, and his words to Bennett still swarmed inside your mind. You had lied about the headache to him earlier, but now it was true. And you felt fucking miserable. 

Two police officers exited their car, meeting you on the driveway. 

“Can you tell us what happened here, ma’am?” One of them asked. He was taller than Joel, his face clean-shaven and creased with aging skin. His hand remained comfortably over the grip of his gun on his utility belt, and you tracked each movement as your heart thumped in your ears. 

You swallowed thickly, deciding to do the unspeakable. You lied.

“I came home, and my ex-fiancé was waiting for me,” you explained, meticulously fabricating a story that would save Joel. Despite your confusion, a small piece of you still wanted to protect him. “I called my boyfriend and told him I felt unsafe. I tried waiting in my car, but—but my ex dragged me from the car and was threatening to hurt me if I didn’t let him inside. That's when Joel, my boyfriend, showed up. Everything he did was to protect me.”

The lie tasted bitter as it sat heavy on your tongue. It was hard to remain composed as your headache grew stronger. 

“We’ll need statements from both parties,” the officer explained, reaching for a small notepad. 

The other officer, a short, tan-skinned man, stayed with you and gathered your personal information. You watched as the first officer approached Joel, your body tense as you worried the stories wouldn’t add up. You lied for Joel. You hoped for both of your sakes he would fuck this up more than he had already. 

The blaring sound of sirens jolted you from your fixation on Joel, the ambulance coming to a rolling stop in front of your driveway. The neighborhood was slowly becoming crowded, with watchful neighbors littering the streets and front yards. You shrunk away from their wandering eyes, wishing the world could grow quiet and dark. 

Medics bounded up your driveway, a stretcher and medical supplies in hand. You bit your lip to contain the cries threatening to explode. You hated Bennett, but the brutal image of Joel’s fist crushing his face over and over again… you couldn’t erase it from your mind. Bennett was a piece of shit, but he didn’t deserve what happened. 

The other officer joined you again, tapping his pen against the notepad. Anxiety wove its way through your pounding headache, straining the air, trying to expel from your chest. 

“The medics are working on stabilizing him now,” he explained. “Mr. Miller’s story matches yours, so our next step is prosecution. Is that something you’d like to do, Miss Smith? I recommend filing a restraining order as soon as possible to prevent another incident like this.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” you nodded. “Whatever you think is best.”

The officer cocked an eyebrow at your response, visibly confused. If you were following the path of your lie, a restraining order would make sense, but you also wanted to speak to Bennett after he recovered. You needed answers. You needed answers from him and Joel. 

“I’ll give you the contact information for an attorney that can help with the process, but other than that, we have everything we need tonight,” he said. “When your ex-fiance is awake and alert, we’ll gather his statement and file a full report. Medics will transfer him to St. David’s for further evaluations and motoring. If Mr. Miller needs further medical attention, please contact us so we can include it in the report.”

He handed you a business card with his name and number, and slowly, the commotion began to die out. You looked on in horror as the medics wheeled Bennett off in a stretcher, his face swollen and bandaged. He was a hollow version of the man you once considered so powerful. Your memories, your happiness… they were always his. And you didn’t know who owned those things anymore. Everything was crashing down around you, and you had no control.

Joel’s figure was shrouded in darkness as he stood by your front door. The anger still radiated off his body, but it was far more tame than it had been just an hour ago. The medics had cleaned and bandaged his hand, and he kept it cradled to his body. You made a conscious effort not to look at the red stains marring your porch; you’d worry about cleaning the mess tomorrow. You couldn’t stomach the smell and sight of it, not when your mind was plunging further under the pressure of your migraine. 

Joel said your name, steering you out of your swarming thoughts. You blinked up at him, your eyes hazy and blurred from tears.

“Why the hell are you here, Joel?” You snapped. “I told you to stay home, so why the fuck did you show up?”

“Somethin’ bout the way you sounded on the phone made me nervous. I’m not sorry I showed up, though,” he confessed. That wasn’t good enough.

“You either explain to me what the fuck just happened, or you leave,” you ordered. 

“I can explain everythin’, baby. Can we just go inside?” Joel asked.

“You actually think I’m letting you in my house after you almost killed someone?” You raged. “I don’t even recognize you right now, Joel! And what the fuck did you mean when you told Bennett never to come back? What did he mean when he said you both agreed to stay away? Do you know him, Joel? Have you been lying to me this whole time?”

Joel sighed, his eyes falling to the ground; he couldn’t even fucking look at you.

“Answer me, damn it!” You cried. “Why won’t you answer me!”

“Baby, can we please go in the house? I need you to sit down and listen to me when I explain everythin’.”

“No! I want you to tell me right now.”

Joel nodded, standing idle in front of you. 

“I knew about your accident before we met.”

You looked at him horrified, your body frozen. 

“How?” You asked. “You didn’t even know me until almost three months ago.”

“I knew ‘bout it ‘cause we were datin’ when it happened,” he sighed. Joel’s features began to soften, and the pain in his voice was almost impossible to ignore. 

“No,” you shook your head. “You’re lying to me.”

“I’m not! Would you just listen to me? Please?” He pleaded, stepping forward.

You staggered back, your back hitting the side wall of the house. Your knees barely held your weight as you tried to grasp his words. Joel rubbed his bandaged knuckles, sucking in a breath before continuing. 

“You and Bennett broke up after you moved to Austin,” he began. “Y’all had some big argument, so y’moved in with Maria since you were substitute teachin’ at her school—the same school you teach at now. It musta been a couple of months after the breakup, but there was a parent-teacher conference night, and I ran into you. That's how you and I met, baby. That was nearly five years ago.”

Like a saw cutting bone, your headache fractured into a million tiny pieces, each one a sharp stab to your brain as you tried to grasp onto Joel's words. It wasn’t true. He was lying. You were going crazy; all your hard work at remembering everything and moving on was crumbling down, sand through your fingertips you could not keep from falling away.

“No, I know you’re lying,” you denied, tears streaming down your face. “You’re just making some sick fucking joke out of my memory loss. That’s what this is, isn’t it? You saw an opportunity to make up some story after I shared the most traumatic part of myself. You and Bennett…” You heaved in a breath. “No. This—this isn’t true. You’re lying.”

“I’m not! And I can prove it, but let me finish explainin’,” he begged before continuing. “We dated for almost two years, alright? Best fuckin’ years of my life. Y’were the best thing to ever happen to me. You even moved in with me and Sarah! She loved you so so much, baby. We would go to her soccer games together and watch cartoons together. We took her campin’ in the summer before the accident. Everythin’ was amazing. So fuckin’ amazing.”

“Sarah?” You interjected. “She would have said something to me months ago. You can’t expect me to believe this.”

“I begged her not to say anythin’ to you when she started school,” he explained. “I didn’t want you knowin’ till I was ready. I wanted to do this my way.”

“Your way?” You scoffed. “You get to decide when it’s a good time to tell me everything I’ve known is a lie? Are you fucking kidding me, Joel?”

“Everyone wanted to wait ‘til it was the right time,” he defended. “We all hoped you'd remember if I came back into your life.”

You slid down the wall, your body crumbling to the ground. You buried your head in your hands, trying to quell the pain squeezing together inside your head. Nothing made sense. Everything felt like a lie. It wasn’t true. You kept telling yourself that if it was true, everyone you loved and trusted had lied to you for years. You had struggled alone for so long without the truth. 

“My parents? My sisters? They all knew?” You muttered. “Everyone kept this from me?”

Joel crouched in front of you, his hand hovering over your leg. 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” You yelled. You shrunk away from him, curling your legs up to your chest and pressing into the wall. 

“The doctors and your parents thought it was best we didn’t mess with your memory,” he said, exasperated. “Bringin’ me into your life when y’didn’t remember me woulda set you back in recovery.”

“So, what?” You laughed bitterly. “Bennett just magically reappeared to save the day? Why did he come back if he and I were broken up?”

Joel pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed tight. You shivered against the wind rustling through the yard, your thin shirt barely keeping you warm. Not even the warmth of your tears coating your cheeks could fight the chill creeping through your spine.

“Your parents made the decision to reach out to Bennett,” Joel argued. “And he loved the idea. Bennet loved knowin’ I’d have no access to your life, and he’d have you back.”

“My parents wouldn’t do that. They hate him.” You kept shaking your head, hoping things would begin to make sense.

“They hate him, but they love you more, baby,” he whispered. “And I loved you—I love you—and I was willing to risk it all. If there were some chance you would get your memory back, then I’d be here waiting for you.”

“But I never remembered! I still don’t remember, Joel! So why now? Why did you come back?”

Joel rocked back onto his heels, his body falling back until he sat before you. Tears glistened in his eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. He didn’t have the right to be sad; he fucked up. He lied to you, and now he was paying the consequences. Your indifference and anger would torture him like he had tortured you. Like everyone had tortured you. 

“I just wanted the chance,” he admitted. “I wanted to know if that spark was still here between us. I know it’s still there, baby. This is real.”

“Don’t call me baby,” you cried, your voice barely above a whisper. “This isn’t real. You lied to me, Joel, and so did everyone else. Everyone decided what they thought was best for me, and I have suffered because of it. Do you not see that?”

“We did it to protect you,” he defended. “Y’gotta understand that.”

You pulled yourself to your feet, tripping over his body and toward the door. You wanted nothing to do with this conversation anymore. You fumbled with the door handle, the tremor of your fingers making your grip weak on the lock. The sound of Joel standing behind you ignited another wave of nerves, and you spun to face him. 

“I will never forgive you for this,” you cried. 

He stepped forward, his eyes pleading with words he couldn’t say. You shoved at his chest, forcing him away from you. Joel’s brown eyes looked at you as if he could see your heart breaking. He choked out your name, broken syllables that no longer sounded beautiful on his tongue. 

“Don’t ever come back here,” you threatened. “Don’t contact me. Don’t contact my family. You need to leave. Now.”

“Please,” he begged. Heavy tears fell down his tanned cheeks, leading to the scruff lining his jaw. You would have ached to soothe his sadness yesterday, but not now. Not when his sadness stemmed from the lies that filled the gaps in your memories. 

“Leave!” You screamed, shoving him again. 

Joel stumbled back, staring at you wide-eyed and heartbroken. You stepped forward again, your hands ready to push against his chest one more time. He lifted his hands in defeat, walking backward down the porch steps. 

“I love you,” he whispered in the night. “I’m so sorry.”

You didn’t wait to see him leave. You threw open the front door and slammed it shut just as fast, your body slumping against the wood as you swallowed down your nausea. 

You wanted to vomit.

You wanted to scream. 

You wanted to stop loving Joel. 

The room was spinning around you, and you had no chance to find your bearings before the haze washed over your mind and dropped you to the ground. 

Everything was dark around you. You groaned as you peeled yourself from the floor, your head still throbbing. The lies grew louder as you tried to recall everything Joel had said. 

I wanted to do this my way. 

I love you. 

Lie after lie, overlapping in the ocean of pain, threading its way through your body. The house felt colder than you were used to, your body still shivering as you stood on unsteady legs. You walked to the kitchen in search of water; every swallow felt like knives slicing through your throat. You fumbled for the kitchen light, rummaging through the cup cabinet for a glass. Two gray mugs sat snug on the shelf, the reminder of Joel staring straight at you. Another wave of emotions coursed through you, and you reached for them. 

