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miss-celestia13 · 9 months ago

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The Ending You Deserve

Jake x MC - Duskwood One Shot

I wanted to practice angst and creating suspense. This happened. It has a touch of humor, a hint of fluff, and other things! Sassy MC. No smut for a change. It feels weird 🤭

Can Jake run from death and make it to MC?

Or will his demons win the race?

MC isn't named or described as it was more for the emotions. It's all from Jake’s POV.

Pain.

Aching. Cold. Hot. Burning, burning, burning. It rolled through him in waves.

He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t see.

Dread wove through his internal organs and strangled him from the inside like an invasive vine had taken root in the core of himself.

Smoke and ash choked his airways as he stumbled and tripped through the mine.

His heart rattled savagely against his ribs.

It felt like a creature in its death throes, trying to break out of his chest.

His foot collided with a jagged, jutting rock and he went down like a house of cards. Crumpled and folded as he rolled and rolled.

Hissing as tiny sharp stones cut into his face and hands.

Ash ridden sweat trickled down his face and stung the many small slices leaking blood as he lay on his back panting and cursing himself as the ominous orange glow of raging flame inched along the underground tunnel.

The air grew thinner and thinner.

The smoke grew thicker and thicker.

The gasoline fueled fire was a monster bearing down on him and he scrambled to his trembling feet. Taking off at a staggering jog, one hand braced on the rough, dirty wall.

A pinprick of light opened up far ahead and a jolt of adrenaline surged through his bloodstream. He hurried, panting and terrified, breathing too shallowly as the rising heat nipped at his neck.

He knew he had a choice to make.

It was death by fire or FBI.

Neither option appealed to him, but as he looked back and saw the swirling, furious flames licking nearer and nearer. He knew he had to decide.

It wasn’t fair.

He wasn’t innocent or free from any wrongdoing. But he didn’t deserve to die like an animal, run over and left bleeding out and twitching on the side of the road until he grew cold and stiff.

No one would miss him.

No one would look for him.

He was all alone. It was a surety. He was always, always alone.

That’s not true though, is it, Jake?

It hasn’t been for a while now.

The voice in his head made his breath catch, and his heart pounded painfully in his throat.

It felt as though someone had reached inside his chest, broken through his flesh, muscle and grasped his bones to pry them apart, an invisible fist that gripped his pulsing heart and shoved it in his mouth. Forcing him to swallow it.

It beat there like a Wardrum. Marching him to his death.

It throbbed and choked and filled his mouth with copper. He couldn’t stand it. The pain was corrosive as it ate through his nerves and left them exposed to the heat and acrid taint of smoke.

She is waiting for you. Don’t let her down.

You PROMISED.

A soul deep sigh huffed through his nose as his feet sped up, pebbles and broken glass crunched under his boots as he raced toward the gradually growing dot of light.

The roaring fire and echo of his escape bounced off the stone and haunted him as he ran for his life.

Four years of running.

Four years of searching and shame and seclusion. Running had been his gift. His lifeline.

Yet he felt wholly unprepared for this last sprint.

He was tiring.

Steps shortening faster than his scalding breath as black smoke slithered overhead and wrapped its insidious tentacles around his body.

He would not make it.

He would not see her after all.

The thought felt like a poisoned blade sinking into his chest. He could feel the barbs of it twisting and cutting through sinew.

He would soon bleed out without a sound.

The fight left him as the intangible knife punctured his hope and foolish dream of having a love he didn’t deserve.

They’d been writing their own story, filling the pages with dreams and fragile, flourishing love.

He felt like coming here was akin to him tearing out those pages and ripping them up.

It broke him so completely he almost stopped and let the flames embrace him.

He could already smell the sickly sweet and pungent scent of his blistering flesh. Like tanning leather over a flame.

He was going to burn.

It would hurt more than he already did.

It would roast through his flesh, flay it from his bones and incinerate muscle and blood to dust.

He could already feel it.

Creeping closer, singing the hair on his nape, and filling his nose with the cloying scent of dangerous smoke.

No one would know it was him.

Nothing would remain for her except blackened bones and the memory that he had gone to the mine instead of her.

She would blame herself for this.

It would destroy her.

And it was all his doing.

No.

Never.

He wouldn’t be a cause of her pain anymore than he already had.

A burst of fresh speed and determination glittered through him as the fire drew so near he could feel the flames whispering in his ear.

Too slow, Jake. It’s too late.

You can’t run away from this.

Your luck has faded.

He forced it aside and sobbed through his clenched teeth as the dot of light swelled and came toward him.

His legs were heavy. Growing weightier with every leap over fallen support beams and shattered rock.

His rabbit heart raced faster and faster. It deafened him to the groaning, popping wood as the fire devoured it.

Tears streaked through the soot and blood on his face. Leaving pale tracks through the grime and coating his chapped lips with brine.

His vision blurred as his emotions broke free of the locked and coded vault he’d stuffed in the back of his hive mind to come here.

He attempted to shove them back in.

It didn’t work.

They spilled out and utterly overwhelmed him.

He’d spent years locking them down. Beating them into submission, so they listened to him and not him to them. The steel and stone fortress he erected around himself had already crumbled for her and there was nowhere left to hide.

He’d given her everything he had, and it wouldn’t be enough.

You always knew you weren’t enough. Let’s not think too highly of ourselves.

She deserves better than this.

Better than you.

That is a truth you will never escape.

His heart fractured as his mind fought against him and his flagging spirit frayed further.

She deserved better than this.

He was failing her. Had failed her since he let her in.

He’d always known he’d cause her future hurt.

He just hadn’t expected it would come so soon. That he wouldn’t get to watch from afar as she healed from his vanishing.

They had always lived on borrowed time.

And now, the fire was so close sweat slid like rivers down his back and legs, eating away at his nerves as they flared wildly under his soaking skin.

Jake knew it was futile. The ball of light in his vision seemed to run away from him as his eyes blurred and cleared repeatedly. His hands curled into two tight fists and he fought the urge to punch the wall in fury.

He bit down on the inside of his cheek instead. Biting down hard until the skin gave and blood welled over the tattered edge, glazing his tongue with the buttery, metallic taste of it.

It acted like a stimulant.

His eyes focused and his heart pounded fiercely as he ran and ran and ran.

Feet pounded stone as fire blazed through the mine. He had to outrun it.

He would outrun in it.

There was no other option as his blood pressure skyrocketed and his breath became harsh, shallow.

The fire sucked away the air before it could go in as he tried to gulp it down.

There was no oxygen.

His insides kept writhing and twisting.

They knotted up and up so tightly he swore felt something tear. Something that made him cry out as the air was crushed from him.

He could see shadows in his periphery. Specks of darkness and sparks of light as his lungs ached and screamed for oxygen. For rest.

Resting meant dying.

Dying meant failing her.

Failing her was never an option before.

It couldn’t be one now.

He put his head down and ran.

He jumped over another wooden beam as the light ahead broadened and he landed atop aged wooden boards.

He only had time to scream as they broke under his weight and their age.

Jake fell. And fell and fell.

He screwed his eyes shut before he hit the ground.

The impact was so brutal, he almost wished it had killed him.

He hit the ground with a resounding whack.

His head cracked off the stone. Pain, blinding and bleeding, radiated through his skull and brain, frying his rationality completely and leaving room for fear to consume him wholly.

Warmth seeped across his scalp and his hand came away, stained in crimson when he reached to feel the damage.

Head wounds bled worse than they were and the gash didn’t feel too bad once the stinging pain subsided a little. He internally surveyed the rest of himself. Finding nothing broken despite his ribs feeling as though a giant had stomped him flat.

Dirt and blood coated his teeth as he wheezed and coughed. Choking and spluttering as he tried to get a handle on himself.

He’d bitten through his lip, and it bled like a bitch.

Something was stabbing into his shoulder.

As he stared up at the hole he fell through, a sensation like a thousand razor blades slicing down his skin moved down his spine, coiling in his lower back. It swirled there, a ball of cutting, primal fright that soon bled through the rest of him.

A rickety ladder leading up and out offered a small ray of hope.

He clung to it and calculated how long it would take to climb in his current condition.

Fire scoured over the opening and left no place for him to escape.

His hope died with a breathless whimper.

He barely even heard it as agony rippled through his bones and he rolled onto his knees, panting.

“Fuck!” He spat. The word was more like a vicious curse as it rebounded off the mine walls and into his ears.

Mocking him as he squinted into the darkness and tried to figure out what to do next.

The fire would keep the police and FBI away from the mine until it burnt out. They wouldn’t rush in until it was safe enough. He knew that.

He could use that.

Jake kneeled on the filthy ground and schemed.

The temperature rose and rose as he shuffled through his thoughts.

He neatly ordered and arranged everything, thinking of his brain like a filing cabinet.

He could slide one drawer open and find a treasure trove of data and memories.

Some would get stuck as he tugged at them. Rusty and dusty, hardly ever opened for fear it would cut off his ability to feel nothing.

He pulled at one that had eroded so much he had to kick it and smash it to smithereens to pull the files out.

It was like opening Pandora’s box and expecting sunshine to pour forth.

A veritable flood of emotion, memory, and agony spilled free of the mental drawer and absolutely annihilated his hold on himself.

He’d forgotten what it was like to feel everything so fully.

Everything of the last few years had felt like he was competing against time itself. And time was humanity’s greatest enemy. There was never enough of it and it actively fought back when you tried to beat it.

It was a losing game and in order to keep playing, he’d become a ghost.

He muted everything that made him human in order to survive.

Calculated.

Clinical.

Cold.

Jake was all of that.

Now, he felt everything.

He wanted to survive. He wanted to live.

Lingering as a phantom on the periphery of reality no longer appealed to him. He wanted to feel and touch and be. He wanted everything life had to give.

The bitter and the sweet. The hurt and the relief. All of it.

Jake just wanted.

And when Jake wanted something, he got it.

He pushed up on his hands. Curling his fingers into the gravelly dirt and ignoring the bark of pain as his nails cracked and split.

His blood mingled with the muck, and he clambered to his feet.

Everything ached and bled and felt so heavy he could barely put one foot in front of the other as he carefully headed down the tunnel he’d dropped into.

His throat was raw. Torn to shreds from smoke and screaming. His hands quaked and his mouth was so dry his tongue curdled in his mouth as he smacked his lips together and tried to create some lubrication.

It was useless. He needed water.

He needed to rest soon, or he would pass out in sheer fright and exhaustion.

It’s too late, Jake.

Give up.

Only fools persist in fighting when the odds are stacked.

Jake’s head throbbed as he thrashed it, as if to dispel the sinister crooning, and muttered, “The odds are always stacked. It’s how you play the system.”

The voice went quiet again, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he tripped over rock and wood, hands scrabbling at the walls to ensure he wouldn’t get himself lost.

He risked taking his phone out of his pocket, scowling at the shattered screen as message after message came through.

MC: Jake. You can’t just tell a woman you love her and then ignore her!

Answer me.

Please.

Just give me a sign. A smoke signal. Send a damn carrier pigeon if you have to! They’re saying there’s no way in or out. But I know better. You’ll find a way.

Keep going. Please don’t give up. You’re not alone in this. I won’t allow it.

If you die, I will hunt you down, drag you back and kill you again. You must live, Jake. Not for me, not for Hannah or Lilly, but for you. You will make it back to me.

He swiped them away. Deleting them. They made his heart shiver and fracture more. The rubious fissures would leave silver scars behind. He groaned as another came through and he immediately memorized the coordinates she gave him. Deleting the message once he had. He put all his remaining energy and will into planning his escape.

His mind wheeled with memories from before. Prior to being forced into hiding, he had experienced a life of color and fluctuating joy. It wasn’t a perfect life, but it was his. The day he had to leave it all behind, he’d severed all strands of his old life and assumed the identity of many and none.

He’d learned a lot about humanity and its cruelty in that time. He knew how it worked.

Life was a battle against human cruelty. It always was and always would be. Wisdom, strategy, and hope were the only factors that could hope to gain over cruelty.

And his hope lived on.

Hope, he understood it lived with her now. He’d given her it and she had offered him her own. He would not waste it.

He flicked through his brain and memories, shelving what didn’t matter and keeping what did. Everything that made him ache, he kept. Everything that made him feel safe, he lost.

If safety meant being alone, lost in a mine until he either burned or starved to death, he didn’t want it.

He reached into the mental vault containing their chats.

Their conversation about her coming here was the most potent file he had, and it would fuel him to make it out.

She had complimented his research on the mine and he’d told her about some entrances/exits.

He informed her of the ones he thought were most likely to get him caught. It was a manipulative decision, so she wouldn’t get the stupid idea of following him.

He kept one exit loaded like a bullet in the back of his mind.

It was risky.

It was idiotic.

Still, Jake took off running for it.

The tunnel was narrowing as he traveled along it. He had to duck before long.

His heart still frothed behind his sternum. Relentless and out of time, with his sawing breath as the walls closed in on him.

He had to crouch now. His head scuffed off the rugged ceiling and he bit back a shout as the pain merged with that of the wound still leaking blood on the back of his skull.

He felt drained. His body became so weighty, he was grateful when the tightening passage forced him to his hands and knees.

Jake crawled and crawled. Palms scraped and searing as sweat irritated all his grazes. His eyes prickled with fresh tears as a draught of fresh air snaked into his nose.

Dread rose to swallow him, but he kept going. He didn’t know what awaited him on the other side, but it was better than dying alone, never to be mourned or found.

The fear of being arrested was so strong it almost halted him as he squeezed through the ever shrinking tunnel and felt like he was caught in a vice.

If he got stuck—No, he couldn’t think it.

He had to turn his fear into a weapon. Run from this place and reclaim his name. The sweat on his brow, the blood running through his veins; it was that of a survivor.

This was just another glitch.

He told himself that over and over as he army crawled through the crushing mine.

He was blind.

The darkness entrenched him.

It would entomb him if he allowed it.

His coat snagged on the rough wall and dragged him back. He shook his sore body as much as the tight space would allow and panted through his clenched teeth.

It kept sticking. He had stretched his hands ahead of him.

There was no room or way for him to tug the fabric free.

His heart stopped dead in his chest.

Helplessness stole his flagging fight, and he slumped into the dirt, hiding his filthy face in it.

Abruptly, Jake started sobbing like a child. Great, gasping cries tore from him and his entire body shuddered with it. So violent and soul destroying he couldn’t temper it.

No matter what he did, it went against him. He’d never worked with such horrendous odds. His brain was a mess of emotion and regret.

