#but I saw something like it at the vet clinic and I thought it’d be funny

[hana-bobo-finch]

heartbreaking 💔

[little-writings]

can i request a fanfic where mc is a veterinarian with her own clinic and the reason she meets jumin is because of elizabeth needing a checkup!

Oh my goodness absolutely! This was actually so fun to write! 

Anyhow, I hope you have an amazing day and enjoy!

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“How long has it been since Elizabeth 3rd has been to the vet?” V asked, grinning fondly as the snowy-white cat pressed against his legs, a purr beginning to rumble in her throat.  

“She doesn’t need to see a vet. She’s in perfect health.” Jumin remarked, fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves absentmindedly. “I have a chef prepare her a perfectly figured diet, one of the most  accalimed groomers brush her coat once a week, and-”  

“They’re supposed to get examined yearly.”  

“Who are?”  

V scoffed. “Cats, dogs, and any other animal you could call a pet.”  

“I’ll see about having a house veterinarian come by.”  

“Well, I’ve actually been hearing quite a bit about a certain veterinarian. I think you’d like them.”  

“Are they on call?”  

“No, they have a well-established practice downtown.”  

“Then I’m not interested.” Jumin stated matter-of-factly. “Taking Elizabeth 3rd outside presents too many risks. She could get hurt, lost or both – or even worse. I would never forgive myself if that were to happen.”  

V’s brows furrowed behind his tinted frames. “They’re apparently one of the best in the country. I hear there’s not a pet they don’t get along with.”  

“I would hope so, being a professional. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s an on-site practice. Any potential danger to Elizabeth 3rd isn’t worth it.”  

“Do you really think I’d recommend something that could hurt Elizabeth 3rd?”  

Jumin jerked his head to V and found himself stumbling over his words, cornered by his own stubborn mind. “What? No, I ah – no of course not.”  

The ends of V’s lips curled up and he knelt down to scratch Elizabeth behind the ears, her quiet purring volume erupting to that of a lawnmower.  

“Then give them a try.”  

Jumin wrinkled his nose. “Why are you so adamant?”  

“Because,” V simpered. “I think you’d like them.”  

Jumin didn’t have to ask the next question for V to know what he was wondering.  

“They’re professional and very devoted to their work,” He rose to his feet and rummaged through his jacket, snagging a crisp, clean card from his pocket. He gave it to Jumin who eyed it curiously.  

“In fact, they remind me of you.”  

Jumin paused. Pawprints bordered the card alongside hearts and a phone number he supposed he had no choice but to call at this point. He hardly saw V enough these days, the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint him.  

“I’ll… I’ll think about it.”  

And so, later that evening, he found himself calling.  

“Loving Paws Animal Hospital, how can I help you?” The voice on the other line was sickeningly sweet and welcoming, as though dipped in honey and soaked in sugar.  

Jumin paused and bit the inside of his cheek, swallowing his pride. ”Yes, I’d like to speak to your lead veterinarian?”  

“MC? They’re currently with a client at the moment, but I’d be more than happy to transfer you to their voicemail. Have we seen the pet before?”  

“No. No one has.”  

The secretary must’ve been left at a loss at the stern tone and proclamation, but she did her best regardless against the statue that was Jumin Han.

“So, it’s a new pet?”  

“No.”

“Then… you’re a new client?”  

“Yes. Potentially.”  

Jumin heard an attempt at a stifled snicker and the hospital gained a mental strike in his mind.  

“Okay well, I’ll just go ahead and transfer you to MC’s voicemail. You have a wonderful day, sir!”

That sugary sweetness returned once more, perhaps even more high-pitched than it had been. There was a pause on the other line before your voicemail began. Your voice, in comparison, was light, airy. Jumin could only think of a pleasant song when listening to it – something he found himself falling into.

“Hi this is MC, I can’t get to the phone right now but if you’ll leave a message I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can!”

Despite all the preparedness Jumin thought he might’ve had, he still managed to stumble the second that alerting sound went off.

“I-I ah yes – my name is Jumin Han, and I was considering setting up an appointment for my cat, Elizbeth 3rd. It’s just for an annual exam, though I don’t even think she really needs it she’s in pristine-”

Jumin realized he was rambling and cleared his throat sheepishly.

“Anyways, I was hoping I could ask you some questions before making a final decision. If you would call me back, it’d be appreciated. Thank you.”

Jumin let out a deep sigh and relented to the horrible process of waiting.

You returned the phone call in the evening when the warm oranges, purples, and slightest hues of a deep, murky blue were settling in and spreading overhead. Jumin answered in an instant.

“Hi! Is this Mr. Han?” Your voice was even softer beyond a recorded message. You sounded sweet, but just the tiniest bit tired.

“Yes. MC, isn’t it? I’ve heard many things about you.”

You chuckled. “Good things I hope.”

A smile tugged at Jumin’s face. “Good things only. It has set my expectations high.”

“Well, I’d be delighted to meet those expectations, Mr. Han. Now, what can I do for your Elizabeth 3rd?”

“Technically speaking, there is nothing that’s necessary. Elizabeth 3rd is perfectly taken care of. I simply can’t imagine any problems arising for such a creature.”

“And what kind of perfect creature is she?”

“She is a Persian.”

You thought for a moment, and Jumin could hear a pen tapping against a desk. “Persian cats can have some complications, even if they’re in otherwise perfect living conditions. Unfortunately, it just comes with the breed.”

A sudden twisting of knots appeared in Jumin’s stomach. He tensed. “Such as…?”

“Well, you know their cute little smushed faces? Like pugs their nasal passages are shorter and more susceptible to their environments.”

Jumin opened his mouth to speak, but you continued on like a textbook’s worth of knowledge had just been released.

“And Persians specifically are prone to polycystic kidney disease, and you have to watch out for that because if ignored when they reach eight or nine years old they could suddenly collapse and die-”

You stopped yourself. You might’ve not needed to jump to that immediate conclusion.

“But I uh – it is also perfectly possible that Elizabeth 3rd is in a completely healthy state!”

Jumin was now staring wide-eyed at Elizabeth 3rd who sat uncaringly in the center of the living room. She was grooming herself and only her tail was lightly swaying from side to side across the carpet. She appeared almost serene.

‘They could suddenly collapse and die.”

A pit crumpled in Jumin’s insides.

“When’s the soonest I can come in?”

You laughed nervously. There was a clicking of a computer mouse and a brief moment of silence where you glanced through the schedule. “I can squeeze you in tomorrow afternoon?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Mr. Han… are you okay?”

Jumin looked once more at Elizabeth 3rd who now raised her head to meet him. She closed and opened her eyes slowly, mewing.

“I will be when I know Elizabeth 3rd is okay.”

You sighed. “It sounds like Elizabeth 3rd has a very devoted pet parent. She is lucky to have you Mr. Han.”

“I am lucky to have her.”

The call ended soon after with you meekly attempting to assuage his fears, and Jumin beginning to pace about Elizabeth like any cause for concern he’d already miss would simply leap out for a dramatic entrance.

Jumin could now hardly wait for the appointment he considered pointless just hours ago.

V may or may not have received multiple texts of concerns throughout the night. The internet truly did not help the situation.

‘I read online that Persians with blue eyes can have something called Congenital ankyloblepharon. While the website says it’s not deadly, another said it’s linked to a fatal disease.’

‘Because of Elizabeth’s small nasal passage, a website is now telling me Elizabeth will more than likely develop a heart condition. Elizabeth 3rd does not deserve this.’

V had begged him to just wait until tomorrow and Jumin reluctantly agreed.

When the appointment finally arrived, Jumin had made sure Elizabeth would only travel in the best his wealth could provide. However, diamond-encrusted cat carriers apparently took a great deal of time to create, so a polyester and mesh carrier would have to do – lined with sherpa, of course, and filled with her favorite toys.

While Jumin had been anxious and fidgety the entire drive, Elizabeth 3rd was curious, excited even. When Elizabeth was pawing at the mesh lining to peek closer at the car window Jumin was tugging at his sleeves and holding his breath. Even Driver Kim took notice, though his support did little to ease his worries.

He only felt a little ease when he finally arrived at the clinic. The secretary had been stunned at the famous heir’s arrival, but quickly recognized his voice. Her surprise then shifted to amusement, a sly smile stretched across her face.

“Hello Mr. Han! How’re you doing today?”

Jumin furrowed his brow, glancing away. “I am… anticipating my meeting with MC.”

“Stressed for the little lady?” The secretary pointed with her pen to Elizabeth 3rd, now rolled over on her back and playing with one of her toys. This was easily one of her favorite days already.

“Very much so.” Jumin answered.

“We’ll be sure to get you in quick then.”

Jumin nodded hurriedly, and sat down. When his name was called he nearly tripped from how quickly he shot up. It was a… difficult day for maintaining composure.

He ran his fingers through his hair, took a deep breath, and then proceeded on through the hall where you waited in the consulting room.

He hadn’t quite known what he’d expected when he saw you, but he still found himself without words, if only for a second. Your face was kind, far more than the ones he’d known throughout his life with eyes that offered a sense of comfort to soften the stress so clearly brimming at the surface.

“Hi Mr. Han.” You set a ginger hand on Jumin’s shoulder, offering a warm smile. “I heard you’re feeling a little concerned for Elizabeth 3rd?”

“That is an understatement.”

You folded your lips in thought, drawing your hand away only to lightly clap, determined. “Well I’ve never met an animal I can’t help, and I don’t intend to stop now.”

A bit of the weight dropped from Jumin’s chest. You tapped against the examination table – a heavy counter in the center of the room with a smooth, thick surface.

The room itself was decorated with pictures of animals surrounded by varying degrees of puns. The one the most caught Jumin’s eye was a photo of a cat, tail tucked just over its paws and a sweet expression beneath the words, ‘you’re purrfect.’

He wondered if you chose that one personally. He hoped so.

Jumin unzipped the carrier atop the counter for Elizabeth 3rd to poke out. She only hesitated for a moment before stepping out to greet your hand, fingers outstretched for her to curiously sniff. You beamed at the very sight of her, leaning down as she dipped her head against your hand, eager to be pet.

“Hello, Ms. Elizabeth! Aren’t you beautiful?” You scratched her cheek and her purring began, akin to a lawnmower. “She’s so sweet!”

Jumin watched as you examined her, flashing a light in her eyes and ears, squeezing her tummy for any masses, and flexing her legs for achy joints. Her temperature was normal, not even a rapid heart rate.

“Now I don’t want to stress her out on her first visit but I recommend we do an ultrasound,” You had remarked, rubbing her belly in one of the rare opportunities that a cat not only tolerated such an action but enjoyed it. Elizabeth 3rd was a rare creature indeed. “It’s just to make sure she doesn’t have anything bad developing in her kidneys.” 

“Do you expect there to be anything?” 

Elizabeth pawed playfully at your fingers, pulling them close to rub her cheeks against them when you relented. You had to draw your gaze back to Jumin to keep yourself from becoming distracted. It was rare to see Elizabeth 3rd warming up to someone so quickly. “Do I?” 

You paused, and then laughed. “Of course you’re asking me, I’m sorry! I don’t know what got into me – she’s just such a cutie! But ah – no I don’t. Elizabeth 3rd is as close to perfect as it gets. You weren’t kidding when you said how well she’s taken care of.” 

“She means the world to me.” Jumin hummed, Elizabeth tipping her head to see him and meowing. She almost appeared to smile when he scratched just beneath her chin. 

“May I ask how you found her?” 

Jumin hesitated, remembering the golden hair and slender hands that once held Elizabeth. It brought a pang. 

“She was a gift from someone dear.” 

You could see Jumin’s sadness so easily. You could only make your best effort to soften the hurt. “They must’ve known you two would be perfect for each other.” 

Jumin lifted his head to look up at you, and you smiled. It was gentle, and at that moment, brighter than the very sun. You wore your heart on your sleeve, and it was beautiful. He grinned, if only gently. “Thank you.” 

“Just being honest.” 

The ultrasound was an experience. Jumin thought you had to be lying or attempting a cruel joke when you brought the clippers. There was simply no way you truly could want to ruin Elizabeth’s coat! 

You had promised only the ‘teeny-tiniest’ area would be shaved, but you also promised it’d be cute. Jumin couldn’t completely disagree. 

You had him hold her still during the ordeal, his hands folded over her front legs and keeping her close as you carefully ran the clippers over her stomach. Elizabeth simply rubbed her head against Jumin’s suit. 

“See! Look at that little pink tummy!” You pointed to the now thin white hairs where just between the faintest hints of skin could be spotted. You encouraged Jumin to run his hand over and it was… oddly soft if admittedly strange. 

“There’s no way you don’t think that’s adorable.” You exclaimed. 

“It’s not not adorable. 

That made you laugh. 

The procedure itself was quick and easy. The probe found no problems within Elizabeth’s kidneys and the only issue that arose was Elizabeth 3rd squeaking in surprise at the cold gel spread over her stomach. 

“I’m sorry sweetie, I’ll get this chilly stuff off you quick, okay?” 

You made plenty of little comments like those to Elizabeth 3rd. While many others would hardly regard something as minuscule you took every effort to make Elizabeth 3rd comfortable. Jumin noticed each and every time. You were doting. 

Just as you said, you wiped her clean, only peppering her in pets all over her belly and sides as she could rollover. 

“She is the picture of health, Mr. Han. The only thing I’d recommend is we make these ultrasounds yearly to keep an eye on her – and so I can see her again.” 

Jumin chuckled. “I take it she’s swept you off your feet?” 

“Like she’s my prince charming.” You snickered. “I’m a sucker for pretty kitties.” 

“I’m glad someone else can appreciate Elizabeth 3rd for her perfection.” 

You nodded. “I also appreciate the owner that’s given her the chance to flourish so much.” 

There was a different type of pang in his chest and the tiniest bit of red flickered upon Jumin’s cheeks. Either you didn’t notice, or you didn’t say anything. 

But you smiled. 

“I ah – I might need to bring her in again sooner than her next yearly. I’ve been researching and read of other conditions in her breed that I’d like to look into.” 

You caught on quick. “Right, and we wouldn’t want to overwhelm Elizabeth 3rd with so much on her first visit! It might be best to stretch these concerns over multiple appointments just so we can do the best job possible for her.” 

“And you can teach me what to look out for and how to find them.” Jumin settled Elizabeth 3rd back in her carrier, pawing at you through the mesh, pink pads just barely peeking through. 

“Of course! And you are more than welcome to call! In fact…” 

You tore off a piece of paper from your notes, scribbling quickly before giving it to him. “Here is my personal phone number, for any questions you may have.” 

Jumin smirked and tucked it away in his pocket. “I expect I could find quite a few until our next appointment.” 

You clicked your pen, simpering. “I’ll be patiently waiting, Mr. Han.” 

“Jumin is fine.” He stretched out his hand, palm open. “In fact, allow me to properly introduce myself – we weren’t given the proper chance. I’m Jumin Han. It is a pleasure to meet you.” 

Warmth reached your cheeks, but you didn’t object, returning the gesture with a firm grip. “MC. The pleasure is all mine. I really do look forward to seeing you again, Jumin.” 

It was rare Jumin could say the same, but for once he did, he truly, truly did. 

“As do I.” 

[zukoskataraa]

a day at the vet

hey guys! it’s been so long since i last made a fic omg hope you all like this! this may or may not have a continuation, depending on the feedback hehe. also, it turned out longer than i had planned. but nonetheless, enjoy!

ps: client refers to the owner, while patient refers to the pet

vet!zuko and client!katara

“I’ll see you guys in two weeks. And remember, no baths for Momo here for two days. You can go and pay at the desk.” Zuko says, smiling at Mai, his client. Zuko grabbed the clipboard from the table and gave Momo a quick boop on the nose, heading towards the door. The restrainer headed out first, leaving the two of them behind.

“Will do. Thank you, Doctor.” Mai replies, smiling. Zuko sensed that she had something else to say. “Um, I know this is kind of inappropriate, but would you like to go out for dinner soon? Y-You don’t have to say yes, Doctor. It’s just, you’re really sweet and kind. So, uh, I was just wondering.” Mai asks, avoiding Zuko’s gaze. 

“Mai, I’m sorry, but I make it a point to not go out with my clients. I appreciate the offer, though. Thank you.” Zuko smiles as he walks out of the room. He sighed as he walked towards the front desk, footsteps echoing in the dimly-lit hallway. He grabbed his pen from the front pocket of his lab coat, humming.

Zuko was 26 years old, and he was single. Which was something that almost every client tried to take advantage of when they knew that he wasn’t in a relationship. His clients asked him out on dates, and he would decline every single one of them. He maintained his professionalism, which was something he liked about himself. The next time he would see the clients that asked him out - be it during their pet’s next check-up or outside of work - neither he nor the client would bring up the awkward conversation. Zuko never got mad or annoyed at his clients’ questions, in fact he was flattered. 

“Hey, Suki.” He greeted the receptionist. He smiled at Aang who was talking to a client in the waiting room, and gave a small wave. Aang and the client waved back. “Slow day today, huh?”

“Yup, but it’s still 11, so who knows.” Suki said,  Zuko nodded, signing a form.

“That’s true. So, Momo in room 1 had his rabies vaccine and deworming today along with his check-up.” Zuko said. Suki smiled while typing the information Zuko told her into the computer.

 “Your next patient is Appa in room 5.” Suki says and Zuko smiles. Appa was one of Zuko’s favorite patients. But Appa’s owner on the other hand, was not his favorite client.

“Just a check-up for Appa today?” Zuko asked. Suki hummed and nodded. “Okay, thanks.” Zuko grabbed a clipboard with the clinic form, turned back and headed towards his next patient, almost bumping into Mai who was on her way out.

“Oh, sorry Doctor Zuko.” Mai said, still avoiding Zuko’s gaze.

“It’s alright. No harm done.” He said as he walked to room 5. He opened the door and was shocked at who he saw. Sitting on a chair was his highschool sweetheart. She had long and wavy chocolate brown hair, caramel brown skin and ocean blue eyes - without a doubt, it was her.

“Katara?” Zuko asked, closing the door. Katara smiled, despite being surprised, and Zuko was reminded of the old days when they were in high school. Zuko saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“Oh, hi Zuko. I mean, Doctor Zuko.” She said. The old lovers were too busy staring at each other, not noticing when Appa suddenly jumped up on Zuko, almost making him fall. Zuko chuckled as he petted the energetic dog. “Oh my god! Appa, down!” Katara stood up, grabbing the Golden Retriever’s leash and gently tugging on it. The dog gets off of Zuko, sitting down as he looks up at the doctor. “Sorry about that. I think he likes you.”

“No worries, I like him too. Plus, he’s a gentle giant. But it seems that he’s gotten heavier since he last came here.” Zuko says, smiling at Katara. “Where is Appa’s owner though? I-I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Kat. Katara. But I have to say, it is a nice surprise.” Zuko says, and Katara smiled at the nickname that rolled off Zuko’s tongue a numerous amount of times back in high school.

“I also wasn’t expecting to see you. But it is nice to see you.” She said truthfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Zuko is reminded of how he used to tuck Katara’s hair behind her ear, right before he would give her a kiss. “I’m just doing this as a favor. Jet, Appa’s owner, is a, uh, friend of mine.” She explained.

“Just a friend?” Zuko asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice, and Katara looked at him. Gentle, blue eyes stared into intense, brown ones. “Ah, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t ask about your personal life.” He said, looking at the form in his hand to distract himself. “I’ll call a restrainer. One sec.” Zuko places the clipboard on a table and walks outside the door, closing it behind him as he sighed. He walked towards the front desk, leaning close to Suki.

“Hey, do you think Aang or Toph could examine Appa for me today?” Zuko asks, voice almost a whisper.

“Why? Is there something wrong? Aang left to buy some lunch and Toph is doing an emergency C-section right now with Ty.” Suki asks.

“Well, it’s just that his owner isn’t here. It’s the owner’s... friend that brought Appa.” Zuko explains.

“Well, that’s weird. I thought that the pretty girl was his owner’s girlfriend.” Suki said, and Zuko clenched his jaw, which didn’t go unnoticed by Suki. “But, you’re Appa’s doctor. And you already went inside the room, right? It’d be weird if you just suddenly disappeared.” Suki says and Zuko sighs.

“Yeah, you’re right. Could I get 2 restrainers for Appa? He’s a big boy.” Zuko says and Suki nods, gesturing to the two employees in the waiting area.

“Right away, Doctor.” She says, giving him a wink. He chuckles and walks back to Katara and Appa with the restrainers behind him.

“Hey, I’m back.” Zuko announces as he opens the door. Appa barks, tail rapidly wagging side to side. Zuko smiles as he pets the dog. “Hey there, buddy.” He steps to the side, grabbing the clipboard. The two restrainers come in, and Katara greets them with a ‘Good morning’ and a friendly smile. Zuko smiles, she was as kind as ever.

“Kat, I mean Katara,  you can give them the leash. They’ll hoist Appa up on the table.” Zuko says. 

“O-Oh, yes. Of course.” Katara says and she gives the leash to one of the restrainers. She heads over to Zuko, standing beside him. Her arm lightly brushes over his, and Zuko raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say a word.

“Be careful guys.” Zuko says to the two employees as they gently put Appa on the examination table. Appa barks once he’s on the table, and Katara giggles, petting his head. “Alright, I’ll start the examination in a bit. But I’m gonna do some history taking first.” Zuko says as he grabs the clipboard.

“Okay, yeah. Seems easy.” Katara says, looking at Zuko. Zuko looks at her, giving her a small smile.

“I take it this is your first time at the vet, Katara? I mean, you were pretty scared of dogs back then.” Zuko says and Katara giggles.

“Yes, this is my first time at the vet, Doctor Zuko.” Katara says, emphasizing his title. “And Appa here is an exception. He’s a good boy and I’d do anything for him.” 

“You’ll need to be as honest as possible when you answer the questions, okay?” Zuko says, and Katara pokes his biceps, making him chuckle. Katara smiles, not expecting to feel that much muscle. 

“I’m not a kid, Doctor. I know how to answer questions when it comes to taking the patient’s history.” Katara says and Zuko smiles, nodding. Zuko’s questions range from the basic ones to the more complicated ones, and Katara answers each question precisely and correctly - or that’s what Zuko likes to think. Because clients lie all the time.

“Well, looks like Appa is as healthy as ever.” Zuko says, writing something on the form. Katara tries to sneak a peek, leaning close. Zuko chuckles, tucking the clipboard close to his chest. Katara looks up at him and smiles. Their faces were a few inches apart, and Zuko holds his breath. 

“Sorry. Just got curious.” She says, leaning away. Zuko smiles, awkwardly patting her shoulder.

“It’s alright. Now that I’m done with the history taking, it’s time for the physical exam.” Zuko says, and Appa barks. 

“It’ll be okay, Appa. Doctor Zuko is gonna take good care of you” She says in a soothing tone and Zuko smiles. Her voice was always nice to listen to. Zuko puts the clipboard on the table, and places his pen in the pocket of his lab coat. Zuko reaches over behind Katara, to grab some gloves. Katara freezes when she notices that Zuko is close to her - very close; Zuko’s lips almost touch Katara’s ear, his free hand lightly brushing against hers. He chuckles as he leans away and puts on his gloves. Katara lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and Zuko glances at her, smirking.

“I don’t mean to sound rude or unprofessional, but you two look like a couple.” One of the restrainers says, and his partner nudges him. “I-I mean, you two look good together.” He says and his partner shakes his head in embarrassment. Katara blushes and Zuko smiles.

“Well, we actually dated back in highschool.” Zuko says, starting the physical exam on Appa by examining his mouth and teeth.

“I-It was a long time ago.” Katara says, staring at the ground. She would be lying if she said that Zuko wasn’t a great boyfriend. Because he was. The best, in fact. “We, uh, we dated for 3 years.” Katara says and Zuko nods, checking Appa’s ears.

“We were together from sophomore year to senior year.” Zuko continues, grabbing his stethoscope. “Hold him steady.” He tells the restrainers, placing the diaphragm of the stethoscope on Appa’s chest. There’s a short silence in the room as Zuko counts Appa’s respiratory rate. Zuko nods and removes his stethoscope, placing it around his neck. He grabs his pen, writing down the information on the form.

“Were you guys the perfect couple?” The other restrainer asks, her interest piqued. Zuko smiles, looking at Katara - who was now blushing. “A-And why did you guys break up?”

“Well, there’s no perfect couple.” Katara says, looking up at Zuko. Familiar blue eyes meet brown ones, a twinkle in both their eyes.

“We fought, sure.” Zuko says, looking away as he continued examining Appa. Katara looks at the restrainers, both of them intently looking at Zuko. “But who doesn’t fight, right? So yeah, we fought. And we made up. That’s life. That’s how a relationship goes. And well, we broke up because we both wanted different things in life. But we ended things on good terms. We just, uh, never made it a point to contact each other after that.” Zuko says.

“You’re a love guru now, Doctor Zuko?” Katara asks, teasing. The restrainers laugh while Zuko shakes his head, chuckling.

“I have a degree in veterinary medicine, Katara. I don’t know anything about love, only animals.” Zuko says, grabbing a thermometer from the drawer. “Could you make him stand up.” Zuko says to the restrainers. Zuko lubricates the thermometer, as one restrainer carefully holds Appa’s head and upper half of his body, the other the lower half of his body. “Okay, buddy. This might be a little cold.” He says, rubbing Appa’s neck to distract him. “Hold him still, okay? He hates when I take his temperature.” Zuko says as he inserts the thermometer into Appa. Appa moves and tries to get out of the restrainers’ grips. 

“I-Is he usually like that?” Katara asks, arms folded across her chest. Zuko nods.

“Yeah, he can get a bit aggressive during this part. Other dogs may yelp, sure. But Appa is different.” Zuko explains, holding the thermometer. “But then again, I wouldn’t want a thermometer up my butt either.” He jokes and Katara laughs. The thermometer beeps a few seconds later, and Zuko takes it out, disinfecting it and wiping it as he records Appa’s temperature.

“Well, everything seems great. Appa is-” Zuko talks, but is cut off by the door opening to reveal Appa’s owner, Jet. Appa gets excited, barking and wagging his tail. The restrainers hold him carefully, so he doesn’t fall off the table.

“Ah, hello Doctor. Hello, my love.” Jet greets as he walks in the room, giving Katara a peck on the cheek. 

“Jet! I-I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Katara says, putting on a fake smile. Zuko grits his teeth when Jet wraps his arm around Katara.

“Well, my meeting ended early. And I thought that we could have lunch at the park after this.” Jet says and Katara looks at Zuko, silently asking for help. He nods, coughing.

“As I was saying,” Zuko says, and Katara smiles. “Appa is healthy. However, he needs to go on a diet. How many times do you feed him in one day?”

“Three times.” The couple answers in unison and Zuko nods.

“Make it two times a day. Breakfast and dinner. He can have treats, but don’t overdo it.” Zuko says, writing something into the form.

“Two times a day? That’s rough, buddy.” Katara says, petting Appa. Zuko smiles.

“Other than him having to go on a diet, he seems healthy. His next deworming will be… three weeks from now.” Zuko says, checking Appa’s old form. Jet sighs, clearly bored. This is why Zuko hated Jet. “You guys can put him down now.” Zuko tells the restrainers, and they do. Appa walks to Jet, and he gives the dog a quick scratch. Zuko nods to the restrainers, and they take that as their cue to leave.

“I-Is that it, Doctor?” Katara asks, and Zuko nods.

“Yes. You may also give him vitamins, which are available at the front desk.” Zuko says. 

“Babe, why don’t you take Appa and pay at the front?” Katara tells Jet and he nods.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll wait for you. Thanks, Doc.” Jet says as he grabs Appa’s leash and walks out the door. There’s an awkward silence between the old lovers.

“So… just a friend, huh?” Zuko says, raising an eyebrow and Katara shrugs.

“No, not a friend. We’re dating.” Katara says, sitting down. Zuko looks at her, leaning on a wall.

“And are you happy?” Zuko asks, concern in his voice.

“Y-Yes, I am. Just… Oh my god, this is gonna be so embarrassing.” Katara says, avoiding Zuko’s gaze.

“What? You can tell me, Kat.” Zuko says.

“I was happier when I was with you. All the guys I’ve dated ever since we broke up… None of them compare to you.” Katara says, scoffing. “See? Embarrassing.” Zuko crouches down in front of Katara, looking at her. Her eyes resembled the ocean, that’s what Zuko always thought of. Zuko places his hands on her thighs, giving them a small squeeze.

“It’s not embarrassing. Thank you, for telling me.” Zuko’s voice was calm and gentle. “Who would have thought that we’d reunite here at work?” He jokes and Katara giggles.

“I miss you, Zuko.” Katara confesses, her voice almost a whisper. Zuko sighs, standing up. “I’m so pathetic. One look at you and suddenly I forget that I have a boyfriend.”

“Don’t worry, every client seems to forget they have a boyfriend when they see me.” Zuko says, lightening the mood.

“Your girlfriend must get jealous, huh?” Katara asks and Zuko shakes his head.

