#came back from a trip and also caught a fever

[inkcovens]

born to think ab jackieshauna forced to lock in 😔😔

[slxshrfvcker]

~𓆦Caught Like A Fly𓆦~

Request by @ashllleyyy !

~ “I had an idea for Billy and Stu x fem reader. Billy and Stu got away with their plan, and now they have daughters who are friends with the reader. Reader is in her 20s and dads are in their 40s. Billy and Stu live together but there is nothing romantic between the boys. One day reader came for a sleepover at her friends house (aka Billy and Stu's house), and Billy and Stu’s daughters went to supermarket to buy something and reader was alone with the dads there. So she was snooping around and heard Billy and Stu talking about there next victim and they caught her snooping. There would be also smut part where they found her and can you add aftercare at the end??” ~

I love this idea sm, I really hope this is what you are hoping for!!! 🫶🏽🫶🏽

Content Warnings: Age Gaps, Fem!Reader, AU!Scream, toxic friendships implied, Scream’s usual themes w/murder and violence, SMUT //oral fem & male receiving, teasing, sub/dom dynamics, f/m/m pairing, sir & daddy kink, light choking, clothed sexual activity (dry humping & clothed orgasms), p in v sex, aftercare// lmk if there’s more!

Listen to: Caught Like A Fly by Falling In Reverse!

NSFW // 18+ CONTENT UNDER THE CUT

24 years ago, Billy and Stu would have no clue they’d make it this far in their lives. Here in this town still even after all they’ve accomplished in their still short lives.

Billy moved out of his dad’s house after graduation and spent his college savings on his very own house, a little bit smaller than what he was originally living in with his dad, but it was still his home nonetheless. He had gotten a stable enough job to keep him upright, and went on by his day-to-day life, seeing Stu often too was another thing he enjoyed about his life situation. And then Stu’s parents kicked him out after his 18th, leaving Billy’s best friend on the streets with nowhere to live; until Billy offered for him to move in with him too. Billy and Stu were happily sharing the house together now, having their movie nights almost every night and having the most fun they’ve ever had.

Eventually the news that Billy was a father came back to him. At first it was a shock, confusion and doubt about it was all he could think about. But when that little girl was left on his doorstep, a note addressed to him and the mother nowhere to be seen every again, Billy vowed to his young, naive 19 year old self and his daughter that he would never leave her and do the best he could for her, promising he would be a better father to her than his own dad ever could be to him.

Stu, seeing how well Billy was as a father so far and the interactions between the two caused him to have the worst baby fever in existence, risking everything by running around and sleeping with multiple women in hopes of ‘accidentally’ knocking one up so he too could have this experience of fatherhood. And he got just what he so desperately craved, but double the trouble. Stu was blessed with twin girls, and he couldn’t have been more elated to take them under his wing and raise them himself (though Billy helped out a lot too, since his daughter Sam was already two years old at this point in time).

For about 22 years, Billy and Stu (who are now both 45 and 46 years of age) raised their girls, protecting them from the world of harm and their past (best they could), the girls still lived with their dads (via guilt-tripping or the sorts from Billy and Stu telling them ‘your dear old dads would be so lonely without you, are you sure you want to leave us??’ And the likes) and were currently enrolled in a local college where they met Y/N.

Y/N was young and naive, yet shy around everyone else besides the three daughters of Billy and Stu. She often went over to the girls’ house for movie nights, sleepovers and just whatever they wanted to do. She grew accustomed to the two dads always hanging about suspiciously, eyeing her in a stalker-ish way before the two went to talk in the office about ‘work’.

And tonight was no different. Y/N could feel their burning gaze on her as she hung out with the three girls, laughing away at the dumbest of things before the twins stood up and went to go get something from the kitchen. The older twin sister groaning loudly and leaving her sister in the kitchen as she looked at Sam with a cross of her arms. “We’re out of popcorn and soda.” She said. “Me and Jessie are going to go get some more if you wanna come Sam? Y/N, can you stay here in case our dads need something or we need to text you for something?” The twin asked.

Sam nodded and stood up as the other girl came out of the kitchen with her keys and bag. “Yeah yeah, let’s go. Y/N we’ll be back asap!” She said as she and the twins waved goodbye before they walked out of the front door and to their car, soon they were gone. Y/N sighed and looked around the place before standing up and walking about the house for a few minutes, glancing around and grazing her fingers along some photos and random things.

She was walking past the office when she heard some faint talking from behind the door, curious she leaned her head against the door and listened in on the dads’ conversation. She only caught a few things through the muffle of the door, ‘victim’ ‘murder’ and ‘plan’ being some of the few words she could process. Her eyes fluttered wider as soon as it stopped and she heard footsteps get closer to the door, she pulled her head back as quick as she could before the door swung open, and Billy stood there with a questioning gaze on his face.

“Were you listening in on us?” Billy asked, eyeing her suspiciously as she looked up at him like a deer caught in headlights. “I… I uh, no I just,” she couldn’t get her words out and she mentally smacked herself for it. “Mhm, sure… how much of it did you hear?” He questioned as he moved closer to her, enough to get her to back up against the wall in a bit of fear. “N-not much,” she squeaked out, gazing up at the tall man with widened eyes. Stu made his way over as well, standing beside Billy, but not as close to her.

“You know we don’t really like when people snoop around our house, especially someone we trust so much.” Billy pointed out, gazing down at her with his piercing brown eyes. “So that means we have to punish you for this,” he added, leaning closer to her, close enough where his chest was pressing against hers, lips close to her ear. “And I have a feeling you won’t like how,” he whispered huskily in her ear, causing her to swallow and press her thighs together. “‘M sorry, Sir… I didn’t mean to upset you two…” she whimpered out in fear.

The fear in her whimpers only heightened the feeling of blood rushing to Billy’s cock, he let out a breathy chuckle as he pulled back enough to note the fear in her eyes, smirking and biting his lower lip. “Jesus,” he rasped, looking at Stu for a second as if to gauge his reaction to Y/N as well. “You hear her? She sounds like a fuckin’ mess,” Billy said, his hands moving and finding their way to her arms. “Cmere baby girl, let us show you what happens to those who snoop around our shit,” Billy grinned as he pulled her into the office with Stu following behind.

Stu closed and locked the door behind him, standing by it as Billy pushed the young girl to sit down on the desk, his body closing in on hers as he gazed down at her in such a sultry way. His hands closed around her thighs and he yanked them open while dragging her closer to him, his groin pressing against hers, bulge prominently pressing to her clothed heat. She let out a soft gasp in surprise at the feeling of his hard-on, looking up at him with widened eyes. “Mr. Loomis… w-what…” she was cut off by Billy tutting at her. “Ah ah ah, it’s Sir from here on out, got it, princess?”

She nodded as she shyly looked away, which only caused her to get her head turned to look at him again. Billy gazed down at her, eyes flicking to her lips before he leaned down and pressed his own lips to them, enjoying the feeling of her soft warm lips against his. His hands grasped her hips, pulling them closer as his own grinned against hers, pulling a small pathetic whimper to leave her. Billy pulled back, a cocky smirk on his lips as he pressed his lips to her pulse point, biting down harshly and marking her before soothing the bite with his tongue. She was a whimpering mess at this point, gazing over at Stu while Billy’s face was pressed into her neck, his hips grinding slowly against hers.

Stu was smirking, his hand palming himself through his trousers as he watched Billy have his way with her. Billy pulled his head back and smirked at her again, sitting down in a chair while dragging her with him, settling her down onto his thigh. Billy started guiding her hips along his thigh, forcing her to grind herself down on him. She let out soft mewls and moans as she worked herself on the older man’s thigh. “Mmm!” She whined out as he bit down onto her throat again, marking her some more before he pulled away and brought his veiny hand up to her throat, pressing his index and thumb to her pulse points to restrict a little blood flow to her thrumming head.

Her hands went up and grasped his arm, moaning and gasping for air as she worked her hips faster, clit brushing her own jeans that shifted with each roll of her hips against his own jeans. She was losing her vision until Billy took notice and let go, she moaned as he let his grip up, feeling her body crash with the feeling of euphoria as her orgasm flooded into her, she squeaked out, eyes rolling back as she fell forwards onto Billy’s chest as her pussy fluttered around nothing. She whimpered weakly and moaned, rolling her hips slowly a few more times as her thighs trembled and closed around his own.

Billy shh’d her, his hands rubbing the globes of her as as he praised her quietly for the orgasm she brought herself to. “Good girl, you’re doing so fuckin’ good for daddies.” He praised, his hands caressing her sides now as he gently lifted her up off his thigh and back onto the desk. She whined out, wanting to go back to him but he simply shushed her again and lifted her shirt from her form, tossing it to the side. He licked his lips as his eyes raked over her naked top half, eyes focusing on her bust. He reached behind her and unhooked her bra, sliding it off her and putting it to the side with her shirt.

Stu watched this while still palming himself, slowly approaching them as he did so. “My turn.” Stu grinned, as he replaced Billy’s body with his in between her parted thighs. Stu pressed his lips to Y/N’s spit slicked ones, delving his tongue into her mouth as he licked around her teeth and tongue, battling with her for dominance. His hands grasped the buttoning of her jeans, undoing them swiftly and dragging the zipper down. He pulled her jeans off, and pushed them to the floor, before pushing her panties to the side. Stu ran his finger through her folds, groaning as he felt how absolutely soaked she was from her past orgasm and arousal. “Fuck, Billy she’s god damn soaked.” Stu pointed out as he dipped his middle finger into her heat, listening to the way her breathing picked up.

Billy watched as he undid his own jeans, pulling them off of himself and putting them to the side, sitting down in his chair and lazily stroking his length. “Fuckin’ hell Stu, she’s so fuckin’ hot, huh?” He gritted out, hand working himself a bit faster. Stu grinned and nodded as he added a second finger into her tight cunt, curling them in search for her g-spot. The way her breath hitched and she clenched on his digits signaled to him he found it. He chuckled as he started abusing the spot while the heel of his hand brushed her clit, working her up to her second orgasm of the night.

Stu continued his assault on her pussy as Billy watched, hand jerking faster as he watched it go down. “F…fuck, Stu you better hurry the fuck up and make her cum already so I can fuck her tight little cunt and fill her up myself.” Billy rasped out, as Stu cackled a bit and finger fucked her faster. She was trembling and whining before the orgasm hit her harder than the first, she cried out Stu’s name and slouched against him, her hands clasping onto his arms. “Mmmm, s…stop, s’too much,” she slurred, before feeling Stu pull his fingers out. “Good girl,” Stu purred, leaning back from her as he brought his hand up to his lips and cleaned them off with his tongue. He groaned out at the taste, “fucking hell, tastes as good as I thought she would.” Stu said as he stepped back a bit to let Billy step in now too.

Stu was quickly discarding his clothing now too, as he watched Billy slowly jerk himself right in front of her. “Lay down baby girl,” Billy commanded, brushing things off his desk to the floor, not caring what broke and what didn’t. He made her lay on her back as he grasped her thighs and parted them for her as much as she could, spitting in one of his hands and bringing it down to take a hold of his cock, lathering the spit all over his thick length before he grasped the base and brushed it through her folds and against her clit. He pulled back to fully remove her panties before he quickly started pushing himself into her, the tip of his cock breaching her entrance and eliciting a moan from her.

Billy groaned out, his hips continually moving forward until he was fully sheathed into her dripping, tight fluttering cunt. His breathing picked up as he pulled out a bit and slammed brutally back into her, and doing it all over again. Stu watched Billy fuck her in a slow yet hard rhythm, his hand going to his own dick as he jerked himself off slowly in time with Billy’s thrusts. Billy started to pick up the pace eventually, her whines spurring him on as he thrust into her at a bruising speed and hardness. He grinned as he felt her little hands wrap around his wrist and bring his hand up to her throat, her silently begging him to wrap it around her delicate flesh. “Fu…fuck,” Billy managed as he put pressure on her pulse points with his fingers, his hips snapping against hers harshly. Stu let out soft noises as he fucked his own hand, watching them. “Fuck, Billy when can I…?” Stu rasped out, aching to feel her cunt around him too.

Billy grunted, ignoring Stu as his free hand went from her hip to her clit, pinching it before flicking at it, then his thumb started brushing it in tight fast circles in time with his hips movements. “She’s fuckin’ squeezing me like a god damned vice,” Billy croaked out, listening to her breaths get more labored and squeaky. He let his grip on her throat up and replaced it with his lips, the hand that was once on her throat tweaking and twisting her nipples. “Cum for me princess, I know you’re almost there,” Billy coaxed, his fingers going back to their pinching and flicking movements before the rubbing again.

Y/N let out the most pornographic moan she could ever believe herself to manage, pussy contracting and squeezing Billy’s cock, causing him to tumble over the edge into pure bliss as well and milking him of all he had. She arched up against him and whined as she felt his hot ropes of cum shoot past her cervix and into her womb, filling her up with his seed as his hips slowly started to stop their rhythm, stilling deep inside her as his breathing was heavy and quick against her shoulder. “F..fuck,” was all Billy could manage, slowly slipping his softening cock out of her. The two failed to notice Stu making his way closer, until Billy felt Stu’s hands grasp onto him and push him out of the way for his turn to fuck his cum into her. Billy licked his lips and stepped back for Stu, watching them from the chair again.

Stu was quick to push his dick into her; though a bit smaller than Billy’s it still felt wonderful. She moaned out pathetically, her hands grasping onto Stu’s shoulders as he started to fuck into her at a harsh and fast pace from the get-go. She was reduced to a drooling and whimpering mess as Stu fucked into her at fervent speed, chasing his own high now. His hands were resting on her hips moved to her clit and roughly rubbed against it, causing her to immediately fall into another orgasm. She basically screamed out, pussy fluttering more now as she felt an odd feeling fill her veins. “Ah! S…stop! Something’s w…wrong I feel like I’m gonna…!” She couldn’t do anything about it but let go, an extra wet feeling flooding from her pussy and coating her ass and thighs, as well as Stu’s thighs and hips. Her face burned red as she thought she pissed herself, but when Stu let out a choked groan and came deep in her as well, he pointing something out. “Fuck! She just fucking squirted, Billy!” Stu said as he pulled his length from her, watching as all three of their arousals and juices flowed from her still-contracting cunt.

Billy grinned widely as he stood up and made his way over to both of them after he had dressed himself, moving to kiss Y/N deeply. “Jesus, if I knew you were a squirter then I would’ve fucked you sooner,” Billy said with a cocky grin on his lips. He looked at Stu and nodded at him as soon as he noticed how sleepy Y/N was getting. “Oh, princess…” Billy cooed, pulling her into his arms. He carried her to the bathroom across the hall as Stu got dressed again and went to go get some water and crackers for her to hydrate herself and eat a snack for energy. Billy set her down on the toilet, silently asking her to use it as he got the bath started. Billy made sure the water wasn’t too hot and poured some bubbles in for her, before picking her up once she was done and gently put her into the water. Stu made his way to the bathroom and smiled softly at them, kneeling next to Billy and giving her the glass of water and a couple crackers.

They made sure she ate and drank enough water before they helped her wash her body and hair, helping her out and drying her off. Billy carried her to his bedroom and laid her down on his bed, pulling the blankets over her. “I’ll get you a change of clothes for when you wake up,” Billy said as he moved to press a soft comforting kiss to the top of her head. Stu smiled softly and went to leave with Billy but they both stopped when she whined out. “Don’t go…” Y/N whined softly. Billy and Stu exchanged glances before they turned back around and got in beside her. Billy wrapped his arms around her and pressed another kiss to her head, rubbing comforting circles on her bare back. “You did so well baby,” Billy praised, and Stu smiled, humming in agreement as Stu’s hand gently rested on her hip. “We’re here now so you can sleep, okay princess?” Stu mumbled lovingly, exchanging another look with Billy as she fell asleep in their arms.

~

It wasn’t long after before the twins and Sam got back, calling out for Y/N and their dads as they set the snacks and groceries on the kitchen counter, going around and looking for them. Sam gasped as she opened her dad’s door to see her dad, Stu and Y/N all cuddled up and asleep together in the bed. “Oh my god,” she whispered in shock before closing the door and spinning around to go back downstairs and tell the twins what she had just saw, they were so going to confront the three of them later on…

♡︎likes are appreciated, comments are wonderful, reblogs are gold and follows are greatly welcomed!♡︎

♡︎Ilysm, take care of yourself and have a safe and great day/night!♡︎

[coolshadowtwins]

SVSSS System Reveal Fic round up!

If you know one that hasn’t been recc’ed, then please put it in the comments/tags! I’ll add it to the post!

A Transmigrator and a Time Traveler Walk into the Bamboo House by VeryCharismaticDragon

Over a year after Shen Qingqiu's death, Luo Binghe consults his servant's servant, concurrently his disgraced martial uncle, for a way to bring the love of his life back. Shang Qinghua sends him in the direction of a certain time-traveling artifact, which supposedly brings one to the day they first met their soulmate.

Odd, though, that the artifact ends up missing the destination by just a few years…

A story in which post-Abyss Luo Binghe relives his disciple days, while juggling his secrets, traumas, and some unexpected revelations about the man he loves on top of that.

What is Seen by CaveteDracones

…is not [always] the real truth.

Truth-compelling artifacts in the hands of an enemy to one side, SYSTEM-mandated silence on the other, and Shen Qingqiu caught between the two. Is it too late to go back to the Water Prison? (NOTE: This one was recommended three times, and I have personally reread it multiple times. It’s one of my favorites and I really do want to read more fics in a similar vein lol)

open my lungs to let you in by ghostybreads

Shen Qingqiu had a secret. So, naturally, it was only a matter of time before he was hit by a truth serum wife plot.

//

“How are you?”

“Horny. Kind of want Binghe to rail me, I guess. But it’s manageable.”

Liu Qingge’s hand on his forehead froze, and he was close enough that Shen Qingqiu could hear his breathing stop. He stared back expressionlessly, the mortification distantly crawling up the back of his neck. Honest One-Horned–

The frustrated scream that he usually vented in his head, came out straight from mouth.

“aaAAAAAHHHH GODDAMNIT AIRPLANE–”

Futility in Practice by TGP

When Luo Binghe is fourteen years old, his shizun suffers a terrible qi deviation and fever that completely changes who he is.

and judgment is just like a cup that we share by Kieron_ODuibhir

The blob finished rotating into place in a way that wasn’t quite compatible with geometry as Shen Qingqiu understood it, and cleared a throat it didn’t seem to have.

“Greetings,” it said, somehow clearly addressing him in particular more than the room as a whole despite its total lack of features other than blueness and translucency. “I’m here on behalf of the Hyper-Celestial Peace and Order Enforcement Bureau. Crime scene secure, proceeding to interviews. Beginning with Subject One: You are Shen Qingqiu, formerly Shen Yuan, also known as Peerless Cucumber?”

First, do no harm by Terias

Shen Qingqiu has been acting especially erratic since awakening from his three day coma after a severe qi deviation.

Mu Qingfang investigates and discovers a great many things about his new shixiong. (NOTE: This one has Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu as the same soul, technically, but it still works I think!)

Show The Screenshots by A_Non_ymousWriter

When a rogue foreign System sends out a subtle virus, some outsiders are shown chat messages between a certain two transmigrators and their Systems.

AirplaneBro: nah dude shen jiu would never lay a hand on his female disciples like that, hes gay

Liu Qingge tripped on thin air while Mu Qingfang choked on his tea as Shang Qinghua (their god? creator??) casually shattered their view of their original Shen Qingiu. The fake Shen Qingqiu at least, was sharing their shock.

CucumberBro: EXCUSE ME WHAT??

CucumberBro: The fuck he is?!?! He literally GOES TO BROTHELS! LIU QINGGE FOUND HIM IN BED WITH A WOMAN THAT ONE TIME?

AirplaneBro: aight bro buckle the fuck up cuz imma take u on a joyride all about shen jiu >:)

—————-

Binghes#1Fan: I don't want to send Binghe into the Abyss...

System 2: User must comply, if User cannot do the task User will be punished and the account will be terminated.

Mobeis #1Fan: sorry bro unless ur okay w being ded af u gotta push binghe into the abyss

Ning Yingying's fists clenched. Okay, so trying to get Yuan-ge and A-Luo together would be harder than she thought.

[creative-caramel-coffee]

I think I expressed my self terribly wrong sorry!

So basically reader is sick but maybe the team doesn’t realise and they do things unintentionally that make reader even more sick (like leaving the windows open, telling her to go buy something or I don’t know) until Wanda and Nat have enough and realise that reader is sick and tell the team to stop

-🦜

Stubborn and Sick

Pairings: Wandanat x R

Word count: 1K

Summary: Your sick and stubborn, but you also can’t back down from a challenge. What happens when Tony gets involved?

TW: sickness, fever, almost kinda fainting? (Idk), bread slander, fever induced vertigo, headache etc.

A/n Hehehe bread slander. Grains and seeds sucks so bad. I don’t care if its healthy it tastes like chunky cardboard. White bread and whole meal all the way peeps.

You were stubborn. It was a fact, and everyone knew it. So, when you got sick after falling in a frozen lake on the last mission Wanda and Nat decided to wait until you came to them for help instead of trying everything to convince you to let them help you.

The rest of the team however was more than a little blind when it came to other people's needs, not for lack of trying but more so because they were dense, and not just in terms of muscles.

You stood in the kitchen, the fever you had managed to develop this morning was throwing you for a loop. You were making some toast, hoping you would be able to deal with that at least. Your throat hurt so bad and there was a dull headache settling in for the long run it seemed.

You probably shouldn’t have stayed up all night trying to finish the mission report for fury. But tony had bed you a hundred bucks he would finish his before you did, and you weren’t one to back down from easy money.

You finished buttering the toast and patted the cash in your pocket and smiled to yourself. Turning to put the knife in the sink to clean later the world spun. You staggered a bit and held onto the bench with both hands leaning against it heavily.

“Damn this stupid fever” you muttered. When you vision cleared you deposited the knife and went back to the plate. Picking it up and setting out for your room. Your muscles hurt and your head hurt more. You had barely made it three feet down the hall when you heard a voice from the kitchen.

“Who ate all the bread?” It was Clint so you hightailed it out of there, knowing if he found it was you, he would send you to buy more. And you were pretty sure a trip to the shops would kill you at this point. Alas, fate was not on your side today. Being sick you were clumsy and slow due to the fever. Needless to say, Clint caught you easily. He scowled at the toast you were holding.

“I wanted a sandwich.” He grumbled. At this point tony walked past.