He wished he’d written everything he felt and hoped for them down and mailed the letter to her before he entered the mine, but he’d been cocky then. Too confident in his ability to escape any trap or cage.

Jake gave up and accepted his fate.

If he died, if that was his due, there was no stopping it. He’d been living off begged and borrowed and stolen time for years.

It had finally caught up to him.

He was so lost in defeat. Consumed by it. His throat contracted, and he felt like he might be sick.

He hoped he choked on it.

Make it quick.

“I don’t want to die,” He whispered without meaning to and his mouth kept moving, the words kept falling from his bloodstained lips, “Not like this, anything but this.”

His heart shriveled and went cold as he struggled and tried to shuffle forward. He couldn’t breathe properly. All his weight was on his front. His ribs felt bruised and cracked, every tiny inhale felt like a sledgehammer blow.

It is over, Jake. Feel that? The cold creeping in? Soon, it’s all you’ll know. This darkness? It’s all there is. All there ever will be. It’s what you –

“-- I don’t deserve this.” Jake growled with a certainty he’d never known.

Adrenaline coursed through him, lighting up his veins and filling him with new trembling energy as if someone had injected him with a drug.

He rocked and shook his body until his bones jolted and his skin felt too tight. He forced what little breath he had out through gritted teeth and felt the tendons in his neck straining as he dug his fingers into the dirt and put all his strength into pulling himself free.

The sound of fabric ripping caused his heart to start beating again.

He gave a laugh like shattering glass.

Unhinged and desperate as the momentum of his coat coming free shoved him forward a few feet.

From there, it wasn’t easy. He felt like a clumsy serpent as he slithered through the mine.

He kept laughing. His heart kept pounding.

The voice in his head was silent as his hands connected with something that fell away as he shoved at it.

Glorious, clean night air hit his sweaty face, and he gulped it down as he pulled himself out of the horrible tunnel.

It seemed to cling to him. Like invisible hands tugged on his ankles to keep him trapped. He refused to allow it.

Damp earth, long green grass, and dried leaves crunched under his hands as he lay on his back on the forest floor and stared at the starry sky.

He considered the spectacle of stars as the greatest gift he could have received. He analyzed it, finding the North star and thinking of the co-ordinates MC had given him. He quickly checked them on his phone before he threw it away, and was relieved when he discovered it wasn’t too far to make it there on foot.

If he headed in a North- Easterly direction, he could make it there at sunrise.

He didn’t bother looking toward Duskwood, didn’t need to know how close his pursuers might be or he’d lose his nerve.

He shakily got to his feet and started walking.

Time meant nothing to him as he traipsed through forest and open fields. He stayed away from the roads he knew were always busy.

In his current condition, some good samaritan would call for help thinking they were aiding him when in fact they’d be signing his death.

He was so tired. It clung to him like a shroud of smothering fog he would never break out of.

He kept moving.

Through shadow and moonlight, he kept walking and ignored the pain in his body as best he could.

There was no end to his exhaustion as pink tinged sunlight shimmered through the pines.

The sun was rising.

How strange, he thought, that his world could burn down around him and yet the sun still rose.

He eyed it and felt strange, like it was an abstract painting absolutely out of place in this world of cruelty, death, and flame.

No matter how deeply or irrevocably the world burned. No matter how thick the shadows grew and the amount the freezing darkness consumed, the sun would always rise.

It filled the world with light, warmth, and color and precious hope.

He felt the soft warmth kiss his hurting face, and it energized him as he broke out of the cover of trees and came to a halt in a motel parking lot.

Jake frowned, glancing around in suspicion and doubt as he failed to understand. Why would she send him here? He hadn’t stayed here. It was too out of the way.

And just how did she know of it?

He stood straight and fear thickened in his throat as his attention snagged on a window. The curtains had moved. He was sure of it.

He moved as though to sink back amongst the trees, but the creak of a door opening made his head snap toward it.

A small, slender hand poked through the gap in the door, beckoning him. He was moving toward it before he could give his feet the command.

His heart picked up speed again. His pulse and distress ratcheting up and infusing him with tension like someone was turning a screw too tightly.

He was only a few steps away from the door now. His skin felt too sensitive and everything hurt in some way. His throat felt like he’d been eating sandpaper and gravel.

The shake in his hands intensified, flight or fight. His nervous system couldn’t decide.

As he hesitated, a female voice trailed through the open door and it was like a salve on his exposed nerves. He had heard that voice, he could recognize it anywhere.

His heart raced for an entirely different reason as he listened to it.

“It’s safe. Come in and I’ll explain.”

Jake didn’t care about her explanation as the adrenaline left him so suddenly he drooped and nearly dropped to his knees.

He tripped through the door instead.

She didn’t give him time to rake his gaze over her the way he wanted to. She gripped him and forcefully dragged him into an embrace, causing him to groan in pain as it aggravated his many minor injuries.

She instantly pulled back, grimacing and apologetic.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. Here, I have supplies. I figured one of us would get shot or stabbed or maimed. It felt important to be prepared. Thankfully, the worst injury I’ve had is paper cuts. You don’t look like you’ve been so lucky. Are you bleeding anywhere? What do I do first? Are you burnt? You smell like someone roasted you over a spit! Are yo-”

Jake chuckled roughly at her babbling. Touched and amused by her care and thoughtfulness.

It was the first genuine laugh he’d had in years, and it turned into a cackle before long. It just slipped out of him and sounded more like crying by the end.

His gritty eyes closed as emotion swallowed him and he welcomed the darkness they offered.

It was familiar.

It was safe.

He woke hours later very confused and so stiff it felt like he was breaking his bones to sit up. His grunt of pain escaped his teeth as a lilting voice cut through the static in his mind.

“Oh, good. I was worrying. That’s nothing new, but you look like someone just dug you out of your grave. I cleaned and patched you up as best I could without stripping you. I thought I’d let you buy me dinner before we got to that stage!”

Her tone was light and filled with humor, but there was an edge of despair and anxiety in it that told him she’d fussed over him the entire time he slept.

His sluggish heart resided in his empty stomach as she approached him slowly like she thought he was an injured animal and she was afraid to spook him.

“Where are we? Why are you here? You promised to stay away.” He managed as he accepted the glass of water she offered him.

His fingers left dirty streaks on the glass as the dirt mingled with the condensation. The water was cold and crystal clear and he gulped it down to clear the sour taste out of his mouth.

She huffed at his words and waited for him to sink the water before she responded, “Typical. I come and help you and you scold me. Well, shove it. If it weren’t for me and Alan, you would be dead or rotting in a cell. And I did stay away! I didn't go to the mine, did I?”

His gaze flew to her indignant face, lovely and open despite the fury razing hell in her narrowed eyes.

He felt shocked that he could speak because his tongue felt so thick in his mouth. “My apologies. I’m still—I’m sorry... Alan? I thought he would be more interested in helping them catch me?”

She smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she sat down beside him.

“That was until I ripped him a new one. The fire helped most, but Alan is currently playing down your involvement to give us time. He’ll make contact with us once we find a safe place to stay.”

He opened his mouth to demand she go back home, and he’d message once he was safe, but she flung up a hand to silence him.

“None of that. I’ll explain better once we know the scope of the fallout in Duskwood. But I am coming with you. No, if ands or buts about it, Jake. I make my decisions, not you. The last time someone tried to decide for me, I bit them. Don’t make me bite you too. Are you in?”

Her eyes were hard and unwavering, not a sliver of doubt to be found.

Everything inside him protested against dragging her into his mess, but he was tired.

He was tired of being alone.

He was so tired of losing everything.

Four years of fatigue and depression sank through him like a millstone and he hung his head in defeat. He was in no condition to run alone, anyway.

And he didn't want to. It was selfish. It was daft. But he didn't care.

He hadn't expected to survive this long. Plus, she had been his reason to make it out. He sighed and let his shoulders curl inward. Having someone else to protect would keep him sharp and ready for anything. She must've sensed his resolve weakening.

She reached out and threaded her clean fingers through his muddy ones, dark and light; he thought stupidly as his skin tingled at the contact.

It had been so long since he’d been touched gently. With obvious affection and because someone wanted to, not because they had to.

He was used to bruises and hurt. This was — this was what he'd survived for.

He’d forgotten what it felt like as he met her gaze and felt his stomach fluttering with something that felt like excitement.

It felt like hundreds of tiny birds had taken flight in his abdomen and a frisson of tentative anticipation filtered through him.

Her eyes glittered and his mouth twitched with the want to smile as he gave his response.

“I’m in.”

—————————

Thank you for reading. I hope it was worth your time despite this being done so many times before me. Oh, and if you leave a comment or reblog, thank you. It is appreciated ❤️

201 notes · View notes

giu-world · 1 year ago

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MC: My boyfriend is too tall for me to kiss him on the lips. What should I do?

Alan: Punch him in the stomach. Then, when he doubles over in pain, kiss him.

Thomas: Tackle him.

Dan: Kick him in the shin.

Jake: Don't do anything to all of those. Just ask me to lean down.

#duskwood #duskwood everbyte #everbyte studios #duskwood fandom #incorrect quotes #duskwood incorrect quotes #giuworlduskwood #mc duskwood #jake donfort #hacker boy #i am jake #mc x jake #jake x mc #alan bloomgate #thomas miller #dan anderson

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satveek · 1 year ago

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Jake X MC

Jake: what are you doing here MC? MC: You were hiding here, so i came here. Jake: You want me to help Phil? MC: Nope, I helped him. He ran away. Jake: You helped Phil run away? MC: Yes. I did. Jake: You know it's a crime. MC: Yes. I know. Jake: Where is Phil? MC: Behind you! Jake: Police will arrest you both. Phil: That's why we are here. MC: From now onwards you won't be on the run alone, we will be accompanying you. Phil: All for one. MC: One for all. Jake: I am most experienced in hiding, I will be leading you both. Phil and MC: Aye aye captain.

#duskwood #duskwood jake #jake x mc #duskwood fandom #duskwood fanfic #duskwood jake x mc #jake x reader #jake_duskwood #mc x jake #duskwood everbyte #jake x player #mc x phil #jake x mc x phil #duskwood phil #phil duskwood #duskwood alan #everbyte studios

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reality-exodus · 1 year ago

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Broken promises

Ch. 1 Lost and Found

Pairing: M/c x Jake, Words: 1280 Summary: What if m/c went to the Grimrock mines to warn Jake of the police?

I had promised him I wouldn’t go but he tricked me, I would have gone to the mines just like Michael Hanson requested, however Jake has other plans. I must admit it was really sweet that the group had asked of me not go. Well only Thomas encouraged me to do so. I am obviously not mad at him, I could understand how he was feeling, the devastation and the fear that was dominating him when it came to Hannah.

I was so scared, Jake kept talking to me, keeping me updated on what was going on in the tunnels, what he was seeing. He kept texting every motion he would make even though the signal was getting weaker and weaker until he said someone was coming and went offline. I felt my knees go weaker at the thought of the culprit getting to him, I haven’t even seen his face but in my head, my last call with Richy keeps repeating, this time though it is Jake who falls in blood. God! I don’t even know his face and yet I don’t want to lose him.

Once I realized Bloomgate was on his way there I picked up my stuff and took my bike on the mines as well. I was most likely going to be late, nonetheless I was unable to sit down and just wait for Jake’s reply. I was staying at the motel. No one was aware of that not even the man without a face apparently or perhaps he realized only now.

I was riding as fast as I could, my eyes fixed on the road, taking small breaks only to stare at the navigator of Duskwood made sure I had on my device. Suddenly my phone rang… I was Alan Bloomgate.

“Hello, Nellie… I have gotten to the tunnels of the mines” He sounded older than it felt on the text messages.

“Owo, good job chief. How did you find this information all by yourself?” I asked making sure the mock and sarcasm in my voice was distinctively highlighted.

“You did a good job.” He spoke up and then gasped, there was a pause in his voice “There is a room full of files, archives. And there are pictures of all your friends…” He told me.

“Really Sherlock? Maybe there’s an envelope with my name a big sign saying revenge and plethora of raven graffiti?” I wondered and panted lightly, the freezing breeze of December was hitting my skin like many small stab wounds. It was Christmas and I was probably riding my bike to my death. I hoped that Alan wouldn’t notice the back ground noise of my bike and my dragged breathing.

“How do you know?” he asked me, his tone surprised. I was rather satisfied that he didn’t see many of these facts coming.

“That’s what we wanted you to see at the Hanson old residence.” I explained and braked abruptly.

“Are you outside?” He asked me and I didn’t reply. “If you are thinking of coming here, change mindset, it is too dangerous.” He started off.

“Too late for that chief.” I spoke and parked my bike. I was wearing heavy clothes that wouldn’t allow me to move freely, I kept my beanie and scarf. “the culprit threatens me quiet sometime now and today he told me that he would let the two go if I came at Grimmrock waterfall…” I unriddled my ponders leaving Jake out of my speech, he was already in there somewhere. I was in danger running towards a trap and all I could think of is how close we are to each other for the first time.

I strolled over the area, it was a really impressive and beautiful place, I was to the place I was supposed to meet with Micheal Hanson but he seemed nowhere around, I had started shivering without really realizing it.

“There’s someone there.” Alan said and his voice got quieter.

“Be careful, do not shoot…Can you hear me?” I asked as I saw the screen glitching. The damn reception of that place… I forgot where I was standing, I was only scared that he would fall face to face with Jake. I raised my gaze to see the culprit 50 meters away from just staring blankly and I gulped.

“Mrs. Donford.” Alan exclaimed and I looked at the screen. He had found Hannah.

“Find Richy” said she immediately before the call was over.

“Notifying the police wasn’t part of the plan.” The man without a face said, his voice still altered.

“Many things were not in the plan and yet, here we are, aren’t we?” I asked and hoped to stall him as long as I could so the rest would come out of the mines and find me.

‘Bloomgate found Hannah, she is safe...’

‘And I am standing face to face with our cute little legend.’ I texted the groupchat and I saw everyone coming online immediately.

‘What do you mean?’ Lilly asked.

‘Awe some one ran out of braincells, Nellie, WHAT THE HECK?’ Dan texted.

‘Get out of there’ Cleo was next.

‘Please, please, please, Nellie, you can still leave… There’s Jake and now the police too.’ Jessy tried convincing me and I sighed.

‘Nellie where are you?’ Lilly asked as I couldn’t reply at that point, the legend was laughing but thankfully not walking, he kept the distance between us and this offered me some sense of security that I couldn’t really explain.