You turned them in your hands, the faint smell of coffee lingering on the ceramic. The quiet moment spent together no longer felt special; it felt like a disgusting lie. Joel didn’t guess how you liked your coffee; he knew. He knew everything about you. The rage inside you returned, stronger than it had been on the porch. Your hands squeezed the mugs, and you hurled them into the nearest wall, a scream erupting from your mouth. You didn’t flinch as they shattered. You didn’t blink as they pierced the wall and chipped the paint. This house was built on lies, and you wanted to ruin every inch of it. You reached for another mug, smashing it on the ground before you. Then another…and another, until you stood in a pile of broken shards of your life. 

It wasn’t enough. 

You walked around the house, shattering anything you could find worth breaking. You stood in the living room and stared at the dust-covered bookshelf, your chest rising and falling. The books crammed on the shelves taunted you, the broken spines and dog-eared pages another reminder of the years you’d never remember. The adrenaline and anger led you to the shelf, and you used all of your strength to push it over. It toppled to the ground, its weight shaking the floor beneath your feet. A few books made their way out of the destruction, their bindings crushed by the downfall. 

You staggered back to the couch, slumping into the stiff cushions. Flashes of Joel wrapped around you flooded your mind, and you immediately rolled off of it. Your ass hit the ground, and you crumbled into a ball. Somewhere in the distance, your phone rang, the shrill of the ringer echoing through the destruction you had created. Maybe it was your mom with news of your dad. Maybe it was Beth. But you knew your phone would never light up with Joel’s name again. 

You rubbed your temples, trying to massage the ache throbbing in your skull. 

You spent another hour on the ground until you finally decided to drag yourself to the bathroom. Under the blinding lights, you stared at the stranger in the mirror. You didn’t recognize her. Whoever she was, she wasn’t the girl you had been hours ago. Your eyes were swollen from crying, your cheeks flushed, and your lips chapped from screaming. The wrinkles in your blouse were worse than they had been after school, the corners untucked from your work pants and splattered with remnants of Bennett’s blood. You didn’t recall ever getting close enough to the bloodshed, but the evidence of Joel’s violence was all over your body. You couldn’t tear your clothes off fast enough. 

You turned on the shower and didn’t wait for the water to run warm. The cold spray washed over your hair, and you scrubbed every inch of your body until your skin was raw and red. You ran the loufa over the places on your body Joel had touched: your stomach, your neck, your breasts. There wasn’t enough soap and water to rid yourself of the phantom touches left on your skin. You hated him. No, you wanted to hate him. You shook your head… you hated him. 

You hated everyone in your life. 

The imprint of Joel’s body was still pressed into the other side of the bed, and you couldn’t stand looking at the pillow he had laid his head on beside you. Those moments you shared under the light of the moon no longer felt special. He knew your body once before; he had seen you stripped bare and spread open. You gave yourself to him willingly, which meant something to you. Stripping off the sheets, you tossed them to the floor, curling up on the cold mattress. Sleep evaded you, so you let the night pass, your eyes watching the hours slip away through the view behind the bedroom window. 

Eventually, the sun rose and colored your room in soft morning sunshine. It angered you that the Earth continued to spin; the world hadn’t stopped moving, though you remained stuck in the series of events from yesterday. It was so fucking unfair that people around you would wake up today and move through their day with contentment and happiness. You didn’t know if you’d ever experience those emotions again. You were spiraling into each stage of grief, the overwhelming pressure of them consuming every fiber of your being. 

You mustered up whatever energy you had from yesterday to pull yourself from the empty bed. You were numb as you dressed yourself for work, avoiding the mirror as you put on a black dress and flats. You had briefly considered covering your dark circles and puffy eyes with makeup, but your exhaustion and lack of care said otherwise. 

Vacating your room, you walked into the mess you had created. Shards of broken dishes and glass littered the floor, the wallpaper torn in areas, and the bookshelf still lying half-destroyed in the living room. A laugh bubbled out of your mouth, the sound foreign and distorted. You did this. Your rage and hatred for everything around you ruined the only haven you had left. You couldn’t contain the laughter as it wracked through your body, tears springing from your eyes as your eyes glazed over the catastrophe of each room. The denial settled back over you when the laughter died, leaving you weeping in an empty house. 

As you left the house, you averted your eyes, your self-restraint working overtime not to focus on the blood stains marring the porch. You’d deal with that later. The silence inside your car weighed heavy on you while you drove to the school, your mind numb and empty as you pulled into your parking space. You should have found a substitute for the day, but you needed the distraction. Who knows what would have become of your house if you stayed in it any longer. The idea of setting it on fire didn’t sound so bad. 

You decided to lock your classroom door until school began; you didn’t need nor want to see Maria. She was just as much a liar as the rest, leading you on all these months and pushing you toward Joel. That “Happy Hour” night was just a ploy to get you and Joel in the same space; her intentions were never pure. Everyone had blood on their hands in this stupid fucking plan. 

The school bell rang, and you hesitantly opened your door. You plastered on the fake smile you had mastered, feeling uncomfortable after the last few months of actually feeling happy. Joel took that away in the span of a night. 

As the students filed in, you greeted them with a tight-lipped smile and a brief hello before settling into your desk chair. You weren’t in the right headspace to teach today, so you opted for quiet reading time and a few worksheets: anything to keep the noise levels down and the questions to a bare minimum. 

The classes went as smoothly as possible, with only a few outbursts of noise from each class. You hadn’t found the time to cry between each one, too busy finding the courage to face Sarah. 

Joel’s voice rang in your head as you watched her walk into the classroom, her curls bouncing with each step. 

She loved you so much, baby.

How could you believe Joel when he said something like that? It wasn’t true; it was manipulative. You never knew Sarah until this year. She was just as much a stranger to you as any other student until Joel entered your life. Yes, you cared for her, but you didn’t love her. Even she had been a part of all of this, her last conversation with you was just as much of a lie as everything else. You doubted Joel told Tommy he loved you, and you doubted Sarah even heard the conversation—if there really was a conversation to begin with. She was pushing you toward him like everyone else did. 

Everyone had a say in your life except for you. You were a bystander among their choices; nothing in the last three years had been in your control. You were a puppet on a string, tossed everywhere until it pleased them. 

“Okay, class, today is just an easy day for you,” you announced, your voice harsh and clipped. “Take out your reading for the next unit and work on chapters one through three. Once you finish, please grab a worksheet from my desk and get started on that.”

A unified groan sounded through the room, and that was your breaking point. Standing from your desk, you leveled the entire desk with a heavy glare.

“I don’t want to hear a single word today,” you snapped. “Open your books and start reading. Please.”

They all looked at you in terror. You had never been one to snap or be quick to anger, but you were teetering on the edge of eruption. One more word, and you would explode. The students sorted their backpacks for their books, the sound of pages rustling the only noise surrounding you. Slumping back into your chair, you sighed heavily and turned to your computer. 

An email sat unread in your mailbox, and you clicked it open with a pit in your stomach. 

Ms. Smith: My deepest apologies for your recent family emergency. Per the quarterly requirements, parent-teacher conferences must be completed by the end of the week.  If you need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out. Many thanks, Principal Edmonds 

Fuck. 

Fuck. Fuck Fuck.

You completely forgot about parent-teacher conferences. In the chaos of the last week, it had slipped your mind entirely. You scrounged through your binder of schedules and pulled out the spreadsheet you had created, skimming through the list to find Sarah’s name. She was the last on the list. Fuck. 

Seeing Joel this week would be too soon for the open wound bleeding inside your chest. You created a mock email to send to each parent, your fingers hovering over the keyboard as you landed on Joel’s email. You couldn’t avoid just one student during the conferences, even though every atom in your body screamed at you to do it. Without a second to overthink your choices, you sent your mass email and closed your inbox. 

As the class continued, students drifted to your desk for their worksheets. Sarah was among the first in the groups to come up; her eyes lowered to the ground, and a frown dragged down her lips. A piece you ached for her; she was just a child amid a web of lies. Then, there was another piece of you that understood Sarah was wiser than you realized. She understood the severity of the situation, yet she continued to persist. Were the soccer games even part of Joel's meticulous plan? 

“Miss Smith,” she cautioned. 

“Is there something you need, Sarah?” You scowled. You were being harsh, but you couldn’t find a fuck to give about it. 

“No. I—uh—I just wanted to ask if things were okay,” she stammered. “You know, between you and my dad. I shouldn’t have said anything yesterday. It was—.”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Sarah,” you interjected. You leaned forward, locking your hands together. “You shouldn’t be worrying about my dating life, nor should you worry about your father’s. I am your teacher, and these conversations need to stop.”

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, her eyes still staring at the ground. “I understand.”

She sulked back to her desk, never looking back at you. 

When the final bell rang, you exhaled relief and listened to the class chatter quietly as they packed up to leave. You quickly cleaned your desk, stuffed your things into your bag, and slung it over your shoulder. Maria's voice drifted down the hall before you could lock your door correctly.

“I’ve been trying to catch you all day!” She said, exasperated. 

You rolled your eyes, dropping your keys in your bag. Inhale. Exhale. 

“Sorry, Maria. I’ve just been busy,” you lied. “I need to get home, okay? We can catch up later.”

“Is everything alright?” She pressed. “Is it your dad? Is he okay?”

You whipped your head toward her, the venom creeping over your tongue. Inhale. Exhale.

“I haven’t had time to check in. I’ve been busy.”

Maria eyed you wearily, the dots connecting in her head the longer she stared at you. She saw the anger plastered on your face; she could hear the bitterness in your voice. Her lips trembled as she tried to piece together something to say. 

“Did something happen with Joel…” Her voice drifted off. 

“Don’t, Maria. I need to get going.”

You rushed down the hall, leaving her between empty classrooms and lingering students. 

St. David’s Medical Center looked the same as it did three years ago. Nothing had changed since you had been rushed here in an ambulance, your life hanging in the balance and memory gone. You’d never forget the moment you woke up in the hospital bed, bleary-eyed and confused. 

The brick building towered over you as you entered the ER. You stilled the erratic pulse in your veins before asking a nurse which floor Bennett had been transferred to. You didn’t want to do this—you didn’t want to see him—but you deserved answers that Joel didn’t have to offer. He hadn’t been the one with you the last three years; he didn’t know the other side of the story. 

The elevator ride up to the trauma unit was miserable, the nerves building inside you with each passing floor. You weren’t sure what to expect when you entered Bennett’s room, but you hoped for the best. Maybe he’d talk. Maybe he’d scream. Maybe he’d threaten to sue you…or Joel. All of which were valid reactions. The elevator door slid open, exposing you to a fluorescent hallway, a blur of nurses passing by as you walked through the corridor. 

The door to his room was shut, but you spotted a petite blonde woman through the cracks of the blinds. Natalie. Dammit, you forgot he had a wife, and that made all of this much more complicated. Sucking in a deep breath, you knocked. 

“You aren’t welcome here,” she seethed, cracking the door open an inch. 

“I understand, and I’m so sorry. I just—I just wanted to make sure he was okay. I’m at fault for all of this. I really am sorry,” you apologized. 

Natalie’s green eyes pierced into you, little daggers jabbing into the places in your heart that were still left intact. She was a few inches taller than you, her frame more petite and athletic than yours. You could understand why Bennett married her; she was perfect. You had no reason to be angry with her for his decisions, but you needed Natalie to know why you needed answers.

“Is he awake?” You asked, attempting to peer over her shoulder into the room. 

She quickly blocked your view, moving into the space that allowed you to see in. 

