#but THANK YOU i hadnt heard of this at all

[duskerot]

Metastream can do a LOT of different sites! YouTube, netflix, and crunchyroll for sure, I forget what else. Oh I know it works with twitch so you can have your own special twitch chat to watch an event with friends, and it even works with twitch clips! Lately it's had trouble with Firefox for me, but it could just be my browser acting funky.

ohhhhh thank you thank you !!! ill have to check it out!

[thanatika]

yeah i agree with your point about survival mechanics and i feel the same way about the lack of combat mechanics. "why would an educated city doctor need a weapon" because shit is hitting the fan in every way impossible and pretty much everyone is walking around armed... also why am i supposed to believe the the fact that he's a man of intellect will somehow provide him with food? i don't think anyone is going to be too eager to share food during an outbreak intellectual or not...

+ follow up for the previous ask but actually my favorite quest from the original pathologic is the day 11 bachelor quest that involves shooting down soldiers. i think it really drives the point home about how this random fuckass guy who is supposed to be battling a plague doesn't even have the time to do that anymore because the people in charge are asking completely irrelevant things of him now and he's at a position where he cannot refuse what is being asked of him. like i think it was good storytelling that even as the guy who lowkey wants to deal with the plague and solve its mystery you still have other, more pressing, less interesting and or pleasant tasks to complete

i agree! honestly, i feel this way about the combat mechanics even more than i do about the physical survival (food, health, illness, sleep) mechanics. because sure, i can see how it makes sense for daniil's position of authority to mean that his basic needs are somewhat provided for -- although i don't think it makes more sense than what we got in the original game. i've never seen anyone bring up "isn't it kind of unrealistic that the bachelor isn't given lots of food during a massive food shortage?" as a plothole that needed to be resolved. the townspeople generally don't like him much, and most of the people with power don't either, except for the kains. sure, maybe it's kind of weird that you can go see the kains while broke and on the verge of keeling over from hunger, and they won't do anything to help you, but... the kains are pretty self-centered, and they're so goddamn weird that maybe they forget that you need to eat food to live anyway. and it's half-implied that the powers that be are ultimately giving daniil this role as a convenient way to kill him, so it makes sense that they would put no pressure on the town authorities to keep him alive.

(and honestly, artemy is taken under the olgimsky's auspices as much as the kains take daniil's under theirs! which is to say, selfishly, with ulterior motives that are more important to them than the well-being of their healer, but... the olgimskys are set up as the wealthiest of the 3 families financially, as well as the ones with the most access to food, given their control over the meat industry. so if anything it's "weirder" that artemy isn't more materially provided for, though to be clear i don't think there's an actual plothole there either way.)

but anyway, you could handwave it and say that daniil's position of privilege and authority gives him more perks than he got in the original game, but the amount of fighting you have to do to get through town is... kind of an unavoidable physical reality? like you're given so many sidequests that you often wind up walking around town after dark, and that's when the bandits come out. is the idea that the bandits would be too scared to attack him because he's so important? because that doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and even pathologic 2 establishes that he's seen as a valuable target by the bandits:

and then there's the quests where combat plays a more direct role in the story itself, like getting involved in saving andrey from the firing squad, or killing guards to break artemy out of prison, or the quest where you have to kill var in attempt to stop the arsonists (which i include on the same tier as the other ones because i really like the quest journal entry he has if you complete it where he blames himself for willow's death. it's a good character moment.)

hell, even in pathologic 2 itself, one of the biggest Bachelor Moments is on day 11, when you have that big dramatic convo with him after he killed a soldier for the papers he was delivering. plus one of bad grief's idle dialogues in patho 2 is commentary on the bachelor being "quick on the draw" and that he "already shot someone". like he just straight up is not living a combat-free existence. and overall, combat isn't just a good tool from a mechanical perspective, heightening the stakes and placing pressure on the player (though it is), it's also pretty important for him on a thematic level imo, almost as important as artemy and his "rivers of blood". in patho classic, daniil has this early interaction with the inquisitor:

which, thinking about it from a doylist perspective, was probably the writers' attempt to make it sound more plausible that this random medical researcher from the big city was competent with multiple types of guns. and i appreciate them coming up with that hint of backstory to cover their bases a bit, but with those bases covered, i think the fact that daniil ultimately spends more time shooting people than he does prescribing medicines for them actually does a lot for him thematically? i mean, if his whole thing is that he's this "tempted destroyer", someone who frames his career as a combative battle with death rather than a quest to save people's lives, whose "default" solution is to raze the town with artillery because he's too limited by his rationalist worldview and military upbringing (and bitterness over being manipulated and sabotaged) to come up with a solution that saves the any remaining infected survivors on his own. plus the way that clara frames artemy and daniil as two sides of the same coin in being violent destroyers and killers, who without player intervention will immediately devolve to running around chasing each other down in what's either an insanely dedicated tom and jerry LARP or some really elaborate foreplay. imo, that whole dichotomy (which is pretty core to the game, as the idea of dichotomies are core to it in general) works so much better with the way they're both presented in classic, stalking around with gun/scalpel in hand. hell, not to mention the effect that spending 12 in-game days trying not to starve and getting killed by bandits or guards or worms or soldiers every day would have on the player, and the way it would make them feel about the town and their natural projection of those feelings onto dankovsky, who is a perfectly fitting vessel for them as the avatar actually undergoing those virtual experiences.

ultimately i think they are mainly going this direction out of a desire to do something more creative and original, which is fine... it just seems a bit silly to me that they keep saying "well obviously that doesn't really work for the bachelor's scenario", when, well... even as recently as patho 2 in 2019, they seemed to think it fit his narrative pretty well! i'm also guessing that a lack of combat won't be that bandits are just no longer roaming the streets at night. it sounds more like pathologic 3 is set to be more of a nonlinear experience, where you'll probably fast travel from place to place instead of having to walk across town so much? so you'll be avoiding bandits just in the sense that the gameplay will be avoiding them. i guess i'm hoping that at the very least, there's still the implication of the crunch of not getting enough sleep or food and the threat of being stabbed to death while trying to get through town occurring to dankovsky in the background, even if those mechanics are deemphasized in favor of more macro-level town resource management, time control, and sherlock holmes fruit ninja or whatever the hell they were on about back in 2022 lmao.

[feline-evil]

Every algorithm online thinks i'm a 15 year old lesbian, except for spotify which thinks i am someone who listens to nothing but songs who's lyrics are 90% jizz and spunk

[hannieehaee]

Please i just want to read a smut about having a rough sex with hoshi because he's jealous when he heard his gf got confessed by her male friend. 👉👈 (It would be nice if he won't stop even if you cry in pain, saying that it's a punishment) (Just skip this if you're uncomfortable..)

18+ / mdi

content: jealous!soonyoung, smut, established relationship, he acts a little toxic but not that much, rough sex but completely consensual, afab reader, penetrative sex, etc.

wc: 1807

a/n: thank u for the request!!

masterlist

"babe, can i borrow your phone? i left mine in my gym bag and i'm too lazy to go get it," soonyoung mumbled as he laid down on your lap, hair being played with and thoroughly comfortable.

"yeah, here," you handed it to him without much thought.

neither of you had a tendency to go through each other's phones, but you had exchanged passwords and were very casual about picking up the other's phones whenever you felt like it. there was too much trust between you to really overthink these things. which wad why you had no issue giving him your phone while he didn't have his own at hand.

soonyoung laid there for a while, perusing instagram and other social medias while you read an ebook, holding it with one hand while playing with his hair with the other. you didn't pay much mind to him while you entertained yourself with your story, and the same could be said about him.

the calm silence accompanied by some show playing in the background was interrupted mere minutes later by a characteristically loud gasp from soonyoung.

"babe, who the hell is this loser?", he asked, rushing to sit up beside you and showing you your phone.

"hm? who?" you barely looked up from your book as he pressed to your side.

"some loser. cooper," he huffed.

on screen was a conversation he'd seemingly pulled up, with the name 'cooper coworker' displayed at the top. it took a few seconds for it to dawn on you what you were looking at.

"oh. that's just my coworker. why? what'd he say?", you didn't care too much about the conversation, but you were slightly curious as to why soonyoung had pulled it up. it wasn't really like him to check your messages.

"the notification just popped up so i went on it, sorry," he was sheepish about it before fully handing you the phone, letting you take a look at the conversation in question, "but, uh, what does he mean by this?"

there were a few prior messages to the newer ones, which were all from different time stamps and very tame in nature, usually just being shift trades or confirmations about work projects. the final few were the ones soonyoung had accidentally intercepted before you could check.

from: cooper coworker

hey can we talk about what happened the other day?

the first one was tame enough, suddenly reminding you of what'd happened a few weeks back, but the poor boy practically vibrating next to you made you opt to keep reading before clarifying the situation to him.

from: cooper coworker

i just wanted to see if you'd reconsider. i'd really like to take you out

i felt like you were just dismissing me with the whole boyfriend thing. i asked belinda and she said she's never seen you with any guy

anyways my offer for dinner's still up if you wanna

it amused you for the most part. the original interaction had been so tame and forgettable you'd completely disregarded the whole thing as soon as it happened.

cooper wasnt someone you saw on a daily basis, so his name hadnt registered when soonyoung had told you who the message was from. when he came up to you to ask if you'd like to have dinner, you were slightly surprised, not entirely sure of who he was. the easiest thing to say in response was that you had a boyfriend and werent interested (which was very much the truth). he had simply nodded in response and mostly taken it like a champ.

you wish you could say that his insistence surprised you, but it was a classic guy move. to act nonchalant at rejection only to come back ten times as insistent as before.

the situation made you wanna roll your eyes and just block him, but you guessed that maybe soonyoung would want an explanation sometime soon before his entire body combusted. the sight was cute, at least.

you sighed, "it's just some guy from work who asked me out, soonie. nothing too important."

that wasn't enough for him.

he whined, nudging your knee as he put the phone down, "what does he mean by 'the whole boyfriend thing'? what, do you work with this loser? who does he think he is? i'm your lockscreen, what the fuck is wrong with him? should i go talk to him? i'll do it, babe, just-"

"soonyoung! it's fine. i'll block him if it makes you feel better. i never talk to him anyways. everyone else at work knows i have a boyfriend. it's just some stupid guy. no threat whatsoever," you reassured him.

that seemed to calm him down momentarily. his breath evened and his rambling halted. he remained quiet for a few seconds before speaking up again.

"that's not good enough."

"what?"

suddenly he got up, grabbing your phone in one hand and your arm with the other and leading you out of the living room. within moments you were in your room, being pushed towards your bed and losing your balance and falling onto it.

"soonyoung, what the fuck-"

throwing your phone onto the bed, he approached you, telling you to keep facing forward as he pushed you further onto the bed. undoing his sweats as he approached you. his tone had been cold and entirely void of emotion, causing your brain to go numb and follow along with his instruction. you'd been too distracted by the removal of your own sweats to hear his following instruction, causing him to harshly pull you against him to get your attention before repeating himself.

"w-what?"

"i said, text him. tell him you're not interested and block him."

that was easy enough.

you reached over to the phone he'd thrown onto the bed and opened it back up, searching for the conversation in order to draft up a message.

but before you were even able to start, a huge distraction entered you.

immediately upon penetrating you, soonyoung went at it like crazy. it was like he had zero concern for anything other than fucking his entire essence into you.

you screamed out at the sudden intrusion and continued to gasp and mewl at the consequent thrusts into your hole. your hands shook as you gripped onto the phone, elbows hurting from putting your weight on them in order to hold onto the phone.

but soonyoung didnt care. no, on the contrary, any time you'd scream out his name, he'd go even harder, fingers surely bruising your hips due to how harshly he held onto you.

"i don't see you texting him, baby," he huffed in between thrusts, "need me to dictate it to you? brain too cockdrunk to think?"

he was mocking you, but he was right. you were usually nicely moist for him, but the moment he threw you onto the bed, it was like your mind was taken over by a docile and horny version of yourself, making you lose any ability to think for yourself by every passing moment.

unable to respond properly, you nodded, moving to try and type whatever he'd tell you to type.

"tell him to never contact you again, or else your boyfriend might get mad, okay, baby? tell him, fuck, tell him you already have the perfect guy taking care of you every night," he groaned in between thrusts, huffing and puffing at how tight you'd get for him.

you typed up the message to the best of your ability, surely getting a ton of typos in the process but not caring enough to correct them. this guy was nothing compared to soonyoung, especially not in this moment. the message in itself was slightly embarrassing to share with some random coworker, but your brain wasn't working properly at the moment.

hitting send, you thought that'd be the end of it. that now you'd be able to enjoy soonyoung's cock in peace. except that bastard replied immediately, and soonyoung managed to catch it from behind you.

suddenly, he started hammering even harder into you, genuine anger filling his veins at the response you'd received.

from: cooper coworker

lol that sounds kinda toxic. u deserve better than that guy

"'toxic'? did he just call me toxic?," he gaped between gasped breaths, "block him," he demanded, "block that fucking dumbass, i- fuck, i'm gonna-"

that's when he started going as hard as humanly possible, still letting out expletives against the coworker you'd forgotten about the moment you'd gone back home that day to your soonyoung. it hurt, but it hurt so good. it was the most pleasurable pain you'd ever felt. surely it'd lead to traces of pain after the fact, but it all felt worth it as soonyoung hammered into you with all strength available in his body.

"h-hurts, soonie, it's too much ..." you managed to sigh out, arms giving out under you and head pressing onto the mattress.

the comforter under you quickly became damp with a mixture if tears and drool, but you were too brain dead to process it.

"no, baby, this ... this, fucking shit, is to show you that you're mine. that no idiot guy can even think of, shit, fuck, of looking your way," he practically growled.

his labored breath accompanied by his broken sentences told you all you needed to know. you were about to be filled up by his load and there was nothing you wanted more. you'd never been claimed by someone in such a way and the euphoria that came with it was addictive.

with more curses and filthy expletives, soonyoung filled you up. his warmth inside you led to your own orgasm, making you completely fall onto the bed the moment he pulled out and took away his hold on you.

you didn't have any time to whine at the loss before he reappeared and began hastily cleaning you up, laying you on your back so he could kiss your cheek as he wiped at the drool and tears drying on your face.

when you opened your eyes, you found a completely different image of the soonyoung who had just defiled you to hell and back. staring back at you wad a hamster-faced cutie with some sort of worry in his eyes. his smile was sheepish and his movements way softer than usual. you couldn't left a giggle leaving your lips, which in turn caused him to relax and chuckle back.

"uh, sorry about that. just- uh, i got mad, i think ... at him! not at you! you're perfect," he rambled on in usual soonyoung fashion.

he was the cutest thing ever.

"it's okay, soonie. i'm not mad. feel free to do that again any time you want," you sat up to give him a kiss, earning a happy hum from him.

"oh, ah, yes. noted."

[kuchikki]

" this leaves an empty spot in my schedule "

pairing : byakuya kuchiki x afab!reader

tags : mdni , SMUT. , a little fluff if you squint , not proofread

a/n : lowkey i made this half-asleep so i mightve rushed it but i cant tell. BUT MY FIRST FIC PUBLISHED!!! i also dont write smut so this might be bad idk i feel like i rushed it

w/c : 1.4k

you were on your way back to the kuchiki mansion drenched in sweat after spending a few hours sparring with captain hirako, you made your steps quick and silently. as you found yourself in byakuya and your shared room, a servant slid open the door and shared a bit of alarming news

"mrs kuchiki, there will be guests arriving in 30 minutes." when you heard the news your eyes grew wide, you had no idea guests were coming over today. yet you kept your composure. you knew you had to clean up and make it quick.

