#but imagine driving down a dark forest road at night

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

a lil while back i had a dream where there was a giant hippo in the road with moose antlers. i've never climbed a tree faster

[put-me-through-the-wall]

𝜗𝜚 Down the Rabbit Hole 𝜗𝜚

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Captain John Price x Fem!Reader

Work Count: 4.9k (I don't know what happened...)

Summary: Reader wanders a little too far off the path. Good thing such a nice older man came to help.

A/N: It's halloween y'all!! I freaking love halloween and all things spooky and scary. So I thought maybe I should write something really scary to fit the occasion. Okay so technically yesterday was halloween but better late than never. Let me know what you guys think. I don't think I have any smut out yet?? So please let me know any feedback or thoughts you have. I love you all so much!! 𝜗𝜚

Warnings: This story contain dark themes. Not to spoil but this one does contain DUBCON/NONCON elements, intoxicated reader, drugging, light bondage, kidnapping, forced impregnation. If you are not in the headspace the read this please scroll on. I will write some nicer things in the future.

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With a sigh you pull out your phone, the blue light illuminating your face in the dark night. Just to find you have no cell signal this far out, of course. You try calling a few people but not a single call would go through. A simple dial tone rang out much to your dismay. Leaning back against the bumper of your car, you can feel the heat radiating off your exposed engine. You look towards the propped open hood of your tired vehicle. 

The hissing machinery creates a pillar of steam when mixing with the chilled October air. Your leg bounces nervously while your eyes scan the surrounding forest. There are no street lights, no houses, not even the sound of cars whizzing by on a nearby roadway. Just dark woods and the crickets chirping. You mentally curse yourself and your friends for convincing you to drive so far out on your own. 

You spend a long twenty minutes going back and forth between trying to find service along the road way and seeking warmth in the shelter of your car. Your costume doesn't provide much cover against the autumn cold. Clad only in a restricting corset top, tiny ruffled shorts, fishnet stocking, and shiny white heels. Topped off with a pair of fuzzy bunny ears fixed to a headband and a little white tail attached right above your butt. It looked better in your mirror at home when you were imagining sitting in a hot crowded house party surrounded by familiar faces. 

Your focus breaks from the car's owner manual when you hear a distant rumbling. You hop out of the driver's side seat and look to see a blinding set of headlights coming your way. As the lights come closer at a rapid speed you wave and step closer to the asphalt to catch the driver's attention. 

Thankfully it begins to slow and rumbles to a stop a few feet short of your car. The driver kills the engine along with the annoyingly bright LEDs. Thet turn their hazard lights on, bathing the area in a blinking orange glow. You are stunned for a moment while your sight adjusts back to the dim night. You make out the shape of a large pickup truck through spotted vision. Its boxy silhouette shows a vehicle past its prime and out of style. You take that as a good sign thinking the owner must know something about taking care of cars. 

The driver's side door creaks open and out comes a pair of boots dropping onto the roadside. When they slam the door you see a large shadow saunter towards you. Heavy steps crunch on the earth below. 

"Thanks for stopping" You cross your exposed arms over your chest hoping they don't see the way you're shaking. You pretend like this isn't a total horror movie scene right now. Telling yourself the shivers are from the frigid air, not fear.

"You alright?" A thickly accented english voice asks. The figure finally reaches you. You have to crane your neck up to look him in the face, his broadness could swallow your quivering frame. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. My car not so much" you gesture back to the front of your lifeless automobile. He looks over you and hums in understanding.

"I can take a look for you," He steps past and takes in the sight under your hood. “What happened?” He takes a moment to unbutton the cuffs of his shirt and scrunch up the sleeves. 

“I don't know. I was just driving and then I heard some weird sounds then it started driving funny.” you attempt to explain.

“What kind of sounds?” he asks.

“I don’t know,” you shrug.

“Like a rattling, a pop, what?” 

“If I am being completely honest I had the radio up kinda loud so I can’t really remember. I just know I heard something then it started to shake and slow down.”

You watch as he leans forward, large hands braced against the low bumper. "Do you have a flashlight?" his tone is flat, is he mad at you?

"Yeah," you pull your phone and click on the flashlight. You stand on the side of the car and try to hold it steady with both of your shaking hands. 

"You can come a little closer," he looks up and smiles. "I don't bite"

You give a nervous chuckle and step around to the front of the car. Still careful to keep a good amount of distance from the stranger. 

"Can you- here let me just," his large hand wraps around your wrist and gently draws your hand further out until you're almost bent over reaching across the space. "That's better." 

He checks different areas, twisting and tapping on a few parts. Checking the levels of the various fluids. Occasionally repositioning the angle of your flashlight with a firm yet polite adjustment of your arm. 

"Have you called anyone yet?" His gentle eyes look up from underneath his thick brow. 

You hesitate for a moment considering the implication of your answer. He holds your stare as you try not to appear nervous. "Yes, I called roadside assistance but they won't be here for a while. They know I'm here though." You rush out a lie. 

"Hm, yeah we're pretty out" he looks back at the machinery. He stands up straight, brushes his hands off on the thighs of his jeans. "Looks like you're not going anywhere."

Your stomach tightens and you pull back your flashlight leaving you both in the darkness. 

"I can fix it but I'm going to need to go back to my place and grab some tools" He pulls the hood of your car down and slams it shut. "Or you can wait for the guy to get here. You'll be waiting for a while though"

You hold your phone tight in your palm feeling torn between trusting this stranger or going back to being stranded. "Um," it's hard to think with the constant waves of shivers going through you.

"Or you can stay here in the middle of the woods by yourself. Up to you," He pulls his keys from his pocket with a jingle and walks around you, back in the direction of his truck. 

You look between your own car, the dark tree line, and the tall man getting further away. 

"Okay!" You call to him. He turns and watches as you reach into your open car door to grab your purse and keys. You lock the door behind you and walk towards him. 

You hear his door squeak open then his truck rev to life you. You quicken your pace to reach the passenger side, not wanting to be left alone here for another second. Before you can grab the handle he is reached over the long bench seat pushing to open from the inside. 

"Glad you could make it," his cheeky smile causes his eyes to crinkle in the corners.

"Better than getting mauled by a bear" You haul yourself up and into the seat. The interior is still warm which allows you to relax a bit while your shiver subside. You take in the roomy cab of his truck. Nice leather seat, very clean, smells good. Surely he is just a kind older man wanting ti help out a stranded, clueless woman. 

"You'd be alright. Bears normally hunt in the mornings. Bobcats on the other hand, that's what you've got to watch out for." He places his hand on the gear shifter, "Seatbelt," and nods down towards the unclipped buckle.

"Okay but first, can you promise you're not going to kidnap or kill me?" You stare him down as he holds a faint smile.

"I'm not going to kill you," he chuckles

"You see, that's exactly what a murderer would say," you are only half joking with that statement but buckle yourself in anyways.

"I guess you're going to have to trust me then" He focuses his eyes forward and pulls onto the road. 

"I don't even know your name." 

"I don't know yours either" he counters

"Fair enough," you consider it for a moment before telling him your name, and he tells you his. 

"I don’t mean to be rude but, what's with the outfit?" he glanced your way for a moment. You don't miss the way his eyes trace down your figure. 

"I'm a bunny, duh." You point to the fluffy ears fixed to your headband. His brows remains drawn in confusion. "It's halloween," you continue stating the obvious. 

"Is it?" he finally puts it together. "My work has been hectic. It's easy to lose track of time. Heading to a party, then?" he asks.

"Was. I think I took a wrong turn a few miles back but I lost my cell signal so, I couldn’t get the map to load. Then my car died."

"That's some bad luck. Maybe you should look into getting a lucky rabbit's foot." He raises his eyebrows and chuckles.

"Ha ha," you respond humorlessly. "Look, the costume would've been a lot better with my friend. She's supposed to be a magician. Y'know like a magician pulls the white rabbit out of the hat."

"Right," he nods.

"Yeah, but it looks like I won't be making it tonight. I'm not too upset though. I'm not much of a party person."

"No?"

"No way, I'm a homebody. I hardly ever leave my house if I'm being honest. I work from home too so that keeps me pretty busy. Wow, sorry I didn’t mean to tell you my whole life story," you chuckle nervously.

"’S alright, I don’t mind. Your boyfriend doesn't take you out?" he asks.

"Boyfriend? No, I don't have a boyfriend." 

"Sorry, I just assumed. I mean, you're a pretty girl. Hard to believe you don't have someone to look after you." 

"Oh, thanks" a bashful blush rises up your cheeks. "Like I said, I don't get out much. Not many opportunities to meet people. Which is part of the reason my friend gets so mad at me. I've canceled on her the past three times she has asked me to hang out. She had to beg me to come tonight. I kind of feel bad though. She's probably going to think I bailed again."

"When we get back to my place you can use my phone to give her a call if you'd like," he offered. 

"Yeah, I probably should."

Looking out the windshield you can make out speckles of light ahead, breaking up the dense forest. John makes a final turn and you find yourself pulling up to a very nice cabin. Wood paneling lined the exterior framing several expansive windows which emit a warm yellow light behind the closed curtains. The glass panels stretch high to the sloped asymmetrical ceiling. The architecture looks straight out of the seventies. 

"Wow, this is your place?" you ask in amazement. "What do you do for work?"

"I work for the government," he states simply before turning off the truck and exiting. He walks around to your side and opens your door. He offers his hand to you which you shyly take as you hop down from the elevated cab. "Your hands are cold," he gives your hand a small squeeze fully enveloping it in his palm. "Let's get you warmed up inside."

He ushers you up the driveway, his hand now transitioned to your lower back. You can't deny the way his touch makes your stomach flip. He opens the door and you step into the cozy home. 

You are greeted by a vast living room. A long espresso colored leather sofa sits among matching chairs all facing towards a large stone fireplace. The space is washed in varying shades of warm browns and oranges. A beautiful thick rug lays across the glossy hardwood. 

"Sit, let me get you a drink. Would you like some tea, coffee, a beer?" 

"I'll have a coffee," with your confirmation he stepped through the living room to the connecting kitchen. Your eyes follow him as he disappears through the doorway. "Government job, huh? You must be very important." You step to one of the bookshelves that sit on either side of the fireplace. Scanning the many titles there. 

"I guess you could say that." He laughs. "Do you take cream and sugar?" 

"Yes, please." Your finger grazes the spines of the books. Many biographies and historical nonfiction among his collection sprinkled in with survival guides and warfare tactics.

"How about some Bailey's?"

"Sure,” you shrug. Maybe a little spiked coffee and make you relax a little.  

He reappears with two steaming mugs in each hand. He offers one to you which you happily accept. Wrapping both hands around the cup, allowing the hot drink to unfreeze your fingers. He holds his gaze while he takes a sip and then releases a gravelly groan in satisfaction. You follow suit taking a sip, feeling the warmth descend in your throat and radiate in your chest. 

"Not bad?" 

"No, not at all, thank you,” you smile sweetly. 

"How about a fire? Get you warmed up and then I'll go grab those tools, ay?" He doesn't allow you to answer before he sets his mug on the coffee table and kneels in front of the fireplace. 

You sit on the couch and watch while he makes quick work of getting the fire started. It's not long until he nurses the little flame into a roaring fire. He grabs a few fresh logs to throw on top before getting up and taking a seat next to you. 

"Feeling better?" He asks as grabs his drink once more and settles into the cushions, arm slung across the back of the couch behind you. 

"Much" With your cup now half empty you begin to feel the alcohol go straight to your head. You aren't surprised though. You haven't eaten all day in order to fit into this strangling outfit. 

"I like your costume, by the way. I don't think I said that earlier. Not sure if I would've stopped if you didn't look so cute" His hand reaches from behind you and flicks your artificial ears.

"Hey" You adjust the head piece back in place. "This was a lot of work to put together, I'll have you know." You attempt to convey your seriousness but can't help the giggle that escapes. 

"Oh, I can tell." His hand slips down from the back cushion to brush across your bare shoulder. The light touch makes your skin erupt in a flurry of goosebumps. "You're still pretty cold, bunny. Let me get you something warmer to put on." 

"I'm okay, really. I'll warm up." You take another long sip on your hot beverage. "I feel fine."

"I insist" He rises from the couch and politely holds a hand out for you. 

You are hesitant for a moment but seeing the persistence settled on his face you accept. "Alright," you relent.

He leads you down a dim corridor to the last room on the right. He pushes open the cracked door to reveal his neat bedroom. Very much resembling the rest of the house. A giant perfectly made bed sits in the center of the clean area. Makes sense considering the large man that sleeps in it. A lone lamp illuminates the room giving it a hazy appearance. Or maybe that's just your clouded mind. 

He steps past you towards his dresser and pulls open one of the drawers. He pulls out a large shirt then a pair of pajama pants and hands them to you. "Not sure how well these will fit but it'll be more comfortable, I'm sure"

"Too bad" You look down at the folded clothes in your hand. "Feels like a total waste of a costume."

His eyes scan down your body once more. "I don't think so" He walks past you towards the door. "I sure got a kick out of it" He smiles and turns to close the door on his way out. 

"John," you rush out before he goes. 

"Hm?"

"Can you, um-" You look over your shoulder at him. Still facing away from him. "Can you untie me?" gesturing to the lace up back to your corset.

"Yeah, uh,” he clears his throat. “I can do that" he takes measured steps towards you. As though a hunter may quietly stalk up to its prey. 

You look forward again and stand up a little straighter when his warm hands rest on your shoulders. They slowly slide down your back and onto the dense fabric. Fingers trailing over the layer of ribbon and boning. Finally he reaches the large bow at the base of your back. You feel the ribbon unwind to hang limply. Edges skimming the back of your thighs.

His strong fingers wedge themselves in the gaps between the laces. Tugging each intersection with meticulous movements so as not to throw you off balance. Your hands rush to press the front of your corset to your chest when you feel it begin to slip. At last you can take a full breath. 

Feeling his touch retreat after finishing the task you turn back towards him. Neck craning up to meet his eyes. The height difference was much more apparent from this close proximity. 

"Thank you,” your voice coming out just over a whisper.

"It's no trouble" He matches your hushed tone.

Your heart is beating out of your chest. Maybe it was the drink, or the fact that you were touch starved, perhaps even the fact that it was halloween but you felt bold. Bold enough to release your hands and allow the undone corset to fall to the ground below. 

Without a moment's hesitation John harshly grabs the back of your neck and smashes his mouth into yours as if thats the sign he’s been waiting for. Lips collide in a hot rush. His stong arms pull you flush against his broad frame. Deep groans rumble from his chest. 

Your sluggish movements make you struggle to keep up with his hectic pace. Your hands sliding up his neck to tug at his cropped hair. One particular harsh tug draws a growl from him. 

He walks you backwards across the room until the back of your tight clad legs meet the soft comforter. He releases his hold and you fall backwards onto the mattress. 

He towers over you. His chest heaves with each breath as he stares you down. Your stomach flutters, unsure if it is due to excitement or fear. You begin scoot backwards up the bed but as you make your way towards the pillows his hand encircles one of your ankles.

"Not so fast little, bunny," he tugs your leg harshly and pulls you back towards him. He doesn't waste time as he dips his fingers into your tiny ruffled shorts yanking them down in one swift motion. 

He climbs over you, wedging his thigh between your legs. His hand maneuvers around your lower back and behind your neck. He pulls you back into a heated kiss. 

You feel the pressure from his muscular thigh press against you. You unconsciously grind your hips into his leg while he swipes his tongue across your bottom lip. He assists in your movements as he grips your hips, rocking you back and forth.

"That's it, pretty," he leans down to mumble in your ear. "I can feel you soaking through those little panties," then giving your earlobe a nip.

Moans slip from you with each movement. Rutting pathetically, unable to stop yourself as you near closer to your edge. He dips down to your neck expertly finding your sensitive points. Biting your pulse then soothing it with his tongue. The friction from his jeans rubs against your little cotton underwear and fishnets. 

"John, please," you whine, unsure of what you're asking. 

"Go ahead sweet girl, cum for me." His powerful grip digging into your waist. 

With his words of approval paired with his hot mouth moving along your throat, you begin to unwind. Tipping over the edge, your legs tightening around his own. The knot in your stomach finally snaps. Back arching into him and loud moans pouring from you. A rush of heat fills you and until you finally slump back into the bedding. 

John loosened his hold around you. A hand coming up to move hair away from your face. "You're a dirty little girl, aren't you? Humping my leg to get off. Nasty thing, you are." 

A blush of embarrassment rising across your already flushed face. The shame morphs back into lust as you feel a tightness reform in your stomach. 

John sits back on his knees and begins to unbutton his shirt. Your eyes can't help but to land on the massive bulge formed in his pants. A thick outline straining against the restricting denim. He finishes stripping off his shirt revealing his burly chest. You sit up to run your hands down his bare skin. Leaving kisses along the line of hair leading from his chest into his happy trail. 

Your hands skim lower to find the buckle of his belt. You make quick work unbuckling and unfastening of his jeans. Hurriedly yanking down the offending material just enough to give way to his tight boxers. Your mouth salivates at the sight of his hard cock straining through the thin material.

Before you can rip away the final layer he grabs your wrists. “Not so fast,” he chuckled. Gathering both your wrist into one of his hands easily he uses the other to swiftly pull his belt from it loops. He takes the belt and wraps it around your wrists, securing them tightly together. 

“Needy girl,” he mumbles. His rough palms traced down your arms then along your waist. “Taking whatever you want,” his fingers skim along the pattern of your fishnets. “It’s my turn now, bunny,” once he reaches your still clothed center. Finger grip the threads of your tights and rip them open. Completely tearing the flimsy strands to fully expose your panties. 

He slides his fingers across your sensitive clothed cunt making your hips thrust into him. “Oh, bunny. You’re soaked,” his eyes flick back up to meet yours. The black of his pupil now blown out almost completely consuming the previously blue iris. 

He takes your bound wrists and pulls them over his head. Your arms now wrapped around his neck, your bare chest flush against his. He pulls you into his lap, your legs straddling his hips. Not bothered enough to fully undress he jerks down the waistband of his boxers. Allowing his thick cock to spring out. Fingers frantically pulling aside the drenched material of your panties, exposing your throbbing heat. 

He grinds his hips up to meet yours. Sliding his cock easily through your wet folds.

“Oh god,” you whimpered as his head rubs against your sensitive clit. “Please, fuck me” 

Needing no more prompting he pulls your hips back and lines himself up with your needy hole but not yet entering. “You want this?” He dips just the tip of his head in, teasing your dripping entrance. 

“Yes, please,” you beg, looking at him through your lashes. You desperately try to grind your hips down but he holds you in place. 

“What good manners you have,” he continues to tease and thrusts the tiniest movements, never fully entering. 

“John, I can’t wait anymore, please, just- please. I need it. I-” Your string of pitiful begging is interrupted when he finally yanks your hips down. His length fills you completely in one smooth thrust. Your eyes roll back at the sensation as he fills you to the hilt. 

He lets out a guttural moan once he is fully inside of you. “You’re so fucking tight,” he groans. His head dropped in the crook of your neck, biting the soft skin there. Mustache and stubble scratching along your collarbone. You yelp at the pain of his bite but he doesn't relent. Your pussy tightens around him as his teeth sink into the tender flesh. 

His arms move from their grip on your hips and fully wrap around your back. He begins to thrust up into you. Not easing into the movement as he immediately drives his hips up at a brutal pace. As if he were unable to wait another second. 

Unable to grip into anything with your bound hands, you find purchase digging your nails into the leather of the belt. Your head tipping back limply as you can only take his cruel ministrations. 

“Is this what you wanted?” He grits out through his teeth, each word punctuated by his hips driving up into you. His cock pounds into your cervix making a flurry or stars burst behind your eyelids at every hit. “Is this what you’ve been needing? A good fucking?”

You mumble out a pathetic, “Mhm,” unable to fully process his words. His fingers dig into your shoulder and back. You are fully engulfed by this giant brute of a man. 

“I know you do. I knew from the moment I saw you. Looking so sweet on the side of the road.” He chuckles darkly. Continuing to hold you tight against him he leans forward until your back hits the comforter. Your legs lock around his back while he holds your hips in place. The new angle has him pounding into your sweet spot over and over. The friction of his hair rubbing onto your clit creates the building of renewed heat in your stomach.

“You gonna cum again, pretty? Let me see you do it,” his thrusts slow from the frantic pace to a slower harder stroke. His arms lay on either side of your head while he studies your features. Hard length easing out of you slow enough for you to feel each ridge and vein. Then jerking his hip harshly back in. 

Your head was feeling fuzzy. A drop of salvia trailed out of your lips and down your cheek. Your high was getting closer with each thrust. Eyelids fluttering shut as you feel the knot tighten in your stomach. So close to release. Your walls contract around him causing your legs to tighten, toes curling. 

“Hey,” John snaps harshly. When he receives no response he gives you a light smack on the cheek. Hard enough to make your eyes pop open in shock. “Look at me, pretty girl. I need to see those eyes,” his words sound warm but he grips your jaw in place with a stern hold.

Your eyes flutter while you struggle to keep them focused on him. Coming closer to the edge. “Come on, you can do it. Don’t make you give you another smack. I don’t want to hit you, pretty girl. Don’t make me” his tone dripping in condensation. “That’s it, give it to me. I wanna see you come undone, bunny.”

Then you snap. A series of shockwaves ravages your tired body. Shooting sparks of electricity race through your limbs. Your unfocused eyes stayed fixed on him throughout your climax. Your back arches high into his chest. Fingers ball up tight, desperate for something to grip. Your mouth drop open agape in a silent cry. Tear form in the corners of your eyes threatening to spill from the over stimulation. His harsh movements not granting you mercy in your fraile state.  

“God, I can feel you squeezing me. Oh, pretty girl, I'm gonna fill your sweet cunt,” he moans. Hips increase in pace as your tense muscle loosen in exhaustion. 

“Wait-” You murmur, hardly able to get your words out. Only a string of incoherent mumblings follow. Your brain is completely clouded. You know you can’t let him finish inside. “Please, no,” you whimper. “Can’t”  

“It’s gonna be okay, sweet girl. I’ve got you. I’m gonna fill you up and maybe I’ll get you pregnant.” He says with a wicked smile. “You want to be my little house bunny? Fuck you until you get big and round. Walk around pregnant barefoot,”

Alarm bells ring in your ears but you aren’t able to fight against his strong hold. Your limbs remain weak. Useless to pull away from his embrace “Please” you whine, “I can’t”

“You can, bunny.” His thrusts grow erratic, losing their rhythm. “Gonna be such a pretty mommy,” His hand slipped underneath your head allowing thick fingers to tangle into your hair. His hands closing into a fist giving the strands a sharp tug. The other hand wanders down to your hips. Holding you firmly in place with a bruising grip. 

With one final thrust he releases a loud, guttural groan. Teeth bared in exertion as he reaches his own climax. Cock pulsing inside of you, draining his seed into your weeping womb. All you can do is tighten your jaw as you attempt to push, kick, scream, anything but you just lie there. The faintest gasp leaves you when you feel his warm load pool inside of you.  

“You made it so easy for me,” he laughs. “You just got in my truck. Walked into my house. Silly girl, you don’t even know me. Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to talk to strangers.” 

He gives a few more gentle pumps before pulling out completely. Leaving your aching cunt feeling empty. He leans back and stares down, watching him cum drip out of your still quivering cunt. 

“You know, I put something in your drink. Took a little while to take, though. Got to you just in time I think. I was going to wait but you wanted it, didn’t you? I like seeing that dumb look in your eyes.” He grabs your jaw and moves your head back and forth while you stare blankly back at him. 

“Couldn’t let a little bunny like you get away, could I?

ﾒ𝟶

Taglist:

@azkza @Miss-mistinguett @contractedcriteria @hidden-treasures21@Sprokat @ebodebo @coooookie15 @from-vuka @ninman82 @talooolaaloolla @​​roastyyytoastyyy @mipitt141 @doingitfortheplot @Hatterripper31 @Fleurydelacoury @eternallyvenus @loversroxk @Creepingeva @mackzack08 @nishim

[javispunk]

I can’t protect you

Summary: After a week car ride over the state with Joel, you both decide to settle for a night at the forest. You didn’t like the idea, but Joel convinced you otherwise. He didn’t make the right choice and blames himself for what might have happened, but you know how to calm him down.

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader (no relationship established).

Content/Warnings: +18 SMUT (minors please don’t interact!) unprotected sex (p in v), violence (mention of use of guns and straight up violence - Joel beating the shit out of everyone), mention of rape.

Notes: Excuse any mistake, as english is not my first language. If you have any requests you’d like me to write please let me know! Comments and reblogs are always appreciated (let me know what you think!). Thank you for the support!

“Are you sure this is the right way?” You asked worried. “It’s just that we’ve been driving for hours and it all looks the same to me.”

“Yes, don’t worry.” Joel returned. “We’ll make a turn soon.”

Your relationship with Joel wasn’t very straightforward. You never got too close, but could keep an interesting conversation if you wanted to or if you needed to. You were friends. You held that title with caution, noticing he most of the times kept everything to himself and didn’t really talk much of his past. Which is understandable. He was never once rude to you in any way, but he also didn’t really shot you smiles or tried to make you laugh. You were just kind of there, with each other. Your presence made noticed by each other but never too invading. Never too close.

You noticed Joel turning left into a path that was clear from any type of vegetation. Soon enough you saw a forest.

“Joel.” You began. “What are you doing?”

You saw him grip the steering wheel to complete his turn. “We have to stop, it’s already dark out.”

You looked at him with apprehension. Sleep in the woods? Alone?

“Do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, sleep in the actual woods?” Your voice was somewhat just a whisper.

He looked at you, his eyes trying to find the reasoning on your mind to stop him from doing this. “What about it? There’s not any type of civilization for the next hundred miles, we have to sleep somewhere. The forest is safer than on the side of the road.”

“Joel, I don’t know…” you continued.

You averted your gaze on the trees that became taller as you approached them together still inside the car. It soon came to a stop, as Joel pressed the brakes gently.

“I know it’s not ideal, but it’s all we got right now.” His eyes showed empathy, searching in your face for a sign of relief or understanding.

“Well, yeah I know. It’s just that it’s so… exposed. I feel super exposed out here. What if clickers appear?” You protested, fear beginning to show up in your voice.

“Clickers are not a problem here. We’re so isolated. They won’t come.” He assured you. You looked at him for a few seconds, hoping he’d listen to you. “Either way, clickers won’t be our worst problem.” The air got heavy as he spoke. Your expression got more deep with fear. When Joel noticed, he gave you a quick smile and spoke once again. “I’ll go grab the sleeping bags and put them outside.”

“Outside?” Your voice higher than usual.

His face serious and surprised. “Yes, outside.”

“I’ll stay in the car if that’s okay.” You grabbed your jacket to cover yourself with it.

“No no, you’ll freeze to death. We have to make a fire outside.”

You didn’t even consider that option. “I’ll be fine.”

“Absolutely not. Cmon, help me get our things please.”