“You need to leave,” she snapped. “Our lawyer will contact you, and you can apologize to him.”

“Has he told you anything about me?” You tried a different angle. “If he has, you know why I need to talk to him. What happened yesterday…I had nothing to do with it. I was a bystander in all of it, and I know that doesn’t make the situation better, but I need to talk to him.”

“And I need you to fucking leave!” She raged. 

You were defeated, tired, and left with gaps in your memory that would never be filled with answers. Nodding slowly, you wound your hands together, twisting your fingers as you stood, reluctant to leave.

“Listen, when he gets better can you please just—can someone let me know? And if he ever wants to talk to me again, I’d really like to speak with him.”

“Like I said, our lawyer will contact you.”

The sound of movement behind her stirred her away, her head glancing back at the bed. You waited idly, trying to get a glimpse of Bennett. All you could make out was splotchy, swollen skin and bandages covering half his face. When you thought about Joel, a new wave of disgust flooded you. He did this. He not only ruined your life, but he ruined Bennett’s life, too. Joel nearly killed him last night, and the guilt would weigh on you heavily for that. 

“Natalie,” you heard Bennett’s voice echo into the hall. It was broken and raw, and you watched the door close in your face as she returned to his bedside. 

You remained outside the door for several minutes, not knowing what to say or where to go. This had been your only chance at learning the truth from his side, but Natalie persisted in not giving you the opportunity. You understood, though; you understood her pain. 

You made your way down the hall toward the nurse's station. An older woman in blue scrubs looked up at you with soft eyes and a gentle smile. 

“Can I help you with somethin’, dear?” She asked. 

“Do you mind if I leave my number with you? It’s for the patient down in room 201. I would really appreciate it if you could leave it with him when he gets discharged.”

“Oh, of course, sweetheart. Let me grab a notepad.”

You jotted down your number and left the hospital with tears streaming down your face. Everything was hopeless, completely hopeless. You would never get answers or closure; you’d have to spend however long to accept it and move forward. But that wasn’t good enough. You deserved answers. It was your life you had lost, and everyone else got the pleasure of knowing… everyone except you. 

You were too tired to care about the mess when you arrived home. You walked barefoot through the house, tiptoeing around the broken dishes, not bothered by the thought of stepping on the shards. You were numb; nothing would hurt right now. You had no appetite for dinner, so you settled for a glass of wine; at least the buzz would overlap the throbbing pain in your head. 

Your phone sat on the dining table, untouched. You hadn’t checked it in nearly twenty-four hours and were scared of what you might find. Despite the anger toward your family, you still worried for your dad. It was hard to push aside the emotions weighing down your chest, but you needed to make sure he was okay. 

Taking a long gulp of your wine, you finally checked your phone. 

Seven missed calls from Mom

Ten missed calls from Beth

Two missed calls from Stella

You dialed your mom’s number and waited with trembling hands. 

“Sweetheart! I was so worried about you. Why haven’t you answered me?” Your mom sounded flustered.

“I’ve been busy,” you lied. 

“We’ve been trying to get a hold of you all day. Dad woke up this morning, and everything was okay, like we hoped. He’s going to have a bit of recovery with his hip, but there were no other issues. His memory is fine, and he’s alert.”

That was the tipping point. 

“I’m glad he can remember everything. I would really hate it if you had to lie to someone again about their life,” you said bitterly. 

The silence was louder than words. 

“Sweetie…” Your mom pleaded.

“I know, Mom. I know you lied. I know about everything, so save it.”

“You have to understand—.”

“I don’t have to understand anything! You don’t get to decide what I think or feel right now. You all chose to lie to me for years!”

“It was what we thought was right,” your mom begged. “We didn’t want to lose you. We—we were all so scared that messing with your memory would make things worse.”

You laughed, your body void of any emotion other than anger. Your words were weapons, and you were ready to aim to kill.

“And what were you planning on doing if I got those memories back?” You questioned. “Were you hoping I’d just carry on with my life without giving a shit? You took two years of my life and kept it a secret! You took everything from me, Mom. You all did.” 

There was no mistaking the sound of her crying through the phone. You pulled your cell phone from your ear, letting the muffled sounds linger in static air. Your name floated through the receiver, and you slowly brought it back to your ear. Your mom's words mumbled together.

“…sorry, sweetie. I’m so—I’m so sorry. We should have told you sooner. We shouldn’t have…”

You tore the phone from your ear again and lifted your wine glass to your lips. The rich-bodied taste paired well with your resentment, the tinge of bitterness coating your tongue and poisoning your words.

“There’s a lot you should have done and said, but it’s too late now, isn’t it?” You raged. “You should have told me the truth the moment I woke up. You should have never let Bennett back into my life, and you should have never kept Joel a secret. I understand now why you all acted so weird around Joel in Boston. I understand why everyone was shoving it down my throat to tell him about the accident. You wanted me to be the one that took the fall when everything connected. I’m sure you’re so happy now that you’re free from all the secrets you’ve been hiding.”

“I just wanted you to be happy,” she sobbed. “We all did.”

“Happy?” you repeated. “I’ve been miserable for years. You all knew how Bennett treated me, and you let it happen! You made that decision, and now you have to live with it. You were worried you’d lose me? Well, congrats, Mom, you’ve lost me.”

You ended the call before she could utter another word and returned to your wine glass. Sitting at the dining table, surrounded by unfamiliar ghosts, you drank until the bottle ran empty. 

Light-headed and drunk, you staggered through dark hallways to your room. The world spun around you as you collapsed onto the bed, your body on an endless merry-go-round as you tried to shut your eyes. Even with an entire bottle of wine in your system, you still couldn’t sleep. You watched the ceiling fan rotate for hours, your head spinning in the same cadence. Around and around, your thoughts turned until nausea led you to the bathroom. 

You laid your head on the edge of the toilet seat, exhausted and defeated. You wanted to cry, but the tears never came. You wanted to scream, but you had no voice. All you had was a handful of anger and nowhere to place it. 

It took you three days to finally clean the mess inside your house. Your energy levels ran so low from work and parent-teacher conferences that you would just lay on the couch and stare at the ruined walls. Your fridge was empty, and nothing in your pantry had been touched aside from the aged bottles of wine you kept stored on a dark shelf. You weren’t the type to drink yourself into oblivion, but it had been your only comfort amid the heartbreak. You didn’t sleep much, either, and it began showing. Makeup no longer hid the dark circles sinking in beneath your eyes; you gave up trying to hide it. Your students slowly started to notice the shift in your mood as the week passed; their books were open and ready to read before you could even sit down. It was a nonverbal agreement between them and you; they kept their voices down, and you didn’t lash out. You never wanted to be the teacher who didn’t care about what they learned, but you didn’t even care about yourself right now.

But now it was the last day of conferences, and you had to see the person you hated most—the person who built up and tore down your happiness and trust. 

I love you.

You wished you could love the sound of those words. You wished you could hear them again in a different life and believe them. In whatever memories you lost, you knew Joel meant those words, and you knew you probably meant them, too. And the longer you thought about it, the more your heart shattered. It was all a lie.

The clock was nearing six o'clock when you finished your conference with Georgia and her parents. Of course, she got high accolades and praises, and you carried yourself as best as you could the entire time. With tight smiles and agreeing nods of your head, her family finally shuffled out. 

You tried your hardest to contain the emotions welling inside your chest. There had been nothing but a static numbness rolling through your veins the last several days, but any moment now, Joel would walk through your classroom door and tear off the bandaid, barely keeping your heart together. You sorted through papers on your desk, trying to busy yourself as you waited while cursing yourself for ever deciding to be a teacher. If you hadn't chosen this school, maybe you could have avoided meeting Joel—back then and now. You might have never met if you had chosen a different career path. If you never met, then—

A familiar voice said your name and roused you from your endless ‘what ifs.’ Your head snapped toward the door and saw Joel standing with Sarah at his side. He didn’t need to say anything else; he saw everything written on your face—the anger, the pain, the exhaustion. He saw right through your hard exterior—he always did. And you hated him all over again. 

“Hello, Sarah,” you greeted her with a tight smile. You kept your eyes below Joel’s neck when you greeted him. “Hello, Mr. Miller.”

You didn’t want to spend another second lost in the dark brown of his eyes, wondering about what could have happened if things had been different. You pulled Sarah’s report from your pile of papers and jotted down the list of what to talk about and how quickly you could sum it up. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed something in Joel’s hand, his bruised knuckles squeezing it tight.

Sarah went to one of the desks, readying herself to sit down. You held out a hand to stop her, urging her to remain standing.

You started, “I’ll keep it short and sweet, so I don’t waste any of your time.”

“What happened to your hand?” Joel’s voice radiated around the room, the concerned tone vibrating through your body. 

You glanced at your hand and realized it was red and scabbed with cuts from cleaning the house—you hadn’t been particularly careful or safe when you picked up the broken pieces. You dropped your arms to your sides, keeping your features schooled and replacing any emotions with the professionalism you had mastered through the years. 

“Like I was saying.” You cleared your throat. “Sarah has done great on the units so far this year. She’s among the highest-scoring students in the class and did exceptionally well on our poetry unit. I do not doubt the rest of the year will be even greater academically for her.”

Sarah stood awkwardly between you and Joel, her teeth chewing into her bottom lip. Joel shifted beside her, his hands drawn behind his back, keeping whatever he held a secret. You looked over your paper again, skimming the words that had been pre-written weeks ago. 

“I have no concerns about Sarah or her capabilities in the class, so I think we should end it there,” you said. If this had been any other student, you would have spent more time talking them up and genuinely putting effort into the conference. But you wanted nothing more than to see them both walk out the door and leave.

Joel repeated your name, attempting to capture your attention. It worked, but not to his benefit.

“I am your daughter’s teacher, Mr. Miller,” you snapped. “Please address me correctly.”

You glared at him, finally meeting his eyes. He looked just as awful as you did. The glimmering amber of his eyes had dulled to a dark color you had never seen before, and his patchy beard was far past unkempt, the dark, wiry hairs traveling down his neck. Even his tan skin looked paler than you could recall. 

Good, you thought. You wanted Joel to suffer. 

“Miss Smith,” he tried again, dragging a hand down his face. “Can we just talk for a minute?”

“Unless you have a question about Sarah or the class material, there isn’t anything else to discuss,” you countered, clenching your jaw. 

Joel turned his head toward Sarah, giving her a brief nod. She slid her eyes to you again, their hazel-colored softness filled with concern. Before you could question it, she moved toward the door, leaving you alone with Joel faster than you could register. 

“Sarah!” You called, stomping to the door. 

She was already running down the hallway, curls bouncing around her head. 

Your body muscles tightened and contracted as you stood helplessly in the doorway. Joel’s warmth swarmed around you, even at the healthy distance he maintained. 

“Hey,” Joel said from behind you. 

You glanced back over your shoulder, watching as Joel brought forward the item he had hidden behind his back. It was a book. You recognized it immediately. Romeo and Juliet.

“Look, I just—.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, his biceps flexing under the cotton sleeves of his shirt. “I just wanted to bring this to you. It’s yours. I kept it all these years after the accident. I don’t really know why. I mean, I do know why. It’s stupid, but it’s your book, and you deserve it back.”

“Oh.” You blinked up at him, not knowing how to respond.