"alright then, you may leave. thank you." you said to the servant as she closed the door and you quickly grabbed your kimono & undergarments then made your way to the bathhouse.

surprisingly, you made quick timing. took you about 23 minutes to wash off all your sweat and continue your after shower routine of washing your face and moisturizing your body.

you quickly walked over to you and byakuyas shared room yet again to drop off your shihakushō and greet your unexpected guests. but alas, when you open the sliding door you find byakuya taking off his captains hayori and bringing his hair down. you found yourself walking into the room and your mouth opened to ask questions.

"byakuya, why are you taking your coat and hair down? dont we have guests?" he slowly turned to you and answered you.

"they decided to cancel, how inconsiderate. but i musnt complain too much; this leaves an empty spot in my schedule." you found yourself relaxing your muscles and finally having a moment to take a deep breath. byakuya was a busy man, you found yourself falling asleep before and waking up after him every night. you spoke to ask him another question

"so then, what will you do with this "empty spot" in your schedule. im assuming you expected this to take the rest of your afternoon." you pondered. byakuya looked at you lovingly, you hadnt seen him look at you like this in weeks. it made your knees weak. but you didnt have your hopes high for anything to happen.

right as you were about to look away from him he opened his mouth to reply again.

"well, i was thinking my wife might need some "quality time" with me. its been quite a while since we have spent time with each other." his hand found his way to your cheek to cup your face and he pressed a kiss to your lips, you exchanged it back with him. the kisses quickly became heated and passionate, his tongue pressing your lips asking for entrance into your mouth. you obliged and your mouth quickly opened, releasing a moan. you didnt know how long that was being held there or that there was even one there.

you pulled away first in need of air so in that quick moment byakuya reached over and locked the door so nobody could interrupt this moment.

you felt a wetness start to pool up inbetween your thighs and you felt a sudden need to be as close to byakuya as possible. you quickly wrapped your arms around his neck and brought your body as close as possible to him. you rapidly felt his growing erection and your face grew red, you both were probably thinking the same thing.

of course byakya couldnt look you, this is his dignity we are talking about here. you guys have done it a few times yet hes still embarrassed. when you grazed over his manhood he couldnt help but hiss a little from the friction. but of course, consent is needed before he must make any big move. he got close to your face and murmured into your ear.

"youre okay with what im about to do darling, right?" he warned. you looked at his face and nodded, but byakuya wasnt satisfied. so he opened his mouth again, a bit more demanding

"i need a verbal answer" you sighed but obliged. "of course." within seconds of the words spewing out your mouth he picked you up by the thighs and brought you to the bed and untied the ribbon to your floral kimono. you proceeded to make haste and take off the kimono, discarding it somewhere in the room.

byakuya looked at the baby blue lacy underwear with a matching bra set and its like his mouth watered. he teased at you, "oh, all this for me?".

you gave him an unamused look then smiled and kissed him again but mid-kiss you unexpectedly you felt pleasure run through your body and moaned as byakuya rubbed circles over your clothed clit.

you pull away from the kiss, a string of saliva still connecting you two. byakuya pushed your panties over to the side and shoved 2 of his digits in your wet cunt. he quickly pushed them in and out, clearly not having any patience for him to shove his dick in you. you found it amusing to watch the squad 6 captain slowly unravel right in-front of your own two eyes.

he could tell you were close to your release, you started to grip the sheets until your knuckles turned white and you kept squirming. thats when byakuya took his fingers out and you whined. he noticed this and quickly exclaimed "calm down, i never said i was leaving you."

he undid his ribbon on his shihakushō and took off his bottoms & boxers. he was rock hard and he grew impatient. he quickly took off your panties and shoved his rock-hard dick into your tight pussy. he immediately let out a well-needed moan and sat there, letting you adjust. after a few seconds he pulled back and started relentlessly pounding into you.

you didnt know how long you needed this but you felt your release building up yet again. a moan slowly came out your mouth in the sound of byakuyas name. the room became more and more stuffy as the daylight turned into night. you could tell byakuya was getting close by the way his thrusts got faster and he groaned more and more over time.

"i- im gunna- imma cuuuumm" you blurted out. everything was getting hazy and all you could hear was slapping noises of his balls against your ass.

"go ahead girl, you deserve it" he uttered. you came first but not a few seconds after you felt another hot liquid added to the mix in your cunt as byakuya threw his head back. he sat in that position for what felt like forever until he fell over beside you in bed.

after a few minutes of laying there until you both caught your breath and cooled down, byakuya got up and put his shihakushō back on and left your room. you were too tired to protest about it and wanted to just sleep.

you found yourself just about to doze off until your door opened again. it was byakuya, he came back with a wet rag and some water. he went over and cleaned you up. he then began to state how you should drink some water, which you did since you didnt want him scolding you for your bad health practices. a little bit after you murmured to him.

"are you coming back to bed?" he looked at you and replied, "only if you want me to." you immediately said please do, which led him to put on a take off his shihakushō and put on a plain shirt.

he came back into bed with you and you sprawled up close next to him. he rubbed your back and you profess something right as your about to fall asleep.

"could we spend more time together, byakuya?"

"ill try and find time in my schedule just for you."

@kuchikki 2024. plagiarism is strictly prohibited.

[wisecura]

Sheets

megumi fushiguro x fem-reader

p.1

p.2  ( ⸝⸝꩜ ᯅ ꩜⸝⸝;) p.3

p.2

AN: Thank you for reading part 2! Again each of these will be around 3k in length. Enjoy!

warnings: i'm putting these here for future chapters too, and ill sprinkle some in as I go. I want to make it clear, there is no underage sex, but later on there will be some more raunchy shit. this is somewhat non-canon compliant-make it up as I go

-ok for the real warnings: yandere, obsessive behavior, possessiveness, mommy kinks, mommy issues, arranged marriages, forced marriages, angst, eventual smut, clan politics, age gap (5 years from meg, and a little over 10 with toji), toji aint the best dad, mentions of child abuse, slowww build.

Short summary: Your arranged marriage to Toji Fushiguro had been sudden and unexpected, but now you found yourself living under his roof alongside his moody stepson. Your only directive from your clan head before moving in was clear: keep a close eye on Toji, the notorious Sorcerer Killer, and his son, a potential sorcerer prodigy.

Another

Cleaning had always been second nature to you, a skill drilled into you by your clan as a symbol of discipline and propriety.

The ways of a proper young lady.

Back then, it had been another way to meet their rigid standards, but now, in Toji’s apartment, it served a different purpose.

You weren’t trying to meet anyone’s expectations. It felt more like you were creating a space that felt livable, even comforting. As you scrubbed and tidied, remnants of your clan’s demands linger in your mind.

Megumi stayed holed up in his room, avoiding you, though you suspected it wasn’t out of rudeness.

Maybe he was still figuring you out, testing the waters before deciding how to interact. You couldn't blame him. This was all new and strange for both of you.

As you scrubbed the counters and sorted through laundry, you tried to keep yourself busy, hoping to quiet the restless hum of your thoughts. The spiraling.

But the silence of the apartment only amplified them, leaving you with little to do but reflect.

You thought long and hard about your next move—about what you wanted and what you were willing to do. You hadn’t expected to make it this far, away from the suffocating grip of your clan, away from the rules they’d meticulously instilled into you. This already felt like a step up. 

No one was yelling. No one was crying. And most importantly, no one was punishing you for merely existing.

And for once, you could breathe. 

But could you settle here? Could you turn this into a real home? The thought carried a weight you hadn’t anticipated, especially when you considered who you were married to.

Toji Fushiguro.

The infamous thirty-something gambler whose reputation preceded him. His name carried weight—none of it good. You’d only heard whispers about him before, rumors about the "Sorcerer Killer" who couldn’t see curses, but had carved a place for himself in a world that didn’t want him. The name he was making for himself wasn’t the kind anyone would aspire to have.

And now, he was your husband. 

Could he truly be better than what you’d left behind?

Marriage had never been a simple thing for people like you. It was, more often than not, a transaction, a tool for power and alliances, never a partnership.

You'd settled your peace with that. But you couldn’t be sure what kind of man Toji would turn out to be. So far, he was unpredictable—evasive, blunt, and not exactly brimming with warmth.

When you first met Toji, you’d been terrified.

His deep voice, gruff and laced with irritation, felt like a warning in itself. And he hadnt been happy when you first saw him. His towering, muscular frame only added to the daunting image.

Many clan marriages ended in misery. Beaten wives, suffocating rules, and vows that served only to bind and restrict.

The unknown had loomed large that day.

You’d been genuinely shocked when Toji had even shown up to the meeting. After all, he already had a history—a wife before you, a notorious rebellious streak, and a reputation soaked in blood.

What had happened to her?

The question lingered in your mind, twisting your thoughts into a frantic swirl as you tried to piece together what kind of man he was and what exactly you might be walking into.

Not that you had much of a choice.

To your relief, he left shortly after bringing you home, without forcing himself on you or issuing a set of house rules. But even without his demands, you already knew your place.

How could you not?

The weight of the clan’s expectations had been drilled into you for as long as you could remember.

Still, the questions remained.

Could you trust him? Could he truly protect you from the very people who had pushed you into this marriage? Or would he become like the others you’d seen—the cruel, controlling men who treated their wives as tools?

If things got sticky, you could run. But the thought terrified you. Your clan wasn’t known for letting their investments go so easily. They had their motives, their expectations for you, and you knew better than to think they’d let you walk away unscathed.

The marriage was a means to an end, and the moment you stopped being useful, they wouldn’t hesitate to dissolve it. Drag you back, kicking and screaming.

The questions would start soon if you didn’t make an appearance at the estate for a ‘visit.’ You’d have to come up with something to keep them satisfied, a way to buy yourself more time.

But would it be enough? You weren’t about to stoop to spying, but maybe if you offered them the bare minimum, it could hold them off. Still, you knew the risk.

Back to the suffocating walls of their estate. Back to the life you’d fought so hard to escape. Back to another arranged marriage—this time, likely to someone far worse.

Someone who wouldn’t tolerate even a shred of independence.

You had no illusions about what they were capable of. They’d find you. They’d make an example of you. The consequences were always swift, brutal, and served as a warning to others.

The only thing keeping you from that fate was this house.

Toji.

For all his flaws, for all the uncertainty that surrounded him, Toji was the barrier between you and the life you so desperately wanted to escape.

The clan couldn’t touch you here—not while you were under his roof. His name and infamous reputation were enough to keep them at bay for now.

But why had he even agreed to this marriage? It didn’t serve him. If anything, it seemed like another chain, another tie he’d likely resent. What had convinced him to take on a responsibility that did him no favors?

The thought nagged at you as you clung to the fragile sense of safety he unknowingly provided.

For now, you had to play the game carefully. Toji was unpredictable, but at least he wasn’t actively cruel. You’d take your chances with him over returning to the hell you’d left behind.

And yet, still, he hadn’t returned. When would he come home?  Sure it'd only been a day, but...

When lunchtime rolled around, you prepared food for both yourself and Megumi. Doubling the portions, you were glad he was starting to warm up to you, even if only slightly. Knocking softly on his door, you waited for a moment before it creaked open.

Megumi stood there, his expression unreadable as usual, but he took the plate with a small nod.

“Thanks,” he muttered before retreating back into his room, the door closing firmly behind him.

So, you ate alone.

It wasn’t the solitude that stung the most—it was the familiarity of it.

Sitting at the quiet table, your thoughts drifted to the countless meals you’d eaten alone back at the clan house.

You’d thought leaving that life behind would make things different, that here, in this little apartment, you could find something resembling peace.

But for now, the silence was deafening.

You reminded yourself to remember that this was better and you needed to be patient.

At least you knew Megumi wasn’t cruel or rude—just guarded. He was still so young, still figuring out his place in all of this.

So, you cleared your plate, brushed off the dull ache settling in your chest, and told yourself that this was temporary.

It was just a matter of time.

Later in the day, you decided to step out for groceries. The apartment was practically empty, the fridge holding little more than condiments and a few questionable leftovers.

You couldn’t fathom how Toji and Megumi had been surviving off such meager scraps. You’d noticed the state of things your first day there, picking up a few essentials just to scrape by. But today, you decided it was time to stock up properly.

Standing by the front door, you hesitated for a moment, glancing toward Megumi’s room. A small part of you debated whether to ask him to come along. It might have been nice to have the company, and perhaps the outing could help you two get closer. But you quickly pushed the thought aside.

This wasn’t his responsibility. It was yours. You were the one trying to build a home here, the one who had stepped into this role. So you would need to do it.

With a quiet sigh, you grabbed your shopping list and headed out the door. It wasn’t a long walk to the nearby market, but as you made your way down the street.

By the time you returned, your arms were weighed down with bags. Maybe you’d gotten carried away, but everything seemed so necessary. Stumbling through the front door, you dumped the bags onto the counter with a relieved sigh.

Megumi peeked out from the doorway, alerted by the sound. “You’re back?”

“Yeah,” you said, turning slightly to smile at him, still catching your breath. “Got some food for tonight.”

He frowned, his gaze shifting to the hefty bags on the counter.

“Didja walk all this back yourself?”

“Mhmm,” you replied with a small hum, stretching your back before reaching to start putting things away.

Before you could even grab the first item, Megumi stepped into the kitchen, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he gently nudged you aside.

“Go rest. I’ll put it ‘way,” he muttered without any real bite.

You blinked at him, caught off guard by the unexpected offer, but decided not to argue. Instead, you took a seat at the kitchen table, watching him move around the room.

His movements were deliberate and efficient as he pulled items from the bags. He inspected each one carefully, as though weighing its importance, before putting it into its proper place.

For a moment, you forgot the weight of everything else and simply watched.

Megumi, for all his prickliness, had his own way of showing appreciation—even if he didn’t say it out loud. It was hard not to notice how much care he put into something so simple.

He still reminded you of a grumpy old cat—aloof, guarded, but with moments of surprising thoughtfulness.

A small laugh escaping you as the thought crossed your mind.

Megumi glanced over his shoulder, his sharp eyes narrowing in suspicion. “What’s so funny?” he asked, his tone flat, though the faint red at the tips of his ears betrayed some building irritation.

“Nothing,” a small, teasing smile playing on your lips. “Just thinking about how teenagers can be so stubborn sometimes.”

“Stubborn?” he parroted, his tone disbelieving. “I’m not stubborn. You’re acting like I’m some little kid or something.”

The amused smile tugging at your lips only grew as you tilted your head at him. “Well, aren’t you? Just a little bit, maybe?”

And his scowl deepened, the flush on his cheeks darkening. The faint hint of embarrassment making him look unbearably adorable.

“I’m not a kid. I’m almost fourteen,” he muttered, his voice firm, though it teetered dangerously close to a pout.

Your laugh now unrestrained, unable to resist teasing him just a bit more. It seemed so easy for him to ruffle up. “Fourteen, huh? Practically a grown-up. My bad.”

Megumi’s gaze darted away briefly before snapping back to you, his tone quieter but still holding a note of defiance. “You’re not that much older than me. You’re what? Sixteen?”

You shook your head, unable to hide your amusement. “Sixteen? Try eighteen, Megumi. I’m officially an adult, thank you very much.”

His eyes narrow, as if processing the information. “Eighteen?” he muttered under his breath, his skepticism clear. “You don’t look eighteen.”

Feigning offense, you straightened your posture. “Well, I am,” you said with mock indignation. “And as the adult here, I think I get to call you a kid.”

Megumi huffed, crossing his arms. “You don’t act like an adult. You’re more like a bossy older sister.”

That made you grin even wider. Was that supposed to be an insult? “Bossy older sister, huh? I think I’ll take that as a compliment.”

He avoided your gaze, pretending to focus on folding one of the empty grocery bags.

“Take it however you want,” he muttered, his tone clipped, though the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth gave him away.