“I’m single, Kat.” Zuko admits and Katara widens her eyes.

“No way, you’re joking! You’re too hot to be single!” Katara says and Zuko chuckles. “Okay, forget the last part. But seriously, are you still single?”

“Yes, I really am still single.” There’s a moment of silence, neither of them knowing what to say next.

“I should get going.” Katara says, standing up. Zuko nods. She looks up at him, smiling. “We should grab a coffee sometime. You know, catch up. How does that sound?”

“I normally don’t go out with clients. But technically, you aren’t my client, your boyfriend is. So, that sounds wonderful, Katara. I’m free on Friday.” Zuko smiles. Katara nods and grabs a pen and paper from her bag, quickly writing her number. She slips the paper into the pocket of Zuko’s lab coat, earning a chuckle from the doctor. “Before you go, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes, Doctor?” Katara asks. Zuko takes a deep breath.

“You were my first love. And you always will be. And you’re also the one that got away. I know you have a boyfriend, but if there’s even the slightest chance that we can start over, I would really like that. Because not a day goes by that I don’t think about you, Katara.” Zuko says, his voice sincere. Katara smiles, putting her hand on his cheek.

“Coffee first?” She asks and Zuko chuckles.

“Yes, coffee first.” Zuko says, smiling. Katara nods as she walks towards the door. “Wait, Katara.” Zuko says, his back facing the door.

“Yeah?” She asks, looking back.

“I miss you too.” Zuko says. Katara smiles as she opens the door and walks out. Friday couldn’t come faster.

-

masterlist

ao3: zukoskataraa 

[isthatbloodonhisshirt]

If you could change ten things about Teen Wolf what would you change??

OMG BUCKLE DOWN BECAUSE IT’S GONNA BE A LONG ONE! Do asks have a word limit? Guess we gonna find out! (Sometimes I wish I could speak these replies, they sound much funnier when I am speaking out loud to myself and then they are just weird and flat typed up but I DIGRESS! I do that a lot, have you noticed? Doesn’t matter.)

(Also, I did put a “Keep Reading” but for some reason it’s not working. Or it’s not showing as working on my end. But it’s right under this paragraph I swear so if it’s not working, that isn’t on me....)

1) SO! Trauma. People be dealing with their traumas. That’d be a thing I’d like, thank you. Like, I’m sorry, but there is a fuckton of trauma in this show and everyone like, goes to bed at night and wakes up cured. Like MAGIC! I mean, yes, I get that magic is a thing in the show (is it? I mean kind of? Idk, I never saw past season 4, they alluded to magic and then SNATCHED THAT AWAY so, side-note, that’s coming up later!) But yes, I would’ve very much liked for people to, you know, deal with their traumas in a realistic fashion. Let’s get some therapy going, or like, idk, some actual negative reactions to thing! They kind of had that with Stiles every now and then, but he seemed to be up and down episode to episode so like, it’d be like they wrote an episode where he reacts to what happened to him and then four episodes have gone by where he’s fine and the writers were like “OH YEAH SHIT HE JUST MURDERED LIKE A WHOLE HOSPITAL, make him have a panic attack randomly over dropping milk, that balances out, excellent, we’re so smart.” So yes. DEAL. WITH. THE. TRAUMA! Thanks.

2) LESS CHARACTERS, MORE DEVELOPMENT! I mentioned this in another recent ask about relationships but like, they just kept shoving characters in there. Like one of those clown cars. So we got like, 30% character development on the core group and then the rest was like “wait, who are you again?” Like, legit, I have a bad memory, you put too many people in front of me, I ain’t gonna remember them unless they have a good personality or a reason to be there. And like, develop their relationships! Not even romantically, but like, Scott’s mom loves Scott, that is sweet and lovely, but like, we never really… see… that… developed? Idk man, like again, I have a bad memory, but when you really develop relationships WELL (ex: Brooklyn-nine-nine), that shit sticks with you and you CARE about people. The friendships are important, and the familial relationships are important and just developing all the dynamics is important! They spent more time showcasing how much everyone hated each other and lied to each other and stuff and that just got really tiring. Yes, you’re allowed to get mad at your friends, but if you’re a Werewolf, and your human friend is calling you when there is a fucking monster running around killing people, can you maybe stop making out with your girlfriend and answer your phone so your friend isn’t treading water with a 200+ pound Werewolf for 2 hours? Like, JUST SAYING! (Spoiler alert: Me and Scott would not be close friends. Like, I think we’d be friends, but not so much that I’d trust him with my life. If I wanted to grab pizza and a movie, maybe play some video games, he sounds like a treat, but if my life was in danger, thanks I be callin’ someone who answers their phone).

3) Actual consequences for their actions! Okay like, I am also guilty of this in fanfic, but at the same time, my writing is free, I don’t get paid for it, and I write what I want because that’s how it works, so I can do whatever I please (If I wanna make the Hales royalty for the millionth time, ain’t nobody gonna stop me!). But like, when you are a legit paid screenwriter who is writing a show? Consequences! Just because it’s a show about Werewolves doesn’t mean there can’t be any consequences! Like, the best scene, and I feel like we can agree, because fuck it like, hurt my soul and my heart and I was just so like ;~; was when the sheriff got fired (fired? suspended? TEMPORARILY UNEMPLOYED!) because Stiles stole a police van when they locked Jackson up in it. Like, that shit was REAL LIFE CONSEQUENCES for actions, and that shit was intense and it HURT and omg I loved it! Give me more of that! Like, I’m sorry, but you gonna tell me Nogistune!Stiles walked through the hospital murdering a bazillion people and not one camera was working the whole time? Not one? Nobody saw that? Nobody went “hey, isn’t that the sheriff’s kid?” Like, CAN. YOU. IMAGINE?! That would’ve been so amazing, a bunch of episodes of the pack scrambling to keep the Supernatural a secret while also trying to stop Stiles from GETTING ARRESTED because saying “Sorry ma’am, I was possessed by a demon fox who likes chaos and thought murdering a bunch of people would be fun” ain’t gonna fly in court and the FBI sure isn’t gonna believe that but like, UGH! Again, bad memory, but was the fact that Dark!Stiles wandered through the hospital killing people EVER brought up again???? CONSEQUENCES. Woulda really liked that.

4) STOP with unnecessary romances. Like, yeah, I get it, the allos like their romances, but shockingly, you can still have a good show without focussing on the romance. Like, it can be there, I’m not saying don’t put it in, I’m saying DON’T MAKE IT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING! Like, the entirety of season one was Scott chasing Allison and Stiles chasing Lydia. This… this does not make an interesting show? Like, is that just me? And then as the season progressed, EVERYONE had to be in a relationship? WHY? Again, haven’t seen past season four, but I mean, I know Scott and Kira were a thing, and then Stiles and Malia, and Liam and some… person? Idk. And Ethan and Danny (congrats Jeff, you get to tick your “I had representation in my show!” box, well done, gold star, or whatever). And Isaac and Allison, and Melissa and Chris (apparently?). And then Stydia was alluded as being canon, and Scott ended up with Malia somehow?? And Derek slept with half the town and all of Mexico, idek. Like, stop it. Stop. Shows work without everything being about everyone banging each other. (See again: Brooklyn-nine-nine, or Avatar the Last Airbender, or The Good Place, or even fucking Supernatural!) You can have a good, interesting story without everyone banging each other. It ain’t necessary.

5) More actual storytelling (again, this woulda worked better without the unnecessary romances taking up 49 of the 50 minutes of air-time). Like, yes, I get it, pilot’s gotta have some pizzaz! Gotta be spicy and sparkly to make people interested (and like, fucking hell, all I can remember of the pilot is sobbing Allison soaking wet–LIKE, WAS THAT NECESSARY???–about the dog she hit and oh noes is it dead well thank God the lead character works for a vet! And somehow has keys and access to the whole clinic like nbd at all hours? Whatever. I wasn’t even allowed inside my blockbuster as a shift lead if it was off-hours but apparently a high school student doing paperwork at a vet clinic is different, I’m not a vet so what do I know? I HAD A BAD DAY OKAY, I GOT FEELINGS ABOUT THIS RN!) I went off-topic, what was I saying? Oh yes, storytelling. You know what woulda been nice? Werewolves! It happens, we find out about Laura, we find out about Werewolves, Scott gets bitten, all that jazz. And then like… ease in the Hunters? Like, why was there Laura/Derek, Peter, AND the Hunters all crammed into the pilot? Yes, I get it, you need the SUSPENSE and the DRAMA, but you can do that without the Hunters right off the bat. Just, how CONVENIENT~ that the same day Derek and Laura come back, Hunters move to town? That’s just lazy, and again, I can be guilty of laziness, I admit to it, but I literally get paid in—like, do hearts count? I get paid in hearts and pats on the back for my fics, I can write whatever I want. If you’re getting paid to write something, try a bit harder, yes? Yes???

What number am I on? Oh good Lord, I got things to say, okay.

6) MAGIC! Can you like—I feel like this one is self-explanatory. Stiles did the whole mountain ash thing in season one, and it was SO PROMISING, and then that just died. It died like Maes Hughes getting shot in a phonebooth (spoiler, but really, you haven’t seen that yet, that’s a you problem). Why even bother introducing magic if you weren’t gonna use it? Like, was it because people like Stiles more than Scott and the showrunner was like “nonono. If we make him magic, he’s TOO cool, and then Scott is unimportant.” I mean, you coulda worked that in your favour, but no. You just murdered the fuck out of it, like straight up took it out back and shot it. Like, yeah, Derek went kiddo again and Jennifer was apparently all magic beauty spell or whatever, but like?? That’s it??? You had a show about Werewolves and you didn’t even try to make it more interesting by making some of the characters magic? Lydia’s basically the closest and they didn’t even explain her powers that well. Magic would’ve been dope and they totally shoved that to the side. That was dumb. Shoulda done something with that.

7) Explain things more? Don’t mention them once and then do nothing? Like, we got some brief stuff about anchors, and emissaries (which are super duper secret according to Deaton but then like, EVERYONE KNOWS HE IS EMISSARY SO WHICH IS IT DEATON? YOU TELL ME!) Like, they had so much opportunity to talk about so many things and again, maybe that comes out more in the later seasons, idk, but they likely coulda done with more explanations and they didn’t and this angers me GREATLY. They mention something once and then it never comes up again. That’s some Lost bullshit right there. Don’t start something if you’re not gonna commit. You tell me the beginning of the story, I wanna fucking know the end, don’t forget halfway through and wander away, that ain’t right, I NEED ANSWERS JEFF! And like, as above, never really got Lydia’s powers. I know what a Banshee is, but her powers did NOT make sense to me. Idk, could just be that I’m dumb, but similarly, don’t write something so convoluted that it confuses people, that is also dumb. As dumb as I am so like, well done there. And also do we get more on Parrish? I know he’s a Hellhound, but how does one get born a Hellhound and not know until you are conveniently lit on fire by someone trying to kill you for money? (Also, you bean, you absolute treasure, “I’m worth five dollars?” You’re so cute. Silly child.) I feel like being a Hellhound is something that woulda come up before getting barbecued in his cruiser. Like, he works a stressful job, you gonna tell me not ONCE while getting shot at he didn’t have a massive heart attack over a close call and like, burst into flames? No? Is that just a me thing? I feel like the slightest annoyance and I’d be fully on fire, not gonna lie. (I’d be on fire a LOT… CLEARLY I AM AN ANGRY PERSON! No, that’s not true. No yes it is, I am angry, but more angry lately because I’m sleep-deprived and work is dumb ANYWAY back to this)

8) EMBRACE THE SIDE CHARACTERS! Okay, so MAYBE Scott is meant to be the golden child. The Dick Grayson of the show, if you will. The original Robin, the creme de la creme. That’s all fine and dandy if he is, no judgement (little judgement), but you know what you don’t do when your side characters are getting a lot of attention and love? What you DO NOT do is give them less screen time. Because then you’re being petty and, shockingly, you get more positive results when you give the fans what they want. I’m not talking about pairings, because everyone is different, and you can’t cater to everyone, but like, the more people moved away from liking Scott, the harder the showrunners pushed him into our faces. And like, that isn’t how this works. If I like side character 87 a lot, and the lead’s getting annoying, you know what’s gonna make me NOT watch the show? Cutting out side character 87 (hey, for shits and gigs, let’s call him DANNY, just, not coincidentally at all) and then just shoving the lead into my face. That is what makes someone go “Well, four seasons is enough, I can happily live knowing I didn’t waste my life watching two more of them.” Like??? I’m not saying cut out Scott, because the show is ABOUT Scott, but the more everyone tried to showcase how amazing and wonderful and pure and perfect he was, the more annoying it got? Like, Scott has flaws. THEY ALL HAVE FLAWS! If you don’t admit that they all have flaws, it gets boring, and you hate the characters. I know that Scott turned into a douche later (apparently, again, haven’t seen it), but even in the early seasons by trying to make him this pure True Alpha golden angel child who spreads love and hope and trusts everyone, it just got boring. He was vanilla, and also a bad friend, because he was too “perfect” to be around someone “imperfect” like Stiles, and even like, the rest of the pack overall. He was always put on a pedestal and it made the show really… irksome? Idk, I just feel like yes, SCOTT is the Teen Wolf, but you added all these damn side characters, maybe use them a bit more? At least Stiles was interesting, and Lydia was fucking badass, and fucking hell, if you’d done right by Boyd and Erica, the actors wouldn’t have left for better shows so like, come on man, you coulda done better. We coulda had such a dope show, why you gotta crush my dreams like that Jeff? What did I ever do to you?

I know this is only eight, but this is long enough, if I go two more, this is gonna be IN.SANE. And also it’s late and I haven’t finished my fic for the day (I mean, I’m almost done, but I’m not done yet!) So like, I’ma stop here. But yes, hopefully this answered your question. Sorry I got REALLY PASSIONATE about it but it’s been a day.

Also, I feel this needs to be said, but obviously these are my own personal opinions, and as opinions, you are not obligated to agree with them. But you are also not allowed to tell me my opinion is wrong. You can disagree with it, but this is an opinion, not a law, so there is no right and wrong. Don’t @ me, my day’s been bad enough kthx!

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, BE BACK IN LIKE TWENTY(?) MINUTES!

[mando-chicken]

Tiny Spots | Clones and Their Cats

“When Commander Thorn’s Tooka, Spot, goes missing, he enlists the help of his brother, Commander Fox, to try and find his beloved pet. When they find her, however, they’re both in for quite the surprise.”

Another chapter based in the ‘Clones and Their Cats’ universe. The basis is literally just what it says on the tin - some of the clones have cats (and some other pets too) - all these fics will largely focus on the clones and their animal companions. Not all chapters/works are in chronological order, this one is set a few months before the first one.

Other works in the series:

Cat Sitter

Read on AO3

Tag List:

@cxptain-rex​ @spaghetti-666​

A knock at Fox’s door caused him to groan loudly, scrubbing at his face with a hand, before glancing at the chrono that sat on his desk, noting that he had been working at the massive piles of flimsi before him for almost two hours. His frown deepened when he also noticed that he had only managed to get part way through the first pile. “Come in,” he huffed, snatching the next document from the pile and scanning the mess of words that seemed to go on forever without actually saying anything of any real importance.

 Fox immediately narrowed his eyes when Thorn’s familiar head popped through Fox’s doorway, offering him a sheepish grin. “Uh, hey Fox, is Spot in here?” the younger clone asked, glancing around Fox’s office and at all of the usual hiding places of the Tooka in question.

 “Haven’t seen her all day,” he shook his head, returning to reading the flimsi before him, “did you try checking the storage rooms?” The sound of an affirmative, “the street out back?” Another affirmative, “and what about the Doctor? You know Spot likes to hang around at the vet clinic or at her apartment when you’re out on patrol.”

 “Dalthic says she hasn’t seen her either.” Thorn’s voice is unusually subdued, and when Fox looks up he can clearly see the way his eyebrows wrinkled. He still seemed to be glancing around the room, as if expecting the cat to suddenly poke its head out of one of the flimsi filled crates – something the animal was indeed prone to doing – because the boxes in Fox’s office were clearly superior for a Tooka to sit in compared to any other.

 Fox made a respectable effort at holding back an exhausted sigh, only allowing a brief puff of air from his nose to signal any sort of displeasure. Sure, technically it was none of his concern what happened to the cat, but Thorn absolutely adored the little creature and it was rather sweet the way he lit up the moment he spotted the ginger furball. Admittedly, Fox himself had grown somewhat fond of the Tooka, enjoying her quiet company when he was stuck in the office, even if he could live happily without the unseemly number of cat hairs that coated his blacks and found their way into his cups of caff. Not that he would ever admit such a thing aloud, that would only encourage more brothers to try and get their own hands on a pet.

 “She’ll be fine, Thorn, she knows the streets as well as any Guard,” he breathed, “I’m sure she’ll be back here in time to wake you up for feeding tomorrow morning.” Thorn had learnt very quickly that cats did not tolerate late feeding. Whenever he was out, Spot had evidently decided Fox was the lucky person who would get woken up by her ungodly screeching for food, forcing him to feed the animal, lest he have to spend the next few hours trying to sleep through the sound. So much for her being Thorn’s sole responsibility.

 Thorn only frowned at his words, shaking his head slightly, “that’s the thing, she hasn’t been to my quarters this evening, and it’s hours past feeding time. You know she’d never miss out on free food and especially not a main meal.” The trooper was shifting slightly, his fingers drumming along the side of his helmet as he clutched it in one of his hands.

 It was enough for Fox to take pause in consideration, the flimsi in his hand drooping slightly as he began to think to himself. No matter what, Spot was always present at mealtimes, often arriving a little while early to ensure no one forgot her feed.

 “And it isn’t just that either, she’s been throwing up recently, and keeps trying to hide from everyone. I thought she just wasn’t feeling well and it’d pass on its own in a few days, but now…” he trailed off with a sigh, looking down at the floor. It was typical of Thorn to think he had somehow failed his pet before they even knew if anything was actually wrong with her – a habit it seemed he had picked up from Fox himself – and he decided to quickly put an end to the line of thought.

 “Look, vod, I’m sure she’s fine. Have a little faith in her.” Fox placed down the document he had been working on, “go on and do your patrol, the boys will be waiting for you. I’ll just finish up these priority documents and then I’ll go and look around the barracks.” He was fortunate to have finished most of the priority work beforehand, only a few documents required for important meetings within the senate the following morning, and the rest could wait a while longer. It wasn’t as though Fox expected to get much further through the nasty piles of flimsiwork anyway.

 Seemingly, his reassurances were enough to take off some of the edge off Thorn’s worries, and the other commander was quick to give Fox a nod, straightening up and sliding his helmet smoothly into place. “Thanks, vod.” Thorn’s shoulders lowered slightly, as if his tension was slowly being drained away.

 Fox nodded back, beginning to shoo his fellow commander from the room with a few waves of his hand, “don’t worry about it, just make sure to keep the little beast in your quarters where you can keep an eye on her once I find her.” From the way Thorn snickered slightly and muttered a quiet ‘sure’ as he left, Fox’s gruff, annoyed tone hadn’t exactly come out as such.

 Within half an hour Fox had managed to scribble the final approval signature into place on the documents he was working through. He placed it on the pile of completed work with a relieved sigh, taking a moment to roll his wrist, frowning slightly at the way it ached with the movement. Although it wasn’t quite late, Fox knew he would have to be awake before dawn to begin some preparations for a guard detail later the following day, so he was determined to get a reasonable amount of rest beforehand.

 After taking a few moments to ensure everything was left in order, Fox exited his office and began the short journey to the main barracks attached to the lower story of the Guard building. If the Tooka wasn’t in Thorn’s quarters or office, the local alleyways or harassing the local vet for affection, then there was a solid chance she would be hiding out in the barracks.

 Luckily for Fox, the men were good at keeping their sleeping areas practically spotless – as per the regulations – so there were only so many places Spot could try to hide. But it seemed that no matter how many rooms he checked, nor how many brothers he spoke to, there were no signs he could find that would lead him to the cat’s current whereabouts. No one had seen her, not since the previous evening at the latest.

 Fox had been searching for well over an hour before Thorn eventually returned from his short patrol of the nearby area, only just taking the time to switch out with the next trooper assigned the route, before he was back to Fox’s side, questioning him on his progress. They both agreed to spend only another hour searching for Spot at the most, knowing they were both needed the following morning. Despite their efforts, however, neither of them could find the elusive feline, and Thorn was eventually the one to call the search off, albeit reluctantly.

 Defeated, but agreeing to spend some time in the morning continuing their search, Fox returned to his quarters for the night. It took him only a few minutes to mindlessly work his way out of his armour, setting it all aside in a neat pile, before he fell back onto his bed. The thin mattress did little to cushion his small drop, but he hardly cared, moving into a slightly more comfortable position on his back before grabbing his datapad from the side table.

 He silently skimmed through the ever-growing list of updates, ensuring there was nothing that urgently needed his attention. The screen of the datapd was the only feature illuminating the room, and Fox was silently musing to himself about how the Guard medics Fibula and Tibia would probably be berating him for causing potential eye strain, when he picked up the distinct sound of a Tooka’s meow.

 Practically rolling off the edge of the bed, Fox quickly dropped down to the floor, using the brightness of his pad to light up the small space beneath his bunk. It took him all of about four seconds – enough time to curse Thorn and the tube he was birthed from – before he reached out and snatched up his comm unit, calmly summoning the other commander to his quarters.

 By the time Thorn managed to reach him, Fox had switched on the lights and had settled himself on the floor. “When you adopted Spot, what exactly did the vet tell you to do?” Fox asked, glancing up at Thorn. His voice was soft and almost conversational, but his eyes glinted dangerously in a way that had the other commander shrinking slightly under the older clone’s gaze.

 “The Doc’ told me plenty of things I’d need to do…” he slowly answered, curling in on himself further when Fox made a show of taking in a deep breath, holding it for a moment, and then releasing it. He was mad. “Why do you ask, ori’vod?” Thorn was scared to ask but prayed to whatever deity was out there that he could perhaps try and suck up to the other commander and somewhat lessen his wrath, or at least what amount of it got directed towards him.

 Fox, however, saw through his futile attempt, eyes narrowing on his dangerously, “Don’t you ‘ori’vod’ me, Thorn,” he growled, “come and look what your cat’s done.”

 There was little room for argument with Fox’s tone, and cautiously, as if approaching a fierce predator, Thorn slunk his way closer, sliding down to kneel on the floor beside Fox’s bed. He glanced under it, only to gasp in both surprise and slight delight at what he saw. “Spot’s had kittens?!” he whisper-shouted, trying to be considerate of the five, tiny bundles of fur currently snuggled up close to Spot’s side. Thorn had the sense to at least attempt to look sheepish, but it was hard to maintain it with the way he kept having to fight down the urge to grin at the adorable kittens.

 “I thought you said you’d gotten her splayed months ago!” Fox couldn’t help snapping, “what the kriff are we supposed to do with kittens, di’kut?”

 Thorn gave a nervous chuckle, scratching at the back of his neck, “Uh, yeah, about that…” he merely offered an apologetic smile, though it began to look more and more like a grimace the longer Fox scowled at him. “Look, I’m sorry, but I got caught up with all the chaos we were having recently, and it just slipped my mind.”

 Fox had practically buried his face into his hand by that point. “That still doesn’t answer my question. We don’t exactly know how to deal with newborn kittens, nor what we should do with them.”

 “We can just ask Dalthic, she’s a vet, she’ll know how to look after kittens,” Thorn replied, reaching out to gently nudge one of the restless baby Tookas with one of his fingers. The fearsome clone commander looked as though he was going to burst into tears and desperately clutched his chest with a hand when the kitten made a tiny ‘mew’ sound in response.

 Fox already had his datapad out, shooting a brief message to the vet who had been kind enough to help Thorn adopt Spot in the first place. “You’re going to have to apologise to the poor woman, I’m sure she doesn’t appreciate being woken up at this hour,” he grumbled, sparing a glance at Spot and noting tiredly that it was indeed his blanket that the cat had stolen to give birth on.

 Thorn nodded, but didn’t seem to be paying much attention, too absorbed with stroking Spot’s head, informing her of just how adorable her kittens were. Spot was vibrating with happiness, purring so loudly that Fox was slightly worried the walls would start shaking if she purred any louder. “Some of the other brothers have mentioned wanting pets, maybe we could keep the—”

 “Absolutely not.” There was no way they would be keeping the kittens, much less giving them to other brothers in the Guard to keep as pets. As far as Fox was concerned, they had already broken enough regulations by deciding to keep one Tooka in the barracks, six would just be asking for trouble. “We’re not going to be keeping any of them, as soon as they’re old enough we’ll give them to the Doc’ and she can find them homes.” He absolutely meant it, no matter how put-out Thorn looked at being so quickly shot down.

 It was six weeks later, when Spot was happily sitting in one of the crates in Fox’s office, with four kittens spread out across his desk’s surface and one kitten attempting to lay on top of his datapad while he was using it, purring away happy and content, that Fox realised yes, they would indeed be keeping the kittens.

[chasseurdeloup-retired]

We Both Go Down Together || Regan and Kaden

TIMING: Immediately after Tooth and Claw and Light and Shadow LOCATION: The curb outside of Deirdre’s house PARTIES: @kadavernagh and @chasseurdeloup SUMMARY: Kaden doesn’t know where else to go so he waits for Regan outside on the curb CONTENT WARNINGS: Vomit tw, Self-harm mentions

Walking away from the vet clinic without a dog in hand was the single worst feeling. No, Kaden knew that was a lie. The thoughts plaguing him about how familiar that wolf looked was the worst feeling. He shouldn’t care. That werewolf nearly killed Abel. It was dangerous. It didn’t deserve to live. He did his job. He kept people safe. There was nothing wrong with what he did.

But what if it was his friend's sister?

The bile that had been threatening its way out the whole night forced its way out by the side of his car. Putain. Kaden’s hand shook as he held it by the handle of his car. Where was he even going to go? His apartment was going to be empty. Completely empty and hollowed out in its own way. Sure, alright, Rumpleskuffs would be there. It wasn’t the same. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with mushrooms in his bed or answer questions of where Abel was. His fist pulled back and slammed into the side of the car.

Shit. He’d have to get Alain to fix the dent in his car. That’s right. He could go there, see Alain. No, didn’t feel right. Bea; Kaden didn’t even know where she was. Probably Felix’s. She had enough. Oscar was still hunting. He couldn’t interrupt. Couldn’t explain why he was upset. Not really. There was only one person he wanted to see. Just one. But he couldn’t. He shouldn’t.

Fuck it. Kaden got in the car and drove to East End until he got to Deirdre’s house, parking on the road across the way. He got out of the car, sat himself on the curb and sent a text. Then waited, fingernails digging into his palms. Maybe if he gripped his fists tighter he could hold it all in a little longer. For now, he waited. He might be sitting there until the sun came up and then some. But he wasn’t leaving. He didn’t know where else he wanted to go, anyway.

Al probably would have paid good money to his sister meditating. He never stopped talking about meditation and mindfulness and that it could even be beneficial to doctors, but Regan was never able to successfully quiet her thoughts enough to enjoy it. No, meditation was a waste of time. That was time better spent working. Or studying. Or-- she winked open one eye, then the other. No matter how much she tried to imagine that she was elsewhere, or living another life, she was always brought back here: to the inside of Deirdre’s shed, waiting for that soft spot on the roof to collapse on her. It would probably be a mercy at this point. Regan sighed through her teeth. Deirdre had instructed several hours of meditation; she was to practice her breathing and try to embrace the death, whatever that meant. Possibly the pulsing of the taxidermy in the corner of the room that she’d thrown a blanket over.

She heard her phone beep. Probably Cece again, with more nonsensical chatter about television shows. Why she even wanted to talk, Regan couldn’t fathom it. Still, she’d take any excuse to cut the meditation short. With another sigh, she lifted herself from the bed, stretching her legs.

Kaden.

"Abel was hurt. I'm outside on the curb."

A cold fist gripped her throat. She wasn’t even sure which order she should be panicking about this sequence of events in. Kaden was here, not in the shed, but close to it, and he wanted to see her. Needed to see her. And Abel had been hurt. How? Who would ever hurt-- Regan’s mind flashed to the turkey, her hands on the warm feathers, as the scream ripped through layers of flesh and organ and tissue.

She stared at the phone like it could bite her.

Regan wasn’t sure she would ever be able to forgive herself for what she had done to Grace, Cece, and Janus. Or that she’d put herself in a position where that was a likely outcome at all. Her blame and fault and guilt propelled her faster and harder and into the necessary work she and Deirdre were doing, but she didn’t want to pile any more on herself. And if she were to ignore this text, or say she couldn’t-- it would just be another thing she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself for. Abel was Kaden’s best friend. He loved that dog. Regan felt great affection for him, too, though she wasn’t sure what qualified as love when it was directed toward a non-human animal.

She grabbed the necklace, made sure the bandages on her hand were secured, and tore out of the shed.