You watched him get off of the car quickly. You took longer, as you looked outside your window and tried to look in between the tall slim trees that dominated the space. This was unfamiliar. You could only imagine dozens of clickers running in your direction in the middle of the night. Your gaze then followed Joel, who passed your window with two sleeping bags on his arms and his shotgun on his back. You jumped out of the car, bringing all of the blankets you had, as well as both of your jackets.

Once you approached Joel, you handed him his. “Thank you.” He smiled.

You kept your eyes on him longer than usual while he put it on, his smile captivating you, as it was not shown easily. He quickly grabbed his own sleeping bag, while you copied him, trying to seem like you knew what you were doing.

You never really did camping before the world went to shit. You watched him unfold his sleeping bag, hoping he would not notice how unfamiliar you were with your surroundings.

“We should start that fire.” His voice broke the silence.

You kept looking at him, until after a few seconds, his eyes darted at you, watching you carefully.

“Oh you want me to-“ you started, before he interrupted you.

“Only if you want to.” He stopped making his bed for a second.

You shifted in your place. “No no, I’ll do it. You keep doing that.” You gestured.

You didn’t know how to start a fire. You didn’t even know where to begin with. You stood still, looking around you and evaluating what branches you’d grab first. Your body frozen in place.

You saw him look you up, body crouched on the floor, arms supported on his bent legs. “You know how to start a fire?” His voice serious as ever, even though it didn’t announce a condescending tone.

Your eyes met his, asking for help. “I don’t…” you started. “I never really got to do this before-”

“That’s alright, you don’t need to explain.” His body ascending from the floor, after leaving his sleeping bag unattended.

“Well… what can I do?” You asked, hands folded in front of your stomach.

“You can rest if you want to.”

“I must do something, Joel.” You insisted.

His hands grabbing bigger pieces of wood that he found near by, holding them between his torso and underarm. “You can prepare the sleeping bags. Or you can make coffee.”

“That I can do.” Your shy smile making his resurface.

You had a soft spot for Joel, you always had. Since you laid eyes on him. He was attractive, yes. And he was caring, always. But he never really gave you the opportunity to open up in his presence. You guys were just sort of there, hoping to keep company to each other. Nothing ever happened, besides the occasional glances or the longing stares out of the blue. Joel was a little bit older than you, that wasn’t really a problem for you but the thought occurred to you that maybe it was an impediment for him. Maybe he’d like a more mature woman, his actual age. Sometimes you’d think about it, but rapidly shoved the thought out of your head. It was somewhat absurd.

You put the water to boil, hoping the time would go faster. You just wanted this night to go quick.

When you were done with preparing the drink, you quickly realised Joel had taken care of basically everything else. Your sleeping bags were ready to be used - each one at a safe distance from the other - and the fire was already beginning to gain force. Joel even brought some logs for you guys to sit around the fire.

You grabbed a mug full of coffee and brought it to him. “Thank you.” His face lit up by the yellowy orange fire. “You’re not gonna drink some?” He asked.

You shook your head. “I’m okay.” If you drank coffee it would just leave you more restless.

“You can go sleep if you want to. I’ll stay in watch duty, I can wake you when it’s your turn.” He adjusted the riffle on his back before taking another sip of his coffee.

“You don’t mind?” Your voice sounded like of a child scared of the dark. You were tired, so you could use the rest.

He shook his head, assuring you. You slipped into your designated sleeping bag still in your outside clothes, there was no such thing as pyjamas. You closed your eyes and started to drift off slowly.

Needless was to say your sleep didn’t last long. The overwhelming fear of being in an unknown place, of being not completely alone but just with Joel’s presence, no kind of community that can guide you or protect you in some way. The fear of not being able to save yourself from whatever might attack you. Either clickers or men. The thought didn’t occur to you until Joel mentioned it earlier, but clickers really weren’t your worst problem. There could be men scavenging unknown or uncivilised lands, hoping to find whatever they wanted, either food or arming. You began to roll in place, inside the warmth of your sleeping bag, but not even that made you comfortable enough to close your eyes. Once you faced Joel’s direction still wrapped on the blankets, you saw his back to you, on his feet, noticing his always present stance while holding his shotgun.

Your eyebrows furrowed in strangeness. You carefully, slowly got up, but Joel still managed to look your way.

“Do you wanna rest now?” Your tired voice broke the silence.

“No, I’m okay. The coffee’s helping.” He pointed to the half empty mug on the floor.

“I made sure to make it strong.” You smiled.

“Thank you.”

“But seriously.” You interrupted him. “Go rest, I’ll watch now. I can’t sleep either way.” You gestured for him to give you the rifle.

He shook his head, hoping you’d give in.

“C’mon Joel. I can work a shotgun.” You half laughed at his gesture.

“I know you can, I just don’t want you to. Go sleep.” His voice deep as ever.

“The fire is going out, and God knows I can’t do nothing about that.” You nonchalantly pointed at the crackling a few feet away from you. “Someone has to hold the gun.” You put your hand out.

Joel looked you in the eye dead serious before breaking a smile. “You’re insufferable.” He walked over to you, placing the gun harness over your head, you adjusting it to your size. “There you go.”

“Thank you, sir.” You jokingly stated.

You saw Joel crouch on the floor, working on the fire as it grew bigger and smoke made it’s way up through the tall trees.

“It should be good for another 3 hours or so-”

“Now sleep.” You ordered.

“I’m not gonna leave you here while I sleep.” He said while he kept gathering logs of wood.

“Shh.” You ordered once again.

“No, honestly, give me the gun-” you interrupted him again.

“No, shut the fuck up. Did you hear that?” Dead silence followed your question.

Joel looked at his surroundings with worried eyes, before a voice made itself known.

“Hello, hi!” A man appeared from behind the slim trees, his hands in the air over his head. Joel rapidly got closer to you, positioning his body almost in front of yours. You moved away from him, immediately pointing the shotgun to the man’s chest. “You can put the gun down, honey.”

Your eyes stayed still on the man’s face, not moving a muscle.

Joel’s voice sounded rispid. “What do you want?”

The man looked at him with apprehension. “I’ve been walking alone for a few weeks now, I don’t have anything on me. I haven’t eaten or drunk a single drop of water in two days.” His left hand moved to his stomach, resting there for a few seconds before moving back to the air.

“We have nothing to give you.” Joel’s voice came out cruel.

“Joel…” you spoke softly next to him, trying to attend to his empathy. You had water you could give the man, it wouldn’t really make a difference to both of you.

The man shifted his look between the both of you, giving Joel more attention. “Please.” He begged. “If you have anything… “ he stuttered. “I’ll take anything you can give me.”

Joel looked over at you before leaving your side and grabbing a tin of water from the car. He walked slowly, trying to evaluate the man’s facial expressions and actions. He stayed still most of the time, out of fear you thought. You looked over at Joel purposely slowing down his pace. After abruptly putting the gun down on the floor, you reached over to him, grabbing the water yourself. You wouldn’t deny anyone a single drop of water. Joel called out your name once you left his side. You ignored him and approached the man, extending your arm in his direction, still careful to not drop your guard down. You watched the man’s right hand approach the tin, but quickly passing over it, rapidly grabbing your wrist. Your arm came next. What happened next unraveled in a matter of seconds.

Joel shouted your name next to the car, quickly running to your aid. You called his name back. All of a sudden you heard gunshots coming from behind the trees. You saw Joel grab the gun from the floor and point it immediately to the man grabbing you from the back now.

“Shoot him, not fucking her!” The man shouted.

Two other men appeared from the dark, you imagined still not getting close enough for Joel to fully see their figure. You saw Joel aim the gun to one of the man behind you. You couldn’t see them, and you just felt the hands of the man grabbing you so you wouldn’t run away. You saw Joel fire one bullet, hoping he did some damage. He then moved the shotgun over your head, fixating his aim over your right shoulder.

“Let go of her.” Joel’s voice was deeper than you ever heard it.

“You already killed one of my men. I’ll forget that, I’ll give you all my munition, if you let me have her.”

“What the fuck is your problem?” You shouted in his arms, struggling to let loose.

“I have a gun pointing at your head.” The man spoke directly to Joel, ignoring you. “He won’t hesitate to kill you if you resist.”

“That makes two of us.” Joel didn’t move a muscle, shifting his gaze from you and the man behind the trees. “Let go of her.” He repeated louder.

The man’s hands were glued to your body. The look of disgust in Joel’s face made you stay still. “Not happening, man.” The man spit.

Joel shot once again at the trees. Another shot came back almost at the same time from the woods. You gasped as you heard it passing your side and missing Joel by a few feet. “I’m gonna blow your fucking brains off if you don’t get your filthy hands off her!”

“This can’t be your daughter, but she’s too young for you anyway.” You heard the man’s gutural laugh behind your head. “Last chance, or he kills you. After that we can do anything we want with her.” As soon as you saw Joel aim at the man in the back trees, you heard the man shout once again. “For fuck’s sake, shoot him!”

But Joel had him in his aim for longer than that. A bullet came sprinting on your direction, going over your head at full speed. Almost immediately you saw Joel throw the shotgun on the floor with a thud and fasten his pace in your direction. The man let go of you once he realized he was outnumbered and alone, beginning to turn away, but Joel grabbed him by the arm, not letting him go. You got away from the scene, but still couldn’t avert your gaze from it.

“Get inside the car.” Joel spoke as he put the man on the floor underneath him.

The look on Joel’s eyes was dark and almost animalistic. “Joel… just shoot him or something.”

You saw him shake his head to the sides, while always looking at the floor. “No, not this one.” The man underneath him struggled to keep a stead breath, beginning to cry and beg for his life. “Go to the car, please.” His voice became soft again.

You couldn’t even stand there one more minute seeing his expression of disgust mixed with sadness. You turned away and got to the backseat of the car, closing the doors, locking them. You didn’t want to look, but there was no way of just ignoring the fact that Joel was dragging this man out into the woods by his collar. He never once looked back until he disappeared into the darkness. But you kept hearing the man’s screams after, even if he was out of your sight. You put both of your hands on each side of your head, covering your ears. Tears came rolling down your cheeks. Joel hurting or killing someone was not something you haven’t imagined or seen before, but the idea of him doing it with his own bare hands was animalistic and cruel. Not that the man didn’t deserve it, but it felt too much for you to even imagine. A few minutes passed and the screams became to a stop. Not long after, you saw Joel emerge from the trees. His head was down, only looking up inside the car once, before he grabbed the tin of water to wash his bloody hands. He supported them on his hips for a second, always looking down.

You saw him approach the car, opening the door slowly. You saw his figure, dark and tall, blood on his jacket, and some on his shirt. He got inside the car next to you, closing the door behind him as he whispered your name before starting his speech. “Are you okay?” He paused as he analyzed you. “I’m so sorry.” His voice was low, his eyes soft. “I shouldn’t have stopped here. I should have kept driving all the way through the night.” A single tear falling from his eye. Your eyes widened at the sight of him. He turned his back to you for a few seconds after repeating the same words over and over, in a soft tone. “I can’t protect you.”

You grabbed his hand while he wasn’t looking at you. “That’s all you ever did.” His gaze immediately on you, taking in those six words. With your eyes fixed on his, both your hands flew to each side of his face, smearing that tear away from it. “I’m alright.”

His eyes moving from your eyes to your lips. You followed his lead, doing the same. That was enough for him, connecting his mouth to yours. It was the gentlest kiss you’ve ever received in your life, tasting the salty tear on his lips. With both your hands still touching, he grabbed yours placing it on his shoulder, while you adjusted yourself in your seat. Joel didn’t break the kiss, he would never. The silent ambience of the night, with only your mouths making their love known, sounds echoed inside the car, putting you in a trance for him. The desire you had of him only unraveling now with such force. You rapidly straddled him without much thought, his hands holding your waist automatically, even though your skins never touched one another before. His back supported by the seat, his head on the head-rester. Your body over his. When you two gathered for air you heard his voice in a whisper.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes, Joel.” You closed the gap between the both of you, before taking his jacket off and throwing it to the floor of the car.

His body followed yours as you took your shirt off over your head. You were hungry for human touch. His touch. His eyes plastered on your figure before kissing your neck and chest softly. Your breast between his hands, as he kept sucking on your skin dearly. You tugged at his shirt so he would take it off, his pants following your request quickly. You did the same to yours, your underwear coming off at the same time. You looked down at the bulge in his boxers. Fuck, he was big. You were quick to take him out on your hand, adjusting him at your entrance. His breath was shaky, feeling your hand around his hard cock, ready to receive your warmth and wetness. The sounds you both made once he disappeared inside you were animalistic. He stretched you so good you thought you would burst.

“Fuck.” Joel began, his head thrown back at the sight of you starting to move on his length.

His hands carefully holding your bare back, crossing his arms to hold you closer to him. You question how his hands could kill a man, and the next minute be so gentle on your skin and flesh, how his caresses made your head go dizzy. The angle was perfect, his cock hitting the deepest spot inside you. You haven’t felt that in years. Your body moving up and down on him, throwing your head back as he whispered sweet nothings. “So fucking beautiful. So fucking perfect.”

“You feel so good, Joel.” You replied, once you felt your walls tighten against his length.

His thrusts, his hands, his words, were all so very gentle.

“Faster.” You requested.

Your words intoxicating his mind. As he fasten his pace, the whimpers that escaped your mouth made his eyes roll to the back of his head.

“I can’t-“ he interrupted you.

“I know, I know, baby.” He paused as he gathered himself. “Cum on me.”

His words were enough to take you through the edge. With your eyes rolled to the back of your head and your hands supported behind his neck, you felt the tight knot on your stomach release, and as you rode your high on his length, you felt his warm seed shoot up and spread itself inside you, helping with the lubrification on your last thrusts.

You opened your eyes and immediately saw Joel’s on you. Your body fell on top of his, the pressure of you over his body making him smile and chuckle to himself.

“Don’t ever leave me.” Joel’s voice was still deep with lust, but his eyes told you he meant it far more than that.

“Keep protecting me, and I’ll be fine.” You smiled.

[aotearoa20]

The coach lurched, nearly throwing her from her seat as she cursed. The journey through the pass was never a comfortable one, especially on today of all days, but this was getting ridiculous. The driver was racing down the winter roads as though the devil himself were behind them and for what purpose?

They ran too swiftly through another rut and she pitched violently into one of the passengers unfortunate enough to be crammed next to her.

“Does he mean to drive us off the mountain?” she grumbled, straightening the creases of her dress in vain.

“It is for the Englishman.” came the hushed reply and she scowled as she glanced up at him.

Tall and wiry, and sitting so stiff he appeared even more so, she'd noticed the foreigner but had paid him little that mind. Perhaps she'd hoped idly that he might be good for conversation, he seemed kind about the eyes and smiled readily, especially when night fell and they all wanted a distraction from the dark. 

“Does his have an engagment in the north worth double all our necks,” she scoffed as she spoke but the man beside her frowned.

“He sent for him”

“He?”

He shuddered, “Him in the Pass.”

Ana scoffed. No one lived in the Pass. Further up on the frontier or around here to the west of it. But no one within it. None would be so foolish to set roots there and risk contending with…

Her hands went suddenly cold as she turned the little posy between her fingers. A gift from her husband for safe travels. It likely would do little if any true trouble came but such gifts were given to comfort the giver anyway. 

“Surely not…” she murmured

But the man nodded gravely, “We are stopping at the end of the Brogo Pass. The driver hopes to get there early and take off before he arrives.”

Ana did not like the sound of that at all. To be sure, she pitied the young man who sat apparently as good as dead across from her by the window, but there was no use risking all their necks for a stranger.

“Does he know where he is going?” she murmured softly to herself.

She turned to him again. He had that odd detachment, the few Englishmen she’d ever come, across seemed to share; though it had none of the usual haughtiness. And in his defense they were all staring at him as one does a ghost.

His fingers were whiteknuckled where he gripped brown notebook in his hands but his face was soft in awe. He was looking adamantly out the window with such wonder that Ana leaned forward to see just what caught his attention. But there was nothing of note. Rivers and strips of forest and the mountains bracketing the sky…

“No Mountains -” she asked before wariness or common sense could stop her. The stranger turned to her curious and despite the twist in her stomach she powered on with the little german she knew “In England? There are no mountains?”

His eyes brightened in understanding and he replied in a quick stream of words, a jumble of german and english that she didn't even bother trying to decipher. Instead she waited for his voice to peter of and raised an eyebrow. He laughed rather sheepish, scratching the back of his neck. He had a nice laugh, damn him, and she felt her heart warm to him against her will.

“Not like these,” he said more simply, or something along those lines. Ana couldn't imagine a place where the mountians did hold up the sky at some point or another. But she tried and when she looked out again supposed they would be rather grand to a stranger. A soft smile crept upon her face.

“My name is Jonathan - ”

“No.No.” And she shook her head firmly even as his face fell. She didn’t know if it was bad luck to learn the name of a walking dead man but she didn't want to regardless. It was like naming the Easter lamb, it did no one any good.

Still she could not help pointing out the great peaks of God's Seat. It was a sight to behold even in her lofty opinion. A darker part of her mind was pleased that the man could see such beauty on today. She hoped it might bring him comfort in whatever the morning might bring for him.

If he made it so far.

The sun set behind the hills and on the travelled. Around her some of the others still talked and debated the Englishmans arrival and purpose and plans. She did her best to ignore them, not wanting to linger on the poor boy's fate. As the coachman lit his lamps however they began to pester her. What little German she was still more than the rest of them combined. Ask what he’s doing. What brings a foreigner into the lions den? Ask, girl ask. What sort of person leaves his homeland to break bread with a monster? So if only to shut them up she did.

The answer it turned out was hard to come by. Speaking in a language foreign to both parties brings a sort of camaraderie in its inevitable failings but doesnt make reaching the goal any easier.

“Business,” she said at last and though she could barely believe it he nodded.

“House business.” he agreed far more satisfied woth their sucess.

She nodded also and kept nodding trying the her head arlund the utter absurdity of it. Lord Almighty. She stood, pushing her head out the window and shouted above the howling wind.

“Faster, driver! Faster - the Englishman walks to his death for fucking real eastate.”

The others inside began shouting also, urging him forward as they all but flew across the thorugh the opening of the Pass. All the while the young man sat, clutching his notebook. He seemed very slight among the excited voices in the half standing crowd. 

“Is all well?” he asked, looking at her, his voice barely reaching over the racket.

She bit her lip and looked away. He knows. Ah, he knows in all the worst ways. Like one who realises they are not alone in the dark. But what light can she shed? And what good was in knowing of the beast in the room when one sits defenseless and trapped. She does not even know the word for ‘vampire’ in his tongue.

Suddenly - selfishly - she leaned forward again and pressed the posy of wild rose and garlic into his hands. Deaf to his protest she sat back and prayed. Others went forward after her. Passing on their own tokens and blessings for the road.

“Cannot be too careful, especially on a night like tonight.” her husband had said to her.

She rested her head in her hands, heedless to the rocking of the coach. St Michael guard him. St Jude aid him. Ah St George arent the people of England under your keeping. Intercede for him as I do. Watch over him, he knows not where he is going.

And then all at once the coach stopped. She hadn't even noticed they'd reached the end of the valley. Now she scoured the dark trees around them for any creature lurking under the boughs. Cicacda screamed into the night, branches whispered and very far in the distance a wolf howled but other than that nothing. The young man, Jonathan, reaches for his watch but someone puts a hand over his. 

Finally the coachman calls down, “There is no carriage here. The Herr is not expected after all. He will now come on to Bukovina, and return to-morrow or the next day; better the next day.”

She might have laughed at the disappointment on his face. She very nearly leant forward. Very nearly took his hand offered him a place in her mother-in-law’s home. There was space in the loft after all and she knew in spite of her illness and all their warnings she will have been making a small feast upon their arrival. The words were on the tip of her tongue.

Then the horses startled.

Ana had never seen the Demon of the Pass. This was her husband's home she did not usually venture this far fron Bistritz. As the calrche drew up beside, she was not excatly sure it was Him. She crossed herself, drawing back as far into the coach as she could all the same. When the coachman's bright eyes fell upon them she did not care who he was at all, just that he stayed far away from them.

When he questions the coachmen she feared he might fall upon them all there and then. She could run, all the way to Bukovina if she had to but in the dark they stood no chance.

‘The dead travel fast,’ says someone beside her and as the demon's attention falls back upin then she wants to cut his tongue out. His teeth flash in the lamp light and she stifled a scream.

She could not look at him. She could not do it and ended up staring baleful at the Englishman as his bags were taken from the coach. Now it was he who avoided their pointed stares. When he moved to get up she thought of grabbing him.

Can he not see? Does he not understand? He reaches out and takes the hand of corpse. For the first time the barest hint of apprehension crossed his face. What she would do to leap forward and spirit them all way from this place and unto the morning. It was a mere fancy of course. There was nothing on earth that could get her to move from the shadowy corner where she sat.

And then he was gone. 

The driver watched until the lights of the caleche winked out into the night and with a heavy sigh urged the horses forward. The rest of the journey was silent and somber. 

You do not know him, she tells her tears. There is no reason to weep. She took a shuddering breath and wiped her eyes. Except that she did. His name was Jonathan. May God have mercy on his soul.

[shaanks]

Hello!! So, for the lovely @quinloki 's birthday request event, I have written a thing!! It's a day later than I intended, but we made it!!

This thing is a monster and it got away from me lmfao, but I genuinely hope you enjoy it. :)))) Even in the short time I've known you, I've found you to be a lovely person and a wonderful friend, and you deserve all the fun and joy in the world. If this manages to be even a little part of that, I will be honored and thrilled.

So, without further ado, please allow me to introduce:

Cabin in the Woods

summary: A break-in, a road-trip, and a mysterious cabin all coalesce on what should have been a quiet Tuesday night in August. The world is changing, and our reader must adapt to a mystery they could not have imagined, and circumstances they could not have foreseen.

cw: op x reader with Sabo, dark content, yandere stuff. (nothing graphic or even violent really happens, but the circumstances are still there). there is a gun, but no gun violence is involved. no pronouns are used, but the reader is mentioned as having breasts and a vagina. there's smut, both explicit and implied. petnames used: darling, love, sweetheart, baby.

I don't think i'm forgetting anything but as always if this kinda stuff isn't your cup of tea, don't read it.

14k word count so it's going under a readmore, but yeah!! Here we go!

**

A bump in the road jolted you awake, head snapping up from where it had slumped against the passenger side window.

“Sorry love,” a soft, familiar voice whispered from beside you, accompanied by the soothing warmth of a palm smoothed over your thigh and you sighed, relieved, allowing your eyes to slip closed for a moment again before you straightened up in your seat.

It was hard to tell how long the two of you had been on the road. Sabo had insisted on driving so that you could rest, but that had been in the wee hours of the morning. It was still dark now, the sky a sickly, bruised grey that could have been dawn or dusk, and you scrubbed a hand over your face, trying to get your bearings. With a heavy sigh, you dropped your hand into your lap again, eyes roaming aimlessly around the car before settling on the dash radio. 5:15 AM.

You frowned, muted worry etching itself across your brow as you shifted your hand to rest atop the back of your fiance’s. He must have read the look in his periphery, or felt your concern seeping into his skin at your touch because he chuckled warmly, turning his hand palm-up to lace his fingers with yours.

“Don’t you worry, okay? I’m a veteran roadtrip driver, and besides...you needed the rest. Last night was…” your lover trailed off for a moment, something vague and inscrutable flittering across his features for a moment.

“...a little hectic,” you supplied, finishing his thought, and that gentle smile returned to his features once more as he regarded you with a wink.

“Hectic. Yeah. S’as good a word for it as any,” He squeezed your hand a little more tightly, rubbing his thumb along the back of it in tender, absentminded circles.

Silence settled back over your little car for a while then, and you turned your attention out the windows again, trying not to let the memory of the previous night, or the reason for your impromptu flight from civilization, enter your mind. When you’d drifted off, it had been on an empty, nondescript stretch of freeway, fallow farmland on either side, no other cars in sight beyond one lonely set of taillights which had bobbed along ahead of you for perhaps ten miles before drifting off down an exit of its own, leaving the two of you to the liminal solitude of late night travel.

If Sabo had pulled off at any stops along the way, he hadn’t woken you for them, but given that the scenery had changed from open farmland to winding, forested foothills, it couldn’t have been more than once. Under normal circumstances you might have chided him for it ‘Breaks are normal, it’s not worth the hour saved to give yourself a UTI trying to do the whole trip in one go,’ but given the circumstances…

You blinked your eyes shut hard, shaking the thoughts away before stretching to the side a little to rest your head on Sabo’s shoulder.

“Want me to take over for a bit, ‘Bo?” You asked softly, running your free hand up his forearm a little.

Sabo leaned over slightly, slumping his cheek against the top of your head for a moment before pressing a soft kiss there, lingering just long enough to breathe the scent of you in before straightening back up.

Nah, s’okay. We’re only a couple hours out from it now, and the side road is really hard to catch. Hell, I used to come out here every summer with my brothers, and I still drive right past it sometimes.” He said, the corners of his lips turning slightly upwards at the memory.

You adored his brothers, boisterous and warm in their own ways. They were the only people on earth that Sabo loved as much as you, and for a moment your heart clenched at the thought. Between the bars of your mental blockade, you hoped faintly that they were holed up somewhere safe, too. That they’d found their way out of the city before--

“Do you think we should try the radio again? See if there’s any news...any updates?” Your voice sounded grave, frightened and thin in your own ears, and you winced.

Sabo squeezed your hand a little more tightly. “...Let’s wait til we’re up at the cabin. If the car radio runs out of signal we’ve got the ham radio, and that old long-range one Luffy’s grandfather left up there.” He lapsed into silence for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower, betraying the first hint of worry he’d let slip since your departure. “We beat the first wave out, and there’s nothing we can do ‘til we’re safe up there. Won’t help anything to get ourselves all wound up before then, right love?” his voice was low, reassuring, reasonable. He didn’t want you to be scared. You didn’t want you to be scared.

He offered you the out, and you took it. “Yeah. May as well get everything set up before we start taking stock of how bad it is.”

“Brilliant as always,” he crooned, lilting his voice with that cartoonishly syrupy sweetness that never failed to make you laugh. He grinned at the sound, heart fluttering in his chest, and exhaled a long, slow breath. He wasn’t worried about what might be on the radio. All that mattered was that he had you here, had you safe. Whatever else happened, you could weather it together.

**

True to his word, the little road that led back to the cabin was barely visible until the car was almost on top of it; even with the help of the morning light, filtering grey through the thickening cloud cover, the path Sabo slowed and pulled off onto could barely be called a road. You’d already pulled off the freeway maybe 30 minutes before, onto a two lane little back road that veered off and up into the hills and valleys beyond. This was an unpaved, overgrown footpath with delusions of grandeur, that seemed to meander almost aimlessly through the trees. Slowly but surely, the road behind you slid into the foliage and out of view, and though you knew he must be exhausted, you found yourself deeply grateful that Sabo had opted to finish the drive himself.