“Whats up Legolas?” Tony chirped probably hyped up on coffee and energy drinks.

“L/n here ate all the bread.” He said still scowling at the toast.

“Then it seemed fair she goes to buy more.” Tony grinned, “I know she has the money for it.” You glared at him.

“Fine.” You growled. So, despite the pounding headache and sore muscles, the fever and growing ache in your knees and back you submitted.

You huffed and nibbled on the toast before leaving it on the desk. As you left the room you shot the delicious toast a mournful longing look. It simple sat and waited.

The shops were awful to say the least. The lights hummed which hurt your head and the brightness hurt your eyes. Parts of you hurt that you didn’t know existed let alone could feel. You slouched and shuffled down the bread aisle. There were so many different types. You grabbed the first one you saw when a sudden wave of vertigo hit, and you stumbled like you had in the kitchen. Leaning against the shelf and closing your eyes.

Yelena was in town and so her and Nat were having a movie night, and as all good movie nights need, they were out getting snacks. So, you can imagine Natasha’s surprise when she saw you looking just about ready to pass out in the bread aisle. She wasted no time rushing to your side and steadying you with her hands on your shoulders.

“Y/n? Y/n!” She said patting you lightly on the cheek. You were very pale and seemed only mildly lucid at best.

Nat took the bread from your hands and shoved it in Yelena’s direction who took it and inspected it.

“Grains and seeds?” She mumbled. “Gross.” She shoved it back on the shelf and picked up a loaf of white bread.

“Y/n/n i need you to open your eyes for me sweetheart.” She said and you mumbled something incoherent.

“What was that love?” Nat asked feeling your forehead with the back of her hand. You were way too hot and defiantly running a high fever.

“I said m sick natty. ‘N i don’ feel good.” You slurred and Natasha looked around to Yelena before realising she had gone to buy the bread for you. She didn’t know why you wanted it but if it was worth almost dying for, she would buy it for you. After all you were dating her sister.

Nat scanned you up and down deciding that this had gone on for too long. In a gentle movement she scooped you into her arms and you tiredly rested your head on her chest eyes still shut and muttering nonsense. Yelena and Nat met at the register and the three of you headed back to the compound. Being an avenger Nat did receive too many odd looks for carrying her very pale and sick looking girlfriend through the shopping centre.

On the way back Yelena done with you in the back on Nat’s lap. She was fanning you with her hands in a fruitless attempt to cool you down. She had dialled Wanda who was going to meet them in your shared room with supplies and a wet cloth for you.

Nat easily carried you out of the car and back to the room. Wanda took your temperature and Yelena went to put the bread in the kitchen slightly thrown off by her sister being so domestic all of a sudden.

Your temperature as expected was far too high and so they went about cooling you down with a cloth and fever reducers. After a bit you were asleep with Wanda and Natasha laid beside you careful not to add too much extra heat to your already furnace-like temperature.

You rested and it was simple to say that Nat’s movie night gained an extra two people. Well … one witch and a half dead, half sick and fully asleep avenger.

MASTERLIST

[songbirdseung]

chapter closing / park sunghoon

Synopsis: a series of awkward encounters with your ex who happens to also be an idol under hybe.

Pairing: idol!sunghoon x idol!yn

Warnings: angst, break ups, second chances, being followed at night, pranks, scheming behind backs

a/n: this is a long one, I got carried away with how fun I was having while writing it.

Fate, the unfolding of circumstances outside of an individual's influence, believed to be dictated by a divine force. That's what you believed when it came to your relationship with Park Sunghoon.

In the very beginning, you thought that fate was kind to you enough that it brought you to him or vice versa. Something told you to walk the line, despite the obstacles and in the end, you were given you the love of your life but so viscously have him taken away from you.

"YN, Let me in" your boyfriend said in a hurried way, most likely not wanting to get caught by dispatch and stalkers outside your dorm. You run to the door and open it and closing it as quickly as you could. "What are you doing here, are you insane?" both of you knew that if anyone to find out, your careers would be dead, and so after, you two as well.

But let's start from the beginning, 10 months before you became a trainee, a friend of yours wanted to meet at a skating rink, it was a fun, but it didn't stop there. After dropping her home, which was only a few blocks away, you just then noticed how late it has gotten and the sun was no longer up. But the moon was giving you enough light to realize there was someone following you, the streetlights that flicker did not help the ambiance and the anxiety that was creeping in you.

You started walking faster and constantly looking back, he was still behind you. Making turns only made your suspicions become a reality. He was now walking faster and coming closer to you.

At this point, you thought to run but before you could do so, another man your age comes up running behind you. "Babe, there you are, I've been looking all over for you" the guy says louder for the other man to get the message. "don't worry, I'm just trying to help you" this time he whispers it.

Later after that, he still accompanies you on your walk home just to make sure no one follows you. He tells you that his name is Sunghoon and asks why you were out so late. "Oh really, I'm actually a figure skater, I go to that rink every day."

A friendly conversation between you two was put to a stop when you reach your parent's house. "Thank you so much, Sunghoon. I really owe you one" He denies it and tells you everything was alright, but you insist, so you exchanged numbers and he watch you cross the line, walking over to the side of the road.

Sunghoon did not expect to save a girl that night but even more, he did not expect to receive the invitation from you, to go to the cafe your family owns. A week after, when is schedule is clear and he has time for himself, he finally stopped by the cafe.

Hearing the doorbell ring, you greet the customer without looking up, as you were still making an order. "So, you don't look at your customers when you greet them?" to say you were drunk and dazed was an understatement. Sunghoon didn't reach out or replied to you, so you thought he never ever was going to show up. "My bad I didn't want to spill the coffee I was making." ending it with a chuckle.

Since then, your acquaintance with Sunghoon turned into a friendship that felt too good to be true. In a short amount of time, you let him see you in your worse and vice versa. Like the time when you got a fever, and he came over to your apartment because your parents went on a business trip. Despite your rebuttal and telling him you could take care of yourself; he missed a skating practice to be with you. "you're still pretty even when you're sick" he whispers under his breathe think you didn't hear him. "What was that?" flustered, he faces you again "Nothing, I said you look so horrible" then went back to play games on your console.

He definitely gave you mixed signals as he became very flirtatious with you and go the extra mile for you, beyond friendship. For example, when he rode a bus for basically the whole day just to find your favorite snacks that were not for sale in your local area anymore. Or when he would get jealous when another man asks you out or when you tell him about a date you went on. When asking him about it, he'd say that you just got it all mixed up. Either way, Sunghoon felt like he was sucked into a wormhole with how the first moments with you felt like an instant and intense connection, almost as if you've known each other for a long time even though you've just met.

It was hard to make that transition of friendship to relationship because you had the idea if you two were ever to break up, you wouldn't just lose your lover but a best friend. He showed up at your parents' house holding 'forget me not' flowers asking if you would go on a date with him. With that gorgeous smile, you could not say no.

He was determined to make you his, nothing made him wary, and he was set in making you believe that nothing can ruin the bond you had together, even sacrificing his safety driving in the snow in a complete whiteout. One day, you left the city to go on a short break, away from work and all. Although you had to admit that you were getting scared by the strong winds and heavy snow fall. What did Sunghoon do? drive to you and keep you company in the Airbnb, of course.

The second he finished reading your message he tamed and dashed to the Airbnb and swooped you into his arms. "Just say you missed me and wanted me here with you." being with you made Sunghoon feel like he was the upper side of life, dreaming. "Just a little bit"

Down the line, everything felt like it came straight out a fairytale, until one day when you were met with the option to go big and go home, you chose to go home and cause the first big argument you would share with your boyfriend. At this point it has been a year since the start of your relationship and 2 years since the day you first met. You two were discussing the trajectory of your relationship and how you two were going to make a big sacrifice for the career paths you both were going to take. Being a trainee in a K-pop industry is one of the strictest and maybe one the busiest jobs to have, and to have you both want to audition. Where was this relationship heading?

Everything was perfect, a blockbuster if you will. You believed the universe and fate brought you here, to him. So, why was it also the one to lead you away from him? "Babe, your attention, please?" Sitting on the opposite end of the bed, he holds your hand and tries to keep it together. "Can we just try to make it work, cause right now it seems like you just want to give up without even trying" your voiced cracked in between the words since you were crying but the emotions were controlling you than you were controlling it. You had to ask him the question if he even loved you, it was rude to ask but the situation felt like you were blessed and cursed at the same time. Getting the email that the company both wanted you two for a second audition felt like a blessing but looking at the love of your life right now felt like a reminder how the world put a curse on you.

The next following days, in between your practice days, you found yourself locked inside your room, alone. Looking at a box of pictures of you and Sunghoon, but the one that caught your eye the most was the polaroid you took of him when he was practicing his routine for his ice-skating performance. Your own little polaroid love.

Day 2 finally arrived, and day 2 meant the second day of auditions. You were standing in line for the female applicants and adjacent to you was your boyfriend. He was silent next to you since this was the first time seeing you after the little dispute you both had the other week. But he was still holding your hand and giving you comfort since he knew you were nervous, soon enough your name was called and before you could walk away and let go of his hand, he pulls you back and kisses you on the forehead and whispers, "I'll always be your biggest fanboy."

Fast forward to when you both became trainees for Be:Lift Lab under HYBE Entertainment. You supported him when he was on I-Land, and he supported you. Both of you tried your best to make time for each other and sneak around during work hours, you though everything was fine until he brought you over to one of studios to talk.

"Sunghoon, what's wrong?" Your voice trembled, betraying your fear of the answer you already feared deep down.

Sunghoon took a deep breath, steeling himself against the pain he knew his words would inflict. "YN, we need to talk," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to shatter the fragile peace between you both. Heart clenched at the seriousness in his tone, at the distance you felt creeping between the two of you. "Is it about us?" He nodded, unable to meet her gaze. "I… I can't do this anymore, YN," he confessed, each word tearing a piece of his soul apart. "I thought we could keep this secret, but… but we were caught."

Tears welled up in your eyes, a silent testament to the pain that threatened to consume you. "I don't understand, I thought… I thought we could make it work."

Sunghoon shook his head, his heart breaking at the sight of her anguish. "I wish we could, YN. I wish I could defy everything and everyone just to be with you. But I can't risk my dreams, my career… not anymore."

That was it, all the effort you put into keep the future perfect, went down the drain. It was all now feeling like a paradox invasion with how you had to walk away in order to gain more.

Since then, you have been changing your efforts of "being with him" to efforts of "avoiding him at all costs". That feeling when you would take the longer route as long as you did not bump into him in the hallways and even taking the stairs instead of the elevators, so you did not have to stay in that small space with him.

One day as you were choosing a song for your monthly evaluation, your adviser gave you a song. You agreed that it did suit your voice very much and it was easy to sing but the thing was the song was basically a shout out to an ex-lover that was deeply cherished and love. Wishing that this foreshadow of a song showed up a month before, so it prepared you for the unfortunate event you faced.

Eventually, you both made your debut. Everything changed except the awkwardness between you two. And today's event did not help with that. "YN, can you on that, I need the light" your group member asks, but you weren't listening. Too busy looking at the text your manager sent you.

Manager: You'll be a MC with ENHYPEN's Sunghoon

"Oooh, being an mc with your ex-boyfriend. That's interesting" the same member looks over at you, worried. "Maybe fate wants you two to work it out?" Scoffing and replying back with a sassy answer of how fate is a bunch on nonsense and how it screwed you over last time. She chuckles and resorts to teasing you about your new MC job with Sunghoon.

One in a billion tasks as an idol, and they gave you this one? with Sunghoon? You thought as you held your cue cards, re-reading them over and over again in the waiting rooms. "YN, they are going to start filming soon so we need to rehearse with your MC partner" the staff says as she fixes your hair and leads you to the filming area.

You make the change in attitude once you saw him there, trying to not show any anxiety and nervousness. Being professional and reminding yourself that this was your life now until one of you gets too busy that they can't be an MC anymore.

He sees you as you walk onto the platform, offering you a hand to get onto the set. You take it and the feeling of holding his hand still felt the same. Immediately you stopped your feeling of familiarity and focused on your job. "It's been a while, yn"

Filming went well, and now you were at the dorms with your members who decided to show you all the comments and posts of fans that saw the episode where you and Sunghoon were the new MCs for KBS' Music Bank.

"Okay but can we talk about the chemistry between Sunghoon and YN on Music Bank? They were practically glowing together, and I can't help but ship them so hard!" "Sunghoon and YN as MCs on Music Bank? More like Sunghoon and YN as the cutest couple ever! They were so adorable together, and I can't stop imagining all the cute moments they must have behind the scenes." "I know they're just co-hosts on a music show, but Sunghoon and YN have some serious on-screen chemistry. They just seem so comfortable and natural together, like they've been best friends for years. Low-key shipping it!" "Sunghoon and YN hosting Music Bank together? Yeah, I'm officially aboard the ship. They're too cute together, and I can't wait to see more interactions between them in future episodes. #SungYN for life!"

Just bite me and kill me at this point, you thought. People were now shipping you with your ex-boyfriend. "You guys think he'll see these comments?" covering your face in distress as your members agree and nod. "Just sacrifice me now, how am I going to face him?"

Yes, Indeed. He did see them.

As Sunghoon scrolled through Weverse, he could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he stumbled upon more and more comments shipping him with YN. Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a notification from the group chat. He opened it to find messages from his ENHYPEN members, all teasing him about the shipping rumors.

Jake: "Hey Sunghoon, looks like you and YN are the new power couple according to fans!"

Sunghoon couldn't help but roll his eyes, knowing his members wouldn't let him live this down.

Sunghoon: "Yeah, yeah, very funny. It's just fan speculation, nothing more."

Sunoo: "Come on, Hoonie, we all know there's no smoke without fire! Maybe you two should give it another shot!"

Sunghoon: "Thanks for the advice, Sunoo, but I think we're better off as friends and colleagues."

He typed back with a smirk, hoping to put an end to the teasing before it escalated any further.

Ni-ki: "Aww, don't be shy, Sunghoon! We'll support you no matter what. Just promise to invite us to the wedding, okay?"

At first, Sunghoon chuckled at the playful comments, finding it amusing how fans could easily create pairings based on professional interactions. However, as he continued to read through the posts, he couldn't shake off the memories of his past relationship with YN.

Sunghoon felt a mixture of nostalgia and discomfort as he came across fan-made edits and speculative theories about his current relationship status with YN. Despite their amicable breakup and professional rapport as co-hosts, Sunghoon couldn't deny the complexity of their history together.

Taking a deep breath, Sunghoon closed the Weverse app, feeling grateful for the support of his fans but also recognizing the need to set boundaries when it came to personal matters. He knew that while the shipping was all in good fun for fans, his real-life relationships were more nuanced and deserving of privacy.

But for some reason, he decided to do something. Maybe he shouldn't but he does anyway. Holding his phone and looking into his contacts until he finds your number, the contact's name still the same as when you guys were dating. Hoping you did not change your number; he sends you a text. "Seems like our fans want us together."

You don't see the text only after a few days, you're sitting on your bed, scrolling through your phone after a long day of rehearsals. As you open the messaging app, a familiar name pops up: Sunghoon.

Your heart skips a beat as you read the message, feeling a mixture of surprise and curiosity. It's been a while since you last heard from him, and the timing couldn't be more unexpected.

You stare at the screen for a moment, processing his words. The mention of your fans shipping you together brings a flood of memories rushing back—memories of late-night conversations, stolen glances, and shared dreams. Despite the breakup, a part of you still holds onto the connection you once shared with Sunghoon. But you also know that revisiting the past could reopen old wounds and complicate things further.

Taking a deep breath, you type out a response, careful to keep your emotions in check. "Yeah, it seems that way. But we both know our relationship is more complicated than fan speculation," you reply, adding a smiley face to lighten the mood. As you hit send, you can't help but wonder what Sunghoon's intentions are behind reaching out. Is he just reminiscing about the past, or is he hinting at something more? Only time will tell.

Unfortunately, the next day you have to see him again at Music Bank to film another episode. When you get there with a nervous heart, it gets worse as you meet your manager with Sunghoon in the room already. "You're going to be filming a TikTok challenge with Sunghoon." Following orders, after filming the show's interview and awarding, you two were practicing for three TikTok videos. One for his song, your song, and a random trendy challenge with a song that had a repetitive chaconne composition.

And obviously those three videos blew up, and there was more posts and comments seen and to be read by you and Sunghoon.

"OMG, did you guys see the TikTok videos with YN and Sunghoon from Music Bank? Can we please get more collaborations like this in the future?" "They make such a cute pair, and you can tell they have so much fun dancing together. Low-key shipping it 😍 #SungYN" "The TikTok videos with YN and Sunghoon are giving me life!"

As the ENHYPEN members piled into the van after a long day of filming, Sunghoon couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. The intense schedule had left him exhausted.

As the van pulled away from the studio, the atmosphere inside the vehicle quickly shifted from exhaustion to playful banter. "Hey Sunghoon, did you have fun filming those TikToks with YN?" Jake asked with a mischievous grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sunghoon felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as all eyes turned to him, knowing full well where this conversation was headed. "Yeah, it was fun," Sunghoon replied, trying to keep his tone casual despite the butterflies in his stomach. "Fun, huh? I bet it was more than just fun," Sunoo chimed in, winking at Sunghoon from across the van. "I mean, you two looked pretty cozy in those videos."

Sunghoon couldn't help but roll his eyes at his members' relentless teasing, knowing there was no escaping their playful banter. "Come on, guys, it was just work," Sunghoon protested, though a part of him couldn't deny the truth behind their words. "Sure, sure, just work," Ni-ki chimed in with a smirk, earning a chorus of laughter from the rest of the group.

As the van hummed along the road, Jay leaned forward from the back seat, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Hey Sunghoon, did you and YN have to practice those TikTok dances in front of a mirror for hours to get them just right?" Jay teased, unable to resist poking fun at his friend.

Sunghoon let out an exasperated sigh, knowing he was in for more teasing from his fellow members. "Actually, we did," Sunghoon replied with a smirk. "But only because YN kept forgetting the steps."

Jungwon chuckled from the passenger seat, unable to contain his laughter at the banter unfolding in the van. "Ouch, Sunghoon's got jokes!" Jungwon exclaimed, earning a round of laughter from the rest of the group.

As the van rumbled along the road, Heeseung couldn't resist adding his own playful jab into the mix. "Hey Sunghoon, do you think all this work with YN means you two are getting back together?" Heeseung teased, a mischievous glint in his eye. Sunghoon's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the suggestion, but a small part of him couldn't help but entertain the thought.

"Come on, Heeseung, don't be ridiculous," Sunghoon replied, attempting to feign indifference, though his heart raced with excitement at the possibility. "Hey, you never know," Heeseung countered with a grin. "Stranger things have happened."

Sunghoon chuckled nervously, trying to play off Heeseung's teasing as mere jest, but deep down, he couldn't shake the hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for him and YN to reconcile.

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Sunghoon couldn't help but steal glances out the window, lost in thoughts of what the future might hold for him and his former flame.

You thought you paid all the bills life gave you, but here you were in an interview and or variety show with your group and Enhypen. Was this karma from something you did in your past life? Cause the directors, staff, and managers knew what they were doing when they sat you next to Sunghoon. Although, despite it all, filming was going great, and it was like everyone was having fun. That was until it came to the sit-down interview portion and for some God forsaken reason, the interview had to ask romance questions. "Sunghoon, if you had a girlfriend, what would be her contact's name in your phone?" He laughs it off and as he says, 'One and Only', you try your best to keep your composure and keep a straight face. Sunghoon also tries his best to not look at you and your reaction as he casually said the name he has saved on his phone for your number.

It felt like you were going to be a criminal if you still were in love with your ex. Unfortunately, everything was working against your favor. "YN, if you were to compare a relationship to a flower, what would that be?" No thinking was required because before you could answer, Sunghoon was answering for you. "A blossom" Everyone's eyes were now on you and Sunghoon, his eyes just as wide as everyone else's. "How did you know what?" the interviewer and host asked. Saving his ass, you had to make up a lie how since you two have been spending a lot of time together, working; you two just happened to talk about certain things like that.

But deep down you knew, certain people can see through your bluff. Shipping and speculation would just go more haywire and insane. After the variety show segment aired, fans took to social media to share their reactions to the tension-filled interview between YN and Sunghoon.

"OMG, did you guys see that interview with YN and Sunghoon? Talk about awkward! You could cut the tension with a knife when they asked about romance." "I can't believe they asked Sunghoon about his ideal girlfriend's contact name! And YN's reaction when he answered 'One and Only' was priceless. It's like they were trying to torture us with the shipping feels! 🤣" "I swear, that interview with YN and Sunghoon was straight out of a K-drama. The tension, the chemistry, the unresolved feelings—it was all there. Can someone please give these two their own rom-com already? #SungYN" "I'm convinced that interview with YN and Sunghoon was orchestrated by the universe to torture us SungYN shippers."

Let's just say you both did not get out of that situation without some angry words from your managers. At this point you were happy you were just a mortal, meaning you'll die and forget these things ever happened. But that didn't comfort you that until death, you'll have to deal with Park Sunghoon.

Back to the present. Good thing, now in 2024; you both were no longer MCs for music bank. Although, that did not stop the shipping and speculation since you two were still seen together often due to being under the same company. Recently you've been under fire for a solo song you have posted, and fans are thinking about the lyrics on how it's about a sad relationship break up. "Maybe if you guys can say you dated, I feel like they won't be mad, they love you both together" you member hands you back the phone showing news articles of your recent song. Which was somewhat true since any interaction you had with Sunghoon was like sweet venom for them.

But in a perfect world, there would only be nice and loving comments. Unfortunately, for you, you were still the monster starring in other people's stories. Blinded by the unspoken truth to their theories and rumors, they lean towards hating on you for even being around Sunghoon.

As you walked into the cafe section of the entertainment company, you scanned the room for an empty table, their heart skipped a beat when they spotted Sunghoon sitting alone at a table by the window.

With a deep breath, you made your way over to Sunghoon's table, their heart racing with anticipation. Sunghoon looked up as they approached, a surprised smile spreading across his face. You greeted softly, voice barely above a whisper.

"Hey," Sunghoon replied, his eyes twinkling with warmth. "Fancy seeing you here." you couldn't help but chuckle nervously at the serendipity of their encounter, feeling a rush of emotions bubbling up inside them.

"Mind if I join you?" gesturing to the empty chair across from Sunghoon.

