#do NOT cheer for him jaren do NOT

[ahungeringknife]

365: April 25

Shin and Savant's friendship is so excellent I'm so glad they're friends even if Shin would rather eat glass than admit it aloud where Savant could hear

---

Shin had his eyes closed while he sat in his cockpit. He wasn't sleeping he just had nothing better to do between Gambit games sometimes. His Ghost was playing some music in the back of the ship, entertaining itself more than anything. He was going over the last game in his mind, bickering with that stupid ass EXO Savant, and Wolf yelling at them both to shut up and shoot the Invader. The music got louder and he opened one eye to see his Ghost float over. "What?" he asked.

His Ghost said nothing, just popped open. "Shin!" Savant's cheerful voice came out of his Ghost.

"I have told you not to call me," Shin said aggravated.

He was completely ignored. "Did you know you have a fanclub?"

Shin rolled his eyes. As if this was a topic of conversation. Also yes he was very aware of both his creepy Crucible fanclub full of Guardians and his creepy in a different way fanclub of Lightless. "If you're just now realizing I have-

"No no! I mean like... Skinner has a fanclub."

Shin blinked at his Ghost who looked at him with the same expression he was giving his Ghost: what the fuck? Skinner wasn't even a real person. A lazy alias to play Gambit to keep an eye on Drifter. Shin was also one of the only paper Dredgens who's name was also their Dredgen title. How the fuck did his fake bullshit keep attracting fans? He wasn't even nice! He still didn't know how he'd accumulated followers as Dredgen Vale sometimes. Shin was not a super charismatic person and Vale was just him pretending to be like Jaren to the point of parody. Skinner was even less likable. On purpose!

"What?" he asked, incredulous, almost insulted that somehow Skinner had a fanclub. That somehow Shin had accumulated a fanclub for another alias.

"Yeah!"

"And you're telling me this why? Also why the fuck do you know this?"

"Dredgen Hunter has a fan club too," Savant prattled on. "Which I thought was really cool so I engage with them. Lightless are kinda crazy but they're all pretty excited I interact with them. Also since I've been playing with you and Wolf there's been some overlap with Wolf's crazy ass fanclub." Yeah, Shin had seen that only on the periphery of his engagements on Crucible apps or some newsletters he was subscribed to. But every time they brushed up against his sphere of giving a shit he was a little terrified of how absolutely wild the Young Wolf's main fanclub was. "They ask me about her all the time and I just play dumb about a lot. Not hard. But most of it really isn't any of my business," Savant was still talking. "There's only been some overlap recently and when I saw what was happening I laughed so hard I nearly reset myself."

"Considering how stupid you are that doesn't shock me," Shin growled.

Savant never took Shin's heat to heart. Which annoyed him honestly. Shin had absolutely made lesser men shrivel up with a well placed biting word. It just pinged off Savant. "And I had to share," and suddenly Shin's pockit started vibrating like crazy. He fished it out of the pouch he kept it in and opened it up. He'd just gotten eight private messages from a fireteam member.

"What the fuck did you send me?"

"Just look!"

Grumbling Shin opened the link in the first message. He was aware of Lightless writing fictional prose about their favorite Guardians. Hell almost every biography published about him was fictional. But there was stuff on the net too, unpublished. And he did his best not to interact with it. He'd been friends? Acquaintances? Crucible partners? With someone who got invested in their own fanclub's bullshit. It'd been so fucking weird and completely ruined their relationship. Also like three quarters of it was fans writing weird relationship stuff that just... baffled him.

This message was to a site he'd never been to but recognized it for what it was. A hub for collecting fan written stories about their favorite Guardians, specifically Gambit players by all the green and snake icons. Shin was regretting even looking as he scanned the meta tags about the story in question.

"I'm going to fucking. Kill you," Shin snapped at Savant through his Ghost. On the other end Savant howled with laughter. "Don't show me this fucking garbage!" Savant just kept laughing. This particular story was about a sexual (or romantic, he didn't read that far) relationship between Dredgen Hunter and Dredgen Skinner.

"Isn't it fucking amazing?" Savant asked around his laughter.

"No!"

"It's so stupid I had to share! And there's more," Savant giggled foolishly, his voice box hiccuping in a way that would be endearing if Shin wasn't fucking furious.

"Don't fucking tell me that," Shin growled. "You fucking piss me off."

"Not according to your fangirls," Savant teased him.

"Are you on your ship or the Derelict?"

"Derelict," Savant said smugly. Shin growled wordlessly. Savant knew Shin wouldn't transmat directly onto the Derelict to beat his ass like he would if he was on ship.

"You are letting me invade the rest of the day for assaulting my eyes with this bullshit," Shin growled.

"Okay okay okay," Savant said snickering. His pockit vibrated a few times. "Those aren't about us," he told Shin.

"I don't want any of these!" Shin all but shouted.

"They're about Skinner and Wolf," Savant said coyly.

"Who they're about doesn't matter. Fuck you. Ghost, end the call," he snapped, done with this bullshit. His Ghost closed to the sound of Savant's giggling.

"Huh," his Ghost said.

"Fucking hate that guy," Shin growled and slouched in his chair, arms folded.

"Want me to disconnect from the fireteam?"

"No," he still wanted to play with Wolf and if he did he'd have to suffer playing with Savant too.

"He is very annoying," his Ghost agreed with him. Just about the only thing he and his Ghost did agree on. He floated away and once more started playing music to entertain himself in the ship cabin.

Shin sat there for a few minutes before pulling his pockit out again and going to Savant's messages. He ignored the original messages but... fuck who was he kidding? He was super interested in seeing what the Wolf Skinner ones were like. He might have been in denial but he wasn't a fucking fool either. Making sure his Ghost wasn't paying attention to him he opened one of the DredgenWolf/DredgenSkinner links. It was pretty self indulgent but fuck it he could be a bit self indulgent now and then. Right?

[jrueships]

they are, perhaps, evil

[poorlytunedukulele]

Day 8 - On the Road

Sometime in the Dark Ages; Central Plains, Old America, Earth

It was quiet.

Well, it wasn’t, really. The wind was ever-blowing in this place, sending the grass waving and rustling, but an ever-blowing wind made an ever-present noise.  Those were hard not to tune out.  And the wood Jaren had gathered for this fire was dry- no smoke, no crackling.  So although there was the wind and the fire, it was still quiet to his ears.

It was easier to mind the quiet on your lonesome.  Silence seemed expected then.  But tonight Jaren had someone to talk to (hence the fire- too dangerous to keep with just one person around, but an undeniable pleasure now).  That person just didn’t seem to want to talk.

Jaren studied the other Risen intently.  The Risen studied him back.  She had an air of cheerfulness to her.  Maybe it was just in the way her hair bounced.  It would be easy to mistake her for sullen; she’d hardly spoken three words the entire past hour. But there had been an intense interest in her eyes and a spring in her step as she’d settled her few possessions in the temporary campsite.  

When she’d pulled up to Jaren’s resting place, she hadn’t been aggressive.  She’d leaned back on her bike, took in his little nook (really just a rocky spot where the grass didn’t grow) with a keen eye, and had simply asked, “Mind some company?”  She hadn’t reached for the gun on her hip.  So Jaren hadn’t reached for his.  Sometimes that’s all it took to form a friendship or alliance out here.  The simple act of mutual non-aggression wasn’t common.  People were just as likely to shoot you and take your stuff as offer a friendly word.

Jaren wasn’t very good at the conversation thing.  He’d been sore for practice, admittedly.  This was not a populated area.  Though he would call himself personable, he was not a chatty individual.  Neither, it seemed, was she.  The silence was obvious and grating.  They’d eaten a meal of tinned soup and set up their sleeping arrangements without a word spoken.  The sun had set without comment from either of them.  Now they sat, face-to-face across the fire, eyeing each other.

Jaren decided to roll the dice.  “This is going to be a real awkward night ‘less one of us starts talking,” he led.

The other Risen pulled in a deep breath and leaned back.  “I’m trying to figure out your deal,” she said.  It sounded like a complaint, almost.

“My deal?”  Jaren asked.

“Everyone’s got a deal,” the woman replied.  “The world’s a stage.  What’s your role?  You a refugee?  A trader? A deposed Warlord?”  There was a spark of mischief in her eyes.  “An aspiring Warlord, maybe?”

“Just a traveler,” Jaren demurred.

“Where ya headed?”

“West,” Jaren answered truthfully.

“Old Francisco?” she asked. “Or maybe more south, to Phoenix? News is there’s been a shakeup there. Might be a good opportunity for someone looking for some land and a foothold.”  She watched Jaren’s face for a sign of approval and saw none.  “Or maybe… Kamchatka?  Eurasia?”

“No,” Jaren said. “Just… west.”

The woman seemed to accept that answer.  “Ha!”  She slapped her knee.  “What’re you going to do when you get there?”

Jaren shrugged. “Help,” he said.  “Clear out some Fallen, patch some holes.  Sleep in a bed for a few nights.  Move on to the next place.”

The woman was eyeing him even more critically now.  “Ever think of settling down?”

These were the kind of conversations one got into with strangers.  The travel stripped away all of the little events; one river crossing was the same as another.  The only things that seemed worth talking about were the big things, the important, the personal.  And the woman was right- the wilds were full of characters.  You never met two people alike.

So Jaren actually put effort into his answer.  “Never found somewhere worth settling for,” he said.  He scratched at the stubble on his chin and added to that thought. “Haven’t really been lookin’, to be honest.”

“A lone hero, wandering the plains,” the woman said, an air of storytelling in her voice.  “Saving lives, then off to where the wind blows him.” Jaren couldn’t tell if she was mocking him or not.

“A traveler,” he corrected. “Just tryin’ to make the world a bit better.”

“A noble cause,” the woman admitted.  “And a sadly uncommon one.  You on your own?”

Jaren just raised an eyebrow and made a show of looking around his campsite, notably devoid of other people.

“Fair ‘nough,” the woman said deferentially.  “Site looked more permanent than just a traveling camp.  Thought you might’ve been waiting for someone.”

He could have told her that he’d had to stay put for a few days while he fixed his Sparrow- but admitting to having a broken bike might have been a fatal mistake.  It would be putting a neon sign over his head- rob me, I can’t chase after you.  Though frankly she didn’t seem the type.  Jaren considered himself a good judge of character, and if he had to make an impulse decision, he’d trust this woman.  The friendliness coming from her was real.  Even if she had an overdeveloped sense of drama, it came from a genuine appreciation for the world and the people around her.

Still, he wasn’t one to take dumb chances.  Dumb people did not live long out here.  The law of the land was privacy first and foremost, so he kept his mouth shut and shrugged again.  The woman had no choice but to move on from that line of questioning.

“I’ve been looking for… something to do,” she admitted.  Jaren did not miss the forlorn tone of her voice, though she covered it with an air of cheerful indifference.  She knew what she wanted to do but she couldn’t do it, for whatever reason.  She’d lost something.

The woman twirled a piece of grass between her fingers.  “Mind if I… West with you for a while?”

Jaren thought about it. It got lonely on these roads at this point in the year.  Snow in the Rockies stopped all overland traffic.  You could travel for days, weeks even, without seeing another face.  “It’d be nice to be able to keep a fire at night,” he offered.  “But I don’t even know your name.  Or your deal, for that matter.”

That earned him a brilliant grin and a hand offered for shaking.  “Tallulah Fairwind, at your service.”

“Jaren Ward,” he supplied in turn, taking the handshake smoothly.

It wasn’t a friendship. For all of the talk, she knew next to nothing about him, and he even less of her.  There was still an edginess to both of them, a cautious look in the woman’s eye when Jaren’s hand brushed close to his cannon.  It wasn’t even an alliance, for all they might be traveling together tomorrow.

But it was a start.

-

AO3 Linky

[freefallingup13]

Kicked (Jaren’s Puppy)

This one has some more descriptions of where Toni and Jaren live, and the coven they live with. There’s some pretty vulgar stuff going on, you’ve been warned. Jaren is not a nice man.

Taglist: @emreads

Summary: Jaren, the leader of a wild, warmongering vampire coven, likes to keep a few werewolves as attack dogs. Some of the  werewolves the coven keeps - like his favorite “Puppy” Toni - are his personal pets.

CW: This is a pet whump/slavery fic, if I continue to post more of this story there will be dubcon. This piece in particular has non-con touching (non-sexual), implied non-con, implied murder, blood mention, alcohol mention, fire mention, human trafficking (as livestock) mention, dehumanization, head injury, Whumpee is a girl, and the Whumper is called “Master”. (Also for anybody squicked by this specific trope, a second lady whumpee is held in a man’s lap as he taunts her and eventually injures her as he throws her away.)

The party was loud, as they always were. Toni focused on trying to keep her eyes closed, trying to ignore the whooping and hollering. The smell of alcohol was overwhelming.

On the bright side, she could focus on the smells more than the screams.

Beyond the stairs she laid herself on was a large dirt clearing in the middle of camp. All around were tents, ramshackle huts of leather and stone, cages made from tied-together dungeon doors. The other wolves were restless, pacing back and forth. Some of them were half-shifted, stuck in between human and wolf form; most of them preferred to be in their wolf form. It was easier to take the abuse that way. 