You could barely imagine picking your way through this on foot without prior knowledge, let alone in a car. At regular intervals Sabo’s side of the road would simply open up into nothing, offering a stunning view of the valley, of the forested mountain on the other side, and what you were sure was likely a precipitous drop off into the river below. The thought of it made you a bit queasy, despite the beauty of the scenery, and you leaned back into your seat, opting instead to watch the high wall of fallen leaves and hillside passing by on the passenger side.

“Just a little bit longer, I promise. The cabin’s just on the other side of the hilltop. You’re going to love the view. Plus it’s got good access to a little lake. The water is always unreasonably cold, but it’s gorgeous,” He said, turning his head only slightly towards you to keep his focus on the road. “Tell ya what, if the old rowboat is still functional, I’ll take you out on it. Tomorrow, after we’ve had some rest.”

You smiled at that, humming acquiescently. The thought of spending time out on the lake with him—spending time out anywhere with him—was wonderful, perfect, of course, though at the moment the only thing you could muster any true enthusiasm for was a long bath and the promise of a comfortable bed. The whole place was probably going to need aired out and dusted off, and while there was a generator Sabo had made it clear that it might need a little TLC before there would be any power. That was fine. If you two needed to spend the first night cooking hotdogs and smores in the fireplace, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

That phrase rattled around in your mind a little, and you shuddered. Sabo glanced at you, before reaching out and flicking the AC down a couple of notches.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. You squeezed his hand tightly, before drawing it up to your lips.

“With you? ‘Course not.” you whispered back.

He smiled, perhaps a little smugly, though that simply made you kiss the back of his hand once again.

**

When the road had finally meandered off the slope of the mountain you were on, following a little rise into a nestled clearing between peaks, you’d sighed in relief and slumped back in your seat, making Sabo laugh good-naturedly.

“The ride in is a little harrowing the first time, but I promise it’s gonna be worth it,” He’d said, letting go of your hand so he could ruffle it through your hair, and down to rest at the back of your neck, soothing the tense muscles with warm, precise little movements.

You weren’t honestly sure what you’d been expecting the cabin to look like. Vague images of a hunting lodge, of a summer camp bunk house, of a better homes and gardens style airbnb, and Rapunzel’s tower had all made their aimless way across your mind on the way in.

What you found was nothing short of magical. Even in the grey, dreary light of what had turned out to be a drizzly, windy sort of day, the little valley nestled between the peaks still seemed to glimmer with the echos of sun-warmed adventures and youthful secrets. The road you were on petered out into the soft green grass of a charmingly overgrown clearing. The hilltop seemed to cup the clearing like a giant hand, curving trees and bushes and delicate little wildflowers inward towards the cabin, more like the framing of a painting than the work of nature.

The cabin itself was larger than you’d anticipated, but not nearly as campish or dilapidated as Sabo had suggested. Dark old wood comprised both stories of the house, with a wraparound porch and swing visible as you approached, and a balcony on the one upstairs room you could see from this side.

The windows were boarded up, sure, but Sabo had assured you that was standard practice every time he and his brothers left the place for the season. Safer that way in case of storms, and it kept most of the animals from scratching around too much.

“We’ll pull the boards off the windows of the upstairs rooms so we can get a cross-breeze up where we’re gonna sleep. Rest of em we can work through tomorrow. No rush. We’ve got time to settle in.” he said, cheerful despite the situation, as he finally pulled the car to a stop, and killed the engine.

You leaned forward for a moment, taking in the place through the tinted blue of the top of the windshield, before unclipping your seat belt and climbing out of the car at long last. Without the rumble of the engine and the whirring of the AC, the place was even more beautiful. Wind swept through the valley, rustling in the trees, stray leaves twirling and trailing in the wind as they fell.

Sabo climbed out of the car too, leaning against the open driver’s side door to watch you, a gentle smile on his lips.

‘It’ll all be worth it. Even if all that ever came of it was this, it’d be worth it,’ the thought settled across his mind like gossamer silk, his eyes growing dreamy and unfocused, as he drank in the sight of your excitement. You seemed to glow in the gentle light that filtered down through the trees, and he knew in that moment that there was no one in the world more perfect than you. His love, his darling.

He could make you happy here. He would make you happy here. Happy, and safe, and loved. As you deserved.

You almost yelped in startled delight when you lowered your head from observing the trees around you to find Sabo directly by your side, lips quirked up into a grin. It was one of the things you loved about him, one of his many fascinating little quirks, he could be so quiet when he wanted to be. Your high little peal of laughter only widened his grin, and in one swift motion he had you lifted up into his arms, cradled against his chest, nestled into a grip that spoke of unfathomable reverence, and a heat that seemed always to be boiling just inches beneath his skin, a hunger that only ever found satiation in your love, your touch, your pleasure.

You looked up into the face of the man you loved breathlessly, the hint of color and responding heat beginning to touch your cheeks, and he sighed, letting those beautiful cornflower blue eyes of his slip closed, poorly feigning a chiding expression as he leaned forward to press his lips to your forehead.

“I see how it is,” he sighed airily, turning towards the cabin with you as though you weighed nothing at all. “What am I, compared to pretty leaves and a mysterious old cabin~” he intoned, hyperbolically mournful, and you rolled your eyes playfully before turning your head to kiss his chin.

“My guide through the darkness, as always,” you returned, mimicking his feigned mournfulness, though just as the words left your lips, Sabo carried you up onto the creaking old wood of the porch, and into the semi-darkness that came with it. The cloud cover was too heavy to throw off the pal of disuse, and you couldn’t quite manage to suppress the shiver that ran through you. Up close, with its boarded windows and unfamiliar shadows, there was something...ominous, about the place. Sabo stilled for a moment, glancing down at you, his playful expression giving way to concern, and something like remorse, as he set you gently onto your feet again.

“Nobody’s been out here in a couple years,” He squeezed your shoulders softly, rhythmically, before pulling you forward into a hug. “That’s all it is. There’s no way that anythi—that anyone would even know to come out this way beyond Ace and Luffy, and they’re out of state. You know that,” his voice was so even, so reasonable, and when he pulled back just far enough to rest his forehead against yours you sighed, and nodded.

“Whatever’s happening out there, it can’t get to us here. I’ll keep you safe.”

You sighed, leaning in to kiss him, and as he stroked your cheek and let you sink into his warmth, you willed the worry to subside, at least a little.

“Yeah,” you whispered, and he nodded with a soft sigh before turning his attention back towards the task at hand.

He seemed to ponder the boarded up door for a moment, brows furrowing thoughtfully. If you hadn’t known him so well, you might have wondered whether you were locked out...but after a moment of “contemplation,” Sabo tilted his head down towards you, and winked.

“We always board everything up when we leave...except the front door. Watch,” Sabo leaned forward, running his fingertips along the outside of the door frame until something gave way with a small click. Without bothering with the visible lock and seemingly independently of the doorknob, the entire boarded up apparatus swung open a couple of inches, and Sabo pulled it open the rest of the way with a flourish.

“Is it...fake?” you asked, reaching out to touch the camouflaged button he had pressed, watching the simple release mechanism punch outwards curiously.

“False front door,” Sabo replied proudly, almost excitedly, as he ran his palm down the old wood. “One of the few good ideas Luffy’s grandfather ever had. The actual front door is on the lakeside of the house. This way, even if someone did somehow manage to approach from the road, all they’d see is what looked like a boarded up old house.”

Something about that felt a little odd. Why would such a decoy be necessary in general, let alone for a place as secluded as this? But beyond what sounded like an old man’s paranoia, you couldn’t quite place why it struck you so strangely, nor did you have time to properly contemplate it, as Sabo was moving ahead of you into the house, striding confidently into the gloom.

You hesitated in the doorway, still gripped by that odd sense of foreboding; distantly, the sound of thunder began to roll through the hills, and it might as well have been night for all the grey light did to illuminate the interior of the cabin. Little slits of feeble light peeped out from impossibly far back in the space, and you noticed, once the rumbling of thunder died down, that the cabin had fallen quite silent. You couldn’t hear the sound of Sabo’s boots on the wooden floor, nor any of his usual stream of cheerful commentary.

It was as though the house had simply swallowed him whole.

Behind you, the wind seemed to be slowly picking up in intensity again, carrying the distant rolling thunder closer. Fat droplets of rain began to plop down through the trees, into the grass, hitting the windshield with intermittent but purposeful force.

The anxiety of the previous night began to creep up the back of your neck again, adrenaline pooling in your lungs as cool as rainwater.

Pat. Pat. Splat.

You’d been dead asleep when it started. The crash of glass had jarred you awake, the sound of screaming shortly after like nothing you’d ever heard. High and ragged and inhuman, like someone burning, like agony and rage and consumption tearing insufficient human vocal cords raw in punishment for attempting to express a pain and hatred so vast.

The sound had frozen you to your core, welding your joints in place, leaving you trapped and horrified in what had only moments before been one of the safest places in your world. There was a moment of quiet, punctuated by gasping, sickened breathing, by the steady pattering of something thick and wet falling to the floor of your bedroom. Shambling steps cracked the glass that littered the floor, erratic, listless...and this time, when that primal shriek ripped through the nauseating silence, you jolted beneath your sheets. Just barely. Just enough.

Something heavy had pressed down on the end of the bed, so close to your frozen legs that any further movement would have brought you into contact instantly. The thick, wet liquid dripped against the blankets as the unseen thing made its unsteady way up towards the headboard where you lay and it stank, rot and decay flooding your nostrils, turning your stomach almost enough to make you retch--

If it hadn’t been for Sabo, if he’d taken even a second longer, if he hadn’t dropped his water glass to shatter in the sink and flown down the hallway like a man possessed, it might have touched you. It might have dribbled that foul bile onto your face, into your mouth, and you would have screamed...you were sure you would have died. But as it was, you never saw it. Mercifully, you never saw it.

The weight had lifted from the bed the second your bedroom door had crashed open, and though you still hadn’t quite been able to make yourself move you heard it, Sabo’s fury and something that sounded suspiciously like metal as it sang through the air, only to crash into the thing with a sickening crack.

When he’d pulled you out of bed, he’d faced you away from the thing. From the mess you were sure must lay just beside where you’d been sleeping. The second he had you standing, the same spell that had frozen you sent you spinning into action, and he followed your lead. The two of you had grabbed what was easiest, throwing food and ice into a cooler, grabbing the first aid kit you usually kept for camping excursions, and you’d been in the car and out onto the road without evening looking back.

If it hadn’t been for several overturned cars, for several houses that stood like guttered ghosts with gaping eyes of broken glass, for the smoke that rose and billowed in the direction of town, it might have seemed like a normal night.

Sabo had turned on the radio only long enough to confirm that they were in range of nothing but the emergency broadcast system. Other than that one set of lonely taillights, you might have been the only two people left on--

All at once, the cabin lighting sprang to life, startling you from your reverie in a moment of mingled relief and panic. The warm orange glow of welcoming old lights filled the previously menacing space, and faintly over the sound of the rising storm, the labored rumbling of the generator could be heard.

“Looks like Ace actually left the thing topped off last time he was here, but we can still cook out in the fireplace if you w—” Sabo jogged back into view from where he’d disappeared—either to the basement or the back of the house—but his triumphant tone sagged into worried silence when he found you, ashen, still standing in the open doorway where he’d left you.

“I’m okay,” you said, though your voice wavered unconvincingly. A gust of wind splattered the steady drizzling rain against the back of your neck and this time you did jump, before stepping over the threshold and closing the door a bit harder than you’d intended.

“I’m okay.” You said again, more an order for your own frightened heart than a reassurance for your fiance, but he stepped forward anyway and pulled you into his arms again.

“We’re okay,” Sabo replied.

You breathed deeply into the warmth of his chest, and believed him.

**

That first day passed in a near constant stream of activity that kept your mind thankfully occupied, either by the seemingly endless stream of maintenance tasks the cabin seemed to need, or the loving, doting, and supportive attentions of your lover.

The storm that had blown in had made getting the windows unboarded and opened untenable, but the downstairs bathroom hadn’t required much to get to a usable state, and with the boiler kindly willing to acquiesce to your request to light, you’d been able to share a hot bath before changing into your set of spare clothes.

By the time you were nestled down in the sea of blankets Sabo had pulled out of their vacuum-sealed prisons and roasting hot dogs in the fireplace, the memory of the night before had slunk back into the recesses of your mind again, like the dregs of a bad dream. Sabo had said something about the storm likely interfering with the radio, and that he’d try to get it working once it had blown over.

You hadn’t argued. Eventually, you knew, you would have to open those floodgates, to see how bad things were...but if you had to wait another night to make it real, that was okay.

When your lover had rolled you gently onto your back in that sea of blankets, in the warmth of the dying fire and the storm raging outside, you had opened beneath him like a flower. He’d made short work of the boxers you’d borrowed, of the t-shirt which had been your only quick option during your flight.

The warmth of his hands as they cradled you to him, as they lifted your hips onto the improvised cushions and angled your body into a comfortable position, burned away, at least for the moment, any worries for the world outside.

Instead you sank into the sight of him, into the way the firelight seemed to dance across every inch of soft skin, every furrow of relaxed muscle, entranced by the way his belly contracted as he shimmied out of his pajama pants.

“Beautiful,” You’d whispered, as you opened your arms to him, following the familiar lines of muscle up over his shoulders to clasp around him, to close the gap between you that kept his warmth so cruelly from you.

“Not like you, love,” Sabo sighed softly, reverently, stifling any possible retort as he licked into your mouth at last, lapping over your tongue, tasting you as much as kissing you until any breath, any thought but desire for him, had been consumed.

Sabo had always been ravenous, had always run you up against the limits of what you thought you could take with, and though he was as gentle and supportive of your pleasure as he was of all aspects of your life, there was always that glimmer. That glint in his eye that suggested he would always need one more, one more from you, to ever properly be sated.

That night, with the outside world denied entry and the distractions of your previous life distant and moot, he was like a man possessed.

Even as the kiss left you gasping, wanting, he’d trailed lower, suckling marks into your throat that would take days to fade, lapping and soothing over each one as though determined to taste every inch of you.

“You know I’d give you all of me...everything I am,” his voice, usually so smooth and even and honey-sweet, came out raw and low, more a sensation against the peak of your nipple than voice before he closed his mouth around the bud, swirling it with his tongue as a promise of pleasure to come. Warmth blossomed through your body and when you whined softly in response, body flexing as you arched your back to press more of yourself into his mouth, he obliged in earnest, his palm sliding between your shoulderblades and lifting you like you weighed nothing at all.

Under any other circumstance he might have teased you. Might have made you ask, might have made you use your words, but the patience required had fled him. He kissed across your chest, watching the way your eyes fluttered, the way you flushed and writhed at his touch, and simply could not imagine a world where making you wait could be worth it. At least, not today.

This time, when he closed his mouth over the sensitive peak of your nipple, the fingers of his free hand trailed lower, soothing over your belly, calming your writhing body down even as he worked his teeth into the tender flesh there. This time when you cried out, he moaned sympathetically in return, as though the sudden surge of pleasure had rushed straight from your nerves into his, though he did nothing to lessen the intensity, the sympathetic noise turning into a low groan of need as his fingers dipped lower still, stroking the slick building between your thighs gently.

“Sabo, please,” your voice, thick and heavy with need, with a desperation much bigger than the moment, snapped his gaze towards yours for a moment.

“I know, I know,” he’d whispered, burying the quirk of his lips between your breasts, down your belly, nestling momentarily in the tuft of hair just above where you needed him most. “Gotta get you ready, darling, I—”

Rather than finishing the thought, rather than giving you the opportunity to thrash or beg him further, Sabo had dipped his tongue between your lips, watching you with hazy eyes as the taste of you flooded his senses. He teased the hood of your clit with the tip of his tongue, barely swiping over it in little circles before dipping lower, kissing between your legs, licking and suckling you open.

By the time he’d lifted his head again, chin slick with the evidence of your need, you almost felt hysterical. He watched in mesmerized pride as your clit twitched like a second heartbeat, swollen almost entirely out from under its hood, though only for a moment before finally giving you what you needed. The sound you made when he’d closed his lips around your desperate nub had almost sounded wounded, and Sabo had smoothed his palms up the backs of your thighs, tapping them wordlessly to get you to hold them while he drove you towards your peak.

It took almost nothing for the first orgasm to take you, racing up and crashing against your clit with every swirled beat of his tongue, though he’d given you only a moment to revel in it before slicking two fingers into your spasming cunt. He knew your body better than his own, knew where the little spot inside you was that made you growl and thrash in his arms like a thing wild, and he grinned against your core as your breathlessness gave way to a wail of pleasure that might almost have contained his name.

He didn’t let you rest. The pleasure of the first orgasm never quite ebbed enough to end as he dragged you through the pleasure up, up towards another peak. You were burning in his arms, beneath his mouth, molten desire stripped of more complex concerns, and he hadn’t even filled you yet.

“M’ready, I’m ready, S—aaa, Sabo please, plee-eeeaaa,” your pleas dissolved into another wordless groan as the pleasure began to crest again; this time when you came, your back arched so sharply that it practically lifted off the floor, your legs falling open at your sides as sense momentarily left you, displaced by the sensitive ecstasy he had driven into you.

You’d looked down then, vision hazy and eyes half-lidded through a cloud of bliss, and the small part of your mind still capable of thought expected to see him pulling away, getting to his knees, surely, surely you were wet enough now, pliant enough now...but the gaze that met yours from where your lover still lay between your legs seemed almost maddened with lust. At some point in the fog of your pleasure he had moved, knees spread out in a low crouch, and despite your previous two orgasms arousal twisted low in your guts as you realized he was rutting himself against the blankets beneath him, mindlessly soothing his own need while he drank from yours.

“Awww, I felt that, baby,” he whispered against you, grinning positively lethally in the firelight as you clenched and dribbled around his fingers. “Do you like that? Do you like knowing what you do to me, my love? How desperate you make me?” his voice was low, almost teasing despite all, as he rutted his hips against the blankets in quiet demonstration.

“Yes...fuck, yes,” you hadn’t bothered to hide it, he knew, and even if he didn’t, it wasn’t like your body was capable of covering for your lie. Sabo kissed the inside of your thigh in appreciation, though that hunger seemed to rise in him again when he slicked his fingers out of you only to watch your hole flutter around nothing.

Part of him wanted to simply dive back down into you, to slick his tongue in as deeply as he could and drink until he was full...but that would have been selfish. And besides...he had all the time in the world now worship at the altar of your thighs.

Gently, carefully, Sabo shifted his weight, sitting up on his knees properly again. He rested his cock, swollen and red and leaking, along the entire length of your slit as he leaned over your, taking his weight on one splayed palm so that he could lean down over you, nuzzling his forehead against yours. Beneath all that ferocious hunger, he loved you so, and the warmth that spread through his chest at the way you lifted your watery eyes to meet his almost quelled the need scrabbling between his ribs.

Almost.

He allowed you one last moment to breathe, enjoying the way you rolled your hips against his as he rutted the head of his cock against your clit once, twice, and then he was guiding himself lower, slick with your own pleasure and his slick as he rocked himself forward, fucking himself just barely through the spasming ring of your opening. The heat of you nearly knocked him senseless, and the mingled cry of desperate pleasure and relief was so mutual that there was no way to tell where your voice stopped and his started. His hips stuttered, pleasure surging through him at even this shallow connection, and he only managed to pull himself partially out of you before plunging back down, this time to the hilt.

Whether it was the terror that had driven you here, or the desperation for the normalcy of this intimacy, you might never know, but you would have sworn in that moment that you’d never felt so full in your entire life. Sabo gasped again, the sound sending rippling shocks of pleasure out from where you were connected, grinding himself in deeper still, fucking little spurts of precum against your cervix. When he kissed you it was so soft as to be jarring; a tender lament for what was to come.

Carefully, purposefully, Sabo moved you, unhooking the leg you had wrapped around his waist on instinct so that he could drape your knees over his elbows. Palms splayed against the makeshift bed as he held you open, letting you feel the way he pulsed and twitched inside you as he pulled halfway out, and fucked down in again, angling his hips to rut over the spot he’d been worrying with his fingertips before.

“Breathe for me, love,” he whispered, tone almost cloyingly sympathetic as he drove his hips downwards, patience finally slipping away as he took you in deep, rough strokes.

The instruction did nothing to stop the way the pleasure rushed into you again, leaving no room for air, for thoughts, for intention. Your eyes rolled back, and Sabo suckled your tongue into his mouth, toying with it the way he had your clit even as he ground his hips down to scrub against the little nub in turn.

You were going to cum again, he was going to make you cum again, and you babbled incoherencies against his tongue as that familiar feeling began to twist and tighten inside you again.

“That’s it darling, that’s it. Perfect love, gorgeous, do it for me, I know you can,” he panted against your lips, and you could feel it too, the way he was swelling inside you, the way his hips were starting to stutter and twitch.

You wanted him to feel good, needed him to follow you over the edge this time, and you knew he knew, somehow, knew he could tell what you wanted like he was living inside your head with you. Some distant part of you wondered if he was. If that would really be so bad.

With a last push of coordination Sabo wedged his hand between your bodies, fingers finding your clit and pressing down against it, rubbing neat, almost vicious circles, and you were gone, that final orgasm chasing away any sense that wasn’t the pleasure he fucked down into you. The all-consuming heat of it stole his breath too, and it was all he could do to rut you through it before he had to bury himself in you, teeth clenched and cock twitching as he filled you with hot, thick spasms of his pleasure.

Time seemed to trickle by, thick and slow as the heat between you as you both tried to settle back into reality. Love seemed to cradle you in all directions as Sabo murmured to you, gentle praise and careful check-ins melding together in your mind into a comforting static of safety.

You weren’t sure when sleep took you, only that when it did it was to the feeling of your lover’s lips against yours, and the soft slickness of his cock softening out of you. Bliss.

**

It almost felt like a honeymoon, despite the circumstances. That first week had been a whirlwind of activities, interspersed with spontaneous, increasingly intense lovemaking that left you dizzied, but satisfied and contented.

Sabo had always been an early riser, and you often found that by the time you joined him—at the oh-so-late hour of 9ish every morning—he had completed some new battery of tasks that left the day open for less strenuous maintenance, or walks down by the lake, or a bonfire in what turned out to be a very lovely firepit in the back yard.

If it hadn’t been for what had driven you from your home to begin with, you might have been content to simply let yourself fall into the routine he had set up for the two of you. Sabo certainly seemed devoted to keeping your mind off things—he hated to see you worry, hated the idea of you ever having to feel frightened—and had it not been for the issue of the radio, you might have settled into this new life without terribly much regard.

Sabo had always been, as far as you knew, an open book with you. Even when you’d just started dating, even when your relationship was fresh and tentative and new, he had always answered your questions honestly, had prioritized open communication and honesty as a core tenet of your life together.

So it concerned you when, after a week of trying to get signal, Sabo had outright refused to let you into the radio room to give it a try.

You’d thought he was joking at first, had laughed and tried to brush past him, but he’d taken your hand and spun you into a little dip, dancing you away towards the stairs that led down to the loft room you’d taken up residence in.

“It’s kinda...unsafe in there, to be honest,” he’d said, when it was clear that simply kissing you wasn’t going to put the conversation to bed.

“What do you mean ‘unsafe,’” you’d asked skeptically, the corners of your lips still upturned in a grin despite all, half-convinced this was all one of his jokes, though the good humor had started to melt back towards confusion and concern when his expression didn’t give.

For a long moment, Sabo didn’t answer. Instead he chewed on the inside of his cheek, eyes unfocused, and something in your stomach started to churn.

“Did you hear something?” you asked quietly. Sabo shook his head firmly.

“No no, nothing like that, it’s just. The only room in the cabin that’s not really finished.” He paused again, like he was trying to choose his words carefully, and when he met your gaze again there was something mournful, a little, in the blues of his eyes.

“Luffy’s grandfather set that room up in case of...emergencies. We weren’t even allowed to go into it while he was still alive, none of us had seen it until the deed to the place passed to us with his will. It’s just…” another short pause, and then. “It’s...boobytrapped. Kind of.”

There was a slight pause. Part of you had been tempted to laugh at the suggestion, vague images of Roadrunner and Wil E. Coyote running through your mind, but something in his expression stopped you from doing so.

“What kind of boobytraps…” you asked carefully, rubbing his arms with your palms. Sabo just shook his head.

“Luffy’s grandfather...Garp...got a little paranoid towards the end. He was sure Ace’s biological father was going to show up, that he needed to be ready for some kind of an attack…”

“Was he not on good terms with Ace’s father?” You asked quietly.

“No idea, we never knew him. By the time Garp started talking about this, Ace’s dad had been dead for nearly 20 years.”

Whatever concern or confusion had settled into your heart began to give way to sadness. Sabo’s eyes slid away from yours for a moment before he leaned forward to kiss your forehead.

“I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you, but the guy’s ex-military, special forces, we only figured out there was anything wrong with the room because Luffy stepped on a loose board and almost lost his foot to some kind of wire trap set into the space beneath it.”

You sighed heavily, glancing warily over his shoulder to where the door to the radio room stood partially ajar.

“Sorry baby, I shouldn’t have pressed,” you started, but Sabo shushed you, pulling you into his arms and rocking you gently.

“Nothing to be sorry for, I’d have been curious too! It’s just...tough to talk about. I’ve got it mostly mapped out in there, but I’d die if you got hurt, and it seems safe to assume there probably aren’t...hospitals. To take you to, in any event.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat, and nodded, and for a time you let the radio room and its mysteries slip out of your mind. If he caught a signal, you knew he would tell you, and until then...it seemed reasonable to give the room a wide berth.

**

The real trouble started when your hastily gathered supplies began to ran low. Clothes weren’t really an issue, the cabin had a washer and a line to dry things on, and enough dry detergent to last the next 20 years, but the food had began to dwindle after the third day, and while the lake seemed to be well stocked with fish, running it dry didn’t make a lot of sense.

Hunting wasn’t an option, neither of you were particularly proficient with firearms, and the idea of killing and gutting anything bigger than a fish turned you both off immensely...which left only one real option.

“I’m going to make a run into town—”

“We’re going to make a run into town—”

“There’s one just about a half hour away back up the main road, and I’ll be back before you can even miss me,” Sabo said, kissing your forehead and then your nose despite the fact that you had crossed your arms rather tightly against your chest and were refusing to budge.

He sighed. You arched your eyebrows and stared at him, waiting.

“Do you think I’m not capable of putting canned food in a shopping cart?” you asked dryly.

Sabo scrubbed a hand over his face, looking helpless. “Of course not, this has nothing to do with competency or ability,” he said evenly, though that mournful look at begun to creep its way into his eyes again.

“Okay. Then help me understand. This is basic horror movie rules, Sabo, don’t split the group, don’t send people off on their own. How do I keep in contact with you with no phones, what if the car breaks down, what if you d—” you stop yourself, wincing, irritated at the tears prickling the edges of your eyes.