“Well, thanks, I guess,” you said playfully. “But I’m still older than you, and that makes you the kid, like it or not.”

Megumi frowned but didn’t argue further. Instead, he busied himself with the counter, his lips pressed into a firm line.

“But I’m not a kid,”

You raised your hands in mock surrender, your tone kind and teasing.

“Alright, alright. You’re not a kid. You’re a very mature almost-fourteen-year-old. Better?”

Turning his attention back to the counter, he muttered, “Whatever,”

You leaned back in your chair, watching him with a mix of fondness and curiosity.

Megumi had a way talking. A way of instilling fondness into the back of you mind. You already really liked the kid.

The way he tried to act older than he was—it was all so very… Megumi-esque. And you hadn't even known him for long. Not even a day. He had such predictably, you felt like you already knew him.

But kids with that much prickliness tend to have more going on.

“You know,” you said gently, breaking the silence, “you don’t have to rush to grow up so fast. Fourteen—or almost fourteen—is a good age to just…be.”

Megumi glanced at you, a blank look on his face. As if he wasn’t even considering what you were saying. “I’m not rushing anything. I just don’t want to be treated like some helpless kid.”

Now that got your attention.

You tilted your head, your smile softening. “I don’t think you’re helpless, Megumi. Not at all…I just think it’s okay to let people care about you sometimes. It doesn’t make you helpless.”

He didn’t reply, his gaze flickering back to the counter, but you could see the wheels turning in his head. 

Then he lingered. The groceries were already put away, yet he didn’t leave. He didn’t know why he stayed. Maybe he didn’t want to admit it.

But his actions spoke louder than words ever could: maybe, just maybe, he didn’t mind you being there. Doesn’t mind being around you. Psycho-ex of his dad’s or otherwise.

While making dinner, Megumi hovered close to your elbows. His dark eyes trailing your every movement with a quiet intensity that didn’t suit the task at hand.

He didn’t say a word, but his focus was unshakable, soaking in every detail. Your cooking so far had been phenomenal. Enough to make the kid jealous.

He wanted to learn, that much was clear—wanted to memorize the steps, the measurements, the little techniques you used. You had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t just curiosity. 

His silence didn’t bother you. If anything, it gave you the perfect opportunity to chatter away, filling the room with a one-sided conversation that you hoped wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

You explained every step meticulously, breaking it down like a cooking show. Megumi didn’t interrupt or huff at you. Instead, he absorbed it all like a sponge, his head tilting slightly when you mentioned something new.

“Toji must not be much of a cook,” you remarked at one point, glancing at him with a teasing smile. His lips twitched upward for the briefest moment, a ghost of a smile that made your chest tighten with warmth.

Even when you explained the most basic things, like how to dice an onion properly, Megumi listened as though it were the most important lecture of his life.

It made sense—Megumi was still young, and cooking had always been considered a woman’s role in traditional clan life. And considering Toji’s seemingly chaotic lifestyle, and the lack of any obvious maternal figure, it was no wonder this felt new to him. Still, the conversation flowed a little easier that evening.

You hadn’t had many interactions with the other children back at the clan estate—everything there had been too rigid, too suffocating for anything resembling a healthy relationship.

It was surprise you were even social adept to talk with him now. You felt like you were finally getting to experience a somewhat normal family life.

And even in those moments, there was still a frigid layer of distance he maintain between you two—a protective barrier he refused to let you pass.

Distrusting, yes, but not beyond reach.

He was still trying to figure you out, sizing you up, before deciding whether you were even worth the effort of trusting.

Why the hell was this kid so frosty? Was it Toji? The absence of a mother? Or something else entirely? You weren’t sure, but the guarded way Megumi carried himself—the abrasiveness, the defensive huffiness—stirred something in you.

There had been plenty of kids like him back in the clan house. Some were cold and indifferent, their walls impenetrable.

Others carried arrogance like armor, wielding it to hide their insecurities.

But the ones who stayed with you—the ones who truly stuck in your memory—were those too weak to defend themselves, cast aside for showing too much emotion.

Beaten into shape.

Megumi wasn’t like that, obviously. But the thought of him enduring anything similar made you feel...protective. Kids don’t get that icy from a normal childhood, after all.

When you finally sat down to eat, the food, obviously, turned out fantastic.

Megumi, ever stoic, simply nodded in approval as he ate, but you caught the way his chopsticks moved a little faster than usual, and you couldn’t help but feel a small tinge of pride.

“Not bad, right?” you teased lightly, hoping to draw a reaction from him.

His eyes flicked up to meet yours for a fleeting second before he mumbled,

“It’s good.”

Another almost-smile.

It was your second day in and this kid would be the death of you.

p.3?

AN: Thank you for reading! Please reblog and like if you enjoy this series!

I will also be posting updates here:

https://www.tumblr.com/communities/obsessedjjk

come home

[magicdefendorwolf]

Can I request for; Jing Yuan, Yanqing and Gepard falling asleep with their partners only to wake up to an empty house not knowing the partner is just out for groceries?

Where were you?

Characters:Jing Yuan,Yanqing and Gepard x reader(separate)

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Jing Yuan

The last thing he remembers was falling asleep on the couch with you all cuddled up in his arms

So why couldnt he find you when he woke up???

I mean he woke up alone and assumed you must be somewhere in the house but nope

He searched the whole house and called your name but no response

But he wasnt panicked since there were no signs of someone breaking in,he would've heard them and woke up

So he looked around the house again,nothing once again

So,okay,maybe he's panicking just a tiny bit

If you left somewhere you would've told him in some way right?

But then he heard the front door open along with some shuffling so he rushed there to find you standing in the doorway

He asked where you had been and if you were alright scanning your body for any harm,but all he found was some groceries that you had set down beside you while you were taking off your shoes

And thats when it clicked to him that you just were out for groceries

He asked you why you didnt tell him or leave any notes

"Sorry,i didnt think you'd wake up by the time i returned." You replied with a small smile while rubbing the nape of your neck

He sighed and started helping with groceries while telling you to leave a note or something next time

Yanqing

He had finally settled down to sleep with you curled up next to him

And finally he was waking up,he had such a good sleep,but when he sat up you were nowhere to be found,so he did the next logical thing and assumed you were around the house somewhere

So he went looking for you

Well obviously he was unable to find you,and he was doumbfounded by it

Like you had fallen asleep with him just awhile ago,and now you werent in the house??

Okay now he was definetly letting his fears get the worst of him

He was running around the house like he was sonic or something searching for you

He had already checked every single room and place you could be in two times

Welp time to check a third time

While he was in the middle of searching for the third time he heard the front door opening and slowly made his way there only to find you placing some groceries on the counter

"Wait you went out to get groceries and didnt even tell me?! I was starting to seriously worry!" He said with a pout while he approached you

"Huh? What do you mean? I left you a note." You said confused

"Wait! Really?? Where?" He asked and you'd point to the place you left a note telling him you went to the store

In all of his running around he hadnt seen that note?! But how???

Well it'll remain a mystery

Gepard

He fell asleep without wanting to,he just wantef to cuddle with you and talk about your day,but nope,he fell asleep

And when he woke up it was hard not to notice the empty space beside him

Okay he's instantly alarmed,like the first thing that he's feeling is worry,but then he calms down and goes searching for you

When he doesnt find you anywhere his worry increases

He'd check the whole house while calling your name

He may aswell have a heart attack from worry,the only thing calming him down is seeing that no one has broken into the house

And then he hears the front door creak open

He goes to check it out carefully but the moment he turns the corner and sees you at the door with groceries he immediately calms down

He just goes up to you and hugs you

You're confused because all you did was get groceries

But with him being the head of the silvermane guards he's worries someone might do something to you to get to him

Even if there may be few people who would actually do that he's still worried over the possibility

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Thank you for your request and i hope you enjoy!

[haechani4ever]

hello!! can you write a jeno fluff where you offer to sleep in a different room because your work schedules are so different and you don't wanna wake him up when you have to get up for work 🥰

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: separate rooms ✧

. . ⇢ ˗ˏˋsummary you always woke up jeno when you went to work, so you decide to offer him a solution.

. . ⇢ ˗ˏˋpairing idol!jeno x idol!reader

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋgenre fluff

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋwarnings pet names (angel, honey, babe, etc)

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋwc 0.7k

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋnote hii, this is my first rq so im so happy. thanks for requesting, I really appreciate it <3

it all started when your comeback came out. this means that you are busy all day with promotions and so on. your day started very early and every time you got out of bed you woke up your boyfriend, jeno. he was an idol, just like you, but his promotions had already ended a few weeks ago, so he was on break while they prepared the next comeback.

so yes, when your alarm went off at 5am and you had to get out of bed, he woke up too. he always seemed to go back to sleep after that, so it didnt seem like a big problem at first. but one day while you had a short break between your activities you decided to send him a message to see how he was doing.

you: hi jens.

you: what u doing?

jens💘: hii babe

jens💘: just watching tiktok since you left

you: you didnt go back to sleep?

jens💘: no

jens💘: i usually cant go back to sleep after you leave

you felt so bad about that. you felt bad for disturbing his rest. you know jeno andhow much he likes to sleep and rest, so you were kind of gloomy the rest of the day because of that. but talking to your group mates they gave you an idea so as not to wake him up. they told you that it was best to sleep in separate rooms. you considered it and came to the conclusion that maybe it was for the best so you would only bring it up to your boyfriend when you got home.

you arrived a little before the time the two of you normally had dinner. as soon as you opened the door, the hot air from the heating and the smell of food hit your face. you left your shoes and bag at the entrance and headed to the kitchen where jeno was. he turned around when he felt your presence in the room and he gave you the warmest smile and walked towards you to hug you.

"hello angel, how was your day?" you hugged him back and let out a tired sigh. "today was good. how are you?" you said as they separated. he returned to where he was cooking. it was something he did when he knew you would be a little late. you leaned against the door frame as you watched him cook.

"my day was also good, i was resting" the message he had sent you this morning saying that he had not fallen asleep again and the advice from your group mate came back to your mind. "are you sure? you said you hadnt gone back to sleep" your voice changed showing concern. "oh, its okay, angel. don't worry."

"no baby, its not okay" you said as you approached him and hugged him from behind. "you work so hard all year round, i cant just wake you up when you can finally rest" you rested your head on his back. he in response caressed your arms and hands that were around his waist. "honey, i think we should sleep in separate rooms."

he turned around quickly as soon as he heard you. this made you break away from the hug and when you looked at his face he looked confused. "what did you just say?" you looked at him also confused "yeah, i think we should sleep separately so i dont wake you up" he let out a giggle that seemed like he was mocking what you just told him "aw, baby you dont need to do that. the reason i cant get back sleeping when youre gone is because youre not in bed with me. unless you want me to not even be able to sleep at night, i think thats such a bad idea."

"but baby, i want you to keep sleeping when i get up," you said with a worried expression on your face. although you did not deny that what jeno had previously said had relieved you. "well, we will find a solution to that, i dont know, i will hug a pillow with your perfume, but there is no way i will sleep without you"

you did nothing but smile in response. he caressed your arm before returning to his task and you went to the bedroom to change into something more comfortable. that was something you loved about jeno. he was a man who solved anything, you were lucky to have him by your side.

[mythicmanuscripts]

Hey ! could you do something for omega jace ? like maybe his first heat after getting married and seeing the way he changes from being all blushy and shy to being shamelessly needy and begging 🥺 sorry if this isn’t enough to go on I never usually send requests

also i just have to say i love ur blog, it’s such a cool safe space 🖤

Aw I love this!! I love how no matter the AU, we're all in agreement that Jace starts off so shy and scared and then the moment he gets any sort of sexual attention he just comes such a whiny little slut. He is truly the definition of someone being horny for his wife only.

Anyway, NSFW omega!Jace below the cut. If you don't want to see any a/b/o content then block the 'a/b/o hotd'.

So firstly, yeah Jace really is the definition of a blushing virgin before you mate with him. When you first met him and you offered him your hand to shake, he blushed SO hard and couldnt even form full sentences.

(It's also worth noting that with other alphas Jace is certainly shy, but he's not at all interested in them. He doesnt get flustered around the others, doesn't speak to them unless spoken to, and he certainly doesn't try his own very shy attempts at courting like offering them flowers or some of his clothes)

You ensure to behave correctly and respectfully throughout the courtship, because it's so so clear that maintaining those boundaries is beyond important to him. Even though your interactions with him before the meeting are very very tame, he still gets so flustered and squirmy. Once or twice he even dares to press a kiss to your cheek, but he always runs away immediately after.

You expect that he'll be as shy and reserved after the mating, that you'll spend weeks slowly getting him comfortable enough to do anything more than kissing. You promise yourself that after you bite him you will protect him and respect him for as long as you can.

Jace seems nervous and almost irritable at the celebrations after the mating. You try to speak with him and be with him but he keeps on walking away, keeps on wondering to different people to thank them for attending. The bite mark is still bleeding when he starts this charade and refusal to be close to you. For a while you actually think he might have completely regretted the mating, which just broke your heart to think about because even though you two hadnt known each other long, you really did think he was meant to be your omega.

This continues until the celebrations finally reach their end and you and Jace are escorted to your new living quarters that you will share together. When you enter the room, you half expect Jace to announce he's spending the night in his own quarters.

But to your surprise Jace is right behind you. He locks the door the moment you're both inside and then immediately he's pulling you closer and nuzzling against your neck. You try to push him away to speak to him but he whines and grips you tighter, refusing to let you move him.

You say his name which only makes him whine again. He pulls away just enough to look at you and then instead of responding, he kisses you? To say you're shocked is a massive understatement, but he's whining and kissing you and clinging to you so you didnt spend too much time thinking about it just then.

He pushes you towards the bed, his scent spiking with arousal.

When you turn to face the bed you realise that there's a nest already on the bed? You recognise some of the clothes in the nest as your own and you can smell Jace's scent clearly so you're sure the others must be him.

He's explaining before you can ask, telling you that he came and made the nest in the morning so that the two of you could use it together and you wouldnt have to wait while he made it. You thank him of course, telling him his nest is very pretty and that seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back because the moment you heard that he basically jumps you.

He refuses to entertain any other conversation then, pushing you down onto the bed and straddling you. You kiss him back and before long he's pulling at your clothes, whining when he can't get his hand under your dress. You don't try to speak to him again, and instead you just go with it.

You end up fucking him immediately. The entire time he's so needy and whiny, constantly trying to get closer and to scent you as much as he can. He doesn't calm down until he's been fucked silly, and then he just curls up against your chest, nuzzling against you.

You kiss his head and once he seems to catch his breath, you ask him what all that was about. He blushes and says he's been desperate to do that for literal months and he couldnt wait another second. He avoided you throughout the celebrations because if you had touched him he was pretty sure he would have jumped you right then.

You chuckle and pull him closer, telling him that you thought you were getting a shy, timid omega but clearly not. Jace grins up at you, telling you that you mated him so now you're stuck with him and he's going to jump you whenever he can.

[tiredcowboyy]

the return of the two kings

It takes 1500 years for it to finally happen and its not in the way merlin thought it would. He thought Arthur would return, but when a man that looks exactly like arthur sits beside merlin in his political science class, well merlin realises that reincarnation wasn’t completely off the table.

Merlin introduces himself on the 3rd class, the first two spent of him subtly studying arthur, his face, his mannerisms, trying to figure out if it was really him, though when he heard the voice and name any doubt was swept away.

From that point on they quickly grew as friends. Merlin wasnt really sure what to do, he was told arthur would return when the world needed him, but nothing about if he was reborn again with no memories of his past reign whatsoever.

It stresses merlin out for a while, he constantly was on edge for any world changing dangers, however after a while he just accepted that maybe there was no reason. Arthur was just born again and he should appreciate that.