The huts belonged to the troops. Most of them were empty, thanks to the celebration. The half-open huts near the clearing seemed to be the only ones that were occupied. (She tried to forget that the outer huts would have people within.) The vampires screamed into the night like wild animals as blood and alcohol dribbled down from their chins. Well - “dribbled” was a polite way of saying how messy they were.

In the clearing was a large bonfire, towering to the sky. The ground below it was always charred to black, even on a normal day. Some of the younger vampires were being dared to jump over it, to run through the flames. Some of them took up the dare, coming out with sooty marks and charred clothes. They would throw their fists in the air with a cry of victory before being swept away in the cheering crowd.

They were all so immature. They were out of control.

But that was the way Master liked it.

Morale was high, there was a feast to be had. The coven whose territory they had taken over this week had hidden a town, hidden a quiet trade of prey. Of course Master had opened it up to his troops once the health of the humans had been verified.

She scrunched her eyes tightly. That was as far as she would think about it. Humans were only livestock here. Nothing else. There was no need to think any further - there was no need to listen.

A frustrated shout to her side made her whimper, cowering onto the stone steps. At the end of the clearing, on top of a hill covered with stolen stone steps, was her Master’s throne. A mishmash of leather, stone, antler and bone, it was an intimidating, chaotic sight. He sat on it now, on layers of animal hides, with another girl in his lap.

“Come on,” Jaren cooed as he wrenched her hands away from him. “Don’t you think it’s nice? Everyone’s happy.”

“No!” the girl shrieked, struggling to get away from him. He only had one arm around her waist, but as a human against a vampire, she had no chance of getting away. “You’re killing them, you’re killing us-!”

“Oh, I’m not doing a thing,” Jaren laughed, grabbing her face roughly. He turned her gaze to the crowd by the fire, the writhing and screams that were a mix of torture and excitement. “You think they didn’t do that to you? You think that family didn’t have their fun, with every single one of you that disappeared?”

The girl hissed, shutting her eyes to avoid the sight, squirming to cover her ears. Jaren wouldn’t let her - he knew her wrists were starting to bruise in his hand, the way she yanked at them so hard. “The Calates protected us!” she yelled. “They kept us safe! The sacrifices were for all our good!”

Jaren couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh, crossing one ankle to his knee and pulling the girl closer. “That’s so fucking cute,” he chuckled as he grabbed her hair, pulling her face close to his. “You meant nothing to them. You were just food. Compliant food, at that. Your village made it so easy for them…”

The girl tried to hide it, but it was overwhelming. The frustrated shriek that broke through her clenched teeth as she tried to hit him only made him grin.

Toni winced, curling up to the side of her Master’s throne. She tried to keep her eye on the fire, fire was nice. Fire flickered, always changed. It would eat everything weak that it was given, then sputter out when there was nothing left to consume. She watched now as pieces of the Calate estate were thrown in. They’d looted paintings, furniture, architecture. The sight of wardrobes full of clothes being emptied onto the fire made her look away.

She didn’t want any reminders that people had been living. They were gone now. They were all dead. They didn’t matter.

A sigh escaped her as she tried to rub at her eyes. It was too much. She’d been good, staying chained up next to Master the entire night so far. This, though, she couldn’t take any more of it. The screaming, the burning, the blood. Worst of all was knowing what people were doing to their prey in the huts on the outside of camp, trying to get their privacy as they-

She shook her head roughly. Don’t think of the dead. They would all be dead, they didn’t matter.

Toni just wanted to go to bed.

Suppressing a whine, she got to her knees, peeking over the armrest of his throne. “M… Master?”

“Huh?” He’d been in the middle of taunting, his hands steadfast on the girl’s hands. Those hands were surely broken by now, with how purpled they were from bruising. “What is it, Pup?”

“Can- Can I-”

She didn’t get to finish.

In one, desperate lash, the girl kicked out while Jaren was distracted, trying to twist away. She was on his lap, it wasn’t her fault that she was lined up so perfectly. Her slippered foot hit Toni in the head with all the girl’s strength in her fight for freedom, all her fear.

The explosion of pain made Toni cry out, though she wasn’t sure if she could hear it or not. All she knew was there was some thud, her head shook, everything was falling. She was falling, rolling down the steps until the chain around her neck tugged taut. Her yelping was cut off with a choke as she was forced to a stop, and she gasped for air. 

Somewhere she heard shouting as she tried to claw at the chain around her neck. A distant scream, closer than the others. She saw a blurry shape through her tears, vaguely human, blood and deep wounds covering the front as it was thrown down the steps to the fire.

Cold hands cupped her face, made her look up. There was something warm and sticky on one of them. It felt comforting to feel something warm. She tried to open her eyes, but she shut them again with a long whine. Everything was too bright, too much.

“Fucking christ, get the vet!” Master. That was Master. He sounded like he was shouting, but everything sounded so quiet and foggy. 

The chain was unwrapped from her neck, and she took as many deep breaths as she could. Somebody was holding her close, keeping her head still with one hand - she could tell the familiar smell of her Master anywhere. She tried to bury her face into his shirt, tried to beg for comfort. Speaking was impossible, with the thud echoing in her head.

There was a commotion of voices around her, though it was only her and her Master there. No- a third hand, turning her face away from her Master. This hand was gentle, opened her eyes with their fingers, patted her cheek when she whined. She was the one who was in Master’s lap now, getting checked by a doctor-

No, no. A veterinarian. Vampires didn’t need doctors. Pets and humans did. 

“She’s a little out of it, it’s possible she’s gotten a concussion,” the voice was saying, much clearer to her Master than to her. “She’s going to need rest, plenty of water. Give her more meat and fish with her meals, it’ll take a little over a week for her to get better - she’ll be pretty confused for a while.”

“That dumb human bitch,” Jaren seethed under his breath, holding Toni tighter to him. “Not a single mark on my Puppy, and one fucking human comes around trying to kill her like an animal.”

“Well, she’ll get bruises from the chain, too, from the looks of it,” the “vet” said, pointing at her neck. Pale blond hair fell over carefully cleaned clothes as she leaned closer to the pair. “I can already see the marks. She fell pretty hard?”

“The little bitch kicked her as hard as she could,” Jaren snarled, starting to stand up. “Rest and more food, you said?”

“Yes. She might have trouble with lights and sounds, as well. And like I said, she’ll be rather-”

“She’ll be confused for days, I know,” Jaren groaned, propping Toni up so her head rested against his chest. “I’ll be taking extra good care of my Puppy, then.”

“Nothing too rough. Preferably, nothing at all.”

“Are you joking?” Jaren scoffed, turning to look at the girl in front of him. “She’s perfect as she is, you think I want her to go mad and ruin it all? I don’t want her head hurt. Of course I won’t do anything.”

Bored red eyes stared back at him as the girl brushed her hair behind her ears, then crossed her arms. “Agreed, Sire,” she said simply. “Go on, I’ll make sure the party doesn’t wear anyone out too much.”

“You play second-in-command too often, Cora,” Jaren growled as he turned to his home, an abandoned castle, repurposed for the wild coven he ran. “Let them have their fun. Why don’t you do the same?”

“Because your drunk troops get my doctors drunk, too. And they attack the dogs,” Cora said, her chin tilting up. “If I didn’t stay sober, there’d be no one to treat them.”

Rolling his eyes, Jaren began walking to the castle doors. “Whatever you say, you boring girl,” he called over his shoulder. “Lighten up a little.”

“You brought me to the darkness yourself, Sire,” Cora called back as she headed back down to the steps. “So you’re stuck with me there as it is.”

[mssjynx]

1, 6, 20 for Krii7y? Extra points if they end up actually dating at the end of it, but it isn't needed :')

krii7y drabble | 1. roommates!au | 6. fake dating | 20. “it’s just so hard not to fall in love with you”

a/n; this one is a little better i think.. 

-

John’s arm felt too perfect around Jaren’s waist. John’s hand felt too perfect resting on his hip. John felt too perfect next to Jaren, holding him and looking at him as if he was worth everything. 

He really just wished John was more to him than his roommate. 

And was it so bad for him to pretend that he was, for just one day? 

It was his cousin’s wedding whose invite he’d received only six months ago, and when he’d received an obnoxious “You aren’t still single, are you?” text from his sister, he’d declared that he actually had a boyfriend. 

Which he didn’t. 

So, after weeks of hyping himself up, he asked his roommate to come with him and pretend to be his date. John had agreed, because he was the best friend Jaren could have ever asked to live with. 

In his head, he thought it’d be easy as pie. But it had been a few years since he had been surrounded by his whole family and then some, and he’d forgotten just how intrusive they always had been. 

“So where’d you take him for your first date, John?” Jaren’s sister was as judgemental as ever, watching the two of them with a mixture of dislike and curiosity. She was two years younger than Jaren and youngest child syndrome hadn’t avoided her. 

No matter how badly she got along with her brother, she was always too nosy to stay out of his business. 

Though there was never any reason for Jaren to worry in the first place, because John gave a charming smile and pulled him closer, pressing his cheek to the younger man’s temple. “To the Samhain Festival,” he said with confidence that made Jaren flush. And perhaps he was so confident because they had gone to the festival together, but as far as Jaren knew it hadn’t been a date. “I bought us tickets and watched him fail at all those stupid circus games that are always rigged. I bought him a bear in the end to cheer him up-” 

Jaren turned on his heels, eyes wide in shock as he forgot about his sister. “What!?” he demanded and John blinked, before realisation washed over his face. A sheepish smile pulled at his mouth and Jaren glared. “You told me you won that bear!” Jaren’s betrayal was obvious and if his sister’s girlfriend’s giggles were any indication; the little quarrel they started was ridiculously domestic. 

But of course they would be domestic; they lived together after all. 

“Well, I might have been showing off,” John admitted and Jaren scoffed, folding his arms and turning away from his fake boyfriend. “But you love that bear!” he defended and Jaren ignored the hands that crept over his hips and the chest that pressed to his back.

“Loved,” he corrected and felt his cheeks heat when John nuzzled his nose into Jaren’s hair behind his ear. 

The touch was extremely intimate, and the feelings that Jaren had always harboured for John were rearing their heads at the attention. He had to shove them down with a step away, playing up his stubborn act as an excuse to get a grip on himself.

It didn’t help that John only grabbed him by the hips and spun him around, meeting Jaren’s pout with a sweet smile. Jaren’s forehead bumped into John’s quite roughly but the leap in his heart was all he could focus on. 

The tease in John’s eyes vanished all too quickly and something sincere fell in its place that kicked Jaren’s fight or flight instinct in. When those pretty eyes fell to Jaren’s mouth, he dropped all care for the image they were upholding, turning on his heel and practically ripping himself out of John’s hold on him. 

He ran, bee-lining for the bathrooms only to duck around the back and quickly lose himself in the garden of flowers and beautiful plants. He was thankful for the maze-like layout that the venue had, happy to be out of the view of prying eyes and away from John’s touch. 

For years, he’d been handling his feelings for the man. They would joke and tease, flirt and insult- but anything that Jaren might have hoped was between them, he knew was only a projection of his own desires. He had mastered the art of locking his heart away and for that reason, he was sure this one day wouldn’t cause them any trouble. 

John could hold him and laugh against him, lean into him and smile at him, talk about him as if they were together and pretend that they were in love. Looking back at it all as Jaren took a seat on the stone path, it was all too foolish. 

And it was going to ruin everything between them. 

He covered his face with his hands, leaning back against a pillar with a sigh. 

“I’m sorry,” were the words that drew him attention and he met John’s face with confused embarrassment. 

“Sorry?” he asked and the other man seemed to find it difficult to meet Jaren’s eyes. John shoved his hands deep into his pockets and his shoulders were hunched in a way that made Jaren feel he was trying to close himself off. 

It made something unpleasant twist in his stomach.

When John shrugged, his eyes were on the little flowers growing between the cracks in the path. “I was being too forward and I shouldn’t have pushed you. I won’t kiss you if you don’t want that,” he said and Jaren had to hide his red face in his hands again as he laughed. 

Though his humour didn’t reach his tongue and the dry sound made him flinch. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I asked you to do this for me and I’m the one who’s overreacting. You’re just playing the part,” he said simply and the words felt bitter as they bit at his throat. 

He heard John move but didn’t lift his head again until the slight shuffle of movement in front of him caught his curiosity. When he peeked through his fingers, John had sat himself cross-legged in front of him, cool gaze on him though something unreadable lingered there. 

Jaren took a deep breath and let his hands fall away. 

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he said and Jaren busied himself with pulling weeds from the dirt. 

“You didn’t,” he said, because really; it wasn’t discomfort that made Jaren run. When he glanced up at John, there was confusion there and something that looked too close to hurt for Jaren to analyse. But he knew he had to explain himself- or at least try. With a sigh, he dusted his fingers off. “My family gets to me easily,” which was a lie, “and I guess I’m just trying to juggle a lot of things at the moment,” which also wasn’t exactly true, “and being close to you and cuddly and… romantic, ‘nd shit just freaks me out a bit.”

But seeing John’s face fall made his stomach twist, the quiet: “Oh,” falling from his roommate’s tongue making it impossible for him to stop himself from blurting out:

“It’s just so hard not to fall in love with you.” 