‘Answer, please don’t scare us like that’ Jessy added.

‘Guys give her time.’ Thomas tried to be the common sense .

“What do you want from me?” I yelled loudly as this staring contest was unnerving me, I made sure to press voice record and sent it to the groupchat. “Why did you involve me?” I yelled even louder. However, he seemed unphased. “You are scared of me, but I do not know why… I only came here for two months and suddenly I am tangled in this mess because of you… You just stand there… You want to scare me? Well congratulations you’ve made it…”

“You see, this mine stopped operating after a great explosion, many innocent people died back in the day, therefore the cause of the explosion isn’t still known… This is how it works, explosion usually has causalties.” He spoke and I inhaled deeply.

“You didn’t…” I breathed out in disbelief.

“Or maybe I did.” He said and I felt wings on my legs as I sprinted down the entrance and I saw him chase after me when Alan’s voice was heard and maybe a few shots. I don’t know if he was still after me. I soon found myself on the ladder Jake showed me and started climbing down, if he was after me he would have made it to the entrance cut down the ladder and I would already be dead… Right?

“Jake!” I exclaimed and my voice echoed all through the tunnels. I started running and running I was lost by now. My phone bombardised with concerned messages while I was looking everywhere for him or the explosives. Not that I would know what to do with them.

I was out of breath, I have no idea how long I have been running around those tunnels, it must have been twenty minutes and I was in denial. I was lost. I paused in a fork path and took a deep breath when I heard a crack from the floor and I felt a pair of hands pulling me on a narrow tunnel. I was out of breath I felt a pair of hands pulling me on a narrow tunnel. It was over my mouth and pressed over my neck. I couldn’t escape or scream… I froze.

A/N: Hey, I replayed the whole game and I feel pretty confident into staritng a small fic again. There will potentially be more chapters on the way. I accept requests of duskwood characters and I would also appreciate your opinion.

Have a great day:)

Yours, silvermist

#duskwood jessy #duskwood hannah #duskwood everbyte #duskwood thomas #duskwood #duskwood jake #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood alan #hannah donfort #jake x mc #jake donfort #lilly donfort #duskwood dan #duskwood richy #duskwood fanfic #duskwood fandom #duskwood mc #everbyte studios #duskwood phil

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digital-corruption · 2 years ago

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Alan knocks on MC's apartment door. MC opens the door.

Alan: MC.

MC: Alan. I didn't realise it was that time of the month again.

Alan: There have been reports he's been in the area again.

MC: Well I haven't seen him.

Alan: No? You haven't seen him at all in the past nine months?

MC: Nope.

Alan: ... Shall we talk about the elephant in the room? Or should I say in your uterus?

MC: What? Oh my God, I'm pregnant! When did that happen?

Alan: That’s what I am wondering.

MC: An immaculate conception?

Alan: Try again.

MC: Ok, fine. I met this guy at Aurora.

Alan: Uh-huh... And his name was Jake?

MC: No! It was... let me think... J-ack? Yes, Jack!

Alan: Jack? And does this Jack have a last name?

MC: Geez, do you remember the last name of all your one night hookups?

Alan: I just assumed you'd want him for child support.

MC: Oh, uh, no, I'm good.

Alan: Or maybe baby Jesus would like to know his daddy.

MC: Mighty bold of you to assume it's a boy!

Alan: You have bright blue icing on your cheek.

MC: That could be anything!

Alan: So if we check your apartment right now, we won't find any evidence of Jake?

MC: Really, Jake who, am I right? Tell me you're not going to be searching my place for the rest of my life! Cause if you wake the baby, there's going to be hell to pay!

Alan: You know it's either me or the FBI. You agreed to comply to random checks.

MC: Ugh, fine, can you get it over with quickly? You've had me standing for like an eternity already and my cupcake is still waiting for me. You shouldn't provoke pregnant women like this. Take too long and we're going to have a situation on our hands.

Meanwhile, Jake, hiding on the exterior fire escape stairs: Who is Jack!?

#duskwood #duskwood incorrect quotes #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood jake #duskwood alan #a one-shot idea that never panned out

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jakesnymos · 1 year ago

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Duskwood is Calling (SNEAK PEAK)

A/N: Hi friends, hello. Here's the start of the novelization I talked about a while back. This is just the intro to the first chapter, so think of it almost as a prologue, if that makes sense. Obviously spoilers through chapter 10 of the game, so don't read if you're avoiding those. Anyways. Here it is:

You don’t know how you got here. Not really.

If they asked you- everyone, all of them, Thomas and Cleo and Dan and Lilly and Jessy and Hannah and-

And not Jake. Not Jake, because Jake was stuck in the mines. Stuck with Richy, and the fire, and the unstable mineshafts and the dark and the cold and-

“(Y/N).” Alan breaks you from your train of thought. “(Y/N), I’m sorry. But I need to ask you a few questions about tonights events.” You nod. “How did you get here?”

I don’t know, you think. “I took a train.” You answer, because Alan means ‘What was your mode of transportation to Duskwood?’ and not ‘How did you come to know these people so intimately that thier loss has shattered something deep inside you?’

“I took the earliest train I could get out of Grand Central Station to Duskwood.” You pause, thinking of the frantic way you’d run to the ticket booth, of how the minutes it took to get your ticket felt like hours, and how the couple of hours on the train itself felt like eons. “It was only a few hours.” You continue, “I didn’t tell the others I was coming. They didn’t know until-” You gesture vaguley, still not comfortable acknowleding the nights events outloud.

“You didn’t tell any of them?” It seems to have genuinely shocked him, and that, in turn, surprises you. “Not Jessy, or Thomas?” You shake your head. “Why?”

“I didn’t want to worry them.” You shrug. “After everything else with Richy, and you finding Hannah, I didn’t-” You swallow against the lump in your throat. “I didn’t want them to worry about someone else being in danger.”

“But someone else was in danger, (Y/N).” Your eyes close against the harsh truth of the words, and you force yourself not to respond. “Jake Donfort was in danger.”

“I don’t know who that is.” You lie. You open your eyes again. Sitting before you is still Chief of Police Alan Bloomgate, this time looking much more sympathetic. He nods. “I don’t, Alan. I don’t know who Jake Donfort is.”

“I believe you, (Y/N).” He pauses, making sure to hold your eye contact. “I think that’s all we need from you, now. End of interview.” The click of the recorder puncuated the following silence. You stare at Alan in confusion.

“What-”

“You should get some rest, (Y/N).” He fixes you with a stern look. “You’ve had an emotional night.” You nod. “Do you have somewhere to stay?” You nod again, though this time it’s a lie. You didn’t think about what would happen after the mines. You didn’t think about anything but getting to Jake. “Miss Hawkins is outside.”

That grabs your attention. “Jessy is here?” Alan nods, collecting the files and paperwork from the interrogation table in front of you. “I’ve been told she refused to leave when she learned you were being detained for questioning.” You manage a small laugh. “She’s worried. Perhaps you should stay with her tonight. I’m sure the motel will keep your booking.” And something in his voice tells you he knew you were lying.

“Yeah, thanks.” You agree, finally standing from your chair. It bothers you, though. The fact that he didn’t push you about Jake. About knowing him. “Detective Bloomgate-”

“It doesn’t matter, (Y/N).” He cuts you off again. “No one could have-” He pauses, seeming to think over his words. “I’m sorry. But no one could have survived that fire. And even if he could, those shafts were unstable before the fire. I can’t imagine thier state now.” He shakes his head, sighing to himself. “I’m sorry. I truly am. But he’s gone. It doesn’t matter if you knew him on record or not. Jake Donfort is dead.”

He’s right, and you know it, but you don’t understand. You can’t understand how this could be happening.

I don’t know how I got here.

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schnattchen91 · 7 months ago

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Preview:

“I'm certainly not going to let a wanted criminal into our house just like that,” Dan argued.

“Jake's not a-” I began and was immediately interrupted by Dan.

“Honey, I'm more than pleased to remind you that the FBI was at Grimrock to arrest your boyfriend.” Dan put a particularly pejorative meaning on the word “boyfriend”.

Read on:

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duskwoodgirl4life · 2 years ago

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⚠️Trigger warning contains sexual acts and heartbreak⚠️

Chapter 16

Jake's POV

MC's birthday was coming up and I wanted to do something extra special for her. I've got a contact that runs a little hotel on a private island. This is going to be the perfect place for a wedding. I'm going to propose to MC tonight and have the wedding on the island. I've spoken with Cleo and the others and they are all excited to help. Cleo wants to make the cake so she is going ahead to the Island with the others. Cleo asked if Alan could come and I couldn't say no from everything I have seen he is a changed man.

I've got everything planned for tonight's dinner while MC is still at work. I am able to prepare the food and set the table up. I made sure to get the candles out to make it more romantic for MC. I'm cooking her favorite meal: a chicken and mushroom soup for the starter and for mains a lovely rib eye steak and for dessert strawberries and cream.

Thankfully Cleo has kept MC busy. She took her shopping and had a girls day, she will be back any minute I've got the ring box in my pocket. I've never been this nervous before.

MC: Hey baby, I'm back where are you?

Jake: I'm in the kitchen come through

MC put her bags down and walked through to the kitchen, she was greeted by soft candle light and romantic music playing in the background. MC stood looking at everything in amazement and her eyes started to tear up at how beautiful everything looked.

MC: oh Jake, this is beautiful thank you so much

Jake: it's my pleasure sit down and I will bring you a drink

MC: the roses smell amazing I love everything about this

Jake: I've got your favorite bottle of champagne golden edition moet & chandon

MC: OMG!! Jake that's so expensive I can't believe you did this

MC jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Jake's neck kissing him softly on the lips. MC sat back down and took a sip of her drink. She could feel the bubbles on her tongue. She couldn't help but smile when Jake brought over the starter placing a bowl in front of MC.

MC: Mmm this smells amazing

Jake: I hope it tastes as good as it smells

MC: I can confirm that it tastes out of this world amazing

Jake: seeing you smile means everything

They sat and talked while having their soup after they finished. Jake went to get the stake's MCs eyes lighting up at what was on the plate. After they finished eating Jake took the plates out to the kitchen and grabbed the strawberries and cream.

MC: Wow! I am being spoilt

Jake: You deserve it MC, there is something I want to ask you

MC: Sure, you can ask me anything

Jake: MC, you mean the world to me you always have held a special place in my heart

Jake pulled out the ring box from his pocket and opened it up.

Jake: MC, will you marry me?

MC: Yes!! Yes i will

MC jumped out of her chair nearly knocking Jake to the floor, both giggling they shared a kiss Jake took MCs hand and slid the ring onto her finger.

They both fell to the floor with their lips still locked together, MCs hands found their way under Jake's shirt. MC parted her lips from Jake's as she began to kiss his chest she started at the top and moved her way down. She reached Jake's belt buckle and unfastened the belt sliding it out of Jake's pants. Jake tried to sit up but MC wouldn't let him "stay down it's time for my fun" MC had a slight pur in her voice pushing Jake back down.

She moved slowly down his body and unzipped his pants pulling them down along with his boxers. Exposing his length MC began to lick his tip Jake let out a soft moan as MC played with his tip. She moved her tongue up and down his length. She took her right hand and started to play with Jake's balls.

Jake let out more moans as the intense pleasure continued, MC put her mouth round Jake's erection and started to move up and down. At first her movements were slow then she quickened her pace Jake let moan after moan escape his lips as he dug his nails into the carpet. MC pulled Jake's length out of her mouth and stood up taking her clothes off she lowered herself back down taking in all of Jake's length. She moved slowly up and down, up and down, Jake played with MCs hard nipples as she continued to move up and down. Then MCs movements started to quicken, bouncing up and down as fast as she could go. They could feel their climax approaching MC left out a loud moan screaming Jake's name. That was followed by Jake screaming MCs name as he climaxed deep inside her.

The next day MC woke up before Jake and she had the biggest smile on her face. She looked down at the ring on her finger and she felt like she was on cloud nine. MC watched a sleeping Jake. She couldn't help herself. She slid under the covers and cuddled up to Jake placing soft kisses on his naked chest. MC moved further under the covers taking hold of Jake's length. As MC took Jake's length in her hand Jake started to wake up he let out a soft moan. MC crawled back up Jake's body kissing him as she went lifting the covers up MC let out a small "Hi" at Jake.

Jake: I could get used to being woke up like this

MC didn't say anything she just crashed her lips onto Jake's, as they kissed Jake played with MCs hard nipples. As they kissed MC was grinding against Jake's length, each movement making him harder. MC lifted herself up slightly and lowered herself back down onto Jake's length. After their intense activities they both lay breathless in each other's arms.

MC: how was that was a wake up call

Jake: there are no complaints from me

MC: I wish we could stay here all day I don't want to go to work

Jake: I know baby, but it's only for today and I will take you away for a few days and don't ask where it's a surprise.

MC: But how do I know what to pack?

Jake: Don't worry Jessy knows what you need now let's get ready for work

MC reluctantly got out of bed shuffling towards the bedroom to take a shower and get ready for the day. While MC was in the shower Jake grabbed his phone and sent a quick text to Cleo to warn her that MC knows about the trip.

Jake: Hi Cleo, just to let you know MC knows about the trip I haven't told her where we are going. Btw she said yes

Cleo: congratulations to you both I'm so happy for you, that's okay I will play dumb if she phones or texts see you out here tomorrow

Jake put his phone down and went to join MC in the shower. Their activities took so long that they ran out of hot water and conveniently didn't make it into work that day. Later that day Jessy came round to help MC decide what to pack for the island. Once everything was packed Jake showed Jessy to the door and whispered "see you tomorrow".

Cleo's POV

It's been a beautiful couple of days here on this island, I have been in my element with making this wedding cake for Jake and MC. Now that I've got all 4 layers put together and the fondant on I can make a start on the decorations.

Alan has come out to the Island with me. I can sense that he feels uncomfortable being around so many people. When I try to talk to him he just dismisses the issues and puts on a happy face and changes the subject.

Having MC and Jake's wedding to organise is helping me keep my mind off things, it's helping me focus on something else so I can address the issues with Alan after the happy day.

MC: Jake, where are we going?

Jake: it's a surprise, we are nearly there not much longer

MC: What's that? Is that a small boat?

Jake: we need the boat to get over to where we are going

Jake parked up the car and grabbed the luggage out of the boot of the car, he took MCs hand and walked her over to the boat where a man was waiting for them to get on board. It took 20 minutes to get over to the private island. There was golden sands, bright blue waters, beautiful trees that stood tall and all kinds of birds singing.