They quickly grew close, becoming the best of friends and eventually roommates and merlin couldnt have been happier, content with have the blonde back in his life.

Until one day he gets this urge to walk near the lake of avalon again, something hes not felt like doing since he found arthur again. But he does, distantly thinking it was around this time of year he had lost his king all those years ago. So he goes, the sun still rising as he begins his usual route around the lake. He takes it in, smiling at how much life has changed since he last took this walk.

He was distracted so you cant blame him for how much he was caught off guard, really that wasnt his fault.

“Merlin?”

Despite what anyone who saw would say Merlin did not let out a scream.

He spins around and comes face to face with his best friend, his roommate, his destiny walking out of the lake soaking wet.

“Arthur? What are you doing here? And why are you in the lake? I-“

He pauses, the air ripped out of his lungs as he realises what hes actually looking at. Something was different. Something was wrong. Because this arthur wasnt wearing his usual jeans and jumper, his hair wasn’t slightly too long because hes been too busy with work to get it cut, he wasnt making some joke about merlins poor coffee making skills.

He was wearing chainmail and armour, a sword in his hand one that merlin hadnt seen since that day.

This wasnt the same arthur he left at home this morning, the same arthur who was too busy watching last nights football on catchup to make fun of merlin burning his toast, the same arthur who he has lived with for 6 years and thought was his arthur.

No, this was the same arthur that he held in his arms as he thanked him and took his final breath.

Merlin doesnt know what kind of sick game the world is playing on him but that doesnt matter,

Because now theres two Arthur Pendragons gracing this earth and merlin doesn’t think hes quite as cut out for this destiny thing as he thought he was.

[grugruel]

Bad News 11 |

Parts: 2/2, read part 1 HERE

Pairings: dbf!bucky x f!reader

MDNI/NSFW

Masterlist

Inspired by, Call Me by Your Name

Summary: After giving into your desires, you have a day to spend together with your family. With a guilty contiouns and strong feelings eating away at you, can you ever be with him?

Word count: 5.6k

Warnings: secret-relationship, pinv sex, public sex, thigh riding, choking, creampie, aftercare, petnames (doll, sweet girl), praise, reader being a brat, jealous!bucky, jealous!reader, angst.

AN: Thank you all for the love on part 1, and for participating in my polls! The Bucky fandom is a force to be reckoned with. Hope part 2 is satisfactory, please enjoy! <3

Cold Thoughts

The clouds were in a rush, steadily blowing by my window as I laid sleepless, observing them. Bucky filled my mind, I had to wonder why he hadnt deemed it fit for me to stay with him in his room, I already missed the safety of his embrace. But now I was worried that, perhaps, he had changed his mind.

Sighing, I pulled Buckys blanket tighter around me, nuzzling my face into it. Still smelling him. I considered it for a while, zoning out as I rubbed the fabric between my fingertips.

I was sowing doubts within myself, that combined with my hangover had headache was manifesting. Eliminating any chances I had at sleep.

I wrapped the blanket around my shoulders and left my room, wandering the house in an aimless search for healthier thoughts, but my mind was drifting, always. Secretly hoping that he couldnt sleep either, that his thoughts of me was keeping him up aswell.

I walked outside, into the dim night, hoping that some fresh air would clear my mind of ache and worry. I strolled of the beaten path toward the forest, wandering in the downtrodden trail I had so many times before. The grass was coated with water droplets from yesterdays rain and the scent of it was still in the air, curing my mind and ache. I looked back toward the house, a faint red dot glowed on the upper balcony, igniting a spark of hope inside me, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared, making me think I had imagined it.

I reached the tree line, grazing the treetrunks with my fingertips as I walked past their leaved frontier, the moon shone through the crowns, illuminating the forest floor. I walked silently for a while, contemplating everything as I delved deeper into the forest. But suddenly, I heard the crunching of leaves behind me and the destinct sound of footsteps. I turned around, and there, emerging from the empty fields was Bucky. My heart skipped a beat and we froze as we locked eyes with eachother. A smile crept its way up his lips, mimicking my own. And all my previous worries escaped my mind, he hadnt been able to sleep either and followed me down here. I backed up, and slowly he stalked forward. My heart was beating ferosiously as mischief took the reins, I turned around and ran as quickly as I could manage. I heard his footsteps set of behind me as I was swerving through the trees, blanket flowing behind me, narowly avoiding low hanging branches and bushes ripping my skirt. I squeeled as his footsteps were catching up to me, he was just a few inches behind me.

I ran and ran, figuring that he shouldve caught me by now. I looked back and all of a sudden his hands found my waist, he spun us around and we fell to the forest floor laughing. I landed on top of him, my head coming to rest on his chest as he intentionally took the blow to the ground. Smelling of smoke and cologne, he wrapped one arm around my shoulders and placed the other at the small of my back. Panting, we fought to catch our breaths.

'What are you doing out here doll?' He asked between breaths.

'Couldnt sleep.' I answered and looked up at him, feeling the rise and fall of his chest.

He met my eyes, 'To busy thinking of me?' He teased, stroking strands of hair from my face so he could see me blushing better. I burried my face in his chest, embaressed. He chuckled.

'Whatever.' my voice came muffled through the fabric of his shirt, but the smile that shaped my lips could still be heard in my tone.

'I couldnt stop thinking about you either doll.' He laughed.

I blushed even harder, looking away, smiling so wide it hurt. My feelings for him were getting out of control, 'We've got ourselves in a mess Buck.' I sighed.

'You come down here often?.' He asked, changing the subject and stroked my hair.

'When I need to clear my head.' I told him quietly, playing along.

He quirked an eyebrow and grabbed my chin, moving my face to meet his, 'You needed to clear it tonight? Youre not regretting our time together are you?' He asked, uncertainty in his tone.

I was surprised by his answer, 'No, of course not. Infact, I was afraid you were.' I said, eyebrow furrowing.

He shook his head dissapointedly, 'You have no idea how wrong you are doll.' He told me tilting my chin upward to meet his lips in a soft kiss.

His answer had me smiling for the thousand time, ripping up any doubts I'd previously sown. I lost myself in his kiss, until it made me remember what we needed to discuss. 'Youre distracting me, stop. We have a very real problem Buck.' I told him seriously.

He sighed and sat up, his hand slid from the small of my back to my ass, firmly holding me against him so I wouldnt slide off as placed me neatly in his lap, stradeling him. He planted his hands behind him for support. He leaned in to kiss me again, attempting to get me on other thoughts but I pulled back and looked away nonchalantly. He expression turned displeased, but I payed him no mind. Instead, I focused on rubbing my hands together, trying to warm them as I waited for his answer. He noticed and grabbed my hands, sticking them under his shirt and laying them against his chiseled, warm torso. Hissing from the sudden feeling of my cold hands.

'Our only problem right now is us always finding ourselves in situations where you freeze.' He said, pausing as he grabbed my chin again, tilting it upward so I had to meet his eyes, 'And I always have to warm you up.' He smirked, 'Is that your go-to plan to get me into bed?' He teased again.

'Stop, oh my god.' I shook my head, embaressed again, my face flustered, but smiling increadolously. Until I reminded myself to stay focused, damn. 'You know thats not what I meant though, were always in these situations because we create them.' I told him, my smile fading.

He shook his head, 'I dont want to think about that right now. I have you infront of me, and thats all I ever want think about.' He said and circled his arms around my waist, lifting me so he could reposition himself. Sitting on his knees, then had me stradle him again, hooking my legs around his hips and held my hands at his waist.

He cupped my face and kissed me, 'You've cursed me, you know.' He whispered against my lips, his hands sliding down every curve of my body until they met my hips, grabbing them firmly. His touch putting me in a trance, his already hard to resist charm became even more difficult. I could feel his member hardening through his sweats, automatically pulling myself closer to him and closing the distance between my core and his erection. He hummed in response, 'I dont know what you did to me doll, during that first night we talked this summer.' He said in a strained voice as his hands moved my hips, helping me grind onto his hardness, earning him a whimper from me. 'But youre the only thing I ever think about, the only thing that gets me off.' He grunted, kissing me again, more desperate this time.

Hearing him confirm his feelings for me, struck up a sudden boldness in me and since he did not want to talk about our situation, the least I could do was enjoy myself at his expensd. I hummed, 'And what about the women you visit at night, huh? Whenever you head into town, always clmkng back smelling of womens perfume? You sure im the only thing that gets you off?' I breathed, smirking, as he met my eyes with annoyance.

He grabbed my face with one hand, squishing my cheeks together as his grip on my hip tightened, forcing me to grind down even harder on him. 'That, we dont talk about.' He grunted, kissing me in an attempt to quiet me, feeling finished with the subject. But I was not.

I tore free from his lips, leaning my head into the crook of his neck, kissing that sweet spot and whispering against his skin 'Do you think about me when you fuck them? Couldnt get with your friends daughter so you had to seek out other women, and pretend they were me?' I chuckled, surprised by my own audacity.

He removed the blanket frlm my shoulder, and splayed it out on the ground behind me, then grabbed my throat. He pushed me backward, one hand still supporting my back as he laid me on the ground and leaned over me, 'Does it make you jealous?' He asked and spead my legs, placing himself inbetween them, 'That I sleep with other women, then come home and smell of them?' My smile faded and I rolled my eyes, looking away, refusing to admit that he was right, 'Do you not wish it was you I smelled of instead?' He whispered against my ear and sat back. He flipped my skirt over my hips, making us both gasp. I had not put on any new underwear since he initially ripped them off, which I had completley forgotten about, this was news to the both of us. 'Tsk tsk tsk' he shook his head, pulling his pants down and his erection out. He lined himself up with my entrance and grabbed my hips.

'Doll.' He called, grabbing my attention and I reluctantly met his eyes, prepared for another snarky, probably true comment. But he only looked into my eyes, wordlessly asking for my consent, I nodded in response. My hand left his back, and caressed his cheek instead, loving that he still paid my wants mind although were in the middle of jealous fight sex.

He slid inside me gently, his breathing hitched and I moaned, a smile tugging at his lips from my reaction. Immedietly setting a rough pace, the noise of slapping skin filled the forest as the moon shone upon us. We didnt need to worry about people hearing us out here, 'Let me hear you doll.' He ordered, kissing my neck and sucking at my sweet spot. I moaned loudly, following his request, my hands roaming over his chest and back underneath his shirt. Nuzzling my face into his hair, 'Harder, faster. Please buck.' I whispered. He hummed, kissing his way down my torso and stumache, then sitting up. His hands moved back to my hips to get better leverage, and began thrusting ferociously, helping my hips meet his thrusts with his hands. 'Holy f-' I began, but my words died in my throat as a string of moans took their place.

'C'mon girl.' He urged, moving one hand to my clit, circling it with his thumb. Closing in on my orgasm.

'Yes, yes.' I hissed, the pressure building in me. His breathy moans in sync with his thrusts were pushing me over the edge, I came hard and fast, moaning loudly. Bucky continued, chasing his own high. He was not far behind me as he came himself, pulling out just in time for his seed to spurt onto my stumache. I laid splayed out on the forest floor while Bucky tucked himself away, he slid his thumb through the fluid on my stumache and held it out for me to taste. And I did,, enthusiastically I licked and sucking his thumb clean, 'Good girl.' He said proudly and pulled back, grabbing my chin and kissing me, still tasting a bit of himself.

He knelt beside me and scooped me up in his arms, 'We need to get you cleaned up before anyone wakes, sweet girl.' He said and stood up, kissing me on the forehead. He carried me back to house, half asleep in his arms. He quietly carried me upstairs, set me in the bath, filled it, cleaned me and gave me one of his shirts and shorts, then laid me back into my bed. He took the blanket, but I protested. 'I need to clean it for you.' He said.

I shook my head, 'No, please. It smells of you. Of us.'I whispered and pulled on it.

'Its dirty. . .' He insisted, but I stared him down, my grip on it proved unrelenting. He sighed, 'Fine, just let go for a sec.' He asked, and I did. He threw the bottom half through the window and shook it off, then covered me with it. The cool fabric kissed my skin, prickling it with goosebumps.

'Thank you.' I smiled.

'Try to get some proper sleep.' He whispered.

'I wont be able to if you leave.' I told him quietly, and he tilted his head to the side, looking at me with sympathetic eyes. He hesitated for a second, but laid down beside me, letting me curl up to him as he laid an arm around me. And we stayed just like that, frozen in time until I had fallen asleep and he moved back into his own room.

When I eventually woke up again, I stayed in bed for a while, wallowing, tracing the empty dent beside me, feeling its cool. I mustve slept alone for a few hours at least. The morning sun was colouring my room in soft shades of gold, warming my back as I laid faced away from the window. Giving me enough strength to start my day.

I wandered into the garden and watched the sunrays find their way through the swaying leaves of the willow tree as I laid down in the grass underneath, cherishing the sunlight as it speckled my skin with warmth, varying with the cool of the shade. The house had yet to wake up, and I suspected my family of being dangerously hungover. Sighing, I closed my eyes and my mind drifted back to bucky. His touch still fresh on my skin as I imagined the warmth from the sun as his hands, caressing my body. His soft words whispered in my ear as a love song from the 80s started playing in the kitchen, my mother was awake. My thoughts switched, the cool of the shade began reminding me of his abscene, of our strange situation and the sweetness of reminiscence quickly soured into guilt. My mothers prescence was reminding me of our betrayal, it gnawed at every positive thought I had. The guilt of our actions, the feeling that we'd made a mistake by betraying my parents trust in this way. Surely we couldnt go on, it would be immoral for either of us to do so. Yet, my biggest concern was Bucky reciprocating those feelings.

'Good morning honey.' My mother greeted me as she entered the garden and I opened my eyes.

Dazed I responded, 'Morning mom.' And stood up to help her set down plates of food for breakfast, 'Wheres the rest of the house?' I asked, following her back inte the kitchen.

'On their way, dads just brushing his teeth and your brothers somewhere around here' Sha said, handing me watermelon slices and the radio. I hummed, avoiding the abvious question. As we set down the last of the food, we took our places at the table. My father and brother joining us a few moments later, looking rather rough and we dug in.

'So, everyone ready for a day at the beach?' My father asked with a bright, sarcastic smile as the bags under his eyes gave him away. My brother and I wooped ironically, making my mother laugh. Everyone was still reeling from the aftermath of the alcohol. 'How about we continue drinking instead?' He asked again, and my mother eyed him unapreciatively. But this time we wooped enthusiastically. 'I thought we could spend the day in town, get dinner, then move to a bar.' He suggested, which actually sounded appealing.

'Sounds like a plan.' Came a voice from the doorway, Bucky. 'Good morning, party people.' He said cheapishly and we responded with tired chuckles, greeting him. He sat down at the table, doing his and my brothers silly handshake, as their bromance comamanded them to.

Conversations were stuck up, my parents were deep in discussion about buying new clothes for my father, and they roped me in for my opinions on the matter. My brother and Bucky were talking about something else, 'Sleep well?' He asked Bucky, suddenly grabbing my attention. I looked at him and our eyes met, exchaning glances and knowing smiles.

'Never slept better.' He asnwered, facing away, grinning into his food and I chuckled silently.

'Yeah, whats so funny?' My brother asked, glancing between the two of us.

'Nothing, just. . . A joke I remembered.' Bucky managed, smiling, I continued with my own conversation as my sweet, oblivious brother wanted to hear the joke aswell and Bucky had to bullshit answers.

When breakfast was done, we got ready to head into town, then gathering outside by the front of the house. 'Car or bikes?' Asked my father, 'Someones gonna have to abstain from drinking if we take the car.' He said apologeticly.

'How about-' I began.