"Of course not," Sunghoon replied, sliding over to make room. "It's been a while since we've had a chance to catch up."

Settled into your seat, you couldn't help but notice the easy familiarity that still lingered between you and him. Despite the years that had passed since their breakup, it was as if no time had passed at all.

"So, how have you been?" Sunghoon asked, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "I've been good, busy with work and life," you replied, their voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness. "And you?"

Sunghoon nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I've been keeping busy too. Lots of projects and schedules to juggle."

As you guys talked, the conversation flowed effortlessly, each word feeling like a natural continuation of the one before. You two laughed, reminisced, and shared stories of their lives since you both had last seen each other.

And then, in a moment of vulnerability, you couldn't help but speak the words that had been weighing on your heart for so long.

"You know, despite everything that happened between us, I've always treasured the memories we shared," You confessed, voice barely above a whisper.

Sunghoon's gaze softened, his eyes locking with yours in a silent understanding. "I feel the same way," Sunghoon replied, his voice filled with sincerity. "No matter where life takes us, you'll always hold a special place in my heart."

Bathed in the warm glow of the cafe, you couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over you. Despite the ups and downs of the relationship, both of you knew that some connections were simply meant to endure, no matter what.

In another part of the entertainment company, the other boys were huddled together, their heads close as they plotted their mischievous scheme.

"Okay, so here's the plan," Jay began, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We're going to have Jake fake confess to YN while Sunghoon is nearby. We want to see if he'll get jealous or if he still has feelings for YN."

Jungwon raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Isn't that a little mean? What if it backfires?"

But Heeseung grinned mischievously. "Trust me, it'll be fine. Besides, it'll be fun to see how Sunghoon reacts."

Jake chuckled nervously, feeling the weight of their plan sinking in. "Wait, you want me to fake confess to YN? What if it gets awkward?"

"Don't worry, Jake, you got this," Sunoo reassured him, patting him on the back. "Just think of it as a performance, like we do on stage."

With their plan set in motion, the boys exchanged knowing looks, their excitement building as they anticipated the drama that was about to unfold. As the clock ticked closer to the designated time, the boys couldn't contain their excitement. They watched eagerly as you and Sunghoon at the cafe, unknowingly walking straight into the trap they had set.

"Okay, everyone remember their roles," Jay whispered, his eyes darting between his bandmates. "We need to make this as convincing as possible." As YN and Sunghoon settled into their seats, Jake took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task ahead. With a nervous glance at his bandmates, he approached YN's table, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Hey, YN," Jake began, his voice slightly shaky. "I, uh, I wanted to tell you something."

You looked up, surprise etched on their face as you turned to face Jake. "What is it, Jake?"

Taking a deep breath, Jake launched into his carefully rehearsed confession, his words tumbling out in a rush.

"I've, uh, I've had feelings for you for a while now," Jake confessed, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "And I couldn't keep it in any longer. I just had to tell you."

Eyes widened in shock, mouth falling open in disbelief. Beside you, Sunghoon watched with a mixture of confusion and concern, his eyes darting between Jake and you.

Before you could respond, Sunghoon stood up abruptly, his expression unreadable as he stormed out of the cafe, leaving you and Jake stunned in his wake. The boys exchanged nervous glances, realizing that their plan had taken an unexpected turn.

As Sunghoon stormed out of the cafe, you sat there in shock, trying to process what had just happened. Jake, on the other hand, was left feeling guilty and unsure of how to proceed.

"I… I'm sorry, YN," Jake stammered, his voice filled with regret. "I didn't mean to upset you or Sunghoon. It was just a silly idea we had…"

But before Jake could finish his apology, you held up a hand, silencing him. "It's okay, Jake," said softly, eyes clouded with uncertainty. With that, you got up from the table and hurried after Sunghoon.

"Wow, I can't believe that actually worked," Jay commented, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah, but did you see the look on Sunghoon's face? He was not happy," Jungwon added, shaking his head.

Jake, feeling a pang of guilt, couldn't help but speak up. "Guys, that was a stupid idea. I shouldn't have gone through with it."

Sunoo placed a comforting hand on Jake's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, Jake. We were all in on it. Besides, we didn't expect Sunghoon to storm out like that."

"Yeah, well, now we know not to mess with people's feelings," Heeseung chimed in, his tone serious.

Jay couldn't resist a teasing jab. "Looks like Jake's love confession didn't go as planned. Maybe he needs some tips from Sunghoon on how to win someone over."

Meanwhile, Sunghoon had made his way to a secluded spot outside the building, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions. He couldn't believe what had just happened, and a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that maybe there was still something between him and you.

Lost in his thoughts, Sunghoon didn't notice you approaching until you were standing right in front of him.

"Sunghoon, I…" you began, voice trailing off as you struggled to find the right words.

Sunghoon looked up, his eyes meeting yours, and in that moment, all the walls he had built around his heart came crashing down. Without a word, he pulled you into a tight embrace, holding you close as if afraid to let go.

"I'm sorry, YN," Sunghoon whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I never stopped caring about you… I just didn't know how to show it." As you two stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the rest of the world faded away, leaving only the two of them and the promise of a new beginning.

The car ride home was awkward as hell, best believe Sunghoon told them off. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Sunghoon's usually cheerful demeanor had been replaced with a steely resolve, and the rest of the boys could sense his frustration brewing beneath the surface.

For a while, the van was filled with awkward silence as everyone avoided eye contact, knowing that Sunghoon was seething with anger. But eventually, Sunghoon couldn't contain his frustration any longer.

"Seriously, guys? What were you thinking?" Sunghoon's voice was laced with barely concealed anger as he addressed his bandmates.

"We were just trying to have some fun," Jay attempted to defend their actions, but Sunghoon wasn't having any of it.

"Fun? That why I'm the leader of 02z and you're not, that was not fun, Jay. That was incredibly immature and disrespectful," Sunghoon snapped, his frustration boiling over.

The rest of the boys exchanged nervous glances, realizing that Sunghoon was not going to let them off the hook easily.

"I can't believe you would pull a stunt like that, especially involving YN," Sunghoon continued, his voice growing colder with each word. The guilt weighed heavily on the boys as they listened to Sunghoon's scolding, knowing that they had overstepped their boundaries and hurt their friend in the process.

As the van continued on its journey home, the silence that filled the air was deafening, each member lost in their own thoughts of regret and remorse. It was a harsh lesson learned, but one that would ultimately strengthen their bond as a group.

As the tension in the van reached its peak, Heeseung could sense the heavy atmosphere weighing on everyone's shoulders. Wanting to break the tension and lighten the mood, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Well, that was certainly an eventful day, huh?" Heeseung said with a wry smile, attempting to inject some levity into the situation.

The rest of the boys glanced at Heeseung, grateful for the attempt to ease the tension. Sunghoon's expression softened slightly as he turned to look at Heeseung, curious to see what he had to say.

"Who knew our little prank would turn into a full-blown drama?" Heeseung continued, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I guess you could say we really know how to make an entrance."

Despite himself, Sunghoon couldn't help but chuckle at Heeseung's joke, the tension in his shoulders melting away as laughter bubbled up from deep within him. The rest of the boys joined in, the sound of their laughter filling the van and washing away the lingering awkwardness.

Settled into their dorm, the tension from earlier in the day had dissipated, replaced by a sense of camaraderie and warmth. They lounged around the living room, chatting and laughing as they decompressed from the events of the day.

Jake, always one to dive headfirst into conversations, couldn't resist bringing up the topic that had been lingering in the air since their encounter with YN and Sunghoon.

"So, Sunghoon, how did things go with YN earlier?" Jake asked casually, though his eyes twinkled with mischief.

Sunghoon rolled his eyes at Jake's persistence but couldn't help but smile at the genuine curiosity in his friend's voice.

"It was… interesting," Sunghoon replied, choosing his words carefully. "We talked things out and cleared the air, I guess."

Jay perked up at Sunghoon's response, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Ooh, does that mean there's a chance for a SunYN comeback?"

The rest of the boys chuckled at Jay's teasing, knowing full well the speculation and shipping that would inevitably follow their every move.

Sunghoon shook his head, though a small smile played at his lips. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, guys. We're just friends now."

But deep down, Sunghoon couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for something more. As Sunghoon's phone buzzed with a new message, he couldn't help but smile when he saw that it was from you. With a quick glance around the room to make sure the other boys weren't paying attention, he opened the message.

"Hey, just wanted to make sure everything is okay after your argument with the boys. Did you manage to keep the dorm intact? 😜"

Sunghoon chuckled at your playful tone, with a few quick taps on his phone, he composed a reply.

"Hey, everything's fine. No fires, I promise 😂 Thanks for checking in though, it means a lot. Let's catch up soon?"

With a sense of warmth spreading through him, Sunghoon hit send, feeling grateful for the unexpected but welcome connection he shared with YN. As he tucked his phone away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of rekindling their friendship, and maybe even something more.

Now we are at the point where there is no need to hide away from Sunghoon in the hallways and rooms of the company. Things seemed like they were looking up and everything is naturally easing into place.

As you step into the elevator, you're surprised to find Sunghoon already inside, holding a beautiful bouquet of orange flowers in his hands. Your eyes light up at the sight of them, but you can't help but tease him.

"Wow, Sunghoon, are those for me?" you ask, a playful grin tugging at the corners of your lips.

Sunghoon meets your gaze with a confident smile, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Actually, yes, they are."

Your heart skips a beat at his response, but you try to play it cool as you accept the bouquet from him.

"Well, thank you, but you didn't have to," you reply, trying to mask the fluttering feeling in your chest.

As the elevator begins its ascent, Sunghoon clears his throat, his expression turning serious.

"YN, I wanted to talk to you about something," Sunghoon begins, his voice soft but determined.

You turn to face him, curiosity piqued by the sudden change in tone.

"What is it, Sunghoon?" you ask, your heart pounding in anticipation.

Sunghoon takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what he's about to say.

"I know we've been through a lot, and I understand if you're hesitant," Sunghoon starts, his gaze unwavering as he speaks. "But I can't shake the feeling that maybe we're meant to give this another shot. I still care about you, YN, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it work this time."

You feel a surge of emotion welling up inside you at Sunghoon's heartfelt words, but you can't help but voice your concerns.

"Sunghoon, I… I want to believe that too, but what if history repeats itself?" you admit, your voice wavering with uncertainty. "What if we end up sneaking around again, only to get caught and have our hearts broken all over again?"

Sunghoon reaches out to gently cup your face in his hands, his touch sending shivers down your spine.

"I won't let that happen, YN," Sunghoon says firmly, his eyes locking with yours in a silent vow. "We've both grown and learned from our past mistakes. This time, we'll face whatever challenges come our way together, as a team."

As the elevator reaches its destination, you find yourself lost in Sunghoon's gaze, feeling a glimmer of hope blossoming in your heart. With a nod, you take his hand in yours, silently agreeing to give love another chance, knowing that this time, it just might be different.

As months passed, your relationship with Sunghoon secretly blossomed beautifully. You found comfort and joy in each other's company, navigating the highs and lows of life together with newfound confidence and trust. Despite the occasional challenges, your love for each other only grew stronger with each passing day.

One evening, you found yourselves attending an award show together, surrounded by the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. His eyes lit up with anticipation as the lights dimmed and the stage came alive with a dazzling display of lights and music. And when your turn to perform finally came, fans in the crowd could see the pride and admiration shining in Sunghoon's eyes as he watched you take the stage, giving it your all with every dance move and note sung.

As the night progressed, fans shared their excitement over the award show, particularly Sunghoon's enthusiastic support for YN's performance. Fancams of Sunghoon's delighted reactions began circulating online, sending waves of joy and admiration through the fandom.

"OMG, did you guys see Sunghoon's reaction during YN's performance? He was literally glowing with pride and excitement! 😍" "I love how Sunghoon can't contain his happiness while watching YN perform. It's so refreshing to see idols supporting each other like this! 🥺" "Sunghoon's smile during YN's performance is giving me life! Who knew idols could be so openly supportive of each other? This is the kind of energy we need in the industry! 💖"

As the award show continued, fans were quick to notice YN's undeniable affection and admiration for Sunghoon as he took the stage to perform. Fancams capturing YN's reactions to Sunghoon's performance began to circulate on social media, sparking a frenzy of excitement and adoration among fans.

"OMG, YN's love eyes for Sunghoon during his performance are everything! I can't handle the cuteness! 😍" "YN is all of us watching Sunghoon's performance. The way they can't take their eyes off him is the ultimate ship confirmation! 🚢 #SungYN" "I swear, YN's smile during Sunghoon's performance could light up the entire room. It's the most precious thing ever! 💕"

Even when it came to each other's live streams, they would be filled with the other's name. As you settled in for a cozy livestream session on Weverse, chatting with your fans and sharing updates about your day, you couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement bubbling up inside you. The familiar hum of the chat box filled your screen, the messages from your fans scrolling by in a flurry of emojis and enthusiastic comments.

But as you read through the comments, one in particular caught your eye. "Did you see Sunghoon's latest Instagram post? You guys would make such a cute couple! 😉"

Without thinking, you read the comment out loud, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment as you realized your mistake. But before you could backtrack, the chat exploded with questions and speculations about your relationship with Sunghoon.

"Wait, are YN and Sunghoon dating?!" "OMG, my SunYN heart is screaming right now! 😱💕" "Please tell us if you're dating! We need to know!"

As the questions continued to pour in, you felt a knot forming in your stomach. You hadn't intended to spark rumors or speculation about your relationship with Sunghoon, but now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no going back.

With a nervous laugh, you tried to deflect the questions, but the curiosity of your fans was relentless.

"I… um… we're just friends," you stammered, your voice barely above a whisper. "Nothing more."

As you struggled to address the flood of questions and speculations from your fans about your relationship with Sunghoon, a familiar notification popped up on your phone screen. With a quick glance, you saw that it was a text from Sunghoon.

Curious, you opened the message, your heart fluttering with anticipation. "Having fun with your livestream, YN? 😜"

A soft chuckle escaped your lips as you read Sunghoon's teasing words, you didn't realize that your reaction had sparked even more curiosity among your fans. Before you knew it, the chat was flooded with messages from eager fans, all desperate to know who had sent you a text.

"Omg, who was that? spill the tea, YN!" "Was that Sunghoon? Are you guys texting each other right now?!" "Tell us who's texting you, we won't stop until we find out!"

As the messages continued to pour in, you couldn't help but laugh at the frenzy your fans had whipped themselves into. It was both amusing and overwhelming to see their excitement over something as simple as a text message.

With a mischievous twinkle in your eye, you decided to tease your fans a little more. "Hmm, I wonder who it could be? You'll just have to keep guessing 😉"

It was a funny little game you and Sunghoon liked to play with your fans.

"Sunghoon, did you see YN's livestream? Are you guys dating?!" "Tell us the truth, Sunghoon! Are you and YN secretly in love?!"

Sunghoon couldn't help but laugh at the barrage of questions, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the sudden onslaught of attention. But he knew he had to address the elephant in the room.

"Alright, alright, calm down everyone," Sunghoon said with a chuckle, trying to regain control of the chat. Sunghoon did his best to answer their questions with a mix of humor and sincerity, knowing that his fans were simply curious and excited to be interacting with him.

-

"Hey, Sunghoon," Jungwon began tentatively, drawing Sunghoon's attention away from the game he was playing on his phone. "I've been thinking… do you ever worry about accidentally revealing your relationship with YN?"

Sunghoon furrowed his brow in confusion, his mind racing as he processed Jungwon's question. He hadn't given much thought to the possibility of accidentally revealing his relationship with YN, but now that Jungwon had brought it up, he couldn't deny that the idea made him uneasy.

Jay, who had been listening in on the conversation, chimed in with a concerned expression. "I mean, it's not like we're just worried about our careers or anything. We just don't want anything to happen to you and YN because of a slip-up, you know?"

Jungwon nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with genuine concern for his friend. "Exactly. We just want to make sure you guys are okay."

-

With a contented sigh, YN snuggled closer to Sunghoon, resting her head on his shoulder as they gazed out at the breathtaking view. In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of the city and the warmth of each other's presence, they felt a sense of peace and tranquility wash over them.

Sunghoon couldn't help but smile as he wrapped his arm around YN, pulling her close and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. In that simple gesture, he conveyed all the love and affection he felt for her, the depth of his feelings shining brightly in his eyes.

YN glanced up at Sunghoon, her heart swelling with love as she returned his smile with one of her own. In that quiet moment, as they watched the world pass by below, they knew that they were exactly where they were meant to be: in each other's arms, surrounded by love, and ready to face whatever the future held, together.

[callsign-dexter]

Big Brother to the Rescue

Summary: You, Y/N Rhodes, get really sick during the night and have to be taken to the hospital. You're dad is not around and Claire is out of town so you turn to the only person you trust, your big brother, Connor Rhodes.

Pairings: Connor Rhodes x Sister!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, cussing, inaccurate medical talk, fever, vomit, hospitals

Masterlist

You loved your brother, Connor Rhodes, to death and he loved you the same, maybe even more. You love your sister, Claire Rhodes, too but not as much as you loved Connor. They practically raised you. Your living situation was not good. Your father, Cornelius Rhodes, was a massive jerk and your mother passed away when you were young. You looked up to Clarie as a mother figure and Connor as a father figure. Connor was only 16 when you were born and he instantly fell in love with you and was proud to be the big brother and jumped at every chance to help out with you. He was the best big brother you could ask for. Clarie was the best sister you could ask for too but it wasn't a bond like you and Connor had. 

Growing up was not the most pleasant and it turned worse when your mother passed. When Connor turned 18, he tried so hard to get custody over you but it was quickly shot down even though he had a steady income and home but your dad was so powerful that he made it not happen. It also didn't help that Connor was going to medical school and wasn't home a lot but it could've worked, you still visited him often and had a lot of sleepovers with him plus it was a place for you to escape from your dad.  When your guys’ dad started to criticize him for his medical school he had enough and moved to a different state but that didn't stop you from contacting him all the time and taking trips, when you were allowed, down to see him in Guadalajara, Mexico. It broke your heart that he moved but your bond never weakened and when he spent his residency in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, you weren't allowed to visit him but video calling was a daily routine. He hated that he couldn't bring you with him but he didn't have custody and it would be too much hassle to get you over to Saudi Arabia whereas Mexico was a little easier.  

—------

When Connor finally came back to Chicago, you were 12, you were ecstatic you finally had your father figure back. You caught him up on everything and while he was away. Claire resented him for leaving but she could never be mad at you. She would do everything to protect you, if you had girl questions or boy problems you were going to her. Your dad couldn't give a shit about you, sure he fed you and gave you a roof over your head but he didn't want you and he could care less about you. So, when Connor came back and started working at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center for his fellowship for trauma surgery fellowship everything went back to normal. Your daily meetups, sleepovers, and going to him for problems and medical issues started right back up like he never left. He still tried to get custody but it failed every time but he wasn't going to stop fighting for you, they wouldn't let him have you even if you said you wanted to live with him.

—------

When you were 13 you had gotten really sick like hospital sick. It was a night that Connor wasn't working and you were just in agony. Claire had moved out and your father was at a charity thing leaving you home alone. It started in the middle of the night waking you up from a dead sleep. You desperately tried to call your dad but it just went to voicemail so you tried one more time and he answered 

“Dad, I don't feel good.” You told him. 

“What's wrong?” He asked and this gave a you some hope. 

“My stomach really hurts. I feel like I'm going to throw up. I feel hot.” You said

“Suck it up. There is medicine in the cabinet downstairs.” He said and hung up and you let out a sob. 

You pulled yourself off your bed and dragged yourself to the steps and took painful steps down the steps. You sobbed the entire time. You finally got to the kitchen and opened the cabinet and grabbed the painkillers and you took them. Almost immediately as it touched your stomach you were throwing up everywhere. You were so weak. So weak that you just ended up collapsing onto the kitchen floor just barely missing your throw up. Thankfully you had grabbed your phone and slowly and shakingly grabbed your phone, your vision blurring. You unlocked it and pulled up your contacts and hit one you knew all too well. It rang not even once and Connor's voice came through.

“Y/N/N? It's 3 AM. What's wrong?” He asked in a voice full of concern.

“I... I... I don't feel good.” You said your teeth were chattering because despite your temperature, you were freezing.

“Where's dad? Did you tell him?” He asked and you could hear him rustling around.

“He's at a charity event. I... I called him and told him but he told me to suck it up and take the medicine in the cabinet in the kitchen. I'm in so much pain, Con. I took the medicine and immediately threw it up.” You told him the feeling of the cold floor was nice.

“Bastard.” He murmured “I'm on my way. You stay put.” He said. 

“I'm hot but so cold.” You said letting your eyes droop. “So tired.” You added.

“Hey, stay on the phone with me. Why didn't you call Clarie? She lives closer.” He asked

“She's gone out of town.” You said and you could hear him get into his car and the engine start. 

“Son of a bitch.” He said and started to drive as fast as he could while still obeying the speed limit. He kept talking to you but you stopped responding and that scared him. He hung up when he arrived at your guys’ family home. He was quick to jump out and run to the front door and grab the key under the mat and opened it.

The house was dark but he knew where you were at. “Y/N/N. It's me.” He yelled out but got no response. He walked into the kitchen and saw you lying there. “Fuck.” He murmured to himself and ran over to you missing your vomit. He kneeled down and touched your forehead and retracted his hand “Damn, Sis. You're burning up.” He said. He walked over to the drawer and grabbed the thermometer and thankfully it was on that stuck in your ear. He put it there and waited for it to beep and when it did, he cursed and read it aloud “104.3. Fuck I need to take you in.” He said and started to try and wake you up. “Y/N/N, Sweetheart. It's me. Your brother. Can you open your eyes?” He asked as he pressed two fingers to your neck. “Damn, pulse is way too fast.” He said and him talking must've started to rouse you.

“Con?” You asked and he smiled softly. 

“Yea it's me. Can you open your eyes?” He asked and you cracked them open until they were open. “There we go.” He said.

“Tired.” You said and started to close again.

“No. Hey, keep those eyes open. I'm going to take you to Med, Ok?” He asked and you nodded.

“Ok. Go see Will?” You asked and he smiled. Will has become a favorite of yours and he doesn’t know why.

“Yes. We'll go see Will.” He said as he started to stand you and your legs shook like a newborn foal's standing for the first time. “Can you walk?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” You said in barely just a whisper and you tried to take a few steps and all but collapsed into his arms.