Jake: welcome to the private island MC

MC: What? Is this all for us? It's beautiful Jake

Jake took MCs hand pulling her close and kissing her softly, they headed towards a white building so they could check in and go to their room.

Alan's POV

I agreed to come to the Island with Cleo at the time. I really thought it was a good idea but I am not coping. There are so many people around it's all getting too much I don't think I can be here. I should have pulled away from Cleo at the very start of her coming to see me but I didn't. I allowed myself to get closer to her and I let her get closer to me and I should have done it.

I walk along the sand and I see the kitchen where Cleo is decorating the wedding cake. I know this isn't the best time but if I am going to do this then it has to be now I have to end things with Cleo and leave this island and duskwood.

I see her through the window and she looks so happy, I can't break her heart but I have to because it's the only way. I decide to go back to our room and I pack my things. I arrange for transport to pick me up and take me back to land. Before I leave I place the already written letter on the desk I have been carrying around for days.

Dear Cleo,

I am sorry so very sorry I am a coward I couldn't tell you to your face so I am writing this letter to you. I have tried to fight my feelings but I can no longer ignore them. I simply can not do this. I thought it would work between us but I was so very wrong. I should have never let you get close to me while you came to visit. I should never have let myself get close but I allowed it to happen and now I find myself having to break your heart.

I am leaving duskwood. I don't know for how long, please do not try to find me or contact me. I need this time and space to work things out. I will never stop caring for you. My feelings for you are true. I do truly love you Cleo. I will always hold a special place for you in my heart.

I want you to be happy to move on from me and find yourself a man who can give you all the things you crave with me. I know deep down that this is the right thing to do. I truly hope you can be happy and move on.

All my love

Alan

Xxxxx

I picked up my bag and made my way to the front desk where someone was waiting for me to get on the boat. I didn't want anyone to see him and try to stop me. I walked to the boat and sat down; everything inside me was telling me to turn around and take one last look.

As I got further and further away I looked up at the island getting smaller in the distance tears filled my eyes. My heart was breaking but I had to get away. I had to do it like this; it was the only way.

Cleo had finished making the decorations for the cake, she put it away so MC couldn't see it just in case she came looking for her. After cleaning up Cleo went up to her room to take a shower and change.

Cleo's POV

I'm so happy with how the cake turned out. MC and Jake are going to love it, but first I need to shower and change. Grabbing my toiletries bag I head into the bedroom and take a hot shower. I felt heaps better after I had showered and changed.

Cleo went back into the bedroom and spotted the letter sitting on the desk, she knew it was from Alan only he would do something like this. Cleo opened the letter, the smile slowly drained from her face tears came crashing down onto the paper.

Cleo let out a loud scream that could be heard across the island, tears still steaming from her eyes as she fell back onto the bed holding the crumpled paper in her hands.

#duskwood #everbyte game #duskwood jake #duskwood hacker #iamjake #duskwood jake x mc #i love you jake #jake x mc #he loves me #i love you #coffee shop romance #coffee shop #heartbroken #cleo duskwood #jessy x richy #duskwood richy #duskwood jessy #alan bloomgate

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hacked-by-jake · 1 year ago

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H (E R O) A C K E R

#crack memes huh #duskwood #duskwood jake #duskwood hacker #duskwood memes #duskwood alan #duskwood fbi #iamjake #everbyte studio #duskwood game #duskwood everbyte #everbyte duskwood #duskwood mc #duskwood jake x mc #everbyte game

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lyon-amore · 2 years ago

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Reaction to "I'm pregnant" Part 1

Guys

Poor Jake!! 😂😂

Get in line to hit him ಠ⁠ಗ⁠ಠ

And you think she does?!

Me too Dan, me too...

You deserve it...

ALAN! TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AS A PARENT AND DON'T PASS IT ON ANOTHER!!!

Hdjgfjcchjkgg!!!

I swear it really is the best sibling reaction I can see between the two of them 😂😂😂

REALLY STEPHAN?!? IT'S WORTH SEEING JAKE EVERY FEW MONTH!! BUT THAT DOES NOT IMPLY THAT IT IS NOT FROM ANOTHER!!

Part 2

#duskwood #duskwood jake #duskwood mc #duskwood jake x mc #duskwood alan #duskwood phil #duskwood dan #duskwood richy #duskwood thomas #duskwood darkness #duskwood male mc #duskwood female mc #duskwood alan x mc #duskwood dan x mc #duskwood richy x mc #duskwood phil x mc #duskwood chatbot

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lala3244 · 2 years ago

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It's the second part of the post "I am not good with title... etc"

Part 1

Thank you @rafa-elle for yout help (merci)

So, it was supposed to be one part but finally I will do three part as it's quite long actually and I couldn't wait to post.

Also, sorry for any mistake, sometimes it's hard to write in english but I enjoy it!

(Some warnings: suggestive but quickly and I think that is it)

================================================

I enter Jessy’s flat and she is next to the window looking at me, beaming. She runs to me and squeals while jumping. “YOU GUYS KISSED! It was so cute!”, I blush and don’t answer. What can I say? She saw everything. She laughs, happy and goes to the bathroom to get ready for the night. I go to my bedroom and put on my pyjamas. Some sweatpants and a T-shirt. She finishes her ablutions and leaves the bathroom’s door open for me. I take my makeup off and brush my teeth. I say good night to Jessy before I lay down on my bed, tired and I am starting to sober up a bit. I can’t believe Alan and I kissed! I don’t know how I really feel about it. Of course, I was giddy when I left him because he was a really good kisser and when I think about this kiss my heart skips a bit but I keep thinking about what he told me, about Jake. He came to the bar to see me and apparently he still has feelings for me. I don’t really know what to think about that but I kinda want to see what will happen with Alan. I guess I still have to talk things through with the hacker but I am not sure how or what to say. My thoughts are disrupted by the vibration of my phone. I look at it and I see it’s Alan.

Alan: I am home now. Thank you for tonight and your nice surprise 🙂. I am sorry that I had to leave… but before that, it was really enjoyable and I hope we can do it again and maybe more…?

I laugh and I hear Jessy through the wall asking me why I was laughing. I walk to her room and lay down next to her, my phone still in my hand. I show it to her and she snickers. I nudge her on her shoulder for her to stop. “So what are you going to say?”, she enquires.” I don’t know! What do I say to the “and maybe more?”. Knowing myself I will just ignore it.” I think out loud.

I start typing while Jessy reads my text, she has her head on my shoulder and she encircles my arm with both her arms as if she doesn’t want to let me go anywhere anymore. The message sent, she slides down under her duvet and with a small voice, she asks me to sleep in her bed. I agree I can’t really be bothered to move. I move the duvet to get under and before I even get myself comfortable, Jessy puts her head on my chest, her leg and arm on my body and snuggles up to me. I am a bit surprised but I take my arm out and she snuggles even closer to me. My phone vibrates in my hand and I see that Phil texted me.

Phil: How are you beautiful? Got home okay? I didn’t get to see you much tonight :(.

I take a picture of jessy and me and send it to Phil

Me: What’s up, bartender!? Yes, we are home and already in bed. Look at your cute sister! I know it’s a shame but we will see each other again 🙂

Phil: How lucky she is ! I wish I were there with you…

Me: Lol! Only Jessy is lucky enough to have me in her bed ;). Well, my eyes are closing by themselves. Good night Mr Aurora. Thank you for tonight!

I lock my phone and fall asleep, stuck in Jessy’s arms.

I wake up early as usual, sore from not being able to move all night. I try to move slowly so as not to trouble the young girl. I go to the kitchen and look through the cabinets to look for some food. I am a bit hungover and some food will do me good. I find something that I feel my stomach will be able to handle. I make myself a coffee and go back to my room. I grab my sportswear and get changed. I find a notepad and write a note in case Jessy wakes up before I come back. It’s nice and crispy outside. I start my run. I try to remember where I run so I am able to find my way back. After 30 minutes, I start to go back to Jessy’s flat. I go straight to the bathroom to take a shower and once I am dressed, I go to her bedroom to grab my phone. She stirs when I open the door so I try to be as quiet as possible. I take my phone and go back to the kitchen to have another coffee. I unlock my phone and I have a message from an unknown number.

Unknown number: Good morning. I saw you running earlier. I didn’t know you like running?

Anyway, I was wondering if we could meet up sometimes. I think I owe you some explanations.

Jake.

I look at the message? UNBELIEVABLE! If I weren’t here in Duskwood he wouldn’t have texted me… I think about what to say and IF I should text him back. I guess it would be nice to close this chapter of my life.

Me: Good morning. I guess we can meet up. I am free anytime today if you are but I want you to know that you don’t owe me anything. You clearly made your choice and I am okay with it.

Jake: I see you are angry. I understand. But still, I want to talk to you. Are you free now?

Me: No, I am not angry. Jessy is still asleep. Where do you want to meet?

I sigh, I don’t know what I am getting into but I still decide to go. I leave another note for Jessy so she doesn’t panic when she wakes up. I follow the itinerary and I find myself in front of a cute coffee shop. I go inside and look for Jake. “At least now I know what he looks like” I giggle to myself. I find him but before I join him I order a coffee. I see him walking towards me. He walks with so much more confidence than I thought possible. All the other patrons look at him. He is really mesmerising. I can see he has a smirk on his face that doesn’t go away when he stands in front of me. I don’t dare to look at him and turn to the lady who is making coffee. He gets closer and whispers in my ear to get what I want. I shiver at his voice.

I don’t know why he makes me feel like that when I am angry at him and what’s more, I met him briefly once! I nod and tell the lady my order. We wait in silence for my order to be ready. I grab the tray and follow Jake to the table. We sit down in silence, him watching me and me drinking my coffee, trying to get my composure back. I am trying to get myself angry and give myself encouragement to look at him. When I do, he is still looking at me with a smirk on his face. I can’t believe he would be so arrogant. I really didn’t imagine that. But it helps because I want to slap his smirk out of his face. I contain myself and I tell him, with gritted teeth, to talk. He raises an eyebrow but ignores my tone and he starts talking. How thanks to me, Alan found him and they went back to his house and how they got him his freedom back. That, at first, he couldn’t text me because the FBI was still around and he was scared that they would pick up his trace or me. It lasted for a few weeks but as the weeks passed, he felt it would be better to leave me alone so I could move on, even after he was free. He stops talking and sighs, relieved. I just keep staring at him. He is just unbelievable. Why does he always have to decide for me? I am speechless really so I don’t say anything. I can see he is waiting for me to talk. He clears his throat, bothered by my non-responsiveness. I take a sip of my coffee and smile at him. I thank him for the explanation but he shouldn’t have assumed what was best for me. Still keeping my “cool”, I stand up and leave the coffee shop. I begin strolling on my way back to Jessy’s, still thinking about what he told me. I can’t wrap my head around it. I don’t really know what to do now, well more what to think. I hear my phone ringing, snapping me from my thoughts. I grab it and look at the ID and sigh, relieved, it’s Alan. I smile, answering the phone, he wants to know how my morning has been and what I am doing later. He invites me to lunch and I accept the invitation. I don’t mention my meeting with Jake, I don’t think it’s the right thing to say by phone. I still got a couple of hours before lunch time. I would like to chill with Jessy for a bit, I hope she is awake!

When I arrive, Jessy has just woken up, eyes still sleepy and she is yawning while making her coffee. I look at her, smiling. “Hi Jessy! Did you sleep well?” I ask her. She turns around “yes thank you. You woke up early.” She doesn’t ask, she states the fact. “Yes, I went for a run and had a coffee with Jake”. She stares at me, looking like she is searching for her words but doesn’t say anything. “I don’t want to talk about it. I am still processing all of it and actually I was looking forward to spending the next couple hours with you and chill.” Still staring at me, she nods and makes me another cup of coffee. I thank her and we sit on her sofa. We start talking as if we were some long-time friends when, really, we’ve known each other for less than a year and this is the first time we meet face to face. I look at the time and tell Jessy that I have to go and see Alan for lunch. She is starting to doze off, she doesn’t look at me and just hums her answer. I smile and leave her flat. Alan is already waiting for me in front of the restaurant. My heart skips a bit, I think to myself what am I supposed to do? Do I kiss him hello or just hug him or should I not do anything and wait for him to make the first move? But all my questions are moot as he comes over and takes me into his arms and gives me a sweet kiss on the lips. I smile at that, I really should stop worrying about stupid stuff like that. He takes my hand and we both enter the restaurant. I can feel eyes on us, I assume it must be weird to see your police chief in a restaurant with a stranger. We sit down and look at the menu. Everything looks delicious. As usual I hesitate between dishes so I ask him what I should choose. “I can’t make a decision between those two dishes. Have you tried them?” I show him which ones I am talking about on his menu. He smiles back, he looks happy that I am asking for his opinion. “I liked the second option best.” “ Okay then I’ll have it” I smile back at him and he takes my hand which is still on the menu. He interlaces our fingers and looks up at me with a smile. The waiter comes over and I start to feel embarrassed at the small display of affection as I can see the waiter looking at our hands. “Hum, Are you ready to order?”. I nod but Alan orders for both of us and I am relieved, I have never liked to order.

While waiting for our plates we start to make small talk but I feel as if I need to tell him something but I can’t really put my finger on it and then it hits me! Of course… “Alan? I just wanted to tell you that I had a coffee with Jake this morning. He explained some stuff and I left. I wanted you to know by me before he tells you or somebody else”. “I see. Did you get some sort of closure?” I can sense that there is a double meaning with this question. I weigh my words before answering, I see that he starts to get agitated. “Closure is not the right word but I think I kind of understand his point of view and what’s been done is done and we can’t change anything. But at least, I’m not waiting for him anymore” I add with a smile and stroking his hand that I’m still holding with my thumb, hoping to soothe his agitated state. He relaxes a bit and smiles. The waiter arrives with our food and we eat silently, enjoying the presence of each other. We talk some more and decide to share a dessert. We leave after paying and we walk around town before he brings me back “home”. We kiss goodbye, it was a quick one but somehow more intimate. He puts his forehead against mine and closes his eyes. “I am glad you are here”, he says while smiling. He opens his eyes and before I can say anything he leans in and kisses me again before he turns around and leaves. I stare at him and smile, I walk up the stairs to my friend’s flat, happy.