And there Kaden was, just like he’d said. Sitting on the curb, every muscle tense, as he looked like he was about to cave in on himself. He was perfectly still, like stone, which Regan took to be shock. What had happened? She froze about thirty feet away from him, and met his teary eyes. “Kaden?” She asked, voice scratchier than she thought it’d be. That shouldn’t have been surprising given all of the screaming. “Kaden, I’m here.” Just… nowhere close to him. She reached out, wishing she could hold him or at least put his hand in hers, but that wasn’t a risk she was going to take. She closed her eyes, trying to stop her own tears. Crying is unbecoming. No, she needed to get closer. She inched up to him, stopping again at about ten feet away, before sitting on the curb herself. “Do… do you want to tell me what happened?”

She wasn’t going to come. He was going to sit here like an idiot and she wasn’t going to leave the fucking shed. Kaden knew it. He knew it. This was just like before. He’d sit there outside her door waiting and she’d stay on the other side, leaving them both lost and alone. No. That wouldn’t happen this time. This time he’d wait. Until she--

His breath waited, held in his chest as he saw movement. There’s no way. It was probably just a rabbit or a squirrel or-- Regan. It was Regan. How long had it been now since he’d seen her? It felt like forever. Which was stupid, it wasn’t that long. Still, it felt like the whole world had shifted since he’d last seen her. But she was still her. She had to be. He should stand up. Run to her. He wanted to. Thought about it. But Kaden couldn’t move. Part of him was convinced it was a mirage, just an illusion off in the distance. But it stayed in the distance. It was her alright, not an illusion. He bit the inside of his mouth, dug his fingernails in farther. Why did he think this would be an exception? He was the one who made those, not her. All he wanted was to get up off the damn curb and wrap his arms around her.

Kaden didn’t move. Just met her eyes, waiting to see what she would do. His heart sank. Of course she wasn’t going to get closer. Maybe he shouldn’t have come. He couldn’t handle having her at just an arm’s length. Somehow that was worse than just not seeing her at all. But she kept walking, small cautious steps towards him, and his brows knit closer together with every foot fall, wondering if that would be where she’d stop. Until she sat next to him, sitting on the curb. He could hear her pulse, slow, steady. And he was still there frozen. Because if he moved, spoke, turned to face her, he was afraid he might collapse or explode, he wasn’t sure. “Abel. He went-- I was---” The lump in his throat didn’t want to let him push words past it. “I was hunting. He was with me. And a were--” Was this the time to tell her? To bring up that part of it all? He wasn’t sure either of them could handle that full weight of that conversation. Not yet. Maybe tonight. But not yet. “A monster. Tore him a--” He clenched down on the inside of his mouth to the point he tasted blood, trying to keep the image out of his mind a little while longer. “Vet. He’s at the vet. I think-- But I don’t--” He stopped talking. Stopped moving. He still couldn’t turn to look at her. What good was falling apart if he couldn’t count on any comfort? This was probably a mistake. He told her she should focus on herself and yet here he was. He should have gone to Bea or Alain or even Morgan who was just a few meters away. If he could hold himself together long enough, maybe it would be okay. Even though he felt like nothing at all was going to be okay.

He had been hunting with Abel. Regan’s assumption was no longer that he was sitting in the bushes with a shotgun waiting for a deer to move into his scope. No, he was out there looking for animals that no museum had specimens of and that no textbook described. And something dangerous had-- one of his monsters. It was no wonder Kaden looked like he was ready to collapse. He blamed himself. Understandably. But she still suspected she didn’t have the whole picture yet. If Abel was at the vet, he was still alive. Unless it was for a necrop-- no, he was still alive. Kaden would have specified. That thought still made her chest tighten. Whatever had happened, whatever had nearly torn Abel apart, it had been serious. Kaden was clearly trying to stifle his tears, but it wasn’t working. He looked damn near broken, worse than some of the literal fractures Regan had seen. And she could barely do anything to help, as much as she wanted to, as tempting as it was to throw caution to the wind and hold him and dry his eyes and tell him that everything was going to be okay, she couldn’t do it.

Nothing really felt okay right now. And even thinking of saying that brought the burn of a lie to her tongue.

Regan folded her arms over her chest, hugging herself, wishing she could do that to Kaden. She slumped forward, elbows on her knees. Kaden’s pain was visceral. She met his eyes -- swollen with tears and worry. This felt fresh. Like it had just happened. It likely had. That was why he was here -- he hadn’t thought about it, he just moved, seeking comfort from the person he trusted to be able to provide it. Only, Regan wasn’t sure that she could. “Kaden, I’m so… it’s not your fault. It isn’t your fault, okay? No one can predict these things, and it’s-- he’ll be okay, right? He’ll be okay. He’s at the vet. They’ll take care of him, and--” And he would be alone until Abel was recovered. Her heart dropped. “Can you tell me which vet has him? I’ll-- I know I’m not an animal doctor, but I’ll check their credentials and-- and I want to make sure he’s-- what happened, Kaden? How bad is it? Are you hurt? Are-- what can I--” She’d never felt so powerless to do anything. But at the same time, she knew Kaden wouldn’t see it that way. He wanted physical contact, comfort; both of them had grown accustomed to that. But he didn’t know what her touch had done. Regan looked down at her fingers; they felt heavy, like they were coated in poison. The healing incised wounds on her palm sent a spike of pain up her arm. She had curled her fingers at the blade, reacted when she should have been still. Holding back a scream was immeasurably more difficult. She looked back up at Kaden, her eyes watery. “Tell me how to help.”

Her words rang hollow. Kaden wanted them to give him some comfort but there was nothing. It didn’t help that she was saying it from about three meters away from him. It was almost enough to make him laugh. She was sitting out of reach because she blamed herself for something she had no control over while telling him a scenario he created wasn’t his fault. “It is. It is my fault. It’s more my fault than your--” How hard could he bite the inside of his mouth before he tore through it? Would it be just as easy as how that wolf tore through Abel? “I shouldn’t have brought him. I shouldn’t have--” His chest was too tight to let words escape for longer than short bursts. And even then he still didn’t know what he was trying to say. He shouldn’t have brought Abel, that much was clear. But should he have just stayed home for the night? Is that what he wanted to say? Shit. Shit, it was. He shouldn’t have been out at all tonight. He could have prevented all of it by inaction. It was a choice. A choice he’d passed up. Blood from his palms slipped against the leather of his jacket as he let go of his fists just long enough to cross his arms in front of his chest and clasp his hands around his own arms. He had to hold back the tightness in his chest, keep it from bursting out.

“Dr. Rhee. Zinnia. She-- She knows what she’s doing but it’s not-- That’s not the point. I--” Kaden shook his head. He knew Abel was okay as he could be. He was in the best possible hands. Hands that could heal with magic. Putain, he still hadn’t even begun to process it. He couldn’t. There was too much. It was all too much. If he just held his arms a little tighter, let his knuckles get whiter, he could hold back the flood threatening to burst through his makeshift dam. “Hunting. A monster. It attacked. Abel, he-- He almost died. He-- I almost killed him. I did kill--” He wasn’t sure if it was tears or bile that was the real threat of breaking through first. Fuck. “I killed the monster. Uh, leg. It got my-- but Zinnia, she closed it up. It’s fine. It’ll be-- It doesn’t matter.” The air wasn’t even that cold and still he was damn near shivering. Maybe if he held tighter he could keep still, keep it all in.

Kaden dared to meet her eyes. How could she help. She asked him. And he didn’t have an answer. If he had an answer he probably wouldn’t have come. Because he would have been keenly aware of how little she could do right now. And it wasn’t much. “I don’t know,” he said, voice tight and croaked. “You tell me. I mean hearing your voice, it’s-- But it’s not--” He pinched his eyes shut and held them there, hoping it would push away the tears. He came because she made things better. When things were bad that’s just, that’s how it worked. Being with her made things better. And right now he wasn’t sure he felt any damn better. He sniffed back some of the tears and looked at her once more. “I can’t go back to that empty apartment.” Not yet. Not tonight.

It’s more my fault than your-- Regan bit down on her tongue, anticipating Kaden’s comment, but it seemed he did the same thing, cutting it short. She knew what he had been about to say, though. After all of this, even after she’d put their friends in the hospital, he still didn’t blame her, wasn’t willing to see the situation for what it was. That simultaneously hurt -- a sharp and slow and painful wound like glass being grinded against her skin -- and made her chest flutter like a bird was trapped inside of her ribcage. He so badly wanted to believe in her. It was misplaced. He owed himself that kindness, not her.

She’d follow up with this Dr. Rhee later, but it didn’t seem like Kaden was especially concerned about the quality of medical care she was giving Abel -- he was confident it was the best. And his leg, it -- he’d hurt his leg. Regan’s shoulders dropped and her eyes scanned Kaden’s legs for any signs of injury. His pants were too dark to be able to see any blood present, and there was no way to assess his gait while he was sitting down. At least he’d received medical care. Regan trusted that a veterinarian would be more than capable of stitching up an injury, but she still wanted to survey her handiwork. Just-- she couldn’t-- she wasn’t about to touch Kaden, not right now. But it was so hard to be decisive when Kaden seemed to want nothing more, was practically begging for a hug without saying it, and Regan wasn’t sure how long her resolve would be able to last at this rate.

“Kaden, you weren’t-- you didn’t mean for him to get hurt. I know you. If you had the choice, you would have thrown yourself on the sword instead.” He’d probably die for that dog if he could. Regan tried to hold his gaze, but it was hard… he kept slipping away. She wasn’t giving him enough. She knew she wasn’t giving him enough. “He’ll be okay. And he’ll forgive you, because you’re his human and he loves you. And whatever happened with that- that anim- monster that attacked you both, you’ll be able to prevent it from happening again in the future, right?”

It still wasn’t enough. As Kaden mentioned not wanting to go back home, Regan’s heart felt like it leaped into her throat. An anatomical impossibility, but somehow, it still felt that way. She sat, gaping, unsure what to say. She couldn’t-- he may not have been able to go back to his empty apartment alone, but she couldn’t go there with him, either. For a moment, she humored the idea. Going back to Kaden’s apartment. Lying in bed with him, holding him close, until one mistake was made, or one uncontrollable thing happened, and-- and would she feel it? The vibrations along his skin, the pressure blowing up his lungs, the force of the sound making his eyes shoot out of his head and his heart burst?

Regan blanched, bile spilling into her throat. She looked down, expecting to see blood and viscera coating her trembling hands, but there was nothing. Not yet. A sob escaped her throat and, shaking, she looked back over to Kaden. He was still there. Still intact. He had all of his limbs and his eyes and his lungs and his heart, which was probably pounding away in a rhythm that she wished she could feel right now. “I can’t-- I can’t do that.” She said, an answer to a question he hadn’t technically asked. “Kaden, I can’t. And you can’t stay in the shed.” The shed was even closer quarters. And she couldn’t see Deirdre agreeing to this arrangement, anyways, even if Regan didn’t feel like she was a breath away from accidentally slaughtering Kaden like a turkey. “You have my key. You-- my apartment. You can stay there.” Without her. She knew this wasn’t going to be well-received, but maybe after considering it, he would find the offer helpful. “But we can… we can stay here for a while. Like this.”

You’ll be able to prevent it from happening in the future. The words crushed him. Everything that he’d been holding at bay, it came falling down and the weight of it all pinned him to the ground. Kaden breathed in the scent of blood still coming from the small crescent shaped cuts in his hand as he pressed the heel of his palms up to his eyes while tears spilled out around them. His chest heaved as the sob broke through. He’d prevented it from happening in the future, alright. He prevented a lot of possible futures. If it was Ariana’s, if it was-- He couldn’t even process it, couldn’t let it seep in past the feeling of practically drowning in his own guilt. He couldn’t prevent shit. He couldn’t protect his dog. Or himself. Or his friends. Or Regan. Bea. Morgan. Jane. Roland. Celeste. His parents. He couldn’t prevent shit. Death came and creeped into every corner of his life whether he wanted it to or not. Maybe that’s why they were so drawn to each other. It wasn’t fae binding or anything Walker was worried about. It was fate pulling death’s bringer towards its harbinger. Putain. Regan was so worried about hurting him but there was nothing she could do that hurt more than this. Not one damn thing. “You’re right,” he finally spat out. “I’ll-- You’re right.” For once, could she not be fucking right?

Kaden could barely hear what she said next. Could barely pull breath into his lungs. The back of his palm pushed across his lids but the tears he wiped away were quickly replaced. There was a reason he hadn’t asked anything from her. Not once all night. He knew she’d say it. He knew. The word “can’t.” He knew she’d refuse and it sure as shit didn’t help. He tried to pull the dam closed, force it back in place, get himself under control, find that hollowed corner of emptiness again. It wouldn’t go back. Hell, he felt like it was gone, washed away with his sobs that were still practically choking him. “R-right. Can’t,” he said, hands shaking as he pushed his hair out of his face. “Can’t or--” He stopped himself with a sniffle, That wasn’t fair. One look at her and he knew that wasn’t fair. She would if she thought she could. He had to believe it and hold onto it. Even though it felt stupid to right then.

Holding her gaze hurt. Kaden’s eyes felt dry and worn, the bags under them practically weighing him down even more, but that wasn’t why. She was so close. And had never felt farther away. This was stupid. This whole thing. Almost as stupid as what she said next. Her apartment. She suggested-- “Are you fucking kidding me, Regan?” The thought of being there alone, just the mere thought of it, left him feeling hollowed out. And he didn’t think he could feel any fucking worse. Sure proved him wrong. The apartment. With no lightbulbs, no her, and no fucking point in that. Just a nice reminder of how fucking alone he was.

Kaden inhaled, tried to hold steady the sobs that wanted to rip through and put his hands on the curb, felt the sting burn through them as he pushed himself off the concrete to stand. He stood there, looked down at her. What would she even do if he took one single step towards her? Was he even fucking allowed? He couldn’t know about what she was going through, couldn’t be told anything, couldn’t be near her, couldn’t-- just fucking couldn’t. Fuck couldn’t. He turned away, bent down to grab some rocks and gravel, whatever he could gather in his hand, and started pitching it across the way. Half wanted to keep walking, keep moving. He shouldn’t have come here. He shouldn’t have left his place at all tonight.

Kaden was unraveling before her, and Regan didn’t know what she could do to comfort him. Everything she said seemed to only make things worse; it brought more tears to his eyes or a snarl to his lips. He said she always made things better, but that wasn’t true right now, was it? He was hurting, practically splitting open, and all she could do was sit there feeling like a useless but loaded weapon. He couldn’t even turn away from her, go home, and seek comfort from Abel. Even on his worst days, he had that option. Or he’d flee to the woods to camp, Abel in tow. What options did he have now? No Abel. No Regan. No Celeste. He wouldn’t go to Blanche for this, surely. But what about Morgan? Or Beatrice? Was she really going to turn him away and point him toward someone else?

Regan wasn’t sure, and she felt herself starting to unravel with him, unable to stop the tears despite Deirdre’s reminders echoing through her skull. Kaden looked down at her, and she wondered for a moment if he was about to come closer. The thought made her pulse beat in her temple. She couldn’t let that happen. Even Deirdre agreed that it was only a matter of time before she accidentally killed someone, at this rate, and the turkey-- she couldn’t think it. She wouldn’t touch him. Fortunately, he turned away, and down. His deep sunken eyes were red-rimmed and angry as he picked up a fistful of gravel. Regan thought it was directed more inward than at her, but she knew he wouldn’t be receptive to going to her apartment, at least initially. “Would you just think about it?” She asked, anticipating another flare of hurt. “It might be easier than being at your apartment without--” She shook her head. “It might be easier. The offer stands.” Darkness was falling quickly and heavily over them. And he’d need to sleep somewhere. It couldn’t be in her arms.

“Kaden,” Regan said his name softly, knowing that he’d hear it despite the distance between them. “What do you want to do? I-- I’ll stay here with you. All night, if I have to. We can stay here and talk. You can listen to me call up Dr. Rhee and ask for her credentials, and we can report anyone who drives by over the speed limit. But I don’t--” He looked so angry, so hurt, and so in need of something she wasn’t sure she could provide. Every time she looked at him, more tears came to her eyes. “Or you could go home. Go to my apartment. Go stay with a friend.” She extended her bandaged hand again, normally such a natural gesture between the two of them, but remembering that it could kill him, she dropped back to her side. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. But I also don’t want to hurt you in the process of not wanting to hurt you, and I think that’s what I’m doing, and I don’t-- I don’t know what to do. I’m so sorry, Kaden. I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah, alright let me think about it.” Kaden couldn’t control the volume of his voice. His words kept creeping louder with every sentence. At some point he was sure Deirdre or Morgan might hear. Maybe the neighbors. Fuck it. Let them listen. “I’ll go to your apartment. Alone. Surrounded by your things. While you’re here. In a shed. And won’t get near me or touch me like I’m some fucking leper. Or a monster. Or--” He knew it wasn’t like that. He also knew right now he didn’t fucking care. He threw more rocks, thought about aiming them at the cars parked not too far off, a window, something, anything. Anything that might make him feel better. It might, right? Destruction? It would make him feel… He shook his head, deflated. He destroyed enough tonight. It wouldn’t make him feel anything. It wouldn’t fill the hole burrowing open inside of him. He felt fresh tears falling down his face and he practically slammed the heel of his hand across his face to get them off. “Fuck!” he screamed as loud as his lungs would let him into the dead night air, still turned away from her, facing the street. The sound bounced a bit, but the sound was more of a thud than anything else. Did it make him feel better? Maybe.

Kaden stood, leaned over, hands on his knees, looking away as she whispered his name. He hated that he heard it. His stupid shitty abilities that marked him as hunter, made him what he was and placed him squarely in the position he was in now. She’d asked him in the basement if he could just stop. Right then he’d give anything to. To just stop. Stop being a hunter. Stop being a Langley. Just stop being him. Oscar kept poking fun at him for being domestic, having stability, maybe a sense of normality. Well where the fuck was any of that now? He inhaled deep, thought about just screaming again. Instead, he let the breath fall out and turned back to face her.

Kaden saw her reach her hand out and took a half step towards her, only to see her pull it away. Right. Maybe hope was worse than feeling empty. His eyes focused on the bandage, though, and his brow furrowed. “What happened to your hand?” It was easier to zero in on her, push aside what she’d asked him. He wanted something to worry about that wasn’t him, wasn’t this, wasn’t his fucking fault. But as soon as he asked the question, he got the feeling he should take it back. The answer was likely either related to the scream or the training. Things she wouldn't and couldn’t tell him about. Why was she bothering if there was nothing she could do? Why was he bothering? He could barely see her eyes from here. She was too far away for him to really see her, actually pick up on every tiny nuance of her features. But he could tell she was crying. That much he could see. He could see she still cared. Still hurt. So that was something. He guessed.

Right. He should listen to her options. They all sounded shitty, to be honest. Kaden bit the inside of his lip, staring at her for a while, playing them over in his mind. What would staying outside with her mean? Was that going to just tear away at him slowly like it had been all night? Or would it get better? His chest seized up as he realized that he might not get a chance to see her again for a while. The only reason she was even this close was because he was falling apart. Didn’t really look great for where they stood in the future, when he wasn’t a mess. Then again. he was falling apart and this was all she could give him. Did that make it better or worse? Right, other options, what were the other options? Go to her place? Fuck that. If he went there the best he was likely to do was tear it apart. No. Stay with a friend. “Who?” he asked aloud. “Who’s going to even--” He sniffled, wiped the tears that had trickled down off his nose. “Oscar’s still-- Morgan is-- I mean, she has enough to-- And Bea, I don’t know where Bea is. Alain is still-- Who? Where do I go? Whose problem am I supposed to b--”

His knees shook, threatened not to support him anymore. Kaden gave in, sank back down to the curb, holding his head in his hands. He didn’t know what he wanted to do. He knew what he wanted. But it wasn’t going to happen. And he wasn’t sure what option was going to have any shot at plugging up the empty hole tearing him apart. No one seemed equipped to take on his burden. Or him. Same difference. They all had their own shit and he was the one saying he could fix it or help or whatever bullshit he was spouting on any given day. Who was left to catch him when he fell? What was the point in caring so fucking much when it left him feeling just as alone as before? It had been her. Maybe that was his mistake, relying on anyone to be there. Even though she always had. She’d always managed. Every time. And she was there. Sort of. Guess it was up to him to decide if it counted. If it was enough. He didn’t know. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t feel past the guilt that was the only thing left other than the emptiness. “I don’t know,” was all he could say through his hands. “I don’t--” Maybe if he sat there long enough the ground would swallow him whole. A pathetic laugh spilled out through the sobs. If it could happen anywhere, it was certainly this town. A long stretch passed as he sat in silence, trying to find the space to speak again, a way to break past the feelings eating at him. “What do you mean by talk?” he asked quietly. “Because if it’s just all ‘can’ts’ then I-- Just, what do you mean by talk?”

Kaden’s anguished voice cut Regan’s heart. It stung, more than fucking stung, all of it. “I’m aware you don’t have Hansen’s disease,” she bit back, “and besides, it isn’t even transmitted through skin-to-skin-- that isn’t the point. It’s not you. You’re not the-- I’m the--” Her dad’s words drummed in her head. Thing. Monster. “I want nothing more than to-- Kaden, please. You have to know that. I want to be there for you, in every sense.” Tears pricked at her eyes. Even beyond what had happened with the turkey, her control over her voice had been poor since the incident at the morgue. Deirdre was right about emotions impairing her control. So many things had broken. The shed shook with her sobs for hours each night -- which she was promptly instructed to choke out. You are an instrument of death, and death is unfeeling, uncaring. It never worked. “You don’t know what I’ve had to--” But then, she couldn’t tell him. “It’s not you.”

Regan’s eyes ticked down to her hand, the bandage wrapped tightly around her palm, hooking around her thumb. The bandage that was about to become a permanent fixture of her life, at least for the foreseeable future. She couldn’t lie. But as the ivy tugged at her neck, straining her mouth, she was also reminded that she couldn’t tell Kaden the truth, either. When she had expressed that concern to Deirdre, Deirdre’s response was that Kaden would supply his own version of the truth, if he noticed at all. She hadn’t believed that. Deirdre didn’t know Kaden as well as she did. He would notice. And he wouldn’t believe a lie, especially one that rended her open to speak it. Regan squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach flipping inside of her. Truth and lies both damned her. “It’s-- I--” The ivy grew thorns. Deirdre was right about one thing: Kaden wouldn’t understand, not completely; he would want to see this stopped. “It’s… it’s probably exactly what you think it is.” The ivy relaxed, just slightly, though Regan only felt more defeated. Somehow, a vague answer seemed worse than no answer at all. Just like Kaden probably thought coming here, talking to her from ten feet away, was worse than a text message. She wouldn’t even blame him for thinking that, though it made the sting sink deeper into her. “Please don’t--” Worry about it? Ask about it? She wasn’t even sure. “It isn’t important right now.”

She could see the string of his composure winding further and further away from him. Soon, there’d be nothing but panic and raw emotion at his core and if that happened, he’d be prone to going off and doing something stupid and getting hurt and-- “Kaden!” She said his name again, this time practically shouting it. The unintended screech echoed through the dark, empty street, and Regan bolted upright. Hand over her mouth. She assessed him with fearful eyes for a second, before determining that his hearing hadn’t seemed greatly impacted. There was no pain on his face. Well, beyond what was already there. She exhaled a massive, shaky breath, more tears falling. She had almost hurt him, even from this far away. Again. It firmed up that she needed to stay away, for his own good. But she still-- she couldn’t leave him like this, leave things like this. He was spiralling. He felt alone. If he hadn’t felt like this was the most dire thing in the world, he would have kept his distance and not stopped by, like Regan had asked him.

“Kaden, stop. You’re-- stop it. You’re not anyone’s problem. You’re the opposite of that. Stop it. Abel is going to be-- we’ll make certain Abel will be okay. He’s in excellent hands, by the sound of it.” Though she was still going to double check. “You’re not doing anyone any favors by-- especially yourself. So stop. Sit with me. Put those rocks down -- they look filthy -- and sit with me. We’ll figure it out. That’s what we do, right?” Regan’s voice tightened. It felt like barbed wire against her sore throat. “Please talk to me. You came here for a reason. And I’m not letting you push me away, either.” She ran a hand through her greasy hair and stared up the street, where the rocks had landed, before looking back at Kaden. She pushed herself a couple feet closer, but drew a hard line there. “This isn’t just about Abel. That’s obvious. So can we-- can we talk about it? Your hunting. That’s it, isn’t it? I could tell at the lakehouse that you-- please, stay.” Her head sank down toward her chest for a moment, and an idea struck her. She couldn’t tell Kaden about anything that happened in the clearing, but she could tell him about what occurred back at the shed. “I can teach you some of the breathing techniques Deirdre has been working on with me. They might help. While we’re talking.”

You don’t know what I’ve had to-- The words lit him like a flame. “Because you won’t tell me!” Kaden turned and shouted it at her without a second thought. “I could know if you would only tell me! I just want to--” It didn’t matter. He couldn’t help. He couldn’t help fucking anyone. The one thing he was good at was killing and he was starting to wonder if that was helping fucking anyone. He kicked at the pebbles on the ground. They didn’t go far. They remained closer to him than she would dare inch.

Any hope that her injury was minor, some stupid accident or clumsy mistake washed away with her words and demeanor. Concern mixed with anger; her attempt to push it away only made him want to dig his heels in deeper. “No.” His voice was hard, unflinching. He’d told lies a thousand times, about cuts, bruises, scabs. Deflecting was all too easy. Let the adults who asked questions come to their own conclusions. It was usually safer and more innocent than the truth. She could be twenty feet away and he’d see through that. “What is it?” he asked again, eyes pointed at her bandage, jaw hardened. “What happened to your hand? Because right now I’m thinking it’s more bullshit you can’t tell me. And I’m wondering what part of your life I can be a part of if I can’t even ask about the very obvious fucking bandage on your hand. Which is pretty fucking important to me. So what happened to your hand, Regan?” The anger was easier to hold onto, less crushing than the rest of his emotions stirring inside him. The anger at least felt like something. It served a purpose. It pointed the right direction. That’s what he was constantly told growing up. He’d tried so hard to take Morgan’s advice, just accept that he “didn’t want to know.” Which was crap. Not knowing, being told he wasn’t allowed to know did nothing but spike his curiosity, sent it spiraling to every worst possible scenario it could make up. And with all of it he just couldn’t find a reason why he couldn’t know. Not a good one. All it did was ignite the fire of anger, and he wanted to hold onto whatever warmth he could find right now.

Her voice shocked him. It shouldn’t. He had grown accustomed to the screeches, the sighs that stung and broke glass. But this was loud in a way that wasn't destructive. It was loud and carried through the streets the way he’d wanted his to. It wasn’t destructive. This time. But it still punched a hole through his resolve. Kaden faced her and saw that she was panicked, her eyes wide, hand clasped to her mouth. Any hope that he could prove to her that it wasn’t that dangerous to be near her vanished with the wind, blown away like the echoes of their voices. She was so fucking scared that she could hurt people, that she would hurt him. It killed him to see it. It killed him even more to stay back and offer no comfort. But what could he do to change the situation? Shit all.

“You sure about that?” Kaden asked her, shaking his head. “I don’t feel like I’m doing anyone any fucking good right now.” He was already seated, the air from his sails gone. The anger had died down, so had the sadness, he was in a lull of nothingness, waiting for the wind to decide which way it wanted to blow. His head was still in his hands when he heard movement and he shot up to look at her. There was no way. He held his breath and-- She only moved one more meter closer. Better or worse? The tightness in his throat didn’t feel like much of a positive answer. “I came here because you’re who I--” His lip quivered and he wished the wind would blow the other fucking direction. “When things are bad, you’re who I--” The lump in his throat wouldn’t let him finish the sentence, it closed up every time. He wasn’t sure the ending mattered much anyway. Still, she was talking. And she was there. It felt like getting scraps from the table. But it was better than going hungry, right? “What about it? What do you want to talk about?” he muttered, sniffling, voice small. “I don’t think breathing techniques are going to make me feel any fucking better about what I did.” He looked at her, trying to let it be enough.

Regan could only freeze, her blood shocked cold, as Kaden demanded to know what had happened to her hand. She knew this would happen. Deirdre was full of crap. Kaden would notice. And were he to find out precisely what was under the bandage, and why, he would do everything he possibly could to put a stop to it. Maybe that was why Deirdre was so insistent that no one other than Morgan could learn what they were doing in that clearing. But Kaden had a point. This wasn’t some small part of her life that she’d edged him out of. Right now, it effectively was her life. Each day was the same, bleeding into the next. She woke up in the shed, soldiered over to the clearing, screamed until her lungs burned and her throat bled, slid the knife across her palm as she tried and failed to keep her fist from closing over the injury, and started the whole damn thing over again every time she flinched. Only to wake up feeling empty nothingness the next day, like a cadaver with all of the organs removed en bloc. The shade of what was next lingered over her constantly: more animals dead by her hand, drowning, iron. Detachment. Numbness. Perfection.