“That is a no.” He said and then he was scooping you up into his arms and walking out of the house and to his car. He got you in the passenger side seat and then him in the driver’s seat and he was off heading to Med as fast as he could. He continued to talk to you to keep you awake and before you knew it you were pulling into Med. He parked and turned the car off and got out heading to the passenger side seat. He quickly scooped you up and shut the door hastily. He rushed you into ED where he saw Maggie. “Mags.” He said and she looked up at him and quickly rushed you into a bay. “She wants Will.” He said and she nodded. She walked out of the room and went to get Will not even a second later he was rushing into the room.

“Connor? What is going on?” He asked

“She called me saying she didn’t feel good and when I asked her what was wrong, she told me she was hot but so cold. She said she took some medicine but once she took it, she immediately threw up. When I got there, she was passed out on the floor next to a pile of vomit. She was burning up to the touch, she had and still has according to the monitor a temperature of 104.3 and her pulse was fast, way too fast.” He explained as they could see from the monitor “She also said she was really tired. I woke her up and had her stand and she shook like a life, she tried to walk but she collapsed into my arms and then I quickly got her in the car and rushed her here.” He finished.

“Why isn’t Cornelius here instead?” Will asked

“He is at a charity event. Left her by herself. She called him and told him she was sick but he told her to suck it up and take the medicine in the cabinet.

“Bastard.” Will said

“That’s what I said.” Connor said

“I want to get an ultrasound done on her stomach to rule out appendicitis.” Will said and Connor nodded.

“I agree.” Connor said and soon Will was calling in the ultrasound machine and he got to work with the help of a nurse. “So, it is not appendicitis.” Connor confirmed and Will nodded.

“I want to run some tests on her. Swab for flu and viral infection and take some blood as well.” He said and Connor nodded. Throughout this entire process you had been out and now that you were in the hospital you were allowed to sleep. “I want to get some fluids running to help with her temperature and get some IV children’s Tylenol on board as well.” He said and again Connor nodded. As the nurse was preparing everything you started to wake up. 

“Will?” You asked and he smiled and looked over at you.

“Hey, Sweetheart. We’re going to get you feeling better, ok? I just want to run some tests.” He said and you nodded.

“Ok.” You said and then you saw the needles “Con, no.” You said and shook your head but that was a mistake because it hurt your head.

“Hey it is ok. I’ll be here the entire time. Ok?” He asked and you nodded and then he nodded at the nurse and Will and everyone got to work. Soon blood was taken, fluids were hooked up, and swabs were taken.

“Get those tests going ASAP.” Will told the nurse and she nodded and they were out of the room. Will had to tend to some other patients and you both understood and they let you go back to sleep. With the fluids going your pulse was starting to come up and it was steady since you were sleeping and your temperature was starting to come down and the IV children’s Tylenol helped with that. 20 minutes later Will was coming in.

“So?” Connor asked

“She has a really bad viral infection and she has a really bad case of the flu. I want to get her admitted and keep her here for a few days.” Will said

“This had to be going on for a few days.” Connor said

“Did she not tell you anything about it?” He asked and Connor shook his head.

“No, she didn’t look sick when we met up a couple of days ago.” Connor said, sighing and Will nodded.

“Let’s get her moved.” Will said and so they did.

The next time you were waking up, 3 hrs. after coming into ED, you were waking up in a room. “Connor?” You asked sluggishly.

“Hey, Sis. I’m here.” He said coming over to you as he entered the room with a cup of coffee. 

“Where am I?” You asked and he smiled and came over and sat next to you.

“In the hospital. You have a really bad case of the flu and a bad viral infection. Will is taking care of you and has you on antibiotics.” He said and you nodded and you were struggling to keep your eyes open. 

“Dad?” You asked

“Not here.” He said and to be honest he didn’t want him here. He hadn’t even thought about him since you arrived here and boy was, he going to have some words for him. “Go back to sleep.” He said and you nodded and were out like a light and he could tell because your heart rate slowed. Now it was time to have some words for his father. He made sure you were asleep before pulling his phone out and stepping out of the room where he saw Will. “Hey, I need to make a phone call. Mind staying with her?” He asked and Will smiled.

“Of course.” He said and walked into the room with you and Connor walked into the doctor’s lounge and dialed his dad’s phone number and he rang 5 times before he answered. Cornelius didn’t even have time to say hi before Connor started to rail into him.

“Do you know where your daughter is?” Connor asked

“No, but she has made a mess in the kitchen she needs to clean up.” Cornelius said and Connor saw red.

“She’s in the hospital because she has a bad case of the flu and a bad case of a viral infection.” Connor said venom in his words.

“Well, she needs to get home now and clean the mess up.” He said 

“She will be doing no such thing. Not anymore.” Connor said

“And why is that?” Cornelius asked

“Because she is coming to live with me. I was the one that found her when she called and told me what was going on while you were too busy at a charity event. She told you she was sick and you told her to suck it up. You told her to take the medicine in the cabinet and she instantly threw it up. She was running a 104.3 fever when I found her and she couldn’t even stand or walk. She was so weak. I’m filing for sole custody of her and you’re going to sign it because you are not fit to be a father let alone a guardian. You will not be coming to see her. You will not see her at all unless she is with me or have contact with her. That is final.” He went off on him. Cornelius was silent by the time he was done.

“Fine. Keep the bitch. I don’t care. I’ll have her stuff packed and waiting for you to pick it up.” He said and then hung up the phone. Connor was relieved now he needed to start the paperwork. He let out a sigh of relief.  

Connor walked back to your room and saw you wake and sitting up talking to Will. You looked over and saw him. You still looked tired but you were awake. “Where were you?” You asked.

“I was on the phone with dad.” He said

“I’ll leave the two of you alone. I will be back in a few to check on you.” Will said, directing that last sentence to you. You and Connor nodded and Will left. 

“Is he coming?” You asked and he shook his head.

“No.” He said and you looked relieved “I have good news though.” He said and you perked up.

“Oh?” You asked curious and he nodded.

“From now on you will be coming to live with me and you won’t see him or talk to him.” Connor said and your face brightened.

“Really?” You asked and he nodded.

“Really.” He said and you squealed in excitement. Your wish was finally coming true. You were going to be living with your big brother. You then started to go on about all the things you two could do together and he smiled and nodded. You suddenly stopped talking and looked at him and smiled. “What?” He asked.

“I love you, Con.” You said and he smiled.

“I love you too, Y/N/N. Now and forever.” He said and he leaned over to kiss your forehead.

“Now and forever.” You confirmed. Your wish did come true and you couldn’t be happier.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

@callsign-revenge

[heavcnslyre]

chapter two - j.f. ( masterlist )

CRUEL SUMMER.

“fever dream high in the quiet of the night,

you know that i caught it.”

“mind setting the table for me sweetheart?” susannah asks you as you enter the kitchen, freshly changed out of your wet clothes into a swimsuit with flowy shorts and a hoodie over it. you nod and take the plates from her.

“smells good,” you comment, walking past her. “what are you making?”

“garlic parmesan pasta,” she grins. “chicken on the side, too.”

you grin. you always loved susannah’s cooking. laurel never cooked much, which you didn’t blame her for, but you really cherished susannah’s home cooked meals. every summer you made sure you spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her, eager to learn. it was also the best chance you got to bond with her. you have always known that she loves you, of course, but you could also always tell that belly was her favorite. she was the baby of the five of you, which automatically gave her more attention from the moms. also, she spent almost all of her time with them most summers, while you went and hung out with the boys. you didn’t mind, really, but it was sometimes frustrating to see how clearly they favored your little sister over you.

“everyone!” laurel yells up the stairs, “dinners ready!”

there’s a herd of footsteps as the boys come clambering down the stairs, taking their spots at the table. “where belly?” laurel asks. you look towards the glass doors facing the pool and see belly sitting outside, looking out towards the beach. “i’ll get her.”

as soon as you open the door, belly jumps and turns to you. she relaxes when she sees that it’s you and smiles. “hey.”

“hi bells,” you say. “dinners ready. you okay?”

she nods. “yeah, yeah. just thinking. you know.” she exchanges a knowing look with you, and you nod. you really did know. she was thinking about conrad. for as long as you could remember, belly had the biggest crush on conrad, and it always came into full bloom during the summer, not unlike your feelings for jeremiah. you were alike in that way, and there was always unspoken knowledge between the two of you, both of you knowing how the other felt yet rarely discussing it. the sister bond you shared made that easier.

“what’s for dinner?” belly asks, standing from her chair and breaking your train of thought. you open the door for her.

“pasta and chicken.”

“yum!”

after dinner, you excused yourself up to your bedroom to unpack and settle in. after a few hours, which somehow went from you unpacking to completely rearranging your room, there was a knock on your door. “come in!”

“what are you doing?” jeremiah asks, standing in your doorframe with an amused expression on his face. you look around your messy room then shrug.

“rearranging.”

he laughs and shakes his head at you. “you’re insane. ready for a break in your interior design?”

“only if that means it’s beach time.”

“of course that means it’s beach time,” he laughs as you immediately take off your hoodie that was covering your swimsuit and walk past him, out the door.

“let’s go then!”

jeremiah follows you down the stairs, and you smile as you pass by the moms, who were sitting on the couch with belly, watching a movie. “off to the beach?” laurel asks. you nod.

“yup! be back soon.”

susannah blows you both a kiss, “be safe!”

“we will!” you and jeremiah both call out, already out the door. a few minutes later, the two of you were sitting in the sand of the dark beach, listening to the waves crash in front of you.

“best thing and worst thing from your year, go,” jeremiah says suddenly, breaking the peaceful silence the two of you had been sharing. you consider his question for a minute before answering.

“best thing… got my license! me and belly actually went on a whole day trip to the shops that are a couple hours away, it was super fun,” you say. jeremiah grins.

“licensed! can’t wait to be a passenger princess all summer!” you laugh and shove his arm lightly.

“don’t act like you don’t have your license,” you say. “i fully except you to be driving me around all the time too.”

he nods. “maybe. worst thing, now.”

you shrug. “i don’t know. it was a pretty good year. i guess maybe breaking my wrist in the fall.”

“yeah, no shit that would suck!” jeremiah exclaims. “why didn’t you tell me you did?”

“i don’t know,” you say honestly. “i guess it just didn’t come up.”

“just didn’t come up in the hundreds of texts and facetime calls,” jeremiah shakes his head. “i see how it is.”

you laugh and so does he, then you find yourself in silence again. he was staring forward into the water but you turned your head and stared at him, picking up on every feature of his. his eyes sparkled, reflecting the moonlight. his whole face was soft, relaxed, and you loved seeing him like this. he was always putting on a show, trying to entertain the world around him, but in moments like this when it was just the two of you, he was more vulnerable. you loved it. you hate that you have to keep reminding yourself that you’re with peter now, and happy, so you can’t think of jeremiah like that anymore.

you clear your throat to break the silence. “your turn. best and worst of the year.”

“oh, that’s easy,” he says, meeting your gaze. “best was when i got moved up to varsity football this past season. got to play with connie. it was incredible.”

“jere!” you exclaim, “that’s amazing! forget my damn wrist, you could’ve told me that earlier!”

“i was kinda caught up in it,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “that’s why i never really could call you during the football season. let it get to my head pretty bad, but it was okay in the end.”

“no shame in being proud of yourself for something great,” you assure him. “we just gotta get better at updating each other on the big things in our lives, not just the little random things.”

“you mean i shouldn’t just call you to tell you i saw a taylor swift lookalike at chipotle?”

“oh, no,” you say. “you totally still need to tell me that. but like, mention the other life changing things too.”

“deal,” jeremiah says, smiling as you catch his gaze. his expression was always soft when he looked at you. you would never let yourself admit it, but you had never seen him look at anyone else the same way before. you didn’t want to start thinking that, though. it would get your hopes up too much. but it didn’t even matter now. peter.

“worst thing?” you ask. he sighs.

“i guess when conrad quit the football team.”

your eyes widen. “what?! why?”

he shakes his head, suddenly defeated. his whole demeanor changed, and it was clear that this was really weighing down on him. “i don’t know. i wish i knew. he’s just been so…different, lately. we used to hang out and he was so excited for me to be on the team with him. then it’s like a flip switched. suddenly he’s so cold to me, like, always. wont even look at a football. didn’t come to a single one of my games after he quit— which was mid season, did i mention? he barely even talks to me or mom anymore. seeing you guys today was the happiest i’ve seen him in forever.”

“oh, jere,” you say softly, studying his expression. you had noticed a change in conrad today, too, but you didn’t know if it was in your head or not. he had seemed so happy around belly, or laurel, but otherwise he was more closed off than usual. you couldn’t imagine what jeremiah was feeling, having to watch his best friend drift away from him like that. “have you talked to him about it?”

he shrugs. “he won’t ever say anything. acts like nothing is wrong with him. i don’t know. i just feel terrible for mom. she’s so, lost, i guess. like, when she was sick, he was kinda the rock in the family. he’s always been the most levelheaded. losing that support…i don’t know. it’s weird. i’m trying to be better at stuff like that for her, but i’m not conrad. i can’t be as good as him.”

“that’s one thing you can’t start believing, that you’re not good enough,” you say. “you’re both just as important to your family as the other. just because he handles different things as you doesn’t mean that he’s better. with the other stuff…i don’t know, jere. he’s levelheaded, yeah, but he’s also crazy stubborn. when he’s caught up in his head about something there’s no getting him out.”

“don’t i know it,” he grumbles. then, he shakes his head and looks at you, a calmer expression on his face. “thank you, (y/n). conrad is too complicated to figure out usually. i really appreciate you listening,” he grabs your hand. “i’ve missed you so much. just talking about that makes me feel better.”

you squeeze his hand. “of course. you know you can always talk to me.”

your silence this time is broken by your phone buzzing. then buzzing again. and again. you sigh. “sorry, thought i silenced this.”

pulling out your phone, you see that the texts are from peter.

peter: (y/n) :((

peter: u promised to call me every night at 10

peter: what are u doing???

“oh shit,” you mumble, pulling your hand away from jeremiah to text back. he looks at you, concerned.

“is everything okay? who is it?”

you nod. “it’s um, peter.”

“peter?” he asks. “who’s peter?”

“my,” you hesitate, still staring at your phone. “my uh, boyfriend.”

jeremiah visibly stiffens, moving slightly away from you. “boyfriend, huh?” his tone is no longer warm. his voice is strained, and he stares out into the water. “didn’t mention that in the best thing from your year. or in any of our facetimes, or texts.”

“it’s fairly new,” you explain, still attempting to avoid looking at him. the air between you two felt weird, suddenly. less comfortable. “um, i was gonna mention it at some point tonight. i just was waiting to see how it went with him.”

“yeah.”

with that, jeremiah suddenly stands up and stretches. “i could really go for a swim,” he looks down at you, a forced smile on his face. “i am really happy for you, (y/n). c’mon, come swim.”

but he didn’t wait for you to follow him. he turned away quickly and took big steps towards the water. as soon as he was in it deep enough, he dove under a wave, staying under the water for a concerning amount of time, before coming up for air, and doing it again. you sigh. you weren’t sure what that was about, but you weren’t about to make it worse. you quickly text peter back, then turn off your phone, following jeremiah into the ocean.

you: got caught up sry call u later

[epione-xx]

BABY, PLEASE

WARNING. THIS. IS. A. SMUT!!!! And a fever dream. Idk what was happening when I wrote this but…eh.

CONTAINS: breeding kink, master/pet play, situationship, lingerie + nudes, unsafe sex (plz never do this in real life)

There also could be a pt2 if you guys want 👀

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

‘Lmao no, I’m with a guy’

Damian gripped his phone tightly in his hand and frowned, reading and re-reasing the text again before texting back himself, only using one word.

‘Who?’

And when she didnt reply, he scoffed an threw his phone into his backseat. The crinkle of a bag signalling it had been caught and he hand taking it further than intended.

And then he tapped the wheel impatiently, thinning and thinking and…then finally turning around to grab his phone again to see if she had texted back, and seeing she hadn’t yet, he groaned and leaned back before grabbing the bag of his newly bought ‘essentials’.

Now these essentials weren’t really…well what you think. Instead it was a pack of condoms and other various things that ranged from a box of chocolates to a newly bought phone charger since he had forgotten his own.

He always forgot his charger when going to her house, being fair…most of the times he went there when he was frustrated with his father and then she would…help him through it…

And it started off like that. He had a fight with his father, stormed out and drove off in his car before remembering that he had forgotten any type of protection, which then lead into a trip to the store, which lead to him buying everything he thought was needed before texting his hook up to se did she wanted anything…

And that’s why the dreaded text came. The one that said she was with a guy.

Damian pursed his lips and decided to indulge himself in one of the chocolates he had gotten, unwrapping the shiny blue foil of it before popping it into his mouth and opting to scroll thought instagram for a bit.

His instagram wasn’t interesting per say. A bunch of art and a few posts from various friends here and there…it was all boring until he saw the little green dot under her photo.

Now was his chance.

‘What happened to the guy?’ He texts ‘wouldn’t be active on instagram if you ever evening fucked. We all know your not competent enough to do two things at once’

—

Rolling over her bed and pulling her pillow to her chest, Y/n snorted at Damian’s text and rolled her eyes, that mother fucker was just jealous.

‘Didn’t work out. He was way to kinky’

she was hoping for a rise out of him, something- anything, brining her lip she watched as the little dotted bubble pop up before going back down again.

Letting out a sigh she rolled over again and carefully looks to her wardrobe, maybe she had a good idea…

And so getting up, she carefully walked over. Careful to not make any sudden noise in hope she wouldn’t wake anyone up.

She dressed herself in a elegant green set of lace- a new one that she had gotten for Damian…using Damian’s card, being fair- he asked he too.

Soon y/n set up the camera and placed it close to her thighs, you couldn’t see her face- but that was the point. She knew Damian hates not being able to see her face…

And so she snapped a shot, sending it straight to him with the caption. ‘I feel so empty without you’

—

Damian stared wide eyed, his pants were getting tight and he could physically feel himself grow to be in more pain as he stared at the photo- how dare she do this to him!

And so he set the phone down and took a deep breath, trying to remain calm…before his phone dinged again.

And before he could eve consider what the text could be, he picked it up and hurriedly searched for her name.

Bingo, it was another photo.

This time it was in the same set but the camera was more focused on her chest, showing her boobs off proudly with the caption ‘id like to be fuller, please daddy.’

And Damian stared, and searched for words before texting one thing back.

‘What if I fill you with my cum? My heirs? You wouldn’t feel so lonely and empty then would you? You would be filled with your lord all the time…’

His pants tightened. He never realised that he could have a thing for her in that way…he never realised he had a breeding kink.

And so he set off to her place

—

The woman at the other end of the line flushed deeply at Damian’s words and squeezed her legs together, that had to be int of the most sexy things he had ever said to her…and imagining herself pregnant, full with his child…and even better, being claimed by him in that way…it excited her.

There were so many things she was thinking of now. Things she had never even dreamed off…it was like she was in a haze.

But knowing Damian, he was teasing her. He would never make any of that a reality…so she set off for the shower, trying to wash away the arousal.

…or so she thought, the bathroom door opened, Samoa standing there both flushed and hard as he looked at her.

“Damian!” She shrieked as she stared at him “what the hell! How did you get in?”

“Spare key” he stalked closer, a primal instinct in his eyes as he stared at her and slowly Pepe’s the glass door.

Her face flushed aa she stared at him, watching as he underdress himself. “What are you doing?” She asks, almost sounding meek.

“You think I was kidding?” He asks her, looking her body up and down before licking his lips. His cock growing even harder. “You think I was joking beloved?”

She felt herself grow wetter and she slowly nods “I mean, I guess I was?” She says. “I never pictured you as the da-“

She didn’t get to finish, Damian had turned off the taps and had picked her up. Throwing her over his shoulder before he set off too her bedroom. Placing her on the bed….right in front of her floor to ceiling mirror.

“Look at yourself” he set her upon his lap, fingers dancing across her stomach and chest “look at how pretty you’d be holding my heir, how beautiful you would look…” he sucked hickies into her neck.

“You would be so swollen, so needy..and I’d fuck you every single day.” He purred

Her head rolled back into his neck and she arched her back as Damian’s fingers went to her nipples and he pinched them lightly, rolling the buds between his finger tips before he grinds into her.

“Your beautiful tits…they would hold so much milk” he smirked “it would leak out of you as I fucked you, you wouldn’t be able to control it and if drink from you every day”

She shuddered and closed her eyes as she felt this hand move from her chest to her stomach, rubbing lightly before he dived the down and pulled her thighs apart.

“Would you enjoy having my baby?” He purred “like a good little slut?”

She gasps and nods in a hurry “I would, I would so much my lord. As long as you were next to me I would enjoy anything~” she clenched around thin air and moans.

He smirked and slowly began to rub her clit, making sure to tease her. “You would be so sexy” he hummed “so beautiful, I’d fuck you all throughout your labour”

She flushed even more “Damian!” She whines loudly “please~ please fuck me now. Put your baby in me-“

She gasps as she was picked up and throw onto the bed mercilessly, thought being opened by his rough and calloused hands before he looked at her “are you ready for my child? Or do you need me to put a condom on?”

She stared at him and felt herself grow hotter “I need your baby. I need to be pregnant with your baby…to be your queen”

He smirked and nods before he slowly thrusted into her, letting out a satisfied moan at how she clenched around him.

She gasps in pleasure and clawed at his back “just give me a moment”

In a sweet moment, he nods na splayed a soft kiss on her lips before trailing it down to her chest “why don’t I show you how good it’ll feel?”

She nods and moaned as his lips began to suck on her nipple, soon enough she was grinding on him- begging for more.

And that’s when he began to thrust. Lifting his head up and staring at her deep in the eyes as the bed creaked beneath them.

“Good girl” he groaned “such a good girl for me. You’ll be rewarded pet~” he moans as he kissed her.

She gasps and moans as she dig her nails into his back, wrapping her legs around his waist.

“Damian!” It was a sharp gasp, her toes curled as she came around his cock, which then sent him over the edge to cum inside her, burying himself as far into her as he could before he felt himself explode and paint her walls white.

She took deep breaths, heart beating out of her chest as she looked up at him “thank you master” she whispers

He also took deep breaths and pressed soft kisses to her hairline “thank you beloved” he says “please. Be my one and only…be my wife”

She smiles and nods “always”

Even if they had skipped a couple of steps…they were both happy in the end…and who knew what the future held.