'Well-' my brother also cut in, about to suggest something, but dad interuppted the both of us.

'Oor, how about this?' he said, raising a finger in the air, 'We take the car into town, and walk home.' He clapped his hands together, as if it was the most genuis thing, 'Fantastic idea guys.' He said, laying an arm around each of us, smiling proudly.

I met ny brithers eyes and shook my head, we laughed, 'Sure, sounds great dad.' I answered to appease him.

'Theres only 4 seats in the car.' Bucky pointed out, making dads smile fall and let go of us.

He put a finger to his mouth, deep in thought and spoke 'Someones gonna have to share, your mother and I are upfront. We'll leave this to the three of you.' He said, laying an arm around my mothers shoulder as she put her hand on his chest, nodding approvingly.

Raising my brows, I looked at the other two. They were as surprised as me, but we huddled together, discussing our plans. 'Whats up with dad?' I asked and my brother cut in.

'This much drinking and breaking safety rules?' He pointed out, sounding stunned.

'He gets like this sometimes, hes excited. Leave him be.' Bucky defended him, my brother raised his hands, backing off from the subject. The three of us exchanged glances, I already knew who I wanted to share with, but I couldnt just say it. Buckys gaze lingered on mine, he was thinking the same thing.

'Well?' I looked at them expectantly, 'Im sorry to say but, the idea of sitting in your lap, brother.' I said, overly pronouncating the last word, 'Isnt very appealing.'

'Yeah? Im not thrilled about the prospect of either of you, sister or mr muscle man over here. You must weigh a ton dude.' He gestured towards Bucky, who rolled his eyes.

'Why dont you sit in Bucks lap then?' I teased, to which Bucky huffed.

My brother mimicked my expression and mocked my words, 'Why dont you sit- bla bla bla, you sit in his lap then.' He said annoyed, my stumache tickled, the butterflies were waking up.

'I- whatever, im tired of this.' I told him, feigning irritation because the decision was taking to long.

Bucky clapped his hands together, 'Its decided, youre sitting with me doll, I dont see another outcome.' He said, sounding impatient but acting nonchalant.

'Sure. Its all the same to me.' I said, boredom lining my voice and shrugged, all the while the butterflies in my stumache were waltzing.

We degrouped and rejoined my parents, 'Im sitting with Buck.' I declared.

'Fantastic! He'd act as the strongest belt anyway, keep her safe.' My father said, elbowing Bucky in the side, to which he nodded. A pang of guilt hit me, dad has so much trust in Bucky. I met his eyes, my eyebrows furrowing. He tilted his head, sharing my feelings. I had to look away.

'Really, C'mon, dad.' My brother raised his hands in the air, attacked from nowhere.

'Sorry son, youre not, not strong.' Dad said, as it was any better and opened the car door for mom, then took his place by the stearing wheel. My brother sighed, defeated and took his own seat. Bucky opened the door, sat down and patted his thigh, nodding his head for me to sit. I inhaled a shaky breath and sat in his lap, he snaked his arms around my waist and held me tightly in place.

The car ride wasnt to long, and it was relatively uneventful. We were talking about nothing special, when Bucky, from nowhere grabbed my thigh. He unhooked the arm closest to the door from my waisr and laid his hand on the outside of my thigh, as invisible as it could come. He slid it up toward the hem of my skirt and massaged circles with his thumb. He grabbed the hem, snaking his fingers under it, grabbing the fabric and pulling upward to reveal more skin. I clutched his wrist in warning, and he pecked my shoulder in apology. I looked around the car, making sure everyone was minding their own business. They were talking, and we were answering questions and asking them in return, all the while bucky was stroking my thigh, a strange feeling. Unexpectedly, there was a bump in the road, I wouldve gone airborn if Bucky hadnt pulled me tighter against him. But in the same motion, I accidentaly grinded against his lap. And he grunted at the feeling, playing it off as a cough. 'Everything alright back there?' Mom asked.

Dad hissed, 'Sorry you guys, didnt see that bump!' Dad apologised.

'We're-' I began, feeling Bucky getting hard beneath me, 'Im- im fine, it wasnt to bad!' I assured him. I was getting flashbacks to the forest, Bucky hard beneath me, grinding against erection. Us kissing, him touching my body. I grabbed his wrist harder from the memories, clearing my throat. Bucky squeezed my thigh, then moved his hand to my waist, hooking his finger through a belt loop on my skirt and left it there for what remained of the ride. By the time we arrived, Buckys hard on had disappeared.

We were crusing the streets, checking out interesting shops and getting clothes for dad. Passing time and enjoying eachothers company. We got dinner and sat outside as we cought the last rays of the efternoon sun, laughing and chatting, sipping more wine. It made me think of the time before Bucky and I had anything to hide, when there were no overhanging secrecy to our dynamic. When we could talk and hang out with no hidden meaning behind our words or glances. When we didnt have to second guess my familys knowledge of our actions. It brought me into a somber mood, and Bucky being unwilling to discuss us was not helping. I wish I could push the guilt aside like he seems to, and just enjoy the happy parts of our conjoining instead. But at the end of the day, their my family. Their expectations were not weighing him down the same way they did me. My fathers voice brought me out of my thoughts, or rather the subject of his words did.

'You gonna have any women meet us at the bar Buck?' He asked him, it was a serious question but he laughed as he asked it. Knowing it was something Bucky rather kept to himself.

Buck chuckled in annoyance, 'Always as funny.' A strained smile forming on his lips. This, I was not in the mood for. I took my wine glass, hastily drinking it.

'Whats your plan, have anyone you wanna settle down with?' My mother asked him innocently, obviously unaware of my feelings regarding the matter. Bucky glanced around nervously, clearly embaressed by the grilling. His eyes met mine for a second, looking apologetic. Which only annoyed me more, I poured myself another glass of wine and finished it within minutes. My drinking was alarming him as he shut the questions down with a bunch of, 'Im not sure.' And 'We'll see.' Trying to be kind although it was bothering him.

'Lay off him.' My brother spoke, 'Youre like hawks, damn.' And Bucky gave him a grateful nod in return.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, pushing a smile 'Should we get going?' I asked, eager to leave their conversation behind me.

My father immedietly waved a waiter down, 'Great idea!' The waiter was a cute guy around my age, and with my annoyance at Bucky, concerning us, concerning his women, it resparked the jelousy in my already bad mood. So I flirted with the guy, and gave him my number as he left.

My mother had been eyeing him aswell, 'He was cute.' She whispered to me.

'Right?' I nodded, smiling.

'Im sitting right here.' Dad objected, crossing his arms and pouting. Mom stroked his shoulder apologeticly.

'Yeah, so cute.' My brother cut in sarcastically, and I slapped him playfully on the arm, rolling my eyes.

Bucky sat in silence, pinning me with his gaze and trying his very best to hide the irritation that was bubblig up inside him. Which only made me smile brighter, I had found a way to lighten my mood, and simultaneously found my entertainment for the night. It wasnt really his fault, I shouldnt be taking my frustration out on him. But I was in a devilish mood.

As we found our way to the bar, my brother and dad took the lead in drinking, I was hanging back a little bit. The mjsic was blaring through the speakers, 'Seen anyone of interest?' Dad half-shouted at Bucky.

He looked at me and smirked, 'As a matter of fact I have.' Bucky said and stood up from the bar, walking toward me. My eyes widened, I was horrified. He wasnt gonna expose us, was he? But turns out, I was worried for naught. Because he walked right past me to the woman sitting behind me, and immedietly began flirting with her. I had to clench my jaw to stop it from falling to the floor, anger sizzled inside me as I looked at them. I met his eyes for a second and he winked at me, oh game on.

I stomped onto the dance floor, found the first good looking guy I saw and laid my arms around his neck. 'Well hello cutie.' He shouted over the music.

'Hey there stranger, wanna dance?' I asked loudly, and he nodded enthusiastically. We locked hands as we danced together, he twirled me in circles, stopped me, put his hands on my waist and pulled me close to him, my back against his chest as I swayed my hips to the music and he followed my movements. His hands were sliding up my thighs as I threw a glance Buckys way, who was staring at me, I could see him clenching his fist from here. He turned back to the woman, his furious expression melting into charm as he stroked a strand of hair behind her ear, she laid a hand on his knee in return. I cursed him silently, I had to one up him. 'Twirl me.' I told the guy and he did, then pullled me close again, hands found their way back to my waist, but we were chest to chest this time. I traced a finger along his jaw as we danced, I leaned closer to his ear and asked 'Kiss me?' and he obliged, not even taking a second to think about it, his lips met mine. When I looked back to where Bucky was sitting, he quickly averted his gaze from mine. Said something to the woman, to which she grabbed his hand and led him toward the exit. I began panicking, surely he wouldnt sleep with her? 'Could you excuse me for a second, I'll be right back.' I said in a hurried tone and made my way to the exit. I passed my family, who were caught up in a lively discussion, with several empty shotglasses infront of them. They wouldnt notice that I was missing for a while. I opened the door and stepped outside, he stood leaned against the railing enclosing the outdoor seating are, watching me as I approached him. The sound of the music druzzled iut into the air as the door shut behind me, only the thumping could be heard through the exterior. He was smoking, and the woman was nowhere to be seen. I breathed out a sigh of relief as a weight dissapeared from my heart. 'I thought you went home with her.' I said and leaned against the railing next to him, holding onto it.

He chuckled in disbelief, shaking his head 'Would that have been taking it to far?' He asked and took a drag of his cigarette.

I looked at him with furrowed brows and wet eyes, tears welling in them. 'What are we doing Buck?' I asked sniffing, 'To ourselves, to eachother, to my family.'

He looked at me, anger melting away from him as he saw my face, 'I care about you, and you care about me. Why should anything else matter?' He asked, sighing.

'Because, you do not care for me the way youre expected to, or I you. My feelings for you pass far beyond what they should be for the best friend of my dad.' I whispered, he took another drag and laid his hand on top of mine, stroking circles with his thumb. I looked down at our hands, noting the difference in size and age, 'I just- I wish you could hold me right now, but its not possible. We will never be able to have a normal relationship.' I said, my voice breaking as tears start falling down my cheeks.

'Doll, please.' He began with sadness in his tone. But I couldnt take it any longer, I pulled my hand away and ran, ran down the street, ran until the music had completley faded. My blood rushed through my ears, I could hear nothing but my own heartbeat. And for the second time today, he caught me. He circled his arms around me and pulled me into the nearest empty alleyway. 'You need to stop running from me, doll.' He panted against my ear, backing me up against a cold stone wall. 'Listen to me, please.' He grabbed my face, turning me to look at him but I closed my eyes and shook my head, I just couldnt deal with it right now, with him. 'Please, please. . . Doll.' He whispered in desperation, something in his voice compelled me, reluctantly, I opened my eyes. 'Youre everything to me, we'll get through this. I dont know when and I dont know how, but we will.' He said and cupped my face, stroking tears from my cheeks. I wanted to belive him so desperately, I leaned my head against the wall, looking up at the light from a streetlamp. 'I promise.' He whispered and kissed my collarbone, kissing his way up my neck and along my jaw. I tilted my head down to face him, hovering my lips over his, 'I promise.' He repeated, his breath humid on my lips and I met them in a feverish kiss. I would have him anyway I could.

'Your mine, Buck. Im yours, take me.' I breathed between kisses, he slid his hands down my body, down my thighs and under my skirt, finding purchase under my ass and in one smooth motion raised me into his arms. I circled my legs around his hips as he leaned me against the wall, his hands free to unbuckle his belt. I kissed him wildly, desperately, I just needed him. As his belt was unbuckled his hands returned to my waist and the small of my back, I put my hands down his pants and stroked him, earning myself a grunt from him. I pulled him out, pulled my panties to the side and lined him up with my entrance, impatient for the feeling of him filling me up. 'Please Bucky, just yours.' I whispered, and he didnt hesitate, lowering me onto his length as he slid inside. Setting a hard pace as he helped my hips rut against his every thrust. I snaked my arms around his shoulders, holding onto his neck and hair for support as a scream almost slipped out of me, but I let my head fall against his shoulder and bit down in his flesh, skin and fabric muffling my scream. He hissed at the sensation, but didnt mind all that much. The sound of rough slapping echoed through the alley, making me realise how dangerous this was. Someone could walk by any moment, 'Faster Buck.' I ordered and his pace hastened. Pressure was building inside me, I was close to coming. Buckys relentless thrusting was pushing me over the edge, quickly I came in a blind, white hot surge of pleasure. Moaning against his skin as he kissed my neck, his pace becoming irregular and came himself shortly after me.

All of a sudden I heard footsteps passing by the alley, Bucky and I froze as we simultaneously looked the other way, hiding our faces. There was a whispered 'Holy shit.' And laughing from the street as they ran away. We sighed in relief and he set me down on shaky legs, he tucked himself away and simultaneously we began laughing. Uncontrollaby, the strangeness of this whole situation had us giggling like school girls, all the while I could feel him dripping out of me.

As we caught our breath, he hugged me 'We need to be more careful doll.'

I leaned back and side-eyed him, 'You dont say?'

He grabbed my chin and kissed me 'Dont give me attitude right now.' He whispered against my lips and circled an arm around my waist for support. Silently and slowly we made our way back to the bar, ready to end the night.

When we arrived, my family was emerging from the bar and waved when they saw us. 'I was wondering where you'd gone off to!' Dad exclaimed.

'Someone wanted to go for a walk' Bucky said, nodding to me, 'And seeing as she couldn't walk straight I figured it'd be best if I accompanied her.' He chuckled.

'What a gentleman, looking after our girl.' Mom said, adoration in her gaze as she looked at Bucky. I chuckled, straining to repress a second outburst of laughter and Bucky poked me in the ribs in silent warning.

'Good man!' Dad said and punched Bucky playfully on the shoulder, 'But we should really get going if we want to arrive home before the sun comes up.'

'And whos fault is that?' I asked, daring fate.

Dad quirked an eyebrow at my remark and ruffled my hair. 'Lets go kiddo.' He laid an arm around me, taking Buckys place and we were homebound.

I threw a glance his way as Bucky fell into pace next to my brother, who was chatting naerrily with him. Bucky nodded, mouthing 'Its okay doll.'

Accepting that this was our reality.

Tags: @larajadeschmidt13 @cjand10

[struwberrii]

chapter 3 : terms and conditions ⋆⭒˚.⋆

masterlist

you look up from your bakery duties, prepared to greet those who just walked into your shop, when you hear a familiar laugh. standing in the entrance of your bakery was osamu, atsumu, suna and a guy you hadn't seen before. you felt your heart skip a beat when your eyes locked on suna.

you quickly catch yourself and go back to helping the current customer youre with. all you could do was hope he didnt catch you staring, hed probably think you were a total weirdo or something, or even worse, you could just be boosting his ego.

in between helping customers and packing orders, you exchange quick glances at your phone to check on what akaashi is up to

after 2 more customers you finally reached osamus group.

"heyy y/n! how've ya been?" osamu smiles at you, you smile in return and greet him and all his friends.

"so you're the infamous y/n" the friend you hadnt seen before holds out a hand to greet you. "infamous?" you question, worry rushing over your body, what have these guys been saying about you?

osamu kicks aran in the back of the knee from behind the counter so you werent able to see. "i talk very highly about yer bakery, these guys know all about ya!" osamu nervously chimes in, followed by a forced laugh.

"yeah, nice to finally meet you, i'm aran" he smiles shaking your hand firmly. you take his order and add osamu’s regular to the order as well, then you take atsumus order, then finally sunas.

“what do you suggest, y/n?” suna speaks up after examining the menu for a minute. “our cheesecakes are pretty popular” you smile, pointing to a few flavors in your display case. “is that your favorite?” you look up from the display only to see suna staring right at you, he had no interest in the cheesecakes. you felt your face heating up at the interaction.