The days pass in a daze. Jessy and the others have planned a lot of activities and the free time I have I spend it with Alan having coffee dates near the police station during his breaks or walking around town. I finally have an evening free and he asks me if I wanted to go on a date that evening. I happily agree, I want to spend more time with him. Not an hour every now and then. We agree on a place and a time and it is perfect timing as I have a girl’s day out with Jessy, Cleo, Lilly and Hannah. We decided a few days ago to go shopping with just the five of us and spend some quality time together on that day as they were all free.

We all go to a mall near Duskwood. I tell them that I need a new outfit for tonight and that I need their help to choose one as I don’t know what is appropriate for the restaurant we are going to. They all squeal at the same time, happy to help. I become the centre of their attention for the whole afternoon. It is actually a bit overwhelming. I try different outfits but one of them really stands out to me and to the other girls. I decide it is the one and buy it. We finish our shopping spree and we stop at a bar with a terrasse to finish our day. We stay there for an hour and go back home. Jessy has decided on our way back that she is going to help me get ready and she becomes my hairdresser and makeup artist. I shower first and put on my outfit. I walk over to the makeup station she set up on her dining table. She is almost as excited as I am, it’s cute. She gets started and by the time she is done, her doorbell rings. “He’s here! You have to tell me how everything goes”, she says while hopping to open the door. She greets him with a big smile plastered to her face and giggles while she turns to me. “Your date’s here, my dear” and she runs to her room before I can say anything. I laugh at her and shake my head.

I look at Alan who looks stunning and I smile, happy to see him. He smiles back “Are you ready to go?”, he asks me while holding his hand out. I nod, I see him looking me over with an appreciative look. I blush a bit, embarrassed by his stare. I grab his hand and he pulls me over for a passionate kiss. He pulls away while I gasp for air, not used to him being this intense for the few days I have been with him. We take his car to get to the restaurant. The ride is silent and filled with some tension that I can’t decipher oblivious to what is happening. He parks and gets out first to open the door for me. I exit the car with his help, he pulls me into his chest and kisses me again. He moves back and places his hand on the small of my back and guides me towards the entrance of the restaurant. He seems to be in a better mood tonight compared to the other days when I see him during his breaks. He seems more relaxed and looks like he enjoys himself as do I. I guess the wine we drink helps a bit. The food is delicious as is the company. We talk a lot about everything, our past lovers, relationships, our biggest regrets then the conversation shifts and becomes more flirty which I am not good at usually but I think with the alcohol flowing in my veins I am becoming bolder. We finish our dinner and we leave the building. It’s still warm outside and we decide to walk for a bit. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and brings me closer to him. I put my arm around his waist and look up at him. He is watching the clear sky with a slight grin. I smile and nuzzle my head against his chest, trusting him to walk us around safely. I don't want the evening to end. We continue for a few minutes then he stops, grabs my chin with his hand so he can look in my eyes and he says “Would you like to come to mine?”. I see some hesitation behind his gaze. I frown my eyebrows a bit making a show to think about it and I flash him a toothy grin while I nod. He exhales loudly and chuckles a bit. He turns us around, his arm still around my shoulder and walks us back to his car.

We enter his apartment. It’s exactly how I imagined it. The apartment of a bachelor, the colour grey predominant everywhere your eyes look. There are some stairs leading to three doors which I am guessing are the bedrooms and the bathroom. Everything is neatly tidied and cleaned. He puts his light jacket on the clothes rack near his door and he invites me over to the sofa. He brings me a glass of water which I take gratefully and gulp it down quickly. He sits down next to me, puts his hand on my thigh and leans in and whispers to my ear “Can I kiss you?”. My breath hitches and I just nod, unable to form any words. The kiss gets passionate and more lustful, hands roam each other’s body and after a few minutes, clothes start to fly everywhere. Suddenly, he stands up, he puts his hands under my body and carries me, bridal style, to his bedroom. He lays me down on his bed and starts to kiss my face and to go down on my body. Each kiss sends electricity through my whole body and I start to moan. I gasp realising that he doesn’t live alone and I muffle the next sound that comes out of me. He stops what he is doing, looks me up with an annoyed face and shakes his head “No, I want to hear all of you. Don’t be shy” and with a smirk on his face he carries on. The night goes on with a lot more pleasure than I thought was possible. Finally, we go to sleep but when I wake up hours later, I am alone in his bed. I sigh and when the sleep starts to disappear from my brain I realise that he told me he had to work today. I look at the clock on his nightstand, it is still early. I try to fall back to sleep but being in a strange environment I can’t so I get up and look through his wardrobe for a T-shirt or something to put on as almost all my clothes are on the floor, in the living room. I giggle at the thought. I find a plain black T-shirt and my underwear and put them on to go to the bathroom. After the bathroom, I walk down the stairs and start looking for my phone. I can see that he tidied the living room and my clothes are neatly stacked on a chair with a post-it on top of it.

*I didn’t want to wake you up, you looked so peaceful. I’ll be back at noon, I hope you will still be there…*

I smile to myself and I put the post-it inside my bag for safekeeping. I head to the kitchen to make myself some coffee and I am looking through the cabinet to find a mug. I can hear someone opening and closing a door and going down the stairs. I know it’s Jake and I can’t be bothered to look at him and I am not going to lie that I am a bit embarrassed about how loud we were last night. All of the sudden, I can feel his presence behind me and he stands still. I freeze, afraid to turn around and to face him. He steps closer to me and his chest is directly against my back. He leans in and smells my hair while putting his hands on my hips. Still frozen, I wonder what he is doing then I can feel his breath against my ear when he whispers “You know, you have a lovely voice”. He touches me slightly on my thigh with his fingers and goes up to the hem of the shirt I am wearing which is barely covering my ass. I can feel the heat coming from my stomach to the top of my head, embarrassed by what he just said. He chuckles darkly still against my ear “Soon, it will be me hearing your lovely voice coming from my bedroom and hearing your praises”. With that, he kisses the top of my head, takes the mug I am still holding and helps himself to some coffee. He leaves me flabbergasted as I struggle to comprehend what just happened. Is that really the same Jake from the messages? I frown and look at him, actually none of us knew what he looks like and he could be an impostor who pretended to be him but why would anyone be doing that? I guess he is just THAT cocky and arrogant even though I thought he was like that only with his hacking skills. He has that smirk still on, the same he had at the coffee shop. I really want to take it off his smug face but I still need my coffee and it is more important than him anyway. I decide to ignore him, there is no point in indulging him. I grab my coffee and my clothes to go to the bedroom. After drinking the coffee and replying to the messages from my friends, I start to feel tired so I go back to sleep. When I wake up, I see multiple notifications from Jessy. She is really nosy and really wants to know what happened. I chuckle and tell her that I will spill the tea when I see her.

I wish I could go running but I don’t have anything with me so I will probably go later. I decide to take a shower to clear my head of the tiredness. I find the towels in the bathroom, I get out of the shower and realise I forgot my clothes. I facepalm myself and think of my options. Well, option. I have to go out with only the towel covering me and I hope Jake isn’t there anymore. I open the door and look briefly in the corridor, I sprint to the bedroom door which is literally next to the top of the stairs and of course Jake is on the top when I arrive. I bump into him and he catches me before I fall on the floor. We stay like this for a few seconds when we hear the front door closing. We turn our heads at the same time and see Alan staring at us, angrily. I gasp while Jake, still holding me, smirks AGAIN. I push him away from me and enter Alan’s room rapidly. I hear Alan going up the stairs and Jake going to his room. Alan enters the room, eyes squinted. I look up at him and run up to him. I whisper to him, really flustered “Oh my god, Alan! It’s so embarrassing! I took a shower and I forgot my clothes in the bedroom so I had to sprint to your room so I wouldn’t see Jake but as soon as I reached your door Jake was at the top of the stairs and I crashed into him. I almost fell but he caught me. I was so embarrassed!” His eyes soften, believing me. He grabs my chin and pulls me into a kiss. We hear some steps outside the room and the front door closing. We are intimate again but this time I won’t feel embarrassed as we are alone. We stay a bit in bed snuggling in each other arms, legs tangled up in the sheets. It is a peaceful moment, I wish we could stay like that all afternoon but he starts to pull away from me, regrettably. I can see that he doesn’t want to go but as the chief he can’t really call in sick. I get up too and start to get dressed, “Can you drop me off at Jessy’s?” I ask shyly as if he didn’t see me naked a few minutes ago. He stops what he is doing and nods. He looks disappointed, I approach him and circle him with my arms, “what’s wrong?” I ask him putting my head on his chest. I feel his chest heave as he sighs. “I wanted you to stay with me again tonight.” He whispers back. I smile against his chest and kiss him there. “Oh I know but I promised Jessy we would spend the evening together but I can come back tomorrow evening?” He grabs my face and kisses me on the forehead before replying “Yes, please”.

We get into the car and we drive in silence, not wanting our time together to end. We arrive at Jessy’s and I kiss him goodbye. I open the door to the flat and Jessy is waiting for me on the sofa, cups of tea steaming on the coffee table and she bears a big smile. “Welcome back! I made you a cup of tea. I’ll wait for you to change into something more comfortable and come sit next to me”. I nod and change into my sweatpants. I head over the sofa and Jessy moves a bit more and opens the blanket for me to go under it. She moves close to me and leans her head on my shoulder. I place my head on top of hers and I start talking about my evening with Alan, how it ended and what happened without going into too much detail. We talk till late and we fall asleep on the sofa.

The next day, we wake up to the door bell ringing. We stand up in a haze and Jessy opens the door. It’s Hannah. She and Thomas found a new apartment and they are moving in the next day. They are going to have a small party in a few days and we are both invited. Jessy, still half asleep asks “Sure, we’ll come but why are you here?”, “Well, I was near your building so I thought I would pop by for a coffee and invite you at the same time.” She smiles, happy with herself. I look at Jessy and we both giggle, I help Jessy with the coffee and set the cups on the table. We sit around the table and talk for a few minutes, I can see Hannah glancing at me from time to time “What’s up Hannah?”, she looks surprised “I… I…” she stutters but then sighs “ I also invited Jake. I hope that’s ok with you?”. I smile fondly at her “Of course Hannah, you don’t need to worry about that, it’s your party and your home. I don’t hate Jake”. She nods, relieved and carries on talking about the party.

I spend the day with Jessy, we go to the lake to picnic and she gives me a tour of the town telling me different stories about her childhood. We go home and I get ready for my evening with Alan. He picks me up and drives me to his flat. He is making me dinner tonight as Jake isn’t home for the evening. We spend a nice evening, we even go for a stroll as the weather is still warm. When we come back Jake is on the sofa eating the leftovers of our dinner. I can feel Alan tensing up next to me. They talk to each other while I go upstairs in Alan’s bedroom. Alan joins me soon after and we start kissing. We spend the night like last time and we fall asleep after whispering sweet nothings in each other’s arms.

================================================

Part 3 soon I hope. Find it hard to finish it if you have any idea please feel free to DM me!

#jake duskwood #duskwood #duskwood jessy #jessy hawkins #duskwood alan #duskwood jake x mc #alan x mc

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adalindofcabinsix · 6 months ago

Text

that kind of love never dies (I)

summary: the one where barbara thinks about an act of rebellion.

pairing: jake x mc

word count: 1.3K

warnings: tkolnd takes place after the events of episode 10; cover images found on pinterest; english is not my first language.

author’s note: even though she lives in the usa, my main character, barbara, is brazilian. i added terms and expressions that we use in our country, as well as cultural elements, to this fanfic. the words that appear in portuguese are highlighted and you can contact me if you have any questions.

masterlist

Barbara was sprawled out on the dorm carpet, reading a Lucy Maud Montgomery novel she found by chance in the university library, when her cell phone began vibrating on the nightstand. Without wasting time, she closed the book and got up, waiting to hear from her roommate, Meera, but, when Barbara swiped her finger across the lock screen, she found some text messages from an unknown number.

i would like to invite you again to eat something at that chinese restaurant

if you want to meet me, just show up there tomorrow

i'll be waiting for you :)

Her head started to throb just at the possibility of it being who she was imagining, but she quickly pushed the thought away.

Jake wouldn't put himself in danger like that.

After everything that happened in Grimrock, Duskwood's chief of police, Alan Bloomgate, personally went after her to conduct the interrogation, and, more than once, made it very clear that it was best for her to stay away from her new friends for a while. He didn't go into detail when he told her about what happened at the Ironsplinter Mine, but he confirmed that Richy was alive — despite having some serious injuries — and that Jake had fled from the FBI agents during the confusion caused by the explosion.

All the messages she sent and received during that time became evidence. Barbara had what it took to close Hannah Donfort's case literally in the palm of her hand, including the kidnapper's confession.

Consequently, she also had the means that could lead the people who were after Jake straight to him.

She was interrogated by the FBI countless times for months, until Alan decided to intervene and convinced her to hand over her cell phone to them in exchange for her old life. Since then, Barbara has not been part of the joint investigation. Or at least that's what they say — she's too smart to really believe that.

For a few seconds, she considered the chance that it was someone trying to play a trick on her. The video Lilly Donfort posted accusing her of kidnapping had gone viral across the Columbia University campus. Even her grandmother, who lived in the interior of Brazil, found out about her involvement with a hacker wanted by the North American government. However, no one else knew about the brief conversation they had about the chinese restaurant.

Except, of course, the FBI.

Without a doubt, it was a trap. Barbara felt her face turn red. It seemed that solving an old international murder case, giving up her privacy, being forced to abandon her group of friends and possibly cheating on the guy she was in love with was not enough. She also needed to act as bait when it was convenient.

Barbara huffed, irritated. Little did they know that Jake had no contact. Their partnership in crime had ended almost a year ago.

Still, there was no reason to decline the invitation. She could very well take advantage of the opportunity to tell some truths to those nosy agents, and as a bonus she would have an excuse to go to Germany without Alan being able to question her too openly.

Her lips lifted into a smile as the plan emerged in her mind.

After going through customs at Zurich Airport, picking up luggage and going to an exchange office to exchange some notes, only an hour and fifteen minutes by car separated Barbara from Duskwood. Luckily, there were several yellow taxis forming a line next to the sidewalk, because it would be a nightmare to have to deal with someone trying to compete for the same vehicle as her.

She walked out of the lounge, pulling her hot pink rolling suitcase, and turned on her smartphone to announce on the family's group chat that she had arrived safely. But before she could check her contact list to see if her parents were online, she collided with a young man's broad chest.