[skyward-floored]

Whumptober Day 13: Cold compress, Infection, “I don’t feel so good”

This was originally day 2’s fic, but looking at the prompts, I decided to swap them because they fit a little better. Course this one didn’t turn out exactly the way I wanted... *grumble grumble*

Also my medical research was a bit stymied by a lot of “if this happens you’re dead basically” but this is fiction so I decided it was fine. He’s fine. Dw.

Read on ao3

Warnings: injury, infected injury, intense symptoms that arise from infected injury.

————————————————————

Warriors hurried through the woods, nearly tripping on a root as the setting sun shone in his eyes through the trees.

He’d been away from the cave where he’d left Four for more than an hour now, collecting water and looking for signs of the others, and leaving the smithy alone had sent his stomach into knots, even though it had been a necessary trip.

He and Four had been separated from the others after a portal the night before, dropped right into a rough fight. Warriors was only superficially injured, but Four had gotten a nasty gash that went nearly from his ankle to his knee.

They’d done their best to clean and bandage it, but they had no potions and few supplies, and the smithy had lost a lot of blood. He put on a brave face, but was obviously in a lot of pain, and couldn’t even stand without Warriors holding him up.

“I’ll be fine,” he’d said before Warriors had left, but the captain had heard the tremble in his voice, despite the easy-going grin Four had shot him.

And Warriors had left him anyway.

You had no other option, he tried to tell himself as the small cave where he and Four had hunkered down came into view. We needed more water, and that stream was the closest one. Leaving him completely undefended and barely able to move was your only option...

Warriors quickly brushed past the handful of vines that half-obscured the opening, and looked around, breathing heavily from his run.

“Smithy?” he asked as he caught his breath, and the small lump near the wall shifted slightly, revealing a few wayward strands of blond hair.

Warriors let out a quiet sigh of relief at the sight and went over to the pile. Two eyes peered at him through tired sockets, pale cheeks making the grey of Four’s eyes seem even brighter, and for a moment when they caught the light, they almost seemed to shine with a faint iridescence.

“...Wars?” Four mumbled, and Warriors quickly got to a knee next to him, studying the smithy.

Perhaps it was because he’d been away from him for a while, but Four looked significantly worse than he had just an hour ago, pale and weak, trembling when he moved. He seemed even smaller like this, and terribly young, but Warriors firmly shook his worry aside, placing a gentle hand on his forehead. The heat that met him made his heart sink, and he leaned back, feeling dread creep up his spine.

If Four had a fever, that could only mean two things, neither of them good.

“You’re back,” Four murmured in a tired voice, and Warriors nodded, guilt threatening to knock him over with its intensity.

“Yes. I’m so sorry I was gone as long as I was,” he apologized quietly, and Four hummed.

“S’okay. I was fine.”

Warriors looked at him a moment, then asked if he could check his bandages.

Four mumbled an affirmative as he stretched out his leg, and Warriors gently began removing the bandages, trying to convince himself that Four’s skin was merely hot from being wrapped in a blanket. He pulled the bandages loose, and stopped short, heart sinking at the sight underneath confirming what he had suspected.

The gash was now an angry red, inflamed and radiating heat. The edges had hints of pus around them, an unpleasant smell hitting his nose, and Warriors swallowed, setting aside the old bandages and wishing fervently he had more supplies.

Infection had set in.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Four murmured when he continued to stare, and Warriors nodded, dread hollowing out his chest. “....it infected?”

“Yes,” Warriors said steadily, hoping his voice didn’t betray his fear. “But I’ll get you through it until the others find us. You’ll be fine Smithy.”

“That’s good...”

He went silent, and Warriors got to work cleaning the wound as best as he could, murmuring apologies whenever Four flinched. The bandages were replaced overtop it, and Warriors leaned back, looking over his work. He had laughably few supplies to be dealing with an infection, or really any injury, but he did his best.

No worse then some of the supply shortages in the war.

He could handle this.

“Wars..?” Four murmured a little bit after he finished, and the captain looked down at him, still swaddled in blankets.

“Yes smithy?”

Four looked at him a moment, his grey eyes looking unnaturally bright, then he closed them, turning his head to the side.

“...I don’t feel so good,” Four admitted quietly.

And that more than anything else that had happened today made Warriors’ heart stop with fear. Four never admitted to feeling anything less than fine.

Ever.

Warriors swallowed, and pushed down the panic that was threatening to constrict him. Focus on the problem!

“Can you try eating something?” Warriors said quietly. “You need to keep up your strength.”

Four nodded in reply, and Warriors handed him some of the food they had, watching him nibble silently at the bread. He only managed about half before stopping, and Warriors helped him lie back down, unable to stop himself from feeling his forehead again.

It seemed even hotter, and he quietly sent up a prayer, hoping fervently that Four would only improve.

Goddesses please let this be mild.

But as the sun sank below the horizon and twilight set in, Four grew more and more hazy, taking longer to reply to Warriors’ questions, hands shaking when he reached for water. With every star that appeared, his shivers increased, and Warriors soon found himself waging war against Four’s raging fever.

The smithy kept turning from side to side, seeming like he just couldn’t get comfortable no matter how he lay. Sweat poured down his face, and Warriors had to stop him from getting up more than once, his addled brain making him forget he was injured.

He’d deteriorated so rapidly, Warriors was beginning to wonder if Four had already been sick.

The smithy moaned, and Warriors replaced the damp cloth over his forehead after it was knocked off yet again, sighing as he brushed some dirt off of it.

“Wars...” Four croaked, and the captain ran a hand through his hair, fingers catching on the sweaty strands.

“I’m here smithy, you’re alright,” he said softly, and Four closed his eyes, face screwed up in a wince.

“Wh-where’s everyone else..?” he asked, cracking his eyes open again.

“We were separated, remember Four?” Warriors reminded him. “I’m sure they’re nearby, they’ll be here soon. I know they have potions, so as soon as they get here we’ll fix you up.”

“Oh... good,” he said hazily, then shivered as he closed his eyes. “Not feeling s-so great...”

“I know, just hang on Smithy,” Warriors said quietly, running his hand through his hair again. “You’ll be okay.”

Four leaned into the touch, and soon fell asleep, still shivering on and off. Warriors tucked him a little closer to his side, and made sure he was wrapped fully in the blanket. All he could really do was keep Four comfortable, and try to ease his symptoms until the others found them.

He just hoped it would be enough.

Warriors spent most of the night in a light doze, tending to Four and keeping an ear out for anything approaching the cave. Sometime before dawn Four began to whimper, and Warriors calmed him down, wiping the sweat from his face yet again. His worry only grew stronger as he felt his temperature, and he looked down at the smithy in dismay.

Four looked dazed where he was lying, his eyes half-lidded, shivers wracking through his body. Warriors had never seen him so fragile-looking before, and it... scared him, honestly.

Warriors admittedly didn’t know all that much about Four, not compared to some of the others. But he knew that he was an experienced young man, and possessed a surprising strength for his size, in both physical and mental capacities. Four always came across as so put-together, strong in the face of pain, and dependable to a fault.

Seeing him laid up by an infection, shivering and moaning, and pale as a sheet, worried Warriors more then he’d care to admit.

He’d never seen Four like this.

Warriors sighed, and leaned away to rifle through his bag yet again, hoping he’d find some supplies he’d somehow missed. But a hand grabbed at his arm, hot and shaking, and he looked back to see Four’s expression had turned to a frantic one, eyes wide and scared.

“Don’... don’ leave...” Four breathed, his voice slurred and panicked. “Don’...”

“I’m not going to leave,” Warriors soothed as he leaned back to where he had been, wiping Four’s face again. “I’m staying right here.”

A violent shiver wracked through him, and Warriors moved Four so he was more on his lap, hoping his body heat would help warm him up. Four whimpered and turned into Warriors’ chest, and the captain ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair, firmly squashing his fear.

Four would be fine. He was strong. He would be able to fight through this until the others came.

The words were harder to believe the next day when Four was in even worse shape.

His temperature was blistering hot, so much that Warriors was beginning to run out of water to dip the cloth in. He thought about heading to the stream again, but the thought of leaving Four alone in his condition made his stomach churn. Leaving Four by himself wasn’t an option, unless it was a matter of life or death.

It may come to that, he thought grimly as Four moaned, sweat pouring down his face.

“Z-Zel...” he murmured, shivering under the blankets Warriors had placed over him. “Vio, y-you have t...”

Four’s feverish gaze caught on Warriors’ scarf, and his eyes widened, reaching a hand out towards him.

“W-Wars, don’...” he whispered, and Warriors took his hand in his. “I’m not crazy, I’m n-not... I’m not...”

A tear trickled down his cheek, and Warriors gently squeezed his hand.

“I don’t think you’re crazy, Four,” he said in a reassuring voice, and Four closed his eyes, shaking his head.

“Everyone does...” he whimpered, more tears falling. “Th-they say I talk to nothing, a-and my shadow... they don’t think Zel should b-be near... me...”

He let out a hiccupy sob, and Warriors tucked him more into his arms, rubbing his back to try and calm him down.

“Shh, smithy, you’re alright,” he said, and Four buried his head in his lap, a muffled sob escaping him.

“I’m not crazy... I’m not crazy...” Four cried into his tunic, and Warriors continued to hold him until his breathing evened out, and he fell back asleep.

Warriors held him a little tighter, and cleaned his wound again, using up the last of his bandages.

Please, let them find us.

The hours ticked by with nary a sign of anyone aside from themselves, and Four grew weaker every time Warriors checked. He could barely get him to eat anything, no less drink, and his feverish rambling had mostly petered out, replaced only with occasional, faint mumbling.

Warriors never let him go, dutifully cleaning his wound, helping him drink water, and calming him down when he suddenly started crying or otherwise reacted strangely.

Four abruptly woke up again and started gasping that the mirror was broken, and no matter what Warriors did he couldn’t get him to calm down, the smithy either ignoring Warriors’ presence or completely unaware of it.

“Link, easy, you’re safe,” Warriors said soothingly, but Four only panicked even more, nearly throwing himself out of Warriors’ arms.

“He wants to marry her!” Four screamed, and tried to jump to his feet. Warriors put an arm around him to stop him from moving, and Four thrashed, surprisingly strong. “No! No, no no l-lemme go!”

“Four, please, it’s okay,” Warriors tried, and Four screamed again, though it quickly dissolved into more sobbing.

“No, no no no sh-she’s dead...” he wailed, and Warriors held him tight to his chest, trying to comfort him in the only way his addled brain could understand. “Th-the bell... E-Ezlo we were too late.”

He let out an agonized sob, then stared up at Warriors’ face, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Then he abruptly fell limp.

Warriors’ heart skipped a beat as all of Four’s frantic resisting stopped, and his head fell against his arm.

“Smithy?” he asked, but Four didn’t reply, and Warriors quickly turned him over, careful not to jar his leg. “Link. Link.”

Four didn’t move, and Warriors pressed an ear to his chest, blood roaring in his ears. Come on Four, please...

A faint breath rattled under his ear, and Warriors exhaled in relief, sitting up and running a hand through his hair. He was still alive. He still had time.

But now he had a choice.

He could stay here, in a defensible position, safe from monsters and other dangers, or... try and find help.

It wouldn’t be the best for Four to be moved, not with his leg injured, and the overall state he was in. But between sitting here and watching more and more life drain out of him, or be out and actively searching for a way to help...

Warriors closed his eyes, and began to shove things into his pouch.

He couldn’t wait any longer. Staying here wasn’t doing Four any favors.

At least out of the cave, they’d have a chance of finding a town, one with a doctor, or maybe even a fairy loose in the forest. If they were truly fortunate they’d come across the others, but Warriors wasn’t confident in that regard.

They might not even be in the same era as us.

Warriors finished collecting all of his things, and he nudged Four, hoping for a reaction of some kind.

Nothing.

“Come on Smithy. We’re going to find the others,” Warriors said softly, and pulled Four up into his arms, blankets and all. “Or a fairy or something, but we’re not waiting here any longer.”

Four’s head flopped against his shoulder, and Warriors got him settled, making sure his leg especially was secure and wouldn’t be knocked around.

Then he set off into the woods, the late afternoon sun lighting his path.

The weight of Four in his arms was a familiar one, and as Warriors trotted quickly along, he couldn’t help but think back to during the war, and carrying around a different blond hero.

He’d ended up carrying Mask around more than once, but he remembered one incident in particular where Mask had broken his ankle, and Warriors had had to carry him since he could barely move. Mask had nearly complained his ear off at not being able to walk, but he’d rested his head on Warriors’ shoulder anyway, and in the end, fallen asleep in his arms.

Four let out a weak moan, and Warriors sped up his pace. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in memories.

The woods went by at a steady pace, Warriors keeping a sharp eye out for any herbs or fairies or anything that could help Four. His eye didn’t catch on anything though, and all he could do was keep walking as the sun began to go down, and the shadows grew longer.

Four remained almost completely still in his arms, and Warriors stopped more than once to make sure he was still breathing. It was hard to make out, but it was there, and as long as Four was fighting, Warriors would keep walking.

As long as it took.

A flicker of light caught his eye, and Warriors turned to it, immediately hopeful.

“Hello?” he called, then immediately cursed himself for giving himself away. If it was a monster, they were dead.

But Four doesn’t have much longer anyway.

The light flickered again, and Warriors stayed still as he watched it, on guard, but hopeful. A blue, glowing creature abruptly poked its head up, and Warriors stared, watching as it wiggled its... antennae?

Is that a rabbit? he thought wonderingly, staring at the little creature in awe. He’d never seen one before, only heard stories. It’s cute I guess... in a weird sort of way.

“...Can you help me?” he asked, slowly crouching down while still holding Four to his chest. “My friend needs to be healed, he’s... he’s sick.”

The rabbit tilted it’s head, then hopped an inch or two forward, it’s heart-shaped face turned towards Four. It’s nose twitched slightly, then it bolted away and disappeared into a shower of sparkles.

Warriors stared, then closed his eyes in disappointment. He should have known better. Strange magical creatures in the woods were rarely helpful, unless they were fairies.

Four let out a weak murmur, and Warriors pressed his forehead to the smithy’s burning one.

“I’m sorry Four,” he apologized in a whisper, listening to his labored breathing. “I’m so sorry.”

A faint flicker of light caught his eye again, and Warriors raised his head, meeting the golden eyes of the blue rabbit.

It blinked at him, then tilted its head, almost as if it was beckoning him towards him. Warriors carefully got to his feet and took a step forward, and the rabbit twitched it’s antennae, taking a hop away from him. Warriors repeated the action, and the rabbit hopped again, and he began to follow it through the woods, hope starting to rise in his chest.

The sun began to disappear behind the tree trunks, the sky darkening and making the glow of the rabbit stick out more.

Warriors continued to follow, Four growing heavy in his arms. He was still sore from the battle that Four had been injured in, and gotten barely any sleep the night before. He was tired, and aching, and nearly sick with fear for Four, but he kept going, Four’s head tucked under his chin.

The rabbit suddenly stopped in its tracks, raising itself up onto its haunches and twitching its nose. Warriors stopped as well, and the rabbit met his eyes again, glowing softly in the darkness of the woods.

“Captain?!”

Warriors’ head shot to the side, and he nearly fell to his knees in relief as Sky and Wild ran towards him, their worried faces lit by a glowing rod Wild held.

“We’ve been looking for you for days Captain! After that portal we were all together except you and— what happened to Four?” Wild asked, and Warriors closed his eyes as Sky put a worried hand on Four’s head.

“Infection. We need to get him to camp,” he managed to get out, worry for Four one of the few things still fueling him. Sky gave him a searching look as Wild immediately began to lead them back the way they came, and Warriors didn’t resist when he gave him a bit of support.

“How did you find us?” Sky asked, and Warriors glanced back at the rabbit, not surprised to see the creature was nowhere to be found.

“...long story,” he settled with, and Four murmured something in his arms as Sky nodded in silence. Warriors held the smithy tighter, and ran a hand through his hair.

Hold on Four. You’re safe now, you’ll be okay.

Just hold on.

[storiesofsvu]

A Dangerous Game Ch 9

Emily Prentiss x reader Warnings: language, talk of usual canon like violence, lots of mutual pining, minor flirtation, alcohol, smut.

It had been three weeks since Florida.

And in those three weeks not a single case had taken the BAU outside of the greater D.C. area.

Now you were on edge, every single conversation with Emily you found yourself having trouble focussing, even if she was going over gory details of a triple homicide with the team, all you could hear was the husk of her voice as she teased you, praised you, called you her good girl. Part of you was sure that the universe was punishing you for just how much the two of you had indulged on your solo trip down south, reminding you of how you were supposed to behave around each other. That professionalism came first, to everyone up here, you were simply friends, coworkers with not a hint of anything else.

Emily thought she would be fine at first, after all, you’d had nearly a week of not having to hide it, being able to do whatever you wanted together, spending hours tangled in each other’s bodies. Her first slip was automatically filling up a second cup of coffee when she refilled her own, wordlessly dropping it at your desk without doing the same for anyone else. Then she caught herself staring through her office door when she was supposed to be signing off on reports, finding you leaning back in your chair on the phone, back arching as you stretched, buttons of you shirt threatening to pop. The ones you did have undone exposing more of your chest as your shirt rode up, revealing the skin of your stomach. She would’ve been fine but you’d felt her eyes on you, your own darting toward her office, a sly grin taking over your lips when you caught her and her cheeks turned pink as she quickly ducked her gaze.

You kept waiting for the words ‘wheels up’ to leave Emily’s lips, your entire body tingling each time the team was called to the conference room in hope that you’d finally get to indulge again but each time it was a local case. Emily was at her wits end, she knew she had the authority to assign a case out of town, but also knew she couldn’t abuse that power, the worst cases had to take priority.

So the two of you were left with just your imaginations, sleepless nights where all you could picture when your eyes closed were the memories of the other person’s hands on your body. No matter how often you tried to relieve yourself your own hands were never enough, could never amount to the pleasure Emily’s could bring you and she was at the state that if she didn’t remember to plug her vibrator in before leaving for the day she was shit out of luck when she got home.

The team was currently circled up in the conference room, there’d been a couple of meetings as the deputy director droned on about case closure rates, budgets, follow ups and expectations for the next quarter. A very uneventful afternoon that certainly hadn’t helped the restlessness flowing through either of your bodies, it exploded into the air, the team wasn’t used to being cooped up like this and the back to back lectures made everyone feel a bit like they were infected with cabin fever. At the very least it was over, like a window had been cracked, fresh air pooling into the staleness of the room as everyone started packing up their things for the heavily anticipated weekend ahead.

“You hear anything from Jacksonville?” Emily asked, her voice breaking through the nap your brain had been taking and you glanced up to her with a soft sigh.

“Nothing tangible.” You flipped a file shut, “they keep searching addresses but he’s gone, wouldn’t be surprised if he made it passed state lines by now. They found out the farmhouse was covered in surveillance though, sent it off to Garcia for inspection.”

“And he had that puppy fully outfitted there is a lot to go through.” Penelope commented, “and he knows a hell of a lot about technology, if it weren’t so wrong it’d be impressive.”

“So he probably saw us coming?” Em asked and you nodded.

“Likely, he knew he had to run.”

“Lemme know if you hear anything more.”

“Yeah.” You nodded once again, tugging out your phone to go through the slew of missed notifications, catching up on a bit of social media while the work day drifted away from the room. There was a small rumble of conversation, a little bit of work chat mixed with weekend plans, little jokes here and there as spirits began to lift and everyone wound down.

“Hey…” Rossi’s voice broke through the crowd, loud enough for everyone to hear, “you know what we haven’t don’t in a while?”

“Left the DMV area?” You grumbled, cocking a brow in his direction and Emily laughed under her breath as she stood.

“Well… you’re right, but that’s not what I was getting at.” Rossi replied, “don’t you kids like sleeping in your own beds?”

‘No.’

The thought was unanimous, you and Emily stealing a glance before she spoke, “dunno… I’m with y/n on this one, I like a change of scenery.”

“Seriously?” Dave asked, pulling a laugh from the others in the room, JJ the next one to comment.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the boys but it is nice to have a break once in a while. And it’s an added bonus knowing the psychopaths aren’t in the same city as them.”

“I think I have to agree with Rossi.” Garcia commented, “I miss you guys when you’re gone.”

“I just feel like…” you started, then huffed, pausing to put together your thoughts without outing yourself, “you know when you go to the zoo and all the tiger’s doing is pacing in its cage? That’s this. I need…” you spun your chair to face Spencer, knowing he’d have the answer, “what’s it called?”

“Enrichment time.”

“Thank you!”

“You know what I do for enrichment time?” Derek cocked a brow in your direction and you rolled your eyes as Emily let out a groan.

“I do.” You fired back, “what was her name again?”

“Better question is when’re we gonna get to meet her?” Garcia asked with a grin and Dave finally broke back into the banter.

“That is what I was going to suggest.”

“What? That we stalk Morgan on his date?” JJ asked with a smirk.

“More like dinner.”

“You buyin’?” Derek asked.

“I was thinking hosting, it’s been too long and I’ve got a few bottles of wine that are desperately waiting to be drank.”

“Now that, I can get behind.” Emily paused to squeeze his shoulder, “I’ve got to run home to feed Sergio first though.”

“Oh, you all need to give me time to get ready,” he glanced at his watch, “let’s say… seven thirty?”

“Plus ones?” JJ asked.

“The more the merrier!” Rossi replied, “you know the drill.”

**

You shouldn’t have been surprised with the vastness of Rossi’s house, or the fact that he greeted you at the door with a pre-dinner cocktail in hand, passing one off to you off a tray just inside the entry way. He guided you through the main area, giving you a brief tour to show off a few things and make sure you knew where the necessities were. The dining room was half set up, plates of appetizers and finger foods splayed across it before moving into the living room, plush loveseat and chairs facing each other while the French doors were wide open into the back yard. Most of the group was spread through the yard, patio furniture and smaller tables mixed through the space, lights strung over the patio making it seem just a little bit more festive than a regular Friday night.

There were a handful of other people from the office, a few people you didn’t recognize who you figured were other friends, and a couple of plus ones. You made a few rounds, somewhere along the way your drink was replaced with a fresh one the second it was finished, Derek had actually brought his new girlfriend and you ended up clicking right away. Dinner was served, Rossi making sure everyone knew they could eat inside or out, there were no specific rules for tonight, and wine refills were always available in the kitchen. As you glanced around your brow furrowed, realizing Emily wasn’t there yet and you wondered if maybe, similar to you, she’d debated not coming. A few too many glasses of wine in a much more casual setting after basically edging yourselves for three weeks was very likely to end inappropriately and you were still trying to not break the self made rules.