“uhmm…. my favorite are the chocolate chip cookies, i put a lot of work into those” you smiled “i’ll try those then” he smiled lazily. you returned the smile and added the brownies to his tab. you then go to package his brownies and hand him the bag. “thanks” he says taking the bag from you, he turns to make his way over to his friends at their table, but stops and turns back to you. the business in the shop had kind of died down, you had started to make you way to the back until you heard your name called out

“y/n”

“yeah?”

“do you want to, uh, sit with us?”

“uhm, sure!”

you feel your palms get sweaty as you make your way around the counter to the table, one of your employees taking over the register

just as you pull out your chair to sit down you hear the doors of your bakery open. you look over and see akaashi staring back at you with a confused look on his face as he walks up to the ordering area.

“i think it’s bout time i properly introduce myself to ya, im atsumu miya, but cha can just call me tsumu’, i play volleyball on the msby team” he grins at you while tearing UP the banana bread and milk tea he ordered. it’s a little funny watching him talk about himself with bread crumbs all over his face, you couldn’t help but smile, it seemed like everyone was really enjoying your baking.

“oh, and i’m aran, i also play volleyball but for the tachibana red falcons, ive known these 3 idiots since high school though” he laughed, leaving the floor to suna

“we’ve already met, but yeah, i also play volleyball” he replied flatly. jeez, why even ask me to join you. “aren’t cha’ gonna tell her what team you play for!!” atsumu nudged him on the arm “i play for ejp” he says to you turning his phone off and putting it down for the first time since you’ve sat down

“so, how’d you meet osamu?” aran asked. “well we opened a few weeks ago and osamu was kind enough to bring some onigiri over as a welcome gift, after that we’ve kind of just been friends” you smiled. “wow, samu being nice, almost hard to believe” aran says side eyeing osamu next to him.

“woah” suna suddenly speaks up, you look over and see him taking a bite of the cookies you made. “these are actually a lot better than i thought they’d be” suna says looking at you with stars in his eyes. this was the first ounce of emotion he’d shown since you first met. “it’s like, you can taste the love that was put into these” suna smiled genuinely. “that’s probably the $45 flour yer tastin’” samu laughed. “yeah i must say, your baking is other worldly y/n, you’ve got serious skills” aran says validating sunas claims. “thank you guys so much” you smiled feeling your face heat up again

the rest of the night went smoothly, the conversation even continuing after closing at 8pm. akaashi had left about an hour ago and you felt yourself finally feeling comfortable around your new found friends.

“hey, how bout we all go to karaoke later, my treat!” osamu suggested.

everyone agreed and started to pack their belongings up. “i’ll have to close up shop but i could meet you guys there!” you smiled. “that’s fine, we’ll just go get a room and order drinks and food while we wait, it shouldn’t take you long right?” aran asked. “nope! maybe 30 minutes? and then i’ll be on my way”.

“here, put your number in my phone and i’ll text you the information” suna said handing his phone over to you. you knew he was just giving his number over to give you directions, but you couldn’t help but feel your face heat up at this gesture.

“i already have y/ns number y’know?” osamu cocked a brow at suna while you typed away on his phone. all suna did in response was shrug at the brunette in front of him, earning an eye roll from osamu. “i’ll text you soon” suna smiled at you as everyone waved goodbye on their ways out.

just as you begin to lock up shop you get another notification from suna

you already decided you weren’t going to sing but hearing everyone else sing sounded really fun, especially suna, you wondered what type of song he would pick or how his voice would sound. once you got to the karaoke spot you noticed someone waiting outside. suna? why was he out here all by himself.

“hey suna! why are you out here?” you asked curious.

“just getting some fresh air, oh, you’re here” he said standing up straight. “to be honest, karaoke isn’t really my scene” he admitted sheepishly.

“oh, me neither” you laughed in return

“wanna ditch?”

taglist: @karasusrealwife @iluv-ace @cc1306 @wakashudou @kawahearts @weirdowithaphone @sugacor3

(comment to be added to the list :)

[hearts4violett]

dead man

tw: r4pe (not done by/to fez or ash), abusive bf, murder, and the rest is just sweet

(i was r4ped 3 days ago so this is kinda my way of coping, also this is my first time writing on here so im sorry if it sucks lol)

why did this have to happen to me? thats all that you could think as you stumbled your way to the house you always go to in times like these, fezcos house. this time was different. usually you would go there after you and your boyfriend had an argument which would result in him hitting you. fez and ash had always told you to leave the guy. they hated him more than anything in this world. you had feelings for fez and he had feelings for you, but your boyfriend was in issue. ash had seen you as a mother. he loved you to death and would do anything for you, both of them would.

this time though was worse than you couldve imagined. your boyfriend came home drunk as he usually does and was in the mood. you said no and he didnt like that, he took it as a challenge. he had forced himself in you and left you when he was finished. hes probably out drinking again. you finally make your way to fezcos house and knock on the door softly, having no energy from walking and what your boyfriend had done to you. Ash opens the door and sees you, blood running down your legs, mascara and tears smeared down your face, and your hair going every which way. ashs face drops and its then that you see fezco come from out of his room.

they took you in instantly. fez sat you on the couch as ash went and got a blanket. "Did he do this to you?" Fez wasnt stupid, he knew what he had done and so do ash even though you hadnt told them. As i stare off blankly, i slowly nod, the words not coming out. Ash wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and walked to the other room. I knew what he was going to do.

Ash walked back in and tossed a gun into fezcos lap, ash having one of his own. "Lets go fucking kill him." I turn to look at ash and then to fezco who was shaking with rage. How could someone do this to someone like you? you were kind and gentle and you didnt deserve any of this. Fez turned to you "You want me to kill him for you? I'll do it, ill kill that motherfucker, just say the word." He said as he reached out and held my hand. Again, all i could do was nod. He was a dead man.

Me nodding my head was all fez and ash needed before getting up and walking to the door. Fez looked back at me and mouthed the words I love you before leaving. i sighed, as if i knew the one thing in my life that made me want to die, was going to be gone soon. I got up and made my way to the bathroom to shower. I could feel his hands still lingering on me and i couldnt stand how dirty i felt.

While stripping off my clothes, i noticed the marks he had left on me. He had left hand prints on my neck and bruises littered my body. I wanted to cry at the sight of them, but at this moment, i couldnt. my body couldnt produce a single tear. I wish it would though.

After getting out, i felt better in a way. less dirty. i went to fezcos room and stole a tshirt and some boxers. Fez always told me i was more than welcome to wear his clothes when i stayed here. As i had finished putting on my clothes and brushing my hair and teeth, i heard the door open. I peeked out and there stood ash and fez, covered in blood. He was finally gone.

Now my tears started to work. I let out a small sob and ran over to them, hugging them tightly. "Thank you" i whispered out. They hugged me tightly, as if i would disappear if they let me go. Fez rubbed circles on my back and caressed my hair. Ash had walked away to clean up. "Hes gone, baby, its ok" fez says quietly. I was finally free.

I took my head away from the side of his neck to look at him, i wanted nothing more than to be with fez forever. I finally could and i knew he would take care of me and do anything for me.

[xamaxenta]

Ace yawning and showing off his huge sharp chompers and Marco misses his mouth twice with his spoon cuz he was staring like uhh

Namur helpfully points out that hes got sauce on his shirt and Fossa asks if he’s had enough sleep as of late

Thatch however knows because Thatch always knows and Thatch is also incredibly nosey (this has nothing to do with his magnificent schnozz being almost as large as his hair—)

“I hear he was raised in the jungle.” Thatch says conversationally

Ace still sits a small ways away from them, newly appointed second division commander and he’s still holding them all at arms length

“Heard he took out hunter beasts thrice his size with his bare hands.” Thatch adds, his voice lowered to a dramatic hush

Marco would’ve challenged that if they hadnt seen him take out a sea king solo the week prior

“Whats your point” Marco phrases his question as stoutly and forthright as he can muster this early in the morning

“What im saying is youre a beastie.”

“Thanks.” Marco says dryly

Ace yawns again like a large cat, heavy canines on display

Marco gives up on his breakfast

“And what im catching on is that you wanna be his dinner next—“

Marco stands abruptly, its not that Thatch is wrong, its just that Ace has keen hearing and as far as hes concerned, Ace doesnt see them as anything beyond a working relationship

“We will talk about this later.” And by later never, everyone knows this because Marco is unfortunately a very busy man

“Sure.” Thatch draws out the syllables annoyingly, his grin coy in the smarmy manner he’s always gotten into trouble for

Marco leaves trailing blue gold plumage, the back of his neck prickling from the gaze of a new predator following him all the way out of the mess

Ace remembers to blink when the door closes gently behind Marcos retreating form and he looks down at his empty plate and then at Deuce

Deuce regards him with faint disconcert but that might just be his general expression, its hard to tell with the mask

“Dya know your eyes do this weird thing when you do stuff like that?”

Ace doesnt know, what he does know is hes gonna go get thirds, he offers seconds to Deuce who declines

“What does that even mean?”

“Your pupils do this weird cat slit dilation thing.”

“Cats are cool.” Ace replies and walks off unperturbed towards his apparent weird cat shit.

Deuce thinks maybe he couldve explained himself a little better, or maybe Ace truly doesnt really care. He’s not exactly worried about Marco or anything, Ace is young and strong sure but still leagues beneath anything the phoenix was capable of.

He’s not supersitious but something nags at his subconscious, invest in earplugs, they. Probably would come in handy

[ace-of-gay]

A Mountain is home

I currently dont have a masterlist set up for this collection but i hope you enjoy this none the less, this will eventually be posted on ao3 but i dont have an account currently

Warnings: age regression (not very in depth) , self destructive stimming like scratching pulling on tail thrashing and hitting ones self during a neurodivergent meltdown, quite panicked reader, reader has trauma, reader is a full ghoul this time cause this is still my interpretation of a fantasy universe <3, cuddles and ghoul-piles!!!

The word muzzle is used multiple times over but is referring to a mouth cover to symbolize silence

I headcannon mountain as autistic, no shoes for lifeee yup thats all

age regression is a coping mechanism that can be both voluntary and/or involuntary it is entirely safe and reccomended by therapists if they believe it would be effective for said person but as mentioned for some people it is entirely unpredictable, if this makes you uncomfortable please scroll away thank you <3

Not betad or edited

Word count: 5,611words (it basically wrote itself)

Youd been summoned just a week ago and it already seems as though youre once again fading into the background, no one had taught you if someone of your neurotype was acceptable in todays world, the bok-hord in hell or library as you read above the one here in the church of sin was not at all up to date on whats acceptable yet.

This is your second time being summoned, your first ritual was terrifying but what made it worse is they thought you were impossible to become a domestic ghoul, the uncertainty of being sent back from this one weighed on you, if you went back again no one would be there for you.

Holding yourself back and biting your tongue from doing or saying anything including the strange chirps and trills that kept you regulated, taking it upon yourself to be even more docile and quieter than the tall ghoul behind the drums, no matter the situation not a peep has been heard from you, all you did was play your instrument, there was no jumping around putting on a presentation, the others however did so, its just practice but you hadnt earned your place, you could always be sent back for even the most minor of slip up, its happend before and you for sure wont let it happen again.

《~♡~》

Friday nights are prime for the others, the guys in a ghoul-pile and girls raiding the fridge for snacks while watching a film, in the common area designated for only ghouls no one wearing their mask but yourself, only passing through doing your best to keep in the shadows, if youre out of place surely youll be duely punished, the first time you were summoned your family and friends were disappointed to see you sent back but your mother worst of all had said she had expected it , you had no place yet, so your room was for you the closest to safety.

Locking the door to your room as soon as you returned; taking off themask and the muzzle of sorts, some ghouls had facepaint instead but you weren't vocal so there was no reason, finally now to a safe place you let everything fall from its people pleasing manner into what felt most like yourself, jumping up and down to get your blood flowing and thoughts swarming.

"Who needs others when you can feel at home just being yourself", clicking and pacing and flapping your hands you were trying to catch up to what your body demanded, but

It just kept spilling, from the deepest places in your mind, crevasses full of discomfort, confusion, irritation and just the most overwhelming feeling that could muster  itself from your being.

Nothing was working, it was too late to regulate and your mind took to a melt down, shaking your head wasnt good enough, grabbing hold of your horns, you violently shake yourself around, tail whipping and slashing all around you, and than the crying.

Oh how the crying was the worst part, shoving the muzzle back on it didn't do much for silence but its still an attempt, everyones expectations ringing shrill in your ears, you didn't come from a happy home, your family torn apart by sinners from christs hall a completely different take on sin, as it caused harm.

Hands over your muzzle to silence just a bit more if possible and than the silent choked sobs, more physically painful but it wouldn't draw attention, thats the last thing you wanted, slamming your fists down against your thighs followed by tugging on your tail and scratching the spade of it until it hurt, the only thing that could regulate you was small jolts and shocks of pain and than it stopped, you were right back where you started, silent but this time you felt like a kit.

A tiny kit who got told that they need to learn to be normal, but for the time being there was the innocence, nothing would happen if you weren't, you were just different, and you were alone but you were still safe.

Putting the helmet back on, you take all of the blankets and pillows that are in your room and shove them under your bed, taking the cover sheet and creating a curtain between the floor and the frame, all of your tiny kit-like self holed up in one place, a place as small as the family and friends in your life had made you, maybe this time you were sent here to be safe.

Fixing up the nest you made under your bed you let yourself hide away from the world, be as small and pure as your mind could muster and let all the terrible feelings melt away, chirping and trilling quietly as you lay there eventually being held close and coddled by darkness, falling asleep you would not return to the common rooms until most necessary.

Grabbing food and hiding once more, at some point when you were in the library and had found scratch paper, a sketchbook , a couple pencils and a mess of tacks set out in a bin that had the word 'FREE' in print on it for anyone to partake in the activity of drawing, collecting the supplies and a few books on ghouls with neurodivergencies, and just a simple fairy tale, you embark back to your room.

Over the weekend you had covered the walls in the corner of the room under your bed with fantastical pictures of your dreams, and drawings of each ghoul and papas youve seen so far.

《~♡~》

When monday came it was back to breakfast and lessons in the morning, lunch after practice around noon and communal chores, the others were very loud today, as for yourself youd been silent like predicted but you could feel eyes on you and could hear bickering but nothing quite clear of their words.

making dinner for everyone was the last thing, it was easy, it was one thing your family didn't ridicule you over, your cooking made anyone who was having a bad day feel better, there was so much passion that anyone could see and taste.

your tail flowing in an easy, comforting sway and a smile hidden under your muzzle, the first smile to bare your face outside of your room and it felt like this was what would give you your place to stay.

Dishing everyones plates with your home-made meal and taking it to the ghouls and ghoulettes where they each were was apparently unexpected and out of their ordinary, but you had no idea, how would you when you hide away, maybe they would take that into consideration. This was also one of the first times you got to hear others address you, smiles and bright eyes shared when they where blown away by your cooking, you dished up yourself and sat at the island counter crouching on a wooden stool, sitting on them hurts the backs of your legs and crouching was more like hugging yourself anyway.

Soon enough people would march in putting their dishes in the sink giving a thankyou and a smile or a compliment to your cooking, slowly eating your food, savoring each bite, the comments from others causing your tail to pick up its sway with a little flick in it, maybe itll be okay.

You go to put your dish in the sink after rinsing it off when the tall guy from behind the drums approaches, while just as quiet as you he was also playful like the others.

"Hey y/n dinner was amazing, i cant wait til next week to see what you come up with" he exclaimed, "im mountain by the way, i know i didn't exactly introduce myself at all since you first got here, we wanted you to settle in, you seemed very stressed" he added before someone shouted for him from the other room, leaving with a smile and wave.