Because somewhere in his stupid head, he had convinced himself only for a millisecond that that was what John would want to hear. That maybe absolute honesty was the right way to go and maybe John would understand. 

But the way blue eyes widened (they usually didn’t look so blue but Jaren would blame it on the sky) made his stomach drop out of him. 

“Fuck,” he mumbled, staggering to his feet and backing away from John as his thoughts swirled in circles. “Oh God, I didn’t say that. You didn’t- You didn’t hear that-” 

Panic flared up and he knew he was about to run again. If the way John jumped up and grabbed him by the wrist was any indication, he knew that that was what he was thinking. 

He expected pitying words, or feigned promises that they could still be friends; sweet words that would only hurt Jaren more as his friend let him down easily.

What he didn’t expect was rough fingers on his jaw and a pair of chapped lips pressed chastely to his own. Fast enough that Jaren barely got to think about it but slow enough that there was no way Jaren could have imagined it. 

“Don’t run. I’m falling in love with you too,” were the rushed words that John bit out. Jaren knew he wore his heart on his sleeve, his panic probably written across his cheeks. Especially to John, the guy who knew him inside and out, who had been there through his breakdowns and his highlights, who had helped his drunk ass into the bath on those kinds of nights and made him pancakes and tea in the following mornings. 

The guy who was falling in love with him too. 

The guy who Jaren threw himself into, grabbing John by his face and kissing him just like he’d been wanting to for so many years. 

And in the very back of his mind, as John pulled him closer, he could already feel himself flipping off his judgy sister. But there was time to do that later; perhaps after John took him back to the next festival and actually won Jaren a stuffed bear. 

[iceslushii]

Shattered Glass

*inspired by vanoss-luigi's 'footage' fanfic*

chapter: 20

word count: 3,015

characters: SMii7Y, Moo, WILDCAT, Terroriser and BasicallyIDoWrk

tw: swearing, drowning(?) (!!if i forget to put a warning for anything please let me know as i'm not very good at knowing what trigger warnings to include!!)

------------------------------

A couple of minutes went by and Tyler had managed to get Moo out of his unconscious state. "He's back!" SMii7Y cheered as Moo sat up, confused. "..huh?" "You and Brian almost died." WILDCAT looked at Moo, who was choking up glass and water. "What happened? All I remember is swimming back to this cabin, and.. now I'm here." "Yeah, sorry." Terroriser closed the door to their cabin. "I couldn't find Tyler or you for ages, and by the time I'd found you, you were unconscious. I nearly drowned carrying you out of the water, but Tyler ran over and helped me." "This is why I was worried about jumping in.." Moo stood up. "How were we supposed to know anyone would potentially die doing this? At least we know that they won't come after us anymore." "Hold on.." Voices could be heard, although it took the five a minute to realise where they were coming from. "I see what looks like people. Are we close?" "I recognise that voice." Moo began walking closer, ignoring Terroriser's warnings. "Hello?" "Holy shit." "What?" "It's Brock." One of them ran towards Moo, the two surprised when they approached each other. "Oh my gosh, John!" Moo cried, bringing everyone else over. "What the fuck?" CaRtOoNz' eyes widened. "It's been so long.." Moo looked back at his friends, smiling. "Not for me its not." Anthony laughed, everyone else doing the same. "You all look terrible." WILDCAT said, John rolling his eyes. "You did too, Tyler." Basically muttered. "Tyler always has been, you know that." Moo said. "Good to know you can still manage to make those sorts of jokes, considering the scenario we're in." "Well anyway.." CaRtOoNz changed the subject. "Most of us have been gone a while. Is there a way to make us stop throwing up glass every few hours?" "Unfortunately not." Basically frowned. "Me and Brock are having the same problem, we don't know how to cure it. Also, Jaren ripped the recipe up into pieces not long ago, so we don-" "We so happen to have a spare one." fourzer0 handed the spare to WILDCAT, who immediately turned to SMii7Y. "You're lucky they had a spare, Jaren." Jaren didn't bother thinking of a response as everyone headed back to the cabin, everyone besides Jaren and Brock speaking to each other. "Hey, SMii7Y.. you okay?" SMii7Y and Moo were at the back of the group. "I don't know why I ripped it." He continued to look down at the ground. "I'm not angry at you.." Moo put his arm around SMii7Y as the group got back to the cabin. "What were you two not speaking for?" fourzer0 wondered, Moo shrugging with his free arm and SMii7Y sighing. "Brock especially. Nothing's bothering you two, I hope." Once again, neither gave a response. "Oh yeah, that." "Told Jaren that I wasn't angry at him." was all Moo said. Scott sighed as Moo and SMii7Y went upstairs.

"..1." "What, 3?" "Us and 2 are the only ones left.." "What?! How?" "I've no clue. Went to check on Anthony and he's gone too." "Yep, 1, we're the only ones left." "Fuck." "So.." "We need to do something about this.. I have an idea."

------------------------------

written 2 chapters in one day yeaAAAAA jesus it only feels like ive been writing this fanfic for about 5 days when its been (just over) 2 weeks lmaoo (first two chapters were written on the 12th)

[yeetingmyfeeling]

Run, Run, Run

Chapter Eight

Smut

It had been two weeks since the dates between the three boys. Brian had been talking to David and Tyler, separately. Though he started to notice the two were starting to be in the same room. At one dinner, the only spots were either side of Brian. Then those seating plans just stuck.

Brian was getting kind of bored from being stuck in the house all the time. He got up, walking around the house in boredom. It was a Wednesday, and a lot of the group were at work. In fact, Brain thinks everyone was at work. This left him with the house to himself.

With this knowledge in mind, he decided to go down to the living room and watch a movie. He wore a pair of gym shorts, and a loose sweatshirt. He lay down on the couch, a heavy blanket over his body. He noticed it faintly smelt like some of the guys, the main smells being David and Tyler. He snuggled into the blanket more.

He rested his head on a pillow and focused on the movie. It was Avatar, he hadn’t seen it for quite some time. As he got deeper into the movie, he noticed his eyes starting to get quite heavy. He closed his eyes, just for a second, but soon passed out. 

Soft snoring was the first thing Scotty and David heard when they walked through the front doors, followed by a car coming down the dirt driveway. Looking over, it was Tyler, John and Evan. They were all very confused about their own work schedules, but they worked out times so they could get lifts.

Scotty and David walked over to where the snoring was coming from. David cooed seeing Brian passed out on the couch, and Scotty chuckled. The shorter of the two left, going up to his room to get changed. David crouched down in front of Brian, smiling at the omega. 

The three from earlier walk in, and David raises a finger to his lips. They raise their eyebrows and walk over. Evan laughs softly and walks away, John following soon after. This left Tyler and David, the taller coming to sit next to the beta.

“So, Tyler,” David’s voice was quiet, soft. “What was the other night about?”

“Well, David. You know back in traditional times, sometimes there was the chance of an Alpha, Beta and Omega being in a relationship,” Tyler matched David’s soft voice, his voice a lot quieter. “What if.. We did something like that with Brian?”

“So you wanted to test if you could fuck me without wanting to beat me?” David questioned.

“No, no,” Tyler shook his head. “I’ve always had an attraction towards you. Not as strong as my pull to Brian, but.. Look. Can’t we just try it?”

“If Brian is okay with it,” David nods. “We can try it.”

“He looks so peaceful,” Tyler gently runs a hand through Brian’s hair. “It’s adorable.” David nods in agreement.

Tyler hums then climbs onto the couch. He lifts up the blanket and worms behind Brian. He wraps an arm around his waist and pulls the blanket over the top of him. He winds their legs together and rests his chin on the top of the omegas head. 

David pouted. “Hey, that’s unfair!” Despite his argument, he still spoke softly. Tyler just shrugged with a smirk. “I’m going to go shower, I’ll be back.”

“Alright,” Tyler nods. David leans down, kissing Brian’s forehead, flicks Tyler’s nose, then leaves with a laugh. Tyler cuddles more into Brian and soon falls asleep as well.

Brian woke up feeling well rested and warm. Opening his eyes, he noticed it was a lot darker in the room. There was a lamp on next to him, filling the room with a soft light. The TV had been turned off and there was the faint smell of meat cooking wafting through the house.

Brain went to breathe in the meat, but got a much stronger smell. He was hit with the unmistakable scent of Tyler. The smell of nature and fuel, hitting his nose. He grunted and that was when he felt the arms wrapped around him, the long legs tangled with his own, and the warm breath on the back of his neck. No doubt, that was the Alpha. Shifting slightly, Brian felt something else warm. This brought a blush to his face, but he chose to ignore it. 

“Oh, are you awake?” A voice asked. Looking over, it was David. A book in hand, and glasses on his face. He sat at a seat on the other side of the lamp. He smiled at the sleepy looking omega. “Did you sleep well?”

Brian nodded slowly. He yawned before he spoke, “Yeah, yeah. Warm,” He mumbled. He pulled the blanket up to his chin, smiling. He felt shifting behind him and the arms around him tightening. “I don’t remember you being here when I fell asleep Ty.”

Tyler chuckled softly, and oh boy that sent a shiver down Brian’s spine. When he spoke his voice was thick, heavy and slow. “I just couldn’t resist myself when I saw how cute you were on the couch.”

Tyler slowly sat up, and Brian was brought up with him. The omega was pushed so his back was against the alphas chest. He hummed in content. David pouted feeling left out. He put his book down, putting his glasses on top of it. He went over to the couch, sitting next to the two. He laid his legs over Brian’s lap, and rested his head on Tyler’s shoulder.

“So, Brian,” David started. “We want to talk to you about some stuff.”

Tyler nods in agreement. “So traditionally, sometimes, there would be a relationship between an alpha, beta, and omega. Just a normal relationship, but three people. I believe now, it can be called a polyamourous relationship.”

“Sooo,” David rolls his eyes at the alpha. “We were thinking. I want to be your boyfriend, and also be Tyler’s boyfriend. Then Tyler wants to be my boyfriend, and your boyfriend. We would be a threesome of boyfriends.”

“Threesome of boyfriends?” Tyler snorts. “Something like that… What do you say Brian?”

Brain sat there, thinking. Here he was, pressed up against two beautiful men, both who want to be his boyfriend. He could burst right now if he thought about it too hard. He chewed on his lip, his eyes closed. He felt hands rub the outside of his thighs, and another hand rub along his rubs.

“Just think about it, Bri. No rush.”

“We both want what is best for you, that’s all.”

“God fuckin’- yes!” Brian gets out quickly. The two laugh. “Yes, yes yes,” He nods quickly.

“Then I can do this again,” David sits up and grabs Brian’s jaw gently, moving his head to face him. He leans in, pressing their lips together softly. Brian’s eyes flutter closed as he melted into the kiss. David pulled away with a grin. “I’ll never get tired of that.”

“Hey, move it,” Tyler leans over Brian’s shoulder, his head butting between the omega and beta. He connects his lips with Brian’s in a harsher way. Their lips move quickly, Tyler adding some tongue before pulling away. He turns, giving David the same aggressive kiss. 

“Now that you’ve said your words and made out, can you come have dinner?” They looked up, seeing Brock standing there with a smirk on his face. “We’ve been waiting on you. Tyler, have you showered? There’s grease on your shirt, that better not be on the couch.”

“No,” Tyler muttered as he looked down at his shirt. It did indeed have some grease on it. He just shrugged.

David was the first to get up, pulling Brian up after. Tyler stood up last. The three smiled at Brock who was chuckling. Then they all walked to the dining room. Everyone cheered upon seeing them enter.

“I fucking told you there was sexual tension between Tyler and David!” Jon shouted, throwing a pee at Ryan and Jaren.

Jaren threw a pee back. “Did you not hear them fucking two weeks ago?”

“They fucked!?” Ryan gasped. He started to pat his boyfriend's arm. “Lukey! They fucked!”

“Thanks darling, I heard,” Luke laughed. “So who won the bet?”

A loud laugh was heard from Marcel. “You’re not getting your money Anthony! You lost!” Anthony swore loudly.

“Do we all get money or do we all lose?” John asked. “Because, they all got together.”