Gently, patiently, Sabo pried your arms apart, rubbing and relaxing the muscles until you went limp enough for him to take your hands.

“I’m going to come back. I know it’s horror movie rules, but another horror movie rule is to not leave home base unattended, right?” he asked, kissing the backs of both your hands. You scowled up at him, though the expression was somewhat dampened when you leaned forward to gently bonk his forehead with yours. He laughed, the chiming sound of it wriggling stubbornly into your heart, and you sighed.

“Okay...next time I’m going though. We’ll trade off. Deal?” You asked.

Sabo linked his pinky with yours. “I’ll even bring back walkie-talkie’s, there’s a hunting store in town that ought to have decently long range ones.”

You nodded, placated for the time being, though it made you queasy with anxiety to watch him pulling away from your little safe haven, even moreso to watch the way the little car seemed to vanish into the foliage like it had never been there at all.

Sabo felt it too, nausea churning in his stomach as he pulled away. He knew you’d be safe this far out, but leaving you behind felt awful.

Lying to you felt awful, too. You were so good, so loving, so trusting, and it broke his heart to have to not be honest with you...but it was only for a little while longer. Routine cured a great many ills, and once he had everything settled, your life together would be secure. Unshakable.

Just a little while longer.

**

It had been eerie, a little, that first time, walking back up into the cabin alone. Not quite so ominous as the very first day, but the silence of it was unsettling. Without the semi-constant flow of conversation with your lover, or the sound of hammering, or the promise of outdoor activities, the reality of your situation...of, potentially, the world’s situation...began to creep in at the corners again.

Sabo had made fairly quick work of...whatever the creature had been, that was sure, but he had taken it by surprise. And there had only been one.

What if they moved in groups? What if only some of them were shambling and loud and slow like that that? What if—

You shut the thoughts down, slapping your hands gently against your cheeks until the mental noise started to subside. If you were going to be functional through this, you were going to have to learn to adapt...and to trust the man you loved to keep his promises.

He would come back to you, car loaded with enough soup to make you sick of the prospect, and everything would be fine.

For a moment you had simply stood in the middle of the livingroom, looking around the space thoughtfully. Most of the actually necessary maintenance had been done by now, the only rooms still boarded were ones where the glass had been damaged somewhat, whether by the storm or disuse.

You’d found so many bed linens and vacuum-sealed bags of clothes you’d both wondered how many people Garp had actually intended to have stay at the cabin, despite Sabo’s assurances that to his knowledge he, Luffy, Ace, and the old man had been the only ones he’d ever seen there.

Still, there were two floors and a basement full of closets and storage that it would hurt nothing to sort through, and so you set about that task. In a blind stroke of luck, the first closet you’d gone through in one of the side rooms on the first floor had contained a record player, and five boxes worth of old vinyls. That, at least, was something, and you had chased the eerie silence out of the cabin with The Eagles and Steely Dan while you worked.

By the time Sabo came back—almost exactly an hour and a half on the dot—you had cleaned out several shelves worth of vinyls, card games, and board games, and were feeling in considerably better spirits.

Your lover had laughed when he’d come in to find you sitting in a sea of old school entertainment, blasting classic rock, and you’d dashed up into his arms, kissing him thoroughly once you’d checked to make sure he wasn’t injured.

“Not a hair out of place, just like a promised,” he’d said, cradling your cheeks to kiss you back for a moment before reaching around you to turn the record player off. You’d gone out with him then to find a pretty impressive haul. Canned food, a better can-opener than the rusty old one in the kitchen, what looked like bulk boxes of jerky and dried meats from what was likely backstock, dried beans, rice, a rice cooker, snacks, a much nicer first aid kit, and, as promised, two long range walkie-talkies.

“This should hold us for a month if we’re careful with it, and fish at least once a week,” he said. You blinked up at him.

“Sabo I’m reasonably sure there’s enough soup and rice here to last us to Christmas if we had to ration,” you said, looking at all of it. Nothing was in bags, as though he had hastily loaded everything he could grab into carts and dumped it into the car.

Silence stretched between you for a long moment.

“How bad was it,” you asked quietly, watching his expression carefully.

Sabo exhaled, long and slow. “Not as bad as it could have been, maybe. Mostly it looks like people just evacuated, there’s a lot of places to hide in the mountains, but…” he worried the inside of his cheek for a moment, and ran his hand through his hair. “There were a lot of places that looked...damaged. Windows smashed in, a couple of places looked burned out. I didn’t...see anything. Anyone. But there was blood. In too many places to just have been an accident, I fear.”

Wind swept through the clearing, rustling through the trees, and a small part of your new reality began to settle over the pair of you at last. There was plenty of what had been to scavenge...but it did not seem as though there was anything to go back to.

“If things are that bad all the way out here, then the cities…” you trailed off, eyes focused a little too heavily on a can of chicken soup.

“I don’t know. I don’t know,” Sabo sighed. “Only thing we can do is stick it out here, and keep trying to find something on the radio.” He paused for a moment before leaning down to rest his chin on your shoulder. “Hey, at least we don’t have to worry about paying off those student loans anymore,” he said, kissing your cheek, and despite all you laughed just a little.

“That is one of the perks of the apocalypse. No rent either, credit scores are dead…” you said, glancing up at him with the tiniest grin before tugging him back towards the house.

“At least we’re together,” you added, and he beamed.

“At least we’re together.”

It took both of you, a bed sheet, and three trips to get everything he’d packed into the car in the house, and another hour spent organizing the kitchen into a well stocked and usable resource.

As you’d curled up together to sleep that night, you resolved to set what was out of your mind. There would be time to grieve...forever, perhaps, to grieve...but the first priority had to be keeping each other safe, and your spirits high. All you’d ever really had before was each other, at least on a daily basis, and you could do worse in the nebulous end of the world than having the love of your life by your side.

Sleep took you more easily, and when thunder rolled and rumbled through your little valley, nestled warmly in Sabo’s arms, you didn’t even stir.

**

Months passed, late summer blend into fall bled into early winter, and you and Sabo had fallen mostly into a comfortable routine.

Intermittently, perhaps a handful of times, Sabo had managed to raise someone on the radio. The people he contacted seemed healthy, sometimes scared, but nobody he spoke to seemed to know any more than they did. Occasionally, one of them would be willing to share their approximate location, but according to Sabo this part of the country had never been particularly trusting of strangers at the best of times, and he wasn’t terribly surprised most people didn’t want to give up their safe havens.

The people you did get information out of went up on a map you two had set up. While mostly people wouldn’t tell where they were, they were willing to share info about towns nearby, about the accessibility of supplies, and the levels of...activity that they’d seen.

It had been decided, after a week’s worth of debating back and forth, that given what appeared to be an increasing amount of activity, and given that Sabo was vastly more familiar with this area of the state than you were, that he would do the supply runs. They were few and far between, provided that he found well-enough stocked stores, and with the compromise that he go as early as possible, so that he wasn’t running around in broad daylight for...whatever might be there to see, you had eventually acquiesced.

The cabin was remote, but there was logic to keeping it locked and guarded with at least one occupant, as whatever this new world’s creatures were, they weren’t the only possible dangers that might crop up. While neither of you liked it, on the second big supply run Sabo had returned home with a rifle.

“You don’t have to use it, but I’d feel a lot better if you at least had it.” He’d explained, as you’d looked the thing over on the front lawn, frowning.

The idea of someone just stumbling onto your little refuge seemed extremely unlikely...but so had the world ending on a random Tuesday evening in August, previously. While you’d been mostly opposed in your previous life, it would have been silly to deny the ambient protection having the thing around provided. In the end, you’d agreed to keep it by the front door for emergencies during the day, and by your bedroom door for emergencies at night, and that had been the end of it.

All-in-all, you felt that the two of you were doing pretty well, all things considered. The cabin was comfortable and well-secured, you’d worked out a supply-running system that seemed to be keeping Sabo safe, and while the other people he’d found weren’t...accessible...knowing that the two of you weren’t the only people who had made it out, at least within range of the radio, was comforting enough to keep you both in good spirits.

For better or worse, everything seemed...perfect.

Which was why, when you were sorting through the most recent supply haul, trying to get all the consumables sorted from the toiletries and such, you weren’t exactly sure what to make of the slip of paper.

You’d almost thrown it away without thinking, eyes glazing over it when it dropped from between two bottles of shampoo, but just before it slipped out of your fingers and your mind entirely, you paused. Froze, rather, in the middle of the movement, and turned the paper over to look at it.

It was a receipt. It had been folded up and in on itself multiple times, long enough, perhaps, to accommodate the long list of supplies currently spread out at your feet.

Something acrid and metallic felt like it was creeping up your windpipe. Quickly, you had poked your head around the corner to check where Sabo was, only to find him chopping wood in the back yard, his breath clouded around his face in the cool winter air.

You watched him, your great love, until he looked up and smiled. You smiled back, and laughed a little when he blew you a kiss before going back to work.

You looked at him, and at the folded piece of paper on the counter, then back at him.

Maybe it was old. Neither of you had been the most fastidious people alive in the times before, perhaps this was simply from a long past shopping trip. Maybe it was from CVS, maybe that’s why it appeared to be several feet long.

That horrible, cold feeling lingered in your chest, though. Part of you wanted to look at it, if only to confirm that you were being ridiculous. Part of you felt like looking at it was a betrayal, was suggesting that you didn’t trust the love of your life.

Part of your mind began to turn over the radio room again, the fact that he was the only one leaving the clearing, that you hadn’t seen any part of the outside world beyond the lake and trails and grounds of the cabin in months.

It was absurd. A terrible train of thought. The manifestation of deferred grief, trying one last time to reason its way out of the end of your old life. You took a deep breath before picking up the piece of paper, determined to simply throw it away and be done, but the door opened just as you were about to let it go. On instinct, terrified for reasons you couldn’t imagine naming, you had stuffed it into your pocket instead, grabbing a jar of peanut butter and plastering on a grin just as Sabo came around the corner into the kitchen.

He paused for a moment at the sight of you, brows knitting together curiously as he approached you.

“You alright darling? You look a little pale,” he said, though he still stuffed his chilly fingers under your shirt, making you jump and laugh.

“Yeah, yeah,” you said, a little breathlessly, as you forewent the peanut butter in favor of warming him in your arms. “Just trying to get everything edible sorted out from cleaning stuff and meds, I think I’m just hungry,” you said bracingly, and he visibly relaxed.

“Tell ya what, let’s have a bath, and then I’ll get the stove going so we can make dinner, there’s enough wood chopped up to last us through the week I think,” he said, kissing your lips, your forehead, your nose.

You sighed contentedly, leaning into his affections with a nod. “Sounds perfect ‘Bo,” you said, and he grinned before popping off to run the water.

You stood there for a moment, fingertips brushing the outline of the receipt in your pocket, before calling out to Sabo that you were going to grab you both some fresh clothes and then you’d be in to join him. He acquiesced airily, easily, and you dashed upstairs, guilt and fear clawing at your throat.

You hated lying to him. You couldn’t even remember the last time you had. You stashed the crumpled receipt inside your pillowcase, before grabbing the promised clothes to bring down to him.

Next time he left, you’d look. It would be nothing, he’d laugh it off or console you for the misunderstanding...it would be nothing. You had no reason in the world to suspect him—objectively, the world’s most perfect partner—of anything at all. Let alone whatever your paranoid little mammal brain seemed to be trying to put together here.

When you reappeared with comfortable clothes and sank down into the bath with him, he held you tightly, washed your hair, your back, drained the water and refilled it when it started to cool, and made tender, gentle love to you until the water had half sloshed out and you were both laughing and sated.

‘Stupid,’ you’d thought dreamily, sleepily, as your fingers brushed the receipt later, tucked into bed and warm and safe.

‘I’ll just throw it away in the morning,’ you promised silently, as Sabo’s arms drew you into sleep.

But you didn’t though.

You kept it on you, somewhere, at all times. A strange, cursed talisman, unopened and dangerous, Schrödinger’s evidence of something unformed and unfathomable that you couldn’t bring yourself to define.

The winter holidays came and went, a New Year passed, to be spent fully in the new world you’d come to accept. The folded, worn piece of paper burned a hole in your pocket until finally, towards the end of January, supplies had dwindled low enough that Sabo announced he would be going on another run.

If he noticed your tension, or the way you seemed to hover and linger around him while he mapped out the route, he seemed to attribute it to nerves. Which wasn’t entirely an inaccurate, made it feel at least a little less like lying when you wrapped your arms around him and made him promise, as always, to come back to you safely.

**

Sabo watched you in the rearview mirror as he drove away, watched the little wave you raised as he trundled onto the path...and watched you disappear into the house before he’d made it fully into the trees.

Something was wrong. Like a miasma wafting through the air, nebulous, maddening, something had been wrong for weeks now.

It wasn’t always, of course, it wasn’t even often...but it was enough. Every now and again he’d catch you staring into space, eyes furrowed, worrying at the seams of your pants like you were trying not to be sick.

You never flinched away when he reached for you in those moments, always sank into the comfort of his touch...but you wouldn’t talk about it, either. At first, he’d been willing to brush it off as grief; your whole life, your whole world had changed, outside of your relationship with him. It was only natural that, eventually, that that wound would need tended to.

It was the little moments of fear that he couldn’t quite place, that unsettled him the most. Sometimes he would walk into the room and you would jump, startled; you always laughed it off as a moment of inattention, but even minutes later that haunted look would still be there, glimmering in the depths of your eyes…

He hated it. He hated that something was frightening you...and he hated that he couldn’t figure out what it was. He’d made sure everything here was as perfect, as comfortable, as safe and quiet and enjoyable as he possibly could. You had routine, you had fresh air, good food, books and games and music and—not to be forward—as many orgasms as he could give you in a given night.

Everything was perfect. So what had changed? What was different now, that hadn’t been there before?

Sabo pulled to a stop at the opening of the little side road, staring at the depression on the other side of the road for a moment before picking up the walkie-talkie.

“Eagle 1 to Kid Gorgeous, you there baby?” Sabo called casually into the receiver, and waited.

And waited. And waited.

He frowned, his heartbeat starting to falter, to race.

Something was wrong.

You’d never taken this long to answer, not since the first time when you’d accidentally gotten on different channels. Sabo pulled out onto the street wide, pulling back around to head back to the house, when the receiver crackled to life. He stopped dead in the street in his haste to answer it.

“Sorry, sorry hon, Kid Gorgeous was an idiot and dropped the pitcher of iced tea on the floor,” your voice settled over his frightened heart like balm on a wound, and he sighed, almost laughing before pressing the button down to answer you.

“Eagle One’s sorry to hear that, do you need me to come back and take care of the glass?”

“No, no, nothing here broken but a pitcher and my pride. Hopefully they’ve got another one where you’re headed.”

Sabo sighed, willing himself down out of panic mode, and put the car in drive, turning back onto the road again. “Roger that. I love you.”

“I love you, too, ‘Bo.”

With a deep breath, he set the receiver down in the cupholder, and willed himself to let the paranoia go.

If there was something wrong, you’d deal with it together. He had to trust you, he had to, or this was never going to work.

**

Sabo had been gone for maybe an hour by the time you collapsed onto the livingroom couch, annoyed with yourself and sweaty in the heat of the cabin despite the chill outside.

Part of you just wanted to take a shower and lay down, sleep through the empty hours until your lover returned. This time he was going on a run a couple little towns over, having mostly exhausted anything useful from the tiny town you’d been taking things from so far.

Your bed was comfortable, and so inviting after cleaning up glass and spilled tea and feeling very silly indeed...but the receipt was also up there, burning a hole in the innocent linen of your pillowcase.

Unwilling to go up there and face it, even for the reward of a nap, you had picked yourself up, resolved to grab a granola bar and head to the back of the cabin, to start going through the larger storage closet and its contents.

This little organization project had become something of a personal challenge for you, and Sabo had respected it, sitting with you while you worked on it sometimes, but largely leaving it to you. It was nice to have something to be working on ongoingly, nice to have something to do beyond just tidying up and listening to music when you were guarding the fort.

In hindsight, it was a little funny that the one truly unattended thing you were allowed to do here was what unraveled the entire facade.

The back bedroom seemed to have been Sabo’s youngest brother’s bedroom from when he was a child. The bed was covered over with protective covering still—as presumably Luffy had chosen a different room in the oddly cavernous cabin when he’d gotten older—the walls adorned with posters about different insects, the jungle-themed wallpaper adding a little extra fun and whimsy to what appeared to be a large collection of toys, action figures, and little pirate ships along the dressers.

You smiled fondly, but mostly left those things alone, determined instead to make the closet accessible, and to see if there was anything they might find useful inside.

It had occurred to you to ask, early on in your time here, whether Sabo’s brothers might try to find the cabin themselves. Sabo had looked hopeful for a moment, though his expression had quickly turned thoughtful.

“Lu’s off working on that nature preserve, and Ace is out there working with some of his buddies with the firewatch again,” he had said, smiling, if perhaps a little sadly. “They’re way out west...and while Ace has his Jeep, I don’t know that they’d risk such a long ride back. At least not until...or if...this craziness starts to die down.”

And that had made sense. It saddened you that Sabo might be out of range of his brothers for quite a long time, but neither of you had a solution for it, and so, like so many other things, you had simply learned to let it go.

You’d mostly been going through the boxes on autopilot, letting your tired mind drift while you went through what looked like children’s toys, books about beetles, old boxes with parts of expired experiments, a very dead chia pet...but you stopped when, at the bottom of the third box, a hand-crank radio slid into view.

It was pristine, despite how long it had likely sat buried underneath other toys and the remnants of childhood adventures past. You pulled it out of the bottom of the box, and for a long time you just...stared at it.

You glanced up at the ceiling, up towards the vague direction of the radio room that you’d never entered, towards the radio that was your only link to the outside world, the one thing in the house you’d effectively been forbidden to tamper with.

“It’s just a toy...it probably doesn’t have enough range to pick anything but the emergency broadcast system up,” you muttered to yourself, turning it over in your hand. Nothing on the back listed a distance, only a range of frequencies the little radio could pick up.

“Nothing but AM out this far probably, anyway. Maybe some automated church broadcast…”

you swallowed hard, suddenly stifled, like the walls of the cabin were pressing in on you, frozen, waiting.

What could it hurt? With slightly shaking fingers, you pulled the crank out of its cradle, and turned it. The first few times, nothing seemed to happen. Maybe it was broken, maybe it was so old it couldn’t be charged.

You turned it for 30 seconds, nothing. You turned it for another 30 seconds, nothing. You turned the crank for a full additional minute to no immediate response, and just as you were about to give up, to call it dead or broken and put it back in the box marked as unusable...the little front display lit up, and a voice blared out, lively and jarring in the solitude you’d come to accept.

“Annnnd folks we’re at the top of the hour, you’re listening to 43.3 AM, The Buzz. This is Buzz McCallan, comin to you with News on the 8s!”

You sat there for nearly 40 minutes, unmoving and sick. Through News on the 8s, through the update on sports, through a call-in section that seemed to be comprised of mostly disgruntled truckers...and through the Daily Update. A section on the reconstruction efforts, after the world’s brush with death.

After. The end of the world, as it turned out, had lasted for perhaps 3 weeks of sustained bloodshed and chaos, before the world had figured out how to fight back. It had taken another month after that to take stock of what had been lost, and to begin airdropping packets of a compound that seemed to reverse the damage to the parts of the brain that governed behavior and pain tolerance that the infection had damaged.

Now, nearly 6 months after the initial outbreak, the world, while still recovering...had mostly put itself back together again.

The little radio had finally run out of the charge you’d given it just as Buzz McCallan had finished his rant about gas prices, and when it shut off you simply sat there in the tinny, ringing silence.

Your mind was blank, perhaps mercifully so, as you rose on shaking, numb legs, and let your internal autopilot carry you up the stairs to the bedroom you’d been sharing.

By this point, you knew what you’d find as you fished out the crumpled receipt, and let it fall open in your hands.

Every item, listed and accounted for, dated and timestamped ‘Your cashier today was Marta!’ He’d paid in cash. He’d received $5.29 in change.

You wondered, somewhat perversely, if the people in the parking lot had thought he looked strange, dumping all of his neatly bagged groceries out, bag by bag, into the back of his car. You wondered if they thought it was one of those doomsday preppers, still too affected by the near-miss with apocalypse to think clearly.

You wondered if they thought he was nuts.

The whole world was still out there. Your job, your friends. Chinese takeout and movie trailers and neighbors you had always greeted politely but had no desire to meet.

“He’s keeping you prisoner,” a voice in your mind whispered. You frowned, brows furrowed, and shook your head.

“He’s never tried to stop me from leaving the cabin,” you whispered into the stagnant air.

The voice in your mind, which remembered horror movies and true crime podcasts, tutted. “Not the cabin. But have you so much as touched that car, unless he was there with you unloading groceries?”

You knew you were having a breakdown. You knew it was too much to take in, to understand.

“Something really did happen to us...to everyone, though. Maybe he’s just scared. He’s trying to keep us safe…” you whispered, your throat tightening around panic and tears and anger and grief.

“Sure. And that holds up for the first supply run...but you know he knew by the second. He’s paying in cash. He kidnapped you.”

Kidnapped. The word rocketed around your mind like a meteor, crashing through your rational thoughts, your excuses, battering your wounded and confused heart as it made its way down to lay like lead in your stomach.

Your internal voice didn’t have anything else to add, it seemed; the damage had been done, the illusion shattered. You had no idea what to think, what to do—your phone had been misplaced at some point early on, although now you wondered whether he hadn’t just chucked it into the lake, your purse was where you’d left it ages ago: in the car.

Still...you had to get out. Didn’t you? You couldn’t stay here, you couldn’t pretend that you didn’t know what happened. You couldn’t trust the love of your life.

Hot, stinging tears welled up and began to fall at that. Did you even know him? What was he capable of? Would he hurt you, if you tried to get away?

You shook your head so roughly your neck cracked, leaping up off the bed as you tried to stave off what you were sure was a panic attack.

You changed your clothes into something warmer, changed into a pair of the hiking boots you wore when the two of you went out fishing. The road was out there, you could follow it to the highway. Find someone. As long as you made it off the forest drive before he came back, you could make it. You tore through the kitchen, gathering food, filling your water bottle, getting a backpack you’d taken from one of the closets ready to depart.

You’d leave him a note. With the receipt and the radio. You could at least do that. Despite all, the idea of leaving him with nothing, with no way of knowing what had happened to you, hurt too much to consider.

After a moments thought, you grabbed the rifle from where it sat, primed, leaning against the doorway, and slung it over your shoulder. You didn’t know how far you’d have to go to find help, but walking alone in a world you hadn’t been part of in six months without any sort of protection seemed unwise, somehow.

The adrenaline in your system wasn’t helping the way you thought it should. Your body felt sluggish and unwieldy, like it might give out and drop you to the floor at any moment. Writing out the note felt like moving your hand through cement, comprehending the words to explain felt like sand against your brain. Everything hurt. The lights were too bright, your ears were ringing.

It was hard to hear anything over the sound of your body’s resistance to its new conditions. Which was probably why you hadn’t heard it when the car had come trundling to a stop. Hadn’t heard the sound of Sabo’s footsteps as he’d bounded up the stairs.

You almost screamed when the front door popped open, but when you whirled around with the rifle, at first, your lover had laughed—instinctively, nervously.

“Hey love, wh...what’s going on? You weren’t answering on the walkie,” he asked, raising his hands slowly, head cocked to the side in confusion, as he looked from the muzzle of the rifle to you.

The words seemed locked in your throat, and when you just stared at him, the look on his face changed from confusion to alarm. To fear. You grit your teeth, hating it, hating him, hating yourself.

“What’s going on, sweetheart...what happened here…?” Sabo took a tentative, slow step towards you. Your body, frozen to the spot, only managed to stare back at him, the muzzle trained on his chest still.

Those cornflower blue eyes you loved so dearly flickered between you and the gun again before looking back towards the entry hall table...only to fall upon the offerings you’d left there. The radio. The receipt. The rudiments of a note.

For the briefest flickering of a moment, Sabo’s expression went entirely blank, eyes darkening down to blackened slits of panic and pain that seemed to flash through your own chest sympathetically.

“Luffy’s room, probably, huh,” he whispered thickly.

You nodded, your own voice still trapped in your chest. You wondered idly whether you had truly lost your voice, or whether your body knew that if it let you speak you might never never never stop screaming.

You took a deep, unsteady breath. Sabo took another step towards you, pain and sorrow etched across his face once more.

“Let me have the gun, sweetheart. I swear I’ll explain, I’ll tell you everything. No more secrets. Just...let me have this,” He said softly, earnestly, lowering one hand slightly towards the rifle.

You took a jerky step back and he stopped, raising his hands again.

With a voice that was more breath and pain than sound, you whispered “I’ll shoot you.”

Tears welled delicately in Sabo’s eyes, but he shook his head. “No, you won’t.”

Your hands started to shake. Of course you wouldn’t. You couldn’t. The image of him, bloodied and cooling in the entryway, carved its way out of you like a knife and you whimpered...but held on.

“Why not,” you whispered again. “Why shouldn’t I?”

Sabo smiled gently, sadly, the tears slipping down his beautiful cheeks. “Because you love me...and the only ammunition I brought for the rifle are blanks.”

Dark spots began to swim in your vision then, the panic of the moment, the heat of the cabin, the agony of betrayal and confusion all beginning to wear through your senses. You had no plan for this, no experience to fall back on, the only comfort and safety you’d known in your adult life was standing opposite you, perched atop a castle of lies and coercion that you simply could not understand.

On instinct, you flung the rifle at him, winging it with all your waning strength as you lunged past him for the door.

He caught it with one hand, tossing it to the side as he spun to give chase, pressing something on the key ring as he did so.

Ahead of you, just barely out of reach, the front door swung closed ahead of you, and the odd trick mechanism clicked heavily into place. You ran into it, clumsy and sick with sadness and fear, just as Sabo caught up with you, colliding with your body and trapping you against the front door as the rest of the cabin responded to the panic button he had pressed.

His voice at your ear was so warm, so comforting, so unbelievably sad as he explained to you what was happening.

“Luffy’s grandfather really did lose it in his later years, the radio room actually is dangerous,” he whispered, running his palms soothingly up and down your arms despite the weight he was using to keep you pressed to the door. Just the way he had done a hundred thousand times before, conditioning you with his touch to be calm, to be pliant. Your mind felt like it was fracturing, leaning into the comfort of his touch just as it tried to wrestle your muscle control away from him.

Sabo shifted to make sure you could breathe and then continued. “He didn’t stop at the radio room, though. The doors and windows are all reinforced with steel, the doorframes are rooted into the foundation with concrete and rebar. I don’t know what he thought Ace’s biological father might be coming to do, but he prepped this place for war.”