However, on the opposite side of the house, Emily was easily letting herself in the front door, walking through the familiar halls until she reached the social part of the house.

“There she is!” Dave exclaimed and she laughed, “was beginning to think you forgot the address.”

“Sorry.” She winced in apology, “I was about to get ready when I found a window cracked open, kinda freaked me out, I ended up doing a full sweep, pretty sure the cleaners just left it when they were there earlier.”

“No worries, no worries, grab a plate!”

She did exactly as he suggested, scooping up a rather large glass of wine as her eyes swept through the yard. She spotted Derek with who she figured was his girlfriend and let out a little gasp of excitement as she approached the table,

“So she actually does exist.” She teased, “I really was starting to think you were making her up.”

“Very funny Prentiss.” He chuckled, quickly introducing them, “wanna join?” He gestured across the table to the empty seat and that was when she realized you were sitting with them.

“Yeah.” She cast you a warm smile and you felt your heart thud in your chest, God was she ever fucking gorgeous.

Her eyes lingered probably a little too long on the exposed neckline of your shirt but the other two at the table were too distracted to even notice. She slipped into the seat and into the conversation with ease, Derek somewhat regretting introducing everyone as he was suddenly being playfully ganged up on. Wine glasses were refilled, the air was full of laughter and relaxation, things that didn’t come to the team like this often. Emily adjusted in her seat, crossing her legs and her foot brushed up against your shin, your breath catching in your throat when she didn’t move it. She even dared to play a little footsie, lingering against your skin as she glanced your way.

“You okay there Wilson?”

“Peachy.” You managed to choke back over the rim of your wine glass, not missing the gleam in her eye, one you were all too familiar with, the same one that you missed horrendously.

You could feel the heat radiating off her body, coursing through the air and straight to your core, especially as she kept casually brushing up against you. It wasn’t enough for anyone else to pick up on, and she swore she wasn’t doing it on purpose, even if the first one had been intentional. She ached to be able to touch you, despite the casual and fun evening, half of her was wishing her phone would ring with a case anywhere but here. Spencer and Penelope joined the table, the conversation got louder, more chaotic and multi layered as the alcohol seeped through everyone’s veins, bringing people out of their shells a little bit more. Emily was laughing over the story Derek was telling, calling him on all the bullshit he kept embellishing with, something about a case in the last couple of months. He said something in your direction but you didn’t hear it.

“Hey!” His hand shook in front of your face, “Wilson!”

“Hmm?” You glanced his way, still partially lost in your trance “sorry.” He chuckled,

“Man we lost ya there for a second, what were you daydreaming about?”

“…Vegas…” you let out in a small sigh, partially unaware of what you even said and completely unaware that Emily was still sitting directly beside you, smirk on her lips when you said it.

“You know, a non work trip out there might be fun.” Spencer cut in, “get some real poker playing in.”

“Aren’t you banned from like, eight casinos out there?” Emily asked with a laugh and her voice sent a chill down your spine, jolting you back to the real world and you felt a tingle between your legs.

“I’m gonna grab a refill, anyone need anything?” You asked, pushing away from the table and Penelope handed you her glass.

“Another one of those fruity drinks please!”

“On it.”

Shooting her a grin you quickly disappeared from the yard into the house, thankful that the kitchen was secluded from the open space, giving you a moment to breath and try to calm yourself down. You topped up Penelope’s drink, grabbing a glass of water for yourself, at the very least maybe it would help you cool off a little bit. You braced yourself on the counter in front of the sink, letting out a breath, there were two choices here; get control of yourself, or it was time to leave.

A third option then presented itself as an arm reached passed you, placing a used wine glass down in the sink and Emily’s perfume invaded your senses. Her body hovered inches behind yours, her words hot on your neck when she spoke, her hand resting on the counter beside yours.

“Do you have any clue how fucking hard it is to keep my hands off you tonight?” Her lips pressed into the crook of your neck, her hand moving to rest on your hip and you let out a little whimper, your knees nearly buckling.

“Emily…” You warned.

“What?” Her huff of a laugh brushed over your skin creating goosebumps.

“You do that again and I’m about three seconds away from coming in this kitchen and I really don’t think Rossi would be particularly fond of that.”

“Don’t worry, I can’t fuck you here.” She murmured back, nudging at your hip and you turned around to face her, breath hitching as you did so. You wanted nothing more than to launch into her arms, have her tear your clothes off and bend you over the counter, you were practically trembling already after the tiniest of touches and swore you would be able to come just by the way she was looking at you.

Emily looked down at you, taking in your raised pulse, the darkening of your eyes, the way your tongue darted out to wet your lips right before they parted and your eyes flicked down to her lips. One quick listen to the noise, making sure it sounded far enough away before she closed the space between you, her lips softly meeting yours. You melted into her arms, hands clinging to her shirt, whimpering into the kiss as Emily’s tongue slid into your mouth. One of her arms sturdily wrapped around your waist, holding you to her and heat surged through both of your bodies at finally being this close again. She broke the kiss, her forehead resting against yours,

“Don’t suppose you’re interested in getting out of here?”

“How exactly are we supposed to get away with that?” You asked, your voice barely above a whisper, knowing it would shaky if you raised it any more.

The sudden sound of Rossi’s laugh in the hallway broke the two of you apart faster than lightning, in at attempt to look like you were doing anything except what you had been, you whipped your phone out, a slight look of panic on your face when you looked up at Dave when he entered the room.

“Why does it look like you two are talking about work?” He asked.

And there it was.

Your out.

“Florida just called.” You raised your phone, “they’ve got a couple things we need to go checkout.”

“Oh c’mon.” He protested and you shrugged, picking up the cocktail glass and shoving it into his hands as you slipped passed him.

“Devil never sleeps! Give that to Garcia, will you?”

*

Emily’s apartment wasn’t far and you were incredibly grateful, the energy and excitement bubbling up inside you to the point of feeling like a school kid on their way to their first sleep over. In all honesty, it was probably good you drove separate cars, you knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands to yourselves otherwise. She quickly let you in, making sure the door was shut and locked behind you as both of you kicked off shoes and shrugged off jackets,

“Are you sure?” You asked, glancing up at her with wide eyes.

“Are you kidding?” She chuckled, a wicked grin on her face, “I’ve been waiting weeks to do this.”

“Good.” You breathed out, “because nothing compares to actually having you touch me.”

An instant later and Emily’s lips were on yours. Her hand cupped your cheek softly as she began to back you in the direction of the bedroom. Movements were both frantic and tender at the same time, you’d both been wanting nothing more than to feel the other persons skin on yours for ages, but it wasn’t as fiery as you’d expected. Lips danced with ease, her hand slipping into your hair just to hold your head to her, making sure you were as close as humanly possible. Her tongue slid into your mouth, exploring every inch, rolling against yours while your hands finally slipped under her shirt, tickling across her skin. She let out a sigh into the kiss, breaking it so you could quickly pull the fabric over her head. She let out a breath, her eyes dragging over your body before she rid you of your shirt and bra right as the back of your legs hit her bed.

“God you’re so fucking gorgeous.” She murmured, ducking to kiss you deeply before she nudged you onto the bed.

She slipped out of her pants and underwear, fingers sliding into your waistband to pull both of yours down your legs before she crawled over your body, capturing your lips in another kiss, her hands tracing patters on your thighs. Your legs easily fell open for her, moaning into the kiss while your hands trailed across her skin. Emily’s fingers came to rest on your clit, gently rubbing it in slow circles, just enough to tantalize you, get your pussy fluttering around nothing as you started to grind into the touch, your nails digging into her skin. She never broke the kiss, now able to read you like perfection, knowing exactly when you were about to beg for more, her hand sliding down and two fingers slipping into your dripping cunt. When you moaned against her lips this time she happily swallowed the breath down, her tongue rolling against yours as she explored your body. Her fingers curled inside you, brushing along that sensitive spot and your breath caught in your throat, hips jolting up to her touch and you felt her lips curve into a grin. This time she did break the kiss, her lips pressing to the underside of your jaw,

“Want you to ride my cock pretty girl.” She murmured, nudging at your chin with her nose before she nipped at your neck, her fingers slipping out of you while she shifted off the bed to grab a strap. You watched with eager eyes, shifting up onto your knees while she got the harness on, selecting a toy from the bedside table, this one double sided.

“Wait…” You breathed out right before she slipped it in, crawling to the edge of the bed, “can I?”

“So eager.” She grinned, her hand pinching gently at your chin, “good girl.”

She handed off the toy and you sat up on your knees, pulling her to you for a kiss, your lips molding together with grace. Your hand sunk between her legs, almost matching the same movements she did on you earlier, fingers sliding between her folds, smearing her wetness, two sinking into her pussy briefly before you slipped the smaller end of the toy in.

“Fuck…” She moaned, her eyes fluttering shut when you pumped it a few times before situating it properly into the harness. She dropped down onto the bed, head sinking into the pillows, “get over here.”

You eagerly crawled over to her, swinging a leg over her waist, your hands bracing on her stomach as one of hers wrapped around the base of her cock. She rubbed it against your folds, smearing your juices around it, watching the way you breathily moaned, rocking your hips in time with the motion, eyes fluttering shut. The tip caught your entrance and you let out a gasp, your eyes shooting open to catch her gaze and she nudged it in a little further until you sunk all the way down onto it, this moan louder than the last. She couldn’t help but make a similar noise, the way you pushed down onto it pushed the base right into her clit and made the smaller end thrust inside her.

Bracing yourself on her waist you raised your hips, shuddering when her cock dragged through your walls until just the tip was left inside you and you sunk back down all the way again. Emily’s hands braced on your hips, guiding you up and down her cock until your set a pace, one that wasn’t too fast, your hips meeting hers with a little extra power of a thrust to move the toy inside her too. You threw your head back, cunt clenching around the toy,

“Oh fuck… god…”

Your eyes fluttered shut and you groaned when Emily’s hands began to explore your body, gliding up your chest, pinching at your tits, rolling your nipples between her fingers. A gasp escaped her lips when you ground down against her, her hand shooting out to yours, fingers interlacing, squeezing yours while her pussy clenched down around the toy.

“Jesus Christ..” She muttered.

Emily planted her feet on the mattress, able to drive up into you with more force, sitting up so she could feel your body fully against hers. One arm wound around your waist, holding you steady to her while the other braced on the bed behind her. The angle shifted the toy inside both of you, moans getting breathier and closer together with each pump of your hips. Her lips peppered your skin, tongue licking at your collarbone before she bit gently into it, pulling a whine from you. She sunk lower, her teeth nipping at the swell of your chest, feeling the way your hands clenched into her back as she did so. You let out a gasp when her mouth wrapped around your nipple, sucking it into your mouth, the dual sensation pulling you closer and closer to your peak.

“Oh Em…”

She shuddered at the tone of your voice alone, nearly angelic floating through her bedroom as you continued to bounce in her lap. She sucked harder on your chest, teeth gently scraping at the swollen bud and your pussy pulsated around her cock.

“Feels so fucking good.” You murmured, your head dropping forward as she moved her mouth to the other side of your chest to repeat the action. “Don’t fucking stop.” You panted and she moaned against your skin, feeling the toy drive deeper into her as you thrust down into her hips, rolling yours at just the right frequency that the base of the toy rubbed her clit perfectly.

“Oh god…” She choked on her words, fire shooting through her body, alighting her every nerve as her skin prickled.

Your hand grasped at her cheek, directing it up to your lips and capturing her in a kiss, one that was full of sighs, gasps and breath huffing from one of your lips to the other as you continued to ride her. Your forehead came to rest against hers,

“Fuck…” you muttered, “so close..” She took advantage, her hand sneaking between your bodies to rub at your clit and you whimpered.

“Come for me angel.” She panted, “let me see you….”

It only took a few more pumps before your eyes scrunched tightly shut, your pussy clamping down around her cock as pleasure soared through you, your cries louder than she had ever heard before. Your body shook in her arms, your own wrapping tightly around her, not leaving an inch of space between your sweat glistened skin. A couple of thrusts later, coupled with the vision of you coming Emily let out a loud moan, her own body trembling as she reached her peak. You continued to half lazily rock in her lap, panting, breathless kisses stolen between you, eyes fluttering as aftershocks vibrated through your body.

Emily kissed up your neck slowly, leaving a trail of wetness before her nose nudged at yours, your eyes finally cracking open to meet her gaze. Your thumb trailed across her cheek softly, simply drinking her in before you ducked down, pressing gentle, lazy kisses to her lips. She slowly dropped down onto the bed beneath her, pulling you with her, continuing the kiss until she gently rolled you onto your side, slipping her cock out of you, tossing the toy to the side to be dealt with later before rolling back over, pulling you into her arms.

Your head rested against her chest, the beat of her heart slowing as she came down, lulling you into a sense of relaxation, your eyes fluttering shut as your breathing began to regulate. Her hand trailed up and down your back, nails tickling along your bare skin before she pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head that you returned onto her collarbone. A blanket was kicked up, wrapped around your lower bodies as the temperature in the room began to chill. You let out a content sigh, your body relaxing further into hers and the plush mattress, feeling sleep starting to overtake you and you yawned, tilting your head to look up at her.

“Should… should I go?” You asked hesitantly, not really knowing if you wanted to know the answer considering this really was the only place you wanted to be in the moment.

“No…” Emily shook her head, her hand coming up to comb through your hair before she kissed your temple, “no…. stay.”

______________

@mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @melindawarnersgf @itisdoctortoyousir @emilyprentiss4life @temilyrights @alexxavicry  @borg-queer @anya-casablanca @daddy-heather-dunbar @evilregal2002 @aliensaurusrex @alcabots @7thavenger @ladysc @rustyzebra @ilovemycrayons @mandy-asimp @thegrantwater @leftoverenvy @kades95 @disneyfan624 @dextur @m00nkn1ghts @augustvandyne @supercriminalbean @bookpillows @daffodil-heart @msvenablesbitch @its-soph-xx  @going-gray @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @hopelesslyfallenninlove @peanutbutterprincess  @kdaghay @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @bluetodie @awolfcsworld @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @s1ut4nat @midnight-sapphic @scorpsik @thisisraes @prentiss-theorem @unsubologyy @strongsassysexysloane @svushots

[hearts-hunger]

josh's song || josh kiszka x reader

Read on AO3 | Cabin Fever Masterlist | Full Masterlist

Summary: The Cabin Fever gang celebrates Josh's birthday. || Standalone in the Cabin Fever universe

Pairings: Josh Kiszka x Wife!Reader, Jake x Sparrow, Sam x Danny | Genres: pure fluff | Word Count: 3.6k | Warnings: none!

A/N: This fic was inspired by the pictures of Josh's birthday picnic - of course I had to have a little celebration with the Cabin Fever gang ♡

“Sam!” You smacked his hand away from the perfectly constructed charcuterie board in the middle of the table. “Don’t you dare!”

“Ow, what?” He withdrew his hand and pouted at you. “Josh won’t notice if one cracker is out of place, will he?”

“Now, Sam,” Jake scolded. “Don’t drive her any more crazy than she already is about this.” He tried to hand you a drink. “Here.”

“Not yet,” you said, knowing you were being a little high-strung about this party but desperately wanting everything to be perfect. This would be Josh’s first birthday as a married man, and though you knew it probably didn’t make a difference to him, nor to any of your friends gathered in your backyard for his party, it mattered to you.

Unfortunately, you were also taking your anxiety out on your friends, and you were thankful for how they were bearing with you.

“Okay, maybe just a little bit,” you conceded, taking the drink from Jake. He smirked when you spluttered a little.

“Jeez, Jake,” you managed. “How much tequila is in this, anyway?”

“Enough to chill your ass out, honey,” he said. He waved it away when you tried to hand it back to you. “No, no. You need it more than I do.”

Sam left the food alone and came to your side.

“It’s gonna be great, kiddo,” he said with an encouraging smile. “You could have given Josh a lunchable on a beach towel and he would still think it’s the best birthday ever. He’s gonna freak out when he sees all this.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, still a little doubtful. You looked over the spread of artfully mismatched rugs, pillows, futons, and little tables decorated with candles, incense, flowers, and crystals from the vast collection you and Josh shared. Everything was under a clear tent that let the sun shine through; when the sun set, the fairy lights strung across it would give the party a cosy glow. Jake had personally overseen the bar and made sure there were plenty of fixings for salty dogs; Danny, currently the lookout for when Josh got home, had curated the perfect playlist. Sam and Sparrow had been a willing pair of extra hands for you, helping you set up everything to your liking. Everything was perfect. You hoped.

“Sam’s right,” Jake said, patting your cheek. “Josh is gonna love it.”

You tried to let yourself believe it, but you were nervous for Josh to come home. The anticipation was terrible; you were so excited for him to see everything, and you couldn’t wait to celebrate his birthday with him for the first time as his wife.

Fortunately, you didn’t have long to wait. Danny and Sparrow all but ran out the back door, tripping over themselves and laughing in their haste to get outside.

“He’s here!” Danny said. “Everybody act natural!”

All of a sudden, the nervous, excited energy that had plagued you all day seemed to take hold of the rest of your small party. Jake took his drink when you shoved it into his hands, holding it like he didn’t know what to do with it; Sam rushed around to light the candles and cursed like a sailor at the lighter when it wouldn’t work. All five of you caught a case of the giggles as you tried to be casual while running around trying to make sure everything was ready.

“Okay, okay!” you laughed, trying to create order out of chaos. “Danny, help your boyfriend light the stupid candles. Jake, fix Josh’s drink. Sparrow, turn on the music and make sure nothing catches on fire.”

You got a chorus of “yes ma’am” in response as you went inside and made your way to the front door. Nothing in your house gave away the party in the backyard; by all appearances, you were welcoming your husband home to a quiet afternoon.

You’d just reached the door when Josh opened it, and you tried to keep your beaming smile in check as you greeted him.

“Hi, honey,” you said, giving him a kiss. “How was the store?”

His smile was a little bemused. “Like it always is, I guess.” He held up the grocery bag of random things you’d sent him to get just to get him out of the house. “What are we making with all this, anyway?”

You pretended to be bashful. “I thought it might be fun to cook dinner together,” you said. You touched your fingers to the crystal on his necklace. “I know it’s not fancy, but... I thought it would be fun to do for your birthday. I don’t know. Maybe it’s dumb.”

“No, it’s not,” he assured you quickly. He gave you a sweet smile. “I’d love to cook dinner together, baby. Thank you for thinking of it.”

You smiled up at him, barely able to contain your excitement. “Oh, I’m glad you like it. We can use some tomatoes from the garden, too — some of them are finally ready to be picked. Do you want to see?”

He set the grocery bag on the counter and took your hand, happily following you out to the back yard. His willingness and contentment in doing something so simple for his birthday was like an arrow to your heart, and you couldn’t wait to show him his surprise.

“Do you have music on outside?” he asked. He grinned. “Shall we do a little dancing in our garden, baby?”

You squeezed his hand. “Something like that, honey.”

When you opened the back door, you looked up at your husband to watch his reaction as a chorus of “surprise!” greeted him. A wide smile spread across his face, his cheeks going a little pink with pleasure and excitement; he only took a second to take things in before he looked over at you.

“Baby!” he said, his voice bright with wonder and delight. “What is this?”

You grinned. “What do you think, handsome?” You kissed his cheek. “Happy birthday, Josh.”

He took your face in his hands and kissed your thoroughly, earning some enthusiastic wolf whistles from your friends. You blushed and looked up at him with adoration.

“Do you like it?” you asked softly.

He beamed. “I love it.” He kissed your nose. “I love you. Thank you.”

You watched with a beaming smile as he gave everyone a hug, thanking them for his party and telling them how happy he was to celebrate with them. When he came back to you, he took your hand and asked you to show him around, taking note of every detail like you’d hoped he would. 

“You did a beautiful job, baby,” he praised, glancing his fingers over the chunky citrine on the low table. “Are these all our crystals?”

You nodded. “I thought they would look pretty out here in the sun.”

He smiled. “They do. They look almost as pretty as you.”

You gave him a bashful smile and touched his cheek. “I have another surprise for you.”

“Bring it on, baby.”

You laughed and ushered him over to Sparrow, who was busy setting up her collection of face paint near the bar. Jake was making Danny a drink, and you saw that he was already sporting a silver moon and a dusting of stars over his cheeks.

“Oh, wonderful,” Josh said with a grin, rubbing his hands together as he took a seat on the futon in front of her. “Sparrow, I think I’ll leave the creative decisions entirely up to you.”

“How daring,” she teased, getting her paint ready. “Jake was a little nervous I’d paint him to look like a tiger or something.”

“I was not,” Jake chided. “I just wanted something a little more... subtle, that’s all.”

“I think it looks great,” you said. “Very becoming.”

Jake shrugged. “My girl knows how to pretty me up, what can I say?”

Sam came over from raiding the charcuterie board he was finally allowed to enjoy and asked Danny for a sip of the drink Jake had only just handed him. Danny, selfless as ever, handed it over without complaint.

“What face paint are you getting?” Danny asked him.

“I was thinking of doing a Jackson Pollock type thing,” he joked. “You know, just letting Sparrow splatter paint all over my face.” He handed Danny’s drink back. “Thanks for sharing, honey.”

Danny smiled. “You’re welcome, love.”

Josh tipped his face up to you when Sparrow was finished, looking for your approval. The design was simple and pretty, gold and white lines across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, a gentle curve of white with red dots over the apples of his cheeks. 

“Adorable,” you said, taking his chin and giving him a kiss.

“Hey lovebirds,” Sparrow said. “Look at me.”

You did, and you smiled when she took a couple pictures of you. She sent them to you, and you laughed out loud at the one with Josh's big, wide-eyed smile and a paintbrush held in front of his face.

“This is the one I'm posting,” you told him.

He grinned up at you. “Awesome.”

He stood and brought another futon over. “Can I do your face paint?” he asked. “Not that I think Sparrow wouldn’t do a terrific job, but I have an idea I want to try.”

You smiled. “Sure, honey.”

You took a seat, and he and Sparrow shared her paints as she gave Danny a dusting of little pink hearts over his cheeks.

“You have the prettiest features, baby,” Josh said gently.

You blushed, watching the almost reverent way he studied your face as he thought out his design.

“Thank you,” you said softly.

He met your eyes and smiled. “I love you.”

You leaned close and kissed him. “I love you too.”

He let you kiss him for a moment before he drew back.