“I say no one gets money,” Evan answered, making Anthony swear louder. “Just be happy we don’t have to watch the pining anymore.”

~~~~~

It had been a few days since the whole ordeal, and on this Friday both David and Tyler had the day off. So Brian begged his boyfriends to take him out, dare he waste away on the couch. 

So they decided to go out, Tyler’s shout he had said. When asked where they were going, he gave no answer. So they got in his sports car, Brian in the passenger seat, and left to wherever they were going. It involved driving around the outskirts of the city, which made Brian suspicious. 

Tyler continued to drive, eventually coming to a slow and pulling into a place. Looking out the window, Brian saw it was a mini golf place. He laughed, though he felt excited. “I’m going to kick your butts!”

“Oh don’t be so sure Brian,” David spoke cockily. He sat in the middle seat in the back, despite Tyler’s comment of him looking like a third wheel. “You have never played against me.”

“It’s the worst, I may just regret this,” Tyler snorted. He parked and the three got out. Tyler grabbed Brian’s hand before David could, making the Irishman pout. Tyler just stuck out his tongue.

They walked into the building, being hit with nice, cool air. A lady with purple hair greeted them. “Here for a session?” They nodded their heads. “It’s pretty empty today, so lucky you guys. We offer our Travel Through Time golf course, with eighteen holes. Just the three of you?”

Tyler walked up to the counter while the other two looked around. The lady explained everything to him, handed him the sheets, then went through with the payment. The other two ended up bringing drinks from the fridge over, so Tyler payed for them as well. Then they went to start.

The first hole was a very dark hole, that took a while for their eyes to adjust. It had little white lights everywhere that were assumed to be stars. The three boys ready to go, their competitiveness kicking in.

Brian went first, not voluntarily. He got it in two shots. David was next, who got it in five shots.  Tyler got his in three. Moving on to the next one, there was a large tree in the middle. There was an apple with a snake wrapped around the branch. Beneath it, were statues of Adam and Eve cuddling. The hole was in the middle of the tree at the bottom.

Going in the same order, Brian got his in one shot. He cheered loudly, and Tyler gave him a celebratory kiss. David got his in two shots, and so did Tyler. The third one made Brian laugh, it was dinosaurs. There were dinosaur statues everywhere, and the hole was in one of the dino’s mouths.

“Yes I remember that in history,” Brian spoke as he was taking his first shot. “First, nothing, then Adam and Eve, then Dinosaurs.”

“Look at this cute guy,” Tyler pointed to one of the Dinosaurs. It looked like a Parrot and a Lizard mixed together. 

Brian got his in five shots, David in three, and Tyler in six. The fourth hole was monkeys. Brian cooed at all the apes and monkeys, soft of them hanging in trees. David managed to get a photo of Brian hugging one of the large Ape statues. In this one, Brian got it in fifteen, David in five, and Tyler in fourteen.

The next two were cavemen. The first one was the first men, Tyler noted a statue of a man holding a bat and dragging his wife by his ankle. David joked saying the Alpha was going to do that to the Omega. The second one was the more ‘advanced cavemen’, proved by one of them wearing a pair of glasses.

The three after that were Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. Brian liked Ancient Greece because it had statues or photos of the Greek Gods. He also whacked David on the head with his club.

As they were at the next hole, which was Renaissance themed, Brian asked a question. “So what does the winner get?”

“A dick sucking,” Tyler joked.

“Deal!” David and Brian shouted. They looked at each other, their eyes narrowing. “You’re so on, little boy,” David teased.

“Don’t say little boy when the prize is a dick sucking,” Brian cringed. David cringed as well.

The next hole was Pirates, only for it to go to the Industrial Revolution afterwards. Brian thought his history teacher must have been very wrong when she taught. The next three went War, Information Discovery and Civil Rights. Only for the hole after that to be a wedding scene. 

Brian and David stood where the Bride and Groom stood, Tyler taking a photo. The photo after that was of a club flying at David and Brian laughing. Then David laying on the floor and Brian giving him mouth to mouth. 

The next room was full of children statues, ranging from babies all the way to teenagers. “That is one ugly baby,” Brian patted a baby with his club.

“Bri that’s child abuse,” David lay a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “I’m going to have to call the protective services.”

“Nah, That’s just David as a baby,” Was Tyler’s last words, as he started to get hit with David’s club. He laughed loudly, his arms going to fight back. Brian quickly took a picture of the two.

The last one was death. It had skeletons hanging around, a group of old guys in the corner, and several graves. David pointed to the old guy with a cane. “That’s Tyler and his bad back,” Which resulted in him now getting hit with a club.

After they finished, they walked out and went over to the cafe. Brian and Tyler went to go order food and lunch while David counted up all the scores. They came back with a number and asked who the winner was.

“Well,” David chuckled. “Brian, you got one-hundred and seventy-four. I got one-hundred and seventy-six,” They all leaned in closely, listening. “Tyler got one-hundred and fifty-five.”

“Fuck yes!” Tyler cheered loudly, throwing a fist in the air. He wrapped an arm around Brian’s shoulder, giving him a smirk. “You up to sucking my dick tonight baby?”

Brian laughed, although a light blush coated his cheeks. “Sure Ty,” This made Tyler cheer once again.

The food and drinks came, and they sat there eating. David stole some chips from Tyler, so Tyler stole a calamari ring. Brian took a sip of both of their drinks, so they stole a handful of Brian’s chips.

“So, how did you guys meet the pack?” Brian asked. The alpha and beta sat there quietly. David nodded at Tyler.

“Well, everyone met through Evan. Because he’s our alpha, he just- knew,” Tyler shrugged. “I met him when he came in through the old mechanic I used to work at. He came in with Jon, those two have been together for so long I swear. They told me they were moving away from home, to somewhere big, but their car was having difficulties. So I helped them find a nice hotel to stay out, told them good places to go visit, and helped them rent a good cheap car. Then I fixed up their car nice and well. I called them and told them, so the next day Evan came in to get it. He ended up taking me out to lunch, and told me how him and Jon were planning on starting a pack.I had always thought packs were weird, but if it makes them happy, go for it. Evan and I traded numbers and that was that for a while.”

“Before Tyler met up with Evan again, I ran into him,” David started talking. “By this time, Evan had brought in Luke, Brock, Scotty and Marcel. Because I work with Scotty, Evan came to pick him up one night. I started talking to Evan, I was hitting on him but don’t tell Jon dear god, and we became really close. I explained to Evan my current situation, which at the moment wasn’t great, and he gave me empathy. A few days later he offered joining the pack. So I trialed for a month, then I joined. Now they’re my family.”

“When I got back into contact with Evan, he had those guys, David, Ryan, Jaren and Anthony. Evan was thrilled to see me, said he missed me. I was very confused, and at that time I was a very angry alpha. I mean yeah I still am but that’s not the point. I still didn’t like the idea of joining a pack, but I needed a place to stay. I started a lot of fights, but they accepted me,” Tyler looked ashamed as he talked. “Then the others joined, and now you.”

Brian reached over, grabbing Tyler’s hand. He rubbed his thumb over the top, giving him a gentle smile. Tyler smiled back. “Thank you for telling me,” He mumbled, nodding to David. David gave the omega a grin.

Once they finished their food and drinks, they decided to head back to the house. Only, as soon as they entered, Tyler whisked Brian away, leaving David dying of laughter in the hallway.

Tyler took the omega up to his room, and upon entering Brian understood what he meant about the zebra print. Walking over to the bed, he ran his hand over the zebra print blanket. He gasped at how soft it was and laid down on it, burying his face in it.

Tyler walked over, starting to rub Brian’s back. “Nice and soft?” He asked, earning a nod. “Well, Bri, you can lay on it later. My dick needs sucking.”

Brian snorted as he sat up. “Very-,” Tyler’s crotch was suddenly in his face. “Formal…”

Tyler raised an eyebrow down at the omega, a smirk gracing his features. Brian whimpered quietly, the dark look in Tyler’s eyes turning him on greatly. He leaned forward and started to palm the alpha, feeling him already half hard. 

“Been thinking about this ever since we got in the car,” Tyler grunted out. “Wanna see your pretty pink lips wrapped around my cock.”

Brain whimpered once again. He continued his palming, until he felt Tyler become mostly hard. He pulled away and started to undo the alphas pants. He pulled them down to his thighs, attaching his mouth to the outline of his cock. Tyler grunted, threading a hand through Brian’s hair.

Brian hummed softly then pulled down Tyler’s boxers. His eyes widen in surprise, the pure length and thickness surprising him. Sure, Tyler is an alpha, but jesus. Brian started to kitten lick the tip, earning a growl from the alpha. He dug his tongue into the slit and the hand in his hair tightened.

Chuckling lightly, Brian takes the tip into his mouth. Tyler sighs contently. Brian lowers his head, taking in more of Tyler’s length before pulling off. He licks around the alphas base, then up the shaft. He takes the tip into his mouth, sucking, before repeating. After a few repeats of this, he takes the whole length into his mouth, He relaxes his throat, trying not to gag. He breathed through his nose and began bobbing his head.

Tyler’s head was slightly tilted back, his eyes closed in pleasure. Both his hands came to grip Brian’s hair, and he started guiding him. Brian closed his eyes, letting it happen. His hands came up to grip the alphas as said alpha started to roll his hips. Brian hollowed his cheeks, licking when he could.

Picking up his pace, Tyler was now fucking Brian’s mouth. Brian was moaning around his cock, sending beautiful vibrations through his body. Tyler moaned low in his throat, now slamming into the boy's mouth. Brian would choke occasionally, having to pull away from a few seconds.

Tyler pulled the omega off him, allowing him to catch his breath before thrusting right back in. “Oh fuck Bri, your mouth is so warm,” Tyler moaned out, Brian whined around his cock, making the alphas hips stutter. “Shit, I’m close.”

With one final slam, Brian’s nose pressed against his skin, Tyler came down the omegas throat, whining out his name. Brian gagged a little, but tried to swallow what he could. Once pulled away, he covered his mouth and swallowed the rest of the cum. He coughed into his hand, his throat sore from the abuse.

Brian was suddenly pinned to the bed by Tyler, lips being attacked. Their lips moved in sync, tongues exploring each other's mouths. Tyler tasting the sweet salty taste of himself in Brian’s mouth. He pulled back, pecking Brian’s lips one final time.

“Cuddle time?” Tyler offered. Brian laughed but agreed. Tyler pulled his boxers up, but stripped of his pants and shirt. Brian took off his pants, then joined Tyler under the zebra blanket to cuddle. 

[jeawrites]

Roughhousing

(Note: Alternative title- No Thoughts, Brain in Love)

Ship: Del/Smi77y Characters: Delirious and Smi77y Word Count: 308 Warnings: None, its just soft,,

Jaren laughed gently as he fell back onto the bed, Jon landing on top of him with a grin. 

“Gotcha!” he cheered, confident in he victory as he pressed a kiss to the top of Jaren’s head before trailing his hands up his side, tickling lightly as he went. 

Jaren squirmed and laughed some more, shaking his head and closing his yes. “Jon stop! You win- y-you-” he giggled, leaning his head back, trying to escape, “You win!” 

Jon stopped and propped himself up, watching Jaren catch his breath. Coming down from the play fighting, Jaren just looked gorgeous. His face flushed and his hair a mess. Jon loved it. “You jus’ keep gettin’ beautifuller- nofuck- more hot? no- Pret... Prettier!” he exclaimed. He couldn’t help but fumble his words, his brain just shuts off when he’s with Jaren. He was a bit embarrassed though especially as he noticed an eye peak open to stare at him. “I love ya, y’know?” he asked, giving up the compliment in exasperation, leaning down a bit. 

Jaren rolled his eyes. “Do you have to even ask? Of course I know, dummy,” he chuckled, meeting him half way to kiss softly. 

They pulled back with fond smiles and Jaren speaking softly; “I love you too, for the record.” 

“Really?” Jon asked, faking surprise. “I woulda never gues-guessed!” 

Jaren huffed out a giggle and pulled him back down, kissing him again before pushing him off completely. “Alright, weirdo. I gotta go use the bathroom,” he poked him gently as he rolled out of the bed, “But, I want a rematch when I get back!” 

Jon hummed, “If I ain’t asleep, sure,” he laughed, hearing a small cheer from the other as he left the room.

Then, he was left alone to smile fondly and think to himself about how he got so lucky. 

[idiosinkrasies]

The Prince Bride

The story begins on a small countryside outside of the beautiful country of Florin. On this countryside lives a handsome young boy by the name of Smitty. Now Smitty has a fairly simple life, riding his horse, sewing clothes, cooking, and going into town for his mother to buy bread and vegetables.

He wouldn't do most of the hard work in the field or the house, that was left to the simple man who worked there. The man's name was John, but Smitty never called him that. He only ever called him "Farmboy" whenever he wanted something.

"Farmboy," He would say, "put my horse in the stable and polish it saddle, I want to see my face in it by morning." And John would only have one response, "As you wish."

"Farmboy," He said one day, carrying two empty buckets and placing them in front of the man who was currently cutting firewood, "Fill these with water." John stares at him with a knowing smile. "Please." Smitty finishes.

"As you wish." He whispered. And it was then that Smitty knew that when John said 'As you wish' he was actually saying 'I love you'. And it was quite a day when he realized that he loved him back Smitty had been in the house making the bread for him and his family when John walked in and placed wooden stakes next to the door.

"Farmboy," The shorter man called out before the other could leave, John turned to him. His eyes darted around the room to find something for the farmboy to do. "Fetch me that pitcher?" He asked, looking at the pitcher above him he could easily reach. The taller walked over to the other man so they stood face to face and slowly reached up to grab the pitcher off the hook it was on and held it to the other.

"As you wish." He whispered and Jaren felt his breath on his lips. Smitty took it and smiled widely at him. John moved his hand up to brush away Smitty's hair from his face, leaving his palm to rest on his cheek before he leaned in and pressed his lips to Smitty's, sharing their first of many true loves kisses.