She jumped away from him, apologizing — or at least trying to — in german. He laughed softly, grabbing her arm to stop her from tripping over herself, and for a moment, Barbara forgot to even breathe. The young man seemed to be a few years older than her, he was tall, had dark hair and prominent round eyes that resembled the curve of a teardrop, he was wearing a white sweatshirt with a hood and black jeans.

“I'm sorry, I didn't see you.” He spoke in english, with a slight accent.

“No problem, it was my fault.” Barbara quickly straightened up, realizing that she had somehow stared too long.

The young man analyzed her from head to toe with amusement before bending down and picking up the cell phone that had flown out of her hand during the impact.

“I believe this is yours.” He joked, handing the device to her.

“Thank you.”

He nodded curtly and turned, making his way through the travelers entering and exiting the airport, as silent as a wraith.

She was inexplicably disappointed to see him leave, however she had more important things to deal with. Then, she handed the luggage to the driver to put in the trunk and got into the taxi, giving the address of the Gates Hotel, on the outskirts of Duskwood.

Barbara ran across the room, feeling the cold floor beneath her feet. She was considerably late, but as far as she remembered, she had never arrived on time to participate in the interrogations, so whoever was waiting for her at the restaurant wouldn't mind too much. She put on a black strapless dress, put on her highest heels and curled her wet hair with her fingers, leaving a small trail of water on the floor.

Through an opening in the peach curtains, she noticed that the rain had picked up outside, beating violently against the window pane. She cursed under her breath, hoping someone at the front desk could lend her an umbrella, and before Barbara could procrastinate her meeting with the FBI Special Agent any further, she took one last look at the floor mirror near the entrance hall, realizing that she was dressed for revenge.

“Someone would definitely approve of that.”

Smiling to herself, she went down a small flight of stairs to the ground floor, where the girl at the reception was reading a magazine with Nicholas Galitzine's photo on the cover.

“How can I help you?” She asked in english, without taking her eyes off the celebrity gossip.

“Hey, how you doin'? Could you lend me an umbrella, please?”

“Of course.” She said, reaching for the object under the counter and handing it to her. “A fee of two euros will be added to your room bill.” Barbara sighed, surprised, as she mentally converted the currency. “What?” The receptionist looked up, frowning. “Did you think it would be free?”

“No, obviously not.” Barbara lied, smiling politely.

“Return it by midnight or I will have to charge the full value of the item.” The girl announced, turning her attention to the magazine. Then she added: “Nice dress.”

“Okay, I'll pay when I check out.” She assured, walking towards the glass doors while opening her rented umbrella. “And thank you.”

“Have fun, Cinderella!”

Barbara regretted walking out the door as soon as she set foot on the sidewalk. Not just because of the rain, but because of the wind blowing your hair back. In any case, she had come too far to give up, and despite the storm, she could see the lights of the chinese restaurant through the blue haze a few meters ahead, on the other side of the street.

Before she could take another step, someone grabbed her arm and turned her around.

“What?” She blinked in amazement at the handsome young man she had met at the airport.

“Come with me.” He said, pulling her away from the hotel entrance.

“You are crazy? I do not know you!” Barbara shouted, dropping the umbrella near her feet. The rain completely drenched them both in moments. “Me solta!”

“Barbara, please.” He asked, breathing short.

The sadness in his voice stopped her struggling.

“How do you…?” She gasped, eyes wide. “Jake?”

taglist: @daniiiworlds; @labemquarts; @deinily

#iamjake #duskwood #moonvale #everbyte studio #jake x mc #duskwood fanfiction

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jakesduskwood · 7 months ago

Text

even statues crumble if they're made to wait

Pairing: Jake x Fem!MC

Genre: Post-Episode 10 Duskwood, Post-Episode 1 Moonvale

Words: 8,916

Summary: It's been three months since the explosion in the mine. Three months since Hannah was found. And MC's accepted that Jake is never coming back. When she gets roped into another missing person's case, it makes for the perfect distraction. Jake is dead. It's fine. That is, until she finds herself on the phone with Alan Bloomgate who says he has something to show her. But it's fine. Jake is dead.

Until he's not.

EPISODE-1 MOONVALE SPOILERS AHEAD (MAYBE)!

[ A/N: Hello! :)

I know it's been a while since I've done this, but I finished Moonvale Episode 1 and if you've seen the ending (and used its Duskwood code), you know what happened and how excited I was to receive that bit of Duskwood. So, I took it and ran with it, and out came this extremely long fic. I did not proofread this as it took me literally almost 12 hours to write so it is completely and 100% me and my love for Jake and I hope you love it.

Side note: I suck with anything related to timelines, so I made one up on my own. I know Episode 1 of Moonvale takes place over the course of a day or two, but for the purpose of this fic, it made sense to make it longer, so it's not a typo, or me losing my mind, it's just the way my brain processed this.

Enjoy! :) ]

It’s been three months since the explosion in the mine.

Three months since Richy had been killed. Three months since Hannah was rescued. Three months since I had last spoken to Thomas or Cleo or Lilly or…or Jessy. I didn’t blame her then and I don’t blame her now. Any of them, really. I didn’t share the bond they had with each other. I wasn’t from Duskwood. It didn’t matter that we’d experienced a tragedy together—and yes, perhaps them more than me, but I loved Richy too. I had lost Richy too. And Jake—

But mostly, I think they just wanted to forget. To move on. They didn’t want to remember that their friend had been capable of…of that. And I was a constant reminder of that to them. So I understood why we didn’t necessarily talk anymore.

The one person I did keep in contact with from Duskwood, oddly enough, other than the occasional update from Alan Bloomgate, was Dan. We weren’t best friends or anything, but he allowed me to check in on our friends in a way that I didn’t know how to do with anyone else. Maybe because I thought he was the least affected among them. I knew he cared about Hannah, but he wasn’t to her what Thomas or Cleo or Lilly were. And he wasn’t to Richy what Jessy had been.

I’d learned from him that Thomas and Hannah had broken up. There was no bad blood, but Thomas hadn’t quite figured out how to accept the things he’d learned about his girlfriend when she’d been gone, and Hannah hadn’t quite figured out how to re-trust someone after Richy. Even if that person was Thomas. But I’d hoped they would find their way back to each other in the end.

I thought about reaching out to Jessy every once in a while—even just as an apology for everything that had happened. I’m sorry that Hannah was found at the expense of Richy. I’m sorry that he did this to you. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner. We should have. We should have. We should have. I miss you. But I never send it. I’m not all that sure she’d respond anyway.

Cleo and I were never all that close. She has her best friend back, so I think she’s probably as okay as she can be. Helping Hannah find a new kind of normal in a time where her childhood friend had kidnapped her in order to prove a point. I don’t know how you come back from that—I don’t know how you come back from knowing that you killed somebody at all.

I hadn’t found the courage to ask if somebody had told Hannah about Jake.

Not that I think it would matter anyway. I hadn’t heard from him since before the explosion in the mine, which was, like I said—three months ago. I waited the appropriate amount of time—twenty-five days—before I broke down and concluded that maybe he hadn’t survived. Which just piled a shit-ton of guilt onto my shoulders because it was supposed to be me in that mine. He had gone in place of me and now he was dead.

It was the only explanation that made sense. I was used to Jake disappearing for days at a time, but never as long as he had been now. And he didn’t seem like the type to tell me he loved me and then leave without a single explanation. Not unless he had to. But it had been three months and as much as I missed him, as much as my chest ached with the thought that we would never eat Chinese food out of shitty motels and have that on-the-run ending we talked about, I had accepted that he wasn’t coming back.

I wonder if he had known about Richy or if he had died still thinking Michael Hanson was the one who had kidnapped Hannah. I wonder if his last thoughts were of me. Maybe it’s selfish, but I kind of hope they were, because I’m pretty sure I’ll think about him for the rest of my life.

I wonder what it would have felt like to run my hands through his hair. To kiss him. To spend every waking moment with him and know it was because I loved him. Because I would have. Talking to Jake became about more than just finding Hannah. It became a part of my day I looked forward to more than anything else. He confided in me in a way that told me he never had with anyone, maybe not even Hannah, and I needed that from somebody. I needed somebody to trust in me the way that Jake did. I needed somebody to love me the way that Jake did.

It was strange—and maybe a little ironic—the thought that something so beautiful could come out of something so tragic.

Anyway, my point is: it’s been a long couple of months. Of thinking about my friends. Of thinking about Jake. Of wondering if I should have done things differently. I should have gone to Duskwood to help. Not even with the mine, but sooner. I could have. I could’ve gone when Jessy was attacked on the way home. I could’ve gone when the group made plans to cut out of town and hide away in the house Richy had found. Selfishly, I should have. In that moment, when they were settled around the fire and Lilly called me, I had never remembered wanting anything more. I should have grabbed Jake—metaphorically, maybe even literally—and rode it out with them to the end.

I don’t stop missing them after three months. Of wishing things could have been different. Wishing I could have done more. But exactly ninety-five days after the explosion in the mine, seventy days since I had accepted that Jake was never coming back, twenty-two days since I had last heard from anybody from Duskwood (Dan included), my phone dings with a new message.

And the cycle starts all over again.

It’s somebody named Eric, who claims he needs my help to find his friend Adam, who disappeared while he was waiting for a ride in someplace called Redlog Pines. And much like with Duskwood, I have never heard of Redlog, and the case reminds me way too much of Thomas’ first message to me, so much that it makes my chest ache, but I can’t say no because there’s somebody missing, and if I’d say no the first time, God knows where Hannah would be.

So, I say yes, and I help out where I can, and Eric decides he needs to bring about four more friends in on his little plan and I try my best to stay emotionally unattached because I remember everything that happened the last time and I can’t go through that again. I offer up information when I can and keep my words short and careful because I’m not ready to get attached to somebody else I know I might never meet.

I know how this ends.

Two days in, Ash, one of Eric’s friends, brings up my Duskwood past and the unhealed wound I’ve been trying to mend breaks open again. She asks about Richy, and about the mine, and then because I’m me and I can’t help myself, I tell her about Jake. She tells me the news never mentioned another body and I shove that thought to the back of my head because hoping for something that will never come true will kill me.

Four days into Adam’s disappearance, and the police not giving a shit—as Charlie, somebody who reminds me far too much of Richy for comfort, points out—my phone beeps with an incoming call from somebody I haven’t spoken to in a while.

“Go for [MC].” I answer my phone.

Ever since Hannah had been found in the mine and Jake had…you know, my phone had been more silent than I’d gotten used to. Until this new case. But even that—it was only a few days old and I didn’t want to go down the same path with them that I did with my friends in Duskwood. We didn’t really know each other that long, sure—even though sometimes it’d felt like it—but it felt like I’d finally been a part of something. Like, I had found these people who had chosen me for me.

And originally, maybe they had. Maybe they’d had every intention of keeping me around, but then Richy was the Man Without A Face and Alan Bloomgate had rescued Hannah and nothing was the same as it had been when we’d met each other. We knew too many secrets about each other by the time the town settled. Secrets we would have to take to the grave.

Or maybe I’m losing my mind a bit and I had really only been a means to an end.

Either way.

“Alan?” I raise my voice when there’s nothing but breathing on the other end of the line. “Did you mean to call me?”

His tone is clipped. “I found something.”

“You found something.” I repeat.

My heart clenches. For all I know, it might fall into my stomach. As far I know, from watching the news, from what Ash told me, Jake’s body was never found. Richy’s was. Or what was left of him to find, anyway. I had assumed that there just hadn’t been enough of Jake left. The thought left me nauseous, but it was better than hoping for something I knew I could never have.

“I’m sending it to your phone now.” He responds. “Let me know what you think of this.”

And then he hangs up.

That was a riveting conversation, I think as my phone dings with a message. I do my best to ignore my other messages—contacts from Duskwood I’m still not ready to acknowledge—and click Alan Bloomgate. He sent me a video that looks like—oh God.

Immediately, I’m overcome with emotion as an all-too-familiar forest pops up on my phone. It’s a video of Alan’s bodycam footage. He’s searching the Duskwood forest. A forest I’ve seen too many times in the background of other video calls.

I watch as he stumbles upon an object that’s too dark to make out at first. When he gets closer, it’s clear that it’s a backpack. It’s simple. Black. Nothing about it that screams this is mine and I left it here about anybody in particular. You stupid, stupid idiot, I tell my heart when it rattles against my chest in hope. He’s dead.

Alan stands and treks away from the backpack—I want to scream at him to go back, to open it and look through it and tell me if it’s what my heart aches to believe, but I can’t, because this is a video and I’m simply watching with wide eyes, waiting for…for something. But then. But then, he moves further into the forest and I watch as he stumbles upon an object that makes my knees tremble and tears rush to my eyes and my hands shake. A black hoodie. It looks like it’s been through hell, with holes scattered up the sleeves and dirt cakes into the hood, but it’s unmistakably his.

And then—Alan lifts the hood and picks up something that makes me sink to my knees with a sob that wracks my entire frame. Because I’m staring at Jake’s mask. The mask he doesn’t go anywhere without. The mask that protects him. And so my relief is short-lived, because I realize that even if he’s alive—which seems like a very big possibility at this point—he’s alive without the things that he needs to survive.

And then the anger kicks in. Because if he’s been alive, on his own, for three months—why has he not contacted me? Unless he survived the mine but he didn’t survive the after. But that didn’t make any sense. So, okay, he wasn’t dead. But that didn’t make any sense either. He told me he wouldn’t let them catch him. Because catching that meant he would be apart from me. Did something happen that prevented him from being able to reach out and tell me he was at least okay? A quick text that said didn’t die in the explosion in the mine, you don’t need to mourn me, by the way, going off radar for another year. Did he think I would have given up on him?

I wipe my eyes and shoot a message to Alan.

ME: Recently?? Did nobody search the forests before?

ALAN: Searched the forests for what, [MC]? The logical assumption seemed to be that if anybody was inside the mine when Richy set the fire, they would have perished alongside him. Officers were stationed outside every known entrance and exit. Besides, after the story you and your friends spun around this town, do you think anybody would have gone back into its forests?

ME: But it’s possible?

ALAN: I would say these items had been there for some time. But I would say it is likely he ditched them when he fled the mine, yes.

Another sob tears through my throat. Jake is alive. I don’t know quite what that means for us as of now, but I know it’s the best news I’ve heard since Hannah was found. Jake is alive. He’s out there somewhere. And even if it’s been three months, and even if I’m a little bit mad at him right now, I know that if he was here, I would throw my arms around his neck and hold on to him until someone dragged me off, and even then—I would fight kicking and screaming.