“Still got all your notes and scribbles,” he sighed, handing it to you. “Used to lay up at night with it, readin’ what you wrote on the sides of the pages after the accident. Y’know, I already knew it was your favorite when I asked you. I just wanted to hear y’talk ‘bout it one more time. Y’used to talk my ear off ‘bout your favorite books.” He laughed at a memory you didn’t know existed. “Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer. Y’have a good day, Miss Smith.”

He placed the book in your hands, his body brushing your shoulder as he walked out the door. Words lodged in your throat, words you didn’t want to say. The anger you were carrying inside you was becoming unbearable, but in the same breath, you hurt for him just the same. 

Joel was long gone when the words finally came out, and you whispered thank you as you held the worn-down book between your hands. 

You half-considered throwing away the book when you got home, your hand hovering over the trash bin with the book grasped between your shaking fingers. There wasn’t an ounce of you that wanted to open it and see your writing. Joel had carried this with him for years, holding onto a secret only he could remember. He had read this play probably a thousand times before he had even asked about it on the soccer fields. The facade of ‘doing research’ was a lie; he only wanted to share a moment of the past with you. A moment you couldn’t remember and a moment he only wanted to relive, even for just a few seconds. And you did it. You gave him hope that his plan would work, never knowing the truth. 

You hated him. But it wasn’t enough hate to drown out the immense suffering of still falling in love. 

Walking to your closet, you found the darkest corner and buried the book deep into the shadows. You’d be ready to flip through the pages one day, but you needed time. 

Sitting back on your heels, you stared at the cuts along your hands and felt absolutely nothing. There was no more anger.

There was nothing.

[sanguinaryrot]

and they could never, ever tear us apart

wait. I’ve never drawn Otto and Bennett kissing. Stop everything.

[nepenthendline]

genshin boys relationship styles

Hopeless romantic: dancing in the rain, baking on a rainy day, cuddling in the sun by a lake, 'I love you's every moment, promise rings and matching bracelets, love notes, little sweet gifts, daydream about your future together, tell you how beautiful you are every morning, always keep you close, bear hugs

WRIOTHESLEY, KAZUHA, NEUVILLETTE, ZHONGLI, ALBEDO, DILUC, THOMA

Lovers but, more importantly, best friends: laughing all night long, silly cute pranks, texts full of 'I saw this and thought of you', 3am deep talks, all fight-talking but always let you win, binge-watching your favourite show because they know you love it, spontaneous adventures, bullys you but kisses you after

CHILDE, BENNETT, LYNEY, KAEYA, KAVEH, GOROU, TIGHNARI, ITTO, VENTI

Only because of that one person: occasional check-ins so you know they care, gifts they 'accidently left at your house, I guess you can keep it', denies time with others because they're 'busy' to spend time with you, little actions to make your life easier, somehow always there right when you need them, hand squeezes that mean 'I love you', says dates are a hassle but never fail to show

WANDERER, ALHAITHAM, XIAO, CYNO

[ladykailitha]

Sweet Home Indiana Part 6

@anne-bennett-cosplayer I hope this is enough time to recover from that last line. It's technically been 3 business days.

That last line was mean, and I'm sorry. So for being so mean, here's Claudia Henderson with some very tough love for Eddie.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

****

Eddie had done some serious groveling that night. He didn’t know how he could make up for all the hell he’d put Steve through. How does one even begin to make up for a decade worth of shitty behavior?

Especially since it was clear that the one thing that would make it all worth it was if Eddie came back to Steve and he couldn’t do that. Not to Chrissy. Not when she needed him the most.

He did the only thing he could think of and talk to the people who still cared about Steve. He started with Claudia Henderson. Even though she wasn’t Steve’s birth mother, she was more his mom then that shrew ever was.

She gathered him into a hug when he showed up on her doorstep.

“I was wondering when your shadow would darken my doorway,” Claudia said, as she lead the way to the kitchen.

Eddie winced at the harsh words even if they gently given. He looked around the small house, Dustin’s mark stamped on every corner even though he had moved out long ago. But more surprisingly was Steve’s touch had found its way into the decor. And not just his photos on the wall either.

It was in the Pacers blanket on the loveseat, the baseball bat by the front door, the bright yellow pillows on the sofa. Steve was loved here and god did that make Eddie’s heart ache.

He sat down at his usual spot at the counter and watched as she bustled around the kitchen getting him cookies and glass of milk.

“Why are you even here, Eddie?” she asked in that tough but loving way she always had. “You broke his heart and then threw it away.”

Eddie took bite of the cookie to give him time to formulate an answer. “Because I know I fucked up, okay? But the only way I can see to fix it is to come back to him and I can’t do that. I can’t tell you why, just know she’s in trouble and this is the only option we have.”

Claudia let out a long sigh and leaned on the counter. “You always did know the right things to say.”

“Not when it comes to him,” he scoffed, staring down at his milk like it would give him the answers. “I keep making it worse.”

She hummed her agreement. “That’s certainly true. But I think that was more about you trying to protect your heart from getting hurt, only you ended up hurting his instead.”

Eddie just dunked his cookie without comment, because he knew she was right. It was never about Steve. It was about all the people who hated him, who strung him along until they had their fun, about his mom dying and his dad leaving, about the band deciding they just didn’t want to do it anymore.

He loved being a tattoo artist, but that wasn’t the dream.

“What would you do or tell Dusty if it was him you’d come to see after a decade apart?” Claudia asked, looking up at him.

Eddie sat back in the stool and sighed. “How much I missed him and then I would try to spend as much time with him as possible.”

“There you have it,” she said. She straightened up and knocked on the counter twice. “The bakery is closed Fridays and the carnival is in town. Why don’t you take him and get to know who he is now, all right?”

He rubbed his face and sighed again. “Yeah, if he’ll even go with me. He probably already has a hot date lined up, though.”

Claudia shook her head. “At least not that he’s told me, anyway. In fact he was lamenting that he was thinking about not going because Robin had a date, but he didn’t and he didn’t want to third wheel it.”

That was so like Steve. Instead of finding someone to go with him, like a friend or something, he would just not go. Tell them to have fun without him.

“I guess the worse that could happen is have him curse me out and hang up,” Eddie said with wry smile. “And considering I’ve already had the pleasure once, a second time isn’t going to change much.”

She lifted her chin. “Well go on, then. If you think he’s going to cuss you out, call him. I want to see this.”

Eddie stuck his tongue out at her like a petulant child. But did as he was told.

“Hey, Eds,” Steve greeted, picking up the phone almost immediately.

His heart stuttered in his chest at the old nickname. “Hey, Stevie. I hear the carnival was in town this week and wanted to see if you want to go.”

“With you? Or with a group or whatever?” Steve asked, his voice pitching a little higher than normal.

“Just me,” Eddie confirmed. “When would be good for you?” He looked up at Claudia who had the smuggest grin on her face. He stuck his tongue out at her again.

“Oh, I–um...” he stammered. “Well, I was thinking of opening the shop on Friday even though I don’t usually because I was closed on Sunday.”

Eddie winced. He had a pretty good idea why Steve’s shop was closed on Sunday. Steve had called to bitch him out on Saturday evening when the special courier delivered the annulment papers. Something the law firm had paid for so they wouldn’t lose their best legal assistant.

“But sure, I could use a proper day off for a change,” Steve was saying when Eddie’s brain finally came back on. “How about two o’clock?”

“That’d be great,” he said a small, fond smile on his face. “I can’t wait. I haven’t been to a proper carnival in years.”

“Perks of living in a small town, I guess,” Steve replied.

Eddie started playing with his hair. “One of the few. Can’t say I’m a fan of the homophobia.”

Steve laughed, bright and sweet. “Yeah, okay. You got me there. Look I’ve got to go, Robin’s giving me the stink eye and I really should get back to work.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I talk to you later.” He hung up and refused to look Claudia in the eye. He knew what he was going to see anyway. Her arms crossed over her chest and a triumphant smile on her face.

“I don’t believe I heard any cursing on that call,” she said dryly. He looked up at her and he as right about everything about how she was looking at him, only with the addition of a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah well,” Eddie said, rolling his eyes. “He always was a stubborn bastard and having to prove me wrong.”

Claudia’s face crumpled a bit. Because yes, Eddie had done a lot of harm to their relationship, Steve wasn’t exactly blameless in the whole ordeal. Because Max’s situation aside, Eddie was right that ‘the kids’ had families and parents of their own. That they had people who would look out for them. And if Steve hadn’t stepped up in Max’s case, she sure as hell would have. The awkwardness between Max and Dustin be damned.

If Steve had loved Eddie as much as he claimed, he wouldn’t have tried to force the metalhead to chose between his friends and his husband.

“He is that,” she admitted gently. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you two. You were always a better person when you were together, than when you were apart. And yes, he’s struggled a lot since you left, but looking at you now, I can see that the years haven’t been kind to you either.”

Eddie huffed. “That’s what Uncle Wayne said. That I lost my sparkle or whatever.”

Claudia came around the corner and wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back tight.

“Your uncle is right, sweetie,” she murmured into his hair. “We only want you to be happy and it doesn’t feel like you are. You say you’re getting married, but where’s the bounce in your step and the smile that won’t stop? Like when you and Steve had come back from a week vacation married if only in the state of Massachusetts.”

He let out a shuddering breath and then another. Soon he was just sobbing. Crying like he couldn’t stop.

Eddie had never wanted to hurt Steve and he was sure Steve felt the same about him.

She soothed him with whispered assurances and stroking his hair. Soon enough he had slowed to a hiccuping sniffle and Claudia stepped back so she could look him in the eyes.

“I have a pretty good idea what’s really going on,” she said firmly. “And you’re being really sweet, but before you do something you regret, spend time in town. Take a look at the things that have changed and all the ones that haven’t. Then decide if it’s still the right thing to do.”

He gulped. He had no doubt that she had figured it out. She was Claudia Fucking Henderson, of course she did.

“You won’t tell anyone,” Eddie asked, tears threatening to spill again, “will you?”

She shook her head. “No, your secret is safe with me. I won’t make things harder on you then they need to be.”

She hugged him again and Eddie felt like he was home for the first time in over five years.

****

“Just where are you taking me, old man?” Eddie teased. He had met his uncle for lunch after being emotionally rung out at the Henderson place.

“You need a pick me up,” Wayne said, “and I need my afternoon brownie. Come along.”

Eddie came to an abrupt stop. “Um...I’ll wait out here, then.”

Wayne looked up at the shop’s sign and then back at him. “Look, son, you’re going to have to face him eventually. Especially with you going to carnival together and all.”

Eddie dug his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and followed Wayne dutifully into the bakery.

“Hey Mr. Munson!” Steve greeted cheerfully. “You here for your usual?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to call me ‘Wayne’?” he asked with a chuckle, walking up the to counter.

Steve blushed and hung his head. “I guess I’m just old fashioned.” He cleared his throat and straightened up. “So what can I get you and your shadow today?”

Wayne reared his head back and then looked over his shoulder to see Eddie hanging back, but sticking as close to him as possible.

“That’ll be two monsters, one of your apple fritters, and a half dozen of your snickerdoodles,” he said shaking his head. Then he turned to Eddie. “And what do you want?”

Eddie’s eyes nearly burst out of his head. Steve and Wayne laughed.

“I suppose I should have said ‘what else do you want?’” Wayne clarified.

Eddie blushed and peered around Wayne’s shoulder to look into the case. “A peanut butter madness, please.”