Tears streamed down your face, frustrated, scared; part of you wished you’d just left well enough alone. That things could just go back to the way they were. Part of you didn’t understand how someone who loved you as thoroughly, as honestly as Sabo did, could do this to you. How anyone could ever do this.

“Why is this happening,” you whispered, partially muffled by the door.

Sabo sighed, sounding more weary than you’d ever heard him. “It was real, at first, whatever happened at the apartment. In the beginning all I could think about was making sure we got out here before it got worse, before people started to panic and the roads closed up. The storm really did interfere with the radio reception, and that little town really did look guttered out when I first made a run for supplies,” he said softly, fingertips lulling your unwilling body, coaxing you to relax. He kissed the back of your head, and it took all your control not to lean back into it.

“And it worked, you know, didn’t it? We got set up out here so fast, and since it’s private property and set so far back in the forest, nobody was able to follow us. Nothing sick made it out this far. You were safe, we were together, and…” he trailed off for a moment, forehead leaning against the back of your head, still trying to soothe you as the tears fell harder.

“...and we were happy. So happy. Happy as we’ve always been...and without any of the drudgery or people or circumstances that ever caused us stress. Remember, you said no student loans? No bills at all. No politics. None of your mean, ugly distant relatives, no more morning commute to work, no more mocking up powerpoints for rich assholes that never even commend you for your work.”

Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest, but he continued, his voice steadying into something righteous, something indignant, although it was clear that furor wasn’t directed at you.

“Every day some nonsense or another kept us apart, wore you down, caused us trouble...there was plenty enough in the inheritance to keep us comfortable, if the cost of living hadn’t just kept climbing and climbing and climbing...but then the infection started. Then we came out here, we got away...and I know it’s awful, but part of me was desperate for it to be the end. To be a REAL reset. The whole system is rotten…” One of Sabo’s hands slid down until he could wrap it around your waist, pulling you to him, rocking you carefully back and forth against the door.

It frightened you that he was still trying to comfort you, it frightened you more how badly you wanted him to, how badly you wanted all of this to go away.

Maybe he was right...it wasn’t like rent was getting any lower.

“Stop, please...Sabo, please,” your voice sounded reedy thin in your ears. Sabo splayed his palm out against your belly, kissed the back of your neck softly.

You sighed against the door, warmth blossoming through you. You couldn’t think. This wasn’t right.

When he spoke again, his lips still brushing the back of your neck, it was with a voice so wounded, so desperate, that you almost didn’t recognize it.

“Has this really been so bad?” he asked softly, rocking with you again, fingertips stroking the slight line of skin where your shirt had ridden up. You shivered, and he sighed with you, sympathetic, in sync.

“Is being here...being together...being beyond everything that hurt us before...safe and comfortable...is it really such a bad thing to want?”

Your eyes slip closed as his fingers, blunt and warm, dip beneath the waistband of your pants. Your brows furrow, but the fight’s gone out of you now. Whatever moment there might have been to escape this, to escape back into your body and yourself and the world...had passed you, at some point.

“We’re safe here...we’re taken care of here...we can live for each other and no one else...not many people get to boast a life like that,” this time when he kissed the back of your neck, lips trailing down towards your ear, you leaned back into him, into his touch.

The world stopped, the cabin walls pressed in, anxious, greedy. Waiting.

“No,” you whispered, and this time when you shifted, Sabo leaned off just enough to let you turn in his arms.

When he kissed you, long and deep, you sank into it. Back into the comfort, back into the stability of a world—of a life—that your lover had made so, so simple for you.

Sabo’s body shook against you, in longing, in relief, even as his fingertips slid lower to find you wanting. Needing.

He’d hated lying to you. Hated every moment of it. He’d tell you, he’d spend the rest of his life on his knees for you if you needed it. Anything for you to feel safe.

“You’re perfect,” he mouthed against your lips, your throat, between the valley of your breasts once he’d removed the stupid sweater that had kept you hidden from him.

“I love you,” he vowed as he sank to his knees before you, taking away the winter pants you would no longer need, tossing your hiking boots with them over his shoulder and away.

“I’m sorry,” he intoned, as he slid his tongue between your lips, laved worship and remorse against you, filled your exhausted body and broken mind with pleasure.

“Not like you,” you’d whispered back, to this, and to all, as you let him take the pain away.

He offered you an out, as he slicked his fingers into you, curling forward, giving you everything just like he’d always promised.

He offered you an out, as the pleasure peaked, wracking you with relief far beyond the moment at hand…

...and you took it.

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

I- Intimacy

A/N- Yay!! my fics are back 🥰 lol i missed doing these so much c: i’m not sure if i love the ending on this one but when do i ever like my own endings 😂

Genre- Fluff, Smut

Warnings- Reader has female anatomy, alcohol, unprotected p in v sex (BE SAFE), body worship, oral sex (f receiving)

Tag List- @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @munsonology @esme-viridian @gvf23

(tag list is always open, let me know if you’d like to be added)

Word Count- 5.7k

Eddie quickly ran over to your side of the van, slowly opening the door for you and reaching his hand out to help you step down into the parking lot.

Your anniversary had come along so much quicker than you were anticipating, you didn’t think a year would go by so quickly.

The memories you’ve made together, all the wonderful days spent with each other and the magical nights you were wrapped in each other’s arms. He was an amazing boyfriend, which was shocking to you at first given his reputation, but once you really had gotten to know his true self instead of listening to the rumors that had been going around you knew they were wrong about him.

He made it his duty to always make you feel loved and appreciated every single day he was with you. Breakfasts in bed, bringing you home a little treat if he had to stop at the gas station on his way home from work, giving flowers and little presents whenever he saw something that reminded him of you, complimenting you each and every single day. He adored you, and he needed you to know how much you meant to him.

Your anniversary was something different for him though.

He had never had a relationship last this long, especially one long enough where you knew his friends and Wayne and all the little freshies of Hellfire, and for your anniversary he wanted to kick the romance into high gear.

He wanted to show you off to everyone that he could.

There was a fancier restaurant just outside of town and he made your reservations well over a month in advance to make sure you were able to go. He asked Wayne if he could borrow some of his nicer clothes, did his hair a bit, he even bought himself a new cologne to use.

Not to mention all the little surprises he had planned for you both that night.

You had already known about dinner, Eddie had even hand picked your outfit and bought you a stunning black dress to wear. You loved how much effort he had put into this night and though it wasn’t about how much money he spent or how fancy the restaurant he took you to was, it was about the two of you being with one another and being able to show each other how much you loved one another.

Dinner was nice, intimate, you had talked with one another the whole night and had really been able to have a wonderful meal with a delicious dessert that you shared afterwards.

Though he had given you little presents here and there throughout the day, he made sure to save the best for last.

As soon as dinner was finished, he began his drive home but he made what you assumed to be a wrong turn a few streets down.

“Eddie, the park is a few streets down isn’t it?”

“It is.” He said with a smile.

“Ok, so where are we going?” You asked him with a giggle.

“Somewhere special.” He shrugged, “I just hope you like it.”

The drive wasn’t too long, and the road he had taken wound through the forest to a secluded area and once you saw the front gates you were in awe.

It was a gorgeous little bed and breakfast, the road leading up to it was full of flower bushes and the hotel itself seemed exactly like the type of place Eddie would love. Dark, romantic, old fashioned, and with a few more years it would look like the perfect place for a haunted house.

He helped you down from the van as he parked next to the building and he held out his arm for you to take as he led you up the steps to the door.

He let down his arm and opened the door for you and when you saw the inside of the place it was even more gorgeous than you imagined.

It looked like an old mansion, the walls covered with art and intricate mirrors, sconces covering the walls instead of lamps, vases of dark flowers on each table you saw. The entire place was beautiful and you were so happy Eddie found a place that suited you both so well.

He stepped in after you and went up to the front desk, checking yourselves in as you looked all around the foyer of the hotel.

He reached out for your hand once more and you were guided up to your room by the woman from behind the desk, giving you each a key to the room before leaving you two with a smile.

“I hope you like it, i paid a little extra to amp up the romance a bit.”

You giggled a bit as Eddie put his key into the lock,

“Eddie, what are you talking abou-“ You stopped in your tracks when you saw how beautifully the room was set up for you.

Candles were lit all over, giving it a gorgeous golden glow against the black and burgundy shades of the room. Bright red rose petals had been left all along the floor and leading up to the bed. A bottle of red wine had been sitting on the nightstand with two glasses next to it for the both of you to share. The room itself was amazing, like nothing you had ever seen before.

Dark, intimate, almost vampiric in a way with all the deep dark shades that had been covering the room. The walls had a beautifully patterned burgundy wallpaper, the furniture had been entirely black and the curtains and trim on the wall had matched, the bedsheets and pillows had been different shades of deep red and black and it was shocking to know that a place that would feel so warm and comforting had been this close to home.

Eddie leaned in close to you,

“They called this one the ‘Vampire Room’. Pretty fitting don’t you think?”

“Eddie… I don’t know what to say…”

He smiled and took a step in front of you, carefully taking your hands into his and leading you slowly into the room, leaning into your ear to whisper to you once more,

“Just say that you love me.”

Your lips curled into a smile and you let go of his hands, bringing them up to his face to gently hold his cheeks as you looked into his eyes for a moment before kissing him sweetly,

“I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

You entered the room with him and he shut the door behind you, letting you walk around the room to take in everything you saw before you.

He had watched you with a smile as he undid the front buttons on the suit jacket he had on,

“When you’re all done looking at the room angel, i already had them unpack some things i brought earlier, there’s a cute little outfit waiting for you to change into in the bathroom.”

You gasped excitedly, rushing back over to Eddie,

“Really? You got me another present?”

“Of course i did! I think it’s going to look perfect on you too,” Eddie wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you in close, kissing your forehead before slowly turning you around, reaching up to the top of your dress and undoing the zipper for you, placing a kiss onto your shoulder, “I picked it out just for you.”

You smiled and turned back to him, giving him a quick kiss before slowly moving into the bathroom, quietly shutting the door behind you.

Eddie waited patiently, letting you take your time changing into the outfit he had picked out for you, and he smiled just thinking about how you would look once that door opened up again.

He figured now was a better time than ever to get himself ready, loosening his tie and pulling off his jacket, tossing them both onto the chair next to the bed.

Tonight he wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, and it was all for you.

He got himself undressed, the rest of his clothes going onto the chair as he walked slowly over to the bathroom door, knocking on it gently a few times,

“Take all the time you need pretty girl. We’ve got all weekend here.”

“Just another minute!” You called back out to him.

He smiled and walked over to the record player, flipping through the small collection of vinyls that were nearby, deciding on one that seemed dark but still romantic. Perfect for the kind of night he wanted to have with you.

Once the record started he walked back over to the other side of the bed, reaching for the bottle of wine and uncorking it, grabbing the two glasses in his other hand but stopping in his tracks once he heard the bathroom door open once more.

There you stood in a gorgeous blood red nightgown. It was silk, and the way the fabric shined in the candlelight showed off your body in all the perfect ways. All Eddie could do was stand there and stare.

“See something you like handsome?” You said with a giggle.

“You know i do. Come here.” He set the bottle and glasses back onto the nightstand and held his arms out for you, holding you by the waist and looking at you up and down before taking one of your hands into his and twirling you,

“God, you’re beautiful.”

“Oh shush, now you’re just being sweet.”

“I’m always gonna be sweet to the woman i love.” He leaned down and gave you a sweet kiss as he held you close, your arms going around his neck as he started to slowly sway to the music.

He rested his forehead onto yours as you moved your bodies to the record.

You held each other close and really took in this moment.

It was so romantic and intimate, and you were happy to be able to spend such an amazing night with the man you loved and adored, and with all the effort he had been putting into tonight really showed you how much he loved and adored you too.

He held your hands softly in his and slowly guided you towards the bed, keeping his eyes on yours the entire time.

His eyes to you seemed different than normal. They were still gorgeous to look so deeply into, their warmth always guiding you to them, but this time they seemed clouded over with not just lust but love.

As Eddie sat on the bed next to you he reached over and grabbed the bottle of wine from the nightstand,

“Should we?”

“Only if you’re up for it,” You said with a smile, “just promise me you won’t get like you did on New Years, Mr. ‘I can drink this whole bottle of champagne all by myself’.”

He laughed as he popped open the bottle, reaching over and pouring it into the two glasses, handing you one before pouring one for himself,

“You know i wouldn’t do that on a night like tonight. New Years was different, you’re supposed to act like a drunk idiot,” He set the bottle back onto the nightstand before moving himself back over to you, holding his glass out for you to clink it with yours, which you did gladly before each taking a sip, “tonight isn’t about that. It’s about you, and me, and our love for each other.”

You smiled and reached your hand out, gently holding his cheek as you guided him closer to you to softly kiss him,

“And i love you very much Eddie Munson.”

“I love you (y/n), and i want to be able to show you that i do.”

You smiled with one another for a moment, really taking in your surroundings and yet it still wasn’t fully hitting you how desperate Eddie was making himself for you.

He had only dreamed of a moment like this, a gorgeous hotel room with the love of his life who was dressed up in the sexy nightgown that he had picked out just for her only to rip it off later in the night. He so badly wanted to make love to you it was hurting but he promised you and he promised himself that tonight was different. You could have sex any time you wanted but Eddie wanted to make sweet romantic love to you like he never had before and he’d be damned if he let himself ruin that.

He watched your lips as they moved to the rim of the wine glass in your hand, taking one more sip and carefully sticking your tongue out to clean up the deep red stains that were beginning on your lips. You giggled seeing his stare,

“What are you looking at?”

Eddie slowly took the glass from your hand and carefully set them both down onto the nightstand,

“Lay with me?”

You smiled and nodded, moving yourself onto the bed and fixing up your nightgown as Eddie laid himself behind you, his body pressed up against yours as his arms went around you to keep you held tightly to him as he moved a few strands of hair away from your neck.

His breath tickled as he slowly kissed your neck, taking one of your hands into his as his lips trailed down. You giggled as he held your hand, feeling his lips make their way over your shoulder and down your arm before placing one last kiss onto the back of your hand, slowly bringing it up to his face and holding it against his cheek,

“God, i love you so much…”

You smiled and laid back on the bed, your head resting against the soft pillows as Eddie moved himself next to you, holding himself up with one arm against the bed as his other arm held your cheek.

You looked at one another for a moment, just taking in the scene that surrounded you.

The beautiful room, the pretty music playing in the background, the soft bedsheets beneath your bodies as you lay with one another. There had been romantic nights at home, Eddie always had a plan for when he wanted to turn up the romance but this was something entirely different. He had spent so much time and effort into planning and just the thought of it brought tears to your eyes.

Eddie saw a tear slip down your cheek and gently wiped it away with his thumb,

“Angel, what’s wrong?”

You sniffled and curled your lips into a smile, looking up into his eyes and placing your hand over his as it rested on your cheek,

“I love you. I know i’ve said it a million other times tonight and i figure it’s not going to be that last time i say it tonight either, but this took so much effort into planning and i can’t imagine how hard it was for you to not tell me about this.”

A quiet laugh escaped his lips,

“With how awful i am at keeping secrets, i’m surprised i didn’t tell you sooner.”

You smiled with him and reached your hand up to wipe away another stray tear, feeling his lips gently press to your forehead as he held you into him, feeling his warmth start to envelop you as his arms were wrapped around you,

“We deserved this. You deserved this (y/n).”

Your arms wrapped around his waist and you laid there for a moment in each other’s arms.

It was perfect, everything was perfect.

His hands slowly caressed your body, moving over your arms and the curve of your waist, making sure he was able to touch every inch of you that he could reach before pulling you tightly against him once more, smiling before moving his hand up into your hair and pulling you into a kiss.

His lips stayed on yours and you squeaked in surprise as his strong arms quickly pulled you on top of him, his hands moving your legs to straddle him and placing them on the back of your thighs, his thumbs stroking the soft flesh. You placed your hands onto his chest and slowly pulled away, smiling down at him as you cupped his cheek.

Your attention was pulled away from him as you heard the music stop from the record player,

“Do you want me to put another one on?”

“Nope.” Eddie carefully sat up and moved you off of his lap, getting up off the bed and giving you one last kiss as you kneeled at the edge, “You’re not doing a damn thing tonight sweetheart. I love you, and I want to be able to take care of absolutely everything.”

You smiled and watched as he flipped through the little collection of records once more, picking out another and replacing the records on the player. It was another collection of dark, romantic, melodic songs and he slowly made his way back over to you on the bed.

He leaned down and gave you a quick kiss, moving his fingers down to play with the hem of the skimpy nightgown, slowly lifting it up over your figure.

“This looks gorgeous on you pretty girl, but i think it’ll look even better on the floor,” You giggled as he helped pull the nightgown over your head, dropping it onto the floor as his hands caressed your body once more, “and i think you look much better with nothing on at all…”

He could see the blush on your cheeks and smiled, knowing how flustered you got whenever he felt the need to worship your naked body before him. It was something he adored doing to you, showing you just how beautiful he thought every bit of you was, kissing his way all along your skin and on each and every one of your ‘imperfections’.

Every scar, every stretch mark, every blemish and freckle that made you insecure was completely forgotten about the moment his lips grazed over them.

His hands carefully held your hips as he sat himself on the edge of the bed before you, fully taking in the sight before him. Though you were wearing the cutest little black lace panties, all he wanted was to see them torn in half, but he was being a gentleman tonight.

Sweet and gentle kisses were placed all over your skin, making you giggle each time they found a new spot to explore. Your hips, your stomach, your shoulders, your thighs, not a single place was left untouched. He wanted you to memorize the feeling of his soft lips pressed to your body.

Your hands found their way into his hair, carefully brushing it back from his face to watch the way his eyes slowly shut each time he kissed you. Your fingertips were massaging his scalp, earning a few long and relaxed groans from him. He loved it when you played with his hair.

There was nothing that could ruin tonight.

Eddie slowly trailed his way back up, his lips moving slowly up your shoulder and across your collarbone. Once they found their way to your neck there was no stopping him.

You gently tilted your head back to give him more room, his hair tickling over your chest as he placed sweet and gentle kisses everywhere his lips could reach.

Eddie couldn’t help himself.

His hands moved their way under your ass, quickly pulling you up further onto the bed as he climbed on top of you, spreading your legs apart for him to rest between them. He gently guided your thigh upwards, hooking your leg around his waist as he laid against you, and with one smooth motion he was grinding into you. Just the feeling of having him so close to you made your head tilt back in ecstasy, a soft moan escaping your lips as he found the sweet spot on your collar bone once more.

His hands slowly moved upwards on your body, trailing up your arms and interlocking his fingers with yours as he held your hands above your head. Not restraining, not forcing, just holding them so lovingly in his as he continued grinding into you. All he wanted was to hear those sweet moans leaving your lips for as long as he could.

“Baby, i know that we wanted tonight to be nice and slow, but you make it so fucking hard…” Eddie groaned into your ear between kisses, “I love you. I want you. I need you…”

His grasp lightened on your wrists and you watched as he stood at the end of the bed, carefully placing his fingers into the waistband of his boxers, waiting until you had a good view of him before pulling them down his thighs.

He stepped out of them as they landed at the floor and grabbed your ankles, quickly pulling you all the way towards him, your legs hanging off the end of the bed as he leaned himself over you. He smiled down at his work, seeing the glow of lust masking your entire body beneath him, your chest heaving, just waiting for him to make his next move. He gently hooked his fingers into the little elastic sides of your thong and pulled it slowly down your legs, moving your ankles up onto the edge of the bed to leave you fully exposed for him.

“Aww, pretty girl, you’re not nearly as wet as you usually are when we’re being dirty.” He chuckles to himself and knelt down at the end of the bed, gently grasping your thighs and placing them onto his shoulders, “Don’t worry baby, i’ll get you nice and wet for me…”

Your head tilted back, a stuttering moan escaping your lips as his tongue licked a long, slow, wet stripe through your folds. It was agonizing how slow this euphoria was, and Eddie knew that too. By now he’d be completely lost in himself, licking and sucking on your clit like a man starved, but he wanted to savor every little bit of you that he could. Your love, your taste, those sweet little moans that you couldn’t help but mewl out every time you felt his lips go back in for more.

It was like he was trying to make this the most painful moment you’ve ever had to endure, but you never wanted it to stop.

His own moans weren’t helping, vibrating a chill that you could feel from the tips of your toes to the very top of your scalp.

Your toes curled the moment you felt his fingers start to tease you. He slowly inserted the tips of his middle and ring fingers, his other hand slowly caressing your thigh as he looked up to you,

“Watch me pretty girl…” He placed a few kisses along your inner thighs as he looked up to you, watching the way your face contorted each time he went back in for more.

You did your best to watch as he devoured you, his deep brown eyes looking up at you with nothing but love and adoration. You could barely keep your eyes open, the pleasure he was bringing you ran chills all through your veins, and though he wanted this to be all about you the only thing you could focus on was him.

His soft curls tickling over your thighs, your fingers delicately massaging his scalp only made him want to hold this out for as long as he could. The adorable way the yellow light shone off of his eyes, making them shift from their normal deep brown to an almost golden hue. Each time he opened his eyes to look up at you, you could’ve sworn you saw them sparkle. His calloused hands being so gentle with you, caressing your body in all the perfect ways, his rough hands were such a perfect contrast to your soft skin.

With one last deep shaky breath, you jerked your head up to look down to him,

“Stop!” You shouted out.

Without hesitation, his lips were lifted away from your core, and he looked up to you with worry, thinking he had done something wrong,

“What? Is everything ok baby? Did i do something?”

You smiled down to him and moved your hand to hold his cheek, giggling at the sheen of your wetness still over his lips,

“No baby, i promise, you didn’t do anything wrong,” You lowered your body down to him, planting a soft kiss to his lips, you could taste yourself as you licked over your lips, “i’m ready…”

He slowly smiled up to you, giving you another quick kiss before leaning over into one of the bags that had been brought up, long forgotten in the corner with the others. You knew exactly what he was reaching for, but like Eddie said, tonight had to be different.

“Wait…” You reached out and grabbed his wrist, grabbing his attention once more and slightly pulling him back into you, “i want to try it without one…”

He moved himself to kneel at the edge of the bed, tenderly holding your hands in his as he looked up into your eyes,

“You’re sure that’s what you want (y/n)? You’re not doing it because i want to, right?”

“Eddie, i love you.” You let go of one of his hands and gently held his cheek, “I want this. I know that we’ve talked about it a lot, and we’ve both been a little iffy about it, but i’m alright if we don’t use a condom this time. Besides, we’ve taken lots of precautions in the past! I’m sure if we make sure to be a little extra careful, everything will be fine. I’m alright with not using one tonight, but the final decision is all yours.”

He thought it over for a moment.

Sure, you’d talked plenty of times about not using condoms in the past, but it was just a fantasy you had talked over. He was terrified of something going wrong and causing something to shift in your relationship if the proper precautions weren’t in place, but actually being given the option is a lot different than just talking it over. He was scared. He wanted to, but he couldn’t help the little voice in the back of his head telling him that if something went wrong it would be his fault. But you were right.

Each and every time you slept together there had been close to a million precautions in place. You used condoms, if you weren’t certain about the outcome you took tests, you were on your own form of birth control, and you always made sure that if something did happen you were prepared for it.

He knew he wasn’t ready for a child, and neither were you, but he knew you would be safe.

He looked back up to you, his heart beating faster than he had ever felt it before, and took a deep breath,

“I promise i’ll be careful…”

You smiled softly to one another as he began to crawl over you, your legs moving to either side of his waist as his elbows were at either side of your head.

You laid there for a moment with one another, admiring the way your bodies felt so natural being tangled together. He reached his hand down and guided himself closer to your entrance, stopping just before he pushed in, looking up into your eyes just one last time,

“You’re sure this is what you want?”

You nodded and wrapped your arms around his shoulders,

“I’m sure Eddie… i’m sure.”

You felt the familiar pressure between your legs, the quick burn that came with the first push soon washed away as he moved slowly, further and further into you.

You let out a long shaky breath as you felt him slide through you and you could hear the strained moans leaving his lips. He wanted to just pound into you, you just knew it, but he was being so patient and so gentle. This wasn’t what you were used to from Eddie, but you were starting to love it.

He lay still for a moment, feeling the way your body was wrapped around his in every way possible. Your arms were wrapped around his shoulders, your legs were wrapped around his waist, and your tight pussy wrapping around his cock so perfectly he didn’t know if he wanted to start thrusting or just enjoy the moment.

It was only when he heard you whisper so quietly into his ear that he had forgotten his surroundings. The bed and breakfast, the dark themed bedroom, the silk sheets beneath your bodies.

“Eddie…” His name melted off of your tongue like the sweetest candy you’ve ever tasted. Nothing could compare to this moment.

He rolled his hips back and gently pushed back in, starting at a slow and steady pace for the two of you to get your bodies adjusted. His head dipped into the crook of your neck and you could feel his warm breath against your skin, his lips peppering gentle kisses all along your collarbone as he felt your body start to move with his.

By this point you both would’ve already lost yourselves in pleasure, covering each others bodies in hickeys and bruises, your ankles would be at Eddie’s shoulders as he pounded into you. But there was something about this type of sex that really made you two feel closer. Connected.

Eddie had made love to you in the past, but never like this. It made you want him so much more than you already did.

“(y/n)…” Eddie groaned out, you smiled yo yourself just hearing how hard he was holding back from whimpering your name, “Please… can i go faster?…” He lifted himself up, his hands on either side of your head as he looked down into your eyes, pleading for you to let him take full control like he was so used to.

His hair was already a mess, you could see the gentle shine on his forehead from the few drops of sweat starting to roll down his temples, his cheeks were bright red. Poor baby had been holding himself back for so long. All for you.

Your arms draped around his neck and you nodded up to him before whispering out,

“Yes Eddie, please… faster…”

Without even a second warning, the sheets were gripped in his hands as he picked up his pace, the only sounds in the room were a combination of your moans and the sound of your thighs slapping against one another’s. The record that had been playing was long stopped, forgotten about as you couldn’t focus on anything else in that room except for each other.

You could feel the slow buildup of heat in your core, a familiar sensation that let you know you were getting closer and closer to your release. You prayed that Eddie wouldn’t hold it out any longer.

“Close…” You whined, “so close…”

You didn’t need to say another word before Eddie moved himself above you, grabbing your legs and holding them steady at your sides, his hands cupping the backs of your knees to keep you spread wide open for him. He knew exactly what to do to you. He had your body memorized like the back of his hand.

Your head was tilted all the way back, your eyes clenched shut and your body had been covered by a layer of sweat. All you could feel was the rush of pure adrenaline through your veins, the heat in your core was burning, and Eddie smiled down at you as he felt your walls start to clench around him,

“Gonna cum baby?” He asked you with a smirk on his lips, his hips never stopping their rhythm.

You couldn’t even both with a response, both you and him could tell that it was only a matter of seconds.

“Come on pretty girl, cum for me… I know you want to baby, don’t hold back…”

His voice was able to guide you through it, and with one final deep thrust your back arched and your toes curled as you let out a moan that you didn’t think you were ever capable of. Eddie would’ve called it ‘pornographic’.