“Now, no more distracting me, sweetheart,” he said seriously. “I have to concentrate.”

You breathed a laugh and sat still as he began to paint. The brush tickled your cheek, and you couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t smile, baby,” Josh said, though he was smiling too.

“But it tickles,” you said.

He laughed. “I know, I’m sorry.” He touched a few fingers to your chin and gently turned your head. “Try not to smile, just for a minute.”

When he was finally done, he set the paints aside and pulled his phone out. “Okay, now give me a big smile.”

You grinned, and you liked that he smiled just because you did.

“There,” he said, showing you the picture. “What do you think?”

He’d given you delicate golden sunbeams over your cheeks, some of them dripping artfully, some of them ending in little white stars.

“You made me beautiful, Josh.”

He gave you a gentle smile. “You’re always beautiful, baby. I just added the sunshine I see every time I look at you.”

When everybody’s face was painted — Sparrow gave Sam a splash of daisies on his cheeks, and in return he gave her lovely blue and white clouds — you gathered around the circular table of snacks to eat, drink, and be merry. The afternoon passed into evening as your little family talked and laughed and shared fond memories of the birthday boy, each of you getting steadily more tipsy and giggly and sunkissed. The boys brought out guitars from your music room and played for a long while, and they invited you and Sparrow to sing along when they played an actual song instead of just inventing one on the fly.

“When are we doing presents?” Sam asked eventually. “Danny and I got you the greatest gift ever.”

Danny smiled. “It is pretty good, actually.”

Josh looked to you. “What do you think, my lovely master of ceremonies? Is now a good time to do presents?”

“It’s your party, sweetheart,” you said with a smile, standing to get his present and bring them over. “We can do whatever you want.”

Josh stood and followed you to the table where the presents had been set up.

“What if I want to take you to bed, Mrs. Kiszka?” he asked in a low voice, a handsome smirk on his face as he snuck a hand into your back pocket.

“Josh,” you scolded, though you were sure your blushing smile gave you away. You gave him a quick kiss. “Patience, lover. You’re getting another birthday surprise later tonight.”

“Oh?” he said, giving you a pleased grin. “Well, in that case, I guess I can try and behave.”

You laughed and gave his shoulder a playful smack as you gathered his presents, and the two of you rejoined your friends under the cosy twinkle of fairy lights with an armful of gifts.

“That’s from us,” Jake said when Josh picked his first present, a stack of two gifts tied together with a pretty ribbon.

“I see you let Sparrow do the wrapping,” Josh teased. “Wise man.”

He started to undo the ribbon but hesitated, looking back up at Jake and Sparrow.

“Hey, what are we doing for your birthday?” he asked.

Jake grinned. “You’re just now remembering that we share a birthday, huh?”

Everybody laughed at that, and Josh gave his twin an affectionate eye-roll.

“Ha-ha, alright. What are we doing, though?”

Jake shrugged. “No clue.” He looked over at his brand-new wife of only a few months and gave her a smile. “Maybe my Mrs. Kiszka has something up her sleeve too.”

Sparrow pinked, trying to be nonchalant but given away by the smile she couldn’t hide.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she teased. “Josh is the favorite twin, so he gets the party.”

Jake laughed. “Oh, I see how it is.”

Sparrow took Jake’s hand but looked over at you, both of you smiling when your eyes met. Everybody but the twins knew that you were doing a pirate-themed birthday bash for Jake in a few days. A new pirate-themed bar downtown was having its grand opening next week, but Sparrow had sweet-talked them into letting her throw a private party for Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet before they were technically open to the public.

“Well, since I’m the favorite twin,” Josh said tartly, “I expect quite the tremendous gift.”

You smiled, knowing he was only teasing; Josh would be touched and thrilled at anything his best friends gave him.

“So there’s two gifts, obviously,” Sparrow said as he started to unwrap the smaller present, sounding a little unsure. “I picked out the one you’re holding, but it’s.... well, you’ll see.”

Josh gave her a sweet smile. “You don’t think I’ll like it?”

“Well...”

He opened the little box to reveal a quartz necklace, the exact same necklace he was wearing. His laugh was bright and musical, sweet and surprised.

“Look at that,” he said, grinning ear to ear as he held it up for everyone to see. “Sparrow, you know me so well.”

“I didn’t know until you walked out here earlier that you already had it,” she said, her expression caught between regret that he already had it and relief that he didn’t hate it. “I can return it and get something else.”

“No way,” Josh said, putting it on to rest against his chest with the other necklace. “You can never have too much of a good thing.”

He reached over his twin and gave Sparrow’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I love it, Sparrow. Thank you very much.”

She gave him a warm smile. “You’re welcome, Josh. Happy birthday.”

He opened Jake’s present next, a handsome leather journal and a set of nice pens.

“Thought it was better for songwriting than that notebook of yours that’s falling apart,” Jake said.

Josh smiled as he thumbed through the pages, admiring the feel of the journal. “It’s wonderful. Thank you, Jake.”

Sam and Danny’s present was next, and all of you gushed over it.

“You got me the Master for my birthday?” Josh asked with a delighted laugh. He held the black-hooded figurine up to show you. “Look at this, baby. It’s the guy from all our posters.”

“It holds the amethyst, too,” Sam said, nodding to the crystal sphere they’d given him with the figurine.

“Or a candle,” Danny added. “Or whatever you want him to hold, I guess.”

Josh gave them a charming smile. “I love it. Thank you.”

Your present was last, and you watched his face to see his reaction. You hoped he liked it; it wasn’t much, but you hoped it would be meaningful to him.

“Oh, baby.”

You flushed with pleasure at the wonder in his voice. “You like them?”

He held up the delicate gold earrings, his special triangle symbol dangling from each hoop. They were pretty in the soft light, and Josh tenderly brushed his thumb over them.

“I love them, baby,” he said gently. He turned to you and gave you a kiss. “I love them. Thank you.”

You smiled. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

He handed them to you. “Can you put them on for me?”

You did, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek when you were done.

“How do they look?” he asked.

“Very handsome,” you said sincerely. Josh always looked handsome, and jewelry only highlighted his natural beauty. You smiled. “I’m glad you like them, honey.”

You and Danny served the cake after all the wrapping paper had been cleared away, and the six of your decided on a round of cards before you watched a movie on the projector Sam and Jake had set up earlier. Danny and Jake were both unfamiliar with the rules to the game Sam picked, so he and Sparrow jumped into a complicated explanation that their partners tried to sort through.

“This is gonna take a minute,” Josh said, leaning close to you.

You gave a soft laugh. “Maybe we should get a drink while we wait.”

He stood and gave you a hand up, and you walked together over to the bar.

“What can I make you, honey?” he asked.

“A salty dog, please,” you said.

He grinned and set about making two cocktails. “My kind of woman.”

He handed you your drink and clinked his glass against yours. “Cheers, baby.”

You tipped your face up for a kiss, and he obliged you. You took a moment just to look at him when you broke apart, admiring the softness of his features in the warm glow of the fairy lights, the glint of gold from his earrings, the way his face paint was a little smudged over his rosy cheeks.

“You want to know something?” you asked softly.

He hummed in agreement.

You touched a hand to his cheek. “I think you shine like the sun, Joshua.”

He smiled, warm and beautiful, laugh lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes. 

“Thank you, baby.”

You kissed him again, drinking in the feel of him, the gentleness of the warm spring night, the sound of your friends’ laughter mixing with the sound of a familiar John Denver song.

“This is almost a birthday song for you,” you said.

He smiled. “What do you mean?”

“It reminds me of you,” you said. “And it says ‘born in the month of June,’ but we can change it to April.”

You draped your arm over his shoulder and played with the soft curls at the nape of his neck.

“It’s called Eli’s Song,” you said. “But I think we can change it to Josh’s Song. I don’t think Mr. Denver would mind.”

Josh chuckled. “No, I don’t think he’d mind.”

He set his drink aside and pulled you close, swaying you gently to the music.

“You’re starting out strong, you get a kick out of life,” you sang, forgetting to be bashful of your singing voice as Josh smiled. “You like to sing songs and be in the spotlight.”

You gave him a gentle kiss. “And when everybody's watching you, you shine so bright.”

His smile was bright as a sunrise and twice as pretty.

“I love you, Mrs. Kiszka.” He peppered kisses all over your face until you dissolved in giggles.

“And I love to hear you laugh,” he said, his voice warm and affectionate. “I’m so glad I married you, and I’m so glad I get to spend all my birthdays with you.”

You brushed your fingers over his smile. “Me too,” you said softly.

He kissed you until your friend started calling for you, and then he made a display of ignoring them and kissing you some more as he flipped them the bird.

“Josh,” you giggled. He grinned and kissed you one last time before you joined your family again.

“Getting a special birthday present from your wife?” Sam teased.

“Oh, Sammy,” you said with a smirk. “That’s just a little taste of the special present he’s getting tonight.”

Sam clapped his hands over his ears. “Oh, god, forget I said anything.”

You and Josh got a healthy amount of ribbing as Sparrow dealt the cards, and your conversation continued with funny stories and inside jokes as you played. Danny and Jake eventually caught on to the game and then became the most competitive, and your back yard was filled with the comforting chaos of your best friends’ laughter and teasing.

You looked over at Josh, and your heart wobbled when you saw he was already looking at you.

He smiled. “Hi, pretty girl.”

You blushed and gave him a heartsick smile. “Hi, Joshy.” You took his hand. “Do you like your party?”

He brushed his thumb over the back of your hand. “I love it, baby. Thank you so much for putting it together. It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad,” you said. “You deserve a perfect birthday, Josh.”

He leaned in for a kiss, and you melted against him. There, surrounded by your dear friends, celebrating the love of your life — everything was perfect. 

“Happy birthday, Josh,” you said gently. “I love you.”

You felt his sunshine smile.

“My sweet baby. I love you too.”

josh taglist: @way-to-go-lad

gvf taglist: @malany-gvf @spark-my-nature @eearevee @madneedshelp @demonrat444 @josh-iamyour-mama @honeyandsweettae @mydarlingdanny @gretavandann @sacredjake @myleftsock @joshskittytickler21 @hellowgoodbye @watchingovergvf2 @fearfulspirit @mywaysoon @carbondancingthroughtime @caprisunsister @eraofstardustchords @sacredthefran @shesawomaninadream @serendipiti

@gvfrry @ohhey1293 @the-chaotic-cow @mountain-in-springtime @xserenax-13 @stardustjtk @brooke-gvf @weightofdreams-gvf  @jakeydoesit  @gretasmokerising @hayley1623 @doodle417 @finestoflines @brokenbellz @bowievanfleet @s0livagant @strugglingtodoshit @s-u-t @kay-jordan @gretavanfleas @jakeyboiiiiiii @gretavansteph @gretavanbitches @myownparadise96 @luverleaver @weightofdreamz @greatervanfleet @maedesculpaeusoubi @jakekiszkasbestie @pineapple-photographer @baguettejuliette @alexxavicry @levi-wants-ur-bones  @carlybubs @cowboysamkiszka @dannyandthekiszkas @jordierama @slutforsteve @starshine-wagner

[centuryberry]

@peachshadows / @terrible-leviathan Here it is: the final chapter of this extremely self-indulgent AU of an AU. A million times: thank you for inspiring me with your creativity <3

(While this is the end of this fic, I’m more than happy to continue answering asks about this AU of an AU beyond what this fic covers and about the Triplets!)

Life didn’t exactly turn back to normal the moment MK came back home.

He tried to force it, of course. More than anyone, he was desperate to pretend his little trip to an alternate universe was nothing more than a fever dream. He wanted things to go back to normal - to go back to delivering noodles, playing arcade games with Mei, and training with his mentors so he could be ready to face his demon of the week.

But that didn’t even last a day. MK’s efforts to slide right back into his usual routine was hindered by his constant anxiety that started the moment A-Dan was whisked away back to Flower Fruit Mountain by her parents. He couldn’t eat or sleep for the next few hours, so sick with worry. It was completely irrational. MK had nothing to worry about since she was back in her parents’ arms, but the feeling persisted. His anxiety didn’t settle until a harried looking Wukong and a distressed Macaque dropped by in the middle of the night with a sobbing A-Dan in tow.

“Gege,” she sniffled heartbreakingly into his shirt when she was passed over to him. “Gege. No go. No go.”

MK wasn’t the only one who left the experience with scars.

For the sake of both of them, MK temporarily moved out of his apartment above Pigsy’s Noodles and moved into Flower Fruit Mountain.

It helped with some things. It also made things worse.

Sometimes, MK would forget that he wasn’t in the other world anymore. It was stupid. It was like small things like jokes and quirks were landlines that would send him back to the other world.

Jokes about MK being a little too much like Wukong weren’t taken too well even though they weren’t new. At best, he’d make faces and try to quickly change the subject. At worst…

“For the last time, I’m not his son!”

Yeah. He didn’t like those.

MK didn’t like it either whenever Wukong and Macaque took A-Dan away from him without warning. It didn’t happen every time, but the memories would overlap without warning, triggered by something that they said or did or even looked in that moment.

Once, he even snarled at them for trying. He caught himself before he tried to bite them and was completely mortified at what he almost did.

Instead of being rightfully upset with him, his mentors stayed gentle and understanding.

“You did good, kid,” Macaque rumbled comfortingly into his ear later when MK sobbed apologies into his shirt. “You protected her so well while we weren’t there. A-Dan couldn’t have been safer.”

Wukong and Macaque were patient with his outbursts and slip-ups. Not once did they ever hold it against him, which made MK feel worse because he knew that neither of them deserved it.

That was the breakthrough he needed to drop by Sandy’s ship to finally get help. The river demon was already waiting for him with tea and an encouraging smile. It was hard, opening up. But it was something MK needed to do. He didn’t want this haunting every moment in his life.

MK wasn’t alone in this either. When he felt ready, his friends came and sat in on the sessions. It helped, talking through what he experienced with them. Even Red Son deigned to come by Sandy’s boat to support MK, insistent that he was only there for the tea and nothing else.

“So you’re saying that you are comfortable with me since the differences between me and the inferior me is so blatant that it hurts,” Red Son concluded near the end of the session. “Why not focus on the differences of your pathetic friends too? It will most likely have the same effect.”

“I-” MK blinked. “Actually, you’re onto something.”

“Obviously. My thought process is far more advanced than your puny peasant brain.”

Sandy was absolutely thrilled at the idea. He even got out his drawing board to start drawing out the differences between the inhabitants of the other world and theirs.

“Let’s start with Red Boy’s-” “Red Son.” “-differences. Is there anything specific that he could say that might trigger you?”

“Oh, um.” MK flushed and looked down. “There’s no way he’d say those things so we can skip that.”

“I insist that you list them out all the same,” Red Son pushed, looking almost concerned for a second. “I do not wish to ever be mistaken for that - that imposter, so having a guideline for what to avoid would help immensely.”

“Well. There’s My Prince.” Red Son nodded, already familiar with that one. “And Beloved.” Red Son choked. “And Darling. And Treasure. And Dearest. And My Ma-

“I think we heard enough!” Red Son cut MK off, face burning red and hair literally burning. MK’s face wasn’t any better. He had started covering it halfway through. “Well! You were correct for once, Monkey Boy. I will certainly never call you any of that.”

MK smiled up at him weakly. “You promise?”

“Of course,” Red Son coughed, looking away. “I would never be so disgustingly sappy or uncreative.”

For Wukong and Macaque, it was a little more complicated. It required a lot of sitting down and divulging their pasts. They spoke about the Brotherhood, the creation of it after meeting Azure Lion, and its eventual dissolution. They spoke about the War Against Heaven and its consequences - Wukong being trapped under a mountain as punishment and Flower Fruit Mountain burning. They lost so much, including each other.

“I was a little jealous of them,” Wukong admitted with a distant look in his eyes. “They still had their friends and bonds intact. Flower Fruit Mountain sounded so lively. Wish they would have appreciated them more.”

“We should visit Brother Ox and Iron Fan and make amends properly,” Macaque suggested to his mate. “I miss my sister and A-Dan deserves to have at least one Uncle and Aunt in her life.”

MK was ever grateful for them opening up old wounds for his sake. And, in a way, it healed them too.

It took time, but MK found a new normal. He restarted his rounds as a delivery boy whenever he wasn’t training or fighting his demon of the week. And he wasn’t alone either. Mei and Red Son fought by his side and even went out to hang out after - not that the Fire Demon would ever admit that was what he was doing.

It was a process, but A-Dan slowly yet surely was getting more and more comfortable with not seeing MK around all the time. He always visited, of course, but he always went back to his little apartment at the end of the day. She understood that she couldn’t keep her Gege all to herself. Eventually.

“…and things have been getting better. We’re happy and almost back to normal. Or at least a new kind of normal,” MK recounted to his bathroom mirror.

“I’m happy to hear that,” Xiaotian laughed from the other side of the mirror. MK could see the familiar walls of the Celestial Palace. It hurt to look at and remember the first few times interacting with Xiaotian, but now he didn’t even bat an eye at the sight of it. See? Improvement. “Really, MK. You deserve it.”

“And what about you? Time flows differently over there, right? A lot of things must’ve happened ever since the last update.”

“Well, I managed to successfully push for a law that would give mortal humans equal rights and proper citizenship! And all forms of slavery are illegal now!” Xiaotian announced proudly. “Mom and Dad helped too. They’re starting to understand what I was trying to push for.”

MK grimaced. “I’m not saying that you’re lying but…”

Xiaotian didn’t take it personally. “I know, I know, they already did and said too much to trust any kind of change. Honestly, I don’t think that they’re really suited for the whole ‘ruling the world’ sort of gig. Too much responsibility for a pair of lovebirds so into each other, you know? But they’re getting better and they’ll continue to be better. The Triplets and I are making sure of that.”

“Hey, speaking of the Triplets, how are they? Getting into some cheeky mischief?”

Xiaotian’s smile turned fondly exasperated. “The Eastern Wing of the palace grounds got destroyed again.”

“Oof. Again? Who was it this time?”

“In a way, it was all of them,” Xiaotian sighed. “Shan was running his mouth as usual and annoyed Yang into his emotional explosions. Xue’s tail got singed in the chaos of it all and froze everything in his panic.”

Like Xiaotian and Xiaodan, the Triplets took the same “Xiao” to their names and all mostly took after their Baba’s coloring. Like their Stone Monkey Baba and their Shadow Monkey Mama, they were all very powerful and unique in their own ways.

Xiaoyang, the first to hatch, not only inherited his Baba’s appearance that it was almost uncanny, but he also inherited his tendency to feel and react too much. Unfortunately, unlike his Baba when he was angry, he exploded. Literally.

Four-Eared Xiaoxue was the opposite. He kept his emotions bottled up like his mother, only to release his resentment and anger in the perfect moment that sent those who wronged him reeling. Though, when distressed or surprised, he would accidentally summon ice storms to the palace’s doorsteps.

And Xiaoshan. The instigator. The mischief-maker. He was chaos incarnate and the usual suspect whenever things went wrong. The moment he could walk and talk, it was over for the Celestial Realm. It didn’t help that he was frighteningly in tune with hearing the future with his six ears.

The Triplets were frightening. Even more so to MK when he realized that their powers and personalities were an amalgamation of Wukong, Macaque, and MK’s past, trauma, and flaws. Xiaoyang being born with a blind eye. Xiaoxue being almost unnaturally cold to touch. Xiaoshan being, well, Xiaoshan.

“Sorry about that,” MK said, completely embarrassed. “If I knew that I would literally manifest my trauma into them because I repressed them for so long, I’d have looked for help sooner.”

“For the millionth time, they’re not the manifestation of your trauma, they’re like me: the culmination of possibilities that had, has, and will happen in your universe. Besides, they’re perfect.”

“I’m still sorry for making all of this so hard for you.”

“Are you kidding me? All I ever wanted was to be real. To exist. I’m happy to be alive and here with my family, MK. And no amount of chaos or trouble is ever going to change that.”

Before Xiaotian could say any more, he was interrupted by a chorus of childish voices. To MK’s amusement, young monkey demons started to climb up Xiaotian’s fancy robes, begging for his attention.

“Da-ge, what’cha talkin’ to? Is it your Mirror Friend? I wanna talk to ‘em too!” Shan chattered.

“Da-ge, come here. You promised to read me a story,” Xue demanded as imperiously as he could while carrying a scroll his size.

“Da-ge, I want noodles,” Yang pleaded with a puppy-dog eye.

Xiaotian scruffed them all and gathered them up in a blink of an eye. “Whelp, time to go. Talk to you later, MK.”

“Yeah, see you later, bud.”

Before MK and Xiaotian could close their line of communication, Shan’s gaze suddenly sharpened and focused on MK. That never happened before. Usually, it was only Xiaotian who could see him through the mirror.

“Don’t open the bad scroll. It’ll eat everyone you love.”

MK shivered at the ominous words. “What-?”

Xiaotian bopped Shan’s nose like he was a misbehaving puppy. “No. Bad Shan. You’re not allowed to use your weirdly-specific prophecies to make other people uncomfortable. Do you want to get into trouble again?”

“I’m not scared of ‘Ba!” Shan yelled stubbornly.

“What about Mom?”

Shan stopped struggling and fell silent.

“…don’t tell ‘Ma.”

“Thought so,” Xiaotian snickered before turning to MK. “Don’t worry too much, MK. Just stay away from weird scrolls and you’ll be okay.”

“Right.” MK’s apartment shook at the force of an explosion. He took out his staff in alarm and peered out of his window. “Whelp, gotta go too! Demons are causing trouble again!”

“See you later, MK. Oh, and give A-Dan an extra hug for me, okay?”

Later, after MK lugged an entire cart full of forbidden artifacts to Flower Fruit Mountain for safekeeping, he did.

“Gege, back! A-Dan, love!” She cooed.

“Yeah, I’m back! And I got all this cool stuff we can look at! With your Mama and Baba’s supervision, of course.”

“Yay! Fun!”

A-Dan was safe. They were safe. And he hoped this “normal” stayed with them for a while before the next big adventure shook up their lives again.

Unbeknownst to them, a black scroll shifted in the pile and glowed.

[winderlylandchime]

I really am my brothers sister because I completely forgot that I came to your blog to tell you something the second I saw Gale’s face. My bad!!