She turned to him, weary and tearful, lacking the punch of his anger. She tried to hide her hand, held it close against her chest, covering it with her right. It felt as ineffective as everything else did. “You know that I can’t tell you. I literally--” Even that was enough to make the ivy choke her. The promise had been exchanged in the clearing. Regan bowed to the pain and sobbed. This wasn’t what she had wanted. This wasn’t something she had fully factored in. “I wouldn’t-- if it weren’t necessary, I wouldn’t--” The ivy squeezed, and Regan sputtered for air for a moment, before sinking down further against the curb. “Kaden, I’m not sure you actually want to know. I trust you, but I don’t-- I think you would try to stop this, if you knew everything that we were-- ” He would. She knew he would. If he went to her and claimed that he needed to tear himself apart, completely unmake himself, before he was safe to be around, that was liable to override her pacifist existence and she’d slap him in the face. “I’m doing what’s necessary, okay? It’s necessary. If I want to prevent what happened at the morgue from-- it’s necessary.” With a deep breath, she slumped forward, elbows on her thighs and head cradled in her hands. “If you’re sure you want to know, I’ll talk to Deirdre.”

“Positive.” Even though Regan wasn’t sure Kaden went to the right person for this, right now. What good could she be? She couldn’t even get near him. Couldn’t even give him a hug or a kiss or hold his hand without being crushed by dread and fair and grisly images of his internal anatomy shooting through her head. Maybe her first instinct had been right -- she should have pushed Kaden away alongside the rest of her life. But unlike her occupation, he had been able to fight against that happening. He bemoaned how stubborn she was, but didn’t recognize that he was just as bullheaded sometimes. And not just about wine and cheese.

“Why is that?” Regan soured immediately after asking the question, because it sounded precisely like what Al always shot her way as a rebuttal. “I just mean-- you have so many people who love and care about you, Kaden. You do. I mean, you just listed several of them, and I can think of others. So, sure, maybe it’s hard to feel like you’re imposing on those people, but they want to see you happy. I want to see you happy.” Her stomach sank. She felt like she was sending him in the opposite direction. Had Deirdre managed to cling to any relationships or friendships during her training? She had Morgan, now, but she wasn’t a risk. Did her mother allow her any friends or loved ones when she was young? Regan knew the answer to that, and it made her heart take on water and capsize down to where her stomach was sitting. She palmed the necklace Kaden had given her, squeezing it. “Kaden. Inhale through your mouth and exhale through your nose three times. Then tell me about what you’re thinking. Not--” She wasn’t sure she could manage hearing more of his thoughts on her training -- “I mean, your hunting. What happened with Abel. It’s connected, right? So talk to me.” Please. The word died in her throat, though. How could she beg him when he couldn’t do the same? Regan looked up toward him. “That’s exactly what I said, you know. My exact words.” There would be humor in it, if everything weren’t so dismal. “And then I tried it, and I still thought it was absurd, no merit to be found, and-- okay, I still think that, to an extent. But try it. You’re currently breathing shallow and quickly, and your face is likely getting numb. So slow down. Panicking isn’t going to accomplish anything right now. Abel is-- he’s going to be okay. And you still have me, okay? You do, even if it doesn’t seem-- you do.”

Seeing her sobbing and doubled over hit him like a punch in his own gut. His anger started to melt, fizzling down as soon as it had flared up watching the pain he was causing her. Then again, it wasn’t really him, was it? A little, sure, but ultimately it was the promise bind. It was Deirdre who forced this situation. It was so hard to see the benefit of word binding, the need for it. All they did was cause pain. Sometimes Kaden questioned if their only promise of precaution was even a good idea, if it could be used against them somehow and hurt them, too. It likely could in the wrong hands. “I know. I do know that. I get that I don’t understand but I do know you would never put yourself through any of this if it wasn’t--” He shook his head at her insistence that he didn’t want to know, the same one Morgan gave him. Maybe he was stupid for clawing for this information but the curiosity, the concern wouldn’t stop gnawing at him. “Stop telling me what I want to--”

There was another piece, one that wasn’t familiar or well tred. There it was. The real reason it was being kept from him. Not because anyone thought it would hurt him or spare him or do him some kindness. Kaden never believed that lie to begin with. No, it was because they thought he’d stop it. They thought he’d interfere for one reason or another. That he was just an obstacle to everything. Like so many things that had happened tonight, he didn’t know how to process that. She trusted him. But not enough. Or was it too much? Why did they think he would stop it? How-- Why-- His mind went into overdrive for the hundredth time trying to concoct scenarios that were so bad he wouldn’t want to know and would throw himself in front of to stop, factoring in the sole evidence he had, the cut on her hand. She was slightly right. He didn’t want to imagine them. But he knew he’d see them play out in his imagination all the same. Sill the question she presented him with; was ignorance really bliss? No. He felt cut off from her enough. And he knew he wouldn’t stop asking or hurting her by trying to get more from her. “I’m sure.” His voice was shaky, but he knew he couldn’t stay in the dark forever. Not if he wanted to make this work. Not if he wanted things to get better. He had to believe that.

Though Kaden wasn’t so sure why she believed that people cared about him, that anyone else would be there. And of course she had to ask him why he thought otherwise. Honestly, it was hard to say for certain. “I don’t-- I can’t be a burden. I don’t want to just ruin their lives and make things worse. If that’s all I do, then why would they bother with--” Maybe it was easier to assume people wouldn’t be there for him than to reach out and learn the truth of the matter the hard way. “Hell, I’m not even sure I should be here right now.” With how much she was taking on herself, it almost seemed unfair to put more on her. He looked up from his hands at her and saw a flash of silver. He flinched. The last silver he saw was--- He gulped, not sure if he was pushing away the thoughts or the bile driving its way up. He caught a better look and saw it wasn’t a knife (of course it wasn’t, not in her hands of all places), just the light from the street lamps glinting off of something around her neck. For a moment, he assumed it was the amulet, the one that hid her wings. But it was still flat against her chest. So it was the heart. She was holding the heart. He wished it were his hand instead. It lit a spark of hope, a small light in the emptiness trying to swallow him whole either way.

“I hope you also said the ‘fucking’ then, too,” Kaden said with a small attempt at a laugh. It was more like a puff of air. He brushed his face with the back of his hand, shoving away the tears and snot that wouldn’t fucking quit before doing the stupid breathing. It didn’t make him feel better. Rolling his eyes while he did it, on the other hand, did improve his mood ever slightly. Enough to try to answer her. “I was out hunting, though. If that’s what you’re asking. I didn’t want--” Why did everything sound so fucking stupid when he went to say it out loud? “I was going to leave Abel at home. He’s not-- I mean you’ve seen him, he’s not a--” He felt himself getting choked up again, thinking about Abel on the table in the exam room, barely breathing, seconds away from death. He did the stupid breathing shit again, exhaling the thoughts of Abel and his panic as best he could before carrying on. “I didn’t want to be out there alone, not after what happened. The time. With-- You know, the time Walker saved me.” He held his arms against his chest, pulling himself in and gripping as tight as he could without bruising. “There was a wer-- a wolf. A monster. It attacked. Almost-- Abel jumped in to-- Even though I told him to go home. He saved--” It struck him for the first time tonight that he’d needed to be saved from a werewolf every full moon he’d even encountered a wolf recently. Walker, Oscar, Abel; if it weren’t for them, he’d be dead and buried by now. Maybe his mother was right. Distractions were clouding him, affecting his hunting, making him vulnerable and powerless. Happiness was fleeting and pointless, just like life without duty or family. His eyes locked with Regan’s. He still had her. Abel was still alive. But how pointless was it trying to hold onto all of it? He saw her fingers again, fiddling with the necklace and he felt it again, the small warmth of embers. Pointless or not, it was something. Something he wasn’t ready to let die.

“I’m not sure you should be here right now, either,” Regan said honestly, eyes flicking down. It was tempting to grab her own fistful of gravel. Were the rocks sharp enough to grind into her palm if she squeezed them? Would pain flicker across her face? Would Deirdre command her to do it again? She just stared for a moment, then looked back at Kaden. “I’m glad you are, though. I mean, as glad as I think either of us can be, at the moment.” She watched Kaden’s face knot up again as he talked about Abel, his voice thick with emotion. Not a hunting dog? Well, technically he was, but more of a failed one than anything else. He seemed to be good at locating decapitated heads. Though not as good as she was, of course. Regan took a long breath with him; her whole body seemed to move so slow compared to his.

A wolf. Another wolf. Or something like one. Regan wasn’t clear whether it was a wolf or a monster or a wolf Kaden was calling a monster, but she didn’t think it mattered. What he said next, though -- “Abel saved your life?” Her eyes widened. Of course he felt like fecal matter. He would anyways, but that dog-- Abel would have died for Kaden. For a moment, despite their pain, Regan was grateful that Kaden had decided to bring Abel with him. She knew she couldn’t voice that thought, but when Abel recovered, he was going to receive many, many peanut butter treats. She sat in silence for a moment, just listening to Kaden -- his panic and his breathing slowing down. She thought she understood something more about his panic now; part of it was about what would come next for him. “We’ll figure it out,” she repeated, talking over the silence. “What you want to do. After Abel is-- we’ll figure it out.”

[asherranceoftheheart]

A Fateful Encounter

Character/s: Chase Brody, Cat!Antisepticeye, Brief Appearance of Henrik Von Schneeplestein Warning/s: Soft!Anti, VERY brief mention of animal cruelty (it’s just one short paragraph) Genre/s: Fluff (Archive of Our Own Edition) Note: Shoutout to @beerecordings for giving me the inspiration and prompt to write this little monster

The very first time Chase met his little king, he could’ve sworn it had been fate.

It had been admittedly a shitty day for him. His ex-wife didn’t want to talk to him or give him time with their kids unless he pulled his shit together. He was having a hard time managing his and Jack’s channel after Jack fell into a coma after an accident. The other’s disappointment in him for drinking again yesterday got too suffocating so he just had to go out and get some fresh air.

But life seemed to be against him enjoying anything and it was suddenly raining even though the weather forecast didn’t say anything about rain coming soon so he didn’t bother bringing an umbrella. Thankfully he was wearing a hoodie jacket so even though he’s going to be soaked when he gets home, he’ll have something over his head at least.

He had been walking back home when he passed by a dark alleyway that had him pausing.

Chase looked into the path as he strained his ears through the sounds of rain for the thing that caught his attention.

...ew… Meow!

There!

He jogged deeper into the alley and looked around until his eyes caught sight of the wet, broken box that was shaking as if something was trying to get it off. He crouched over the thing and carefully peeled off the top and flinched at the sharp scent of copper.

HISS!

There was a pair of green cat eyes glaring venomously at him. There was a black cat with scraggly fur weakly squirming within the box. Chase inhaled sharply when he saw the bleeding cut on the cat’s throat that was staining the box’s floor crimson. What kind of sick fuck—!

“I can’t leave you here,” Chase said out loud, his heart was already made up. “I just can’t.”

His mind worked quickly as he took off his jacket and carefully placed it under the hissing cat’s body. The poor thing lost so much blood that it couldn’t even do anything against him save for hissing and snarling threateningly. He shushed it gently, idly patting the cat on his side as a comfort before making a victorious sound when he could finally bundle the jacket around the weakly squirming cat. He swaddled the now quiet cat who was staring at him with wary eyes.

Chase stood up, carrying the cat in his arms as he rushed out of the alleyway.

“Stay strong, kitty! I promise you’ll be alright!”

 0-0-0-0-0-0

“Mister Brody?” Chase looked up from his phone and saw one of the vet nurses standing in front of him. “Doctor Shane would like to see you now.”

“Is it okay?” He anxiously asked the lady who smiled kindly at him as he stood up from his seat.

“He is alright now. The doctor can tell you more when you meet him.” Chase gave the nurse his thanks and followed the directions she gave him to the office of the doctor.

He stood in front of the room with the name ‘Dr. Shane Walker’ and gave the door a polite knock. Chase heard a muffled ‘Come in’ from inside the room and turned the doorknob before pushing it open.

The cat was sleeping on a cat bed, warmly cuddled up to a cat blanket. His neck was wrapped with a roll of bandage and he has one of those cones around his neck to keep him from moving it.

Chase approached the cat and couldn’t help but scratch the spot behind one of his ears and smiled when he started making an oddly scratchy rumbly purr.

“That one put up quite a fight before he went down with a sedative,” the vet sighed as he cleaned his tools in the nearby sink. “Thankfully, we have a matching blood bank for the transfusion and you managed to get him here right in the nick of the time. If it had been any later, I fear he would’ve lost too much blood.”

He was thankful too that there was a nearby open veterinary clinic from where he found the injured cat. He was just glad that he didn’t fuck this up for the poor thing.

“So what’s the verdict, Doc?” Chase asked the vet who scratched his chin in thought.

“Well… I’m keeping an eye on the infections from the cuts that he suffered, especially the one on his throat. It miraculously didn’t sever his vocal chords but it was certainly damaged. It will heal but he will have a croaky voice for the rest of his life. He’s really skinny so a proper diet will also be needed. You said you found him in an alleyway nearby?” Chase nodded at the question and the vet continued, “If I may ask… do you intend to adopt him?”

Chase flinched and looked at Dr. Shane with wide eyes. He did not expect to be put into this situation and the doctor must have noticed it because he took pity on him.

“It’s a big responsibility to adopt someone with a heavy past like him so I can understand if you don’t want to,” Shane smiled at the stunned man who finally recovered his voice.

He raised his hand and waved it back and forth in a pacifying manner.

“W-Wait, I didn’t mean to say no—I mean, I don’t know I’ve just got a lot going on and I don’t think I’d be a great, attentive owne—” Chase was cut off by the feeling of something soft rubbing against his fingers. He looked down and held his breath in when the cat was unconsciously rubbing its head against his hand. “Oh.”

Shane hid a smile at the lovestruck gleam that glazed over the man’s eyes. While there was still uncertainty and doubt in the young man’s body language, there’s no doubting the softness and melting of his heart that was going on right now. He liked to think that he was a great judge of character. Being around animals for nearly 24/7 can teach someone how to pick up the cues that animals could read on a person’s personality. Mister Brody seems to be going through a lot with the weary slump of his shoulders and the dark bags under his eyes. Shane couldn’t help but think that the kind man would be a great fit for his new sharp patient.

“You could come and visit him everyday until he gets better since you’re paying for everything after all,” Shane offered a chance for the man who was now scratching the sleeping cat’s head once more. “It would help you get to know each other and give you some time to think it over.”

“... Yeah… Yeah, that’d be great,” Chase gave the older man a small smile. “Thanks doc.”

“No problem. It’s my job to help my little patients after all.”

0-0-0-0-0-0

Tired but curious blue eyes stared into narrowed green ones as the duo held an intense staring contest with each other. Chase slowly blinked and hid a smile when the black cat hissed at him and snobbily turned his back at the man, a wordless ‘Fuck off’ if it ever meant anything.

It was already a massive improvement compared to the snarls and attempts of clawing his face off that was in the beginning. Chase didn’t know why but he felt like he had to keep being more patient to get this cat’s trust.

He already got a lot of bandages on his hand from when he was far too slow in drawing back when the cat reared up to attack him. But with the guidance of the vet and the nurses, he was slowly able to come nearer the injured furry void. He could sit a few inches close to the cat now even if he’d turn his butt up at him and ignored him. Doctor Shane said that it was a sign that the cat was beginning to lower his guard now that he knew that regardless of how much he lashed out, Chase would still patiently wait for him to come close of his own will.

“Are you going to adopt him? I don’t want to pressure you but… that one’s starting to get to know you and it might just break his trust if you just left him…” Shane asked Chase while he watched the man sit beside the black cat who was unconsciously coming closer against his body heat.

It was a painful chore to get the cat inside a cat carrier so they just left him his own little space to roam around in. Thankfully, he was a rather disciplined cat so long as you don’t attempt to put him in an enclosed space or touch him far too long. They had to learn how to slowly lure him into his temporary space with food and a bunch of toys.

“I— Yeah, I think I want to,” Chase admitted as he looked down at the black cat who was now a bit more relaxed despite his close proximity. He still doesn’t dare to touch that shiny fur. “I keep thinking about him when I get home and I asked one of my doctor friends if it’d be a good idea…”

He had pulled Henrik away from the others after he gained the idea of adopting the cat engraved into his mind. He knew that he was already considering it since he kept wondering how it would feel to have that black bundle of fur roaming around his house, and already worrying his head off just like he does with his kids if the cat was doing fine. It was why he kept visiting every single day to the point that the cat would be staring right at the door knowing just when he would arrive.

“Are you sure you are ready for that kind of responsibility?” Henrik asked Chase, an intent gaze on his face.

The doctor has to admit that Chase was looking better than he had been a week ago. Most of the black bags under his eyes were mostly gone since he was sleeping at a more reasonable time so that he could wake up early and be at the vet’s office right in schedule. Since he was interacting with people, Chase found the energy to clean himself up and look a little bit more alert than before.

“A pet is a big responsibility and you cannot just pass it off when you are experiencing a depressive episode. We could help you but I cannot in good mind advise you to keep one if you are just going to depend on us to fully take care of it.” The doctor cautioned the other man, he wanted to know if Chase truly wanted this.

“I know, Hen. I understand but… There’s just something different about that cat and I feel like he needs me like I need him and if I left him behind how would I be any better than the sick bastards that hurt him?” Chase rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. “You said that it would be good for me to have a routine that I should follow and taking care of a cat would make me have one since I have to keep to a strict feeding schedule since that one needs a bunch of medicine that’s dependent on schedule. I just…”

Henrik huffed, the sharp glint in his eyes softening at his friend’s self-frustration. Seriously… Chase is sometimes just too hard on himself.

He patted Chase’s back and smiled at the man when he looked back at him.

“I think you have already made up your mind, my friend.” Henrik teased.

Chase snorted.

“You don’t get it Schneep… Even though he’s cranky and almost always angry, that little goblin’s far too cute for me to not adopt…”

“He’s not gonna be an easy one to care for,” Doctor Shane pointed out.

Chase looked down at the cat who was now pressed against his side and looking up at him with those far too intelligent for a normal cat’s green eyes. He smiled, his eyes brightening up like sunshine in a way it hasn’t been lit up for a long time.

“That makes two of us.” He chuckled.

A hand gently reached out to scratch the cat’s head. The cat only relaxed under his hand and went back to his nap.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Chase pushed open the door to his house and entered into the main hallway. He closed the door behind him and carefully placed the cat carrier down to the floor.

“Hey little guy, we’re home.” Chase smiled at the pair of green eyes that were watching him from within the carrier.

He unlatched the lock on the cage’s gate and opened it up. A black paw cautiously tapped out into the strange, new territory with new sounds and smells. Chase sat down on the floor as he waited for the cat to slowly come out until he was standing right in front of him. He held out a hand for the suspicious cat who sniffed it before he began rubbing his head against his hand as a demand for a petting session. 

The man began scratching the spot behind the cat’s ears with a fond smile as he began to purr loudly in that scratchy voice of his.

“Welcome home… Anti.”

 0-0-0-0-0-0

Chase pleasantly woke up from the happy dreams of Anti’s adoption by the feeling of something heavy perching on top of his lungs. He blearily opened his eyes to be met by an extremely close up view of the cat’s sniffing nose.

“Mrowr!” Anti screamed in his face.

He wheezed and groaned even as he reached up to pet the cat’s entire body.

“Good morning to you too, Your Majesty.” Chase deadpanned, giving his smug cat an unimpressed look when he started kneading his claws into his chest in a not so silent demand for him to hurry up and feed him. “I guess it’s time for your royal breakfast and that’s why you have to wake up your poor pitiful servant.”

Anti meowed and stretched himself out on his body before rubbing his head under his chin.

“Yeah, yeah… Get off you cute acting little bastard,” Chase could only ever say that with complete fondness for the brat.

As he forced himself out of his bed to feed the demanding King’s orders, Chase thought that if his and Anti’s meetings were already written in Fate’s book, he would find it in himself to thank whatever god was listening to him up there. Since after all… No matter how bratty and feral his little King was, he was the main reason why he could honestly say now that he was fine and happy.

[takaraphoenix]

The Tale of FD, Scottie and Gucci

(For @sterek - because your enthusiasm about the headcanon I pitched made me want to actually write it. I hope you like it!)

Foxes weren't pack animals. But her mom used to say that, if something ever happened to her, they should go and seek out another fox. Follow their noses and hope for the mercy and compassion of another fox. This wasn't a fox. Not really. He was walking on two legs and he was way too tall and he had not enough fur, but he smelt like fox. And fox was meant to be protection and safety. And she was really very hungry and so were her brothers – and her youngest brother was hurt. So she gathered all of her bravery and approached the human-shaped fox. She chirped at him pleadingly.

/break\

Sometimes, Stiles still had a hard time to grasp just how much Beacon Hills had changed over the past years since him and Scott had literally stumbled over the body of Laura Hale. Very slowly, one pack had gathered, just to be split up into two different packs. The Hale Pack and the McCall Pack.

The Hale Pack, with Derek who had worked hard to become an alpha, with Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Jackson, Cora and Peter in it. Stiles had been right there, with Derek, had watched Derek fight tooth and nail to protect this pack, to keep this pack safe – and oh, there had been close calls, when the Alpha Pack had come and they barely found Erica and Boyd in time, or when Jackson's parents in their infinite wisdom decided it'd be good to remove the boy struggling with his identity from everything and everyone he knew, including the place where his biological parents were buried, or when the Mexican hunters had come for the she-wolf and Derek had feared for Cora. But they had prevailed. Through all of this, by fighting together, they had prevailed. And Stiles had come to appreciate Derek in a whole new light, he found himself being... proud of Derek.

Though Stiles knew, deep down, that the Hale Pack wouldn't exist like that without its strongest allies. The McCall Pack. Scott, who had become a "true alpha", who had gathered a small pack of his own over the years, with Lydia, Kira, Malia, Liam, Corey and Mason.

And then there was Stiles. Stiles, who wasn't a wolf or a banshee or a kitsune or a chameleon, but Stiles who was something. The boy who ran with wolves. The one whose loyalty laid with two alphas, the human who belonged to two different wolf-packs. He had been the one to broker peace between the two head-butting alphas, he had helped both alphas build up their packs.

Somewhere along the way, he had lost himself. Had lost himself in the void. The nogitsune. But both packs had come together to help and save him and as traumatic and nightmarish as the experience had been, it had pushed Derek – pushed Derek to admit what he truly wanted. Even before they knew Stiles was possessed, when they had been in the hospital, thinking Stiles was sick. Derek had been so worried, had been so angry. Angry because he couldn't keep losing the people he loved. And oh. Oh. So Stiles was someone Derek loved? Like... pack, right? Stiles' back had connected with the wall as the angry alpha pinned him against it with a very low-hissed no. No, not like pack. It had been their first kiss, one filled with fear and anger at circumstances beyond their control. All Stiles could do was cling onto Derek, cling onto that moment.

Soon after, Stiles' life was rattled once more when it turned out he wasn't actually sick. He was just possessed by an evil dark fox-spirit. Easy that one. No, seriously! Supernatural catastrophe? Villainous monster-creature? Those were things both Stiles and Derek could deal with. Those, they knew how to fight. They knew they could fight. A deteriorating brain? They wouldn't have been able to fight that, they would have been helpless. So yay, possession!

And they did. They did fight it and they did win, all of them together. Hale Pack and McCall Pack coming together to fight for the human who ran with both packs. They defeated the nogitsune and Stiles was free. Exhausted, traumatized, confused, but free.

He had a lot to deal with afterward, mentally speaking. The possession had taken its toll on him, but it wasn't just that. Remembering his mother, facing this deeply seated fear that he might have what she had, it had been a trauma all on its own. So Stiles manned up, acted like a responsible adult, seeking an actual doctor for counseling, for sorting through his issues.

At least all but one issue. The issue of a certain brooding wolf who now kept his distance, because he wasn't sure if the moment they shared had just been a I-might-lose-you moment or more. Stiles had rolled his eyes, very slowly and very exhausted, before pinning Derek to a wall – yeah, yeah, he knew he could only do that because Derek was letting him, but whatever – and kissing him.

Life went on after that. The McCall pack grew, while the Hale Pack settled. Most of them graduated and sought out a future. Stiles left for Quantico, Derek was being a miserable, mopey large puppy-dog (that was how Erica put it, with Boyd smirking knowingly in the background), but Derek and Stiles actually made it work. They made the long-distance thing work, until Stiles finished his training and got back to Beacon Hills as an official FBI liaison. A bit like Rafael McCall, just... actually wanted and also actually useful. Granted, working with his dad was sometimes frustrating, but for the most part, Stiles loved his job. He loved his life. Because after moving back to Beacon Hills? He redecorated the loft to make it actually look like a place someone could live in instead of... whatever Derek had been going for in there, because yikes to his interior design abilities.

So he was living with his boyfriend, he was still overseeing two packs, having a lot of fun at Scott's expense (seriously, Scott trying to be a wise mentor to the younger teens who kept gravitating to Beacon Hills, seeking out to be a part of his pack, it was hilarious to watch for Stiles).

Life was good. Life was... really very good. That was the thought occupying Stiles' mind when he was walking through the woods, feeling a bit like little Red Riding Hood (well, he was on his way to be devoured by his Big, Bad Wolf, so—o...). An odd chirping sound interrupted Stiles' thoughts though and caused him to look down at the – huh. There was a small baby fox sitting right in front of him on the path, staring up at him and chirping at him. It looked very thin and very dirty and – was that blood? Yeah, that was blood. Stiles had gotten exceptionally good at spotting blood on fur (he blamed his stupid, big wolf for that). A little lost, Stiles paused and knelt down.

What was he supposed to do now...? He had heard somewhere not to touch wild baby animals because then their moms might not recognize them again, or something like that. But the little one was clearly hurt and – a rustling sound interrupted Stiles' contemplation. Behind the small fox, the bush was rustling and, looking more closely, Stiles spotted two more foxes. Both also small. He approached the bush very carefully, keeping eye-contact with the fox that had first chirped at him. When he pushed the leaves out of the way to properly look at the other two, he saw that they were just as dirty, ruffled and malnourished as the third. Something told Stiles that there was no mom. Or dad. Or great-cousin twice removed. Those three were on their own.

"Okay. Okay. Okay", whispered Stiles to himself. "Okay. You know what we're gonna do? We're gonna go visit uncle Scott. He's a doctor, he'll be able to tell if you're okay. Okay?"

/break\

Half an hour later had Derek barging into the vet clinic, looking wide-eyed. "Where's the baby?"

"What... baby?", asked Scott slowly, looking from Derek over to Stiles, who just shrugged.

"Our baby!", exclaimed Derek, pointing from himself to Stiles and back.

"I... what?", was all Stiles could muster, slowly approaching his boyfriend.

In way of explanation, Derek lifted his phone to show Stiles and Derek a message from Lydia – Congratulations on fatherhood, Derek. They have your eyes. It took Stiles a few moments.

"Your... grasp on biology troubles me", muttered Stiles and pinched his nose. "You and me, we... can't physically have a baby. And even if, don't you think that there would have been some stages, like a pregnancy, before you get a baby with your eyes?"

"Stiles", growled Derek deeply. "This is Beacon Hills. You could have been hit with a spell, some weird experiment gone wrong that results in a baby-aged clone of us-"

"You're not Superman. I'm not Lex Luthor. We didn't make a Superboy", snorted Stiles amused. "There is no baby. Well. No human baby. I... found three baby foxes in the woods, I called Lydia to drive me here so Scott could check them and make sure they're alright."

Stiles took a step aside to show the two small foxes sitting huddled together on the table in front of Scott. Derek furrowed his brows. Oh. So Lydia had just... joked. Derek heaved a relived sigh.

"Wait. You said three foxes", grunted Derek. "And... Lydia... did she imply that you want to keep the foxes? Stiles, we're not keeping three wild animals-"

"That hardly seems fair. Stiles decided to keep you too, after all", commented Scott dryly.

Derek threw a half-hearted glare at the other alpha, while Scott just smirked. Though then Derek's attention was drawn toward something moving in the hood of Stiles' dark-red hoodie. A fox, the third fox, poking its tiny head out of the hood and peeking over Stiles' shoulder.

"De—er", drawled Stiles, making a miserable little sound. "Scott says they're malnourished and the state of their coat is suggesting they don't have anyone. They're just... babies. Look at them."

Stiles stepped back to the table and easily picked the two other foxes up, even though Derek wanted to protest – don't just pick up wild animals like that, Stiles – but the protest died on his tongue when Stiles gently cradled the two fox babies against his chest, the third one still poking out from the hood, resting its tiny little paws and head on Stiles' shoulder.

"Stiles says he just... picked them up from the forest floor, carried all three of them to the car and they stayed well-behaved until they came here", explained Scott at Derek's look.

"And since they seem so fond of you, you want to keep them?", sighed Derek.

"Yes? Ple—ease?", begged Stiles with the largest, most impossible to deny eyes. "They're really cute and sweet. Please, Derek. I promise I'll take care of them. I already named them."

"...What did you name them, Stiles?", asked Derek wearily.