Steve’s face lit up with delight. “These are the ones Jeff’s mom was slandering with having them stale. They are so much better warm out of the oven. In fact, here!” He grabbed it out of the case and wandered to the back.

He came out a few moments later. Eddie nearly melted from the tantalizing scent of warm brownie filled the air.

“What did you do?” Eddie cried as he reached out with grabby hands.

Steve handed it to him. “Careful, it’s hot. I microwaved it for thirty seconds. Should be perfect now.”

Eddie cautious bite and moaned as soon as the peanut butter hit his mouth. He savored every bit of that first bite. “Fuck, Stevie. These should be a sin.”

Steve smiled and then got to work on the rest of Wayne’s order as Eddie devoured every inch of that brownie.

“How long are you in town for, Eds?” he asked as he handed over the boxes to Wayne.

Eddie grabbed a paper napkin from the dispenser by the register and wiped off his hands and mouth of the gooey remains.

“I’ve got to back by Monday,” he said, a tad mournfully. He never thought he’d miss this place after spending so long running from it. The town. Not the bakery. Though he had spent a lot of his time running from its owner, too.

Steve’s own smile faltered a bit too. “Not even a whole week, huh? I guess there really is no rest for the wicked.”

They chatted for a bit before more customers came in and Steve had to get back to work. Eddie and Wayne walked out of the shop laden with goodies. Steve had divided them up for Eddie and Wayne separately. Wayne handed Eddie his box.

“Now was that so terrible?” he asked with big grin.

“No.”

Because it really wasn’t. In fact it was kinda nice just chatting with Steve.

Leaving was looking more and more bleak with each passing moment.

****

Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Tag List:

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2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @goodolefashionedloverboi

3- @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @vecnuthy @irregular-child

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9- @mac-attack19 @blondie1006

[vioartemis]

Falling for her (part 2)

(ghostface! Tara Carpenter x fem! reader)

Summary: After months of dating Tara, you find out she killed people, dressed in a Ghostface costume. Looks like you have a type... Part 1 || Part 2 Warnings: blood, injuries, death, angst (English isn't my first language, I'm sorry if there are mistakes or if something doesn't make sense TvT)

It has been five months since you and Tara started dating. Everything was perfect. You dates, the time you spent together, her. It was as if you were living in a dream.

It was rare to see one without the other, you were constantly on each other, cuddling, holding hands, or kissing. Which annoyed your friends, but you didn't care. You were happy with Tara, and hoped it would last.

Even with the recent murders that occurred, you weren't too affected.

Unfortunately, Tara wasn't with you right now, she had to go to the library to study, and you were bored. You thought you might study too, but you couldn't find your notes. Then you remembered where they were.

It was night, and the streets were dark and empty. You shouldn't be outside with a killer on the loose, but you really needed these damn sheets of paper. If only she didn't forget to give them back to you during the day...

A few days ago, you let one of your classmates, Ava Bennett, borrow your notes so she could complete hers. She wasn't supposed to keep them a whole week.

When you arrived at her house, you were surprised to find the door slightly opened, as if someone forgot to close it. You pushed it hesitantly, not wanting to see things you were not supposed to.

The first thing you saw was how messing the house was. Everything was upside down, vases broken on the floor. Suddenly, you heard a sound of broken glass coming from the kitchen.

Without thinking twice, you ran in that direction - dumb decision - only to be met with the sight of Ava's bloody form on the floor. You let out a horrified scream, before realizing she was not alone in the room.

The killer looked at you through his Ghostface mask, tilting his head slightly. You took the taser Sam forced you to carry out of your bag with shaky hands.

Fortunately, the killer ran away, probably thinking you were not alone.

A sudden movement made you jump. It was Ava. She wasn't dead! You let the taser fall to the ground, getting on your knees beside her, applying pressure on her wounds to stop the bleeding with one hand, taking your phone with the other.

You dialed 911.

"Please I need help! M-my friend has been stabbed she's bleeding!" you said as soon as someone picked up, tears in your eyes

"Miss, calm down, what happened exactly?"

"We don't have time for that! She's going to die if you don't come!"

You didn't listen to what the man said to you, quickly giving him the address before putting your phone down and put both of your hands to better use.

You grabbed a towel on the counter and applied more pressure on the bleeding wounds.

"I-it's gonna be okay.. I called 911... they'll be here quickly..." you said, in an attempt to comfort the girl.

Or maybe you were trying to convince yourself everything would be okay.

When the ambulance arrived, followed by the police, your hands and jeans were soaked with the girl's blood. She was still alive, you could feel it.

Some ladies helped you getting up, and led you to the back of an ambulance to see if you were hurt. A police officer then came so you could tell him what happened.

The rest happened really fast; they took your phone and called Sam, registered as the person to call in case of emergency, they told you they would need to keep it as an "evidence". Then Sam arrived.

She talked with a police officer, looking at you with worried eyes, before they finally let her pick you up.

She was about to hug you, but you stopped her, holding your hands in front of you.

"I wouldn't want to ruin your clothes..."

When you finally got home, Tara was waiting for you in the living room. She got up the second she heard the door.

"Y/n! Are you okay??"

She didn't wait for your answer and hugged you tight. The warmth of her body made you feel a little better.

"I have to see my therapist, can you take care of her while I'm gone?"

"You can go.. I'll be fine..." you said before Tara could answer

Sam nodded, still worried, before leaving.

"C'mon, let's clean you up.."

You both went to the bathroom, where Tara helped you take the blood off your hands, before giving you a new pair of jeans and throw the blood stained one.

Then, you headed to your room. You got under the covers, feeling safe with the blanket on you, while Tara sat beside you on the bed, stroking your hair gently.

She placed a soft kiss on your lips.

"You want to talk about it...?"

There was not much to say, as you arrived too late. You told her what you saw, Ava, stabbed several times, laying on the floor of her kitchen.

"He looked at me... he looked at me, and when I took the taser... he just- he ran away..."

"Don't worry, the police will catch this fuckhead soon. We already survived two Ghostface, we can survived one more, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I hope so.."

Then it hit you.

"... How do you know it was Ghostface...?"

You looked at her, sitting up in your bed. She stayed silent.

"Tara, how to do you it was Ghostface...?" your voice broke on the last words

"Y/n I-"

"Answer me."

"..."

That silence said everything. You couldn't hold back your tears.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me..."

"I'm sorry! You weren't supposed to learn it like that... I-"

"I'm not doing that. Not again."

"I- I never would've hurt you I'm not-"

"The last person who said that tried to stab me five minutes later."

"I know but you have to believe me! I love you so much... I would never lay a hand on you-"

"Get out."

"No Y/n please listen..! She wasn't a good person, she-"

"Tara. Get. Out."

The look in your eyes hurt her. You didn't care. You got up. She took a step back, looking at you with teary eyes.

"Y/n please..."

"Get the fuck out of my room."

Without her realizing it, you made her walk out. You slammed the door shut as soon as her back hit the bathroom wall, locking it from inside.

You sat in the opposite corner, knees against your chest, face buried in your arms. Tara was banging on your door, trying to talk to you. You could hear the despair in her voice, the guilt.

But you couldn't do this again.

You covered your ears with your hands, head resting on your knees, tears flooding down your cheeks.

When the door opened, she stopped trying. You didn't hear anything for a solid five minutes, before someone, probably Sam, knocked on your door.

"Please go away..." your voice was low and broken

No one else tried to talk to you after that.

<><><><> ♡ <><><><>

You spent the next three weeks avoiding everyone, especially Tara. You still couldn't believe your sweet girlfriend killed Ava. Maybe she killed the others too. You weren't sure of anything at this point.

Despite all your efforts, one night, Sam managed to catch you in the kitchen, while you were grabbing some food.

"I'm worried about you... you don't talk to anyone, you almost don't eat... What happened that night...?"

"..."

"Y/n please... Tara's not doing well either, she feels really bad... I'm afraid she does something she'll regret... I don't know what she did, but you could talk about this, don't you think...? Or at least talk to me... maybe I can help..."

"You can't help us... We- I have to deal with this myself... But I can't right now, it still hurts too much..."

Before she could add anything, you got back into your room.

What could you do? Tell the police, and send the girl you loved in jail? No, that was not an option.

Forgive her, and hope she doesn't try to kill you? You wanted to. Yet you couldn't help but remember what happened with Amber. You thought you could convince her, and she tried to kill you.

The next day, while you were walking to class, you heard someone call your name. You turned around, already pissed.

"Y/n! Can I talk to you?"

It was Luca Harris, Ava's boyfriend.

"Uh... sure" you sighed

"Can we to go a.. more private place?"

You didn't really understand but you followed him behind the gardener's cabin.

"What do you want..?" you asked

"I'd like to talk about Ava..."

You glupped.

"What about her?"

"I wanted to thank you, for trying to save her."

"How do you know-"

"My dad has friends in the police. They told him they found you next to her, hands covered in her blood, trying to stop the bleeding..."

"That's what happened yeah..."

You didn't see where he was going. The only time you talked to him before was after you walked in on them having sex, to apologize.

"C'mon Y/n... we both know that's a lie"

"What...?"

"My dad's friends told him who you were. Y/n L/n, ex girlfriend of Amber Freeman. The psycho responsible for the Woodsboro massacre last year."

You felt your heart miss a beat.

"W-what are you trying to say...?" you asked

"Isn't it obvious? You killed Ava. Because you're as crazy as your ex. Because you were jealous of her."

"What...? Of course not..! Why would you-"

"Stop lying, I saw how you looked at me when you saw us in Ava's bed. You blushed so hard you were as red as a tomato."

"Because you were fucking naked!" you said, but he wasn't listening to you

"Your girlfriend can't satisfy you, can she? You needed someone else to take care of you properly, I can understand that. But you could've just asked, I would've done it with pleasure."

You tried to back off, but he wasn't ready to let you go.

"Why did you have to kill her? Now I have to kill you too... to avenge her"

Saying that, he took a pocket knife out of his jacket, and pressed a button to open the blade.

Luckily for you, Tara was watching from afar. The shine of the blade caught her attention.

In less than thirty seconds, she was here.

"What exactly do you think you're doing with that knife?" she asked the boy

"Ah, I was wondering when you would come. I was about to slice her open, just like she did to Ava."

"Don't you dare touch her."

"And what are you going to do, huh? Slap my knee? You're like 5'1! No wonder you can't satisfy her."

You tried you take a step closer to Tara, but Luca was faster than you. He put the knife against your throat, pushing the tip slightly into the soft flesh.

Everything happened so fast you barely understood what was going on.

Tara kicked the back of his knees and pulled him by his collar, making him fall slightly backward, before taking the knife out of his hand.

"No one touches my girlfriend dickhead."

With that, she stabbed him in the eye. Blood splattered on her shirt.

His body fell to your feet. He was dead before he even touched the ground.

You started to panic. There was tons of people only a few meters away. The body would be found before the end of the day.

You took a tissue in your pocket before bending down to remove Tara's fingerprints from the knife. Then, you took the boy's hand and wrapped it around the weapon, just in case, before taking off your sweater and throwing it at Tara.

She looked at you, mouth agape.

"Put it on, you're covered in blood."

She did as you told, before asking:

"So you don't hate me...?"

For the first time in weeks, your gaze met hers.

"Of course not..."

You saw her eyes shining a little with hope.

"Y/n I-"

"Can we talk about this later..? After classes? When we will be far away from his dead body?"

You didn't say that in a mean way, just worried someone might come here for whatever reason and catch you.

"Let's go before someone sees us..."