But now to tell you what I came here to say originally. My dumb brother (yes, that is necessary) sprained his ankle. He’s fine but he is now again on bed rest for a few days or whatever and he has crutches which has been proven is a dangerous thing for him to have.. And on top of that he got sick with a fever…again (cus the face palm moment)

Now i know you’re probably wondering what the hell did he do now? Well let me tell you the story that is making the whole family laugh (in a loving way) He took out the trash and kept his door just slightly open to keep the cat inside and as he was trying to sneak back in, Brian took his opportunity and broke free and my brother ran after him and since he was only in slippers and it was raining like crazy he- and I say this with love- ate shit. And in the process of that he also locked himself and the cat outside. In a tank top and shorts.

The good thing is our aunt lives near him so he just went to hers and she took him to the ER and helped break into his house again but the bad thing is that when she took him to the ER, they’re also used of him there bc i wish this was the first time he stupidly injured himself. So the second he walked in they went “oh come on (his name), what did you do now?”

Since he has a ring camera we now have a video of him trying to sneak inside going ‘move, Brian, moooove. Bri, don’t make me use grown up words’ and then Brian escaped and he after him screaming ‘BRIAN YOU LITTLE DICK COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW! YOU LIL SHIT COME HERE ITS FUCKING RAINI- (this is where he ate shit)’ and you just see darkness and then hear him go ‘oh now you come to me!’ He sent the video to everyone he knew. And ngl it is my favorite thing in the world.

But anyway the reason why I’m even bothering telling you all of this, is to say that this bed rest and him being sick for like two days lead to something that he called extreme boredom and he ended up making an ao3 account. I repeat, the man made an ao3 account. He briefly entertained the idea of tumblr but since he sucks, so he just made an ao3 account. I was actually shocked when he asked me for the invitation and how it works and everything. He has not told me yet if he just wants to use it to leave kudos or what but i guess this is a PSA.

OH NOOOOO!!!! Brother anon!

Listen, I sliced my hand last week in a (failed) attempt to save skincare from falling out of my medicine cabinet and learned that my partner of 17 years gets faint at the sight of blood. So we FaceTimed my father-in-law when it was 1 am his time because he's a former paramedic to determine if I should go to the ER.

I also once sprained my ankle trying to save my coffee while I was mid-trip. Spoiler: I did not save the coffee AND my ankle was fucked.

One time my partner when ass over head tripping over my sister-in-law's dog and it was caught on a nanny-cam and I made it into a gif.

So there's a long history on my end of injuries in dumb ways so I feel empathy for your brother. This is a good lesson that a cat is gonna cat and will definitely sneak out if given the chance.

BROTHER ANON IS ON AO3!! That is incredible! Welcome to the incredible world of fanfiction Brother! My collection of my favorite QAF fics is here Also every other TV show and movie he has ever enjoyed probably has fanfiction on AO3.

[midori-laboratories]

Flowers and Ash, Chapter 3

Book 1, Calendula Chronicles series.

Story synopsis: When the eldest daughter of Edward Ashford accompanies her father and brother on a last-minute trip in 1968 to secure their legacy, an act of spite turns into a boon for the family. When tragedy and scandal strike, the survivors will have to be clever if they are to live long enough to pick up the pieces of their lives. Pre-slash/Gen.

Chapter synopsis: An Incident of Note.

CW for eventual violence, implied death of family member, isolation, dissociation, and violence

Marigold’s tent lay quiet but undisturbed in the executive section of the camp. Alexander, already dressed and heading for breakfast, snickered to himself as he approached. As tough as she acted for her station, she had been having a hell of a time holding her gin for the last few weeks.

Then he stopped, puzzled. Her battery-powered lamp was still faintly visible through the canvas. Had she been so far gone- no. She’d been fairly steady walking back, stopping to thank the porters dropping off fresh canteens of water and their quinine pills.

“Mari? Did you sleep in? We’re going to miss breakfast if you don’t hurry,” he called out, approaching slowly.

He pushed open the tent flap. “Come on, this isn’t funny. “

Under the drape of mosquito netting, Marigold lay silent, unresponsive. Alex blanched, then dropped to his knees fumbling under to netting to find a pulse. He found one, faint and fast.

He looked at her again, breath shallow. Her skin was flushed, but cool, clammy. Feverish.

Any doctor in this part of the world would have taken this for malaria. The symptoms aligned. But…they had taken measures. This cave was of interest to two of the top virologists in the world, and one of them was salivating at the thought of weaponizing it.

The notes from the mercenaries said that people had ingested the flowers in the case en masse, dying quickly.

Alexander had come across enough little wonders these last few weeks in the camp that he was rarely without a sample kit. More to the point, if anyone were to be infected in the middle of this marsh, despite the literal bomb of insecticide that had been dropped in the cursed fen, they needed to prioritize diagnosis and act quickly. The work was too time-sensitive to be waylaid by something as common as a parasite.

A few moments, some, gloves, a filled vial, a fevered prayer for her to not die, and perhaps also to not kill him in his sleep for the intrusion, Alexander stepped out of the tent, test kit palmed. An onlooker would have claimed that looked a good five years older at that moment, although none came.

There was a first aid station by the mess tent, with Giesma stain and a few microscopes available for quick diagnoses. The mercenaries in particular had appreciated the quick, ready medical care and decent food on top of their pay, Marigold had pointed out to him earlier that week. Panic hit him at the thought. If it were what he suspected...

Training taking over, he prepped the slide and peered into the scope. Frowned.

A dry cough came from behind him. Steeling his nerves, he turned with a polite smile to see his father standing in the doorway. Marcus had trailed behind, looking so tense that he might have screamed if as much as a gust of wind blew past. Just so.

“Good morning father,” he injected a note of cheer that he knew would ring false to familiar ears.

Edward Ashford’s brows raised slightly, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he redirected the line of questioning. “We missed you at breakfast. Is someone unwell?” The mildness in his voice took on a chill. Marcus had drifted into Alexander’s line of sight, looking a touch sick himself. Clearly, someone was regretting an incredibly stupid course of action.

Alex forced a chuckle. “Mari must have caught a bug on the ride here. I told her not to skip her meds in the evening, but she said they made her nauseous.” An obvious lie, and furthermore, nicknames were strictly something for use at home. Family. The increasingly ridiculous researcher who had trailed in behind Edward Ashford, looking like he’d suddenly been given a pardon from death row, had not gone unmarked by either of them. No wonder this vicious moron had been tossed out of academia at the first opportunity.

Edward stepped forward, instinctively moving to verify for himself. Alexander’s hand shot out as his father moved to see for himself, gripping his arm hard. “I’ve got this in hand- could you save me a plate before they close up the breakfast service though?” Marigold would be proud of her brother for that moment if she ever woke up again. Her mild-mannered little brother, finally showing a flash of the infamous Ashford steel temper. “Lots to do today.”

Edward held his son’s gaze, startled. Something was terribly wrong, and he couldn’t say it in front of Doctor Marcus. Who had a rather panicked and winded look about him.

Without another word, Lord Ashford nodded and spoke in a tone far lighter than he felt. “We can make some time then,” he stepped back and turned, forcing Marcus to scuttle back as Ashford pinned him with a searching gaze.

And then the elder Ashford was gone.

Marcus turned back to the younger Ashford and, deeply uncertain, stepped back into the shade. Alexander had used the moment to quickly snatch the slide out of its cradle, depositing the contents of the kit back into the padded utility vest he wore. Alexander now stood at his cleaned station, eyes cool, silent.

Marcus swallowed, clearly realizing he’d fucked up. “Ah…everything’s alright then?” He was clearly trying for a genial tone, the fucking idiot.

“Clearly not, but we’ll manage,” Alexander replied. He pulled off his gloves, inverting them into a single ball and stuffing them into the pocket he used for trash. Completely ignoring the medical waste bin by his elbow.

Marcus’ eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I should come along. To check.”

“Perhaps I could let her slit your throat for trying to poison her- she was captain of her school's fencing team, that's not an empty threat. I assume that’s what the facial gymnastics just now were referring to. No, no, we hardly need to belabor the point.” Alexander smiled coldly, cutting off whatever denial was about to spew from the other man’s open mouth. “I’m apt to do it myself, should I find out you’ve gone anywhere near my sister with intent to harm. Then again, she’s the one who’d really enjoy it. You know, the little things in life.” He straighten his clothes and stepped forward. “Kindly get the fuck out of my way. I have rather a lot more to do today.”

Marcus fled. A moment passed, and Alexander began to move with purpose back to the executive tents. His father fell into step beside him. “Brilliant man, but I think Oswell overplayed his hand on that one.” He carried an apple and a bread roll in one hand. Another kit- the bulkier one with a microscope included- was tucked under the other arm awkwardly.

Alexander took the food gratefully, allowing his father to shift the bundle to a more comfortable grip. He’d obviously hung around in earshot, and he was grateful (though a touch embarrassed) for the consideration. He considered the food. He’d prefer to do this on an empty stomach, but…it was going to be a long day. That much he had said to Marcus in truth.

Possibly also the violence. The day was still young.

“One of us will need to be back at the main site as soon as possible. Probably you. Definitely you. Marcus and I shouldn’t be anywhere near each other for a while.”

Edward slowed. Stopped. “Hold on.” His face was grave. “No. Oswell wouldn’t…no.”

“I doubt Oswell would be working to recruit her, and then allow this. He seems quite pleased yesterday after dinner,” Alexander stopped, impatiently gesturing for his father to hurry up. Edward hesitated, then complied. Were the situation not so grave, he would have taken the moment to express his quiet pride in the boy’s resolve.

They reached the tent. “If anyone asks, you verified my findings and we’re treating her for malaria presently. I’d prefer not to move her for now, but we’ll see what happens. And someone will have to keep her away from knives when she wakes. I saw her take her full dose last night, but I bet Marcus thinks I found her pills. He was clearly terrified.” Alexander sighed. He didn’t like how this equation would have to balance (and Marigold would be furious...if even she woke up), but he would follow the math through if it meant his family’s legacy project could be salvaged. A stalemate, then. “I need to be recording her vitals till then.”

Edward sighed. Alexander rarely kept secrets of this nature, not from him. But, as much as the two bickered and fought, Marigold had always adored her little brother in her own way.

He had been summoned down from his study when they were both small, to find the local schoolteacher escorting the bashful boy and a murderous-looking girl. He had learned then and there that a young tough had tried to call her bluff to take a switch to anyone who picked on her little brother, only to learn that the future Lady Ashford was an utter hellcat at a mere eight years old. Schooling and training were meant to smooth the edges of that, but Alexander clearly believed her capable of dealing his elder colleague serious injury. “You don’t think it’s malaria at all, do you.”

“Officially? I absolutely do. And you really should until we’re all safely back home.” Alexander binned another pair of gloves and unwrapped a cloth face mask. Edward’s jaw dropped slightly as he finally allowed the truth to hit home. “Unofficially, we could have our first Sonnetreppe survivor. We’ve both had time to read the reports from this past spring. I have a preference for which side of the Atlantic she goes home on, and she made a point of telling me to mind the very nice men will the many large guns whom Uncle Spencer is paying.”

---

Spencer sighed. “James, we’ve really got to find better outlets for you.”

Marcus stood before him at the pavilion, wringing his hands in distress. He didn’t offer excuses. There really weren’t any excuses Spencer seemed about to accept, and Marcus knew it.

No one had said anything, but the sudden shift in demeanor of both Ashfords and Marcus, paired with the conspicuous absence of the young lady Ashford, who had been touring the site and learning what she could with interest on a regular basis, made the shape of the situation was obvious enough.

The young lady’s negligence and poor luck had caught up to her, though it was lucky that it had manifested where she could be treated properly - if Edward’s report on the situation were the whole story. Their continued murderous glances at the cowering Marcus suggested there was a malicious factor in the incident that was going unsaid. Marcus didn’t seem to be offering any defense and seemed to know exactly what had happened.

On a venture like this, a personality like Marcus was inevitable. Without a push like an anonymous tip to the dean of a certain university, Marcus would have hoarded data jealously, even from the man who provided his grants, likely to break away and wrap himself in pewter academic glory. Severing that link and letting the man loose in a controlled environment was for the best if his ego could be managed.

For a brief moment he had entertained a scenario where… but no. The odds of survival were so low as to be considered nil. The girl still lived, thus Sonnetroppe was out of the question as a vector. Even the young Mis Trevor had succumbed to a large extent, and her viral strain had been carefully cultivated for the task.

Good students might be valuable, but a foolish genius whose insecurities could be so easily leveraged was priceless.

Marcus, of course, would need a shorter leash in the future. Miss Ashford was indeed quite lucky that his botanist had failed in his attempt on her life, and that the Ashfords, furious as they clearly were, were also pragmatic. This trip was very nearly over, and their preparations at this stage were coming to completion. And soon, thanks to a piece of equipment packed up for the Europe lab and set to fail at a critical moment, the Ashford faction might cease to be an issue at all.

---

Marigold’s fever broke on the second day- no visitors, no solicitations permitted. If her eyes had taken on a slightly more glacial cast, it was subtle enough to miss through the veil of the relief of her family. As the sun rose on the next new day, the group took a car out to the airfield, their samples packed carefully into a trailing vehicle. The rest could be shipped after, Spencer assured them. He seemed bemused at the situation as a whole. With the weakened and disoriented girl, bundled into the back, the return journey was longer, but Connor managed to make the rough drive as smooth as a newly paved road. The girl smiled wanly in thanks when they reached the airfield, and a business card found its way into the mercenary’s hand as they moved to load everyone into the plane as quickly as possible.

---

Six weeks passed, a vial broke at the worst possible time, and Alexander Ashford watched his father slip away. No malicious cause could ever be proven, and the incident was ruled an accident. The blame largely fell upon the son.

In hindsight, neither of his surviving children should have been surprised.

[josiebelladonna]

This year’s kinktober almost didn’t happen. I think it was in April, when my mom and I seriously believed that we were going to lose the house and we were going to be homeless, when I thought for certain that I was done. Luckily, we managed to save the house by the absolute skin of our teeth, but I still had no feelings whatsoever for doing kinktober. If anything, I was actually looking into doing whumptober or the like, something that wasn’t sexual at all, and something different, too. It was my thinking about fever that got me back into it, my million word beastie that is still standing strong and high in the thrash metal tags even two years after completion. I thought of fever and the fact that I essentially got fucked over in 2023, how everyone just flocked to nickybloodhead and left the rest of us alone—and I just naturally felt terrible about myself.

around this time, my mom and I started binging Top Gear and The Grand Tour again: even though it wasn’t as good as their other specials, I was especially drawn to their Patagonia special, the 1000-mile journey down to Tierra del Fuego and the gateway to Antarctica. The fear those three men felt, given the fact that, even 40 years on, the people of southern Argentina are still incredibly raw about the Falklands War. Jeremy’s Porsche being the raison d’être for the violence directed at them. we started watching the Grand Tour again, and their Mongolia adventure woke something in me (I also love “Seamen”, when they’re in Cambodia; “Lochdown”, when they’re in Scotland with the big American cars; and “Carnage à Trois”, when they’re in France).

all the while, we started rewatching Project Runway. The male designers, in particular Dmitry and Christian, caught my attention. About a week ago, we started rewatching Skinwalker Ranch and from the very beginning.

and of course, we were watching no shortage of cooking and baking shows. anything and everything light* because current scripted tv does fuck all and the news of the world is fucking awful. (* - heh, I say “light.” More like “light by comparison”).

About a week before my summer vacation (which only turned out to be a month, explanation in a bit), I threw my hat into the ring when I didn’t see anyone else do that. It was going to be one part spite and one part redemption. Like the next day, the tag was flooded with people doing the same thing. The day after that, ficsforgaza came online. This was about a month after The Tortured Poets’ Department came out, too, so I started thinking about other double albums (The Wall, The White Album, Degradation Trip 1 & 2, Use Your Illusion 1 & 2, Physical Graffiti, Electricladyland, Quadrophenia, The Moon and Antarctica, The Fragile, To Venus and Back, so on so forth). I also got into more blues-laden music like The Tragically Hip and Iron & Wine; Fiona Apple is another recurring one in the last month or so. A lot of Pantera, too, especially around the time I went quiet. But it all got me thinking. If I’m going to redeem myself, I have to be completely myself, in all my darkness and complex and dense emotions. All my weirdness and humor. All the things and men and women who resonate with me. If it means I have to do this twice, I’ll take it.

I went quiet for the month of June to rest and refresh, and then in the last week, I noticed… Alex is acting strange again, but this isn’t the strangeness from last year because in hindsight, it was obvious he was worried about his parents. He sought out the Waking Up app, which is a big sprawling app centered on meditation but without the religious crap, which sounded brilliant to me at first glance—I can’t say how many times I’ve sought out things to tell me the correlation between sexuality and spirituality only to find someone preaching about god or the bible all the while, much to my frustration. But upon further research, I saw the app’s modus operandi is based around telling you that there’s something inherently wrong with you, and it charges over $100 a year following the first 30 days. (I don’t care what it is, either, who the hell comes out here, in a time of an ongoing pandemic and when the vast majority of the country can barely afford a week’s worth of groceries and showcases an app that costs $100 and only works 10% of the time?!)

The first red flag from him was that he scoffed at baked goods, specifically donuts. I’m a baker now, next to being an artist and a writer, so of course I took that to heart (and donuts are on my “to bake” list, too, especially the sufganiyot at Hanukkah). But it reminded me of the toxic diet culture of the 2000s that I grew up with, where sugar and pastries were demonized and we all developed unhealthy relationships with it. “Holidays are for indulging” doesn’t help, either—if anything, I feel that makes it worse because a fight with your body is a battle you can’t win. Does it make it taste better? Sure, absolutely. But when paired with this “it’s all shit” mindset, it makes it moot.

The second red flag was the recent lack of interaction with me. He’d like my comments constantly, often when nobody was looking which I think is interesting, and before the shift, he was as sweet as ever to me on his Friday night livestreams. And then a week after his last one on the solstice, it was like someone flipped a switch. All of a sudden, he wants nothing to do with me and he’s slobbering all over the woman he’s been with like she’s going to get away from him. I was never notified about this past livestream, too: and it was really fucking weird once I discerned that he had done it at 2am his time.

So, to get back at him, I’ve been referencing donuts and sweet stuff more, and I won’t leave any comments on anything he posted. Make him miss me because he’s acting like he just drank snake oil, and as I said, I’ve seen how toxic culture plays out. What you resist, persists. I remember being bodyshamed into being thin and sneaking extra sweets when no one was looking, and then I wouldn’t eat anything for hours the next day.

Your cravings for pastries and all things “indulgent” are only going to get worse, alex. Your craving for me is only going to get stronger. But you know what? I’ll be waiting for you, ready to take you to paradise on the back of a Tijuana sunrise, down to Tierra del Fuego in my proverbial Porsche. The hungry lion throws itself on the antelope.

I’ll always be waiting for you, my tortured poet, my bard, my Slavic designer, my sufganiyot.

[alicesodyssey]

Spider-Verse Spider-Sona

Wanted to hop on the Spidersona train thanks to my little brother. This Earth is based on a Victorian-era style, with many villains having literary references. Eleanor Parker comes from a well-off family, but much to her mother’s dismay, she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps into science. She was working on a cure for scarlet fever when a spider got into some of her chemicals. The spider survived, and Eleanor kept it around as a pet to see how it developed. Eleanor contracts Scarlet Fever and, in desperation, drinks one of her antidotes. It doesn’t work until the spider takes pity on her. It bites her with the venom interacting with the formula curing her and giving her spider powers. She dresses in a more masculine costume as she would not be taken seriously as a female hero. She uses a fencing sword as she grew up listening to the story of the Three Musketeers. (I haven’t decided if I’ll keep that or not). Art by my very talented little brother, who wanted to help make mine after making one of his own. Think I’m making Norman Osborn/Green Goblin Dr. Jeykle/Mr. Hyde! Introducing the villains, at least what we have so far! See if you can spot their inspirations! Not every villain has a back story yet, but here we go! Ideas are always welcome. Adrian Toomes: Known as the Vulture, as his actual name is currently known to the public. Toomes was a cruel man who was always jealous of his younger and more successful counterparts. One day a particularly boastful man with an eye for getting the best contracts came in raving about his success. Toomes snaps, killing the younger man. Toomes then gets the idea to hide the body under his floorboard. While he got away with death, he is driven mad when he believes he can still hear the heartbeat. So he disposes of the heart in the only way his broken mind can think and consumes it. Now he prowls the streets killing those he sees as youthful and successful, with the only thing missing from the bodies being the hearts.

Hydro-Man: Morris Bench was nothing more than a lowly assistant to a French marine biologist who wanted to study the monstrous creatures of the ocean. One day their ship is captured by a mysterious submersible whose captain takes them as prisoners on his wild travels, his latest claiming to be on a mission to be the first to the Arctic, claiming he can do so as his machine is powered but a mysterious power source. Unfortunately, their trip is doomed as the submersible is attacked by a giant squid that crushes them. The Bench is the only one to escape as he takes the only dive suit k! killing anyone who tries to take it from him. He gets away into the ocean only for the submersible to explode, and Bench is caught in the crossfire. A small amount of ocean water had started to leak into the suit, and the unknown power source turned Bench into water. Bench uses the dive suit to keep his form.

Mystery Man: The great Quintin Beck was once a successful stage magician who used science to create his performances. Unfortunately, his act had gone stale, and no one would attend his shows. He had the idea to create a chemical compound to make himself invisible. It worked…too well.

Electro: Maxwell Dillion was not a good man, so he was sent to the gallows. At the same time, a scientist named Galvini was studying the effects of electricity, especially when it came to living animals. He had shown in previous experiments how he could cause deceased animals to temporarily move again using electricity. But what if the same could happen to humans. He obtained the body of Dillion, to which he hooked up a larger version of his machine to the body and sent the electricity into the body. The body was almost completely destroyed, but Maxwell Dillion did return with electrifying results.

Finally, Kraven the Wolf Hunter: Alexei Kravinoff was the best big game hunter. He called himself the wolf because of the way he would tear into his prey. But he was also very prideful and always wanted bigger and better kills. On his latest trip to Africa, he came upon a Panther. Now the locals had warned Kravinoff that out of all the animals in this area, the Panther was the only creature he was to leave alone as it was sacred to this tribe. Unfortunately, the ever-prideful Kravinoff took it as a challenge and slew one of the great panthers. Enraged, the people demanded why Kravinoff had gone against their request. Kravinoff merely shrugged, claiming he was like the wolves and not bound to respect any sacred animal. The people were enraged and, much to Kravinoff’s horror, well-known for mystical arts. They cursed Kravinoff to turn into the beast he claimed he was. Now he would know the fear of being hunted.