Stiles smiled brightly, lifting one fox-baby a little. "This one is FD. Fox Derek. Because he's grumpy and growly but he really likes when I pay attention to him. Clearly a Derek."

Derek made an offended, displeased noise, before Stiles continued. "And this one is Scottie. Because he's clumsy and awkward and an absolute disaster, but also so adorable."

It was now Scott's turn to make a small noise, before Stiles pointed at the one sitting in his hood. "...And this one is Gucci. Look. I wanted to name her after Lydia, but she said 'over my dead body' in the car already, so... she got to name her and she decided on Gucci."

Derek took a deep breath as he looked at FD, Scottie and Gucci. He... now had three fox children.

[doedreamss]

The Cowboy and the Mustang (Part Three)

links: part one, part two, [part three], part four 

Ship: Hangman Adam Page x Jane (FOC)

Summary: Jane and Adam have been dating long-distance for five months ever since their chance meeting on her road trip.  They’ve grown closer than ever and the reality of their complicated future is drawing nearer.  Jane decides to spend her winter break in Montana with Adam, much to the disappointment of her mother, who was hoping Jane would come home for the holidays.

Rating: Explicit (smut scene, cause these two couldn’t handle a reunion without one)

Length: 7,932  words

Available below the cut or on AO3 HERE

“Are you really not going to be home for Christmas this year?”

Jane worried at her nail, biting it (a horrible habit), as she held her phone to her ear and tried to fight the guilt her mother’s voice plagued her with.

“Mom, I told you already…” Jane started gently and suppressed the sigh pushing up her chest.

“I know, I know…”  Her mother said before Jane could start.  They’d already discussed it in full length when Jane had gone home for Thanksgiving and first broached the subject. 

Adam and Jane had been dating long distance since the summertime when they’d met on her road trip with her best friend, Kate.  Jane had one semester of college left after winter break and then, degree in hand, it’d be time for her to put it to use.  Jane still wasn’t sure what to do.  They were too early in the days of dating to suggest moving in together and the bigger city was still a few hours’ drive from Adam’s.  Adam’s town was small and not in need of any type of equine veterinarian.  They already had a town vet, and Adam already said the man was still years off from retirement.

Stuck in circles with no concrete solution in sight, Jane decided she’d spend her winter break with Adam and his daughter.  It would be a month of time together when they’d only had a few days previously.  Jane hadn’t admitted it out loud, but it was sort of a test, too.  The way she felt about Adam was exciting, but terrifying, too.  She’d dated in the past and even thought she was in love before, but those relationships paled in comparison to this.

Every time her phone rang, and it was Adam calling or facetiming, her heart felt as if it was in her throat.  Her cheeks always hurt after they finished talking from how much she’d been smiling.  They texted back and forth constantly in paragraphs, trusting one another and letting down the walls past hurt had made them build.  Jane had never connected with anyone like she connected with Adam.   She considered herself a reasonable person, but they’d only known one another for around five months and she already knew she was in love with him.

Not that she’d told him… even if Kate had tried to convince her that she should.

“Jane, honey?”  Her mother’s voice gently broke her out of her thoughts, and Jane looked in dismay to see she’d broken off a tiny chip of her nail.

“Sorry mom, I just have a lot on my mind.”  She got up from the couch and started pacing.

There was silence for a few seconds before her mother sighed.  She’d already told Jane previously that she shouldn’t be focusing on a relationship with a man when she was so close to graduating.  School, she’d said, should be her main priority.  Men would come and go.  Jane wished her mom could just meet Adam.  She’d understand.  Adam wasn’t like any man Jane had ever met.

“Well, just know that if you change your mind we’d love it if you were here.”

“I know mom.”  Jane’s heart sank.  She hated disappointing her mother and she loved being home for the holidays.  Her family was the sort that went all out, singing to classic Christmas tunes as they decorated, making a trip of going to the tree lot to pick the tree, dressing in big, comfy warm clothes and getting coffee before they walked the neighborhoods and admired everyone’s light-up decorations, sugar cookie baking and decorating, and so much more.  Jane loved it, especially her rowdy, excited nephews and nieces running amuck around the house and filling it with cheer.

“I love you dear,” her mom said gently.  It was weird for them to disagree on something.  Jane had always made such sound, reasonable decisions, she could tell the way she was chasing her heart with Adam had confused her mother.  This wasn’t like Jane.

“I love you too mom.”  Jane said, and then the call ended.

She had two text messages waiting from Adam.

I was just out talking to Lucky and he reminded me I’ll be seeing you in just a few days.  Can’t wait darlin.  I miss you.

Lucky says he misses you too.

Jane smiled, her heart immediately lifting.  A soft giggle and she was quickly replying, texting back.

I knew you could talk to horses!  Tell Lucky I miss him too.

Oh, and I miss you too, I guess.

She added a little emoji with the tongue sticking out, then one with a little angelic halo circling its head.  It didn’t take long for Adam to reply with laughing emoji’s and then for three little bubbles to appear, telling her he was texting back.

Shit… I guess the game is up, you know my secret that I’m the only person on God’s green earth than can talk to horses.  Hope I can trust you to keep it… otherwise…

Are you all packed?  Excited?  Second thoughts? 

They’d discussed the trip in lengths over the last month or two since Jane decided she’d spend her entire winter break with Adam.  Initially, Adam had argued against it, not that he didn’t want her to spend time with him, but that he felt it was important she not sacrifice her family traditions and her time to go home and spend the holidays with them. He’d also felt bad, knowing her mother was giving her a hard time over it.  But Jane hadn’t budged, and he’d eventually caved to the excitement of getting to have her with him for an entire month.

You know I’m not having any second thoughts, dummy.  And I’m so excited I can barely sleep!  I feel like this is already my Christmas present, just getting to see you.

She chewed at the inside skin of her lip, yet another of a list of bad habits she had when she was worriedly thinking.  She didn’t want Adam to be upset that she and her mom were still on the outs because of this, but she wanted to tell him, too.  He was always so good at knowing the right things to say to help ease whatever little aches were plaguing her heart.  Jane had never had a boyfriend as sweet, genuine and attentive as Adam was.  It scared her a little bit.

This was what love was.

They still hadn’t said those words to each other, but Jane knew.  She was completely and helplessly in love with Adam Page, the mustang-taming cowboy and single-father from Montana. 

That was what made the approach of her final semester a little scarier as well as the looming shadow of her future, where she’d go, and what choices she’d make.  Would she sacrifice her heart for her career, or her career for her heart?  She’d spent her entire life, from early childhood, working her ass off to get to where she was.  She’d always known she was going to work with horses and veterinary school wasn’t easy, nor was it easy to earn and keep her full-ride scholarship to so she could attend.  Her professors were already helping her gain connections with vet clinics across the United States.  She could have her pick after graduation and she knew that made her luckier than most university graduates.

But Adam was in Montana and she knew she couldn’t do a long-distance relationship forever. Eventually she wanted to be married, to share the house and the white-picket fence, the ten-acre farm with a few horses, goats, chickens, and dogs.  She wanted to hear children’s feet running through the house and their shrill, youthful giggles followed by Adam, laughing warm and happy as he playfully chased after them.  She wanted it so badly it terrified her.  Jane’s plan had always been to focus on her career until she was graduated and had been working at her chosen clinic for a year before she started dating or even considered the idea of marriage and children.

One chance meeting and everything was being thrown up into the air.  Jane wasn’t sure where the pieces were set to fall, either.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down, realizing she’d missed a couple texts from Adam.  The first had been sent shortly after her prior reply and read: Now hang on, I’m not that thoughtless of a boyfriend, darlin’.  You’re getting spoiled on Christmas whether you like it or not.  Me getting you for a month is my present, not yours.  Keep that in mind.

She smiled.  In the absent gap where she didn’t reply, tangled in her endless circling thoughts, he’d just texted again.

Everything alright?

He knew.  Even hundreds of miles apart, he somehow knew.  Jane didn’t know how he did it.  She took a breath and began to text, telling him the truth.

Sorry babe, I just got off the phone with my mom before I text you and she’s still being… well… my mom.

Rather than receive a text reply, her phone started ringing.  A selfie they’d taken with Avery in the middle, all three of them smiling wide and happy – Adam distracted and looking at Jane instead of into the camera – flashed up on her screen and made her smile again.  It did every time she saw it.  She pressed to answer the call and put the phone to her ear.

“Hi baby,” she said softly.

“Hey darlin’,” she heard the metal latch of the gate swinging and locking into place and the air moving around him as he started walking.  He’d been working out with the horses while he was texting her.  “I’m sorry your mama is giving you a hard time, but you know she’s just worried about you.”

“I know,” Jane admitted, but frustration clung to her tone.  “I just wish she’d trust me.  She acts like I’m throwing everything away, like we’re not constantly worrying about what the future is going to mean.  Like I’m wasting everything I’ve worked hard for just because I fel-” she cut herself off abruptly, realizing with a start as she got worked into her rant she almost said it then and there.  Like I’m wasting everything I’ve worked hard for just because I fell in love.

“I know darlin’, I know.”  After a slight pause – long enough to make her worry that he’d figured out what she nearly said – Adam spoke.  “Just give her time.  Do what you think is best for you.  That’s all that matters.  Alright?”  He didn’t corner her or ask her what she’d been about to say.  Maybe it hadn’t been as obvious as she thought.

“Yeah,” Jane sighed and wrapped one of her arms around her waist, wishing she could be curled up in his arms again, laying on his broad, muscled chest while he spoke gentle reassurances and ran his wide palm in calming strokes up and down her back.  Her heart lifted when she realized that would be a tangible thing she could have in just a few days’ time.  It had felt like this vacation would never get here.  “I just can’t wait for you to hold me again.”  She confessed in a soft, small voice.  Showing her weakness and need to someone was strange for Jane, so used to having to take care of everyone else and herself all on her own. 

But Adam let her slip.  He took the weight of the world off her shoulders without complaint, happy to be her solace.

“Darlin’, when you get here, you’re going to spend all night in my arms.  Hell, we might be together so long we’re going to start growing into one person.”  He joked, helping lift her weary spirit and making her laugh.  “You know… I was going to let this be a surprise, but I think it might help you to know it now…”

“What?”  Jane blinked, wondering what trick he had up his sleeve.  “What is it?”

“The night you fly in to Billings, me and you are staying in a hotel and heading to the ranch the next day.  My ma is watching Avery and looking after the horses, so we can have a little time just the two of us.”

“Oh, Adam,” Jane sighed, unable to keep how happy and relieved by the thought she was.  She loved his daughter and she adored his mother.  The woman had been a blessing at smoothing over the awkward situation when they’d first met and before they’d parted ways she’d gripped Jane’s hand tight and smiled, telling her she couldn’t begin to say how happy she was Adam had found a good-hearted girl like her.  Jane and Avery were still figuring one another out, but Adam assured her Avery would get more comfortable the more time she spent around them.  Jane was the only woman Adam had dated since Avery’s mother had left when she was too young to remember her, so it was an adjustment for the little girl. 

“That sounds like heaven.”

“Good,” he said, and she heard the happy smile in his voice.  “I’m sorry darlin’, but I’m going to have to cut this call a little short.  I’ve got a guy coming from out of town to look at some of the colts I gentled, and it looks like he just pulled up.”

Jane hoped the man liked them and bought them.  Adam made his living training horses, both clients who brought their horses to him for training and by adopting wild horses from the BLM holding facility a couple hours from his ranch which he gentled into sound, hardy little workhorses.  If no one was buying, he wasn’t profiting.  

“That’s okay!  I need to finish packing anyways.  Good luck baby!”

“Thanks, darlin’, can’t wait to see you again.”

“I can’t wait to see you too.”

“Bye darlin’.”

“Bye baby,” she said, and listened for a just a few seconds longer as Adam lowered the phone from his ear and called out in his happy, robust country drawl to the man who’d just arrived at his ranch.  The call ended, and she sighed, feeling better and more excited to get to Billings and into the arms of the wonderful man waiting for her.

  *****

The minute their eyes met, Adam cut through the crowd of people waiting in the airport lobby for their loved ones, opening his arms and grabbing Jane up before she could say a word.  He pulled her close and dipped, pressing their lips together in a kiss that told her how badly he’d needed to do that without saying a word.  Jane pulled away dizzy and a little breathless, cheeks flush as she looked up into the face of her handsome cowboy, who made her heart race with just a look.

“God woman,” He sighed and whispered against her lips as their foreheads pressed gently together, “I missed you more than I thought it was possible to miss someone I was talking to every day.”

“Me too,” she said, heart already soaring.  Adam was so open about his admiration of her, he never gave her a chance to worry he didn’t feel just as strongly about her as she did him.  His hands dropped to hers as he pulled away, wrapping gently around them, squeezing and rubbing the pad of his thumb over her palm. 

“Let’s go get your suitcase and get out of here,” he said, grin climbing higher into his round cheeks and making the laugh lines around his eyes more prominent.  He was turning away, bringing her with him.  “I need to get you alone in that hotel room before I explode.”

Jane laughed softly and blushed – even though they’d slept together, done naughty phone calls, texts, snapchats and facetime calls together, she still felt flush any time Adam’s attention turned ravenous.  Sometimes the way he looked at her stunned her.  Jane didn’t think she was particularly unattractive, but everyone had their little spots they stared at a little too long in the mirror and she was no exception.  Adam drowned her in earnest compliments and pointed out parts of herself she’d never appreciated or took a second to see as beautiful.  Seeing herself through his eyes was a new experience and sometimes, when she was having a moment where she felt particularly cute, she could hear how he’d compliment her and get giddy before snapping a picture and sending it his way.

Adam never disappointed.  The moment he had a chance to look at it – which was normally quickly after she sent it unless he was working with a horse – he said just what she imagined he would and then some.

The pair retrieved her suitcase and headed out to his truck.  As they made their way through the crowds, Jane caught the eyes of other women that were drawn toward Adam as they walked.  A small nagging bite of insecurity threatened to wiggle its way through.  He was so damn handsome in his Stetson – a black one this time, set on his fluffy, shoulder-length blond curls – workman’s jacket, plaid button-up, dark-wash tight-fit jeans, big silver belt-buckle and brown ostrich leather boots.  Jane couldn’t blame them for looking, but she glanced down at herself and wondered what they thought of her.  Did they think he could do better?

“Darlin?”  Adam’s concerned voice drew her eyes back to his.  “You alright?”

“Yeah,” she said and smiled, which was easier beneath that Montana summer sky blue-eyed stare.  “I’m perfect.”  She smiled a little deeper, remembering she was here to be with Adam and he was here to be with her, and Adam matched the grin before ducking in to steal a quick kiss, squeezing their joined hand and maneuvering up to his truck.  No one else mattered.  A thousand woman could look at Adam, but his eyes were always on her.

Jane climbed in the cab and Adam loaded up the suitcase before climbing into the driver’s seat.  The truck started with a gentle rumble and he reached to turn the music station down low enough they could talk if they want to.  Before she could buckle in to the passenger’s seat, he gently patted the wide breadth of his palm against the middle bench seat beside him.

“I’ve had enough of getting to see and hear you but not touch you,” he said, “c’mon.”

Jane grinned and let go of the seatbelt she’d just grabbed, scooting over until she could curl up against him.  He wrapped one arm around her and tucked her in close as she buckled the waistband seatbelt.  As the truck pulled out of the airport lot and onto the road, Jane remembered to ask him about the horses.

“Did that rancher buy any of your colts?”

Adam looked down at her and brightened before looking at the road ahead with a nod.  “He sure did!  Bought all five I had trained up.  He had his eyes on Lucky too, but I’ve barely started ground manners and I told him I don’t rush a horse.  They learn at their pace.  I told him if he was still in need of good horses by the time Lucky was ready I’d let him know and he could come take a look and see if he was still wanting him.”

Jane felt her heart sink.  She knew it was stupid, but she would hate to see Lucky go.  She felt like he bonded she and Adam together.  The first time Adam had been working with the wild colt was the first time she and Adam had met.  But Adam’s horse training was a business and he needed to sell horses to keep it operating.

“That’s great!”  She said, because it was true that it was great.  Sometimes it took one rancher who knew other ranchers who were looking for new stock to put him in demand.  Hell, they might even ship a colt or two his way to have it trained up, too.  The more word spread about Adam’s work with horses, the more opportunity he’d have to gentle them in a way that respected the bond between man and horse, and the more chances he’d have to keep bringing in fresh stock and training them up.

“Yeah,” Adam said, “actually, because he bought so many, I figured we could make a little stop before we go grab the Christmas tree tomorrow.”  He glanced over at Jane as they stopped at a red light, one eyebrow quirking.

“Oh?  What’s that?” 

Adam decided they’d wait to get the Christmas tree until Jane was there, and the three of them – himself, Jane, and Avery – would go pick one out, bring it home and decorate it that night.  It was a way of helping Avery adjust a little more to Jane’s presence in their little family, even though the situation was a little bit strange.  It was also a way to give Jane a little bit of her family traditions when she wouldn’t be back home to participate in them.

“Well, my buddy who’s a handler up at the BLM facility called and let me know they got some nice-looking colts in that he thinks I could do something with.  They were shipped in out of state.  I figured we’d go up to the BLM facility and see if we might come away with a horse or two.”

Jane couldn’t help the way her heart lifted in excitement.  “That would be fun!”

“Yeah, and,” his grin stretched a little wider, “I think it’s time Avery got her first horse.  There’s a yearling filly there, a little bay roan that makes me think of her.  They’ve got the same personalities, I swear it.  They could grow up together a little bit.  The filly wouldn’t be ready for saddle training for a year or two at least, so that’d give Avery time to get used to the responsibility of keeping a horse.  And they’d have each other for a long, long time.”

Jane’s heart swelled.  She remembered being a little girl obsessed with horses, daydreaming about when Santa would finally give in to her pleading letters and deliver a pony for her on Christmas day.  “She’s going to love that so much.”

He grinned.  “It’s about time, the girl started riding before she could walk, and she’s wanted one of her own for long enough now.”

Adam pulled the truck off the freeway and down to the parking lot of the multi-story hotel.  They checked in and Jane’s excitement had her breath hard to catch the further down those door-lined halls they traveled.  She was going to have Adam alone again.  In person.  There wasn’t any phone to clutch to her ear.  There wasn’t any time she was going to close her eyes and feel a sharp ache in her heart for how badly she wished he was tangible.  She was going to be held in those big, strong country arms of his and up against that broad, thick-muscled chest.  When she put her ear to it, she was going to hear his heartbeat.

Jane glanced up at Adam, who she caught watching her.  A gentle flush crept across his pale cheeks, just barely hidden by the blond of his beard.  She knew he must’ve been thinking along the lines of what she’d been.  The last time they’d physically been together they’d been practical strangers, drunk on some powerful, near-divine feeling of soulmate like proportions.  Now they’d spent months talking and texting and facetiming on the phone.  He’d listened to her meltdown rants about school and helped talk her back up.  She’d listened to him gush about how well one of the colts had done or have him pull Avery up to tell her how good she did at school that day.  They knew one another more intimately than ever.

Adam’s free hand grabbed hers and entwined their fingers.  He gave them a little squeeze and his smile deepened.  Jane exhaled and smiled too, heart pounding in her ribcage.

They entered their room.  The door hadn’t even swung shut when Adam was on her, hand leaving hers to instead frame her face between his palms.  He crashed her back into the wall beside the door and smashed his mouth hot against hers.  Jane moaned into his mouth, which stretched hers wider, and his tongue plunged between the open invitation.  His hips dug hard, belt buckle pinching into her stomach.  His thick fingers curled in her hair, around the back of her head, and held her firm as they kissed.

Jane worked her hands up between their bodies, dragging her nails over his stomach and up his chest.  He groaned into their kiss and dug his hips upward between her legs again.  She pushed at him, though his strength was immovable.  It wasn’t that she wanted the kiss to end, but that she needed to breathe.  Her lungs were starved, apparent by the way she gasped for air when he finally pulled his mouth from hers.

Adam’s heavy breaths fell hot over her, body frozen where it’d pinned her, tension leaking slowly from his muscles.  He’d needed the breath too but had been so ravenous that he hadn’t been able to break the trance that kissing her became.  Now they stood in quiet, chests heaving, ears roaring with the blood rushing through them.

“I missed you,” Jane said, voice small and sad.  They’d talked every second they could, but she’d still missed him.

“I missed you too,” his voice was a similar ache above her.  He leaned in and pressed his lips in a tender kiss on her forehead.

Adam stepped back but let one of his hands catch one of hers.  He led her down to where the hotel bedroom opened and turned them, so her back was to the bed.  Despite the need built inside him for her, Adam forced his fingers slow as he stripped her clothing.  As each new item fell away, his eyes appraised her, and he breathed low under his breath.  When he popped her bra off and slipped the straps down her shoulders, he licked his lips and groaned low in his throat.

Adam knelt and helped her step out of her boots and jeans, carefully setting her feet right.  He tilted his head back, blond curls barely maintained by his Stetson and looked up her naked body, catching her eyes with his.  Jane flushed and swallowed.

“Sit back, angel.”  He demanded, country drawl soft, and Jane lowered to sit on the plush white comforter atop the bed.  He pinched the crown of his hat and pulled it off, setting it to the bed and running a hand through his hair to smooth the pressed-down bend the band of it had created.

Adam peeled her socks off and fell to holding her right ankle.  His touch traveled slow up the back of her leg as he leaned in, gently pressing his lips to her skin.  He kissed up her leg, beard scratching her thigh, and drew closer and closer between them.  She could feel the warmth of his breath against her and it pulled a moan from her throat just as his mouth settled wide atop her skin.  The muscle of his tongue curled, pressed between and drug up, then down.  He ate her slow, letting her moans build and spill out of her caught-open lips, her back arched and hips rolling toward him.  His wide hands splayed on her backside, fingers pushing and encouraging her as physically close to him as possible.  His teeth grazed her raised, swollen clit and made her jerk at the electricity that spread along her nerves and flashed in the muscles of her thighs.  The surprised yelp she made had a chuckle rumbling from his mouth and vibrating his lips and stubble against her sensitive, wet, needy clit.

Jane dropped her chin to her sweat-dappled chest, looking down her naked body at the halo of gilded curls buried between her thighs.  Sensing her gaze, Adam raised his brow and let his blue eyes meet hers but didn’t once stop the way his tongue flicked and curled, or how he sucked back hard, as if the intent was to drink every drop.  Caught in his hungry gaze, Jane’s heart beat quickened, and she sucked in a shaky, needed breath.  Her thighs trembled on his shoulders and her eyes rolled back, unable to keep hold of his any longer.

Adam dipped against her with a more feverish passion, concentrating flicking the tip of his tongue over her clit and suckling with his lips.  He drove her wilder and wilder, her hips gyrating against his mouth as he feasted.  But, he didn’t let her cum.  When nirvana was in reach, every muscle in her body freezing tight, fingers curling desperate into the sheets at her sides, Adam pulled away from between her legs and sat back on his heels, watching her body tremble with need.  Jane blinked away the beginning phase of fog as her body realized it was left to be driven wild by the sensations he’d stoked, but not offered final reward.

She pushed herself up with her palm flat on the mattress and looked at him where he knelt, smiling knowingly and wickedly at her.  Mischief flashed in Jane’s eyes – she wasn’t going to let him look so satisfied – and she pushed herself forward, practically leaping at him.  His shocked expression was satisfactory, as was the grunt when his back hit the hotel room floor and he looked up at her, dazed and then amused, and then hungry all over again.

Jane sat with more purpose on his hips, feeling the length of his erection still trapped painfully in his fitted denim jeans.  Her hands flattened over the button-up shirt he was wearing – he’d stripped his workman’s jacket off when they’d entered – and she slowly began to slip the buttons through each little hole and pushed the material open.  She pushed her fingers through the faint dusting of blond hair on his chest and curled them, raking her nails down his torso and smiling as he sucked in a hard breath, groaned and pushed his hips up toward hers.  Oh… she was going to enjoy tormenting him as much as he’d enjoyed doing it to her.

Using his body as leverage, Jane began to rub her hips over his, the stiff denim over his zipper pushing against her clit and making her moan.  They may as well have been ruining his jeans, the way Adam was moaning and bucking his hips up to meet her strokes, likely leaking already for her.  She didn’t tease him very long – at least not clothed – and only when their breaths were both ragged and he was shaking beneath her did she stop and slowly slide down his body.  When she released the tension of his belt-buckle and undid the button and zipper of his jeans, Adam sighed in relief.  His cock was swollen thick and had been painfully restrained.

Jane’s hands slipped beneath the band of his boxers and pushed the material down as her fingers slipped around his hard, throbbing cock.  Adam moaned to feel her touch on his bare skin.  Jane repositioned her body, putting either one of her knees on the other side of his, free hand flat on the carpet by his hip.  Jane dipped and opened her lips over his leaking head, tasting the most intimate part of the man she loved.  Her tongue swirled and dipped over the sensitive lip.  Only the stretch around his girth kept her mouth from curling into a smile at the way he moaned and thrust greedily up into her mouth.  The length of his shaft slid atop the bed of her warm, wet tongue.

His long-reach brought a hand to gather her hair, pulling it out of her face and holding it back so he could keep his chin at his chest and watch her bob up and down the length of his cock.  She wet it with her saliva and where her mouth didn’t entertain, her fingers picked up the slack, curled around his shape and stroked with a soft squeeze of pressure.  Jane dipped and ran the flat of her tongue down his length to his sac, sucking each of his balls in turn as Adam groaned and his muscles in his thick thighs tensed, showing their definition beneath fat.  She curled the tip of her tongue and ran it along the taint, then up again so she could stretch her mouth around the head of his precum leaking cock and slide him back inside her mouth.

His fingers in her hair curled tighter and tighter.  He jerked beneath her ministrations and leaked a tense curse in a strained whisper.  His blond brows knit together and almost made him look angry with the concentration it was taking him not to cum.  Adam’s hand in her hair pushed her down, forcing his cock to kiss the back of her throat where she gently gagged and the soft skin there wrapped tight around his girth.  He moaned and dropped his head back, chest heaving with a needed breath.

Then, he let her go.  Jane slipped off his cock, sucking back the saliva that’d gathered while she’d been held on it, and took a deep breath as she did.  Sitting up on her knees she wiped at her lips with the back of her hand and looked down at the half-dressed, ravished cowboy laying beneath her.  Adam’s dazed, but hungry eyes looked up her naked body and met hers.  They’d been so caught up in how desperate for one another they’d been, it took them until now just to breathe and settle in with what was happening.

But nothing was going to slow down.  Jane needed him too badly for that and he clearly felt the same.  Adam curled his torso to sit up just enough to tug the long sleeves of his shirt off, uncaring how he tossed it to the ground beside them.  He wanted his hands back on her too quickly to bother with it.

Crawling over the top of him, Jane lowered her hips as Adam grabbed the base of his thick, saliva-wet cock and pressed the tip inside her.  His hand jumped up to the pinch of her hip and settled heavy, pressure guiding her slow down over the top of him.  A moan poured low and long out of his mouth, thick and smooth like molasses.  Jane’s muscles clenched tight around him as she adjusted to the feel of his girth stretching her again, head tilted back and mouth open as she voiced her pleasure.  For a moment they sat, joined, and then Adam let up on her hip and Jane began to ride him.

Her palms pressed against his sweaty torso as she slipped up and down his cock, taking him in deep.  Their hotel room was filled with breathy, heavy moans, soft whines from her lips and occasional shared whispers of their names, spoken with not only passion, but the love they’d found for one another. The stickiness of her wet slick covered her thighs and his hips, combining with the sweat pooled on their warm skin.  Adam’s hands were still on her hips, fingers digging sharp into the layer of fat he could grip and pinch.  Initially he seemed to hold himself back and let her take the reins, but a few thrusts in his need took over and his hips began pushing up to meet and quicken her pace.  He buried his cock up inside her, grunting with each forceful shove of his hips and squeeze of his hands on her hips.  She’d be surprised if she wasn’t bruised tomorrow.

Eventually he took over and Jane’s toes curled, nails raking into the fine blond hair on his sweaty chest, mouth locked open and eyes rolled back, body jerking with each hard-thrust Adam buried up inside her.  He was going faster and faster, and they’d both built themselves to the brink of pleasure, making nirvana a quick and easy reach.  Jane wished they could stay like this forever, no matter how exhausting it’d be.  To be intimate with Adam in this moment, as close as two people could be, let all the worries of their future and the unanswered questions remain meaningless.  The only thing that mattered was the two of them in one another’s arms.

“Adam!” She squeezed out from her tight throat and forced her chin down, eyes open, so she could look down at him.

Adam’s brow was furrowed hard, jaw clenched, and nostrils flared.  The muscles in his arms bulged against the skin as his body tensed and he forced her to meet his driving hips.  His eyes met hers and the desperate, feral nature of the beast inside him subsided just briefly, just enough to lock gazes and show her the man still existed behind the need.  But there was even something in that – something in Adam losing himself and just fucking her raw and ruthless, that excited her.  This man with a heart of gold, who she knew from the instant she met him she could trust her life with, couldn’t help but be so needy for her that he lost all the civility when the doors were closed, and they were left alone.