I close out of my messages with Alan and pull up a conversation I haven’t had the heart to look at in quite some time.

ME: Jake’s alive.

LILLY: …

LILLY: Have you spoken to him?

ME: Alan called. He found some of Jake’s things in Duskwood. I don’t know a lot of details. But I know he made it out of the mine.

Lilly types for a long while, but she doesn’t respond. I don’t take it personally. I think it’s probably hard for her to be happy that her brother’s okay while also trying to accept that her sister may never be okay again. Her sister, who had once-upon-a-time been kind-of-sort-of in love with their brother she didn’t know she had. I think that would probably mess with any family’s heads. And on top of all that, you throw in manslaughter and a kidnapping. I wouldn’t wish anybody, not even my worst enemy, to have had to go through what the Donforts had.

When it becomes adamant that Lilly isn’t going to respond, I start scrolling through messages with the rest of the group in Duskwood. I click on Jessy. I’m here if you need me. That had been the last thing I sent to her, a couple of days after Richy’s death. She hadn’t responded. I click out of Jessy’s contact and click on Thomas’ instead. Thank you for everything. That had been his last message to me after we found Hannah. I’d liked it. I hadn’t expected at the time it would be the last thing we’d ever say to each other. I click out of Thomas’ and click on Richy. So, you want to turn yourself in? I’d asked. That was before he called me. Before he lit a match and burned himself and the mine to the ground. Some people would call that heroic. I mostly call him a coward.

I click on Jake’s name. It’s been a while since I read messages between the two of us. Maybe before I had accepted—thought—he was dead. In that twenty-five-day period when I’d hoped with all I’d had that he would come back. I love you. That was the last message he sent me. I’d responded with I love you too, Jake. Then, four days later: Are you okay? A week later: Jake, please, you’re starting to scare me. I know you said you would contact when you could, but it’s been a week. After twenty-five days, when I had finally accepted our fate, I’d sent one final message: I hope you know that I love you, and I will always care about you, but I think it’s time for me to move on. I’m so sorry that I sent you into the mine. It should have been me. And I will probably feel the guilt from that for the rest of my life. Thank you for everything. Take care of yourself, wherever you are.

After that, I had closed out of our messages and hadn’t looked back. Partly because I couldn’t bear the pain of it. It felt like I had given up on him. I hadn’t—if I had thought for a second that he was alive, if I knew then what I know now, I would have never sent that message. But holding out hope for somebody who I thought was a ghost at the time? That was slowly killing me.

It’s only then that I notice the screen flickering. Much like the way it used to whenever Jake would hack into my phone. I don’t think he’s much in the mood to be hacking right now, but somehow, I know it’s him. When had he done this? Recently? If I had opened our messages, would I have seen this ten—twenty—even fifty days ago? It hadn’t looked like this the last time I texted him. Did he see my last message about needing to move on? Was that why he hadn’t reached out to tell me that he was okay? Because he thought I was moving on happily without him?

No, my brain supplies. He wouldn’t. He would reach out anyway, because he knows how much the thought of him not being okay would have destroyed you.

The screen flickers once more and then a message pops up, bright and blue-tinted and clear as day on my phone.

[MC]

I WILL FIND YOU

And the world around me shifts.

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

Maybe it sounds crazy, considering I’ve never seen his face before, but I always thought that if I’d ran into Jake one day, maybe on the street or at one of those motels he stayed at or maybe even in Duskwood, surrounded by all our friends, I would know it was him. I would, because it’s him, and it’s me, and we’re the only two people who understand each other quite the way we do.

I still believe that.

I believe it when I book my flight to Duskwood (or rather, twenty miles outside of town, which is the closest airport). I believe it when I board the airplane and find a seat next to a mother with her screaming child and when I shoot off a quick text to Eric to let him know I’ll be MIA for the next few hours, but to message me if he needs anything—and I think about how much easier this case would probably be to solve if we had Jake.

Maybe it would have been harder to find Hannah without me, but I know damn well they would’ve never found her without Jake.

Dan picks me up from the airport. I haven’t told the others yet. Something about it felt off—like I shouldn’t message them and say hey, I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but I’m booking a flight to look into why my maybe-slash-not-really boyfriend left his belongings in a forest we really wish we could forget about, and by the way, can I crash at your place?

It’s quiet on the car ride back into town. I’m looking through my messages from Eric and the group from Redlog Pines and thinking about how I’m Duskwood with this group and I want so badly to laugh because it’s ironic, but Dan wouldn’t understand. He might just call me crazy. Better yet, he would ask how I manage to get myself into these situations, and really, I don’t have an answer for him.

“How have you been?” I ask, just to break the tension, as Charlie, in my messages, tries to persuade his friends to head back into that creepy cave in the middle of the forest. He’s going to get someone killed, I think.

Dan looks over at me. “Are you still with Hackerman?”

My chest squeezes. “His name is Jake, Dan. And we were never really together.”

“Hm.” He nods like he doesn’t quite believe me. “You already know mostly everything that’s been happening here. Thomas and Hannah called it quits. They say it was some mutual decision, but it’s hard to find them in the same room together. Jessy hasn’t been out with us since. I think we remind her too much of Richy. The group’s all changed.”

“And you?” I ask.

He gives me a cheshire-like grin that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. “I’m always the same.”

We make it to Duskwood just as the sun’s going down. Much too late for me to try and trek through the forest and retrace the steps Jake might have taken that night. Not that I think it would help give me any clues as to where he might have gone, but mostly because I wonder if it will make me feel closer to him. We’ve never been in the same place before, and even if he’s not there now—he once was.

“Can you drop me at the police station?”

Dan blinks. “The police station.”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“We answered their questions for weeks, [MC]. I don’t think anything you have to tell them at this point is going to help. The investigation’s closed. Everybody knows Richy did it. He died with the fire in the mine. Everybody’s trying to move on from that.” He works his jaw. “Did you come here to open old wounds after all this time?”

I try not to show the hurt look on my face. “This isn’t about Richy. Look, Alan called me. He asked if I could look at some things. I figured it was better for me to do it in person. That’s it. Nothing to do with Richy. Nothing to do with Jessy. Nothing to do with you.”

He sighs, and I’m not entirely sure he’s going to abide by my wishes until we pull in front of a tiny building—tinier than most—that says Duskwood Police on the sign. Duskwood must not have that much crime. Well, not until this, I suppose.

“Thank you.” I tell him as I reach over to undo my seatbelt and climb out of the car. “This is a nice ride, by the way.”

He raises a hand in some mock-salute. “Need me to pick you up?”

“Nah.” I shake my head. “Think I’ll explore the town for a little bit.”

“Suit yourself.” He shrugs and then he’s off.

I square my shoulders and take a deep breath before opening the door to the police station. It wasn’t like Alan asked me to come down here. He hadn’t. Even during the investigation into Richy’s death and Hannah’s kidnapping, when he questioned us, he never asked me to come to Duskwood. We’d done way too many video calls and phone calls and at one point, I had asked if he thought it would be easier for me to come to Duskwood, to which he responded back, are you ready for that?

No, I hadn’t been. I’m not even so sure I was now. But knowing that Jake was alive, that here was the last place was, I had to try.

“Can I help you?” The woman at the front desk asks.

I clear my throat. “I was wondering if I could speak to Alan Bloomgate. I’m one of—I was involved in the Hannah Donfort case. My name is [MC].”

Her eyes widen. “Give me a moment.” She stands and heads to some back office—which looks to me more like a closet—and then returns with a clipped smile. “He’ll be right out.”

Apparently, she isn’t lying, because not two minutes later, Alan is stepping out from the same door and staring me down. I hold his gaze and hope it says that I’m not here to argue. I will tell him my truth, but only my truth, not Hannah’s, not Jake’s, not anybody else’s.

“I was wondering when I would see you.” He says.

I shrug one shoulder. “Isn’t a few months later better than never?”

“Let’s go into my office.” He says, and leads me around the desk and back into the closet space he had come out of. He sits behind the desk and motions for me to take a seat opposite him. “I’m just going to guess you’re not here to talk about Miss Donfort.”

“I want to see them.” I tell him. “His things. I want to see them for myself. And whatever you want from me in return, I’ll give to you.”

“You’re playing a dangerous game here, [MC].”

“He isn’t a game to me.” I snap back and then sit back and try to relax. “I appreciate that you called me. It’s—I helped you find Hannah. I would do it again. Even with knowing the things that we do now, I would do it all again. That’s how much that group means to me. That’s how much he means to me. I’m not asking you to break any rules or to lie for him or to—to let him hide in your basement for the next five years. I’m just asking you to show me what you found.”

He stares me down for a moment. Then, he sighs, says “wait here for a minute” and disappears to another room. When he comes back, it’s with an evidence bag in his hand filled with the objects I saw on his bodycam footage. My breath hitches in my throat.

“I can’t let you touch them.” He says as he lays them in front of me.

I stare into the eyes of the mask. “Did you tell anybody that he’s alive?”

“I don’t know that he’s alive,” is all the answer he gives, which is an answer to my question. I slide my gaze down to the black hoodie, to the dirtied sleeves and muddy hood, and think about the fact that Jake wore this. I’m so close to him.

And yet I’ve never been further away from him.

“Thank you.” I tell him. “For—for this. And for listening to me about Hannah. If you hadn’t, I—I don’t know what would have happened. How much longer he would have gone on for. If he would have ever stopped.”

Alan’s silent for a minute. Then, he clears his throat. “You know, it was strange to me. Both Hannah and yourself swore to me that neither of you knew the other.”

“I don’t.” I swear.

It was one of the (albeit many) things that didn’t make sense to me. How Hannah got a hold of my number. How she sent it to Thomas. She’d told Alan she hadn’t really remembered texting him my number at all.

“I believe you.” He reassures. “I just think it’s strange. One mistake, if you can call it that, and you throw yourself into a missing persons case to help a stranger.”

“They’re not strangers.” Even though Hannah is kind of still a stranger.

“But they were.” Alan reasons. “You had no reason to say yes to helping Thomas. I doubt anybody would have held it against you if you turned the other way. But you decided to follow this until the end. To make sure they found Hannah. And you care about them. Maybe that’s why I find that I’m more lenient with you than maybe I should be. Why you’re sitting across from me right now calling the shots. Why I’m not asking you about the hacker.”

“I wouldn’t tell you if you did.” I look him in the eye so he knows I’m telling the truth.

He returns my gaze. “Maybe that’s the other reason.”

“Hm.” I acknowledge before I turn my gaze away—from him, from the objects that I know belong to Jake and it takes everything in me not to snatch them up and run. “Well. Thank you for allowing me to steal some of your time. For letting me—” I cut myself off before I say something that makes me break down in a fit of tears in front of him. “—just thank you.”

Leaving the station is easier than coming in. I’m still not any closer to knowing where Jake is than I was when I arrived here, but there’s a comfort in knowing he walked these streets. I wonder what he would think if he knew I was here. He hadn’t wanted me to come to Duskwood when everything was happening…but now that it was over, would he be happy that I was here? That I had come to Duskwood to piece together where he might have gone? Would he track my location and come to find me and…or was I grasping at straws?

It felt like I had just gotten him back. Not really, not entirely…but knowing that he was alive, that he was out there somewhere, maybe thinking of me and looking for ways to come back, to live the life we talked about when he asked me if I was sure…that was worth it. The thought that we could maybe someday have that—even if it was a twenty percent chance.

I check my phone again to see a new message from Ash. She’s asking me if I’ve heard from Charlie in the last few hours. Apparently, he’s AWOL, and I want to help, really, but…it doesn’t really feel like that’s where I am at the moment. Not just physically—obviously—but mentally. We got lucky with Hannah. And that was really only because we had Jake. Adam didn’t have a Jake. Or…maybe he did and I just hadn’t met him yet. But I already had a Jake and I didn’t want another one.

Maybe—if I found him, I could convince him to help. That was a big maybe. Not because I thought Jake would say no. He would say yes to anything I asked of him. The maybe was whether or not I could find him. More likely, the maybe was whether or not he would find me.

Three months ago, I would have been able to come to Duskwood and have no shortage of things I wanted to do and people I wanted to see. Now, as I stand outside Duskwood’s police station, I feel nothing but loneliness. Nobody knows I’m here. I could pass Thomas on the street and he wouldn’t even know it. I could run into Jessy at the library and she would walk by me without even a second thought. Why would they? I hadn’t told them I was here.

So, with nothing left to do, I walked. Toward the town center. Toward the library that Jessy showed me on our walk through Duskwood. Toward the Rainbow Café where I knew that Cleo and Hannah had spent a lot of their time. Toward the Black Swan. Toward—

Ah, what the hell.

I had nothing better to do and The Aurora seemed like a great place to drown my sorrows. To think about my next steps. To figure out—now that I was in Duskwood—what I planned to do. The thing about Jake being so secretive (and on the run) was that I couldn’t retrace his steps. I wasn’t able to ask if anyone had seen him. One, because he would make sure nobody had. And two, because three months was a long time to forget somebody’s face if you didn’t know who you were looking for.

I pull open the door to the bar and step inside. Immediately, I’m hit with the stench of whiskey and a handful of chatter. Duskwood’s a small town. And The Aurora definitely proves it. The bartenders move melodically around each other, serving patrons on the other side of the bar. If you walk down further, there’s a handful of tables.

And dead in the center is a table with my friends. Or, some of them. Dan and Cleo and Lilly. Could I still call them my friends? Ex-friends, maybe? Acquaintances? I didn’t know what they were. Or how to address them. It wasn’t like we had gotten into a fight. We didn’t stop talking for any reason other than that we did. We stopped talking.

I make a beeline for the bar to avoid a confrontation and plant myself on one of the stools. One of the bartenders—a girl cute with bleach blonde hair and brown Bambi eyes—asks what I want and I channel my inner Dan to order a whiskey—neat.

Looking over my shoulder, I focus on the table of them. On Lilly, who’s smiling at something Cleo said. On Dan, who’s the only one of them who actually knows I’m here. But even he’s focused on the conversation they’re having. It’s strange—to see Dan a part of something I’m not sure he would have been before. It’s nice.

“[MC]?”

I turn my head away from the table of my friends and focus my attention across the bar on someone I should’ve expected to see. “Phil.”

“I thought I recognized your voice from when we talked.” He smiles. “I wasn’t sure, but I saw you staring longingly at them—” He nods towards Dan and Cleo and Lilly. “—and I knew. What brings you around here? I expected you to show up maybe a few months ago, but by now, I thought you’d moved on without us.”