You both headed to class, hoping you didn't leave any evidences next to the body. Every time a teacher spoke, you were scared they had found the body.

Tara, on the other hand, was more relieved than scared. All she could think about was you. You didn't hate her. You gave her your sweater, her favorite one with your perfume on it.

It was too big for her, and you always told her she looked so cute in it. She spent her day thinking about all your dates and the moments you spent together.

Until an announcement was made.

You were in history, one of the only classes you had together, when the speakers turned on. The director started talking. They found the body.

You gave Tara a worried look across the class.

"Classes will end now. You must go home and lock the doors. Don't walk alone, always be with someone. Don't take any risks, if you see something suspect, call the police immediately."

Everyone started to talked as soon as the announcement ended, quickly exiting the classroom to find a friend to walk home with.

You walked to Tara, feeling sick.

"You okay..?"

"Yeah I think... let's just... let's go home..."

She nodded, and was about to take your hand, before stopping, not sure you wanted her to. You looked at her for a second, and took her hand.

"... I'm sorry I didn't try to talk to you... It just brought back memories I wanted to forget..." you said

You were both sitting on your bed, decided to explain yourselves.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing, I knew what Amber did, I saw how you felt after that, and I did the same... But the simple thought of someone wanting to hurt you makes me sick to the core... I... I just wanted to protect you..."

You placed your hand on hers softly.

"Why did you kill Ava..?" you asked gently

"I... I heard them, her boyfriend and her. They were talking about you.. He was telling her what happened at Woodsboro, the murder, that you were Amber's girlfriend, and probably her accomplice... They wanted to blackmail you, using that information..."

You didn't say anything, taking a minute to register the informations.

"And... and the others...?"

Once again, she explained everything to you. These ones wanted to take you away from her. It was true that they had been flirting with you for a month or so, and became more and more insistent.

"... You're not mad...?" she asked

"I can't say I'm happy about that... but you did this to protect me so... Thank you..."

Your lips curled up into a little smile.

"Does that means.. does that means we still have a chance..?"

"At first, when I learnt you did.. what you did, I thought you were like Amber... But I had time to think, the past weeks, and... Now that you told me everything... I realized you couldn't be more different... She was ready to kill me realizing I would leave her... You killed people to protect me from getting hurt, even if it meant me being mad at you"

You brought her hand to your lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"I love you so much Tara... I'm sorry it took me that long to talk with you... but please stop killing people, I don't want to take the risk to lose you..."

"I'll try. For you"

She came closer to you, sitting on your lap, and cupped your cheeks. You tilted your head up slightly to look at her, before her soft lips met yours.

"I missed you" you whispered against her lips

"I missed you too"

[Previous part]

׺°”˜`”°º×•°¯`•• ♡ ••´¯°•×º°”˜`”°º×

By the way, I'm opened to requests, so if there's something you'd like me to write, feel free to ask ;)) you can see who I write for here (along with the rules to request)

@captainbeat @faunusrubyrose

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

Strawberries and Cream

Pairing: Eddie Diaz x Reader

Word count: 5.8k

Notes: I’m so sorry this is so late, I’m just really sick rn and I feel like that’s just an excuse 🤣🤣🥹🥹but don’t worry because 12 and 13 are actually finished already! So they will be coming out very soon after this one

Episode 11: There’s a First Time for Everything

He asked to use their house.  

Is that stupid? Would you have preferred it at home? No, no you need a little vacation anyway and he knows you like it here… No this will be perfect and it’s in the guest room so you don’t feel awkward. It’s like an Airbnb at this point! And they won’t be home for a month… so it’s not like he’s putting anyone out or anything…

You’ll love it.

He thinks. 

Eddie paces a little as he gets everything set up nicely in the bedroom. There are condoms in the bedside table if you want them, and there are snacks and drinks in the little mini fridge. The blankets are plush and soft and he’s even taken a couple of your favorite stuffed animals that he knows you wouldn’t leave home without and a cute new one he got from Target he thought you’d really like. 

He’s kind of nervous, to be honest, okay he’s a lot nervous. You guys had been spending so much time together lately… maybe now wasn’t the best time… but okay maybe it also was? Because the tension was becoming truly unbearable between the two of you. The sweet lingering glances, the soft kisses, the countless times Eddie did exactly what he was not supposed to do and very very carefully got you off a few times. He’d drag his cum through your folds and paint a pretty little picture for you. Not once did he put it in 

But that was about to change tonight. That is if you wanted.

He made Buck drive you over, he was literally too nervous to do it himself. He was too busy getting the house ready, setting all the moods in every room you guys could possibly end up in. He’d even turned on the lights in the hot tub, the water red hot… literally. 

The doorbell rings and he sighs, smoothing his hair back and straightening out his shirt. It’s just a lounge shirt, he’d told you to wear your pajamas and bring an overnight bag. Just a regular little slumber party! 

He opens the door and smiles, tilting your chin up to kiss you 

“Hello gorgeous” He purrs and you giggle, kissing him back 

“Hi” 

Buck puts his hands on his hips, he’s carrying your overnight bag and a grocery bag 

“Hey! I’m here too!!” 

Eddie leans over and kisses his cheek “Sup sexy” 

You walk in and Buck follows you “That’s more like it” 

He sets your bag down in the foyer and looks around for a minute, slipping his hands into his pockets 

“Welp, you guys have fun!”

You turn to him as you take off your shoes, replacing them with your little bunny slippers 

“Aren’t you staying for a bit? I thought you were?” 

Eddie leans against the wall, looking at him, he narrows his eyes transmitting a little message to that thing Buck calls his brain 

“Nope! I’ve uh- I’ve got plans tonight! With the Bennett’s. Eliza and I are having an old movie night while William gets us snacks!” 

You giggle and walk over, hugging him tightly. He kisses your head and holds you a bit longer, he does that now, and can’t ever seem to let you go 

“Love you kiddo, have fun. And remember, you can always call Daddy Buck to come pick you up if you get scared” 

You toss your head back laughing and push him away “Yeah, yeah whatever, I love you too papa” 

“Thank god you didn’t call him daddy” Eddie laughs and you shrug

“It would be kinda weird calling you both, don’t you think??” 

Buck's mouth drops open and Eddie holds his hands up

“She calls you daddy?!?!”

“She does not call me daddy!”

They yell it at the same time and you laugh even harder, grabbing your duffle bag and dragging it away from them 

“I was about to be so damn hurt if I found out she called you that and you had the audacity not to tell me!!” 

Eddie gives him a weird look “You want me to tell you that your cousin called me daddy??” 

“Okay, it’s gross when you say it like that god Eddie you perv. I’m your best friend, of course, I want all the dirty details!” 

“I’m not. No, I'm not giving you the- god no” 

“Eddie Diaz!” Buck says as he’s opening the door “She’s just gonna tell me anyway!!” 

He turns to you, pretty decently far from them “You’d tell him?!” 

“It’s a girl thing,” You say simply and Buck points at you

“Damn right it is” 

Eddie faceplams, completely hating the both of you in this moment and you both giggle at his expense. 

God why did he have to fall in love with a Buckley. 

“Eddieee” Buck whines and Eddie knows damn well he’s lost this fight. Because truly Buck is his best friend and as pouty and annoying as he is he knows he’d probably end up telling him every detail anyway. He just likes to give him shit for it, because what else are you gonna do on a 24-hour shift?

“You win” Eddie puts his hands in the hair and Buck fist pumps while doing a little dance 

“Y/N you’re sleeping over at Maddie and Chim's !! Eddie and I are having girl time!!!" 

“You guys have fun!” You wave and Eddie forces Buck out of the house now while he screams how much he loves you and to have a good time. He leans against the door for a second, shaking his head before he walks over to you, taking your duffle bag and your hand 

“Would you seriously tell him every detail?”

“Him? Maybe. Maddie? Absolutely” you giggle and Eddie rolls his eyes before scooping you up in his arms, you squeal as he takes you upstairs to put your stuff in the bedroom. 

You guys decide to order dinner instead of going out, you’re kind of in the mood for Applebees so while you’re in the bathroom changing he orders for you two. 

“So I was thinking after dinner we could hit the hot tub?” He asks as he scrolls through DoorDash on his phone 

“Oh yeah sounds good,” You say from around the corner as you change into your real pajamas for the night. Hen had taken you shopping especially for Eddie’s little sleepover plans 

“Or you know two birds one stone have dinner in the hot tub” He jokes and you poke your hand out from the bathroom and flip him off 

“Oh shut up!” 

“Close your eyes!!” You say and he shuts off his phone, crossing his arms over his chest 

“Nah you were mean!!” 

“Eddie!!” You stomp your little bunny and he huffs 

“God fine” he closes his eyes “but only because you’re like the biggest damn baby I know and I know you’ll start crying”

“I will not!!”

“Will too” he teases and you walk over to him, slapping his leg 

“Ow, you little br-“ his words get caught in his throat as he stares at you, his mouth falling open slowly. You’re in the sweetest little pink babydoll he’s ever seen. It’s sheer with feathers covering your breasts and lining the bottom. You do a little spin for him and toss your hair over your shoulder 

“So? What do you think?” 

He can see all of your gorgeous sun-kissed skin and the tiny little sheer thing you’re apparently calling a pair of panties. 

“I thought I'd, you know, dress up a little for you tonight! D-do you like it?” You put your hands behind your back nervously and look at him 

Does he have a corruption kink?? Signs are starting to point straight up to yes 

“U-uh??” He’s short-circuiting. He hasn’t been this bad since he first met you 

“I also thought… that maybe…um, if you’re up for it? We could go skinny dipping” 

Oh god, you’re gonna give him a heart attack. Maybe you already have! Maybe this is heaven. 

“Eddie?” 

Has your voice always been that sweet?? That innocent?? 

You crawl onto the bed and go to straddle his lap, but he knocks you right off and you yelp as you tumble onto the bed 

“Hey!!” 

He jolts out of bed, putting his hands up in front of him 

“I swear to god this night is going to be very short if you sit in my lap now” 

You roll over and laugh into the covers and he pushes your butt out of the air so you’re lying on your side 

“Quit it!!” 

“Do you want me to change?” You’re still giggling as you turn to look at him and he puts his hands on your thighs shaking you slowly 

“Noooo…. No, I can handle it! I just… you’re so gorgeous baby, I just wasn’t expecting this” 

“So you like it?” You ask as he turns you flat on your back and pulls your legs to the edge of the bed

“I really, really like it” he looks at you laying there, your arms up, your body laid out for him… 

“Whatcha thinkin' about?” you ask quietly, biting the tip of your finger and he lets out a frustrated groan, smacking your leg 

“I said quit it” There’s a little growl to his voice and you pull your legs closed, squeezing them together a bit 

“You gonna make me?” 

He looks at you, his eyes darkening with desire and he smirks, pulling your legs back down slowly 

“I’m gonna remember that Sugar cube” He drags his thumb over the front of your panties, relishing in the way your breath hitches. He rubs a slow, torturous circle with a little sadistic smile on his face before pulling his hand back and smacking your cunt. It’s not nearly as hard as he could do it, oh you’re not ready for that. But you squeak, slamming your legs shut and he tilts his head back laughing 

“Oh I’m sorry, did I hurt the baby? Did my little sugar cube not like that?” 