There was no expectation for you to respond, no expectation to look someone in the eyes, you let out a small chirp joined by a small movement in your hands.

《~♡~》

Back in your room you let your tail wag wildly,  pulling the books you'd been reading up on, you had gotten from them the fact that over the years some churches of sin have allowed a better understanding and acceptance for people and ghouls alike with neurodivergencies to be better recognized and seen as equals, there were things they didn't tell you about back in hell when you were told of your neurotype, like your sounds and movement for self regulation was called stimming and that it can be harmful but it can also be helpful just depending on the purpose and action, you had copied information from the book down on resources and important things you thought would help, these books were the most helpful and the fairy-tale was perfect however you needed a new one since youve read this one so many times you knew every line, you take the books back to the library.

Putting them back on their respective shelfs you pick out two new fairy-tales and stop by the free stuff bin, taking pencil lead an eraser and a new sketchbook, youve already filled your first one in just a few days, you dont have anymore room on the walls around your nest for more loose paper sketches so you need the sketchbook instead.

On your walk back to your room admiring the stained glass windows, lost in thoughts somewhere between regression and big feelings, letting them mingle and intertwine,

So lost in thought you dont see when papa copia started coming closer until he spoke up, "good evening y/n" a small scream torn from you as you are brought back to right now practically jumping out of your skin, your eyes big as you process who it is, the first time anyone has heard your voice in any way and it obviously had to be a panicked scream, this wouldn't sit well with your family, your mind shifting farther into regression, just wanting to be in your room again.

"My apologies little one" littleone? Is it that obvious you think to yourself, "it was not my intention to frighten you, i see youve taken a liking to the library, what books have you got there?" Hanging your head in shame and slight worry you show him the two fairy-tales and he breaks out in a grin "i remember reading those, i might have to look at them once more! A very good choice, Molto bene indeed" finishing up your silent-sided conversation you rush quickly back to your room, theres been too much interaction and what did papa copia mean by 'little one?'

《~♡~》

After a few days of this halfsided banter from the ghouls and papa youre started to feel a little more comfortable.

A knock on your door pulled you from your slumber, the first couple times had made their way into your dream, you get up and open the door to the ghouls and ghoulettes standing in the hall, a few smiles making their way on a few faces, and thats when you realize youre not wearing your mask or muzzle, heat rushing to your ears and cheeks causing your cool grey skin to tint purple, hanging your head in embarrassment while rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, "were sorry to wake you but were meeting early today because papa has a meeting with the clergy and after lessons and practice mix we have the rest of the day off", nodding you return into your room to get changed and to put on your muzzle and mask, the group waiting outside of your room for you to walk with them.

Lessons and practice going by quickly you find yourself in the library,helmet off, curled up and tucked into one of the couches reading another fairy-tale, looking intently at the pictures, your eyes irritated from not getting all of the sleep you normally get, theyre slowly drifting shut, you can only stay awake so much longer before your mind takes you to a rem sleep.

Waking up to mountain shaking you awake he smiles gently, "hey sleepy head, i was looking for you, its lunch time but it seems as though youre tired, we'll get you to your room and ill bring lunch to you there" he was a gentle giant ghoul and although you haven't said anything to anyone youre starting to warm up to him, he puts a book mark in the book and helps you up handing you your mask, you decide to just carry it with you.

Opening your door he hands you the book and you set it down atop your bed along with your mask, "do you want me to knock when i come back?" Thinking for a moment and shaking your head 'no' you'll probably just be asleep again, taking off the muzzle you set it with your mask getting ontop of your empty bed you curl up waiting while slightly dozing.

When he returns he walks in with your plate in hand, "wheres you stuff bud? Did they move you into an unready room?" You once more shake your head, pulling up the bedsheet curtain putting your nest on display, "aaah a safe spot, i completely understand, im here if you need anything, just holler my way" he kids while stepping out.

"Can you- stay?" You mutter through a slightly broken voice, catching him off guard, youre not sure why you asked but he seems easy to open up to, hes kinda like you.

"Id be honored"

You sat there mostly quiet eating but occasionally you'd respond and every time he would be looking elsewhere but the smile on his face said he was paying attention.

The more you got to know him the more you realized youre very similar to him.

《~♡~》

The next couple weeks youd spend lunch with him sharing stories while you sat in your nest and him at your desk, he talked about how fond the ghouls and ghoulettes and even the papas were of you, they all looked forward to you hopefully someday talk full sentences with them but for now with you slowly coming out of your shell, wearing your mask and muzzle less often and spending more time somewhat near the group, for now they were content watching you grow and become more of yourself.

You gave each person a sketch youd do of them from observation and mountain even brought you another sketchbook when he noticed you were running low on pages, you told him why youve been scared to come out of your room and your past experience with your previous summoning, you however didn't tell him why it failed but he understood itll take some time.

《~♡~》

One evening after another one of your delicious meals you were invited to watch a movie with everyone, accepting the offer you show up in your hoodie you just recently bought and pajama pants, socks with sticky tabs on the bottom so you didn't slip on the marble floors, you balled yourself up in a beanbag chair, others had grabbed pillows or stuffed animals from the pile in the corner, you go over to look through the pile, pulling out a well loved multi-textured dog plush, smiling and taking it over to your spot with you, focused on the textures, "very good choice little wisp" mountain hummed, your tail thumping against the bean bag chair, your cheeks and ears dusted purple once more, "i haven't held one since i was very small" you return.

After the movie you gave the plush one last hug before placing it atop the pile, "you know if you want you can take it to your room with you, we have them here for everyone" he encouraged but you shook your head, "he would miss his friends and i dont want to take someone elses opportunity of loving him away", little did you know the ghouls left in the room all felt their hearts melt, this wasnt new to them, theyve met ghouls and people whose minds are permanently part kit, they wouldn't say anything until you said something first, youre part of the family, you deserve to do it on your own terms.

Just the next evening when you returned from the library you come to find a black gift

Bag infront of your door with a tag that has your name on it.

Entering your room you set everything down before you open the bag, youre met with a soft multi-texture plush almost identical to the one from the other night but this one had weighted feet,and a book of several fairy-tales with a few purple tabs on certain pages along with it. A card that says, "a plush specifically for you and your love, i hope you give him a wonderful name, and a book my mother read to me when i was just a kit, one that you dont have to take back to the library"

Holding the plush out infront to look at him your headspace slipping quickly, thankfully you were in the safety of your bedroom and he would fit perfectly into your nest with you.

With plenty of time between now and dinner time, your chores being done and someone else being on dinner duty you took right now to relax.

in comfortable clothes you lay down in your nest with your book and the stuffy you named chip cause he reminded you of chocolate chip cookies, you named him late at night when you were feeling very small and it just stuck.

Closing your eyes when the words in the book were adding to the strain, from all the light today, hunger pulling a whine from you, if you slept for now youd wake up at the perfect time to eat dinner, you might even sit with rain and talk about the books youve read recently outside of the fairy-tales.

Being pulled out of your dreams by someone gently shaking you awake and calling your name, confusion built it way to your face, he doesn't need to knock but normally he chooses to, what brought him in?

"I know youre sleepy but its dinner time and i know you like your routine,  i tried knocking but you were out cold" he states after reading your scrunched and slightly confused face, handing you your bowl, tonight cirrus and swiss made dinner together.

Mountain sits on the floor across from you as you both ate in a comfortable silence, thats one thing about him, he tries to make sure hes not being a trigger for anyone with misophonia.

Eating slowly and running your hand along the textures of your stuffy, "s'named chip" you just barely say aloud, causing him to smile, "thats the most perfect name for him, does he give the best of cuddles?" Nodding youre completely unaware of the fact hes talking to you as if you were a kit, he was just being kind and attentive for all you knew, and while yes thats completely true he also saw through your silence, hes talked to semi-permanent kit-minded ghouls and he knew it was for safety of mind.

Both of you done with dinner, you pull out your sketchbook as he gets up to take the dishes to the kitchen, standing in the doorway looking down at you with a smile upon his face, "do you want me to come back after i put the dishes in the kitchen?" Watching as you ponder for a moment before nodding, looking up at him, never once more than now have you longed for physical contact with someone but you little mind craves it.

He returned quickly to see you moving your nest about, your movements less exact and a little choppy, he could see the irritation when the blankets wouldn't flatten out so he got down to help, fixing it for you he sat back on his knees when you planted yourself down closer to the wall than normal, you pat the spot next to you while holding chip close to your chest.

"You want me to cuddle little wisp?" He questioned already taking his jacket off before you hummed in response.

Cuddling was very common amongst ghouls so there was no questions asked as to why

It was naturally so second nature for most.

Curling into him he holds you close, your head resting on his chest, you could just fall asleep right now but you fought that instinct so you could savor a moment of feeling completely safe, where youre not being overstimulated.

"When i was first summoned i read those exact same books on ghouls with neurodivergencies, i remember reading that someone with a mind like the one both of us have can easily struggle in public environments or around new people"

He retold, causing you to question how he knew you read them.

"Oh wisp, i can hear just how stirring you mind can be, i saw you walking back to the library to return them, i want you to know that you are safe here with me and all of the others, im honored to cuddle, i didn't join a ghoul-pile until several months of being here."

Nodding to yourself, taking a moment to process his words when your own  join the party.

"Jus cant do touch with others almost ever, makes brain hurt and than hurts me aswell"

Your eyes started to sleepily flutterand he picks up the fairy-tales book he brought you, opening it up to one of the purple tabs, some of his favorites.

He read you to sleep, when his pants were starting to put deep seam imprints  into his legs causing him discomfort, he goes to leave the room but is stopped by you plea for him to stay, "ill be right back little mouse."

And like promised he did return in much more comfortable clothes, a blanket and a comfort item of his own, cuddling back up with you halfway ontop of him, covering the both of you with his blanket, setting your temporarily forgotten of stuffie in the corner above your head along with his.

《~♡~》

From than forward you and mountain spent Friday nights in your room reading and cuddling, going to lessons and practice together, he was helping you open up, when it would be your night to make dinner, which you had requested to have more than once a week instead of sink duty because soggy wet hands felt offensive to your skin, he would sit at the island watching unless one of his chores intercepted that period of time or if another ghoul requested his company.

It took five months to ease you out of you shell, at four you had brought up the regression and neurodivergency topics to the others and than out of fear you hid in your room for the weekend until dew stopped by inviting you to watch a movie with the others which you happily obliged to do so, remembering that its okay to be around others and be yourself, that night you sat on the couch behind the ghoul-pile falling asleep with chip in your arms, your tail intertwined with mountains.

Not wearing your mask unless you needed a break or everyone else was, copia had taken you aside at one point to find fabrics that looked like the others but were sensory safe so when it was time for uniforms you would feel comfortable.

At night you would go out to the garden in secret and jump around, spin, stomp, trill, chirp, coo and so much more. It helped tremendously.

《~♡~》

Tonight unlike the others was much louder in your head and harder to feel okay, already regressed you tried stomping around and flailing your hands but without meaning to you were once more pulling on your tail and scratching it painful and raw, the garden was closed for the night with new fertilizer being put down, taking chip you trail your way down to one of the last rooms, the shiny name plate reading 'mountain' you gave a slightly too heavy knock on the door, rocking back and forth on your feet, he answers and is suprised to see you standing there with deep grey tear tracks down your face, chip under your arm and your tail in hand scratching as you fumble with your words.

Letting you in he pats the bed for you to sit down while he turns on the light and pulls a shirt on over your head, sniffles and hiccups break your silence, he take your hands and holds them for a moment, watching the spade of your tail drop small dots of blood onto the marble floor, "come with me little wisp, its okay" he leads you to the bathroom, picking you up and setting you on the counter, lifting his tail for you to hold on, he knew full well you wouldn't scratch his, tracing the scars on his tail had you questioning if he did the same.

As he took hydrogen peroxide cleaning the small cuts and scrapes pulling a hiss from you in reaction, "i know hun, im sorry ive got to be mean and clean it but weve got to take care of it so it doesn't get icky ya-know?" He soothes, "you see the ones on my tail, theyre from the same thing, sometimes i almost start scratching at them again but i normally just hold my tail and put lotion on the scars to feel like im cleaning it up once more"

Once hes done patching you up he once again takes your hands leading you to his bed and looking through his closet. His room was well decorated and filled, a queen sized pillow top mattress and black wooden four poster bed frame against the wall, he had a collection of old trinkets including a camera that takes film, your father used to have one, several gas masks, a homophone record player. On the wall above his desk was a cork board coverd in the drawing youd given him, small trinkets littler his desk, before you could look further he brings over a box of similar small trinkets setting them infront of you.

"You can dump the box out if you want, find whatever works best, i have plenty more" dumping them out you turn the box upside down organizing them, finding three, liking them the most you put the duplicates of them and all the others away back in the box holding onto the three youd picked out, he puts the box under his bed, seating himself next to you, leaning into his side as he turns on one of the movies you'd taken interest in, "hey wisp can i hold chip?", nodding against his chest, paying deep attention to his heartbeat how slow and rhythmic, tapping your tail against the bed in the same beats, occasionally humming and trilling, his left hand running up and down your back, occasionally running though your hair gently.

"Youre gonna be okay little mouse, ive got you".

《~♡~》

Your first ghoul pile was something very special, stuffies piled everywhere, they all had banded together to make the room perfect for your comfort, your favorite music playing in the background, dew and sunshine had found you in the library quietly crying flicking around one of the fidgets mountain gave you

Humming and rocking back and forth, chip sitting ontop of your tail, you couldn't find mountain and you didn't want to taint the energy of your nest. Sunshine sat with you as dew went to find mountain, she lifted chip for a moment, carefully intertwining her tail with yours setting chip on your tails.

Dew returned around 10 minutes late with a smile upon his face, taking your open hand with sunshine carrying chip, they took you through the abbey to the lounge where the blanket, stuffy and pillow pile was spread across the floor, mountain and all the other were waiting, some of them already cuddled up, and others walking around, drawing the curtains and dimming lights, filling up a cooler to keep near the pile, mountain lead you to the group, curling himself around you with chip between the two of you, sunshine still connected to you laying back to back with you.

The first time being so close to the others all together and for once your brain lets it happen, youre not sure whose hand is running through your hair but it causes you to chirp, nuzzling you head into the hand.

Swiss tapping his forehead against yours, "youre welcome to stay as long as you need, this is your pile."

Theyre all so much more calm and centered on one another when theyre cuddled, with the warmth from all of the bodies it made it very easy to slip into a smaller headspace.

Cirrus reaching over mountain to wipe away the tear tracks with a wet cloth, they already had a feeling youd be disoriented with the news of the tour starting at the end of this month and the arrival of the outfits.

Cooing and trilling, others trilling back made you excitedly laugh.

《~♡~》

Youve been attached to at least one ghoul at all times, they knew you liked holding tails until you had to use your charm to pass as human, copia gave you a hug before he headed out first.

This was the first time youve seen mountain wear shoes, it looked as abnormal as it felt to not have a tail.

Standing in your place when papa introduces the band, not paying attention to him but instead the piece in your ear counting down til the lights cut off and mountain and dew are counted in, mountain looks to you taking an exasperated deep breath telling you to take one aswell, feeling the lights go out and the beat of mounts drums through the floor, counting the cymbal crashes and its time for you to join in, as soon as your hands start moving, you feel it, absolute euphoria, youre radioactive with energy,  the fans going wild, youre practically thrashing as you play, prancing around and jumping when youve got time to spare you run up front adding flair and showmanship to the ceremony, interacting with the others.