I was tired of the words move on. Like I’d had a choice. Like the people from this town might open their arms and welcome me back into their lives. So I’d been part of the group who’d saved Hannah Donfort. So had a lot of people. It didn’t make me special and everyone here knew it.

I offer him a smile in return. “I’m looking for somebody.”

“Anybody I know?” He asks.

I shake my head. “Nah. At least nobody you would recognize.” I pause. “How’s Jessy?”

“She’s—Jessy.” He answers, like that is an answer. “I don’t know if she’ll ever really be okay with the way things happened with Richy. I wouldn’t expect her to. Obviously. But I don’t know. I think I just thought she would have gone back to her normal life by now. And then I remember that most of her life revolved around him. He was her best friend. She worked for him. And I’m trying to be patient about that. But—” He shakes his head. “Maybe you should talk to her.”

“She doesn’t know I’m in town.”

“Okay.” He hums. “So, you’re not in town for my sister. And you’re not in town for your group of friends because they’re over there and you look like you’d rather be anywhere else. There’s always Hannah, but I don’t think you knew her that well. Or at all. Would I be right to assume this is about a certain hacker who helped to find Hannah?”

“He didn’t help find Hannah.” I defend. “He was the entire reason we found Hannah. I would have never been able to do it on my own. Even with the others’ help. He’s the only reason we found out about—” I pause before I say something I maybe shouldn’t. “It doesn’t matter. He’s the only reason we found her. Everything I did was just dumb luck.”

“That wasn’t what the news said.” A voice cuts in and I turn my attention from Phil to focus on the stranger that slides into the seat beside me. Not too close—a couple inches away. I don’t recognize him. I don’t know him. But I don’t know every person in Duskwood. Maybe a total of like nine or ten. “I’m sorry to interrupt. But I heard you had a lot to do with finding Hannah Donfort. The news said you were some kind of hero.”

I offer him a tight smile. “That’s nice of them. But…if they knew my—friend—knew what he did to find her, I don’t think I would be as much of a hero as everybody says.”

“That’s noble.” He says, eyes meeting mine, and it strikes me at once how handsome he is. He has dark hair. Bright green eyes. Focus, [MC]. I scold. You have a…a someone.

My phone buzzes.

ERIC SENT A PHOTO.

ERIC: What do you make of this?

I sigh and click on the photo. It’s of—some object. Much like the one that was addressed to me on the envelope in Adam’s glove compartment. The image is a bit different—but I don’t know enough about what it means to have an answer as to why.

ME: Was this one addressed to me?

ERIC: Nope. Ash.

“Are you okay?” Phil asks.

I clear my throat. “I’m a popular person—apparently.” A thought strikes. “Have you ever heard of a place called Redlog Pines?”

Phil frowns. “No.”

I turn to look at the stranger. “You?”

“Redlog Pines is a small town about two hundred miles north of Duskwood.” He answers. “Known for their wooded forests, much like Duskwood.”

“Why are you looking into a place with forests as creepy as ours?” Phil asks, incredulously. “Didn’t you get enough of that with Hannah’s case?”

“Yeah.” I sigh. “You would think.”

“Hey, [MC]!”

I wince at the sound of Dan’s voice. Shooting Phil a look that screams please help me to which he shakes his head amusedly, I turn and plaster on a fake smile as I take in the shocked looks on Cleo and Lilly’s faces. I should have known better than to come to The Aurora and talk to Phil when the three of them were having a conversation across the room. I should have known they would sooner or later see me. I just hoped it was later.

“Hey.” I hop off my stool and make my way across the bar to them. “It’s, uh, fancy seeing the three of you here.”

“What are you doing here?” Cleo asks.

“I haven’t really figured that out.” My eyes meet Lilly’s. “It sounds crazy to say it out loud. But I was hoping that—I’m not sure if Lilly told you—”

“That Jake’s alive.” Cleo nods. “None of us ever really thought he wasn’t.”

I don’t think she means it as a dig—but it still feels like one. Like she’s saying you gave up on him you gave up on him you gave up on him even though she’s not and she didn’t really know him and the only person I can talk to at this table who even might understand is Lilly and even—Jake didn’t confide in her the way he did me.

“Right.” I acknowledge. “So I thought that maybe if I came here, I could trace his steps from when he was here and—I haven’t really thought that far ahead. It’s not like I thought he left me any clues in the forest or anything like that. I don’t think he expected me to be here. He hadn’t wanted me to be the last time we talked. But that was before everything happened.”

Lilly’s eyes track behind me. “Does Jake still have Nymos on your phone?”

“Uh.” I furrow my brows. “I think so. I hadn’t heard from him in a while, but I went back and read through our messages after I talked to Alan and…my phone glitched, like it used to when Jake had hacked it. And then this message appeared on my screen.”

“And by chance, can Nymos track your location?”

“What—” I shake my head. “Maybe. I don’t think I ever really asked him. It didn’t seem necessary at the time.”

“Uh huh.” She focuses on me once more. “Let’s say, for one minute, that Jake has access to Nymos who has access to your location.”

Cleo must catch onto something I’m not sure of. “Jake didn’t want you here.”

“Uh, thank you?”

“You know that’s not what I mean.” She waves me off. “He didn’t want you in Duskwood. He had been adamant about that when we were talking about the mine. That’s why he went. If you showed up in Duskwood—”

“Nymos would have alerted him.” Dan finishes.

“Okay…” I’m not entirely sure I’m on the same page as them. “So—you think that Jake found out when I came to Duskwood.”

“Correct.” Lilly beams like she just solved life’s greatest mystery.

“And you think he would—come find me?”

She smiles sympathetically at me—like I’m the world’s biggest idiot for not realizing what she has been trying to say sooner. “I think he already has.”

“You think Jake’s in Duskwood.” I deadpan.

“[MC].” Cleo grabs my shoulders and turns me around. “We think he’s in this bar.”

Stranger, as I had nicknamed him—AKA the guy sitting beside me at the bar, with Phil and Redlog Pines (which he probably only knew about because of me) and the whole Hannah being kidnapped and not taking any of the credit thing—was looking back at me. So was Phil. Like they thought I was the crazy one. Like it would’ve been so hard for him to look and me and say it’s me or anything that might have clued me into the fact that—

“Jake?” I whisper, because I’ve lost quite a bit of sleep over the past couple of months and I’m not one hundred percent sure what—or who—I’m seeing is real. “Are you here?”

He tilts his head and smiles at me. Actually smiles. A bit shyly, like it’s something he’s not used to doing, but maybe like it’s something he could get used to. And I think about how terrible I probably look right now because I’m not wearing makeup and my hair is tousled from constantly pulling at it and my clothes are wrinkled from the plane and the police station and I look like a mess. But our relationship has never been about looks. Clearly. I didn’t even know the person I’d been talking to until Lilly and Cleo and even Dan pointed out the obvious.

“If I—” I close my eyes and open them again. Nope. Still there. “I need you to still be there by the time I reach you because it’s been a—” I sniffle. “—it’s been a rough few months and I don’t think I could handle you disappearing again.”

He stands from the stool he was sitting on and shuffles his feet. Like he’s not quite sure where he’s supposed to stand. If he thinks about moving, I’ll tackle him onto the floor of The Aurora and then apologize to Phil later. It feels like everything I wanted is right here in front of me. And I’m scared to death that it’s not real.

“What’s one thing you would take with you if you were stranded on an island?”

His smile stretches. “My computer.”

And that—that’s what breaks me. I think I might start blubbering like an idiot but I don’t remember the time it takes for me to cross the measly twenty feet between us. All I remember is grabbing his black hoodie—because of course—and dragging him to me. I don’t kiss him, despite how much I want to, because I don’t want our first kiss to be tainted with my snot and tears. Instead, I bury my face in his collarbone and wrap my arms around his neck and hold on for dear life.

Because I can. Because he isn’t dead.

“Y—You’re here.” I pull back and cup his face with my hands. “How are you here?”

“You came to Duskwood.” He responds, and then—hesitantly—he presses his lips to my forehead in a kiss. “Alan called you.”

“He found your things in the forest.” I whisper back. “He said they’d been there a while. The police hadn’t searched the forest because they assume you died in the mine.”

“They aren’t looking for me here.” He confirms. “I didn’t expect it to take so long for them to find my belongings, but I anticipated that you would find out. At the time, it wasn’t safe for me to reach out and contact you. They kept on my trail for a while before they assumed I died in the mine with Richy.”

“Why didn’t you contact me then?” I ask. “Is it because of what I last messaged you? I didn’t mean it—I swear, I thought you were dead. If I had known you were alive, I would have waited, however long it took. I wasn’t trying to give up on you.”

“Hey.” He places both hands on either side of my face. “I know. I know that, [MC]. That was never why I didn’t reach out to you. I know you said you wanted this life with me. But I didn’t want that for you. But I was selfish. I couldn’t let you go. So I was trying to find a way to make both of those things true. But I was always coming back to you.”

“And did you?”

“Come back to you?” He asks.

I sniffle. “Find a way to make both of those things true.”

“Not entirely.” He admits. “Nymos alerted me you had boarded a plane headed in the direction of Duskwood and I—” He shook his head. “I knew I would find you here.”

“You could have found me sooner.”

He lets go of my face and he feels like he takes my skin with him. “It wasn’t that easy.”

“It could have been.” I demand.

I’m angry again. Now that I know he’s alive and okay and that he could have found me, I’m angry that he didn’t. I told him I would choose that life with him. Over and over and over. He didn’t need to make the decision for me. He didn’t need to try and protect me. And yes, maybe the fact that he did makes my heart flutter a tiny little bit, but that’s besides the point.

“I told you before you left me.” I tell him and I’m aware it sounds like we’ve been in a relationship for five years and I’m aware that everybody in here is watching and listening in on our conversation and they probably all know we’re who we are, two people involved in helping to find the kidnapped Hannah Donfort, and maybe that’s all we’ll ever be in this town. But I would rather be the girl who found Hannah Donfort in Duskwood with him than be me anywhere else. “You told me you would let me go with you.”

“That was before I told you I loved you.”

My heart skips a beat. It screams I love you I love you I love you back, but I say— “What does that have to do with anything?”

He looks somewhat amused. Like he knows I would never hold it against him. It’s clear to both of us that I wouldn’t because even though I’m glaring up at him with my furrowed eyebrows and my lips pouted, I’m still pressed tightly against him. His hands—even though they’ve moved from my face—are now resting on my hips. Pulling my tighter to him. There’s no space in between us. If it was up to me, I’m pretty sure there never would be again.

“[MC].” He says, and oh god I wish he would say my name every day for the rest of his life. “Have I—in the short time we have known each other—ever struck you as the type of person who says I love you? But with you…” His words are a whisper against my lips. “It’s easy to fall back into old emotions with you.”

“I want to be angry with you.” I tell him.

He shakes his head. “No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t.” I agree. “But I might be if you don’t kiss me.”

He brought one finger underneath my chin and tilted it up until our lips were separated by a fraction of an inch. My eyelids fluttered. I didn’t care that everyone in here was about to see just how much Jake meant to be. I didn’t care because I had waited too long for this. And then—just as I’m leaning toward him to press our lips together, he whispers— “[MC]?”

“Hm.” I acknowledge.

“Who’s Eric?”

My eyelids crack open and I shove at his chest. “That’s what you’re worried about right now? Here I am, in front of you, covered in snot and tears and who-knows-what-else because you’re here right now, and you’re worried about some guy I don’t even know?”

“Who’s Eric?” He repeats.

“Ugh.” I run my hands through my hair and take a step back. “I don’t know. He’s the other side of Thomas or whatever you want to call him. If we lived in a different town.” I glare back at him and try not to admit that I think his jealous side is a little cute. “He messaged me. Thought I picked up his friend from some parking lot and I didn’t, but his friend sent him my number, and it was Hannah all over again. I’m trying to help them.”

“This Adam has been sending you a lot of videos.”

“You know I hate when you hack my phone.” I complain, even though I really don’t. Even though I had prayed for him to help me with this case. “I really don’t know Adam. Like—even less than I know Eric.

“But you know Eric.”

“For like a week.” I reassure. “He added me to this group chat with him and like three other friends of his. They’re desperate to find Adam who has apparently dropped off the face of the earth and I don’t know what to do. I had you with Hannah’s case. And you knew her. And they—” I look over my shoulder at Cleo and Dan and Lilly, who are pretending like they’re not listening in even though I know and Jake knows they are. “—they knew her. And obviously Adam’s friends must know him but I don’t and you don’t and there is no Jake in Redlog Pines.”

“I don’t trust him.” He shakes his head. “Any of them.”

I laugh. “Jake, you didn’t trust half the people in this bar when we first started talking.” I look over at Phil and then Dan. “It doesn’t mean they committed a crime. If I had backed off when you asked me to help you find Hannah, we may never have.”

“I thought that was all thanks to me.” He sounds smug, like that little smiley face he loved to annoy me with (AKA make me fall in love with him). “Did he flirt with you?”

“No.” I deadpan. “I think he was focused on his missing friend.”

“I was focused on my missing sister.” He shoots back.

I close my mouth. Alright. He has a point. But I wasn’t flirting with Eric. He was focused on finding Adam and I was focused on mourning—and then finding—Jake. Maybe it felt like Eric and I were two sides of the same coin. Maybe that’s why I agreed to help him. Because I didn’t want to happen to him what I thought had happened to Jake—to me.

“You’re being ridiculous.” I say instead. “How do you think I could ever entertain the idea of being with somebody else when for the past three months—more than that if you count the time we have actually had together—I’ve been focused on you? On discussing Hannah with you and then talking to you about anything and everything and then worrying about you and then hating you a little for convincing me you should me the one to go into the mine and then mourning you when it was hard to even think about you and then finding you?”

His eyes are wide. I think I’ve rendered him speechless. Which—serves him right. I know he’s not somebody who serves their feelings up on a silver platter. I know that. Obviously, I knew that from the first time I spoke to him. Back when he was nothing more than ??? and I was almost convinced that Dan was right and he was the Man Without A Face—a thought that I now hate with everything in me. But I need him to trust me. Jealousy streak and FBI and the missing persons cases aside, he needs to trust me.

“Trust me.” I cup the sides of his face again. “He’s nothing like you.”

He swallows. “Some people might consider that to be a perk.”

“I don’t.” I say.

And then I’m kissing him and it feels like coming home.

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