John had no money and therefore could not marry his love, so he set out to find work overseas, hoping to find fortunes to care for Smitty and himself. He packed his bag and said his goodbyes, promising that one day he would return.

"I fear I'll never see you again," Smitty revealed, tear threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Of course you will, I'll be back before you know it," John replied hugging his love close, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"But what if something happens to you?" He asked, and John pulls his face away to look him in the eyes.

"Hear this now: I will always come for you."

"But how can you be sure?" The tears are close to making their way down Smitty's face.

"This is true love. You think this happens every day?" John said while brushing hair from his lover's face with a reassuring smile resting on his lips. Soon that smile raised into one of true happiness and Smitty couldn't help but smile back at the man he fell so deeply in love with before they leaned into a small kiss.

John never reached his destination. His ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Notorious, who never left captives alive. When Smitty got the news that John was murdered, he locked himself in his room, not eating nor sleeping for days.

"I will never love again." He said to himself, feeling dead inside.

5 years had past and the main of Florin square was filled as never before to hear the announcement of the great Prince Fitz's husband-to-be. The sound of trumpets rang out through the square and a man standing at 6'5 walked out on top of the highest tower on the castle. He wore a red outfit and a crown and stood looking out over the sea of commoners.

"My people," The man, Fitz, said. "a month from now, our country will have it's five hundredth anniversary. On that sundown, I shall marry a Lord who was once a commoner like yourselves, but perhaps you will not find him common now. Would you like to meet him?" Cheers and applause rang out through the square.

"My people," Fitz raises his hand to gesture to an entrance to the square covered with a red carpet lined with white flowers. "The Prince Smitty."

The townspeople all turn to see a man in all white walk through the entrance and onto the carpet, his cape dragging behind him. The people start to bow down as he makes his way to the top of the stairs leading into the crowd. He looked around sadly finally resting his eyes on the prince staring down at him. His emptiness had consumed him, and although the law of the land gave Fitz the right to choose his husband, he did not love him.

Despite Fitz's reassurance that he would grow to love him, the only joy he found was in his daily ride. One day as he rode through the forest, his red cape and blouse blowing in the wind, he came upon three people standing in the road, one of them was very short, and had sword at his side, the other was a woman who had a regal-looking white blouse and black dress pants that went well with her boots. The last of them was a big man with dark skin who looked very friendly, unlike his associates.

"A word, my lord?" The woman spoke as Smitty stopped his horse. "We are but poor, lost circus performers, is there perhaps a village nearby?"

"There is nothing nearby, not for miles." Smitty provided helpfully. The look on the woman's voice turned sinister as the big man approached him.

"Then there will be no one to hear you scream." The man raised his hand and grabbed the prince by the neck, hitting a certain pressure point that made him fall unconscious before he could get out even a simple 'help'.

Soon the man was loaded onto a ship and the woman was ripping off a patch of cloth from a cape with an emblem sewn onto it. Once it is ripped off the woman pins it to the horse's saddle and the short man, who was helping load the ship stood at the side and spoke up.

"What is that you are ripping?" He asks.

"It's fabric from the uniform of an army officer from Gildir." She responds.

"Who is Gilder?" The big man asks as he holds the prince bridle style.

"The country across the sea. The sworn enemy of Florin." The woman says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. She hits the horse and yells 'go' and the horse starts to ride back to the castle.

"Once the horse reaches the castle, the fabric will make Prince Fitz suspect that they were the ones who abducted his love, and when he finds his body dead on the Gilder frontier, his suspicions will be totally confirmed."

"Woah woah woah, you never said anything about killing anyone." The big man said, eyebrows furrowed.

"I hired you to help me start a war, this is a prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition." The woman says, picking at her nails.

"I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent boy." The woman looks up at the man in front of her.

"Am I going mad? Or did the word 'think' escape your lips?" She says, raising her voice. "You were NOT hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass!"

"I agree with Grizzy." The small man says, jumping over the port side of the small ship and walking to the stern.

"Oh, the sot has spoken!" She turns to follow the man to the stern and she climbs up the captain's quarters. "What happens to him is not your concern, Eric, I will kill him, and remember this, NEVER FORGET THIS;" She screams at him, pointing at him making him lean over the edge of the ship. "When I found you, you were some slobbering drunk and high off your arse, you could even buy brandy or marijuana!

"And you!" She turns to the big man, Grizzy. "Friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless! Do you want me to send you back to where you were?! Unemployed in Greenland?!" She walks off to the bow of the ship, leaving a distressed Grizzy and a disgruntled Eric left to help his friend.

"That Toby, she can fuss." He says, putting an emphasis on the word 'fuss'.

"Fuss, fuss," Grizzy says to himself before he smiles. "I think he likes to scream at us!" He puts emphasis on 'us'.

"She probably means no harm."

"She's very very short on...charm!" The two of them are both smiling now.

"You have a great gift for rhyme!" Eric tells the other man.

"Yes yes, some of the time."

"Enough of that!" Toby yells at the two men.

"Grizzy, are there rocks ahead?" Eric asks, trying to irk the woman who was at the bow.

"If there are, we'll all be dead!"

"No more rhymes now, I mean it!" Toby says, getting angry again.

"Anybody want a peanut?" A yell erupts from the woman who looks like she's ready to strangle the two as the boat sets off into the sunset.

[shabre-legacy]

Starbird’s Calm (revised)

Corin braced her feet and leaned across the grated floor to push her weight into the wall across from her as the captain barely gave warning before pulling the starship into another barrel roll. 

As everything stopped spinning, she continued hurrying down the corridor. Her footsteps echoed along the metal and she kept her hands braced on the walls. The Captain was a brilliant pilot; however, three ships from Galactic Customs were chasing them with orders to bring down the ship regardless of crew casualties. Getting out of this situation required some fancy maneuvers. Luckily for the crew, the artificial gravity was still working, even if the ship bucked like a plane in low atmo., at least they could still walk. Finally, she made it into the engine room and dropped to the lower platform next to the ship’s mechanic. “Captain sent me” 

“Great,” grumbled the mechanic, Aster, from under part of the containment chamber holding their ships AB Drive, “That last hit knocked the whole damned drive offline and fried half the damned connectors.” Aster didn’t look like what Corin had thought a mechanic would look like when she’d joined. Instead, a tall, lean, red-haired man in his mid-twenties. He’d been brought on as ship's mechanic before Corin had joined this crew and tended to be a good-natured, cheerful man. 

Their crew was in a particularly nasty place just now and this job had proven much more difficult then they’d thought it’d be. Who would have thought getting stolen medical supplies from the planetary corporations out to the refugees from the western quadrants would be this difficult? Sure, they didn’t exactly buy them first…. But people needed those supplies and the Starbird could outrun any of those private security or Galactic Customs ships. At least, they could when the space-damned AB Drive was fucking working. GC didn’t have FTL capable ships on security watch. If they could get the drive up, they would be in the clear. She handed Aster a wrench and started trying to figure out how to best help get the star-damned thing online again. 

AB drives were the best for faster-than-light travel, but this one seemed to always give them fits.

The Captain hadn’t stopped the ridiculous stunts that she called ‘evasive maneuvers’. The ship twisting around like they’d been hit by solar winds. The internal ship’s comms beeped online and, based on nothing but the string of curses, she could tell it was Duro, the Starbird’s navigator and Aster’s father. The old man was usually serious and quiet, but clearly pissed off at Aster. “What are you doing down there? Get that fucking drive up now! Do your damned job or I swear I will throw you out the fucking airlock myself.”

Duro devolved into more curses as the Captain yanked the ship straight up, if up could exist in space. Corin fell back and staggered a bit as the ship leveled out for another moment. This would almost be easier without the artificial gravity. Moving like they were on a planet was nice, except for now. Why was she still even on this ship? She could barely remember why she’d signed up anymore. She’d always been the type to hold her tongue and work, but this fighting made her want to start shoving people into the airlock. She wouldn’t, but she sure did feel like it.

Aster and Duro started swearing at each other again as soon as they stopped bracing themselves, The bridge, and the rest of the ship and crew, could probably hear Aster more clearly than she could, what with him having moved further under the drive’s containment in the process of his repairs. “I am doing my damn job, you old bastard!” A hand popped out from behind the unit. “Connector.”

She grabbed one from what appeared to be the ‘new connectors’ pile and rolled it to him, nearly tripping in her speed. She was not sure how much more the ship could take. She really didn’t want to die because some GC ship managed to get a lucky shot.

Duro and Aster were still cursing at each other. She honestly couldn’t pinpoint when they’d started this. he last few months had been worse, with the two of them in near constant conflict. The in-fighting had spread to the crew too. A lot of them had started snipping at each other. Turning minor issues into big fights and days of shouting matches and insults.

Corin had left home because of this. Well, not entirely because of the fighting. The constant fighting in and around her home had made it really easy to leave. If it hadn’t been for Caithi, she’d probably have left this crew now. She could barely remember why she’d come to space to begin with. This job, this crew had pushed it out of her mind. If these two, and the rest of the crew, couldn’t get themselves together long enough to finish this run, she’d kick them out herself. Kick them right into dark space.

She grabbed new tools and started another set of repairs. If they couldn’t get this online, then there’d be trouble. Their ship didn’t have the fuel capacity of the Galactic Customs ships and one vs. three usually worked out poorly for the one. 

“ENOUGH! You fucking idiots are done with this now!” The Captain's voice burst over the comms, clearly having had it with their loud, vulgar fight across the small ship. “Aster get that drive up. Duro, coordinates ready now. I want to hit FTL the fucking second that damn Drive’s good.” 

Corin ignored the men and their responses, trying to focus on her job. Space wasn’t somewhere to mess around. One wrong move, and they could be dead. The Starbird kept tilting and rolling, which slowed the work as Corin and Aster frequently had to brace themselves or hold onto whatever engine piece they could reach, so they didn’t fall across the room or into the AB drive. She’d seen what crashing into an active AB drive does to a person; it wasn’t pretty. There was also the possibility of exploding into space dust if they screwed this up. They had artificial gravity in here, but that didn’t matter much with the stunts their Captain pulled out to keep them from being shot into oblivion. 

After what felt like hours, but likely less than a minute, Aster flung himself out from under the unit and began flipping switches. Corin tightened the last containment bolt as Aster hit the primary activator and yelled at the comms “She’s up! She’s up! We’re good to go.” Corin slammed the panel on the containment unit shut and jumped back to the controls as the warbling hum began and the ship prepared to hit FTL. 

“Woo! We out, see ya jackasses!” The Captain's typical sarcastic and arrogant tone echoed from the comm as she activated the FTL controls. The ship jolted as they entered lightspace, leaving the GC ships far behind. 

Corin clapped Aster on the shoulder as he ran more scans and headed back up to the bridge, tucking a stray lock of dark brown hair back behind her ears. The corridor from the engine room rounded around the whole ship with a short hall and two steps up to reach the bridge. The Captain was leaning back in the pilots seat and relaxing a bit after their successful heist and escape. She didn’t really look like much. Captain Caithi wasn’t the striking beauty that the captains in those old pre-contact vids were. Corin had heard her described as rather plain, with long black hair tightly tied back from her face and dark amber eyes. She had a strong jaw and brow and a nose she always said was too big for her face. She seemed to be always laughing though, laughing or bragging or joking around. Corin would follow her to the depths of hell itself. 

She’d meet Caithi when the corporate freighter she’d been on ended up in a port taken over by a multi-species criminal gang. They’d taken the ship, the cargo and the crew. Caithi and her boys had shown up and rescued the ship and crew. They’d taken the cargo for themselves, but Corin had been offered a job with them. She’d probably fallen for the reckless starship captain the moment Caithi put her gun in the biggest gangster’s face and backed them down. Her threats had been bluffs, but they’d worked and Corin walked onto the Starbird and had been at Caithi’s side for the last three years.

Duro had the same red hair as his son and maybe a foot or more shorter, probably twice as broad in the shoulders though. He sat at another one of the consoles near the main piloting console, tapping away at the navigator’s screen and angrily muttering under his breath.  Another of the other crew members, Jaren, stood nearby. He was mostly muscle, a good shot, better at keeping the cargo bay organized. Short, with dark hair that curled around his ears and eyes almost darker than Corin’s own. He stood right where she’d left him when she’d been sent to help Aster; leaning against one of the few open wall spaces watching the blurred lines that space always became during FTL travel. Lightspace looked weird and strangely beautiful, by far the fastest way to travel and one of the more dangerous. 