He smiled as he looked down between your bodies and saw the little patch of wetness beneath you on the bed, and he smiled even bigger knowing it was his doing. He didn’t stop his rhythm, and he knew that his climax was coming soon after yours,

“Baby… I’m getting close…” He tilted his head back and groaned, his thrusts started to get sloppy, losing his pace, “where do you want it?”

“Whenever you want Eddie, just be careful.” You said with a smile as his head went back down, watching himself as he slowly pulled out, your legs being gently placed at his sides.

One of his hands went directly to your thigh, gripping the soft flesh as his other hand moved to his cock, pumping fast to get himself to that final peak.

It only took a few moments before you felt his hand nearly clawing into your skin, his tired eyes opening and watching as his hips jerked, long ropes of his cum painting your stomach as his hand slowly came to a halt.

He nearly collapsed on the bed next to you, his chest heaving, face red, hair a mess with his bangs stuck to the sweat rolling down his forehead. He looked like a god.

His head turned slightly, his eyes slowly opening once more, and you could see the exhaustion in them,

“Good?” He asked you between each breath, a worried look in his eye. Though he had gone to near insane lengths to make tonight so romantic and special, he still thought it wasn’t good enough for you.

You groaned as you adjusted yourself on the bed, doing your best not to spread your mess any further on the sheets,

“It was great Eddie.” You slowly caught your breath as you lay with one another.

As much as you loved to snuggle afterwards, when the sex was filthy you needed to get cleaned up first, “But do you think we can get up as soon as we’re feeling alright?” You looked down at your body. Sticky, sweaty, your stomach still frosted with his cum, “I feel dirty…”

Eddie chuckled and reached his hand over to your head, tilting it closer towards him and pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead,

“My dirty girl…”

if you’d like to see the actual NSFW alphabet, or read the other fics in this series, you can find them here on my masterlist 🥰

[merakiui]

thinking about riddle being a magic doctor with a very successful career. though he had always wanted to study law, he pushed his desires aside in favor of studying his mother’s profession. growing up, the expectation was that riddle was going to be a magic doctor, and when he was attending nrc that expectation was no longer a simple hypothetical. it was going to happen whether he wanted it or not.

so when riddle, years into a career he’s not very passionate about (but it’s making him plenty of money to live a comfortable life and it keeps his mother placated for the most part), is driving home after a late night working overtime at the clinic he isn’t at his best, mentally and physically. he’s tired, he’s trying to talk his mother out of yet another arranged marriage over the phone, and he isn’t very conscious as he drives down the long, dark, forested road towards his quaint home. 

he immediately wakes when his vehicle makes contact with something, and that something is sent tumbling ahead, coming to a stop a few meters away, sprawled in the shadows like roadkill. riddle hangs up on his mother at once; he surmises a scolding isn’t nearly as bad as damage to his car or the unfortunate animal he’s hit. 

after parking and using his phone to light the way, riddle finds what he happened to hit. and it’s not just any animal. it’s a human being.

rule-abiding riddle rosehearts has hit a person with his car. 

he can already imagine the stories that will be told. he can imagine his mother’s disapproval. he can picture the police as they write him up and take him into court so that he can explain what he was doing on that dark road and why he wasn’t paying attention. maybe they’ll revoke his license. maybe he’ll never get behind the wheel again. and with these rapid-fire thoughts, he can see his career shrivel as everyone looks down on him with scrutinizing eyes. riddle rosehearts, intelligent, reliable, and honest, will lose everything he’s fought so hard to attain. 

you’re in poor shape, bloodied and bruised, and your right arm and leg are broken. he can see the bone bent upwards and piercing through flesh in a grisly, gory sight. he nudges you with the tip of his leather shoe. you don’t stir. his heart squeezes, gripped with raw fear. hitting someone with his car is bad enough, but killing a person... he’ll definitely go to prison, won’t he? and then his reputation and the reputation of the rosehearts name will be forever tarnished. he’ll be labeled as a killer. he’ll be hated and scorned. his life will be over before it’s even begun. 

riddle paces before you for a solid minute, chewing his thumbnail down to a stump. what does he do? what should he do? what’s morally correct? how should he even go about solving this issue? he has to call the police and an ambulance. but then, if he does that, he’ll be taken in alongside you and it’s so obvious that he’s the one at fault. the front of his car has an impossibly huge dent and there’s blood on the road from where you're currently bleeding. and if he killed you... if you’re actually dead, the punishment will be so much more severe. he can’t be jailed for vehicular manslaughter. he’s always followed the rules. he’s been good! he’s never done anything wrong. he’s perfect. his record is perfect. he isn’t a murderer. he isn’t bad. he’s not.

he’s not. he’s not. he’s not. he’s not. he’s not.

riddle drags your limp, bloodied body into the backseat of his car. he is haunted as he drives slowly through the night, his trembling hands gripping the wheel so tightly that his knuckles whiten. he’s wrapped you in his jacket and a spare blanket he had in his car so that you won’t get blood on the seats and... great seven, he sounds like a murderer covering up his tracks! it’s even worse when he catches himself hoping that there will be rain in tomorrow’s forecast so that your blood will be washed away and no one will ever question a thing. 

his heart is thrumming with adrenaline, each heartstring pulled taut with primal paranoia. no one saw that, right? no one saw him hit a person, wrap them up like a mummy, and place them in his car. no one saw it. not even the animals in the forest. no one saw it. it’s his secret. he’ll deal with it. no one will know.

riddle is a skilled magic doctor, so he will take care of you. he’s dissected plenty of animals in the stages leading up to his degree; you’re no different. and he knows that with both needle and thread and some finely honed magic he can make you look alive again. that’s what he thinks when he fashions a splint for your arm and leg and wraps it well, his experienced fingers shaky with poorly concealed horror. luckily, you’re breathing. he nearly cried from relief when he heard the tiny wheezes coming from you. at least you aren’t dead. but the fact still stands that he hit you with his car and that he’s technically breaking many rules by not telling the truth. but his everything is at stake here. he could lose it all. 

riddle spends the entire night cleaning and bandaging you. he washes the front of his car, grouses over the dent, and resolves to deal with it come morning. he locks you away in his room and walks circles in his sitting room, shutting every curtain and checking all of the locks twice. he turns the tv on and checks the news when the first rays of morning sunshine peek through the trees. he waits with bated breath, half-expecting to see his face on the screen. to see the headline about how the queendom of roses’s most prominent magic doctor has hit and killed an innocent pedestrian. but it never appears. 

it’s hours later when you finally wake, and your scream is filled with so much agony that it has him cringing. you’re sobbing when he throws the bedroom door open and shushes you wildly, his eyes wide and horrified. he has to shove a rag into your mouth to get you to quiet down. you squirm as best as you can, but your every injury causes you a world of pain. riddle would know. he forgot to give you painkillers, which he’s quick to retrieve alongside a glass of water. the rag is still at your mouth when he speaks next, a low tremble in his voice.

“i’ll let you go when you’ve healed. i... i won’t hurt you. i just need you to stay here for a while. until you can walk again. you can’t go outside and you can’t call anyone. i’ll need your phone for that reason, okay?” you shake your head, whimpering a sad, blubbery sound that has his heart aching. this entire situation is a mess. he wants to cry alongside you, but he can’t. he has to fix this, so he hardens his stare and adds, “i’m a doctor. your leg and arm were severely fractured in the...accident, and you’ve sustained bruising and scrapes from the road. it’ll take a while for your broken bones to properly heal, but i’ll do everything i can to speed up the process so you can leave. if you understand this and don’t plan on screaming anymore, nod your head.”

you comply and he sighs, withdrawing from you. the rag falls from your mouth. he helps you take the painkillers, holding the glass to your lips as you drink. who is he kidding? of course he isn’t going to let you go. he can’t when he’s already in so deep. and when he starts to see your image on the news, he knows he absolutely can’t let you leave. 

riddle’s life has always been complicated, but this is a new form of complicated. this complication will cost him everything if anyone finds out, which is why he’ll keep this secret buried deep within the forest in the peaceful walls of his home.

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Day 2 -- Solitary Confinement

Modern AU where young Wild is a feral forest child, raised by Wolf Twilight. He is captured, separated from Twilight, and put under observation. Confusion, claustrophobia, loneliness.

Wild missed the Wolf.

Well, he missed a lot of things. He missed his own clothes—his cloak, soft blue tunic and khaki trousers, even his shoes—which had been taken from him and replaced with a scratchy, backless gown that seemed to slip off his shoulders every time he dared to move. Even his hair tie was gone, and his long blond hair hung loose around his face. He missed the forest he’d lived in ever since that portal had snatched him up and dropped him in a world he didn’t recognize. He missed his cave that he called home and shared with the Wolf, and he missed the little trinkets the Wolf had brought to him he kept on the shelf next to his bed—his sketchbook, his few pencils, his stuffed replica of Wolf that he slept with every night that Wolf was away. He missed the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees and the birds singing from their branches and leaves rustling beneath his feet on the forest floor. He missed the sky, bright and blue above him.

It was all replaced with silence and this dim white room. Eerily steady lights hummed and flickered overhead, making his ears ring; the cold tile floor nipped at his toes anytime he ventured from the low bed in the corner of the room; the white walls burned themselves into his vision; the air itself, stale and heavy, weighed heavily against his chest with each inhale and exhale; and the one-way mirror on the opposite side of the room antagonized him worse than anything else, taunting him with his own bedraggled reflection.

Wild glared at that mirror, loathing it with all of his being. He imagined driving his fist through it and shattering it to pieces. He focused on a section of the glass, and he hoped that he was managing to stare down whoever was behind it, though he couldn’t tell. Those people hiding behind its shield—people with rounded ears and blinding lights in their hands and rough voices, that talked in a language that he didn’t understand—had been the ones that brought him here. That kidnapped him.

Wild hugged his knees close, curling smaller into himself where he sat on this unfamiliar bed, wedged in the corner of the white, sterile room. Even the bed itself was an odd thing, with dark blue covers covered in cartoonish shapes and the walls around it surrounded by faded, peeling stickers of stars and rainbows as far as one could reach. He thought it might have been meant to brighten up the atmosphere of the room, but the odd splashes of color clashed horribly with the white of the rest of the room, and it only made him all the more anxious. 

Guilt and fear waged a battle in Wild’s chest. It was all of his fault that he’d been kidnapped by these strangers, he knew. The Wolf had warned him, with sharp nudges and low growls, from getting too close to the people of this world. People with rounded ears and language and machines outside of his comprehension, similar to the Divine Beasts, but also so different. They’d had a few close encounters—each time, Wolf had signaled for Wild to hide and driven the interlopers away with his fierce stature and glowing blue eyes—and afterwards, Wolf would move them deeper into the forest. He would drive it in, with his expressive glances and exasperated huffs, that these people were to be avoided, at all costs.

In his curiosity, Wild hadn’t listened to the warning. Last night—had it been last night? There was no sun by which to tell the time within here—he’d snuck away from the Wolf to explore one of those nearby villages, with its bright lights and tall buildings and roaring machines. 

He’d only meant to have a little expedition, not even crossing the hard roads that crisscrossed the thinner parts of the forest. He’d only wanted a glimpse. But they spotted him, and before he could get his wits about him, he was surrounded. A group of them—all older than him, stronger than him—had run him down through the forest, cornered him against a natural cliff, caught him and wrestled him inside of one of their roaring beasts even as he kicked and screamed, crying out for the Wolf to save him all the while. He’d been too far from home by then, and the Wolf hadn’t heard. 

Something had stabbed into his neck, an unnatural sleepiness had overcome him, and he’d woken up here, under the thin covers of that bed in the corner of the room.

Completely alone.

Wild wondered if the Wolf knew where he was. If he knew that he’d even been taken. Perhaps the Wolf was sitting at home, his head on his paws, as he wondered when Wild would get home to cook dinner from whatever he’d hunted during the day. Maybe it hadn’t been long enough, and he didn’t even know that anything was wrong. Wild’s heart clenched at the idea, and he turned his mind away from it, towards action.

Wild knew, rationally, that he had to escape and get back to the Wolf on his own, somehow. But he’d run through the scenarios a thousand times, and there was nothing in the room to help him get out. The door that trapped him here was thick and windowless, its handle stiff and guarded by some glowing square that the strangers hit little buttons on to open and close. He’d already crept over to it, and despite how much he fiddled with the contraption, it only flashed red and beeped at him unrelentingly. Both chairs in the room, as well as the metal table around which they sat, were bolted firmly to the floor, so he couldn’t use their edges to break that cursed window. The flap in the door through which they delivered food—which he had ignored earlier that day—was too small for Wolf to fit his muzzle through, nevermind for Wild himself to shimmy his way out. 

And besides, those strangers were still watching him through that window. He couldn’t see them, but he knew they were there, observing his every move. It made his hair stand on end, to know that they could see him while he couldn’t see them in return.

And suddenly, frustration and anger seized Wild so fiercely that he was shooting to his feet and crossing to the one-way mirror before he even realized he’d moved. 

“Let me out! Let me out of here!” he demanded in a yell. His reflection shouted back at him, wild-eyed and pale, its shoulders drawn up in defensive anger. He banged his fist against the glass, and it bowed slightly underneath the weight of his blow, but it didn’t break. “What do you want? Who are you people? Where am I? Where’s Wolf? What’s going on? I want to go home!” 

There was a cup on the table, it had been there since he arrived. It was filled with some syrupy, sweet smelling liquid that Wild was sure was poison. In an instant, Wild had snatched up the cup and thrown it at the mirror. It bounced off of the glass with a brilliant spatter, then rolled along the floor, emptying the rest of its contents in a wide arc across the sterile white tiles.

“What’s going on? Where’s Wolf! I want to go home!” Wild’s voice rose to a hysterical shriek. “Let me out! I want to go home!”

Wild’s chest heaved with fury as he glared down the mirror, his ears pinned back and his teeth bared in animalistic anger. The mirror, as always, gave him no response. 

And suddenly, the room seemed to be growing smaller, and the air thinner. This was it, the walls would close in and the ceiling would lower until he was crushed into a little tiny box. The room would run out of air, and he would suffocate. He’d be trapped here forever until he died, and he’d never escape those eyes that he couldn’t see, and he’d never find Wolf again.

Wild stumbled away from that cursed mirror, choking on air. He had to get away from those eyes, to get away from the white walls so that he could breathe . But how could he hide, when there was no way to escape this room? Somehow, he found his way back to that bed in the corner of the room, and a semblance of an idea managed to rise from the panic consuming his mind. 

Wild threw himself underneath the bed, dragging down the covers of the bed to the floor like a curtain to hide himself, and wedged himself into the far corner of the small space. With the eyes finally off of him, his breathing eased, but not by a lot. He hugged his arms around himself, breathing in and out with a count of eight just like Wolf had taught him.

He longed for Wolf so much that it brought tears to his eyes. Wolf would have curled up next to him underneath this bed, poking him with his cold, wet nose until Wild uncurled and buried his face in his thick fur instead. He would’ve walked him out of here and taken him home, where his surroundings had color and sound and natural light, where he wasn’t watched and where things made sense. Instead, he was here all alone, and it was all his fault.

Hylia, he missed Wolf.

Visit me on ao3! Day 2 -- Solitary Confinement

Yeah so basically this is an AU i've been sitting on for a few years that's like Pete's Dragon but instead it's Wild's Wolf and also he gets taken to freaking Area 61 because he's from another world and got those long elf ears. Listen, I don't really have this thing fleshed out. Anyways let me know what you think :D

First Chapter >> Next Chapter

[dollywheeler]

October 17th, 1996

Dear diary,

The day I finally got my license, I left Hawkins for the first time on my own.

Taken by the illusion of independence, of freedom, and a joy for the leather steering wheel in my hands, I’d followed the widest road out of the town and driven for miles.

I didn’t get far by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t think I really wanted to. The moments the forests started thinning, houses populating the roads, I tried to steer away, tried to curve around the town and stick to the back roads, searching the feeling of tar-covered oblivion. It never felt satisfying enough, the roads never stretching far enough, my heart fluttering with a need to drive until my head was completely blank, until it was nothing but the never-ending trees and the tape playing over the car speakers.

I never quite got there. My mind has always been too crowded, notoriously hard to shut of, and even as I yearned to disappear over the horizon, to drive and drive for hours on end until I could physically feel my independence, my eyes kept darting to the dashboard, counting and calculating, always keeping track how long it would take for me to get back home.

I’d made it forty minutes before I came to a stop at a diner a little outside of Guthrie, an establishment far enough out of town that it looked like a lighthouse nestled between the trees. It was newer than the one in Hawkins, which still held the same wooden booths with dark green cushions and lamp shades dusted gold with age as when it had been built in ’39. This one was clean and unscathed, either built or renovated in the fifties or sixties, with neon lights that had to have been recently replaced judging by their shine, and walls painted in a fresh coat of mint green.

I’d sat down in one of the boots by the window, the place quiet except for the regulars that probably spent every Tuesday night there, and tried to take in the fact that I was out in the world for the first time.

We’d gone to Indianapolis before of course, either for a shopping spree or a visit to grandma while she’d still been alive, but that had always been with one or both of my parents. The farthest we’ve gone was a few holidays at Lake Monroe. Nancy and Mike used to come along when I was really little, but once he became a teenager, Mike refused to go.

After a few years of waiting for him to change his mind, dad finally decided Mike could just stay home on his own - of course, by then Nancy was already gone, so it was just the three of us. She’d tried to come during the weekends sometimes but could never stay long enough. I always liked how peaceful it was - just me, mom, and dad - but we never went for more than a week anyway. Mom and dad don’t like traveling much, and I think I’m starting to understand why.

Even glancing out the windows at the sugar maples, for all intents and purposes the same forest as the one surrounding Hawkins, I couldn’t help but feel out of place. My skin itched with discomfort, longing for the mint cushions to deepen into the dark green of the diner in Hawkins, for the faces sitting at the bar to become familiar.

A boy with warm acorn skin and soft eyes came up to me then, stilling my fidgeting hands around the menu. Wielding a notepad in front of him, his smile was bright and genuine as he asked for my order. Caught of guard, I rattled of my usual, and shouldn’t have been surprised that they served it. Nothing more exotic than coffee with sugar.

I watched the boy as he smiled before turning back to the counter, heading behind it to grab a cup and the carafe. The ease behind his eyes as he went through the motions distracted me from my own thoughts, falling into auto-pilot myself as I observed him, trailing his path from across the diner back to my table. He was nice to watch, calming somehow; the confidence in his posture intriguing, soothing, like a buoy in an ocean. I managed to smile in thanks as finished pouring my mug and left some packets of sugar, and with a glance at the other patrons - still quiet and content - he slid into the seat across from me.

I was strangely grateful, my nerves from being in the strange environment finally settling. Being outside of Hawkins itched at my skin, more so than usual now I was alone, like I’d stepped into another world rather than just another town. It wasn’t hostile territory by a long shot - especially not if everyone here were to have eyes as brown as the boy in front of me - but it felt wrong, a longing for home nestling under my sternum.

He introduced himself, and to this day I don’t know where he got the nerve, the ease with which he’d started the conversation. Now I’m starting to think I should have guessed all along - he was on his home turf, comfortable in his kingdom, eager to offer comfort to a girl so clearly out of her element.

When he’d move to Hawkins a months later, he’d be wrong-footed, surrounded by the unknown and the unexpected, always on guard. Here he was just a boy, smiling brightly at me until my heart rate was beating a waltz instead of a tango. We got to talking, about his town and mine, congratulating me on my license, and laughing in hushed whispers about the stories he could tell about the patrons still seated around the diner, whom he had to get up to tend to periodically.

It was long dark by the time I finally had to get up, way over my self-imposed curfew, having missed dinner in favor of sharing a basket of fries with Daniel. Somehow I got brave enough to ask if I’d see him around sometime, if he worked here often, but it had been his last week he’d said, would be wrapping up the school year and moving later that month, and the magical bubble popped, depositing me back into reality.

He was just a stranger, a kind one but a stranger nonetheless, and despite my earlier regret for having left Hawkins, I’d started daydreaming of weekly treks up the road. I’d hidden my disappointment well, instead feigning interest in where he would be moving to, heart skipping a beat when he responded with a familiar name.

The second time I saw him, the cheer squad was settling down in the diner, blindly finding our way to our usual table, distracted by each other. It was only when he stood at our table to take our order that I looked up at him, stunned into silence at the shy smile on his lips, the almost unrecognizable posture that spoke of uncertainty, off-key in his movements, like everyone had moved the furniture an inch to the left. The tables had turned.

And now as I’m watching him I can’t help but smile, reminded of the Danny I first met. He’s become more comfortable, more familiar with the space he’s inhabiting, and he wears it well. Even better - now, whenever he has a chance to breathe in between orders, his eyes are back to catching mine from across the room, smile wider than ever, confident and warm. It makes it all worth it - just sitting here at the bar, wasting my time at the diner in an attempt to spend some time with him. At least it allowed me to get our first meeting written down, to immortalise it on paper even if it was months ago now. Even if it means I have to stay up late to catch up on my homework.

At least Mike’s homework is easy enough to do in the diner even with all the distractions - we’re moving onto poetry so Mike gave us a bundle of poems to read by Monday. The fireside poets were fun enough, but I’m trudging my way through “song of myself” at the moment and though I really liked the first few sections, it’s getting too long and I can’t stay focused. I might just read the Emily Dickinson ones for now and keep the rest of Whitman for tomorrow. Or not tomorrow, as I'll be at Mike and Will's all afternoon. Saturday then.

Love, Holly

[mixsethaddams]

Steddie, tw MCD but still a happy ending I guess

Eddie Munson is twenty years old when he dies in the dark.

It hurts and he’s scared, but he knows he did the right thing. He bought the others the time they needed to escape. It was harsh, the way he went.

No one forgets Eddie. The people of Hawkins have their own opinions of who he was or how he met his end, but his friends knew him the truth. They knew that he touched the very soul of everyone he met, however briefly.

Eddie’s funeral was quiet. Secret. Kept away from prying eyes to protect his uncle. He doesn’t have a headstone. But when people want to visit him, they know where to go. They know the tree he liked to climb in the forest. The patch of grass he liked to laze around on during summer. The dirt road he liked to ride his bike up and down.

The Party visited Eddie in these places every year on his anniversary. They thanked him, and told stories about him. Some had more to say than others. Some had more time with him than others. But they all wished for more still.

Years go by and people grow older. Lives get bigger and towns get smaller. Memories don’t always fade but they do get harder to hold onto. Anniversaries come up faster and suddenly there’s no time to drive all the way back home anymore. It’s not the same when it’s over the phone. Eventually, that stops ringing too.

It’s funny, in a way. How a person can settle so deeply in your heart without every truly knowing them. Funny how you might imagine what they might say at a specific moment. Funny how you wonder if they would have decorated the kitchen the same way. Funnier still, to think about the What Ifs when the night is dark enough to let yourself open that door.

Eddie was never alone on his anniversary. Not in any of the places he loved. Someone always went to the tree, the grass, the dirt road. Someone looked at the sky and whispered words of maybes and perhaps. Even after his uncle joined him wherever he was, Eddie still had that someone who never let him go.

It was always funny. It shouldn’t have been, but it was. How many dates were turned down. How many drinks, offers, numbers… Why be alone when all you have is the fantasy? It doesn’t matter how it ended when it never even began. What good is a promise if made to a dead man? Good enough, when whispered to the sky.

Steve Harrington is fifty four years old when he dies in the dark.

It’s quick, and he feels nothing.

In his bed, in his home. Those two precious things that he never shared with anyone. There was no need, no desire. Steve knew who should have been there. He could feel it as deeply as he ever thought possible. No one knew. How to explain a commitment that was never made?

Steve’s breath leaves his body as he dreams of the same man he always did. He dreams of what they might have talked about, how they might have lived. He never thought much of life, if he could not be here to share it.

Steve goes, easily. When he is found, he is comfortable, with a smile on his face. Because he knew, somewhere, deep down, that he wouldn’t have to make his whispers in secret to the sky anymore. The one he wanted to listen, was there waiting for him. And Steve knows Eddie heard everything.

Softly, they went. Together at last.

[aloneinthehellfire]

Chapter 2: Taken

Fortress Of Memories

Word Count: 3.6k

Warnings: swearing, violence, angsty stuff i guess

[A/N: okay so i think i've figured out how to keep this series interesting but let's be real, i'm gonna confuse myself with these location switches]

Taken

September 1986. Hawkins border.

Steve hated watching his town burn.

His dream was to always escape it, get to college, finally move out of his house and be far away from his parents. But now, watching Hawkins crumble to pieces, dark smoke filling the air, all Steve wanted was to go home.

Military men lined the town, trying to barricade the chaos in and keep up appearances of an ‘earthquake’ that the media loved so much. Steve was sure that they had lost men, unable to hold off the creatures now swarming the streets.

Steve came here often, his heart heavy with guilt and confusion. He came here in hope of finding it all back to normal, as if it was just a horrid nightmare.

A sigh leaves his lips as the sky darkens once more. Most of the smoke had cleared, but it didn’t stop the white ash falling from the sky, or the red clashes of light illuminating from the gate. He couldn’t stay much longer, he had to keep up his lie to Robin; when he first started driving out here, he claimed it was for volunteer work at the hospital. In his defence, that was his original plan, but the hospital didn’t need any more people.

Stepping back towards his car and away from his secluded spot near Weathertop, he goes to leave before his whole body stills. There was a figure staring back at him from the forest.

Before the initial panic crept into his brain, he takes a step closer, watching as the figure stumbles from the woods and finally steps into the moonlight. That’s when he finally lets out a gasp.

“Y/n?” He calls out to the darkness and your head slowly lifts to meet his eyes, confirming his suspicions.

There’s a moment of silence and the longer you didn’t respond, Steve’s mind convinced him you weren’t real. Maybe he had been out here later than expected, maybe he just imagined you from the guilt he felt.

“Steve?” You finally whisper out and his eyes widen, still frozen in place. But then he took in your appearance fully, covered in dirt and mud, red stains along your face and body. It was haunting, to see you still looking the same as the body he found. Except this time, you were alive.

As he opened his mouth to speak, you send a quick glance over your shoulder and return to his gaze with a terrified expression. The next words to leave your mouth would scar his mind forever.

“Help me.”

Before he could react, something wraps around your torso and your mouth, and pulls you back into the darkness.

“No!” He yells, sprinting forward. But he doesn’t make it past the barrier.

“Hey! You can’t be here!” A man shouts out at him, drawing his attention away for a second.

He looks back to where you were stood, his mind running a thousand miles per hour. You were there. You were alive.

“Hey, kid!” He shouts again, stepping closer with a flashlight blaring onto Steve’s face. “You hear me?”

He surrenders to the man, allowing him to watch as he walked back to the car, always glancing over his shoulder as if you would reappear.