By the end youre absolutely drained, enough energy to hop about and screech getting rid of the last bit of energy, if all of the tour is like this youre gonna have an absolute blast, mountain hands you a couple drumsticks for you to throw after taking a bow, and than perching yourself in 'frog crouch' on mountains riser next to his drums watching everyone go about their ending routines, people throwing stuff on stage, bracelets and flags to hand made gothic style stuffed animals, the ghouls picking some stuff up to look at em, handing them to the designated ghouls if there was a name and handing the rest to anyone else like yourself, the ghoulettes and even papa, swiss picked up a couple hand made stuffed animals bringing them to sit next to you.

When it was time to leave the stage mountain came over opening his arms, you lean forward wrapping your arms around his shoulders and he sets you down on you feet, grabbing the teddy's leaning into his side, hes completely drenched in sweat but so are you, it was practically a work out so it was worth it.

In the van having let down the human charm you wash up and slip into pajamas, the stuffies and bracelets set in your bunk you stare out the window waiting flicking your fidget around, Cumulus walks by stopping to give you a hug, "you did great wisp, your energy was so contagious. ", nodding and tapping your forehead against hers in a silent communication, you were absolutely exhausted.

As soon as mountain is out of the shower you push yourself into his chest, finally time to rest, and with your favorite ghoul no doubt,  he hands you chip, folding into one another he holds you gently, as he pulls out the fairy tale he reads your favorites in the book, looking down when youre not humming out your regular vocal stims he realizes youve fallen asleep with your head on his chest, his hands running up and down your spine, tail occasionally thumping against the bed followed by nuzzling against him, "sleep well little wisp, you were so radiant tonight.

《~♡~》

Your room at the church of sin was finally decorated, still sleeping in your nest, the ghouls helped you assemble a proper loft bed with the mattress from your previous bed as part of the nest below, stuffies from the tour everywhere and bracelets hung on a set of racks to display them, posters scatterd on your walls, some plushies piled on the top matteress but keeping that open for the most part if someone wants to hang out. A bookshelf full of normal books and fairy-tales,  a starry curtain over your window with a matching opposite one around your nest. Chip in his spot as always hes constantly waiting for your cuddles.

Drawings of both your own and others, many interpretation of what fans saw you as, they call you gargoyle, but to the ghouls youre just a little wisp or little mouse, you were your most accurate self, you were finally at home.

(Accidentally posted the unfixed version, sorry bout that)

[simplydannie]

Previous: Part 1 || Part 2

A03 link here!

Floyd is called as everyone in Bergentown worries about Velvet….

The snarky, spicey girl they once knew replaced by this broken, fragile thing. Floyd figures it has something to do with her brother as she explodes at the mention of his name…

They both also discover that someone is on the hunt for her…but who?

Velvet hugged herself as she stared at the breakfast that lay infront of her. When they had given it to her it was warm, but that was about an hour ago…She wasn’t hungry, not one bit. It was probably what, a day since she’s had a proper meal?

Standing at the doorway of the dining area were Poppy, Branch…and Floyd. They stared at her in silence, observing her actions and movements. It was obvious, this wasn’t the Velvet they had seen back at the Rage Dome. That Velvet was fierce, determined, eager, uncaring….vicious. This girl in front of them was broken…

“Has she said anything?” Floyd looked at Poppy and Branch.

Branch shrugged, “She said she was done with Rageous; that she didn’t want anything to do with that place.”

“And Veneer?”

“She came without him…Told us not to worry about it.”

“…They’ve have to had a fallout…An argument…She did blame him for them going to prison….Maybe they went their seperate ways and misses him.” Poppy looked at Floyd and Branch.

“Really? Velvet missing Veneer. Maybe when Bergens fly.” Branch scoffed. Floyd nudged his brother, his face taking on a more serious dimenor… Floyd didnt find that funny…not one bit. Yes, she was hard, even cruel…but the reality of it all…she had deeply cared for Veneer, they were inseperable. So whatever happned to cause their fallout, it had to be bad.

Taking a deep breath Floyd made his way towards the Rageon. He hadnt seen Velvet in almost a year, the closer he got, the more he realized just how different she really looked: thinner, paler…lost. Her hair was not in its normal ponytail, it draped loose around her face, a purple beanie sitting on top. The Troll hopped on a chair then on to the table. He slowly approached her…

“….Velvet?”

Hearing his voice, Velvet looked up, their eyes meeting for the first time in a long while, “…Floyd. What do you want?” Her tone was cold and distant.

“I heard you were in town. I wanted to see you…see how you’ve been.”

She chuckled, “Yeah right. What the hell do you really want Floyd? Another apology? Well we already said our sorries and paid for it in prison, thank you very much.”

She was still the same old Velvet, that much was certain…the same yet different, “No Velvet, I don’t want an apology. I genuinely wanted to see how you were doing… The others…they’ve been…worried about you.”

“Worried?”

“…They have Velvet. You seem…different. Is…Is everything okay? You can tell us you know, talk to us…”

“HA! Talk to you guys. Please. I don’t need you little rats to be showering me with roses and songs.” She mimiced.

“Velvet please. We want to help with whatever happened. Obiviously you and Veneer had some sort of fallout…”

Her head snapped up at the sound the word…at the sound of the name… “What did you say….”

Oblivious, Floyd continued to speak, “You and Veneer, something happened between the two of you, that much we know….You’re always together.”

Her eyes. There was a glow to her eyes…the color changed from their normal blue tint into a pink hue. Velvet slammed her fists on the table, causing it rattle underneath her. Floyd jumped back at her sudden reaction, as he noticed the glow in her eyes, the anger behind them.

“DON’T YOU DARE MENTION HIS NAME!” She yelled at the top of her lungs. In a blink of an eye, Branch had made his way to stand next to Floyd. The two looked at each other; both confused, both lost, “NEVER EVER MENTION THAT NAME AGAIN! EVER! ESPECIALLY YOU FLOYD! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY IT EVER AGAIN!”

“….Velvet….” Floyd began to say as he reached his tiny hand. But the Rageon couldn’t bare it anymore….the tears began to fall.

“AHHHH!” She smashed the dishes of food against the wall. Velvet growled and stalked away back into her room. She didn’t need them seeing her like this…vulnerable. There was only one person who she had ever been vulnerable with…and now he was gone.

“Velvet!” Floyd cried out again.

SLAM!

The sound of the door being shut echoed throughout the halls…

The days went by….

Floyd remained in the Bergen castle keeping an eye on the young Rageon… something was wrong, he knew that much. Yes, Velvet was always one to blow a casket, one with a short temper, but at the mention of her brother’s name? That struck him odd. He was determined to find out what happened between them, what caused them to rift part, what caused her to come all the who out here��. Alone.

She didn’t want to be seen by anyone, yet she couldn’t remain in her room all the time. It was easier for the memories to come back in the quietness and loneliness, and Velvet couldn’t stand thinking about him right now….

So she’d do something she’d done back home… she’d sneak out the window. She’d leave only in the night when she knew everyone was asleep, when Bergentown was most empty. Velvet wouldn’t do much, she’d sit down on benches, climb the wall and stare off, take a small walk on the trail…

That evening in particular Velvet made her way through a small trail that took her to a hill that overlooked Bergentown. She sat down hugging her knees, the stupid purple beanie placed over her head… she allowed for silent tears to fall.

“What’s wrong?” She heard a voice say. Velvet turned and there next to her… was her brother.

“You should know what’s wrong… moron.” She sniffed and wiped her tears.

“You’d never tell me what was wrong. That was always the problem.” Veneer sat in a manspread on the grass staring out to the little town, “I see you finally made it.”

“Shut up…”

“It’s not that bad right? Sure maybe quieter than what we were used too, but I think we needed that change. Don’t you.” Veneer turned to smile at his sister. She only sat silent still hugging her knees.

“You’re wearing the beanie!”

“…. Why did you like wearing this stupid thing so much….”

“Cause it was dads.”

Velvet froze. She had forgotten… this belonged to their father once. Veneer so wanted to be like him, he loved him… she did once too. Why didn’t they run to him when they were in danger? Why did she have to convince her brother to do otherwise?

“….. why did you have to leave me?” She whispered, her tone so low, almost silent.

“Because, my journey was over. This is yours now.” He reached over placing a hand on her shoulder….she felt it, she could feel his touch…

When she looked, there was no one there, he was gone….

“Come back…. Please come back…. I can’t do this alone….” Burying her face into her knees she began to cry. Everything felt hopeless, she felt helpless…. She was alone…. Was she really though? Her father was still out there. Was he even looking for them? Did he even care?…. Should she go back?

“Velvet!” She heard her name being called out… she knew the little voice… Floyd. With a grunt she stood up and began walking off.

“Hey! Hey wait!” Floyd moved his tiny legs as quick as he could as Velvet stomped farther and farther away from him…

….Eyes had been watching her from the bushes. It had been used to track her scent. She was alone. She had been still, but then that little Troll came in and made her move. It waited, but a voice beaming from its collar ordered a command, “Kill that little Troll if it get’s in your way. Bring the girl now!”…..

“Velvet! Come on are you seriously going to have me follow! I’ve already walked a hundred miles right now.” Floyd began to loosen his breath. He heaved over breathing hard…his health really hadn’t been the same since the whole ordeal in Mount Rageous. With a heavy grunt, Velvet turned around and snatched Floyd up by his hair, “Woah! Hey! A little nicer would do.”

“If I am going to carry you, you’re going to shut up.” She demanded, placing him on her shoulder. Floyd looked at her as she treaded back to Bergentown in silence.

“….Velvet?” He began to say.

“Oh my gosh don’t! Don’t say anything. Don’t even ask anything, or i swear I’ll flick you off my shoulder.” She mumbled. Floyd quickly shut his mouth…. Perhaps right now wasn’t the time to mention anything…especially Veneer….

The hairs on his head quickly perked up, a chill going down his tiny, little spine. Velvet noticed his change in mood and stance…. Did he sense something?

“The hell is wrong with you?” She asked arching her eyebrow towards him, “I’ve never seen a Troll act like this before…”

“…..Something….isn’t….right….”

SWOOSH!

From out of the nearby bushes pounced a big creature: It’s color and spots-like a leopard, but it’s body and fur like that of a wolf, six legs coming out of it’s body, big huge fangs bearing at Velvet as it starred at her with glowing yellow eyes….she recognized this creature….she’d only hear about it and see pictures…

“…What the hell is one of these doing way out here?” She muttered. The creature launched at her. She screamed as she dove to the ground, the creature only missing her by mere inches. Floyd held on for dear life. He noticed the collar around its neck…it belonged to someone…

“VELVET RUN!” He yelled. Without a single hesitation or protest, the young got to her feet and took off running back to Bergentown. The creature leaped and took off in hot pursuit behind her. What the hell was she thinking? She can’t out run it. So Velvet reach out for branches and twigs, logs, brush, anything she can toss in its path to slow it down. Floyd turned to face behind, staring at the creature as it neared their heels.

“DUCK NOW!!” He screamed as it leaped towards her again. She screamed again as its sharp claws grazed her arm. She cried and winced in pain as blood began to trickle down, “VELS!” Floyd cried. She got up again and ran…She could see the Bergen gates ahead.

“Help! Help!” She cried as she saw some guards standing amongst the walls entrance. They heard her cries and noticed her desperation as they saw what was at her tail. They couldn’t risk opening the gate and letting that thing in. Tossing a roped ladder, they cried out to her, “HURRY UP!”

….Velvet panted as she began to run out breath. She let out a yell as she leaped towards the ladder, grabbing hold as they began pulling her up…Thankfully, that thing wasn’t much of a jumper…it wouldn’t be able to leap the Bergen wall. It tried, only barely scraping her foot as Velvet was pulled up to safety. The Bergen guards peeked over.

“What in the world?” One murmured.

“…Looks like it can’t jump…at least not this high…Go around the wall! Make sure everything is secure. That nothing can get in. NOW!” The chief commanded, “What the hell is that thing?”

“…..A Bandersnatch…” Velvet murmured holding her arm, “…I don’t get it…They’re only find in the woods near Under Rageous…how the hell did one get all the way out here?” Noticing her bleeding arm, some guards quickly ran for a first aid kit.

“It had a collar around its neck. Seemed pretty well groomed too.”

“What, that hell creature belongs to someone?” She looked down at the tiny Troll.

Floyd nodded, his face still twisted in thought, “Didn’t seem like we were in its territory either…Seemed really fixated on you too.” He looked up at the Rageon. Velvet stifled a laugh.

“What? Someone sent that thing after me? Ha!” Her smile faded as soon as it appeared as the memory of that day 3 months ago came to mind…The day he was….Was it possible that someone was after her? They weren’t able totally catch her, she ran off before they could, luckily making it out of the woods of the under-city alive…

“…Velvet? What’s wrong?”

She turned to look down at the little Troll. Should she tell them? Were they now in any kind of danger? After they bandaged her up, Velvet took a peek over the wall…there it was, the Bandersnatch still glaring up Velvet, waiting, thinking…plotting.

“Shit.” She murmured. Suddenly she gasped touching her head…The beanie!…It was still on her head. She sighed in relief…The beanie…The purple beanie that was once….

“….I need to make a call.” She looked up the Bergens.

“Sure. Follow me.”

Floyd looked at her, confusion across his face. He saw the Bandersnatch pace before finally lying down, staring intently at the wall…it was hunting, and he was sure it was hunting Velvet. He ran off towards the castle…

Velvet was led into the security room which contained a landline. She waited till she was alone, her hand hovering over the phone, her breath shakey, palms sweaty, “….Screw it….” She picked up the landline and dialed the number. She was hoping there would be no answer on the other line, but at the same time, she wanted to hear his voice, she wanted to hear something familiar again… Her and her brother were the only two to know this number. It was given to them long ago to use for emergencies…

“Velvet?” The voice sounded from the other side. She could tell there was a mix of fear and worry. Velvet didn’t respond, she wanted to hear him say her name again… “Velvet? Please tell me that it’s you…Please.”

“…..Hey dad…..” She finally said. Agitation flowed through her veins: she should be angry at her father, hate him. But here she was missing him, loving the sound of his voice, wanting him to hold her like he did when she was smaller…

“Where are you?”

“….I….I don’t want to tell you…”

“Dammit Velvet. Where are you? You’re in danger!”

….A moment of silence passed between them…. He finally spoke…His voice soft…

“….I found him…You’re brother…I also found the bastards who did it….”

“….What did you do to them?” She asked.

“They wont be making the same mistake again…EVER.”

“..Good…I wish i could’ve done that myself.”

“He’s home…He’s next to your mother now….I need you to come home too.”

“…I can’t…”

“Why not?”

“….Because…..Because….” I can’t be somewhere where he isn’t anymore. Everything is going to remind me of him…And I still haven’t forgiven you, is what she wanted to say…but she couldn’t, “…I just can’t dad…”

“Dammit Velvet you’re in danger. I have men looking for you outside around Rageous. How close are you? How far?”

“….I just…wanted you to know i was okay…I…I….”, I love you dad, and I’m sorry i couldn’t protect him.. “Bye dad.”

“Velvet!”…..

She hung up…

For the first time in her life, Velvet didn’t know what to do. She didn’t have a plan….her plan was to call her dad and tell him about what happened…but hearing his voice…it was different. Who was after her? What the hell did they want?…And were they the same ones that sent the goons after them? The same ones that killed her brother?

“Dammit! Dammit!” Vaughn pounded a fist against the desk as soon as Velvet hung up on him, “Why the hell did she have to take after me?” The number she had dialed had patched her through encrypted cell phone….He had done this for a reason long ago: if ever his children were in trouble, or they were forced to call him, that number would patch them through…and he’d be able to track them.

He looked up at the map that displayed on the screen, a red markings around the area the call originated from….

Why the hell was she all the way in Bergentown?