As she stepped onto the bridge, she could hear Caithi lecturing both Duro and Aster. The same lecture they got every time they did something stupid like fighting instead of working together. This time though she seemed serious. Usually, some kind of lecture on crew cohesiveness and small spaces and compromises, but today…. “Get your shit together and figure out how to exist together without clogging the comms with your fucking fights or you’re both off this ship at the next port. AM I CLEAR!” the quiet murmurs of “Yes, Captain” from both of them were the only sounds from the crew for a few seconds. Caithi never shouted at her crew in anger. Fear, excitement, drama, sure, but never anger. She meant this threat. 

The moment of stunned silence broke as a loud crack sounded through the ship. Aster’s cursing from the engine room drowned out by the shouts of the crew as the ship spun around and shook violently as they fell out of lightspace. It took a few minutes, but the Captain managed to stabilize the Starbird and bring her to a stop, or as close to that as space allowed. Corin could almost feel the whole ship take a collective sigh of relief as the movement they could feel stopped and everyone realized they’d survived. 

The crew erupted into yelling and debating about what had happened. The sound of many feet heading towards the bridge echoed; only pausing when Aster popped onto the comms. “Looks like one of those Customs ships got a shot nearly to us when we made the jump. It caught up and hit the exterior portion of the AB Drive. The shields deflected most of the damage, but there’s still a lot and the main engine’s down too. I’m bringing ‘em up for repairs, but I don’t know how long it’ll be.” The tone in his voice left everyone a bit shaken as what he’d said sunk in. No engine. No AB Drive. No clue how long repairs would be. Their only hope being that they were near enough to somewhere populated to get a signal out. But the view out the bridge windows didn’t offer any solace. They’d been lucky not to fall out into a sun or worse. No one would come for them.

This area was beautiful though. The darkness of space around them highlighted the imploded star maze off to one side and the blues, pinks, whites and reds of nebulae and distant star systems on the other. Ahead of them they could see distant trails of light blending into the backdrop of stars and galaxies you could only see this far from civilization. They sat in what seemed to be an empty spot, safer from gravity pulls, far enough from phenomena and suns, black holes and other dangers, that they could just pause for a few minutes. The nearest nebulae, four from what she could see, painted the stars in vibrant colors and left her nearly speechless. This! This was why she’d come to space. This beauty, this freedom. The endless possibilities of seeing this. How had she ever forgotten this! This was everything and she’d found it again.

Most of the crew though, seemed caught in their worries about survival, cramming onto the bridge as they argued and cursed about what they should do. A few seemed to be in awe of the sight as well, but years in space made many a bit jaded to its beauty.

The heated arguments came to an abrupt end as the ship rocked. It stabilized for a moment and then rocked again. “What the fuck was that?” She called out into the suddenly quiet bridge. Around her, the crew shifted to prepare for whatever was coming. She saw Jaren move towards the door. You didn’t get moved in dark space by friendly things.

The crew was tense, hands on the guns tucked into their belts, ready to head to the cargo bay or up to the ship’s guns. Whatever decided to bother them wouldn’t take them down without a fight.  “Got something on the scanners” Duro tapped rapidly at the scanners display screen as though that would clear up whatever had been detected. 

“What do we got? Pirates? More GC? Space Debris?” Captain Caithi didn’t even give him a chance to answer before hitting the comms back on. “Aster, get us one of those damn engines NOW! I’m sending Jaren and Tigg down to help. Corin, if this goes bad, I need you on the front guns.”

A quick echo of “Yes, Captain” came from Jaren and Tigg as they slipped past the others and took off running to the engine room as another soft rock hit the ship. 

Aster answered with the irritation he’d had all day. “I’m fucking working on it, Captain. It’ll be ready when it’s fucking ready. It’s not my fault the damn things half-fried.” 

The Captain seemed about to hit Aster with a verbal lashing he wouldn’t soon forget when they heard it. Duro had activated the audio scanners to try to figure out what they were picking up. The song was a haunting warble. She’d only heard things like it in the nature vids from earth. Corin leaned even closer to the window and stared as the creatures finally moved into view. “No fucking way!!”

There must have been 50 of them. Massive creatures, the babies were nearly the size of the Starbird and the adults at least four times the size. Fins or wings or whatever gently moving through the empty vacuum that should kill them and yet there they flew. “Space Whales.” One of her crewmates behind her whispered as they stood stunned. 

The Captain softly called down to the engine room. “Hey boys, you gotta see this.” They all watched, crowded around the few windows. It was easy to see why people, or humans at least, called them space whales. It wasn’t only their song that reminded people of earth’s gentle giants, they looked like whales too, sort of.  Aster and the other two joined them on the bridge. All nine members of the crew crowded together watching the show. 

The pod danced and flew and played together with the colors of the nebulae and all the glittering stars behind them. Their song continued as they called to each other. An ageless melody that few would hear or believe to exist. In this moment, Corin found herself feeling completely at peace. As the whales danced among the stars, she noticed Duro moving softly. He placed a hand on Aster’s shoulder and they simply stood there; silently watching one of the rarest views in the galaxy. 

Too soon for her liking, the pod moved on. Twisting around each other and moving away as they, for a fraction of a second, appeared to blur into lines of light before vanishing. They disappeared faster then they’d arrived. The crew of the Starbird simply stood there. Staring at the nebulae and soaking in the shared experience. Many had believed that space whales didn’t exist. To have this experience, to almost literally stumble onto the pod, it felt like that first moment you see space from your first ship. Pure awe at the beauty and incredible surprises that the galaxy is capable of. 

The silence was only broken by a soft whisper from the back of the group. “Hey Dad, care to help out getting everything working again?” Corin glanced over and out the corner of her eye she saw Aster staring straight ahead as though slightly embarrassed to not be yelling. 

Duro squeezed his shoulder gently, “Of course, kid.” The warmth in his voice so unlike the tone he had lately. It was a moment like in the old stories, the ones where people looked at some old place and found they could understand each other better for a little while. The whole crew had been affected.

It would not last, there’d be more problems. They still had to fix the engines and finish the job. But this, they might make it to port now. They could work everything else out there. They’d drink and fight out their issues, so much was due to close quarters and getting distance would help. For now, calm and peace and cooperation among the crew. Maybe, just maybe, this moment of peace and reflection had been exactly what they needed.

[oldxsoulsx]

Always Yours - Kryoz OneShot

oooof. Sorry this was so long guys! It took maybe an hour for me to write, but it felt like 10. I’m at work now, which is where I write most of the time (my client goes to bed at like 7:30, I gotta stay up until midnight so what else should I do lol)

But here ya go. A super long, super fluffy, probably not as good as I think it is Kryoz OneShot!

When you saw him, you knew you were fucked.

Disheveled bleached hair, with brown roots growing out. Rings on almost all 10 fingers, nails painted different colors. Vape in his right hand, phone in his left.

Is this the person that Jaren had wanted you to meet?

You sighed, making your way over to the stranger, and your best friend of 10 years. When Jaren saw you, a smile stretched on his face.

“(Y/N)!” he called, jumping up when you reached the two to give you a hug. You smiled softly, the comfort of your best friends arms giving you courage. “I’d like you to meet my friend, John. He’s in Canada for a week or two, we have to catch up on making videos together.”

You smiled at the other boy, raising a hand in a somewhat half wave. He stood up, stretching his arms out.

“Come on, (Y/N), any friend of Jarens is a friend of mine,” he says, pulling you into a hug. Your face flushed a bright red, and the smell of his cologne captured your senses.

“Best friend actually. Ten years and counting. Don’t de-rank me,” you say, pulling away. The confidence that came out of your mouth shocked you, but John just laughed.

“Damn, Smitt. She’s feisty. Where have you been keeping her all these years?!”

“For the time that I’ve known you? The guest room of my house. You’re sleeping on the couch this time, bud,” Jaren said, patting Johns back. John pretended to wipe a tear away from his cheek, and you giggled.

“I couldn’t let you sleep on the couch. That shit sucks. I’ll move some of my stuff out and into Jaren’s room for the time being, no biggie,” You say, and Jaren scoffs. You knew he was about to complain, but you shot him a look that quieted him down in a second.

“I can cut the tension with a knife,” John laughs nervously. “You two like… a thing?”

“No!” you say quickly. Everyone thought you two were dating, or at least on the road to dating. You were sick of it, Jaren was more of a family to you than your actual family. And you couldn’t ever imagine dating him. No bueno.

“Ouch, (Y/N). Way to hurt my feelings,” Jaren said , and you sighed.

“So, now that I’ve walked my happy butt to you guys, what’re you planning for the day?” You asked, changing the subject. John laughed, taking a hit of his vape. You reach your hand out, asking for a hit “I promise I don’t have any type of disease. Just the itch for nicotine is killing me and I don’t have any more Juul pods left,” you explain.

John hands you his vape, impressed with the cloud you blew out afterwards.

“I was thinking grab some food, and then just take a walk. You two can get to know each other and whatnot,” Jaren explains, and you nod, handing the vape back to John. He probably didn’t feel it, but when your fingers brushed against his, it was almost like electricity shot through your arm.

“Yeah sure… let’s go,” you say awkwardly, clearing your throat and walking ahead of the boys. You already knew exactly where you were going. When Jaren invites one of his gaming friends to visit, he always wanted to go to his favorite restaurant. You absolutely hate it, and you think that half of the reason he invites his friends is because it gives him an excuse to go. You never go with him anymore, other than his birthday.

“Please tell me we’re not going back to that crappy place you took me last time. I mean, come on. The shrimp wasn’t even cooked the whole way through!” You heat from behind you, and you slow your pace a bit to hear the conversation.

“I told you not to get the shrimp. That’s (Y/N)’s favorite meal and every time she orders, she expects a different outcome. It’s always the same. Jesus, you two should just get married already, same taste in food and shit,” Jaren huffs, but then mumbles under his breath about going to your favorite restaurant. You smile, walking towards him and linking your arm with his.

“Thanks, J,” you say, and he nods.

Once the little restaurant was in view, you three made your way inside. The warmth of the kitchen seeped into the dining area, delicious smells circling throughout the building. You felt at peace.

The waitress seated you, handing you guys your menus. You sat alone, John and Jaren opposite you. Giving your drink orders to the waitress, you scanned the menu. You already knew what you were going to get, so this was just to see what new items were added since the last time you came. You looked up, seeing the boys whispering to each other and laughing, probably making obscene and rude jokes and comments. You smile a bit, glad that today turned out much better than expected.

_______________

“I’m hungry,” John whined, and you rolled your eyes.

“We just ate two hours ago?” You said, and he nodded.

“Yeah, but I’m American. We eat all the time.” He jokes, and you smile. “Ice cream?” he asks, pointing at the store front next to you. You nod, making your way into the shop.

“Jaren’s going to be so pissed, this is his all time favorite ice cream place,” you said, giving your order to the teen behind the counter.

“Yeah, well he’s probably getting some good good right now, if ya know what I mean,” John winked, nudging you. You suppressed a laugh, knowing that that assumption was probably true. After lunch, Jaren had checked his phone and told you two that his girlfriend had an emergency and he had to go help. His face was beat red.

“Make it two, please,” John said to the teen, and passed him some cash.

“I can pay for my own ice cream, John,” you argue, and he nods

“Yeah, but now we can count this as our first official date,” he says, handing the freshly made cone to you.

Your eyes widen, and you don’t even know what to reply, so instead you start licking the ice cream, trying to avoid confrontation.

“I mean… that was very forward of me. I’m sorry. I just think you’re absolutely gorgeous and I want to get to know you better,” John said, face tinged pink. You sit down at one of the two tables in the shop, looking at him.

The last time one of Jaren’s friends liked you, it ended bad. Like, Jaren beating the shit out of him bad. You bit your lip, knowing that you want to get to know John more as well. You were nervous, knowing that John and Jaren had this amazing friendship, you didn’t want to be the one to ruin it or get in the way of anything.

You sigh, looking at the table. “I want to get to know you better as well, John,” you say, placing your hand on top of his, “But do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, we live in complete different countries. And if something does happen between you and I, I don’t want Jaren in the middle of it. He can be…. very overprotective,”

“Yeah, I know. The first time he ever posted a picture of you two on Instagram, I immediately got jealous. Of him. I thought you two were in a relationship. When I asked him about it, he basically laughed in my face. Then gave me the rundown about how if I were to show you any interest, and if I were to hurt you, he’d kill me,” he chuckled “I wish I was joking but the tone he had made me realize he was serious. That was three years ago, (Y/N). I’ve been begging him for your number since. He never would give it to me, deciding that if I wanted it, I’d have to get it from you myself. That’s when I booked the first flight here,” he explained, face still pink.

“But I was visiting my parents in Washington,” You mumbled, smiling softly. He nodded.

“We were probably in the airport at the same damn time, and we had no idea. After that trip, I was broke. As soon as I had enough money for a flight, I had to come back. That sounds creepy now that I say it out loud,” he laughs, a bit nervous. You giggle, nodding.

“Creepy, indeed,” You say, but grab his hand, intertwining your fingers. “But hey, cheers to our first date,” you say, both of you soon becoming a blushing mess.

_________________

Three Years Later