Once he strapped himself in and turned on the ignition, he shook his head and let out a shaky breath. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real.

He finally pulls away from the barrier, heading back down the road he came, knuckles white as he gripped onto the steering wheel. You were dead. He had to accept that.

Steve never told anyone about that night.

Present Day. South Hawkins. Upside Down.

“It’s me.” Steve tries again, lowering his weapon and, to his surprise, so does yours.

“Steve?” You frown the words, stuck to your spot like a statue.

“We’re here. You’re safe.” He repeats over and over as he shifts closer. He could see Robin’s panicked expression out of the corner of his eye, but he pushes through it, desperately trying to reach you.

As he gets closer, he notices the shift in your demeanour, the slump of your shoulders, even the slight shake of your hand. And your eyes… it was like the soul was flickering back to life.

“We’re not safe.” You whisper out and he stops dead in his tracks. The emotion you held suddenly fades, the whites of your eyes literally flashing black before you sprint forward.

“Steve!” Nancy yells out and Jonathan manages to pull him away, just in time for your spear to strike the ground rather than Steve’s body.

When you turn to the others, however, you glare at them with malicious intent. And they know this time, you don’t plan to miss.

Jonathan steps out in front of them, arms held out in silent surrender, ignoring everyone’s objections. He won’t raise his weapon. Not against his sister.

Without a word, he stands his ground, watching as you slow your movements, spear pointed straight at him. One more step, and it would go straight through his chest. But you wouldn’t do that. Jonathan was close enough to see what Steve had; the flicker of guilt and regret, your internal fight to not hurt them.

In the distance, there’s a bone-chilling screech and, by the way Steve’s face drops, they know it’s a dreaded demo-bat.

You tear your eyes away from your brother and lift your head to the direction of the sound. You seemed hesitant, a moment of decision buffering your brain before you lower your weapon.

There are no more words leaving your mouth, no glare in your eyes. Instead, you turn around and walk towards the darkened forest.

“Wait!” Jonathan finally says, running after you.

You’ve already disappeared into the vines of trees before he chases you, leaving his weapon behind. Murmurs of his friends behind him ensured they were following too, but not to find you. They were running after him.

Jonathan wasn’t sticking to the plan, something he had been very specific about for months. But, then again, the plan never included you.

He follows you through the woods, his friends calling out to him after every twist and turn as he used your silhouette as a tracking beacon.

The darkness surrounding them made it much harder to watch their footing, something Robin falls victim of as her boot is caught on something and she trips, praying that it wasn’t a vine. The small yelp that left her lips was enough indication of what happened and Steve immediately stops to help her while Argyle only just catches up, rummaging through his backpack.

Nancy stops once she hears her friends’ footsteps quieten. She glances back, just making out their shadows. She struggles to decide. There was always safety in numbers, especially in the Upside Down. Which is why it was crucial she kept going. She didn’t want Jonathan to be alone.

Her nimble feet took her through the forest with ease, following the soft thumps of Jonathan’s boots.

“Jonathan!” She cries out when everything suddenly goes silent, slowing herself to a stop. “Jonathan!”

Panic rises in her chest. This wasn’t the first time she’d called out to him in the Upside Down. It’s just that this time, he wouldn’t be there to pull her away from danger. Nor would he ever call back.

A shuffle is heard behind her and she quickly turns to the noise, finding herself face to face with… you.

Nancy lets out a shaky breath as you just stand there, staring.

Messy strands of your hair clung to your face, the dark circles under your eyes dark enough to match the black muck covering your skin, as if you had been crawling through dirt. All the tiny scars covering your face; cuts from glass shards. The bruises on your neck didn’t go unnoticed to the girl, either.

“Y/n…” Nancy starts, watching as you flinch ever so slightly, “Are you still in there?”

Something pure flashes over your eyes before you quickly look down, squeezing your eyes shut.

She deposits a frown before watching in horror when she sees the familiar rhythm of your eyes moving left to right behind your eyelids. Nancy had only ever seen that with Vecna’s victims. Her own eyes widen. You were just another victim.

When you open them again, they’re darker, sinister. And Nancy can’t seem to move.

“Nancy Wheeler” You say and her hairs stand on end. That wasn’t your voice.

She slowly starts to shuffle away from you, never breaking eye contact in fear of you lunging at her when her back was turned. Every bone in her body screamed at her to run, a silent prayer that her friends would find her before it was too late.

“He wants you.” Your voice returns, rough around the edges, no doubt to do with the bruised neck. “So we will either do this the easy way, or the hard way.”

“Y/n, please.” She begs and when you show no response, she breaks into the run.

“The hard way, then.”

Nancy hears your voice echo from the darkness behind her, her legs taking her as fast as they could. She ignored the twigs that whipped at her face, the shooting pain in her leg when she jumped a vine with a bigger drop than anticipated.

She could hear the snaps of twigs sound in the wind, coming from every direction. Fishing into her jacket, she shakily unbuckled the gun from her belt while trying to keep her speed. She didn’t want to hurt you, not at all. But the last time she didn’t take the shot, she regretted it.

She kept going as far as she could before she is suddenly knocked to the ground, gun thrown into the grass. Her head hits something hard, searing a burst of hot pain into her mind.

Her head feeling light, the last thing she sees is the blur of your face looking down at her before finally blacking out.

Present Day. North Hawkins. Upside Down.

“So are we ignoring the fact that Eddie is a freaking bat?!”

Lucas finally burst, eyes widened and El thought that was the most emotion she’s seen him portray since Max’s death.

“This… that…” Dustin was pacing the space, freaking out. The way his chest was rising and falling at a rapid rate, he was close to a heart-attack.

“It’s the Upside Down.” El states and all eyes are on her. She doesn’t cower from the stares. “Some creatures… I think they can change someone.”

“Change?” Mike questions with a frown, “What, like-”

“Turn.” Will whispers out with wide eyes and everyone looks baffled. Dustin lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” He stresses, rolling his eyes, “Turning? Bats?”

Everyone continues to give him blank stares and he thinks he might scream.

“He’s a vampire!”

There’s a very long moment of silence before they all express their disbelief at once.

“Dude.”

“Really? Eddie?”

“Vampires aren’t real!”

“That’s impossible.” Lucas steps forward and before Dustin can protest, he holds up a hand. “But… literally everything that’s happened since Will disappeared had been impossible, so…”

“So we’re actually going to think that Eddie Munson, that Eddie Munson, is now a vampire?! That’s the most logical next step?!” Mike expresses loudly, the idea insane to him and looking at his friends like they’re crazy.

“So you’ll believe that Demogorgons, superpowers, and a flesh monster are real, but a vampire is where you cross the line?!” Dustin yells out and Mike shuts his mouth. Dustin was breathing heavily, eyes hopeful and scared at the same time.

“Look, Dustin.” Mike moves towards his friend, trying to comfort the best he can, “I want to believe that it’s Eddie. We all do. But…”

“What if it’s One?” El voices his concerns and he nods along with her, brows furrowed.

“And he got into all of our heads? At the same time?” Dustin asks in desperation.

“He’s more powerful now.” Will adds quietly and Dustin’s face drops.

They were right. Dustin saw Eddie die. He wasn’t being reasonable with his theory. What if it all was just a mind trick?

“You guys don’t…” He starts before his voice trails off, looking back at the sky Eddie had disappeared to. He lets out a defeated sigh. “You’re right.”

As if no one had expected him to agree, worried expressions were worn by all his friends, mostly guilty. They had torn away his hope.

“Dustin-” El tries first but he simply shakes his head.

“No, no, you’re right. Vecna… who knows what he’s gonna make us see, right?” His voice cracks but he lifts his chin, “So we better be on the look out. Don’t wanna be caught off-guard.”

Dustin grabs his weapon that had been dropped to the floor and continues walking on, eyes set on the path ahead. Will gnaws at his bottom lip, assessing the situation, before adjusting his backpack and following him.

It left Mike, El and Lucas, staring at their friend with heavy hearts. Rather than walk in silence, Lucas can’t bite back his thoughts.

“You just had to say that, didn’t you?” Lucas comments lowly and Mike whips his head up.

“What?” He questions and Lucas breathes a breathy laugh.

“You couldn’t let him have hope.” Lucas shakes his head and Mike stops, holding his hand out to halt his friend’s movements as well.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Mike confronts and Lucas simply shrugs his reply. But Mike won’t settle for that as an answer. “No, you’ve been snappy with me ever since we started this trip. What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” Lucas raises his voice, lifting his head and straightening himself to meet Mike’s eyes, fury bleeding through.

El gulps at their behaviour, frowning. “Guys-”

“Yeah.” Mike responds, just as angry. “Your problem.”

“We should-” El tries again, watching as Dustin and Will stop a little further ahead to wait for them.

“You just don’t get it, Mike!” Lucas yells, stepping away, “It’s like you live in your own personal bubble! If it’s not your problem, you don’t give a shit!”

“What are you talking about?!”

“You don’t care!” Lucas practically screams, loud enough to make Mike step back. Lucas sighs, brows furrowed and trying to avoid his eyes. “Ever since Max- you just don’t care. When I found out I could save Max, finally get her back, you- you didn’t give a shit. You told me I was crazy. You didn’t even want to come.”

“No,” Mike shakes his head, heart dropping, “No, that’s not true, I-”

“You’re only here because El is.” Lucas points out and El turns her gaze to Mike.

“Is that true?” She asks and Mike tries to search for an answer.

“No! No, I- I care. I…” Mike stammers but even he can’t dig himself out of this hole. Instead, he slumps his shoulders and El’s face drops.

“I’m here to save Max.” Lucas states, shaking his head. “So is El. And Will. Dustin. And now, we’re gonna save Eddie, too, because that’s what a friend does. You need to figure out why you’re here.”

Lucas doesn’t give Mike a second glance as he walks towards his friends, head hung low. Mike’s head slowly moves to look at El, something unreadable about her expression.

She opens her mouth to speak before biting her lip. El knew he and Max were never the best of friends. In fact, they hated eachother when she and Max finally got close. Max helped her see that she was her own person. Not Mike’s. Not Hopper’s. Especially not Papa’s. She saved her. And now, El was going to do the same for her.

She just expected Mike to be here for his friends, not her.

“We should catch up.” El nods before walking away, meeting his eyes for only a second. Mike knew it wasn’t because she was on his side, she was just being nice.

Mike sighs, pulling his mask to fit over his nose. As he watched his four fellow party members comfort Dustin up ahead, he felt horrible. This wasn’t the first time he felt like a screw up. And Lucas was right.

He needed to figure out why he was here.

Present Day. South Hawkins. Upside Down.

“Nancy?”

“Nancy!”

It felt like hours they had been calling out to the woods, voices turning more sore and panicked the longer she didn’t answer.

Robin didn’t know what happened. One moment she was with Nancy, running after Jonathan in the darkness before be tripped. She was so focused on her painful clumsiness that she didn’t notice Nancy continue on alone. And now they couldn’t find her.

It was like she just disappeared.

An hour in and they finally found Jonathan. He was out cold on the ground, a small trickle of blood running down his head. He didn’t remember anything.

“You wanna talk about what happened back there?” Robin asks.

Steve looks to Jonathan for an answer before realising that she was looking at him.

“What?” Steve frowns, shaking his head slightly.

Her eyebrows lift, glancing to Jonathan and Argyle before ensuring they were at a safe distance to not hear.

“Y/n.” She says simply and Steve practically gulps, fiddling with the bat in his hand.

“Nothing happened.” He dismisses, going to kick a small rock before second-guessing himself. Did Vecna have a connection to the rocks too?

“Yeah, right.” Robin scoffed and Steve raises an eyebrow. “So you’re telling me that little moment back there had nothing to do with why you’ve been so weird for the past few months?”

“Our town was destroyed by an evil mind wizard, sorry if I haven’t been acting normal.” Steve rolls his eyes but she simply shakes her head.

Robin pulls him to a quick stop, furrowing her brows. “You’re right. None of us should be acting normal. In fact, we’ve all had a pretty sane reaction to what happened considering the fact that we’re now entering this death trap to save everyone from something they don’t even know exists. But you have been nothing but quiet and, if I’m being honest, rude to us ever since we started heading down here.”

Steve lowers his head as she speaks, thoughts running around inside his head, questioning if he should tell her the truth.

“Now, I understand why you’re upset and I know it’s not just because of the giant gate in the middle of our town.” Robin lowers her voice, looking to Jonathan once again, “We all miss her. Or, missed, I guess, I don’t really know- All I know is that we were all mourning. And you… you acted like she was still alive. You couldn’t even say her name, Steve.”

He takes a deep breath, finally moving his eyes from the ground to meet her eyes. She was right. Ever since that night in September, he hasn’t been the same since. Sure, he had tried to convince himself that his mind was playing tricks on him. But he couldn’t help that it all felt so real. You were right there in front of him. And now everyone else had seen the truth too.

But before you had found them in the Upside Down, they were all mourning, just as Robin said. Which meant, further down the line, there was acceptance. Everyone seemed to start moving on, focusing on Vecna and finally be able to say your name without breaking down to tears. It meant that if Steve had said anything about what he saw, they would think he was crazy.

And so it became a thing for him to close himself off, to try and keep their peace with your death. If he blurted out that he thought you were alive, without proper evidence, he might have shattered that peace for good. And he wouldn’t be the one to hurt his friends.

“Steve?” Robin waves a hand across his face, “You in there?”

He takes a deep breath. His best friend would be a good place to start with coming clean. “I-”

“Yo, bros!” Argyle suddenly shouts out in such a squeaky voice that they immediately rushed over to where he was standing, looking down.

When they reached them, Jonathan was crouched beside a rock, reaching out to pull something from the blackened grass. When he reveals the object, Robin lets out a small gasp.

“Nancy’s gun.” Jonathan confirms, searching the ground for any more evidence to where she would have gone.

“She could have dropped it.” Argyle offers, and Robin lets out a scared laugh.

“Nancy without a gun?” She shakes her head, looking around them. “Unheard of. She cares for that thing like it’s a baby.”

“Okay, this is freaky stuff, dude.” Argyle panics, hands on head. “First, we go upside down. Then, Jonathan’s sister shows up and tries to kill us. Now Nancy is M.I.A.? No- no- this-”

“Woah, just sit down or something, you’ll pop a blood vessel.” Steve places a hand on his shoulder and Argyle nods.

“Right, right.” He mumbles, lowering himself onto the rock.

As the others continue searching the scene, Argyle fidgets with his chosen seat. Ragged parts were digging into his thighs, even through the thick camo pants he was told to wear. He wasn’t prepared for this. Truth be told, even he didn’t know why he was here. All he knew was that Jonathan needed help. He was in way over his head. And he definitely didn’t have enough palm tree delight to get through this roller-coaster.

Using his hands to shuffle around the rock, he grimaces when his fingers brush against something wet. Bringing his hand into view, he squints through the darkness. Nothing.

“Yo, uh, dudette?” He calls out and Robin turns around with a raised eyebrow, shining his flashlight he had retrieved earlier from his backpack. “Blast that light on me.”

She does as he says, turning her head when Steve lets out a sigh of disappointment at his lack of discovery.

Argyle looks down to his hand again with a hazy smile.

And then, against all expectations, he screams.

taglist: @h-ness1944 | @ali-in-w0nderland | @dylanmunson | @silky-luxe | @mothmanatemycat | @sattlersquarry | @sadbitchfangirl | @fangirling-4-ever | @averagestudent03 | @gnnnne | @munsonology | @vintagehellfire | @bokuto-kinnie | @crissicat13| @katie-tibo| @harrys-tittie| @the-world-is-a-mess-and-so-am-i | @lxvesickreality | @fracturedarkness | @frogers | @we-out-here-simping |

[poppyprincessposts]

A Quiet Night

maleTzimisce!OC x femGhoul!OC

Summary: A Tzimisce and his ghoul enjoy a quiet night together. 

Word count: 3k +

Please be aware that this story contains topics that might be triggering to some. 

The story includes mentions of blood drinking and light anxiety. 

This is a work of fiction based on the table top roleplaying game Vampire: The Masquerade. None of described ideas about the World Of Darkness belong to me.

The idea for the story and its characters are however part of my own imagination.

The car doesn’t seem to acknowledge the young woman at all as it drives past her at high speed. Eloise tries to take a few steps back but the water from the large puddle in front of her on the road splashes against her legs anyway. Even through the fabric of her jeans, the cold sensation makes her gasp. They had already been wet from the falling rain but now they were properly soaked. She had kept her umbrella open, despite it not providing her with much shelter from the harsh weather. Now though, she decides that it is useless. Eloise sighs and closes the umbrella. Just a bit further to the old brick building she calls her home. Her pace quickens and thoughts of a warm shower take over her mind. Keeping her head low to protect her face from the rain, Eloise now starts jogging towards the end of the road and the small forrest that awaits there. 

Any other person would not just run towards the dark and tree filled area ahead. The streetlights that usually illuminate every corner of the pavement are now less frequent.  With the city becoming smaller behind her, Eloise now sees the large gate between the trees and opens her bag to look for her keys. She can feel eyes on her. Of course there‘s someone watching. They always are. ‚It‘s for your own safety, Eloise‘, she can hear his voice say in her head. Deep down Eloise knows he means well. But she might never get used to the feeling of eyes and ears following her every move. She turns the key and pushes the gate open. The metal creaks and seems to protest against her wet hands. Turning around Eloise pushes the gate closed again, using her body weight to make the lock snap back in place. As she turns back around the lights of the driveway turn on one by one leading her up to the victorian mansion. A smile creeps onto her face. Her domitor had insisted on having lights installed after he found out that Eloise had to use a flashlight to get through the forest at night. The darkness was never a problem to him but with a mortal now living with him, he found it to be a nessecary adjustment. 

Now that trees protect Eloise from the rain, she slows down and lets her eyes wander through the trees. There‘s not much that can be seen at this time in autumn. But she knows what lays there in the pitch black. In the beginning, the thought of walking through a cemetery every day made her uncomfortable, let alone having to live next to it. But with time she found peace at the sight of the gravestones. It made Eloise feel calm to know that someone found their final resting place so close to her home. 

She once explained this to her friend Clare. They both sat at one of the tables inside the little bakery they both had already spent so many hours waiting tables and selling baked goods. Clare‘s mouth hung open in shock as her hands tightly grip the mug in her hands. 

“There‘s no way you actually mean that!”, she shrieked and her arms flung around so violently that a few drops of tea landed on the blue tiles beneath her. 

Eloise giggled and took another sip of the hot minty beverage. 

“Ellie”, Clare spoke, “that is pure insanity.” 

She dragged out the last syllable to accentuate her point. Eloise shrugged and turned her gaze back to her friend. 

“Well, I guess you won‘t visit me anytime soon?” 

Clare looked at her. Her face crunched up in disgust and then she shook her head slowly from one side to the other. Eloise frowned playfully and put on the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. A moment of silence goes by before both women broke out in laughter that filled out the whole room. 

Her train of thought gets interrupted by a sound of multiple flapping wings. She looks up to the sky above her. She can barely see the flock of small silhouettes that make their way out of the trees and towards the skyline of the city. 

A sudden cold breeze makes Eloise shiver. It‘s motivation enough to keep moving forwards. 

A few steps further the bricks of the extensive building and a small set of stairs that lead to wooden doors appear in front of the young woman. She quickly climbs the stairs before once again grabbing the keys in her bag. 

When Alexander hears the clicking sound of the front door opening, he puts the heavy book down on the small round table next to him. The Tzimisce puts both hands in his lap and stares at the sizzling flames in front of him. The smoke makes it way up inside the walls of the fire place and leaves dark spots on the grey stones. He should tell Lucas to take care of it tomorrow. After all, his ghoul won’t hesitate to clean it up if he tells him to do so. At first Eloise seemed to think that Lucas was simply too scared to see what would happen if he was to refuse Alexanders commands. But by now she must have realised that he does feel fulfilled by serving his domitor. It could be his vitae that is running through his veins or perhaps he truly enjoys having the kindred‘s protection and hospitality. Sometimes Alexander likes to make himself believe that the latter is in fact the truth, but he knows better than that. 

The soft footsteps in the hallway to the living room catch the vampire‘s attention once again and he stands up from his spot on the sofa. He makes his way over to the source of the sounds and tries to do so as quietly as he possibly can. When he catches a glimpse of Eloise, a frown appears on his pale face. Eloise stands in the middle of the corridor. Her hair is sticking to the sides of her face and her clothes are drenched. One hand pressed against wall, she‘s standing on one foot while cleaning the shoe on the other.

Eloise‘s face is scrunched up and she seems to have trouble balancing herself. 

“Good evening, Eloise. Do you need help with that ?”, Alexander breaks the silence. 

When Eloise looks up, she sees her domitor leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. 

She scrunches up the tissue in her hands and stands straight up. 

“Good evening”, the ghoul bows slightly and smiles. Then Eloise looks down her body and starts fidgeting uncomfortably. “I‘m really sorry, Alexander. I cleaned the floor already so the wood won‘t get damaged.”

The vampire looks her up and down before opening his mouth again to speak.

“Oh, I‘m not worried about the wood. I am however worried about your current state.”

Eloise lifts her head to look at Alexander and a slight blush painting her cheeks pink. 

Her eyes shift back to the ground as soon as she meets his everlasting stare. It almost seems like the Tzimisce is looking right through her and into her very soul. His eyes are always cold and unmoving. There‘s no love behind them. But Eloise cannot help but feel warm inside when she‘s around him. It has to be the bond they share because there is no other explanation as to why she would feel this way. A bond has already been established on the first night they met. There was no time to see if a deeper connection could‘ve bloomed between them. A connection without an addiction to a drug that only he can provide. But then again, can a kindred love?

“You should get out of those clothes and into the shower. Put everything over the heater in the bathroom so it can dry overnight.” 

Eloise nods and makes sure to look up again. 

“I will”, she answers while wrapping her arms around herself. 

Now, she can feel the coldness of the house. It feels like ice invading her skin down to her bones. A shiver runs down her spine and she starts shivering slightly.

“Come downstairs when you‘re done and dressed in something warm, will you?”

Eloise is quick to respond to his request “Of course.”

Alexander then pushes himself off the wall and turns around to enter the living space once he emerged from earlier. 

Eloise stands in the hallway for another few second before snapping out of her trance. 

She‘s quick to rush towards the wooden stairs. Every step she climbs comes with a slight creak from beneath her feet. She always wondered how many people must have climbed these stairs before she was even born. In her head they wore fancy dresses and polished shoes. In contrast to this picture in her head, Eloise could feel the weight of her water-soaked pants and hoodie. 

She passes the paintings and sculptures in the long hallway. Worried about the carped, Eloise decided to walk on the wooden floorboards next to it. She quickly enters her room at the end of the long corridor.

Closing the door behind her she quickly sheds herself of her clothing. She feels some sort of excitement when she thinks about what the evening might bring. The sweater is easily pulled over her head, but the pants feel like they had been glued to her legs. After the struggle of getting undressed, Eloise makes her way to the bathroom next door. She loved having her own space. She immediately felt safer when Alexander showed the ghoul her own future living quarters. It is everything she never thought she could have. Paintings on every wall that she refused to take down, even though Alexander had told her to do so if she preferred empty walls. It made Eloise feel honoured to live in a place with so much history. She even kept the furniture since she loved how the matched the aesthetic of the room so perfectly. The only thing that Alexander had changed before she moved in was the bed. He made sure that it fit into the room and that it was larger than the single bed it was to replace.  

The bathroom could only be entered through her room. Eloise could not believe her eyes when she saw the emerald green tiles and the golden faucets. It seemed like a dream to her. A wonderful dream that wasn’t a dream at all. To this day it was hard to believe that this was all hers to use and enjoy. 

Eloise throws all clothing items over the heater in the green tiled room, her underwear included. Everything else could be taken care of tomorrow. The ghoul jumps into the shower and lets the hot water stream wash over her body. She sighs as the warmth slowly engulfs her. It feels like someone is embracing her body fully, keeping her warm and safe. Eloise quickly reaches for her shampoo and begins washing her hair. Her fingers work quickly and efficiently, massaging her scalp. It feels good to wash all the dirt off my body, she thinks to herself as she reaches for the vanilla scented shower gel. It doesn’t take long for Eloise to wash the soap out out of her hair and off her body. She quickly pulls a dark fluffy towel around her body and exits the bathroom. The floor is warm as she makes her way to her closet. The warmth of the shower does not last too long and slowly begins to leave her body again, leaving her shivering in the towel. The ghoul quickly grabs underwear and a pair of leggings with a matching sweatshirt. Upon noticing the wetness on her back, Eloise makes her way back to the bathroom, taking a seat on the closed toilet and grabbing her blow dryer. 

She wasn’t a patient person and in moments like these she got frustrated easily. Her right legs bouncing up and down, Eloise thoughts wandered to Alexander. A cold and dangerous man, as many of his associates seem to think he is. But his ghouls know better. Eloise knows better. He took her in when she had nowhere else to go. That fact alone made her feel fuzzy. She owes him everything. She owes him her life. 

Still seated Eloise begins drying her hair, knowing he would scold her if she came downstairs like this. He always seemed to worry about her. Even the smallest things could make him look upon her with concern laced eyes. In the beginning she thought that he might just be toying with her. Now she feels like he actually cares about her. At least, it was easier and much more comforting to tell herself that. All doubts left her mind when she saw him. It always feels like they never existed to begin with. And oh, she hopes that something inside of him softens whenever they’re together. A weak smile now appears on the ghoul's face. A smile full of desire. A desire for him and him only.

Putting the blow dryer aside, Eloise gets up to look at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks are still red from the hot shower and her hair tidily frames her face. After deciding that she looked presentable enough, Eloise quickly makes her way out of her room, not fully closing the door behind her. She walks down the stairs quickly and it almost feels like she’s levitating off the steps. As she wanders through the hallway downstairs and to the living room of the mansion, her heart starts beating rapidly. Alexander sits on one of the emerald sofas, his back turned to her. She can see his dark hair and one of his arms that rests on the back of the piece of furniture. As soon as Eloise enters the room, he lifts his head and puts a book on the table beside him. His head turns slightly. 

“Please, come in.”

Eloise folds her hands in front of her body and enters the room. It’s considerably warmer in this part of the house. The flames in the fireplace seem to be the cause of this difference in temperature. The ghoul walks up to the sofa her domitor is still seated on. As soon as she’s standing next to him he looks up at her, a hint of a smile on his face. 

“Sit down next to me”, he speaks calmly. Eloise steps around his legs and takes a sits down next to him. His eyes watch her, like a predator would watch its prey. Who is she kidding, she is the prey. 

His hand then makes its way to her face and strokes her cheek. The caress is gentle but calculated. Eloise is used to his touch and to the feeling of his skin against hers. Her eyes close and she lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. 

His voice is still calm as he speaks “You’re awfully tense. Are you alright, Ellie?”

There it was. The nickname he proposed to her after a few days of living with him. It almost made her melt in his fingers. She opens her eyes to look at him. His body is now fully turned to face her. 