“Adam!”  She cried again, a ripple of pleasure shooting through her body and curling a knot in her lower abdomen.

“Yeah,” he grunted in a hot breath and pushed his cock up inside her soaked lips.  “Cum for me, darlin’,” he could barely speak, his vocal chords were so tight.  Instead, Adam’s words were a growl from that deep, barrel chest and it rumbled beneath her clinging hands.  She hadn’t realized she’d drug red marks down his chest when she’d raked across his skin but saw them then in slightly raised lines.

“Oh, fuck, I’m –” her brows pulled tight inward and her body froze.  A small cry squeaked past her lips as her brow furrowed.  Adam grunted and plunged as deep inside her as his cock could go, balls sucked up to the base, legs shaking with the effort it took to keep from cumming too soon.  Jane twitched, stilled, and cried her release in a mix between a whine and a long moan that filled the room to the ceiling.  Those wet, warm velvet muscles wrapped around his driving cock clenched tight around him, pulling and coaxing him to his own release.

“Jane,” he managed, “I lo- nnngggghhh!!!…”  Whatever he was going to say was stolen by the force of his orgasm.  Adam’s vocals fell to moans spilling in tight together as his body jerked hard enough to nearly unseat her while she quivered and came herself.  She felt the heat of his orgasm pouring inside her and knew she should worry – they needed to stop fucking unprotected unless they wanted to further complicate their already complicated situation – but only let a satisfied smile smear across her lips before she collapsed forward atop him.

One of Adam’s arms lazily lifted and rested around her bare back, squishing her sweaty body against his.  The haze of gratification fogged their minds and they could only heave hot breaths that slowly melted into gentle laughter shortly after when they realized how crazy they’d been.  All their plans – they’d get to the hotel, check in, and then go get something to eat and enjoy the town – had been derailed the split second they had a moment alone.  They couldn’t even wait a few hours.

Adam’s fingers raked her hair away from her face, where it’d stuck to the sides with sweat.  Jane turned to look at him and smiled warmly, matching the look he was giving her.  Her heartbeat felt as though it skipped.  He had a way of looking at her like he was in awe of her, like he was trying to memorize every pore in her skin and every subtle dip of her face, so he could remember it to perfection any time he wanted. 

“You’re perfect, you know that?”  His words were slower, country drawl a little stronger, voice heavy with exhaustion as the adrenaline of their lovemaking gently eased from his body.

Jane laughed.  “I think you’re bias.”

“Hmm,” he shifted her body carefully, still tucked hard inside her, both still sensitive.  “Maybe.”  He admitted, and his grin deepened.

“We didn’t even let you get undressed all the way,” Jane pointed out, rubbing her foot gently over his half-worn denim jeans.  They’d only tugged them down his thighs enough for her to ride him.

“I didn’t think it was very polite to stop a lady when she’s on a mission.”  He countered playfully, to which Jane laughed.  He was good at that… being silly and making her smile and laugh.  Sometimes her cheeks ached after they’d talked, he’d teased her to laughter so much.

“Good call,” she remarked, nodding firmly.  “I definitely had no intention of being slowed down.”

“Mm, no you did not,” he said, voice low and deep, making a ripple of need tighten in her belly.  How the hell did he manage to make her want him even after she was physically exhausted?  His fingers skimmed up and down her spine in a delicate, comforting touch.  “And thank God for that.”

Jane laughed softly again and then fell to just letting Adam hold her.  She nestled her cheek against his chest, still lightly damp with sweat and slowly cooling, just as the rest of her was.  Her eyelids threatened to drop after a day of travel and their lovemaking, but the night was far from over.  She let her eyes close only to wrap her other senses more securely around Adam and soak in the sensation of being held by him.  When she’d had to go back to university she hadn’t thought she’d miss being physically present with Adam so badly – they’d only spent a few days together in totality – but her heart had ached for this.  She never knew being with anyone could feel like this.

“Hey,” he beckoned gently after a few more minutes of quiet, his fingers still tracing delicate patterns on her naked skin.  “Do you still want to go out on the town?  I don’t mind calling in room service and staying here all night if not.”  His voice rumbled in his chest against her ear.

“I do,” she said, blinking her eyes open and readjusting to the lights they’d left on in the room.  She glanced up at him and smiled.  “I was just enjoying being in your arms again.”

He melted at that.  “I was enjoying holding you again.”  He dipped and placed a sweet, loving kiss atop her head and leaned back down.  “But c’mon.  Let’s shower, get dressed and head out.  I got a lot of people to make jealous as I show my pretty little girlfriend off, and I’ve got a mind to spoil you a li’l too.”

“Spoil me?  Why?”

“Because I said so.”  His grin climbed a little higher in his cheeks, making them rounder and pronouncing the smile lines at the creases of his eyes.

“We’ll see about that.”  Jane said, rolling her eyes, and slowly started to lift her pleasure-tired body from his.

“Mhm, we sure will,” he said and reached to playfully smack her ass as she turned, pushing his jeans off the rest of his legs and climbing to his feet to follow close behind her.

They were delayed again when, in the shower, slipping soap suds along each other’s bodies, Adam got hard again.  His touch began to wander down her body and he stirred her again into madness quicker than she’d thought possible.  His lips had placed warm kisses against her wet, clean skin, over her shoulders and between her shoulder blades as he wrapped his grip around her hips and sank his cock inside her again.  Every high thrust slapped their wet skin together, his balls smacking against her cunt, and droplets of water from the shower stream flying around them.  His low grunts and moans joined her high whines, bouncing and echoing in the acoustics of the tiny bathroom.  When they finally finished showering and shut off the water, Jane’s palms had indents of the shower tile and the muscles in her thighs ached with exhaustion.  She even had to hold on to his firm forearm for leverage as she stepped out, feeling wobbly-legged.  He grinned, and she shook her head, mesmerized he’d had it in him so soon for a second round.  If he kept this up, Jane wasn’t sure she’d be able to walk the rest of the time she was here.

She made a comment as such, which made Adam laugh that low, warm rolling laugh and melt into an almost sheepish smile.

“You’ve kept me a hungry man, darlin’.  What can I say?”

At that she could only grin, and the pair of them finished getting ready before going out to see what Billings had to offer.  They walked in the cold along the downtown streets and red-brick buildings near their hotel, peering in Christmas-decorated window displays hand-in-hand, cuddling up and stealing kisses just because they could.  Any time Jane got particularly excited about something she saw, Adam encouraged her into the store and tried to talk her into letting him buy it for her.  He was relentless and while she was able to argue her way out of a few gifts, they still ended up with a few bags by the end of the night. She managed to buy something for him, despite his best attempt to play down his excitement – a folding knife with a wood carved handle depicting a mustang running free on the range. 

They found a cute little diner to eat at, tucked inside beneath the twinkling, warm string lights wrapped around wood beams.  They talked and talked, and Jane was amazed they never ran out of things to talk about, even after talking every day for month’s straight.  It seemed neither could be without the other’s touch for too long.  Jane would lay her hand on the table and Adam’s would blanket it, warm, secure and soft.  The pad of his thumb would skim across her skin, inspiring goosebumps.

And when the night ended, and they lay, naked, tangled limbs beneath and atop the hotel comforters, Jane began to drift peacefully off to sleep, never once remembering that earlier in the day, Adam had nearly said something that she was sure was on the tip of her tongue, too.  Every second that passed with him was going to make it harder and harder not to say.  Every time he lifted her heart and made it race, the words were there, wishing they could be spilled.  It drifted in her mind as her eyes closed, but she had enough sense not to say it.  Not yet.

I love you, Adam.

Adam sighed a content breath and wrapped his thick arm tighter around her, pulling her closer in.  A smile formed sleepy across his mouth, eyelids closed and light lashes gently tickling his round cheeks.  He felt more content than he had in years.  Like everything made sense.  That thought he’d had earlier – the one he’d almost said out loud – drifted across his mind, but he held his tongue and kept his mouth closed, too afraid to add pressure to what had been the perfect day they both so desperately needed.

I love you, Jane.

[phoenixmakeswords]

Chapter 2: Broken Wings and Dragon Dreams

Trigger warnings: Mentions of past child abuse. Anxiety attack. Physical assault.

Word Count: 1494

Tag list: @vnsmiles

If anyone wants added or removed, let me know.

[[MORE]]

I don’t know where I am at first when I wake up. I croak pathetically until he comes in.

“Hey. Hey. You’re fine. You’re okay. Nobody is gonna hurt you,” he soothes, taking slow steps towards me.

It makes me happy to see him. I headbutt his stomach lightly, being careful not to stab him with my horns.

“You’re so pretty. I need to get you checked out and get food for you.” He pets me as nicely as yesterday. He’s careful not to brush my feathers the wrong way, which I appreciate.

I chirp nervously when he takes me outside. I don’t wanna go.

“You’re safe.”

I don’t like getting in the bed of his truck today. I don’t know where he’s taking me. I pluck at my feathers anxiously during the trip.

He stops at an ivy-covered brown building. The parking lot is pretty full. According to the sign, it’s a clinic for things like me.

Is he going to put me down like a normal pet? What if he has me neutered? I fret, squealing in distress.

Aaron takes one look at the iridescent black feathers covering his truck bed and sighs, shaking his head. He doesn’t look happy.

“Stay. I’ll be right back. Please don’t eat the vet.” Raking a hand through his dark hair, he makes his way to the clinic door while I screech my protest.

I go back to pulling out my feathers. It helps.

Aaron comes back with a tall, chubby woman with dark auburn hair. Even from here, I can smell her: Pine and moss and ferns. She’s an Elf. The way she has her hair pulled back reveals the points of her ears.

“Oh, he’s beautiful!” she gasps.

“He started pulling out his feathers, so I’m not sure how pretty he’s gonna stay.”

I rasp at her, ruffling my feathers unhappily, when she reaches towards my head.

“I just need to check your eyes, pretty boy. It won’t hurt I promise,” she soothes, showing me the instrument.

I let her. I’m not happy about it. I croak the entire time, but I let her.

“You’re very noisy.” She pats my shoulder lightly. I flinch, screeching in alarm.

I almost plow into Aaron in my terror.

“Hey. You’re fine. You’re fine. It’s safe. Shh. Calm down.” He lets me bury my head into his stomach again and rubs my neck until I calm down.

Memories of before flit through my mind unbidden. Memories I wish I could forget.

“Leo, just breathe. Just breathe, baby. You’re safe,” he murmurs, squeezing my hand as I try to stop hyperventilating.

My broken ribs throb with each ragged breath. Agony has been my constant companion and I wish I could leave it behind.

“He threatened to kill me, Aaron,” I finally choke.

“I thought you weren’t out?”

“I’m not stupid. Of course I’m not out. Sorry. I’m sorry.” I stiffen as I wait for him to start beating me too. “H-he suspects. And that makes me guilty.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s okay. I know you’re not stupid, okay? Do you have a plan?” He rubs his thumb in slow circles over the back of my hand.

“I don’t want to lose you.” That’s what kills me the most. If we break up, there’s no guarantee the abuse will stop. No guarantee we’ll get back together. And I can’t do that.

I duck my face to hide the tears stinging my eyes. I don’t feel like crying in front of him.

“Lee. I’ll hold you if you want.” His voice holds no judgement. Nodding, I clamber into his lap and bury my face in his shoulder.

This is the safest I’ve felt in forever. And I’m on the verge of losing that.

“How’s your back?” he whispers. I know what he’s not asking: Did he use his belt again? Will it hurt if I touch you?

I shake my head miserably.

A sharp prod to my bad wing drags me from my memories. I drop to the pavement, duck my head under my good wing and wait for it to be over. It’s easier that way. Hurts less.

“Do you know what happened?” the Elf demands.

“No. I saw the scars, but that’s all I know.”

“His wing looks broken. I’m not touching him until he calms down.”

When I finally pull my head out from under my wing, I just lie on the pavement and shake. I don’t move. I don’t complain. I’m just done.

“I would say he’s flightless from the look of the wing. Other than that, he’s physically healthy. Mentally, he’s a mess. I’ve never seen a dragon with this level of anxiety before. I suggest getting him some toys, make sure he has plenty of enrichment. If he doesn’t settle in and is still feather picking and anxious, he might need medication,” she says once she’s finished with me.

“Is there like a pet store where I can get toys for him? And how much food will he need?”

“Yeah, actually. It’s on the edge of town where Pizza Hut used to be. They have dragon feed there. It’s nutrient dense and cheaper than trying to keep him in meat. You can always let him hunt as long as he doesn’t eat anyone’s dog. It’d be good for him.”

“Cool. Now can I take him in there or no?”

“He can go in, as long as it doesn’t stress him more.”

“Thank you, Willow.” He gives her a warm smile.

I curl up in the bed of his truck while he goes to pay. I’m so stressed my stomach hurts.

The store is busy. It’s full of screaming children and cranky parents and the calls of different animals. It’s too much.

I’m completely checked out by the time he gets me to the toys. I don’t care. I don’t want to be here. I just want to go home where the people aren’t. Where it’s quiet. Where people aren’t trying to touch me.

I bump his shoulder lightly with my nose.

“What’s up, buddy?” he asks cheerfully.

Croaking, I jerk my head towards the door. I need out of here.

He lets me stay in the truck bed while he goes back in. I’m safe here at least.

Something pokes my tail. Hard.

I raise my head tiredly to see who’s tormenting me now. I don’t feel like dealing with this.

Two teen boys grin at me wickedly. One of them has a stick. He pokes my back leg hard enough I flinch.

And that’s when they start beating me.

Aaron finds me cowering on top of a nearby SUV. I’m bleeding. The boys swat me across the face, opening a gash on my snout. I screech in pain but I don’t try to get down. I’m too scared.

“What are you doing to him?” Aaron shouts, sprinting towards us.

They just stare at him dumbly.

“Is this how your parents raised you? To harass innocent animals? In the store. Now.” His tone leaves no room for disagreement. The boys follow him inside, still clutching the bloodied stick.

I stay on the SUV. I am not getting down until he gets back.

Aaron still looks furious when he comes back. It makes me reluctant to go near him.

“I bought you a treat. I’m sorry they attacked you, buddy. Thank you for not eating them,” he murmurs, holding up a cow femur.

I take the femur from him tentatively. He might decide to bash me in the face with it.

“They made a mess of you, huh? Let’s get you home.”

I haven’t hurt this much since I broke my wing.

Aaron hums cheerfully as he sets up his spare room for me. I watch from the doorway as he unrolls a blue bed along the wall opposite the door.

“See? This is your bed. If you go poop outside, can you at least bury it so I don’t step in it?” He cuts open a roll of the food he bought me and dumps it in the raised feeder by the door. He adds a second roll to it before putting water in the second bowl.

The food smells gross. Like wet cat food mixed bad eggs and blood. But, hey, I’m hungry.

“You’re gonna be alone tomorrow while I’m at work, so I’ll probably put your breakfast in one of the puzzle toys.”

I nod. I would rather hunt, but I can’t exactly say that. At least the food tastes better than it smells.

I ruffle my feathers when he begins checking out my scrapes from the kids. I’ll be fine. Yeah, I’m in pain, but I’m not exactly a stranger to beatings.

Once he’s done poking and prodding, I burrow under the blanket he put on my bed. My anxiety has worn me out.

Maybe I’ll somehow shift back while I’m asleep. I’ve never missed being human as much as right now.

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Spaghetti and Insecurity Fanfic

Title: Spaghetti and Insecurity

Summary: Virgil is neither Patton or Logan. He cannot offer emotional support or be a comforting pillar of rationality. He’s just Virgil, and sometimes he wonders if being Virgil is enough.

Something is wrong with Princey--he’s holed himself up in his room and has refused to join the others for dinner the last couple days. Will Virgil be able to find what’s making his life difficult and kill it? Or will he just make things worse by being himself? (Human!AU)

Pairings: platonic prinixety (background platonic LAMP)

Words: 2619

Warnings: self-deprecation, anxiety,  insecurity, food mention

This is the result of someone randomly sending me an unsolicited one-word prompt. I’d thought I would write up a short fic for funsies. It was supposed to only be three sentences long dangit. Anyways, I’m sure this wasn’t what you were expecting, @focusteens, but here you go  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“Dinner’s almost ready.” Patton poked his head into Virgil’s room.

“What are we eating?” Virgil asked, taking off his headphones

“Food.” Patton winked, and then vanished. A moment later he heard a distant knock on Logan’s door.

Virgil groaned at Patton’s reply. He knew that Patton meant it in good spirit, but vague answers like that made Virgil…well, anxious. He knew Patton wouldn’t poison him. Not on purpose, anyways. There was that one time where Patton had forgotten about Virgil’s almond allergy. He’d apologized profusely for days afterwards.

He put away his headphones before standing up from his bed and stretching. Satisfied, he crept into the hallway, nearly running into Logan in the process.

“Virgil!” Logan called out, nearly dropping his book as he sidestepped away to avoid a collision.

“Sorry, Logan.” Virgil sheepishly muttered.

“It’s quite alright, it’s my fault for walking and reading at the same time.” The other man collected himself for a moment before heading towards the kitchen.

Virgil followed after him. Patton was already there, moving to place a steaming pot of something directly onto the table. Virgil rushed to clasp Patton’s wrist, stopping the pot from reaching the table.

“Pat, wait.” Virgil hesitated, his next words lost in a flurry of panic.

“What’s wrong?” Patton furrowed his brows.

“You forgot a potholder,” Logan explained, brandishing said item in his hands. In the time that Virgil stopped Patton, the other had recognized the problem and found a solution. Logan was good at that. Virgil was just a problem-identifier, not a problem-solver.

Logan placed the potholder onto the table and together both Virgil and Patton slowly lowered the pot onto the potholder.

“Thanks, Virge. I could’ve burned a hole in the table!” Patton grinned.

“It’s no problem.” Virgil murmured, as he slid into his seat.

He was embarrassed about how he overreacted to the situation. Patton placing a hot pot on the wooden table wasn’t the end of the world. But Patton had saw Virgil’s actions for what they were; a concern for Patton’s safety, and appreciated them for that exact reason.

That was one of the many reasons why he loved Patton Hart. The reasons were so numerous that it was incomprehensible as to why anyone wouldn’t love Patton Hart. Virgil has and would fight anyone who would say a bad word against him.

“Bon appetit!” Patton exclaimed, opening the lid of the pot to reveal spaghetti noodles.

Virgil glanced around the table to see tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese sitting by the pot. Spaghetti. Good, Virgil liked spaghetti. It was a favorite among all the occupants of the apartment including Logan, despite protests otherwise. He always groaned and cited other healthy alternatives they could be eating compared to the Italian dish. But Virgil knew who ate the most of the leftovers from Spaghetti nights.

As Patton started piling noodles onto Virgil’s bowl, he realized something.

“Hey, where’s Princey?” He asked, referring to Roman.

The two had met during a production of Into the Woods at the local community theatre. Virgil gotten himself roped into the tech crew and that’s where he met Roman, who played the part of Cinderella’s Prince. Virgil sarcastically referred to him as Princey once, and the nickname stuck.

But that was beside the point. There was only three bowls on the table, and Virgil was sure Roman was home. He’d saw the other in the kitchen a few hours ago. Roman practically bolted back into his bedroom, coffee mug in hand, moments after a quick exchange of Hellos.

Patton paused.

“He wouldn’t come out–said he had some writing to finish up.” Patton noted with a sad smile.

“Again?” Virgil scowled.

“This has been the third night in a row, if I’m not mistaken.” Logan said,  adjusting his glasses.

“Now, now kiddos! You know how Roman gets when inspiration hits.” Patton said, thinly concealing his own concern, “I’ll bring him a plate of food after we’re done.”

“No, I’ll do it.” Virgil said, surprising even himself with the demand. But he needed to know if the idiot was still alive in there.

He cleared his throat, “I mean if it’s alright with you, Patton…”

“Of course,” Patton waved it off, “I can do the dishes tonight for you while you do that.”

“Patton you already cooked dinner,” Virgil protested, “I can still clean the dishes after I deliver the food to him.”

“I insist!”

Virgil opened his mouth, but Logan beat him to the punch.

“How about Patton and I do the dishes together?” He suggested.

“Alright.” Virgil sullenly agreed.

Once more Logan had solved the problem, this time through a compromise. Virgil didn’t hold a grudge against Logan. It was very much the opposite. Virgil admired Logan’s ability to view a situation objectively and apply rational solutions to it. He wished he could be as steadfast in logic as Logan was.

Dinner carried on without a hitch. Patton launched into a tale about the humorous pet parrot he saw today at the vet clinic. He worked as a vet assistant. Which was really the perfect job for him, despite how emotional he got when they were forced to put down pets. He knew the animals were in a better place now that they weren’t feeling any pain, but it was still really sad okay!?

After they finished their meal, Virgil stood up and made a bowl for Roman. He made sure to put an absurd amount of Parmesan cheese on it, as per Roman’s tastes.

As he left, Logan was attempting to hide a chuckle from Patton’s punning antics. As with spaghetti, Logan held a secret appreciation of puns. Patton knew this, which was why he tried fitting as many puns in one breath in his presence to get a reaction out of Logan.

Virgil walked down the hallway, taking a left at his door to where Roman’s bedroom was located. It was the largest of the four bedrooms in the apartment, as it was technically the master bedroom. It was perfect for Roman’s needs, however, as he housed a lot of his props and costumes from the various plays he participated in.

He drew a breath, balancing the bowl in one hand before knocking on the door with the other.

“Coming, Padre!” A muffled voice shouted. He could hear Roman stumbling his way over before the doorknob jiggled. Roman opened the door only about half a foot wide, causing Virgil to be unable to see the current state of his room. Looking at the state Roman was in, he had a feeling that the bedroom was likely messy.

“You’re not Patton.” Roman frowned.

“Very observant, Roman.” Virgil wryly remarked, “I got pasta for you--extra Romano cheese, your favorite.”

The other cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“Thank you, Virgil,” He said, taking the bowl from Virgil. The door started to swing shut.

“Wait just a minute!” Virgil stuck out his foot, preventing the door from shutting all the way. He grimaced in pain but continued, “We need to talk!”

“About what?” Roman suddenly snapped, his grip growing tighter around the bowl.

“Why you look like shit for starters.” Virgil bit back, folding up his arms.

Roman spluttered but he didn’t deny it. Because it was the truth. He really did look like shit. Roman was usually a fanatic about his appearance. He spent a full hour fixing his hair and applying makeup. He was obsessed with contour; making his cheekbones appear sharper and his nose slimmer. He antagonized over his outfit, even during casual outings. 

No he couldn’t just throw on a hoodie and a pair of skinny jeans and call it a day. Nor could he certainly wear those red sneakers with that shade of pomegranate, please take this seriously okay Virgil?!

However, staring at the man in front of him, it’d be impossible to know he was the same man that once ordered a pair of converse in three different colors to color-coordinate with his outfits. Virgil was almost certain there was a whole rat family living in Roman’s hair. Dark circles clung to his eyes, weighing him down like bowling balls. Usually Roman made an attempt to hide them with makeup. But his acne face was void of any make-up. He wore a baggy wrinkled polka dotted t-shirt that clashed horribly with his striped PJ pants. Saying Roman looked like shit was a nice way of putting it.

“Alright,” Roman relented, sighing heavily as he let Virgil in.

As suspected, the state of his room was just as bad as Roman’s appearance. Piles of dirty clothing, papers, and other various stuff cluttered the floor. He spotted a cluster of coffee mugs on Roman’s desk, solving the mystery of where all their mugs were disappearing off to. Sitting beside the mugs was a collection of partially eaten dinners.

This was definitely worse than what Virgil had expected. His spidey senses had been acting up ever since Roman holed himself up in his room. Yes, there were times when Roman was struck with inspiration and became obsessed with writing until it became scarce once more. But he usually was excited to share with the others in his triumphs, he loved to bounce ideas off of them.

Roman swallowed nervously, and opened up his mouth to speak but Virgil cut him off.

“I don’t want to hear what’s eating at you until you’ve actually eaten something, alright?” He said, gesturing towards the bowl of spaghetti.

Virgil glared at him until Roman started reluctantly shoving noodles into his mouth. He got halfway through before he almost choked, sobbing wrenching his throat.

“Whoa, whoa, hey.” Virgil set the bowl aside before turning to face Roman before hesitating. He wasn’t Patton or Logan. He wasn’t good at providing emotional support or being a pillar of comforting rationality. He was just Virgil, who was a walking anxiety attack waiting to happen.

But he was all Roman had at the moment, so he reached out his arms, silently offering Roman a hug. An offer the latter took full heartedly, launching at Virgil with such a force that almost caused him to fall over.

Virgil patted his back, doing his best to assuage Roman. When his tears faded away, Virgil pulled away enough to look at Roman in the eyes.

“What’s bothering you, Princey?” He murmured, “Do I need to find whatever’s making your life difficult and kill it?”

The corners of Roman’s lips turned up at the inside joke reference. It quickly fell as he mulled over his answer.

“It’s--it’s stupid.” He croaked, his voice lackluster and missing its normal regaliness.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Virgil raised his eyebrows.

“Oh you know me, I overreacted as usual,” Roman laughed apprehensively, “seriously, Virgil, I’ll be back to my usual fabulous self in no time--”

“Tell me, dammit!”

“Roman’s voice faltered as he blinked up at Virgil, spooked by his exclamation.

“Man, I’m shit at this,” Virgil mumbled underneath his breath before speaking up, “Look I don’t want to make you uncomfortable by pressuring you. I just wanna let you know that I’m...worried about you. I know saying this makes me a big hypocrite but you don’t have to face things alone. I’m here if you want to talk and I’m sure whatever it is, it’s not stupid.”

Roman studied his face, oddly quiet compared to his loud boisterous self. It could’ve only been a minute, but Virgil was already panicking. Did he mess up? Was Roman mad at him?

“I can also get either Patton or Logan if you want--”

“No, I want you.” Roman said, collapsing onto the floor in a heap. His head rested against his dresser as he let out a heavy sigh. Cautiously, Virgil moved to join him, sitting down cross-legged.

“I submitted one of my novels to a couple publishers.”

“Wait, really?” Virgil asked, eyes widening in surprise.

Roman had been working on becoming a published author for as long as Virgil had known him. The only problem with this was that Roman suffering from the usual writing woes. Too many ideas and not enough time nor motivation to quench them all.

Like in other areas of his life, Roman was passionate and spontaneous. He put his heart and soul in a project, claimed it was the One, only to abandon it for a more exciting project days later.

“I cannot write if there is no passion!” Roman once cried out when Logan suggested he should dig his heels in and finish a project.

As much as Roman went on about his projects, he was...hesitant about showing his writing with the others. The one time he allowed Logan to look at his writing it nearly ended their friendship. Logan had been rather zealous with his constructive criticism. Roman proclaimed that one day the others would be able to read his novel once it was published.

“I’ll give you all signed copies of course.” He winked.

Virgil didn’t need verbal confirmation to know that hadn’t happened.

“I--I wanted to surprise you guys,” Roman chuckled darkly, “I had it planned out and everything. I was going to drag you all to a bookstore and shock you all.”

He sighed.

“I took all the necessary preparations--but,” Roman turned to face away from Virgil, “they hated it, Virge. Th-they all hated it. I had my one shot and I blew it.”

“Whoa, whoa hey,” Virgil placed a hand on his shoulder, “there’s not a limit to how many times you can submit a novel for publishing, is there?”

.“No.” Roman admitted, sniffling.

“You’re not Alexander Hamilton, Roman. You didn’t have one shot that you threw away--you’ve still got multiple shots left.” Virgil winced. Did that sound good, did he do good?!

Roman looked back at him, studying his face.

“But what if everyone hates it?” Roman’s voice cracked.

“Okay, I know for a fact not everyone will hate it. You’ve got Logan, Patton and me--we don’t care about what stuffy old editors think, we’ll love regardless. Besides, J.K Rowling? She got rejected billions of times before the Harry Potter series was picked up.”

“Wh--how could they not recognize a masterpiece when they saw it?” Roman demanded, some of his usual vigor returning.

“I don’t know, but imagine being one of the editors who rejected it.” Virgil said. Roman let out a bark of laughter, and Virgil smiled in relief.

“Look, all I’m saying Roman is that imagine if Rowling gave up after the first few rejections. Imagine a world without Harry Potter and how radically different our generation would be because of that.”

Roman gave a horrified shudder.

“If Rowling didn’t give up, I don’t think you should either.” Virgil shrugged his shoulders, “after all, heroes don’t give up when the going gets tough, right?”

Something flickered across Roman’s face and for a moment, Virgil was worried he’d messed up. But then Roman leaned forward, burying his head into the nook of Virgil’s neck as he wrapped his arms around his middle. Virgil rolled his eyes, but placed an arm around Roman as he used the other to cradle his head.

“Thank you.” Roman whispered.

Virgil stiffened, startled by Roman’s stark gratitude.

“N-no problem, Princey.” He recovered, pulling out of the hug, “why don’t we go see if Pat and Lo are up for a movie night?”