“I’m so happy you’re here,” John said, wrapping his arms around you from behind. It took maybe 3 months after your first date for John to officially ask you to be his girlfriend. He had flown back to Washington, and you two had talked non stop. He bought a plane ticket for you, after weeks of consistent begging.

When you had shown up at his apartment, Kugo had opened the door, looking at you quizzically. Before he had a chance to ask, John had moved him out of the way, wrapping you in a hug and placing a passionate kiss to your mouth. You heard Jay and Kugo in the back, wolf-whistling and clapping.

The first year flew by in a blur. At least once a month, one of you were on a plane flying to see the other. It totally fucked up your sleeping schedule, and you had to quit your job because you weren’t able to continue to keep taking time off. Jaren helped you start a YouTube channel, letting you borrow his gaming setup until you could afford your own.

Year two, John had asked you to come visit him for longer. He just moved into an apartment by himself, and would get lonely most of the time. You’d stay for a month at least, two tops. It was getting harder for you to afford rent in Canada, while continuing to buy plane tickets to and from your apartment. Jaren’s girlfriend, Chloe, had eventually moved in. You loved her, and were happy for them, but every time you were home, you felt an empty hole in your heart as you heard them giggling about something or other. It wasn’t fair, your person was all the way in another country, on the other side of it nonetheless.

You had ended up venting to John about it, and two days later he showed up at your door, on one knee, asking you to marry him.

Of course you said yes, how could you not? You finally had a ring on your ring finger, and that was the only one John had kept void of any jewelry. It was like you two were puzzle pieces, fitting together. At the end of his trip, he brought up the thought of you moving in with him.

It scared you. Of course you thought about moving in with him. But for some reason, it seemed so soon. Even after the continuous months you’ve spent with each other.

But you agreed anyways, and as soon as he left you began packing. Jaren was in on John’s idea of you two living together, so it didn’t surprise him when you had asked to talk to him about it. You were nervous, afraid that your best friend would be mad you were leaving. He was ecstatic. He knew that as soon as you two had laid eyes on each other, the ship had sailed.

The moving process took a good couple months. Getting your Visa, switching your address, and mailing the items to John’s house was a lot. But once you had settled in, and made sure everything was arranged just how you liked it (especially in your office), you were content.

That first night, John and you had laid on the couch, lounging in sweats while you cuddled close. He was playing with the ring on your finger, kissing your temple every few minutes.

“I am the luckiest guy in the world, (Y/N),” John said, breaking the silence. You smiled, kissing his cheek softly. “I can’t wait to marry you, for you to be mine forever. To have little kiddos running around, God I hope they have your nose.”

You got teary, and pulled his face to yours, kissing him full of passion and love. That didn’t stop, it followed you two into your shared bedroom, where the love turned to lust.

Both sweaty, cuddled up next to each other, you kissed his shoulder softly.

“I’m all yours, John. I always was, and always will be.”

[nihilisticbrock]

Taedmere|Huckslie Pride(ONE)

In which-a viking boy and a kind girl from Nadzust fall in love.(Before we start-let me say that I’m not a professional writer-Imma teenager who writes for fun.This story is also on wattpad on my profile tatedixon.)

USHTONNA DISTRICT,NAZDUST

"Mornin' to ya',Henry!'Tis a beautiful day to be alive!"Adianna greeted the familiar man with a smile."Morning,Miss Huckslie!"The elder man called from behind his booth,laughing at the girl as she ran to catch up with her family.

Ryaan was the patriarch of the household,a stern but loving father figure that kept his family in line,as well as keeping the town peaceful and orderly.His hair was almost completely gone,what was left was light brown,his eyes were worn and somehow still shining with hope.

Ryissa was his one and only,the love of his life and the mother of his 3 wonderful children.She had blonde hair,always kept up in a bun and often covered with a scarf.Her eyes were deep-set and brown,the most often trait in Nazdust.

Codie was the oldest sibling,a beautiful lady with long flowy red locks and dark green eyes,almost brown.She was always going on about what it felt like to be a mother and how she couldn't wait until Adianna had a child of her own.Her husband,Cameron was almost seven damn feet tall,lingering over everyone else in the town.He had a puffy beard and kind eyes,always smiling at people and trying to cheer them up.

Jaren Huckslie was the second eldest sibling.His brown hair was somewhat kept neat,his height average,as well as his brown eyes.He was mostly known for his humor.

His husband,John,had shoulder length white hair with dark roots,and "unna jiks monnak" or,blue eye holes,as Adianna called them,making fun of him because his eyes were almost rare,he was slightly tall and a bit of a chubby man,but was always in good shape and paying tag with her and Chloe.

Chloe was the youngest of the bunch,Codie and Cameron's only child.6 years old but acting like she was a proper lady.She had blonde hair like her grandmother and grey eyes like her great uncle.

Then there was her.Adianna Huckslie was a simple girl with high hopes and a bright future ahead.14 years old,long blonde hair held back by two french braids her sister put together that morning.She had puffy cheeks and a small uprising chin that led to her cracked,baby pink lips.Pale skin like many other Daagri people,and unusually green, almond shaped eyes.Her clothing was just about as simple as her looks,a loose baby-blue dress,long sleeves for the approaching winter months and black stockings to her knees to cover what was left from the dress,only giving her a figure by a old leather belt tied above her hips,holding a small green pouch.Her boots were short and flat-heeled,giving her the freedom she so desired to run and climb.She carried her coat in the bend of her elbow,watching the black fabrics bounce with each of her steps.The girl was known for her kindness and energy,always running around town with the others her age and coming up with games to play.

Cool and crisp air pushed the flag around,wrapping and unwrapping it around the rusting pole.The strings that bound the fabric was plain and black,braided tightly by the Ryissa and Codie.The block of fabric base was a navy blue,two strips of silver cotton stitched down either side of it,leaving a small part on each end of the flag.In the middle was a large emblem of a old willow,surrounded by words of the native Nadzust language.The patchwork represented how they refused to be cut down,their history hold strong like the willows roots.

“Natakoi Matazi."Adianna Huckslie whispered as she looked up at the flag of her people."Nothing better."Jaren translates for Chloe,nodding in agreement."Cot,nah.(Come,now)King Janson is very impatient."She huffed out a laughed,letting him pulled her along to the border of town.

<><>

MARIKONZA,CAPITAL OF NAZDUST

Inside of the 'Kings' home was extremely extravagant,oil lamps lighting up the halls that weren't seen by the sun.

“Mazataka(hello),my King,"Ryaan greeted, down at the kings foot."Ginik,hen manna(Rise,you idiot)."The kings sudden words made Adianna snort and slap a hand over her mouth."You know there's is no such need for formality.We both hate these things so why pretend we don't?"King Janson said,standing and hugging the man for a moment before turning to the rest of the family.

“Ah,you've all grown so much."He leaned down to Chloe,who hid slightly behind her fathers leg."And I don't think I've met the newest addition,have I?"Cameron pushed her out from behind her gently and told her to be polite.

“Hello,sir-king-man!I'm Chloe,I'm six,and you scare me!"She said quickly in the unfamiliar language,making the King chuckle."Theres no need to be afraid of me,dear.The town your grandfather runs is by far my favorite in the Nazdust kingdom.I do love the Ushtonna people,I find them the..."Janson thought for a moment,"the most real.And intelligent."

“Well.I had no idea that we were smart,"John said to Jaren,earning a small laugh."Ah,my boys!"Janson smooshed the couple between him in a group hug."Have you gotten married yet?"They nodded with wide,goofy smiles etched on both of their faces.

“Enough socializing,please?"The queen,Andrea,called as she entered the room,"there is serious matters at hand.The vikings have been getting closer and closer to Nazdust with every attack.We fear we may be next."

“That is why we were called here,"Ryaan asked,sitting across from the Queen at a large table,his family filling the side he was on."I'm afraid so,yes.Those pagans have gotten to most of Europe by now,they've already passed into Wolemere...knowing the Wolemere people,they won't last long.And with the patterns that we've found,the vikings should be over with them in about a moon cycle."

“What are we to do?"Codie asked her father,holding onto a now petrified Chloe."I say we hide.Somewhere in the forrest,take our valuables and dig a hole."

“They'd know what we've done.The boats would still be docked and our homes would still be standing.They are most likely to burn the villages down,either way."Adianna spoke up,earning a quick glare from her mother."The girl has a point."King Janson nodded,giving nu the girl a quick smile,"maybe we set out valuables and a few men out to sea and down to Konpier."

"That's almost a two cycle journey,it's too dangerous just for a shot in the dark."

The Kings face flushed as he placed his hands flat on the table,screaming,"then what are we to do,Huckslie?!"

“Fight back.Use our smarts against them.Show them what the willow holds."

[jrueships]

jaren just gave me secondhand embarrassment so i need people to start working on that bottom jaren fic asap please

[obtainedvent]

Run Away ~Krii7y~ Pt 1

The rain was blinding a perfectly cliche time for some one to be kissed or broken up with. But that is what was about to happen. Heart break not kissing (sorry).

Smii7y and John were in the woods while looking for the others and John managed to get hurt, by in which a tree cut his arm pretty badly. When they found the others they had cleaning supplies and wrapped his arm in mostly dry bandages. That’s when it happened, to be honest no one knew how are what had just happened. All they knew was there was a moment when everyone was staring at the two with wide eyes. The rain suddenly felt a lot colder then it did before. Break up? Someone said but the voice wasn’t very clear do to the loud rain, Smii7y suddenly backed up to steps it was hard to tell if he was crying or not because of the rain. He then turned quickly on his heels and ran away from everyone. He ran as fast as he could. He didn’t know where he was going he just needed to go somewhere away from everyone well everyone who just saw what had happened. He knew one place with people who didn’t know. The Misfits House. The run felt like it took hours even though he was sprinting. He ran through the woods to the street and he tried to remember the short cuts to his house, He couldn’t hear anything not even his heart beat. He realized he was there in time before he ran into the hardwood door. He slowed and walked up to the door carefully. He unlocked before stepping in. He breathed heavily before walking to his set up. He didn’t sit because he didn’t want to ruin his chair. Octavia ran to him she saw his sadness and wanted to cheer him up. He pet her softly before looking for plane tickets. He booked one for the earliest flight. He changed and packed. Ryan was talking about Jaren visiting away so why not. He gave them all a text in the group discord. But they thought he was joking. He then called someone to dog sit Octavia for him. He gave her another pet before leaving. He headed to the airport. One long 14 hour flight later and one extremely jet lagged and tired Smii7y he got an Uber and may of almost fallen asleep a couple of times. Before he made it to The Misfits House and knocked. He looked to the ground and tried not to think of what happened he tried to think about John. He breathed in and heard the door begin to open. It was Toby and he(she) was very confused. But he noticed none the less how tired Smii7y looked. And let him inside. “So to be honest when you said your were coming we thought you were joking.” Toby told him in all honesty. When he went in the others were just as confused....

[freefallingup13]

:0 can we get fevers for the bthb???

Haha you got it anon, this one was actually kind of hard because I have never written sick whump before and also can’t remember the last time I had a fever so this was a nice challenge!

For now, hearts will be completed bingo spaces! I’ll come up with a better symbol later rip

Masterlist

Summary: Jaren, the leader of a wild, warmongering vampire   coven, likes to keep a few werewolves as attack dogs. Some of the   werewolves the coven keeps - like his favorite “Puppy” Toni - are his personal pets.

CW: This is a pet whump/slavery fic, if I continue to post more of this story there will be dubcon and noncon. This fic in particular has non-con touching (nonsexual, two characters are grabbed by the arm), mention of illiteracy, hinted past at servitude, Whumpee is a girl and the Whumper is called “Master”.

Taglist: @emreads

Also, welcome a familiar face (and a new one!) to the party :) This one will be a little bit long;

Sick Day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey!”

Ryan whirled around, quickly brushing his long red bangs out of his eyes. “Ah- Y-Yes?”

“Don’t let her near that cage,” Cora said as she walked up to him, tugging at his arm. “That’s a quarantine cage, that wolf is sick. Can’t you smell that?”

Ryan yelped as he was dragged away, the leash in his hand tugging as well. Toni followed after him with a sound of confusion, her hands on her collar to keep herself from getting yanked. 

“It is!?” Ryan said, glancing back at the wolf. It was sitting in the corner of the cage, facing away from everything and everyone. Its shoulders were slumped, and its ears were down. “I- We just thought it was sad-!”

“And what, that you were going to cheer it up?” Cora asked, sighing as she turned around. When she saw the confused faces of the two in front of her, she sighed again, rubbing her temples. “Look - if something smells funny, and I know you can both smell just fine, then don’t go near it.”

Toni’s head lowered as she and Ryan glanced at each other, and she pouted at Cora. “I… thought it was just dirty…” she admitted quietly.

“Oh, by the gods and afterlife.” Cora grabbed them both by the arms, dragging them like squeaking, helpless mice. “You are both going to clean off, immediately, as well as you possibly can. How long were you two standing there?”

“A-A couple of minutes?”

“Maybe an hour?”

“Gods,” Cora groaned as she shoved them to the river. “Go, go clean off! You’d better hope she doesn’t get sick, or Jaren will have your head!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unfortunately for Ryan, when he came in to pick Toni up for her daily walk, he instead opened the door to an angry-looking Jaren and a bedridden Toni.