His tone is so condescending and he looks so gleeful as he stares at you, rubbing your thighs together 

“You gonna be a good girl for me? Let us enjoy the evening I have planned? Or…would you rather learn your lesson the hard way. It makes no difference to me”

You stare at him, you’ve never seen him quite like this, of course, you’ve never really gotten to this point before. You knew before coming here tonight what you both were hopefully going to do… and now it seems like you’re trailblazing right towards it 

“I’ll be good,” You say softly and he smiles, pulling you off the bed and picking you up to take you back downstairs 

“That’s my good girl”

Dinner is delivered and Eddie sets you down at the dining room table, he sets your food out for you and pours the same Strawberry wine you’d had on your first date

“This is pretty romantic” You tease him as he clinks glasses with you 

“I told you once, I’ll tell you again. I can be a pretty romantic guy” He winks and you giggle as he pulls your chair closer to him. He kisses your nose before watching you sip from your glass 

“Tastes good?” He asks as he sips his and you nod 

“Of course it does!”

You spend the rest of dinner giggling and joking around with Eddie. He toys with your hair and teases you, poking and prodding and you push his hands away, pouting playfully and telling him to behave. 

He ignores you. 

Because how can he behave when you’re dressed like that, sitting all pretty right next to him, the smell of your perfume enveloping him in the sweetest hug. He can’t wait for it to be all over him, for his lips to be all over your body, kissing you, loving you. 

“Eddie?” You snap in front of his face a couple times and he flinches 

“Huh??”

“I asked if you were done eating? I wanna go watch a movie or something before we hit the hot tub?” You have a little knowing smirk on your face and he glares at you playfully 

“Yeah sure, go put somethin’ on corazón I’ll put the rest of our food away” 

That was a new name 

He gets up from the table, pulls your seat back, and takes your hand to help you up. He kisses it gently, then kisses your cheek and you blush, pushing him away and he chuckles, taking your plates into the kitchen as you skip off to the couch. 

Honestly, you knew these people had money. Since the first time you’d seen the house. But these are the softest, fluffiest, comfiest couches you’ve ever sat on. There’s a large fluffy blanket on the back of the couch and a cute pink basket of snacks on the coffee table. You grab the remote from the basket and cuddle up under the blanket, flipping through Netflix to try and find something 

Eddie had set this area up really cutely, the snack basket was an adorable touch even if you wouldn’t be eating them just yet. He comes into the living room and lifts up one side of the blanket, plopping down on the couch and opening his arms so you can crawl into them 

“Pick anything yet?” 

You crawl up into his lap and cuddle into him, snuggling down into the blanket and continuing to scroll 

“Eh, not really,” you say as he adjusts himself, putting his arms around you and placing his head on yours. You flip over to Disney+ and lean into him, he starts to kiss your neck lightly and you smirk

“You think we’ll actually get through this?” You turn on Deadpool and he relaxes on the couch, dimming the lights with his phone 

“Not if I can help it” 

He wasn’t kidding either. His kisses to your body are light and teasing, his fingers trailing ticklish little paths on your arm. He just wants to touch you, like he can’t get enough of you being here with him, and maybe he can’t. He spent too long away from you, he’s going to be glued to you until the next century. 

You’re not even paying attention to the movie anymore and it’s practically over, in fact, you hadn’t been paying attention to it in quite a while you’re not even sure how it got to Deadpool forgetting his bag in the taxi but that’s where you’re at 

“Do you wanna go in the hot tub now?” You ask breathlessly as Eddie leaves yet another hickey on the nape of your neck near your collarbone. You’re not even sure what the purpose of these panties was, they’re certainly not doing a very good job containing the slick that’s coating your thighs from all his teasing 

“Sounds good to me, beautiful”

You get up from the couch and stretch a little, purposely making that baby doll rise so Eddie can see how wet your thighs are. Not that he definitely couldn’t feel it anyway. He stares at you for a moment, licking his lips and you wink at him before turning on your heel. You smirk a little as you hear him get up and follow after you. 

You walk in front of Eddie, taking off your baby doll and tossing it backward at him. He catches it, holding it close to his chest and inhaling happily 

Fuck he loves strawberries. 

You decide to leave the thong on, just to bother him and walk out to the hot tub. You can hear him stripping behind you as you walk up the steps and sit on the edge of it. You turn to face him and your cheeks flush. His clothes are discarded in a pile with your babydoll to the side, and he’s naked in front of you 

“You’re staring Sugar Cube” he’s got that stupid cheeky grin on his face as he walks up the stairs, his ass bouncing with each step 

“Goddamn” You mumble as he gets into the hot tub, sitting down and leaning back against the wall 

“You gonna get in? Or are you just gonna keep staring at me?” He puts his arms on the wall as you slowly float back down to earth, swinging your legs over the edge and getting in

You wade over to him and snuggle into his side, he drapes an arm over you and kisses your head 

“How’s healin’ going?” He murmurs into your hair and you shrug 

“Not bad, especially with all the help from everyone… and I love being around everyone and it’s so nice being pampered all the time-“

“But?” Eddie chuckles and you sigh, looking up at him with a small smile on your face

“I really, really needed this vacation”

You put your forehead against his before climbing into his lap. You cup his face, your fingers splayed over his cheeks as you kiss him slowly, wrapping your tongue around his and tilting your head, deepening the kiss. He lays his head back slowly as you start to grind on him while placing soft kisses along his jaw 

“You’re gonna start something…” He moans softly, his hands coming to squeeze your hips. He pulls you down on him more, feeling the way you slip easily along his cock 

“Maybe I finally want to” You look him in the eyes and he grins wickedly, getting up and spinning you around so you’re pinned against the side of the tub. He runs his cock through your folds, grinding on your clit and you grip the edge of the tub, little whining noises falling from your lips 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck” He grinds against you, trying his best to be careful and you shudder underneath him, lifting your leg onto the stair on purpose, encouraging him to slip in 

“Your first time is not gonna be in a hot tub” He chuckles breathlessly and you push back against him whining and bracing your hands on the edge of the tub more

“Please, Eddie? Please I need it” you practically sob and he picks you up out of the water, walking up the stairs and onto the deck. He moves quickly and you’re slightly terrified he’s gonna slip but he doesn’t as he makes his way to the bedroom he had all set up. You gasp softly as he kicks the door open, flipping on the lights. A soft pink hue cascades over the room and little fairy lights twinkle from the canopy above the bed 

“Eddie?” Your eyes are wide as he stops for a moment, letting you take it all in. There are rose petals all over the floor and a couple of your candles that are unlit. 

“I-I wanted it to be special for you” he’s blushing now as he carries you over to the bed and sets you down. He grabs a lighter from the bedside table and lights your favorite candles before placing it back in the drawer 

“So. I uh-“ He rubs the back of his head awkwardly“I did bring condoms- if - I mean I will absolutely put one on if you want me to”

“I’m uh- I’m on the pill” You blush and he looks at you, his eyes wide for a second 

“So remember the first time we messed around?” You say sheepishly 

“When you moved in?” 

“Yeah and you literally kinda rubbed your um-“Your cheeks are burning and he smirks at you 

“My what? Pretty girl” 

You glare at him and he smiles so sweetly at you, but his eyes are so dark and hungry and you can feel it stirring up way too many emotions in you 

“Y-your…stuff” 

He tosses his head back laughing, his hand on his chest as he has just a good freaking laugh at your expense. He pushes you down on the bed and you squeak as he leaves you to grab a towel from the bathroom to toss on the floor to stop it from dripping all over it. 

“You mean when I rubbed your pussy with my cum?” He gets on his knees now and you prop yourself up on your elbows quickly 

“You don’t have to be so vulgar!” 

Your mouth drops as he rips a hole in your panties and he looks up at you 

“Don’t I?” He can’t help the way he stares, like you’re the most delicious thing he’s ever seen in his entire life like he’s been starving for weeks…and you know technically he has. 

It doesn’t help that you had decided to pretty up a little. ✨Magic shave powder✨ is the greatest thing you’ve ever bought in your entire life, you’re as smooth… you don’t know, something that’s like really smooth? Wait okay that one street in Cars after Lightning McQueen fixes it 

“The movie, Cars?” Eddie looks at you and you blink slowly 

“Said that out loud didn’t I”

“Mhmmm” He chuckles against your thigh and you bat at his head 

“But you didn’t have to go through all this trouble,” He says, kissing the inside of your thigh softly and getting you back on track “I’d devour you either way baby”

“I wanted to” 

“I’m not complaining” He nuzzles his nose against you and inhales deeply, his eyes roll back as your jaw drops slowly 

“Smells good enough to eat” 

“E-“ 

It’s like all the air has been sucked from your lungs the moment he kisses you, French kisses you. It’s an odd feeling at first, but your hands automatically tangle in his hair as he laps at your clit, you feel the vibrations of his chuckles as you buck against his face and he pulls you closer to him, putting your thighs over his shoulders

He’s hungry for you as his tongue dips inside you, tasting your arousal 

“Such a good girl for me” He murmurs, flicking his tongue over your clit as he finally tastes you for the first time.

“Such a pretty little cunt too” His fingers dig into your plush ass as he pulls you closer to him, licking and teasing you. He loves the way you shiver at his touch, the way your back arches off the bed as he slides his fingers inside you. He can’t help but groan, his cock throbbing with need as he tastes your sweet nectar, but he can’t be bothered with himself at the moment, he’s too enamored with your bare cunt. 

You writhe frantically in the covers, trying to pull yourself away from him just a little, just enough to breathe. But he slaps your thigh, leaving behind a red mark and you yelp. His eyes connect with yours immediately, staring daggers at you for trying to run from him and you shove his face back down just so you don’t have to stare into those gorgeous brown eyes. You know you wouldn’t last either if he made you. 

“I’ve wanted you for so, so long” he purrs against your lips before sucking on your clit and biting it just a little, your hips buck against his face as you cry out his name and he chuckles deeply, pulling his fingers away, and reaching for his cock. He strokes himself a few times, as he continues devouring you, gasping into you. 

You’re a babbling mess underneath him, incoherent and a bit dazed, that man knows what he’s doing. You can feel the way he spells out his name, claiming you. Like any other man ever had a chance with you. 

The sounds of your moans are music to his ears, his sweet little angel, tugging at his hair, begging him to let you cum. 

“Look at how sweet and submissive you can be, I’m so proud of you baby girl… come on. Let me taste you baby, cum on my tongue” 

You cry out his name as he sucks your clit relentlessly, his fingers pumping back into you, in and out as you reach your climax. Your body trembles harshly as you collapse into the bed, panting and almost crying from how overwhelmed you’re feeling. 

Eddie pulls his fingers out slowly, crawling over you and kissing you softly 

“Hey, hey you did so good sugar cube. You’re so wet for me…” He kisses your tears and you look at him, sniffling a little 

“That was a lot,” you say and he smiles, reaching over and grabbing your new teddy bear and handing it to you 

“Mhmm it sure was” he watches you snuggle with it, taking a little breather and he lays next to you, pulling you into his arms 

“We can leave it at that if you want baby, we don’t have to go further” 

“What about you?” You ask quickly, barely letting him finish the sentence 

“Y/N, I just got to eat you out for the first time. Trust me when I say I’m perfectly fine waiting if you’re not ready” 

“I just need a minute” You blush a little and he kisses your nose 

“That’s perfectly fine with me” 

You can feel just how hard he is, his thick cock pressed against you. All he does is softly rub your arm, humming a soothing little song. You know he’d really stop if you needed to… you know he wouldn’t think twice.