“I’m alright. I promise.” 

The smile on her face is genuine. They sit there for a little while just looking at each other with exploring eyes and then Alexander’s hand leaves her face slowly. He gets up to walk to the armchair closer to the fire. Eloise tries to hide her disappointment as he sits down. She’s used to see him in this place but it still amazes her every time. He somehow manages to be so close to the hot flames. Eloise had never thought about it until Lucas pointed out that vampires avoid fire like the plague, turning almost animalistic if they get too close to it. The other ghoul was more than surprised since Alexander seemed to be perfectly fine around fire, even sitting right next to it. 

Now, in his chair next to the fireplace, Alexander almost looks angelic. 

He looks at her again before he murmurs “Come here.” 

Eloise doesn’t think twice about his request and gets up to join him. Standing next to him once again he reaches out to take her hand. His cold skin touches her with an unexpected gentleness. 

“I have not had the time to feed tonight.“ His fingers wander from her hand up her arm and down again. Another shiver makes its way down Ellie‘s back. She knows what he wants. And only she can give it to him. 

„Anything you need, Alexander.“ 

He smiles slightly at that, looking up at her again. He seems to be deep in thought for a little while. Eloise doesn‘t move an inch from her spot. 

“I‘d like to try something if you let me, Ellie”, his voice is calm. 

His hand now rests on her elbow. Even through the fabric of her sweatshirt she can feel the coldness of his hand.

“Sure?” It sounds more like a question than a statement and Eloise looks at him with an unsure look.

“Do you trust me?“, he asks looking at her with his dark eyes.

“Yes.” The answer is instant and no doubt can he heard in the ghoul's voice.

Alexander‘s smile widens before he pulls her arm forward and effortlessly pulling her in between his open legs. Both his hands make their way to Ellie‘s hips. He‘s slow in his movements, trying not to startle her. Ellie‘s breath hitches in her throat and she looks down at his hands.This position is new to the ghoul but as soon as she feels his hands on her body she feels relaxed and calm. 

“Still good?“

Eloise looks up at her domitor and nods.

Alexander squeezes her gently before speaking again “I need words.“

“Yes”, Ellie replies quickly.

The vampire then takes his time to stroke her waist, hands wandering up and down her body slowly.

“I’d like you to straddle me. Can you do that? Each leg on one side of my lap.“

Ellie doesn’t hesitate even if she can feel her breath quicken. There’s no doubt that she’s nervous. But she does trust him and she is more than curious to see what he’s going to do next.

His hands still on the ghoul’s hips, Alexander looks at her intently.

“Very good.“

His fingers now wrap around the back of her neck, pulling her forward. Eloise lets herself get pulled closer by him. They’re close now. So close that he can probably feel her rapid heartbeat.

“It’s okay”,Alexander whispers her ear while stroking the back of her head,“I don’t need much tonight. Would you let me?“

Eloise closes her eyes, excitement running through her body.

“Yes, please.“

Alexander smiles and leans down. She gasps as he presses his lips to her neck. It takes a while for her to realise that he’s actually kissing her neck. He kisses down her warm skin agonisingly slow. Eloise tries not to squirm in his lap, whimpering quietly.

After what felt like an eternity, Alexander’s fangs pierce the base of her neck next to her collarbone. She gasps at the sting and squeezes her eyes closed. But shortly after, the pain is gone. It almost feels like it was never even there. All Eloise feel is bliss. Pure bliss. It’s better than anything else she would have called pleasurable. She lost herself in the feeling of his lips against her neck and the warmth now spreading inside her body. She doesn’t even notice how her hands grab the fabric of the vampire’s shirt tightly or his hands that pull her even closer to him. She doesn’t feel anything but pleasure. Nothing could replace this feeling. Nothing could compare to this. Absolutely nothing. 

But the moment is way too short and his lips leave her neck much too quickly. She wants him back, to keep going, to keep drinking. Of course, Eloise knew what the consequences of this act would be. She always scared herself with the thoughts that presented themselves when feedings occurred. 

Eyes still closed Eloise stays in the same position until Alexander grabs her shoulders lightly and pushes her back to take a good look at her. His eyes wander over her face. The ghoul can see that he felt just as satisfied if not more satisfied. 

“Thank you, Ellie.”

His hands grab her cheeks, stroking them with so much care, Eloise could cry from all the joy she was currently feeling. 

And as Alexander then tells Ellie to hold onto him, she obliges and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling herself close to the kindred again. Alexander then stands up, one arm around Ellie’s backside, the other around her torso with a hand on the back of her head. He starts walking slowly, making his way to the door. The ghoul could barely feel his footsteps. She felt light in his arms. He carried her through the living room dextrously and then climbs the stairs, still holding onto Eloise tightly. He doesn’t talk as he makes his way to Ellies room. Pushing the door open with his foot, Alexander carries his ghoul over to the large bed and slowly lays her down. She then lets go of him and opens her eyes. Her domitor stands above her, a gentle smile on his face. She can feel him stroke her head, from the front to the back getting some of her hair out of her face. Ellies hand shakily moves up and she touches her neck where he had bit her.

“It’s alright. There’s no wound, no blood. Everything’s okay. You’re okay.”

His voice is a whisper, soothing her and making her feel safe. As soon as Eloise realises that she’s laying in her own bed, she lets herself sink even deeper into the cushions.

“Get some rest, Ellie. I’ll get you something to eat. You need to regain your strength. You had a long day after all”, Alexander tells her, still stroking her head.

Ellie panics slightly at his words “N- No. Please, don’t go anywhere. Please don’t go. Please?”

Alexander frowns slightly, touching her forehead for a few seconds. 

“You feel cold, Eloise.”

“Please…” Ellie’s voice is barely a whisper. She feels embarrassed for begging him to stay and embarrassed for the tears in her eyes. She shouldn’t be crying. But she felt so weak, so exhausted and she didn’t want to be alone. Not now. 

Alexander now sits down on the bed next to Eloise. 

“Ellie, breathe. You’re alright. Just breathe. It’s alright, I’ll stay here.”

Eloise sobs but smiles at his words. Of course, she knew that this was only the version of the vampire that she could see. An illusion of the monster that he truly must be. He was feared by many and she was aware of the powers he possessed. He could hurt her if he wanted to. He could kill her if he wanted to. But right here and right now, she wanted nothing more than him.

“Can you just stay a little bit? I’ll eat something afterwards, I promise.”

“Yes”, Alexander answers,”I’ll stay.”

Eloise instinctively grabs the hand on her forehead, pulling it to her chest. 

Alexander’s hand wraps around hers tightly. He gets up from his spot besides her. For a second Eloise thinks that he might leave after all but he does the opposite of that.

The kindred lays down next to her on the bed, pulling her close so her head is on his chest. He’s cool against her but her sweatshirt and leggings keep her relatively warm.

Alexander grabs a blanket from the other side of the bed, his long arm effortlessly grabbing the soft material. He pulls it over the both of them, making sure Ellie is fully covered. 

Seeing her like this made him feel some sort of pride. She was his and his alone. He would keep her here with him for as long as she may live and if anyone lays even as much as a finger on his prized possession, he will destroy them. Here in his arms, she was safe. It’s where she needs to be. The beast inside him stirs every time he stops drinking from her for the night. It wants him to finish the job, to take all of her life essence. But he bites back at the voice in his head. Killing her would mean to lose her and he could never let that happen.

She was his now and his tomorrow. She was his for the rest of his unlife. And nothing could ever prevent him from claiming her as his, over and over again. 

Eloise feels like she’s in a trance. She was somewhere far away from all the troubles that had been on her mind before. All the stress and anxiety from the day are now seemingly seeping out of her. And for once, everything is fine and nothing hurts. 

Hi there!

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[doyouknowhowtowaltz]

Got an important question; could the beast win a fist fight, or does he have 0 combat potential? I need to know identify who someone would have to take out first- The Warlock, or The Beast? I made Warlock, but The Beast I'm not sure about..

The Beast, canonically, knocks out the woodsman, or at least knocks him down pretty solidly, and the Woodsman was armed and swinging at him with an axe, so he's definitely got something going on.

It's a bit of a struggle to imagine the Beast as he is in the show throwing a punch, but in a dark forest, I don't think he has to. The Beast isn't going to trip over a root, or run into a tree, or accidentally smack his face into a low hanging branch, but you will, stumbling around in a dark forest. And if you get tripped or shoved in the dark, well, maybe you should have been more careful picking fights. Besides, the Beast probably has a great backhand, and if he was properly involved in a grapple, he would absolutely fight dirty, claw out eyes, kick in the gut, gore someone on his antlers, the possibilities are endless.

Also, it's important to consider who is doing the hitting. Because the Beast is wood. Not solid wood, I'll grant, but it's going to be pretty punishing to hit the Beast even if he doesn't hit back. Also, there's a certain question of how much damage are you going to do? Even if you drive a blade into him, he's made of wood, not tissue or muscle, he's going to keep animating his body long after a human would collapse beneath wounds. Snapping an arm or antler off isn't even guaranteed to slow him down, much less kill him.

All of this is also assuming the Beast isn't armed, and I tend to assume he's got at least a dagger on him, which obviously makes him far more dangerous.

Now, against a trained or particularly expert fighter, the Beast is certainly going to be at a huge disadvantage, in the broad light of day he's going to struggle a lot more, with most of his evasive tactics deprived, against a crowd of trained soldiers he's going to be pretty hard pressed, against a mob at night, he'd have a field day, separating them, scaring them, and abandoning them in the darkness.

In broad daylight in the middle of an empty road or in a field, the Beast could probably be beaten pretty easily, but the question is then, would he ever let himself be put in that situation?

In general, it speaks to an incredible level of confidence, or arrogance, to see the Scourge of Hope, the Voice of the Night, the Beast of the Unknown, walking along and decide to attack him or his traveling companion, never mind the insanity of attacking a warlock as it is.

[fleurcareil]

Second month recap: July

Driving away from Sleeping Giant on 1st August means I've already completed two full months in the road!! Wow!! 🤩 And most amazingly, I still feel fantastic and am not ready yet to start going home by a long shot... 😁 in fact, I'm starting to get a bit concerned about everything that I still want to do in the remaining time, but I'm sure I'll figure it out!

I forgot to check the odometer but it was probably at around 67500 so that means I drove another 6,000 kilometers in the second month and slightly under 13,000 km in total. I still stick mostly with camping two nights in a row in a park (where I drive the absolute minimum), followed by a series of motels/inns/hotels when I drive larger distances, typically 3-4 hours a day interspersed with several breaks at viewpoints, small hikes, towns etc to get a feel of the area. I generally aim to arrive at my sleeping place by 6-7pm latest so that I have enough time to settle in before it gets dark (long summer hours help!) but once in a while I get there earlier around 3-4pm to get a lazy afternoon. And sometimes I only start at 10-11am taking it easy in the morning, especially when it's crappy weather 😅. The joy of absolute freedom to choose how I spend my days!! 🥰❤

I can hardly believe where I was at the end of the first month as that feels such a long time ago... in Matane in the Gaspesie, Québec. So last month, I did the entire Labrador loop which included a large section of unpaved road and more boreal trees than I ever imagined 😝. Got delayed on the cargo boat back to Québec so that resulted in some last minute changes to hotels and tours, then the ever-impressive sea along the Cote Nord all the way west to Québec City, several pretty national parks in central Quebec that were unfortunately impacted by flooding, a stay-over in Montreal and then along the Ottawa Valley via North Bay - Sudbury - Sault Ste Marie to the spectacular scenery of Lake Superior! 🎉 The diversity in the natural environment from maritime to boreal, from sea cliffs to inland canyons & massive lakes is so incredibly huge, and I'm only half way, as the Prairies and the Rockies are still ahead of me! 😍😍

What is constant though throughout is the friendliness of the people I meet, whether it's the staff at the visitor centres and in the parks, other campers or restaurant guests, or even if it's only a short "great day isn't it?" when you're passing each other on the trail or on the water. Canadians are rightly proud of their local area as well as their country, and are truly wanting to share that with others.

I've also come to realize I'm not alone in wanting to pursue my dreams as many have done so before me; from the scallops farmer in Québec to the inn owner in Ontario, several have shared with me their life trajectory often having moved away from the busy corporate/urban life to focus on what's important to them. No one has perhaps dared to tell me I'm crazy 😜 and it's surprising how many people can in some way relate to Chile 😅 so that makes me hopeful for the future!

Lastly, I wanted to share my reflection on the role that cross-country retailers like Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons and to some extent grocery stores and gas stations play in comforting travelers like me and unifying Canada as truly one country... as part of my job, I've ofcourse always known that CT has 507 stores across Canada but I've never felt what that means until now. When driving for 100-300kms in the middle of inhospitable forest without cell reception and literally only a handful of sideroads and buildings, it's comforting to know that at the end of it there will always be a place to e.g. buy a cup of tea & a donut or propane & kindling 😅. Typically, both CT and Tim Hortons will have signs 5-10km upon approach of a town (though mostly run down and overgrown 😉) and there's a real sense of relief & joy that I've been feeling seeing those signs; a combo of gladness that my car didn't break down or was hit by a moose/bear, and of happiness to be back in the familiar human realm (something like that, not sure how to explain). Secondly, it's also unifying to see the same brands in so many different places, as that creates a bond between all Canadians (in contrast, if you would drive equal distance in Europe you would likely have crossed a border with each country having its own brands/language etc). Having the same stores with the same products everywhere you go in Canada creates a commonality that clearly says: I am in Canada 🇨🇦 (actually, because CT stores are built on a standard proto design, I bought firestarters in exactly the same aisle in Pembroke as in Dryden 🤣)... I don't think this comforting & unifying aspect is apparent when you live in an urban area or only travel locally, but this roadtrip has increased my appreciation of both these Canadian brands (and I'm really not a big Tim Hortons fan although the branch in Marathon was phenomenal) .

I've rambled long enough now and need to light the fire 😃, so here's my top ten-ish of best experiences for the second month in chronological order. Scroll to my previous blogs for pictures!

1. Driving the Labrador loop including the expansive boreal forest and the Manic-5 hydro dam, QC/NL

2. Staying at Battle Harbour Island, NL

3. Seeing icebergs on the trails at Red Bay and L'Anse au Clair, NL

4 Taking the cargo boat from Blanc-Sablon to Kegashka, QC

5. Touring the Mingan archipelago (both west and east islands), QC

6. Whale watching at Cap de Bon-Désir & the Marine Discovery Centre, QC

7. Hiking the Mont du Lac-des-Cygnes at Grands-Jardins, QC

8. Meeting Nabil and spending the day in Vieux-Montreal, QC

9. SUPping at Barron Canyon & Restoule, ON

10. Hiking the pictographs trail at Lake Superior & the coastal trail at Pukaskwa parks, ON

11. Paddling on Lake Superior, ON

12. Guided PoW camp hike at Neys provincial park, ON

There's a few that I omitted such as the Manitou waterfall in eastern Québec, park La Mauricie and the Ouimet Canyon that are must-do's if you're in the area but I can't simply name everything that I did! 😉

I'll need to create better Gmaps next time I have internet on my laptop!

2nd month travel;

Total travel since 1st June;

[fdsadfa]

while driving in the middle of a forest,  our muses pull onto the side of the road for sex.  / so real of them after he feeds

location based s.mut prompts.

ㅤㅤthe sun has nearly completed its descent, darkness beginning to shroud the forest as they head to the car. she can't say she ever imagined at the start of their relationship that she'd accompany him when went to feed on the local wildlife, but ... it just kind of started happening. she waits in the suv, keeping an eye on him really just out of habit. well, that and there's something enjoyable at a primal level, watching him feed. if he weren't so worried about how he might hurt her in the process, she'd happily offer to feed him as often as she can. instead, he'll only accept a drop or two from her, and still rely on animal blood. so she waits impatiently in the car, dark gaze locked on him when he finally comes back into view. he always seems a bit more energetic after feeding, something she enjoys. he thanks her for waiting as he climbs back into the driver's seat, leaning over to give her a sweet peck. if he notices how she chases his mouth to try to continue the kiss, he doesn't acknowledge it, instead turning the vehicle on and heading towards the road.

ㅤㅤthe energy in the vehicle is charged, elena's tongue peeking out to wet her mouth as she continues to watch him. there's been so much going on lately that sex has taken a backseat, and she's feeling rather pent up. given the tension in his form, she can only assume he feels rather the same. she presses her thighs together in an attempt to quell the dampness she can feel building between them, but to no avail. she should wait until they get home, she should wait until they get home, but her hand is already reaching across the center console. ❛❛ stefan ... ❜❜ she whispers, fingers sliding over the hardness she finds in his lap. she can practically hear his teeth clench together as his hands tighten dangerously on the steering wheel, and she wonders for a moment if he's going to resist. but then the suv slows rapidly, moving over to the side of the road in a rather jerky motion - but she doesn't care, even as she's jostled in her seat, for she knows he would never let anything happen to her. the engine's barely off before her door is opening, his hands under her arms as he effortlessly lifts her into his arms.

ㅤㅤit's dark now, the sounds of the forest at night surrounding them, the light of the moon bright enough even her weak human eyes can see well. she finds herself on her back on the warmth of the hood, the heat just shy of too hot. his hand is around her throat and holding her down as he leans down to kiss her, the touch nothing like their usual loving kisses. it's rough and hungry, teeth pulling at her lips and tongue sweeping into her mouth to claim it, like he wants to devour her. she gives as good as she gets, moaning against his lips and wrapping her legs around his hips to grind her core against his. his free hand reaches down to cup her between her legs, the touch to her aching bundle of nerves causes her back to bow up towards him, needy whine leaving her. she fumbles at his belt buckle with useless fingers, still entirely too consumed with his kiss to focus on any task. ❛❛ stefan, hurry, ❜❜ she breathes, half begging and half commanding. thankfully, he brushes her hand aside and replaces it with his much more capable one, popping open his jeans with ease.

ㅤㅤher gaze grows heavy at the sight of his cock popping free, greedy fingers immediately wrapping around it as he shoves her shirt up and over her breasts, her bra following immediately after. he leans down to mouth at her flesh, teeth tugging a tad too roughly at her nipples and causing stings of pain that just shoot down to her core and amplify her arousal. ❛❛ fuck me, ❜❜ she snaps, and he growls against her chest in response. her cute little skirt ( that highlights her slender legs and that she admittedly wore simply to tempt him ) is flipped up and out of the way, his long fingers pulling the fabric of her panties to the side. he tilts her head up to force her to meet his gaze before he fills her with one rough thrust, her body eagerly swallowing him up to the hilt. her muscles clamp down on him, but the slight sting from the large intrusion only heightens her pleasure and a choked whimper leaves her. using his grip on her throat and waist, he sets a merciless rhythm, knocking the breath out of her lungs and shaking the suv with each roll of his hips. all she can really do is hold onto his arms and take his fucking, unable to catch her breath enough to release any of the noises bubbling up in her throat.

ㅤㅤshe moves her feet to rest them on the side of the car, allowing her to brace her hips up against him and increase the friction. she can already feel her orgasm creeping up on her, building up in her lower stomach and tingling at the base of her spine. she can barely keep her eyes open anymore, dark hair fanned over the hood as she writhes beneath him. he takes her higher, higher and higher until she's right at the precipice and teetering on the edge. he arches over her once again and bites down on her neck, pinching her swollen clit at the same time. she finally comes with a shriek, legs shaking and fingers digging into him as her walls spasm around him. he joins her over the edge, and she moans weakly as his hips jerking against her cause some overstimulation. her walls milk him of every last drop, ankles locking at his back to keep him pressed tight against him as he fills her to the brim. his hips stutter one last time before they stop, and they lay there, locked tightly together as they catch their breath. stefan pulls away after a few moments, the kiss he gives her this time soft and loving. her gaze is adoring and warm when he pulls back to look at her, though her lips pull into an impish little grin. ❛❛ round two when we get home? ❜❜

[lindsaystravelblogs5]

Days 44-47 - last days in Wales

Day 44   Wednesday 16 October

We had quite a lot of rain overnight, often quite light, but with some periods of heavier rain - for about half the night.  It was fine but damp in the morning, with big puddles all around, and more rain promised during the afternoon.

We had a fairly quiet day today.  We drove down to Abersoch village and strolled the length of the town and back, and ended up enjoying an early lunch at a local cafe, Zinc.   We were at a corner table overlooking the Soch River and it was very pleasant.   I tried a local beer - easily the worst beer I have ever tasted - but the rest of the meal was fine.  We visited a minimart on the way back to the car but bought very little.

The Soch River upstream - our view over lunch

We then went for a drive along some narrow lanes, unfortunately having to do a few five- and seven-point turns at the inevitable dead ends.  Some of the hairpin bends have required nine-point turns and we just pray for patient drivers as we navigate the challenges.  We eventually found one road that went somewhere - to Hell’s Mouth.  This is quite a big bay but open to the full force of the Atlantic gales and has suffered a few shipwrecks - hence its name.  We walked from the car park to the beach a couple of hundred metres away, but rain was threatening so we didn’t stay long, and resumed our little exploration of the area.  Exploration was something of a challenge with fog periodically limiting visibility to as little as about thirty metres, but mostly about sixty to eighty metres.   We did quite a big loop around our campground village before spending the rest of the day inside.  

Day 45 Thursday

It was another long day - 307 miles or 495 kilometres.  It rained on and off overnight and we got a lot more as we drove along, mainly light to moderate but with some really heavy rain at one stage too.  It was well after dark before we arrived at our caravan park and we were both quite buggered by the time we got here. 

Before we left Abersoch (literally the 'Soch River estuary' in Welsh), we heard, but never saw, an old single-engined plane doing aerobatics.  We heard it yesterday too, so there was obviously an airfield nearby.   But as we drove along, we heard a massive, terrifying, deafening scream right above us.  At first, I thought the bottom had fallen off the car and was scraping on the road, but it was far too loud for that.  Then we realised that it was a RAF jet on a low-level run right over the road.   It was quite shattering and really shook us up - and ten minutes later, it happened again with just as much panic-inducing impact.  It happened twice more a little later, but further away and not as terrifying - but our nerves took hours to recover.    

That was only one of the stresses of our day.  We got stuck in a queue at one point, before we found a way to detour away from the incident.  It looked as if a campervan, or perhaps a small truck, was laying on its side blocking the road, and the emergency services were slowly addressing the problem.   Another badly damaged car was up on a fifteen metre embankment on the opposite side of the road, so I imagine whatever happened was pretty horrific.   We had our own issues a few times too, with numerous cars seemingly feeling entitled to use thirty or forty centimetres of our side of the road, almost forcing us up the embankment or over the edge.  The roads aren’t wide enough for even one centimetre encroachment not to risk disaster.  

We enjoyed a few unplanned detours during the day due to our frustrating maps and GPS leading us astray.  We were rerouted fairly quickly, but each detour added to the stress of the day - difficult for the driver, but hugely daunting for our brilliant navigator.

Despite the frustration though, the countryside was quite beautiful today.  We saw some great mountains, sweeping valleys, rich green, green, green pastures, some impressive rivers, and some awesome forests.  This part of Wales is remarkably more scenic than the northern areas, and particularly England.  

We stopped in a lay-by for lunch - I was so shattered by then that I just had to have a break.  It was a good place to stop because I had a great view of a Common Buzzard circling high above us for ten minutes or more.  We also saw a large tractor mowing some of the hedges.  It had an attachment like a big slasher and it went along in three phases.  First, it slashed the side of the hedge facing the road with the slasher vertical, then returned after turning the slasher at ninety degrees to slash the top of the hedge.  It then turned the slasher a further ninety degrees so the blades were facing the road, but it was on a mechanism that allowed it to reach over the hedge and slash the side of the hedge in the farmers’ fields - hopefully with no livestock too close. It was a very clever arrangement, and I assume it is done at least once a year along thousands of kilometres to make driving a tiny bit safer.   It would be good to do it on some of the lanes where our rear vision mirrors are brushing the hedges on both sides - I hope no cars are coming the other way!

Apart from hedges, a lot of roads have drystone walls on both sides.  In one narrow area, the high wall on one side was preventing more than fifteen metres of mountain from falling onto the road.  There are also places where there is a berm a metre or two high that I suspect hides a fence or stone wall that has become so overgrown that it has formed a solid berm.  Driving would be much safer if those areas were heavily slashed right down to road level.

We went to a big Tesco shop late in the day and purchased more food for a few days but also some bedding to make the camper more comfortable.  We sent a mild complaint to the people we hired the camper from and they said to buy some items, subject to reimbursement on due course.   This made us much later in getting to our caravan park and hence the additional stress late in the day and after dark.  Once again, we asked some people near us to use their Tesco Clubcard to earn them some bonus points and gain us a few dollars discount. 

Day 46    Friday

It was another ‘sort of’ layday.   It rained overnight and on and off during the day, but we were inside most of the time.  We drove up to the administrative area and Heather did some washing and the dishes while I disposed of the rubbish, refilled the water tank, emptied the toilet (what we call a Dump Point is called an Elsan here), and did some cleaning in the van. 

We then drove back to where we had parked but chose a slightly more level pitch this time.   It is still not that great, but we used the ramps provided to make it acceptable and then hid inside out of the rain.  

Heather did some cooking, and I did a big sort out of my photos.   I had created a combined dump from the images on my camera, my phone and Heather’s phone - she takes photos while I drive and she airdrops them to me at night so I get a chance to see what we 'saw' during the day.  I got them all sorted out then did a big cull to select pics for my blog and even prepared a few (very few) ready to post.   I have written a lot but need some photos to back it all up.

A mini-highlight of the day was watching a very cute squirrel playing outside the van and then posing for photos in a nearby tree.  We have now seen two squirrels - and we saw about another five or six rabbits on our way to Hell’s Mouth a few days ago.  There are still not a lot of birds and no other wildlife, but I did identify a few more birds as I went through my photos.

We went up to the Clubhouse for a drink late in the afternoon but there weren’t many people there and nobody spoke to us.   It was karaoke night tonight so maybe they were waiting for that, but it is definitely not our thing, so we retreated to the van quite soon.

We have decided to stay another night here and will explore some of the local area tomorrow but will leave Wales for more of England on Sunday. 

Day 47     Saturday

We drove around the Peninsula today - a bit over a hundred miles (actually 190 kilometres).  It was essentially just a big loop starting with a drive out to Pembroke at the confluence of several rivers situated on a long inlet.  From there, we crossed a long bridge and drove to Milford Haven, then north through Haverfordwest, and on to St Davids, close to the west coast.  (That is the westernmost point in mainland Britain.) We followed the coast as close as we could north to Fishguard, then through Roseberry to St Clear and back to our caravan park in the dark.   As usual, wherever we went, there were crowds, with no possible place to park for at least a couple of miles from anything we might have wanted to explore, and absurdly narrow lanes clogged with reckless drivers.  The most we ever saw was a view across the hedge into a neighbouring paddock, or a quick look at a beach while turning around in an overcrowded carpark.