“That sounds good--it’s been a while since we’ve done one,” The other smiled, “We should watch Aladdin--no Beauty and the Beast!”

“How about both?” Virgil suggested.

Roman’s smile grew, “I like the way you think.”

He excitedly bounded down the hallway like an excited labrador, singing a mismatched medley of songs from both the movies. Virgil shook his head at his antics, but secretly he was glad to see he’d helped Roman return to his usual self.

Virgil was not Logan or Patton. He couldn’t be there for Roman in the ways they were there for him. He was just Virgil, and Virgil was enough.

General Tag List: (if you’d like to be added or taken off, please message me or send me an ask!) @karebearmay @punsterterry  @yourhappypappypatton@alextheodd@cryingtitan @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2@usothemarshmallow@madly-handsome  @i-just-wanna-be-alone-blog @remy-alagaesias-dragon-queen@ashrain5 @otaku-marijane @pathos-logical@moonstone-fox@violetvirgil @fandergecko @echomist13

[jawllines]

pLEASE WRITE A BLURB ABOUT HARRY, EVIE, AND Y/N HUGS AND KISSES TO YOU SWEETHEART I LOVE YOU MWA

:D

Harry had never been so in love with anything before.

What could it be? Was it a book that he’d fallen for, with old weathered pages yellowed by ages and annotated paragraphs scrawled in his pen about how a certain sentence makes him feels? Or could it be a favorite tee shirt that he has worn to tatters but refuses to throw away, comforted by its holed fabric and frayed edges? What about a certain song that’s melody never gets old no matter how many times he repeats it, with guitars strumming a soothing hum that lulls him contented with the world around him and all within it?

It was none of those, actually.

It was a cat.

A beautiful, black and white little creature that crawled onto his shoulder and nestled against his neck and napped there for hours while he was slumped against the couch watching Pretty Woman when he had originally met her. Had spent his whole time cooing over the tiny thing, rubbing between her ears, pouting his mouth because when he puts his hand against her tummy and all of it is covered. At the end of the night, he and Evie (the cat) would retire to his room where she would curl between his knees and sleep through the night, maybe nip at his toes if he moved them too much.

Maybe that’s when his mum decided that he would get the little beauty after his tour. Surprising him with a message of Evie with a little bow tied around her neck, and a small card that read, “Can I come live with you?” And Harry’s whole heart expanded to the size of implosion in his chest, as he immediately responded with yes, yes, fucking yes he would take the sweet little kitten (he omitted the fucking though).

Once he to London, he did a various assortment of things. He took Evie with him to the Pet Store and let her climb around in the cart while he picked out items to make her living with him more pleasurable for the both of them. Harry buys her a bed even though he’s sure she’s sleeping with him, toys on toys (from little mice to the biggest cat tree he thinks he’s ever seen and decided she needed right then), treats that help her teeth, treats the promote hair growth, treats that are just yummy in general, a water and food bowl designed specifically so that her whiskers don’t get irritated brushing against the edges of the bowl, and a brush that he hopes she might like. Maybe he spends way too much, but anytime he would pick something up just to look at it, she would peer up at him with those big eyes, slowly raise her paw from the baby seat to bat at it and he would nod in response and set it in the cart.

He took her to a vet too, just to make sure everything was okay and that she was in tip-top shape.

This is where he meets Y/N.

Y/N is something out of his dreams, he thinks. She works at the vet’s office as a secretary but her duties extend far beyond that of just checking people in; since they’re short staffed, sometimes she’ll aid the vet in all the ways that she’s able to, whether it be to calm a puppy down or to hold a cat still. She always wore a various color of a cardigan, a white shirt, and light-washed jeans (he only notes this because it’s a weird choice of outfit when working with animals, sometimes she has fur all over her and sometimes it looks like she worked in some pristine business office, there was never an in between), smile wide in her greetings to him (“Good morning, Mr. Styles! To what do we oh the pleasure of seeing you and Miss Evie today?”), and remembered Evie by name, and always managed to have a cat treat ready to go as soon as they walked up to the desk to check in.

Evie is awful finicky about who she likes. She loves him and his mum, but other people she is pretty skittish around, however upon first meeting with Y/N, she wiggle wormed her way out of Harry’s arms (he brings her in a basket of soft blankets and cloth opposed to a cage, he feels those are restricting), and crawled over the counter to Y/N. Immediately butted at her with her head and Y/N let her muck around while she checked them in, scratching between Evie’s ears, “Hi miss thing,” she had murmured, Harry hears it clearly as he thinks about it, “You’re awful cuddly, yeah? You must make your Daddy feel very loved.”

She does, Harry had almost responded, but for the first time in a long time he was all choked up.

Soon he gets a little better with talking to Y/N though, he gets Evie checkups regularly and they offer surfaces like brushing Evie’s teeth and small spa like things he likes to treat her to. The more often he sees Y/N the easier it is for him to have a conversation and that just makes him feel all new kinds of soft for the girl. She was funny and smart and kind -- she was really, really kind, and that made his heart full, especially when he saw her with Evie.

It’d taken about a month for him to get her number and he did it in the slyest way he could. After watching Y/N check somebody else and their cat in, he had felt sort of hopelessly jealous when she smiled at them and scratched the kitten beneath its chin with the pad of her finger, (it was so small, Harry could hold it in his palm), he’d strolled up with purpose. Asked her if she had any pets to which she pouted and shook her head, “My apartment doesn’t allow them, sadly, and it’s all I can afford right now to stay there.” She runs her thumb over Evie’s left ear, “But Miss. Evie here makes me feel better with her presence, though I do miss her an awful lot when I don’t see her.”

“If you want, I can send you pictures of her to tied you over for each visit?”

He’d planted the seed right then in there, biting the inside of his cheek hard, wondering if she would water it.

When a big grin lit up her face and she slid out her phone, Harry knew he’d done well.

Harry’s pretty sure he’s got a major crush on her but doesn’t know what to do about it. Sends her an outrageous amount of pictures of Evie (he tried being frugal at first but Y/N kept responding so happily to them and saying keep them coming so Harry kept them coming), and in return, she sends pictures of the animals that come into the vet’s office. They chatter about their days, Harry sends terrible jokes, Y/N laughs at them like they might be the funniest thing she’s ever heard, and when he sees her at the office it feels like they have this secret between one another. He really likes that.

So that’s why he has her number at least, and that’s why -- instead of calling the vet at 2AM -- Y/N gets a panicked call. His heart twists and guilt drips deep into his bones when he hears a scratchy, croaky, “Hello?” Because he’d definitely just woken her up, but he was cradling Evie in his lap with tears threatening his eyes.

“Y/N?” He begins, “I’m sorry -- I’m so sorry to wake you up, but my -- Evie. . .we were just playing and she started breathing really heavy and weird, and she’s been sneezing for the past few days and sniffling and now she’s asleep in my lap but she’s still breathing so loud. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

There was a shuffling on the other end and he half expects Y/N to tell him to fuck off and grow up before the dial rings dead, but instead he has a very careful voice saying, “Okay, s’okay Harry just calm down,” she responds, a small sniffle on the other end and he wonders for a moment if he’s just woken her up when she’s trying to sleep a cold off, “Are you in town? Come by my place and I’ll have a look at her, yeah? I think I know what’s going on, but just to make sure.”

Harry had never shoved his shoes on quicker, lying Evie in her basket of cloth (he warms one in the dryer to lay over her since it’s so cold outside), lies her in the passenger seat and just about guns it to the address Y/N had sent him. Absently does he wonder if she lives alone and if he’s about to find out whether or not his crush was in vain if some big, husky bloke walks out of her bedroom and asks where she’s gone but he tries to shake away the thought. Not only does it drop a small, sad pit in his stomach but there was much bigger problems at hand, one of which being he had to use every ounce of self-restraint not to pet Evie right now who sits up straight in the basket and is looking around the car with one of the pieces of cloth draped over her head.

He pulls up to a set of cute little brick flats, only one of which with the outdoor light flickered on and Y/N expressed that’s hers. Collected Evie in the basket and walked to the door, feeling jittery, nervous, and silly for calling her so late. However, his worries of annoying her or pissing her off or ruining any chances he might of had with her because he’s such a panicky person when it comes to this animal -- all diminish when she opens the door, clad in soft pajama shorts and a thin t-shirt, slippers nestled on her feet, “Come in, come in,” she urges them, stepping out of the way so Harry could duck into her home as it had just started sleeting the moment they’d arrived.

The bite of the cold against his nose eases up immensely as he steps into the sheer warmth of her flat, not only from the furnace, but from the appearance as well. It’s well lived in and home-y, paintings, and pictures lining the walls, string lights hung around the tops and a lamp clicked on a warm glow in the corner. Y/N leads them to the coffee table, where she’s set two mugs down and two couch pillows on the ground in front of them, “Set her by the table for me,” she knees down so she’s level with the basket, and its only then does Harry notice she has things strewn out on the couch. “Hi Evie,” she hums, reaching out to pet between her ears and Evie leans up into the touch, “Don’t you know s’mean to scare your Daddy?” She reaches for a stethoscope, plugging her ears and taking the end to Evie’s chest all while Harry stares on with widened eyes. He supposes she must be going to school for this, or maybe she’s just picked up a lot from working at the clinic. He’s not all too sure, but what he is sure of is that watching her so gentle with the kitten makes his heart bloat up in his chest.

It only takes her a few seconds before she’s nodding, turning to Harry with a soft smile, “She’s all good,” she tells him and Harry feels his shoulders sag in relief, “Poor little thing has a bit of a cold, but otherwise everything is fine. I’ve got a treat for her that should make her feel better -- Dr. Anthony lets me take home some packages of these ‘cos lots of my friends have animals.” Next, she reaches for the bag, taking two of the treats out and holding them out on her fingertips for Evie to take.

It’s safe to say, Harry feels like an absolute idiot for throwing a cold out of proportion, “I’m sorry about this,” he tells her sheepishly, after gnawing hard on his lip for a moment, “I woke you up and barged in all  because of a little cold?”

Y/N waves her hand at him, shaking her head, “S’fine, really. It’s always scary when they’re so small. When I had a cat, all he had to do was look a little weird and I was calling a 24-hour emergency vet number”

He laughs,  a smile painted on his mouth, and though he didn’t much want to leave he decides it wouldn’t be fair to keep her up any longer than he already had,“Well, thank you so much for this. I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Nonsense, Harry,” she stops him as he reaches out for Evie’s basket,  “It’s late, freezing and sleeting out there, you guys are spending the night. Too dangerous for a drive,” then she reaches around the basket, grabbing the mug, “I made you tea, yeah? Figured you would want something warm after a panic like that.”

Harry tries not to sound too giddy, because the thought of drinking warm tea with Y/N, sat here on her flat’s living room floor with Evie poking around curiously, talking to one another -- well, it fulfills all the weirdly sweet, innocent daydreams he’d been having when he thought of her, “Are you sure?” He asks her, and when she nods, grinning at him, he begins to slip out of his coat, “Thank you, Y/N, don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for this.”

“Repay me?” She shakes her head again, “Don’t worry about it. Getting to spend time with you and Evie is repayment enough.”

Harry didn’t think it was possible for his heart to grow any more than it had when he’d first met Evie and she’d slept against his throat.

Y/N is doing a damn good job of proving him wrong though.

[beomgyuslittleheart-blog]

Masuri Suri

Stage magician Taegyu au

Chapter 4: Don't Jinx Yourself

Taehyun slammed his apartment door shut and collapsed onto the couch. Snatching up a pillow and holding it tightly, he tried to ignore the frustration building in his chest. Who the hell does he think he is? he thought angrily. He tried to bite back tears, but he couldn’t keep in the small whimper that left his mouth.

“Tae are you okay?”

He screamed, instinctively throwing the pillow at where the voice had come from. Kai let out a yelp and ducked. Taehyun stared at him blankly. “How- how did you even get in here?” He asked in a hushed voice.

A smirk graced Kai’s lips as he held up a small key. “Remember a few months ago when you were sick and you begged me to bring you cherry ice cream because you thought it’d be your last meal on earth?”

Taehyun sighed but said nothing, wringing his hands in his lap. The couch dipped as Kai sat beside him, slotting an arm around his shoulder. “You’re really good at avoiding my questions, ya know.”

“Huh? Oh…yeah I’m, I’m okay.” He winced at how unconvincing his words were. Kai shook his head but held a smile, rubbing his hand along Taehyun’s arm softly. The kind gesture broke Taehyun and the tears he was holding came tumbling out. “I don’t know why I went or what I expected, but I wish I had never left my house.” His voice cracked. “He mocked me, made me feel like such a joke. I don’t know what I did to him, but I don’t deserve him making me look like a fool.“

“Tae, slow down. What happened, who hurt you, who am I fighting?” Kai asked, pulling the crying boy close to him.

“That stupid hack,” was all Taehyun could manage to get out.

“Ah…Beomgyu? What did he do?”

Taehyun sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “He wanted to meet at the bookstore, asked me to teach him that paper trick. I should’ve never done that stupid trick in the first place, I should’ve just walked right out of that venue and into the street and into oncoming traffic.”

Kai snorted, ruffling Taehyun’s hair. “I’m glad you didn’t, Tae,” he said softly.

He looked up at Kai’s gentle expression and offered him a weak smile in return. “I met him at the bookstore and I showed him how to do it, but he just kept saying stupid comments like,” Taehyun twisted his voice into a mocking tone, “‘Wow you’re so talented’ or ‘you must be good with your hands’.

Kai was silent for a moment, before speaking hesitantly, “Those sound like compliments to me…”

“Well, they weren’t!” Taehyun shouted, causing Kai to flinch. Lowering his voice, he kept going, “He was mocking me, Kai. He must’ve been pissed off that I was rude to him at his show and thought it’d be a great idea to drag me out in public and make me look like an idiot.” Leaning back into the sofa, he covered his face with his hands.

A soft buzz echoed in the silence. He slid his hands down to his chin, looking at his phone in fear, but saw Kai holding his own phone and typing rapidly with a goofy grin on his face. Taehyun continued, “He had me show him how to do the trick like six times, and I know he probably understood it even before I taught him, he just wanted me to explain such a basic dumb trick to prove how his magic is better than mine. It especially hurt when he kept looking at his phone instead of his best friend who was pouring his heart out to him.”

Kai hummed while nodding, not looking up. Tae hit him with a pillow. “Ouch! What was that for?” the boy demanded.

“For ignoring me.” Taehyun crossed his arms, frowning.

Kai put his phone on the coffee table and turned to face him. “I’m sorry. I’m here, I’m focused Tae.” His phone buzzed again and his eyes flicked to the screen impulsively.

“Seriously?” Taehyun grumbled. He shot Kai a dirty look as the boy reached for his phone again.

“I’m listening Tae, just let me put my phone on silent.” Taehyun could see his eyes darting back and forth as he read something on the screen. He rolled his eyes and stood up, walking towards the kitchen. “Don’t worry about it, I don’t feel like talking about that asshole anymore.”

Kai put his phone down and trailed his eyes after Taehyun before resting his head on the back of the couch and giving his best pout. The other didn’t bother to look at him, instead pulling two small cups from the cabinet and setting them beside the stove. “So what has you so excited that you’re glued to your phone?” he asked tentatively, flicking the burner on.

Kai couldn’t help the grin that bloomed on his face. He tilted his head and gave the ceiling a dreamy gaze. “He’s a who, not a what, and what he is, is an incredibly cuddly bunny.” He heard a laugh from the kitchen that was quickly smothered by the sound of the kettle whistling. After a minute, Taehyun walked into the living room and placed two steaming cups on the table. “What’d you make me?” Kai asked, waving his hand over his cup excitedly.

“Hot cocoa, do you even drink anything else?” Taehyun asked rhetorically. “So, let me get this straight. You’re texting a rabbit?”

Kai giggled and patted Taehyun on the tummy. “No silly! How could a bunny even type on a phone, they only have teeny wittle paws.” He held up his hands, pretending to have paws. Taehyun deeply considered why he was friends with this adult-shaped child. “He’s not a rabbit, he just looks like a rabbit, if rabbits looked like tall, adorably clumsy, super smart men.”

Taehyun made puking noises and Kai hit him playfully. “And how did you meet this bunny man?” he asked, blowing on his tea before gingerly taking a sip.

Kai blushed. The boy was practically vibrating with happiness. “His name is Soobin, he’s a specialty vet who visited our clinic last week. Tae, he’s so cute oh my gosh. He doesn’t work at a clinic like me, he travels to farms and stuff and he even said he might be able to get me into the off-limits areas at the zoo. You know what’s at the zoo, Tae? Penguins! He could take me to see penguins!” He sighed contently, drinking his cocoa with a hum. “He’s perfect.”

Taehyun put a smile on his face. “He sounds great, I’m happy for you Kai.” And he was, or at least he was trying to be. He wished he could have something, anything, resembling love, even puppy love like this. Kai was always trying to get him to open up to others, to let someone in, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had tried in the past, but every failed relationship had just left Taehyun more hollow inside. He hated being alone, but being vulnerable like that was too much of a risk. What if eventually there was nothing left of him but a broken shell? What if no one was genuinely capable of loving him? …Did he even deserve to be loved?

“…think he’d actually be interested in me, but he asked for my number before he left! You should’ve seen him, he’s so cute when he’s nervous! So I gave it to him and we’ve been messaging ever since. He said the last animal he worked with was a tiger, a tiger! Can you imagine? I bet that’s really scary, just like when your friend who just accused you of not listening isn’t listening to you either.” Kai gave Taehyun a sideways glance, catching the pensive look on the brunette’s face. He was about to snap his fingers to get the boys attention, but thought better of it at the last moment and instead he put his hand on Taehyun’s knee, drawing him out of his thoughts. “What if they really were compliments?”

Confusion swept over Taehyun’s face, quickly overtaken by disregard. “They weren’t,” he said firmly.

“Okay, okay, at least hear me out first, yeah? For all your observation skills, reading people isn’t really your strong suit.” Taehyun couldn’t disagree.. “I don’t know what makes you so sure he was mocking you, but I’m not convinced. There’s definitely a chance that he was being genuine.”

Taehyun felt his chest lurch again and a weight gather in his throat. “Are you saying that he was actually flirting with me?” he asked quietly, staring at the floor with unfocused eyes.

Kai nodded eagerly. “There’s a possibility, yeah.”

After a long moment Taehyun looked up with an unreadable expression. “Gross.”

+×+

“I…I think I fucked up, Jun.” Beomgyu sat at the kitchen table, head in his hands. He was burning a hole through the table with his eyes when a plate of food slid into his line of sight. He glanced up. Yeonjun was standing beside him, lips curled in a small smile. “Oh no, don’t you start pitying me, you know I hate when you do that, Jun…You can still make me depression waffles, though,” he said, picking up a fork and timidly picking at the warm dessert in front of him. He had even went through the trouble of adding strawberries and whipped cream.

Yeonjun dropped into the seat beside Beomgyu. “I mean daily, but what happened this time?”

He threw a napkin at the grey-haired boy, who dodged it easily. Groaning, he whispered, “I scared him off…”

“I’m sorry, who are we talking about?” Yeonjun asked, puzzled.

Beomgyu sat still for a moment, stabbing his waffle absentmindedly. “I met someone, at my show the other day. He’s a magician too, came to my signing after and did a cute trick for me where he pretended to crumple up my photo. Sure, it was a bit,” he paused, searching for the right word, “…vaguely threatening?…but I thought maybe he’s just coming on strong, ya know? So I gave him my number and I thought he was interested when he first messaged me, but he turned cold when I replied. I chalked it up to him being nervous, and asked him out. I said I wanted him to teach me that trick. He accepted, though now that I think about it, I don’t think he knew I meant it as a date…” He sighed, pushing his plate away from him. “Anyway, when we met I tried flirting with him, but he just kept brushing it off. I can’t take a fucking hint apparently and didn’t know how irritated he was until he got up and stormed out…”

Yeonjun nodded solemnly, sliding the waffle in front of him and grabbing Beomgyu’s fork. “Yeah, it sounds like you fucked up dude.”

Beomgyu rested his head on the back of his chair, looking at Yeonjun with a blank expression. “You’re always so supportive, Junie,” his voice was edged with playful sarcasm.

“It’s why you love me,” Yeonjun retorted with a smirk. He cut off a big piece of Beomgyu’s waffle and ate it, twirling the fork in his hand before pointing it at Beomgyu. “If I know anything about your sorry ass, and I do, it’s that you’re persistent. So quit moping and try talking to him again. Maybe try not to be as much of an obnoxious flirt this time and talk to him like a human being instead of a potential fling.”

“You make me sound so creepy!” Beomgyu complained, sticking his tongue out at him.

“Well, ya did freak the poor kid out,” he shot back.

“Shut up…” Beomgyu said weakly. He went silent for a minute, watching Yeonjun eat his waffle. “…what do I even say to him?”

Yeonjun finished chewing and said, “You’re a magician, why don’t you do a trick for him back?”

Beomgyu hummed in contemplation. “I’ll give it a shot, I guess. Probably can’t fuck up more than I already have.”

“Don’t jinx yourself.”

+×+

Taehyun’s mood improved significantly after spending the rest of the day with Kai. Sure, the boy had spent nearly the whole time gushing about Soobin, but he enjoyed playfully teasing him about his crush. Taehyun learned that Soobin was an animal behaviorist, and that his favorite colors were sky blue and yellow which Kai was determined to wear every day just in case the man showed up at his clinic again. He enjoyed seeing Kai so upbeat, his happiness was infectious. They had ordered take out and sat on the floor watching bad movies on tv until it had gotten dark out. By the end of the day, Taehyun was laughing easily.

Now that he was alone though, he felt the conflicted thoughts from earlier creeping back into his mind. He shook his head, desperately trying to escape the overwhelming feeling of anxiety. It occurred to him that meditation usually helped him concentrate and relax, so he pulled up some white noise on his phone and climbed into bed. Closing his eyes, he focused on each part of his body, willing it to release the tension it held.

He had been meditating for almost an hour, nearly falling asleep, when the audio from his phone cut out. That’s unusual, the file is like twelve hours long, he thought. Slowly, he brought himself back to awareness. When he opened his eyes, he saw moonlight pooling on his bedside table. What time even is it? He stretched a bit before grabbing his phone and turning on the screen. Once again, he was shocked by what he saw.

Hesitantly he clicked on the video, unaware that the pace of his breathing had quickened. He watched as Beomgyu’s hands moved into frame and picked up the paper. Slowly he crushed it and ‘smoothed’ it back out, exactly as Taehyun had taught him earlier. Only, he had added his own twist…

Taehyun could feel his hands trembling, his vision blurring with tears. What is he doing to me? He threw his phone across the bed, mind racing. Suddenly, he dove after it, pulling up Beomgyu’s message. He typed and erased and typed again. Every word came out wrong, he couldn’t figure out the right words to say. Nothing felt right, but he typed one last message and hit send. Out of fear he turned his phone off and closed his eyes, wishing for sleep he knew that would not come.

[bob-giovanni]

I’ll Cover You - Part 17

Characters: Simon X OFC

Summary: Emily gets news about her attempt to get her job back. Simon offers Emily another option.

Warnings: Fluff, Cursing, Angst, Smut

Notes: While there is condom free sex in this chapter I feel like I need to say that you should always be safe and wrap it up.

Emily had been spending almost everyday at Simon’s house. Simon definitely wasn’t complaining. It was nice having someone to come home to. He was a little worried about her. She was having trouble trying to get her job at the clinic back. She’d spent hours on the phone with a woman name Monica who was handling her case but it was going nowhere fast and it was really wearing down Emily’s spirit. Hopefully things would get better. Simon texted Emily when he was on his way home from the club. He decided to stop on his way and get Chinese food for dinner. When he got home, Emily was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. “Shit.” Simon thought to himself. He set the food down on the coffee table and sat down next Emily, rubbing her back soothingly. “What’s going on, babe?” He asked softly. Emily let out a deep sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. “It’s over.”

Simon furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?” Emily shook his head. “I just got off the phone with Monica. There’s nothing she can do. It’s my word against Dr. Bennett’s and there’s no security camera footage. The cameras conveniently weren’t working for a few hours the day I got fired so there’s no proof that I didn’t do anything wrong. Monica said even if she could get me my job back I’d have a target on my back. Dr. Bennett would look for any little fuck up to fire me again.” “Didn’t she interview your coworkers?” Emily nodded. “And they all vouched for me. Amanda even said that she knew that Dr. Bennett was reaching out to other clinics and telling them not to hire me. Which Monica did say she can get her to stop doing because it’s illegal. So at least I have a shot of getting a job at another clinic. But the closest clinic to here that’s hiring is almost an hour away.”

Simon sighed softly. “Listen. I know that this is a really shitty situation but why don’t we do this…let’s put this aside for right now. It’s Friday. Let’s take the weekend and just hang out just the two of us. Then starting on Monday apply for jobs. But take this time to relax and unwind, ok?” Emily smiled softly and nodded. “Ok.” Simon reached into the bag of food and pulled out a container, handing it to Emily. “Here. I got you your favorite.” Emily took the container and a pair of chopsticks before leaning over to kiss Simon’s cheek. “Thank you, baby.” She opened the container and leaned back against the couch as she ate. “So tell me about your day. Help me keep my mind off of things.” Simon nodded as he swallowed his first bite of food. “Alright.” He told Emily about his day as they ate. After they finished eating Simon got rid of their trash and sat back down with Emily so they could watch TV. After a few hours Emily yawned and stretched a bit. “Mm, are you sleepy?” Simon checked the time and nodded. “Yeah, actually I am.” They headed up to bed. Simon stripped down to his underwear. Emily stripped naked before pulling on a sleep shirt and climbing into bed. She cuddled up to Simon who wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “Do you have to work tomorrow?” She asked softly. “I have to go in for a couple of hours in the morning but then I’m all yours the rest of the day?” Emily grinned. “Mm, good.” She kissed Simon’s cheek. “Love you.” “Love you too. Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Around 8AM the next morning Simon awoke and slowly got out of bed, making sure not to wake Emily. He quietly got dressed before heading out to work. Luckily he finished up quicker than expected so he stopped on his way home to get himself and Emily breakfast. While he was driving home he thought about something one of his front of house managers said this morning. One of the waitresses who was out on maternity had said she decided not to come back. On top of that a couple of other waiters left for other jobs. They’d been making do with the waitresses that were left but the club was getting busier and busier and the wait staff was getting burnt out. Simon had to do something so he decided to have a job fair within the next couple of weeks. He was going to call all the managers together to organize it when he went back in on Monday. When he got home Emily was just waking up. Her hair was a mess and it made Simon laugh a little. He held up a bag from Chik-fil-a and Emily smiled sleepily. “Chicken biscuits?” Simon nodded and kicked his shoes off before climbing into bed so they could eat.

When Simon finished eating he turned to Emily. “So I had an idea I wanted to run by you.” Emily looked over at him “What’s up?” “Well we’ve been a little short staffed lately with a few of the wait staff leaving. I was planning on organizing a job fair with the managers. But is that something you’d be interested in doing?” Emily quirked an eyebrow. “What? Being a waitress?” Simon nodded. “I don’t know. I’ve never considered it before.” “It’d be a lot of hard and I can’t give you special treatment obviously. You’d be paid the same as everyone else and you’d have to work some crappy shifts. But I was thinking since you mentioned that you wanna go back to school so you can become a vet, maybe working an unconventional schedule would be better. Plus you’re attractive so I’m sure you’d clean up in tips.” Simon said with a smirk. Emily laughed softly. “Can I think about it?” “Yes, definitely. By no means am I telling you that you have to take it. I was just floating it out there as an option.” Emily smiled. “Well thank you for looking out for me.”

The weekend flew by pretty quickly which made Emily sad. She was having a really good time with Simon. They went to the park, saw a movie, had dinner at new Italian restaurant in town, and had romantic bubble bath. It was really a perfect weekend. Sunday night rolled around and they were laying naked in bed just staring up at the ceiling while they caught their breath. Emily placed her hand on Simon’s chest and pushed herself up a bit. “I wanna do it.” She said. Simon looked over at her. “Do what?” “Work at the club. I thought about it and you’re right. I wanna go back to school and finish getting my degree so I can become a vet. I was never gonna be able to do that working at the clinic. This could be really good for me.” Simon smiled and leaned over to kiss Emily softly. “That’s great. You’re not doing this to make me happy, right?” Emily shook her head. “No. I’m doing this for me.” “Wonderful. I have to leave here tomorrow around 9AM. Why don’t you come by the club around noon and I’ll help you fill out all the paperwork.” “Ok.” Emily kissed Simon before placing her head on his chest and quickly falling asleep.

The next morning Simon headed to the club. He grabbed Chris who was one of the managers and pulled him aside. “Hey so I just wanted to let you know that Emily is gonna take one of the waitressing positions. She’s coming in later to fill out the paperwork.” Chris nodded. “Ok. I thought she was working at an animal hospital?” Simon nodded. “She was. But she wants to go back to school and get her degree so she can become a vet herself. She couldn’t do that working the hours she worked there. It’ll be easier for her to go back to school while working here since it’s a little more flexible.” Chris nodded and smiled. “Alright, great. What’s her training schedule gonna be?” Simon shrugged. “You’re gonna be her manager so whatever you think is best.” Chris looked a bit confused. “Oh. I’m sorry. I just assumed that you would be, like, involved.” Simon shook his head. “She doesn’t want any special treatment and I don’t want to look like I’m giving her special treatment. So scheduling and all of that will be up to you just like it would be with anyone else.” Chris nodded. “Alright, sounds good.”