But god is it finally time to ride your cowboy

You look at him, hugging your bear to your chest, your head is practically spinning with the deep desire to just take him inside you, and finally know what it feels like for him to just… destroy you. 

“Eddie?” 

“Yes, cutie?” He says playfully as he nuzzles into your neck 

“Fuck me” 

You feel the way he stops breathing, the way his hand stops caressing your side

“What was that?” 

His voice is deeper, darker. There’s a bite to his tone as his hands become more possessive, pulling your body into him greedily

“Say it again for me” His hands trail up your sides as he watches you so intensely. So desperately aroused. 

“Uhhh” you start to get a bit shy again, hiding behind your teddy bear “Um” 

“Oh come on now” He pulls your teddy bear from you, kissing your neck as he slides the bear down his bare torso 

“Tell me what you want from me” Your eyes widen as he strokes himself slowly with your teddy bear, groaning softly and bucking his hips into it a bit 

“Look at how much I need you” 

You stare at him, unable to even comprehend what you’re seeing as he rubs that bear up and down his shaft, hissing at the satisfying friction it gives him…but-

“Come on, say it for me” 

“F-fuck me,” you say again, your voice squeaking a little 

“Fuck me… what?” 

Your jaw drops slowly as he tosses the bear aside and gets on his knees, pulling your hips to him and tapping your pussy with his cock 

“U-uhh” 

“Come on honey, one little word” You feel a slight pressure as he teases your hole with the tip, he reaches over to the bedside table and grabs a small bottle of lube, pouring it over his cock and rubbing it in 

“Fuck me… d-daddy” 

“That’s my girl” He grins wickedly as he pushes into you slowly, stretching you out inch by mind-blowing inch. You’re not even sure how big he is but damn it just keeps going. You’re panting softly, your eyes rolling back as he finally sinks his cock into you.

“Ohhmygod” 

Your words slur together as your body trembles underneath him, he leans forward and kisses your neck, taking your hands in one of his and pinning them above your head 

“Look at you, doin' such a good job baby girl. Let me know when to move, we’ll go at your pace” 

He looks mesmerized by the way you stretch around his cock, your tight cunt gripping him. He sighs dreamily, knowing he’s the only man to ever take you like this and he likes that. It makes him kind of wish he’d saved himself for you which is hilarious considering he didn’t even know you existed. You wiggle your hips a bit trying to adjust to his size and he smirks, pulling out a little 

“Is it too much for you? Too much for my pretty baby to take?” 

Okay Eddie is kinky 

But maybe you can be worse 

You wriggle one of your wrists free from him, he’s not holding them very tightly for your first time and reach for the nightstand 

“You want the condoms, honey?” 

He goes to pull out but your fingers reach your phone first, handing it over to him. He stares at it in his hands and then looks back at you 

“You wanted pictures right?”

Now it’s his turn for his jaw to drop “I-i mean-“ 

“Unless you’re just all talk…”

The look he gives you like you have the audacity to be saying that when you’re just trying to buy time to get used to his size. He ignores you though, and rubs his hand over your thigh soothingly. You hear the shutter of the camera and it sends a shiver up your spine. His fingers ghost over your sensitive clit and you gasp, moving your hips against it as he plays with your clit, grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he films the way he’s touching you. 

You reach out for him, your thighs shaking and he tosses your phone to the side as he goes to lay over you now, kissing you softly 

“I think you’re ready” he whispers as his hips start to move slowly, you wrap your arms around his neck, burying your face in it for a second as he pumps in and out, moaning lowly in your ear 

“Fucking hell, Y/N” 

He keeps his slow pace up, feeling your pussy clench around his cock as he tortures both of you for the sake of not hurting you 

“F-faster” you pant, pulling at his hair so he’s looking into your eyes “Please, please go faster” 

Goddamn you don’t have to tell him twice 

His hips speed up as he reaches between you and massages your clit in time with his thrusts, your back arches into his chest as you cry out and he bites his lip, grunting as his cock thrusts in and out of you 

He grips your hips again, tighter this time. The muscles in his arms bulged with each snap of his hips, his body moving in perfect sync with yours. Eddie's hot, heavy breaths mingle with your own as he drives into you, the primal sounds of passion filling the room and driving you up the wall, almost the same way he’s driving you up the bed. You hold onto the headboard, your body arching up higher, your tits bouncing in his face 

He pulls out almost completely, then plunges back in, the intensity of his movements driving both of you higher. Sweat glistens on both of your skin as you move together, your moans louder with each powerful stroke.

Eddie's breathing becomes labored, his thrusts more erratic as he nears his peak. His gaze never leaves yours, seeing the passion reflected in your eyes. He feels your body tremble, watching the way your body comes closer and closer to finishing all over him 

It’s so purely euphoric the moment you cum, he watches the way your body arches into his, the way you cry out his name, reaching for him. He holds you closer, finishing inside you fucking finally, he holds it in you, his cock throbbing inside you as he releases more and more and he’s sure it’s the hardest he’s ever cum in his life

You hold onto him, your entire body shaking, your nails clawing at his back, just trying to find something to ground yourself with. He doesn’t pull out as he collapses on top of you, panting into your hair, giving you soft little kisses 

“Jesus I’m in love with you” He laughs breathlessly and you nod, laughing with him 

“I-I love you too”

“Hello??…. What? Buck, Buck slow down buddy. Where??” 

You sit up slowly, rubbing your eyes 

“Baby?” Eddie gets out of bed, running over to the dresser and tossing you a t-shirt, that you rush to get on. He hops around trying to get his pants on while talking to Buck and you nearly fall off the bed, trying to reach for your bra on the floor 

“We’ll be there soon!!” He hangs up and lifts you back onto the bed, tossing your bra at you 

“Eddie!” You cup his face and he finally stops running around 

“Maddie’s having her baby”

Your mouth drops open and you fall backward, squealing and kicking 

“Finally!!!” 

You scramble to get ready just as fast as he is. You don’t bother digging through your overnight bag, you just pull on his t-shirt and snatch your pajama shorts from the top of the bag. They’re short, and show off the curves of your ass and just the bottom of your cheeks. Eddie looks at you as you stumble off the bed and you put your hands on your hips, letting his t-shirt fall over them 

“Hey, it’s this or nothing okay! I didn’t exactly expect to be going anywhere in the middle of the night” 

“It’s not “or nothing” but fuck I’m not complaining” he snickers as he picks you up and your mini backpack and heads straight for the truck. 

He opens the driver's side door and just makes you crawl across the seat. He slaps your butt as you’re crawling and you squeak 

“Hey!! That hurts!!” You kick your leg at him and sit carefully in your seat

“That hurts?” He wanted to sound playful but it just came out worried and you pat his arm 

“You’re kinda big, and it’s my first time. Don’t worry about it okay? If it gets too painful I’ll tell you”

He looks at you skeptically but starts the truck anyway and pulls out of the driveway 

“Sure you will” 

You buckle up in the middle seat and cuddle into him, smiling 

“I’ll tell you all about it!! how sore I am from you stretching me so much… how I can still feel you inside me with every step I take..” you wriggle your eyebrows as he shakes his head, ignoring your ass and concentrating on the road 

“If um… if you’re not too tired when we get back?” You bite your lip shyly and that finally gets his attention 

“You sure you’re up for that?” 

“Are you kidding? I finally had you and you think I’m going to be able to stay off it? I’ve been dreaming about this with you” 

He smiles a little, he can feel the blush creeping up his neck 

“Alright Sugar Cube, whatever you want” 

[mel0809]

Undercover Intimacies

18+ Minors DNI

Pairing: Jay Halstead x Ella Bennett (original character)

Jay Halstead, the badass detective from Chicago PD, sat back on the couch, watching as his girlfriend Ella prepared for their undercover assignment at a club. Ella, with her stunning looks and infectious personality, had a way of attracting everyone's attention. But tonight, Jay couldn't help but feel a bit protective. After all, Ella was his girl, and only he had the privilege of seeing her in all her glory.

As Ella rummaged through her wardrobe, Jay's eyes stayed locked on her every move. He had a feeling her outfit might be a bit too sexy for his liking, and he wanted to make sure it didn't reveal too much. After all, only he was allowed to see her like that.

"Hey, babe," Jay called out, his voice filled with a mix of concern and admiration. "You sure you wanna wear that to the club? It looks damn hot, but I don't want every guy in there drooling over you."

Ella turned to him, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "Don't worry, Jay. I know how to handle myself. Besides, you're the only one I wanna impress."

Jay stood up and walked over to her, his hands instinctively reaching out to adjust her outfit. He wanted to make sure it hugged her curves just right without revealing too much. His touch was possessive but filled with love, a silent reminder that she was his.

“Bend over”

Ella looked over her shoulder in amusement, “what?”

“Bend over for me”

Ella bends over in front of Jay. He looks for awhile, “yeah, don’t bend over.”

“Noted”, Ella laughs.

"Okay, babe," Jay said, his voice low and husky. "I trust you. But promise me you'll be careful and keep an eye out for any trouble."

Ella nodded, her eyes shining with affection. "Of course, Jay. You know I'm a damn good agent. I've got this under control."

With a final check to make sure everything was in place, Ella flashed him a mischievous smile.

After a successful night at the club, where Ella's skills and charm helped them gather valuable information, Jay couldn't wait to have her all to himself. As they left the club, he took her hand and led her back to his apartment.

As Jay and Ella entered Jay's apartment, the energy between them crackled with a mix of desire and anticipation. They had just successfully completed their undercover mission, and now it was time to revel in the intimacy of being alone together.

Jay closed the door behind them, his eyes fixed on Ella. A hunger burned within him, a hunger that only she could satiate. He reached out, gently cupping her face in his hands, his touch tender yet tinged with a raw need.

"God, Ella," Jay whispered, his voice husky with desire. "You have no idea how much I've been wanting this. Wanting you."

Ella's eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint as she leaned into his touch. "Then take me."

That’s all Jay needed to hear before their lips crashed together in a searing kiss, an explosion of pent-up passion. Jay's hands roamed freely over Ella's body, his touch setting her skin ablaze. As their tongues danced in a fiery embrace, their bodies pressed against each other, eager to merge into one.

In one swift motion Jay ripped the dress off Ella leaving her in a lace black set.

“Fuck me, Ella”

With a surge of desire, Jay lifted Ella effortlessly, her legs wrapping around his waist. He carried her towards the bedroom, their lips never parting. Their connection was electric, a whirlwind of emotions and physical longing that threatened to consume them both.

As they reached the bedroom, Jay gently laid Ella down on the bed, his eyes locked with hers, his love and desire shining through. He slowly undressed her, savoring every moment, worshipping her body with his hands and lips.

Their breathy moans fill the room.

“Please Jay, more”

Jay takes a nipple into his mouth making Ella squirm beneath him.

“Mmm”, Ella reaches and cups jays crotch making him let out a groan.

Jay pushes a finger into Ella. “Fuck you’re wet”

Not being able to wait any longer he thrusts into Ella

“Shhh, I know” Jay waits for Ella to become adjusted before he moves again.

Jay moans into Ella’s neck, “I love you”.

“I love you, Jay.”

Jays speeds up his pace.

“Jay.. I’m close…”

“I know baby, I know.” Ella finishes squeezing Jay making him finish as well.

In the aftermath, their bodies glistened with sweat, their breathing ragged and satisfied. Jay pulled Ella into his arms, holding her close, their bodies molded together as if they were made for each other.