His heart fell to the floor as he looked at her. He hadn’t seen her for a while - Jaren had taken over the task of her walks, so he had no idea how she’d gotten so sick. She was covered with a thin blanket pulled all the way up to her chin, barely moving with her quiet breathing. A wet cloth was on her head to help her cool down, though he could see sweat on her cheeks. Every breath came with a barely audible whimper, and he pressed his lips together, turning shamefully back to Jaren.

Jaren’s arms were crossed as he glared down at Ryan, beckoning for him to come into the room. “So, I heard you brought my Puppy to see the other wolves,” he said, tilting his chin up. “Right to the only sick one in the whole camp.”

Flinching, Ryan looked at the floor, rubbing his arm. “I- We didn’t see anything wrong,” he said quickly. “It- It was facing away- and we didn’t-”

“There’s a sign, kid,” Jaren cut him off, narrowing his eyes. “You didn’t read it?”

Silence. Jaren raised an eyebrow, staring at the little mop of red hair in front of him. “Well?” he said. “Did you see the sign or not?”

Ryan turned his head away, shrugging. “I… we did… it…”

“And, what?” Jaren said, frowning. “What did it say?”

Scrunching his eyes shut, Ryan involuntarily winced to protect his ribs as he answered. “It… It looked the same as all the others, Sire,” he mumbled before turning his head, hoping Jaren wouldn’t hit him too hard.

The blow never came. Beyond the shaky breathing of Toni, he heard nothing but a soft shuffle of clothing.

“... You can’t read?”

After a moment of wondering whether he should answer, Ryan carefully looked up at Jaren. The man’s face was neutral as he looked down on Ryan, nodding. “I’m right, aren’t I? You can’t read.”

Ryan glanced at the floor, then back at Jaren as he shook his head slowly. “I… I never had to,” he muttered. “I wasn’t a kitchen servant - I just cleaned and served.”

Jaren stared at him, and Ryan fought the urge to run as he saw the gears turning in the man’s head. The sigh caught him off guard, as did seeing Jaren relax.

“Well, I can’t blame you for that, then,” he groaned, turning around and waving his hand. “With a background like that, I should have asked. I apologize for holding you under suspicion.”

Blinking, Ryan felt his arms go slack. The leash almost fell to the ground. “... Uh… Sire?”

Jaren glanced at Ryan before casually taking the cloth from Toni’s forehead, squeezing the water out into a bowl. “I’ll get a tutor for you,” he continued to speak, dunking the cloth into a different bowl. “And Toni. She can’t read either.”

He didn’t know what to say. He would get to read? “What-” No, don’t ask what the catch is. Be grateful for the gift. “Why, Sire?”

“Why?” Jaren scoffed, looking at Ryan with a raised eyebrow. “Because I’ve been there. There’s no reason to keep someone from reading, especially if it avoids things like this happening again.”

Ryan only stared as Jaren moved about the room, the words falling on deaf ears. He wasn’t getting punished? He’d gotten Toni sick, and Jaren wanted to reward him with something so important as reading?

“Hey.”

He was knocked from his thoughts as Jaren waved a hand in front of his face, stumbling back slightly. “I-I’m sorry, Sire-”

“Shush,” Jaren sighed, shaking his head. “Have you been listening? I can’t spend much more time taking care of my Pup, I’ve got things to do. Instead of walking her, you’re going to be here. Understand?”

Frantically looking between Toni and Jaren, he nodded vigorously. “Y- Yes, Sir!” he said quickly, nodding. “I-I can do that. I’ll make sure she’s alright.”

“Good,” Jaren said, clapping him onto the shoulder and going for the door. “Keep an eye on her, then. Switch out the cloths, make sure she drinks, feed her soup when they bring up the meals. Pup likes your company, so I don’t expect any problems.”

Ryan nodded, putting a hand to his chest and bowing slightly. “Yes, Sire,” he said quietly.

“Counting on you, Ryan,” Jaren said, waving over his shoulder as he opened the door. “Don’t disappoint me.”

As the door closed, Ryan looked back at Toni, frowning. She seemed to be sleeping - he hoped she was sleeping. She was rather still, and her lips looked dry. He could see now why the other wolf had been so quiet; by the way Toni whimpered, sometimes whispered to herself, all of her energy must have been concentrated on fighting whatever sickness was ailing her.

He quietly sat down next to her, putting the leash onto the table. “Hey,” he said softly, almost whispering. “I don’t know if you can hear me - but I’m really sorry about this. I didn’t mean for you to get sick.”

No response. Sighing, Ryan went to ask the guard for some bits of ice so she could stay hydrated - he didn’t even think she was awake.

In the haze, Toni hadn’t heard a thing that Ryan had said. She was so tired - she felt tired, she felt that she was resting in bed, right where Master had tucked her in, but she couldn’t sleep. Everything was becoming stuck in the fog that was her head, and try as she might, she couldn’t get anything to come through nor get out. She couldn’t even open her eyes. She felt too weak.

Absently, she felt something cold on her lips. Another spoon - was Master giving her water again?

She tried to tilt her head back to accept the water, but she couldn’t. Her body ached too much, and it was almost as if keeping her body in one piece was the only task that she could focus on. Only a small sigh escaped her as she settled for opening her lips, accepting the ice.

Above her, Ryan sighed in relief. “So, you are awake?” he asked as he set the bowl down. “I mean - if you’re resting, maybe it would be better to sleep, but…. Um…”

She wasn’t responding, why was he even talking? It wasn’t like she could talk back. A slight heat arose in his face as he tried to occupy himself with something else, anything else - he swept, he gave Toni water, he set aside broth for if she woke up (if she was even asleep.)

Eventually, he tried to move her so he could prop her pillows up a little bit better - his old masters would often get sore, lying like that, so if he could just sit her up a bit higher-

A sharp intake of breath drew his attention, and he looked down with wide eyes. She felt like fire in his arms, whimpering rather than crackling.

Then her head slumped forward, and she relaxed. Ryan froze, trying but barely able to comprehend what was going on. He didn’t want to disturb her, so he sat on the bed with her for a few minutes, as awkward as it was.

“... oh,” he mumbled eventually, putting his free hand to his face. “Right, I’m… cold.”

He looked down when he heard a small noise from Toni and felt her try to move. Right - he might as well be ice, considering her fever. The perks of being undead, he supposed.

Carefully, he laid her back down on the pillows, which were now at a much better height. A weak whine escaped her as he pulled away. Where was the cold going? It made everything feel a bit more alright.

But the cool touch quickly returned, bare arms pressing against the side of hers. She gasped at the contact, but quickly settled once more, finally relieved just a little bit since this morning.

Toni tried to whisper a small ‘thank you’, anything to show her gratitude, as she should, but she felt a cold hand on her cheek.

“.... ust… Toni, res…”

Rest? Just rest.

She could do that. Just… rest.

And as she settled into the pillows, Ryan sighed in relief. “Thank the gods,” he muttered as he brushed some hair from her face. “I hope you sleep well, Toni. Sleep peacefully.”

[writingwithadragon]

Destructive Behavior

Description:  Inside every person, there is a demon. Demons can never be unlocked, even if the world depended on it. The demons are connected to the soul, and no one can live without a soul. A group of boys thought that one of their closest friends lost his soul. John went missing four years prior after he went to cool off after another rough day. But he was found, unconscious, but found. And almost instantly his friends knew something was wrong.

Prologue | Chapter One

Chapter One ~ Date Night

I sat there with my head in my hands. My mind was clouded as the t.v. added to the white noise. I let out a shaky sigh, the weight of the world seemed to stand on my chest as I gasped for breath. Tears made my hands wet as it dripped down my arms. I didn’t know why I was crying. Anger? Sadness? Panic attack? I shook violently as I reached for a tissue and blew my nose. I heard my cries bounce off bare walls back at me. Scars littered my wrists, painful reminders of my mistakes. I traced my fingers over them, the small horizontal lines faded into or out of my skin. People often looked over them as my skin was far too pale to notice the marks. A pained cry came from my lips as I balled my hands into fists. I cried harder at the thought of my past mistakes. A large scar that ran down my arm was for forgetting what John sounded like. 

I was still stuck in grief while everyone else moved on, including his parents. So now any information regarding John was sent to me. And yet after four years, nothing new had come up in the investigation. I sobbed as the thought of John dying or was hurt somewhere alone shook me to the core. Maybe if I was able to drop everything and go look for him, I would in a heartbeat. A knock at the door went unnoticed as I continued to cry. I didn’t hear the door unlock or the startled gasp of a close friend. It wasn’t until I felt a comforting hand on my back that I realized that I wasn’t alone anymore. I flinched lightly as they moved me to their chest. Whoever it was, was beyond freezing from the winter’s icy gusts. I was held close to their chest as I cried. I felt them rub my back gently calming me down enough to comprehend things around me. Being pulled back from their chest I looked up to see Cameron. He wiped the tears from my face, he kissed my forehead gently. His soft smile calmed me more than anything.

“How’s my favorite Canadian?” he asked giving me another kiss on my cheek.

“I’ve been better,” I said hugging him close to me, I didn’t want to let go. “I miss him so much. I’ve known him since I was eight.”

“I know, we too were pretty close. He was my first crush you know?” he muttered drawing things into my back with his fingers.

“Really? He charmed you too?”

“Umm hmm, he had me tied around his fingers.”

I giggled a bit, Cam always knew how to cheer me up. Cam hummed and the vibrations in his chest were soothing, “Don’t you want to take off your jacket?”

“Shit you’re right,” Cam frowned as I pulled back, helping to get his jacket off. I got up and took his jacket to the coathanger, “Thanks, babe.”

“Anything for you,” I smiled when I saw Cam stretch out on the couch and grab the remote, “How long until date night?”

“A few more hours, Toby gets off work at five, an hour from now. And another hour for him to get ready and relax for a bit,” Cam brightened at the mention of his other lover’s name, I loved this gentle giant.

“I can’t wait,” I said laying next to him only to have him spoon me almost instantly.

Cam held me close to him all the while holding my hands in his large ones, “How about we watch a movie to make the time pass quicker? What do you think babe?”

“I think that’s a great idea, let’s watch Venom. I need some action, movie action,” I smirked knowing what Cam most likely thought up first.

“You’re a tease and you know it!” Cam pouted holding me closer and started the movie.

“Yeah,” I yawned closing my eyes, falling asleep almost instantly.

I was awoken with a gentle push to my shoulder. I groaned softly looking up at who ruined my sleep. It was none other than Toby, who had a gentle smile on his face. I smiled back as I sat up and stretched my back. Warm and deep voices flooded from behind, most likely coming from the kitchen. A small yawn escaped my lips, Toby set his head onto my shoulder. He rubbed my back with a comforting gleam in his eyes.

“Cam told me you broke down earlier. So, when we start watching the movie, which you picked out earlier, Venom was it? Anyway, when the time comes I want you to cuddle with me, just two idiots comforting each other. Deal?” Toby giggled rubbing the back of his neck, “Cam and Swags are getting popcorn and apples for all of us. And just a minute ago Cam had to lift Swagger so he could reach the popcorn bags. It was so cute I had to get a picture. But shh! It’s our little secret.”

I giggled and nodded, “It’s a deal, now show me that picture!” Toby obliged and handed me his phone. The picture already set as his background. A smirk covered my face, “Send it to me, I want it.”

Toby laughed back picking his head back up, but only to pull me onto my lab. His arms wrapped around my waist, his phone in his hands texting me the picture. I leaned back with a hum, though we might not be dating, we seemed to act like we were. It was common for all of us to go out together and Toby and I were always referred to as a couple. Everyone was shocked when they found out that we were never dating in the first place. It was probably because of Toby’s platonic kisses, he always made sure that we knew that he loved us, just not romantically. Toby’s face was soon nuzzling into my back holding me closer to him.

“How are some of my favorite boys?” Cameron asked walking into the living room, “And yes before you ask. I did indeed, carry you here.”

“We are good, just getting ready for date night. So where is my popcorn?” I joked giving Cam a deadpan expression getting all three of the other men to crack a smile and laugh.

“Here, sweetheart,” Cam smiled handing Toby and I a bowl of popcorn while also setting to apples on the coffee table.

The air was filled with the smell of warm popcorn and of the sweet red apples. Laughs and giggles occupied the space as jokes were said. I was happy, even if a part of me wished for John to be here too. But I pushed past it to live in the moment, John would want me to live, not drown in my sorrows like have in the past. Toby held me close while Cam held my hand as Swagger laid his head onto his boyfriend’s lap. Cam’s other hand was playing with Swagger’s hair. Swagger just started the movie as my phone rang cutting into the air, the ring tone was one that made my heart drop. I stood up and raced into the guest bedroom, everyone stayed outside, giving me space. The call came from the head of the police and investigation regarding John. My thumb slid to the right, accepting the call.

“Hello, Erza Sir. Anything new?” I asked, my throat seemed to tighten as it was hard to swallow.

“Jaren Smith, we have some good and bad news regarding Johnathan Keyes,” Erza’s voice was shaky but wasn’t noticeable if I hadn’t been only focusing on the call.

“Please spare me the heartbreak, I need some good news,” I weakly smiled, but it faulted when I heard him shudder on the other end.

There was a long shaky sigh before Erza cleared his throat, “As of 12:45 p.m., Johnathan Keyes had been declared,” Erza paused and a small sob slipped from my lips, dead, please don’t be dead. He cleared his throat again a sniffle poking in at the end, “Found. Johnathan Keyes has been found and emitted to the Clarmin hospital.” Oh, thank the stars! He’s okay! He’s okay! “The bad news is that he looks like he went through Hell and back, and his kidnappers are still unknown. He has severe head trauma internal bleeding, and weak lungs and is on oxygen.”

“Thank you! Is it okay to visit him at this time?” I asked frantically as tears of joy cascaded down my face.

“Only family and close friends, so you should be okay to visit. Take care, Jaren,” Erza said hanging up shortly after.

My heart was bursting with pure happiness, as long as John’s heart was still beating I was okay. Happy sobs left my lips as I wiped away the tears away with a bright smile on my face. You’re alive!

\|/\|/\|/

@celestiadraw