Simon headed back to his office to work on some things while he waited for Emily. A little before noon Emily entered the club. She smiled at the hostess before heading back to Simon’s office. She knocked on the door before gently pushing the door open. “Hey, handsome.” Simon smiled when he saw her standing there. He stood and walked around to Emily and leaned down to kiss her. “Hey, beautiful.” Simon went to a filing cabinet and pulled out some papers before motioning for Emily to sit at his desk. “Here. This is all the standard paperwork. Chris is gonna be your manager. He’s gonna set up your training schedule. He’ll probably have you start next Sunday since Sundays are our slowest day. It’ll be easier to train you. But it’s not rocket science. I’m sure you’ll pick up on everything pretty quickly.” Emily say down and started to fill out the paperwork in front of her. Simon opened his office door and called out for Chris. “Can you grab Emily some shirts and a couple of aprons?” “Sure thing, boss man.”

Just as Chris walked away, a young woman, probably around Emily’s age walked up to Simon. “Si, we need to talk. I can’t keep working these morning shifts. Do you know how many people sit at the bar before 2PM? Not many. I’m making like no tips. It isn’t fair!” Simon sighed softly. “Tony is your manager, Sheila, you need to talk to him.” “I did.” “What did he say?” “He said that I’m on probation still.” Simon nodded. “Well then there’s your answer.” “It’s not fair, Simon! It feels like I’m being punished.” Simon was clearly annoyed. He raised his voice a bit and spoke more forcefully. “Probation is a punishment, Sheila. You stole from the till. You’re lucky I didn’t fire your ass. Now quit complaining and get back to work or leave. Those are your options.” “This is bullshit.” The woman mumbled before walking off. Seeing Simon put his foot down was kind of a turn on for Emily. She’d never seen get worked up like that before. She bit her lip as she crossed her legs and continued filling out her paperwork.

Just as Simon was about to shut the door, Chris came back and handed him a few shirts and a couple of aprons for Emily. “Thanks, Chris.” He nodded and waved at Emily. “Hey, Emily.” She smiled and waved back. “Hey, Chris.” “Listen I’ll have your training schedule ready later this week. I’ll call you to let you know when your first day. is that ok?” Emily nodded. “That sounds great, thank you.” Chris turned and headed back out to the front. Simon shut the office door and Emily finished up her paperwork. Simon placed the stack of clothing on his desk and sighed. “I’m sorry you had to see that exchange with Sheila.” Emily shook her head and stood as she walked around the front of the desk. “Don’t be. Seeing you get all authoritative and shit was kinda sexy.” Simon smirked. “Authoritative and shit? Is that the technical term?” Emily laughed softly. “Yeah it is, asshole.” Simon laughed as he leaned down to kiss Emily. She kissed him deeply as she ran her hands down his chest and down over his crotch. Simon pulled back a bit. “What are you doing?” He said, sounding concerned. Emily walked over and locked Simon’s office door. “What? You’ve never had sex in here before?” She asked as she started to slowly unbutton Simon’s shirt.

Simon swallowed and licked his lips. “No I haven’t. And as much as I want to I don’t have any condoms in here.” Emily started to kiss along Simon’s chest. “I guess you better make sure you don’t cum inside me then.” Simon groaned and pushed Emily back against the wall and kissed her passionately as he ran his hands down her back and grabbed her ass, giving it a firm squeeze. Emily whimpered against Simon’s lips. As they deepened the kiss, Emily kicked off her shoes and quickly pushed her jeans down before starting to work on Simon’s pants. As soon as Simon’s pants and underwear were down, Emily started to stroke Simon’s member. He moaned softly as he pushed Emily’s panties down. “We have to be quiet.” He said softly. Emily nodded. “I know.” Simon leaned down and put his hands behind Emily’s knees before lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He pressed his member to entrance for a moment before slowly pushing into her. Emily’s eyes rolled back. Feeling Simon inside her without a condom on was such an incredible feeling. She bit her lip as she adjusted herself a bit and wrapped her arms around Simon’s neck.

After a moment Simon started to thrust slowly. This was the first time they were having sex without a condom and Simon had thought that sex with Emily couldn’t get any better until now. After taking things slow for a few moments Simon sped up his thrusts. This was a new position for Emily and it felt amazing. She was biting her lip hard to keep her moans to a minimum but it was hard. Both because it felt so good and because she usually very vocal in bed. Simon wasn’t helping things either. He pressed his lips to Emily’s ear. “Does that feel good, baby? You like having me cock deep inside your tight pussy?” He practically growled in her ear. Emily whimpered and nodded. “Fuck yeah. I love it, baby. I love it so much.” Simon started to thrust faster and harder. He could feel himself starting to get close. Emily had her face buried in Simon’s neck in an effort to quiet herself. Simon held Emily’s hips as he thrust even harder. “Fuck, I’m close…I’m gonna cum, baby.” He moaned before pulling out of Emily. She unhooked her legs and quickly dropped to her knees, taking the head of Simon’s cock in her mouth and stroking his member a few times before he came, thrusting his hips into her mouth a bit as he did. Simon panted as he looked down at Emily. She swallowed Simon’s load before making a show of licking her lips. Simon groaned softly.

She stood and leaned up to kiss Simon. “Your turn.” She said before sitting in his chair and spreading her legs, draping them over the arms of the chair. Simon immediately dropped to his knees and began flicking his tongue over Emily’s clit. She threaded her fingers through Simon’s hair and placed her free hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet. In no time Emily’s thighs were trembling. She’d been close already and Simon was so good at this, he knew exactly what she liked and how to get her over the edge quickly. Simon began to suck Emily’s clit and that was the last push she needed. She bit the palm of her hand as she arched her back and came. Simon looked up at her and smirked. “Damn, that was hot.” Emily panted softly and grinned. She sat up and leaned down to kiss Simon deeply. Simon stood and pulled his pants back on while Emily did the same. Once they were redressed Emily walked over to Simon and kissed him softly. “See you at home, boss.” She said with a grin. Simon smirked and shook his head. “You’re having too much fun with this already.” “I always have fun.” She winked before leaving the office. Simon sat at his desk and smirked. He was gonna think of Emily every time he sat in this chair and he was perfectly ok with that.

Tags: @faith-lynn9 @collette04 @simons-savior86 @simons-thirst-squad @negans-castle @atticusboo68 @this-is-kuma

[prorevenge]

You mess with my cat, I'll bury you.

Sit back, this ended up kinda long.

TL;DR: Shitty coworkers let my cat live in filth for a week while I'm out of town, I get one demoted and crush the others life into dust.

I like to think I'm a patient man. I'm hard to anger, my coworkers say they haven't seen me angry in the 2 years they've known me. I have firm boundaries and as long as you don't cross any of them I can let anything go.

One of my boundaries is don't fuck with my cat.

This story is about 2 of my coworkers and me, and happened the winter of 2013.

So I worked at a veterinary hospital as a vet tech/kennel attendant, and coworker 1 is a kennel attendant(KA) coworker 2 is the kennel lead(KL). KA is the one who comes in to take care of the animals, KL is in charge of overseeing everything boarding and kennel related. They both crossed that very simple boundary.

I went away over Christmas since I lived in another state from my family, and while I was out I left my cat to board at work(one of the perks is free boarding). I trusted my coworkers would take care of him even if it was a top 2 busiest weekend of the year.

So, I set up his cage the night before I leave. He's a shy boy so i set up a tent with very distinct blankets(one is bright green, the other has rocket ships). I kiss him bye, and am on my way. I enjoy Christmas with family, candy and fudge, and other things unrelated to the story, and come back 6 days after leaving.

It's late when i get back, so the hospital is already closed and everyone has gone home. We all have a key so I swing by because I miss my cat and want to take him home.

What I am greeted by when I get to him is those same blankets, the white rocket ships now slightly tan/yellow damp with urine, old desiccated pieces of shit and smears on the wall, and a very stressed cat that smelled like pee. We're talking 6 days worth of filth. All they did was put in more food and change the litter box as far as I could tell.

I saw red.

KA, the attendant, was scheduled to take care of the animals that holiday. KL, the lead, had been there 3 different days I was gone, including the last 2. Figuring out how to destroy these people became the only thing i thought about.

I'm scheduled to work the day after I get back, and KA is there. I don't look at her all day, as it's the only way I could contol my emotions. My blood is still boiling thinking about my boy who I'd had to bathe the night before(much to his chagrin). The sight of her makes that primal part of my brain reserved for beating the shit out of things starts to burn and makes my muscles tense.

(Now some important backstory here is that KA is kind of terrible at her job. We were kind of friends since she was the only one who wasn't shitty to me when I first started. Whenever I'd find something she messed up, I'd gripe to myself but I'd fix it. She did some write-upable shit on a regular basis. I never did anything because KL was already aware and working on her so I figured 'eh, none my bidness.')

I decided against violence and figured I'd let my manager handle it. At first, I just told him about the condition of my cat and kept the rest to myself. He agreed it was unacceptable and said he'd talk to her. She denied everything, said she'd changed my cats bedding every night, that he didn't get all of it in the litter box(unfortunately true, 12lb cat[not fat] aiming at a box made literally for kittens). Basically said I lied to my manager, to my managers face without batting an eye. I gave her the chance to own up to it because that would've come with punishment enough.

My manager told me what she said, and her blatant bullshittery poked the dragon that was already awake and pissed. I told him she's fucking lying, I work in the kennel too and not to mention I know my cats shit well. He believes me, and I not so subtly point out that if she pulls this shit on an employee pet, what has she been doing with the lot of random boarders? Manager thought it was a good point, and asks me to keep an eye out for mistakes and let him know what I find.

The next day, I was in the kennel alone without her, and I began to document every single thing she did incorrectly. Remember me saying how crap she was at her job? She left me a treasure trove of shit to dig up.

To name a few of these nuggets, every single animals cage was filthy, like multi-day filthy like my cats was, two dogs had had their medications switched for the whole week, there were copious amounts of shit left in the yard(big no-no, spreads parasites and disease), and not even her documentation and charges were entered correctly. It was a trainwreck that took me the whole morning to get back to an acceptable condition.

There was material here to get her enough writeups to lose her job if she had been perfect before, and she had already been disciplined a couple times for other shit she pulled. I gather it all together and bring it to my manager, who is horrified and says he's setting up a meeting with me, KA and KL, and him to discuss it all. He encourages me to hold my temper and call them on their bullshit at the meeting. Until then I hadn't even considered KL's complicity in this bullshit, but I immediately realized there were 2 people on my wrong side. KL was not as horrid at his job as KA, he was old as hell in a demanding physical labor position. I figured what he'd got coming will be enough so I could aim everything I'd got at KA.

What's the human equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel? Because this girl had already dug herself such a hole it was incredible she hadn't been fired already. She didn't do her job, she was stealing clients from the clinic by offering to petsit for cheaper instead of offering boarding(explicitly against our contract, fireable). She had been leaving 30 minutes early leaving the shit condition I'd had to deal with. And I knew all of this.

The day of the meeting rolls around, and KA and KL are blissfully unaware when manager calls us into the office together. We all sit down and manager begins to explain what the meeting is about. He was a fucking boss and we prearranged to give KA one more chance to own up to my face and leave out the rest at first. He had asked me how far I wanted to take it, I told him I had a lot of dirt. Let's let KA dig a deeper hole first so I can use it all.

She denied it all, swore up and down she had taken care of my poor cat properly. I graciously gave her the benefit of the doubt, saying ok I believe you did clean like you say, but then how did you miss this dried up piece of shit? She said my cat must've been dehydrated. I say "oh, well you documented he'd been drinking well all week, why would he be dehydrated?" She says it might have been just from the last day. She wouldn't just admit it... So I give my manager the look, and he tells her "ok so you took care of the cat, what about all of this?" And he pulls out my stack of evidence I'd collected.

KA's face paled. KL had been silent up to this point and starts trying to apologize on KA's behalf, saying it was a busy week and things slip through the cracks. I called their shit, saying I had been able to handle as many animals as she had had to a higher degree of cleanliness than the 2 of them could accomplish, so busy was not a valid excuse.

We went over every single sin KA and KL had committed for the past 3 days, individually and in depth with discussion about each one before moving on. As we worked through the stack, manager wrote up KA for every single offence that warranted it. By the end of it she had 6 writeups(3 to get fired). She was sobbing, saying she couldn't afford her kids daycare if she didn't have that job. My manager very pointedly told her he had never seen someone with such terrible job performance in 30yrs, and if she were worried about her kids she would have done her job better.

KL was written up and removed from his lead position, and KA was given the option to quit before she was fired.

The end.

... hah! No it isn't. This is ProRevenge, not GirlOnlyLostHerJob. Oh no, there's so much more.

Remember how she had been stealing clients from the clinic? She had built up quite a large client base, and had told me some weeks before she was about to quit her job and petsit fulltime since she hates her job sooo much. Plus when she returned her key after quitting, she made sure I knew the crying was fake and she was planning to put in 2 weeks in the next couple days.

At the clinic, we still saw all of those same clients she had skimmed all the time, and plenty of them asked what happened to KA. Manager told everyone we should tell the truth, since we had a petsitter we referred to and KA was not it.

For the next few months, we saw so many faces twisted into expressions of disgust, contempt, betrayal, worry when we told them why KA was no longer there and why they should reconsider letting her watch their pets. Literally dozens of people. Anyone who has tried to petsit or do yardwork for a living before knows how hard it is to build that client base. KA had a decent one, which we absolutely destroyed.

After a while, she texted me saying I was a piece of shit who was destroying her and her kids life and she couldn't afford daycare anymore. She went from 2 or 3 petsitting gigs a week(about 300 dollars a week) to maybe 1 a month. I told her to fuck herself and blocked her number, and haven't heard anything since. Bitch.

Don't fuck with my cat.

Updates:

Edit for those saying I'm a shit human for letting this go as long as it did: KA and KL cleaned sometimes, just not enough for my standards. KA had only been there a few months and it was her first big girl job (yes, kidS at 20yrs old), and there's a small learning curve. I figured it'd be ok for a week and was poor as shit at the time so options were thin. Until that week, i was there constantly cleaning to my standards so didn't know how bad these 2 would really let it get. Protocol said lead is informed of performance issues before manager, and as i mention he was aware and KA had already been written up a couple times. I was done when i realized just how far they'd let it go so i went over KLs head right to manager because they clearly weren't handling the issues at all. Even if my cat wasn't affected, I would've done the same, he was just unfortunately there because i had to go out of town. In hindsight i wish I'd said something sooner, but workplaces have rules and i was young and tender, and didn't know it was that bad until then. But yes I'm a terrible person who abuses animals, gets people SWATted, I'm pompous and arrogant and only care when things personally affect me and my cat. You're right, reddit!

Edit 2: I'll take this opportunity to give some advice on how to pick a good kennel facility. Always, i mean ALWAYS, ask to take a tour before leaving your animal. Dont schedule an appointment, ask to go back randomly. If they try to say no, say you dont feel comfortable leaving your pet without an idea of where they're staying. If they still wont, and even a manager denies a tour, take your business elsewhere as they probably have something to hide.

If you do get a tour, here are some things to look out for. Check water bowls for grime and dirt. Some pets are messy, but if a good number are dirty, it's a big red flag.

If the kennel smells strongly of some kind of air freshener, be wary and look around for messes. A good kennel attendant will smell pee and clean and replace things until they get rid of the smell; a bad one will spray some animal odor eliminator and cover it up.

Make sure everything looks organized, properly labeled, and has some kind of system to it. Cluttered storage and unclear labeling is where so many mistakes come from; make sure they take those little things seriously, or something big may slip through the cracks.

Finding a good clinic and good boarding facility can be difficult, but they do exist. And just like you wouldn't want you or your child going to a shitty doctor or daycare, I don't want anyone taking their pets to a shitty veterinary clinic!

(source) (story by Amesa)

[mando-chicken]

War Dogs | Clones and Their Cats

“Hardcase has come up with a flawless plan to get their brother a gift. Kix isn’t so certain that it’ll be a good idea. Jesse just wants to see what sort of chaos he can encourage Hardcase to create.”

A fic focusing on our boys in the 501st in the ‘Clones and Their Cats’ universe. The basis is literally just what it says on the tin - some of the clones have cats (and some other pets too) - all these fics will largely focus on the clones and their animal companions. Not all chapters/works are in chronological order, this one is set just after the Citadel.

Other works in the series:

Cat Sitter

Tiny Spots

Read on AO3

Tag List:

@cxptain-rex​ @spaghetti-666​

“I still think this is a terrible idea.” Kix was doing his best to soothe the headache that was already threatening to rear its ugly head by massaging his temples, but the very thought of what Hardcase was suggesting was utter madness and would undoubtedly end in nothing but more stress for the already overtired medic. The fact that Jesse was actually agreeing with Hardcase’s mad scheme certainly wasn’t helping either.  

 Hardcase simply chuckled at his brother’s plight, grinning from ear to ear like his plan couldn’t possibly backfire and get all three of them into some serious trouble. “Ah c’mon Kix, you said it yourself, the poor guy is barely eating, won’t speak to anyone, and only sleeps when he drops from exhaustion,” the heavy gunner reminded him, his smile faltering slightly for the briefest of moments, “if he won’t let any of us in to help then maybe this little fella can help where we can’t.”  

 “Y’know, ‘Case does have a point. It’d take his mind off what happened for a little while at the very least, and you were the one to bring up the topic.” Jesse simply placed a hand on Kix’s shoulder, offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile, before leaning back into the waiting room chair.  

 Kix merely subjected his brother to a harsh stare, crossing his arms with a huff, “all I said was that animals were good for lowering stress, I never said that we should up and get one on a whim.” He was glad that the vet clinic was otherwise unoccupied – they'd thankfully chosen a quiet day when there were neither clients nor vode coming and going – he only pitied the receptionist who had been subjected to almost an hour of their back and forth arguments. Before he could continue to counter his brothers’ madness, the door to the adoption section of the clinic slid open, one of the resident veterinarians stepping through accompanied by a medium sized crate.  

 Hardcase leapt to his feet, energy radiating off him as he beamed up at the vet, “Is it all done? Is he ours?” 

 Dalthic simply laughed good-naturedly at his enthusiasm, holding out the crate for him, “He’s officially been registered to you,” she confirmed as the clone gingerly took the crate from her arms, “I know you said he was a gift for one of your brothers, and he doesn’t have a name yet, so feel free to drop in again soon and I’ll update his details for you.” 

 Hardcase seemed just about ready to run for the door and sprint back to the barracks, but Kix managed to keep a hold of him long enough for Jesse to confirm a few last questions. “You did it discreetly, yeah?” he asked, unable to stop his brow from crinkling slightly.  

 The doctor nodded, her expression becoming serious, “Of course, I’m well aware of the potential risks you’ll face if the GAR find out that he belongs to you, I’ve taken care of the details so that nothing can reveal that he is registered to clones, it just shows up like any other patient file.” She waited until they all breathed a collective sigh of relief before continuing, “however, we’ve only been able to adopt out Tookas to you boys since they can easily be hidden; this guy will not be quite so easy to hide, so if you do have any dramas feel free to bring him back and I’ll see if we can arrange something else.” 

 Kix knew that Dalthic was a friend to clones, he’d heard plenty of stories of her helping brothers adopt pets under the table, and she’d even helped Denal to adopt Torrent, the sweet kitten in the barracks next door to theirs, but it was reassuring to have her confirm it in person. “That’s great to hear, we’ll make sure he’s taken care of, ma’am.” 

 Apparently, that was as much talk as Hardcase could stomach, eager to get back with the newest member of their squad as he already began walking towards the door, “thanks again, Doc!” he shouted back, his signature grin firmly back in its rightful place.  She offered him a brief wave and then he was gone, already out into the bustling streets of Coruscant. Jesse tried to offer an apologetic smile on behalf of their rather excited brother, but the vet simply waved him off with a genuine smile of her own. “I’ll see you boys later,” she hummed, offering Kix and Jesse a nod in farewell.  

 The two brothers were quick to go after Hardcase, managing to weave their way through the lunchtime crowds with little difficulty. They caught up with him soon enough, and from there it was only a short walk back to base. With it being noon, most of their brothers were already in the mess, so there wasn’t anyone to stop them or to question the strange crate one of them was carrying through the barracks and soon enough they reached their destination.  

 It had been almost two weeks since the Citadel and Fives was not doing well. He had survived and managed to escape, yet it felt as though his very heart and soul had been abandoned on the platform alongside his missing batcher.  

 He hadn’t cried. There’d been no time for him to actually let down his guard enough to process what had happened until they had been safely whisked from the planet’s surface, and then he’d been swarmed by brothers trying to offer their support. They wanted to do right by him, to keep him surrounded by caring people at all times, yet he’d never found himself feeling lonelier. In truth he wasn’t sure he even wanted to stop feeling lonely. 

 The numbness was better than the agony that twisted through his chest every time he so much as glanced at Echo’s empty bunk. It was better than having his emotions raw and spilling over the threshold where the Captain and the rest of his vode could see it. It was better than accepting that his brother was no longer by his side where he’d promised to always be.  

 He was tempted to ignore the knocking someone was doing on the outside of the barracks. All of the other brothers were either training or in the mess hall, so whoever was knocking was obviously looking for him. Knowing that they’d likely just try and track him down later, Fives shouted for whoever was seeking access to enter, not bothering to glance up from the datapad he was looking over – and by looking over he meant staring mindlessly at the display while he allowed his thoughts to run rampant – he was, however, snapped from his trance when he heard something heavy being placed on the floor.  

 Rolling over onto his side, Fives regarded the three brothers who’d entered the barracks, taking note of their rather sheepish expressions. Hardcase was clearly anxious or excited about something, Jesse kept glancing between the aforementioned brother and Fives, and Kix looked as though he was half a second away from snapping at the other two troopers, or perhaps slapping them both upside the head.  

 “Well, are you going to tell him or not?” Kix crossed his arms over his chest, assuming his ‘irritated medic’ stance, which was usually enough to send most men running for the hills, “you geniuses came up with it, I’m not going to be dragged into it with you.”  

 Fives simply rose a questioning eyebrow while Jesse spluttered out an indignant sound, “Excuse me? This was Hardcase’s idea, I just encouraged him.”  

 Kix looked just about ready to argue the statement, but Fives was able to stop him from going any further by raising a hand. He’d already pulled himself up into a sitting position, allowing his legs to dangle freely from the edge of his bed as he frowned up at the three brothers gathered before him, “what do you guys need to tell me?” Hardcase was grinning and Fives was briefly worried by what sort of mania his brother had in store.  

 “Well, I saw something the other day and we-” Kix shot Hardcase a foul look, “I, thought you’d like to have it.” he finished, fingers itching to get on with it. When Fives didn’t say anything further, he continued, “but you need to, uh, close your eyes.” 

 Fives’ frown only deepened, he really wasn’t in the mood for any surprises – he was tired and just wanted to be left to himself – but he knew better than to try and argue with a brother as stubborn as Hardcase once he’d set his mind on something, and closed his eyes, albeit with a slightly defeated sigh. He heard the sound of the crate being opened, followed by something scrabbling against the smooth floor for purchase.  

 “Okay, okay, hold out your hands,” he could hear the energy in the other clone’s voice, followed slightly by a poorly concealed chuckle, probably from Jesse.  

 He held out his hands as instructed, suddenly wishing he’d been wearing his gloves, just in case. But to his surprise, what his hands met was warm and soft, and Fives suddenly jerked, eyes snapping open when he felt the thing move. “What the kriff–” looking up at him, whole body squirming with uncontained energy and excitement, was a small Ring Dog, and not just any dog, but a puppy. It was wriggling about, its rear end swaying from side to side from where Fives held it, dangling in mid-air as its tail wagged at about a mile a minute.  

 “Hardcase, where the hell did you find a puppy?” the ARC trooper near enough choked out, still reeling at the thought that his brothers had somehow not only managed to find a dog, but somehow also sneak it into the barracks. At his words the puppy made a soft bark, only growing more excited when Fives looked away from the other trooper and back at it again.  

 Hardcase himself looked to be absolutely beaming yet again, pleased that Fives had asked, “well, you see, I was out with Jesse and Kix the other day at Seventy Nine’s and we overheard one of the Guards talking about his pet Tooka, and that reminded me of Denal and how he has Torrent, and how happy she makes him, and then Kix mentioned something about pets helping to lower blood pressure, and then—”  

 “We adopted him from the vet clinic a little ways down from the Guard base.” Jesse suddenly said, cutting off whatever lengthy rambling Hardcase was about to spiral into, much to the aforementioned clone’s disappointment if his expression was any indicator. Fortunately, Jesse didn’t seem to be too worried by the glare being pointedly levelled at him.  

 “Yeah!” Hardcase quickly continued, “we thought that maybe ya could do with some company.” The longer Fives actually stared at Hardcase, the more he could see that, while excited, the trooper was rather nervous, his fingers twitching restlessly at his sides. Clearly, he was worried about what Fives would think of their ‘gift’, but before he could speak up Jesse once again chimed in.  

 “But hey, we’ve already disturbed you enough, we’ll just leave you to it.” Neither Kix nor Hardcase were able to argue, for Jesse grabbed both of their arms and began hastily dragging them out of the room.  

 Fives blanched for a moment, looking between his retreating brothers and the puppy still swaying in his hold, “wait, ‘Case, Jesse, what am I supposed to do with this thi—” he was cut off by the door to his quarters being abruptly closed as the other three clones made their escape. Still slightly stunned, it took him a moment to finally come back to his senses, gently placing the puppy down on the floor. Immediately it began to sniff at his feet and legs, occasionally making a pleased huffing noise, before looking back up at the ARC trooper with its big brown eyes.  

 The puppy just about reached Fives’ knees when stood, covered in a thin, oak-coloured fur, with several rings of chocolate brown wrapping around its legs and tail. A small blue collar hung around its neck, and Fives was quick to reach out and inspect it, turning it around in his hands to try and find if it had a name on its tag.  

 Finding no tag he was forced to assume that the dog had yet to be given a name. He recalled that Jesse and Hardcase had called it a ‘he’, and with a quick glance underneath the happy pup, he could confirm that it was indeed a male. He still had no idea if he’d be keeping the animal – clones weren’t exactly the sort of people who could keep pets – but he couldn’t just leave the poor thing nameless, regardless of whether he would be keeping it or not. He would have to speak to Echo, he had always been better at picking names than— 

 His face fell as a quiet voice inside reminded him that no, he wouldn’t be receiving any help from Echo. Not now, and not ever again.  

 With a sigh Fives dropped back onto his bunk, staring up at the bunk above as his thoughts quickly began to sink their talons into his mind, dragging him down into the deep abyss. He had no one to help him, Echo wasn’t there to grab his hand and pull him from drowning in the pitch-black waters of his inner thoughts. But someone else was.  

 Fives was jerked from his trance-like state by a cold nose nudging at his hand, followed briefly by several slobbery licks to his fingers when he still didn’t respond. He looked down to the puppy, meeting its eyes and watching as its expression exploded into joy the moment he did so, tail already back to wagging at its ridiculous speed.  

 “What can I do for you, dog?” he asked quietly, moving to run his fingers over the puppy’s head. The dog simply offered him a bark, attempting to lick his hand the moment he stopped his petting motions. “Why don’t you come up here?” Fives asked, patting at the top of the mattress to try and encourage it to join him. The moment he stopped the Ring Dog did just as he was asked, springing from the floor and landing on the bunk beside the clone, already shoving his head under Fives’ arms and trying to reach the ARC’s face to give him a good licking.  

 Fives wasn’t able to stop the laugh that suddenly escaped him, trying in vain to try and swat away the determined pup and save his face from slobber. A single lick to his chin was the closest the dog got, but he seemed to be satisfied with his efforts, plopping down on Fives’ chest and huffing in his face. “Stars, your breath stinks, dog,” he groaned, scrunching up his nose and trying to turn away. The dog merely wagged his tail again.  

 “You think that’s funny?” The dog simply wagged his tail faster. He had only a moment to brace himself before the puppy launched at him again, this time trying to lick at Fives’ ears. And for a long, blissful moment, the mourning ARC trooper is rendered a laughing, happy child.  

 The next morning, Rex is more than relieved to see Fives wandering around the base. He’s still not interacting with his brothers as much as usual, still a little withdrawn from his surrounds, but he’s not completely closed himself off, and for that, the Captain is willing to overlook the small puppy following around at Fives’ heels. If continuing to pretend he is completely oblivious to the animals ‘stealthily’ being acquired by members of the 501st means that his men have the chance to actually heal and have some sort of joy in their depressing lives, then it’s something he would happily do a thousand times over.